Continuing with the plot:

A Mother's Betrayal

Kel and Raoul stood frozen.

Finally, the older knight spoke. "What the devil just happened?" Suddenly able to move, he rushed to the door. "He's gone! That old man – Pitken – he's just gone!"

Kel was staring at the rolled parchment she was holding. Raoul returned to her side.

"Are you sure that was Pitken, or do you think . . ." He left the end of the sentence unsaid. Kel knew that man wasn't Pitken. There was only one other possibility: an immortal.

"Have you looked at the paper yet?" Raoul asked her impatiently, shaking her out of her silent reverie. She shook her head. He waited a few seconds, then prompted, "Well?"

She unrolled the scroll. The writing was thin and spidery, and she could barely make it out on the cracked parchment. She read it out loud to Raoul:

"When thy kingdom comes to mortal danger

By will of two alone it may be saved.

Accept thy quest, and you, dear strangers,

Will search for Six, which all men crave.

"I break away, ere menace blooms –

Mine enemies' swords flash hard.

I hide thy key parchment in the gloom;

Laid among a regal guard."

Kel looked at him, confused. "That's at least twice a 'Six' has been mentioned. What is it?"

Raoul was entranced. "I always thought it was a legend . . . we weren't even taught about them during our training. The Six are supposedly six . . . things . . . "

Kel looked sternly at him. "Explain."

"Well, no one really knows what they are. They could be people, or objects, or something else. But whatever they are, they are brimming with powers, magical and otherwise. No one really knows what they are capable of. . . to think that they'd surface now, and connected with you —"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the poem said something about only two people, right? And that-guy-who-was-not-Pitken, he said that only you, and one other person, could do this thing. Could find the Six. That has to mean you, and some other person, I guess. It's your quest, and even more so since the man who told you showed up in a form that only you would recognize."

Kel was shell-shocked. "Just me? Just me, go find these six 'things' that no one even knows anything about?"

Raoul nodded. "Yes. Well, no. You and one other person. And if I were you, I'd think carefully before choosing." With that final remark, he sauntered out of the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She stood quietly for a moment, then turned and left the Greater Library, slowly making her way back to the banquet hall.

It took her friends less than a minute to locate her, and they converged on her quickly. Squires Owen of Jesslaw, Prosper of Tameron, and Sirs Merric of Hollyrose, Faleron of King's Reach, Cleon of Kennan and Neal all ran up, out of breath.

"Kel! We've been looking for you!" said Owen excitedly. Kel allowed herself a small smile. Even at seventeen, Owen was still more energetic than anyone she knew.

"Is everything all right? You look . . . strained." Cleon walked up slower, looking at her with concern. She nodded, and he embraced her and kissed her cheek quickly. "I'm glad."

"Kel, what was —" Kel shot a quick look at Neal, and he broke off. Seeing that the others were looking at him curiously, he hurriedly continued. "What was, um, your assignment? Where are you going?"

"I haven't gotten mine yet," she answered smoothly. "Where are you going?"

They all told her: Cleon and Faleron were going to Port Caynn, Merric to Pirate's Swoop, and Neal to Fief Naxen. Owen was annoyed that he wasn't old enough to be assigned a position — yet.

"Just nine more months, and I'm a knight! Why can't I just skip the months and become a knight?" he asked, indignant.

"Because," Neal answered, face serious, "The last nine months are the most important." Owen elbowed him impatiently. "Plus," Neal continued, nonplussed, "We want to make sure that there are new knights in nine months, seeing as it doesn't look good for all of us right now."

They all fell silent.

"Well, I have to go. The king said to be off as soon as possible, remember?" Faleron reminded them. Most of the others made excuses and drifted away, leaving Kel, Cleon, and Neal.

Kel looked at Neal with an "I'll-explain-later" expression. He winked at her, and left the two of them alone. Kel watched him leave. Even though her crush on him was long dead, she still thought he was extremely attractive. But then, he had Yuki, and she had Cleon . . . who was still looking worried.

"Are you sure you're okay, my dewdrop?" His flowery name made her laugh.

"Kind of." She motioned for him to go ahead of her, and they left the banquet hall, slowly strolling to Kel's chambers while making small talk. He closed the door behind her. Kel sat down on her bed. Cleon stayed standing.

"Kel," he began. "I actually have something I need to tell you."

"Can't it wait?" Kel sidled up to him and kissed him, her breath warming his lips. She wrapped her arms around his head and fell into the feeling of him when he broke their kiss and pulled away.

"Hmm . . . not really," he muttered.

"What is it?" She stood away from him.

"Remember how I told Mother about you and I and she was, well, less than thrilled?" Kel nodded. "It seems that she either forgot, or didn't care, because she . . . um . . . she . . ." He stopped speaking and wouldn't look at her. Kel got a sinking feeling in her chest. She made herself speak.

"She what? What did she do?"

"She — she set up a marriage." He glanced at her face, then continued in a rush. "It's with Lady Gretyl from the next fief over. She set it up all by herself, and it will take place in mid-June. It'll be really good for our politics, and it will expand Fief Kennan and make it closer with our neighbors, and —"

Kel couldn't hear him any more. A pounding in her ears blocked out Cleon's words. She didn't understand. She knew his mother didn't approve of her, but this! This was incomprehensible!

"Wait," she said, interrupting him. "I know! We can elope! We can go to the far South, and get married, and everything will be fine, because it's not like she can do anything about us, and we'll be happy, and everything will be fine. It'll work! I know it will work!"

"Kel." He walked over to her and cupped his hand around her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I don't want to do that. You don't understand — they'd disown me forever if I did that. I need the support of my family and my home, and I'm sorry, but . . . it's for the best, I promise." He kissed her once, sweetly, and left her.

Yup, Cleon's the bad guy . . . REVIEW!!! (I'm putting these reminders here because when I'm reading, I always forget to review. . . plus, some people need a little prompting.)