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One last kiss
A/N
Hiya! I've got loads of time on my hands at the moment (I love the holidays!!!), so I decided to write something a bit different. Um… this is probably going to have some K/D in it, but I don't have a clue how it's going to end up- just depends if I'm nice to Cleon or not! I don't think Kel and Dom will end up as a couple in the books, but that doesn't stop me hoping! ;) Anyway, enjoy… and please review!
Disclaimer: The characters and setting all belong to the wonderfully talented Tamora Pierce. You didn't honestly think I made them up?! Only the storyline is mine, nothing else. No copyright infringement is intended. Thank you!
*~*~*
Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight of the realm of Tortall, stared out of her bedroom window, watching as early spring rain fell down over the palace grounds. It bounced from every surface it fell on, and poured in deluges off the rooftops of the city below. The sky above was grey and stormy, with no sign of any break in this downpour.
Just my luck, Kel thought. I'm due to ride north tomorrow, and if the weather carries on like this, it is not going to be a nice journey.
Not that she had expected the journey to be in any way nice, but rain would hardly help. She was riding to the Scanran border on the King's orders, to help with the war up there. Actually, it wasn't an official 'war' yet, but the victories and losses fought against those barbarians fitted every description of the word. War is war, whatever name you give it.
The only good thing about the days ahead was the fact that she would see her friends again- Neal, Owen, the men of the King's Own…. and of course, Cleon. She hadn't seen him since well before her Ordeal, and she couldn't express her excitement at the thought of kissing him again. No, Kel, she scolded herself. You've not been sent up there to spend time with your sweetheart, you've been sent there to do your duty. So stop thinking about him.
Easier said than done, as she had all too often discovered. The more she tried to put Cleon, who was betrothed, out of her mind, the more he haunted her dreams- at night, and during the day.
Her reverie was disturbed by a knock at the door. Probably Lalasa, come to help her pack her things. Kel had insisted that she could manage on her own, but the dressmaker was stubborn.
"If I don't help you, my lady, you're bound to forget something important. Can't have you without enough clothes, can we?"
Kel grinned, as she went to answer the door. Lalasa didn't understand the words 'travel light', and probably never would.
"Lady Keladry?" A small,
brunette young woman, about fifteen, stood at the door. She curtsied politely
at Kel, who bowed back. Who was this?
"Please forgive the interruption- I know how busy you are." The lady didn't
seem too worried about interrupting Kel, as she entered the room, looked
around, and took a chair. "I'm Meryn of Castleharbour. I believe you know my
husband-to-be?"
"Do I?" Kel was totally stumped. She knew no husbands-to-be, apart from Roald and… oh yes. Cleon.
"Cleon of Kennan? A friend of yours, I believe." The lady shifted her skirts daintily, and rested her shrewd gaze on Kel, who met it steadily, already deciding that she didn't like this conceited young woman. But maybe that was because she was biased, and because all her dreams of a happy life with Cleon always faded away at the thought of this Meryn.
"Yes. We were friends as pages and squires. I haven't seen him for a long while, though." The last person she was going to tell about her romance with Cleon was her!
"Oh what a shame." Meryn said, obviously thinking it was nothing of the sort. "Do you mean he hasn't come to see you? He's just been given leave from the border, you know. I've just met him, actually. He's simply charming!"
"He's a very good man." Kel said, tonelessly. "I'm sure you'll be very happy together." It was lucky that she rarely lost her temper, or else this woman would be out of the door in an instant, with a bootmark on her backside! Her anger was almost forgotten, however, when she actually took in what Cleon's betrothed had said. He's here! Here at the palace!
"Oh, I do hope so. My friends are so jealous of me- I'll be the first in my year from the convent to be married, do you know that?"
"That's wonderful for you, I'm sure." Her words sounded fake, and she knew it. Suddenly, she didn't care. "How long is he staying, do you know?"
"Uh…well… I believe he'll be away from the border for a fortnight." The girl frowned. "I came to ask you something to do with the wedding, actually."
"Really, you shouldn't have bothered. I don't really do weddings." Kel grinned. Roald and Shinko had found out as much, when they had asked her for advice.
