Disclaimer: What IS the point in this? Fine! Don't you all think that
writing this is completely pointless? Chloe's yelling at me to hurry up
and write the disclaimer, so I'll write it: WE OWN NOTHING. Happy? Good.
Oh no, wait…… we do own Carramea. And Yuki's husband. And the letter.
And the plot. And there's nothing you can do about it. So HA.
A/N Sorry about that. That was STEF so blame HER. Now that I'm allowed to have the keyboard back (sez Stef shooting another glare at Chloe), I can get on with the Author's note. Um…this chapter is a little more deserving of the rating than any of the other stories we've written, but there isn't really much apart from innuendoes in here. I don't think we'll ever be able to write an NC-17 fic, so don't worry/get your hopes up. Now we will shut up, with one last comment: R/R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Knighthood
Keladry of Mindelan drew the chain over her door and sighed. Half the people
she had met that morning had urged her to take on a squire. The other half had urged
her to quit. There was a brisk rap on the door.
"Coming!" Kel yelled. She opened her door to see Lord Nealan of Queenscove. He
was still dressed in his mourning clothes; the pain of losing his father had not
vanished for him, his mother or his sister, Carramea.
"Neal, come in," Kel shut the door, the snap of wood on wood reminding her with
pleasure that she was a knight, and free to keep her doors closed.
"Hello, Kel."
Kel stared at her friend. Ever since his father had caught the sweating
sickness and died, Neal had often been lost for words, no longer inclined to
joke or send Kel's dark moods away with a wry comment.
They stood staring at each other, silent. Then Neal blinked and gave her a
letter. It was open; the respective envelope had several words on them.
"Kel, I'm so sorry…" whispered Neal, "I didn't want to give it to you."
The envelope had written on it,
'The Lord of Queenscove, Keladry of Mindelan, DO NOT SHOW THIS TO ANYBODY
ELSE'.
"It's so weird," Neal remarked, "I mean, why write to you?"
Kel ignored him and perused the epistle. The handwriting was large and common,
and the letters apart, not cursive. Yet the grammar, paper and ink were clearly
first rate.
'To the Lord of Queenscove and Keladry of Mindelan,
Please do not show this to anyone, for if it is known that I have revealed this
information, I will be dead and unable to reveal further. This letter should be
burnt after being read. Perhaps sending this letter is my death-sentence, but
you need to know. I have taken every precaution possible, but I must ask you:
DO NOT TRY TO TRACE ME. Who I am, you will never know. If I am found out, we
will all die. If you are prepared to trust me, then, Lord of Queenscove, use
your Gift on the back of this letter to find out what is written there. After
you have finished reading the back, burn this immediately. If you decide not to
read it, burn it now. That is all I have to say here. Your life is in danger
if you do not heed my warnings.'
The letter doesn't have a signature, was the first thing Kel thought. And then
her panic started. Who sent it? Why did he/she send it? Kel's imagination
went into overload as she thought up all the possibilities. None of them were
pleasant. She felt a touch on her arm, and looked up to see Neal's concerned
eyes looking down into her own.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine." She said softly. After all, it concerned him as much as her. Probably.
"You sure?"
Kel nodded mutely.
"You want me to read the back?" Again, Kel nodded. Then she realised she was
being silly. It was Neal's parents that had died, Neal that was supposed to be
feeling apprehensive, and yet here he was, comforting her.
"Yep. Read it." It was probably just a joke. Not very funny, but a joke
nonetheless. Neal took the paper. After a slight hesitation, he turned the letter over, and
performed the spell. Slowly, words appeared.
'So, you have chosen to read this. I only beg of the Gods that you do not
regret it. Yukimi of the Yamani Isles died on the third night of the ice rain month-'
"That's last month, the last month of the year," whispered Kel, "And the person
writing is a Yaman, or has at least lived there a while, and been familiar with
them. You don't learn things like that from visiting once."
Neal smiled dryly and continued reading. Kel looked over his shoulder.
'-she died from an arrow while travelling in a litter to meet a cousin in the
Storm-Sand mountains. She leaves behind three children.'
"Oh Gods," whispered Kel softly, "Poor things. They'll be brought up by a nurse
now. Yaman fathers don't look after their children."
"Neither do Tortallan ones," Neal pointed out.
'However, I must tell you this. LADY YUKIMI IS NOT DEAD! You see, if she died,
her dowry would be returned to her parents, but it has NOT been! Her husband,
Ruki al Umman, still has the money, pastures and animals given, as well as the
silks and jewels. I don't know why, but I know it's something bad, because Yukimi's parents are
very poor and would grab at the chance of any money. Their house is dusty and
dirty, and they're losing face. Money is all they need.
Please help. Please help. I am-I knew Yuki, very well. And I'm afraid. Her
dowry is in sole possession of her husband and children-but there has to be
something strange. Why else would her parents not have the money?
Please come to the Yamani Isles. I will wait on the port everyday, holding an
orange shukusen, for one year. I pray you come quickly.
Come, come, for Yuki needs your help.'
It was signed rather messily with a long, scratchy, loopy 'R'.
Kel looked up at Neal. His face was white from where he'd been inside so
long, and he was thin and gaunt. He needs to get away from the palace, Kel
thought.
"Do you want to go?" Neal looked at her searchingly before replying.
"I guess it'd be better than moping around here, hey?" He seemed to have
read her thoughts. Kel nodded in agreement.
"So we'll go. Shall we go and talk to the King now?"
"Okay."
"Should we show him the letter, or make up an excuse?"
"I don't know." After a while, Neal continued, but speaking slowly.
"Maybe we should come up with another reason, a good reason to visit the Yamani
Islands, but show him the letter as well. Maybe, with the two combined, he'll
let us go. After all, it's not as if Tortall doesn't have enough knights for
fighting, even with the war with Scanra."
"True. Ok, let's do it. Any ideas for what we can do in the Yamani isles
apart from search for Yuki?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. We could…You have friends there, don't you?"
"Ye-es…"
"Well, you could say you just want to go visit them and…I'm going to keep you entertained?"
"Neal!" she exclaimed, slapping him half-heartedly. He grinned
"Alright…I'm going with you to-" his face became blank and innocent, "Learn firsthand about the Yamanis for a book I'm writing on Yamini philosophy."
Kel snorted, but nodded at the same time
"Let's tell the King!"
Kel was mildly surprised when a servant immediately ushered Neal and herself into the King's private study. She had thought she would have to at least make an appointment. As she entered, the King wrote his signature with a flourish, expertly folded the paper into three, and turned in his chair to face them. Kel looked at Neal, but he nodded to her to speak to the King.
"Your Majesty, may we have a few minutes of your time?" she asked formally.
"Go ahead, Sir Keladry." The king replied, his voice equally as formal. Kel swallowed, and, keeping her features blank, began her narrative.
"I have had a request from some friends of my family's to visit them in the Yamani Isles. Some want me to do favours for them, personal favours." Please don't ask, she thought, and she continued quickly. "I know I haven't been a knight of the realm for six months yet, but I was hoping that you'd let Neal and me go to the Isles. He wants to do some research for a book he's planning on writing. Is there a post you could give us that centres us in the Islands?"
The king looked at her thoughtfully. He had seemed to have either ignored her 'personal favours' part. Maybe he knew that she didn't want to tell him. Either way, he didn't question her. Finally, he replied,
"Actually, there may be a post available. We haven't had an ambassador in the Yamani Islands for some time, as most find learning the language and keeping their faces void of emotion to be difficult. There have also been complaints of ambassador's children finding it hard to live among the Yamani children."