"No, dear, I'm sure you can
advise me on this. What colours look good on Cleon? I was thinking greens, to
match his eyes, but…"
"His eyes," Kel interrupted. "Are grey."
Meryn looked put out. "Oh? I didn't look that closely." There was a hint of malice in her words now. Kel thought that perhaps this girl knew more about her and Cleon's relationship than she was letting on. "Still, green would go with grey, wouldn't it?"
"I'm sure it would."
"Well, thank you for sparing a moment to talk to me." The young lady rose, and curtsied. "I will make sure you receive an invitation." She swept out, leaving Kel totally and utterly staggered.
*~*~*
Kel was brushing her hair, and preparing to get changed into her nightclothes, when Cleon burst in. Without knocking, she noted. He pulled her into a warm embrace, and kissed her just as warmly. Clearly, despite his betrothed being at the palace, he wasn't planning on holding back. Kel, however, wasn't so sure.
"Cleon." She pushed him away. "I think we need to talk."
"I know, sunrise, I know." His eyes never left her face. "I would have come earlier, because I know you're leaving tomorrow, but… my betrothed is here, Kel."
"I know. I've met her." Kel said, shortly, and motioned for him to take a seat. "At least she's pretty. I couldn't bear to lose you to her if she were a hag." She spoke these words lightly, but both of them knew that there was a deeper meaning behind those words.
"She might as well be a hag. Her company bored me almost to death- how will I manage if we marry?" Cleon sighed, and took her hand.
"When you marry. You don't have much choice." She reminded him. And it was true- he didn't. Kennan was in serious need of money, and soon. The only way to get it was for Cleon to be married to this rich heiress.
"I wish I could talk mother out of it. But whenever I try, she reminds me of my people, nearing starvation, and I know she's right. I just can't leave them like that."
"Nor should you. You have your duty." She tried to sound as though she didn't mind. "I can see your future, Cleon, with Lady Meryn. We don't have a future together."
"We can still see each other, when I'm married?" He sounded desperate. She squeezed his hand, but was nonetheless shocked by what he said.
"I'm not going to be some sort of mistress, Cleon of Kennan! We'll have to just be good friends. From now on."
Her voice shook, no matter how much she tried to make it stop. This was the end. It had to be.
"We still have tonight, Kel." He pulled her towards him, and kissed her passionately. She tried to argue; to struggle; to tell him that they had to stop this now, but he was unbothered by her scruples, and carried on. He was stronger than her, but she could still fight him off. But she didn't want to hurt him. And besides, a part of her thought she wanted this.
Why shouldn't we spend this one night together?
Because it's wrong Kel, and you know it. You have to start as you mean to go on. Sleeping together now won't change how things are going to turn out. You're just doing this because you don't want to reject him, aren't you?
But by then, it was too late.
*~*~*
Kel woke up a little later than usual. She rolled over, expecting to find Cleon lying next to her, but he had gone. She leapt out of bed, and realised what she had done. On the last night they could possibly spend together, they had gone too far. How could I be so stupid? How could he be so stupid? She remembered trying in vain to stop him, but he had been insistent, and she hadn't been able to tell him 'no'. Gods, for him to sleep with her, when his wife-to-be was in the same building? It made her sick to even think of it. She dressed, quickly, knowing that she had to be down at the stables soon, but her legs shook uncontrollably, and she wanted to cry.
It hadn't been totally her fault, she knew that, but she couldn't blame him. No.
Others would have called it rape, but Kel didn't see it.
She picked up her bags, and headed for the door. No more time to think like this… time to go north. Some instinct made her turn back and look around at her room. It wasn't until then, until she was standing in the doorway, that she saw it, lying there on the floor.
Her charm to ward off pregnancy. It must have fallen off, sometime in that haze of events the night before.
"Cleon of Kennan," she breathed, even though it couldn't have been his fault. "You bastard."
*~*~*
Very un Kel-like language, I know, but don't blame her. And I know Cleon wouldn't deliberately hurt Kel, but he was still very stupid, no?
What did you think? Please let me know. And I know there's no Dom. Be patient. :)
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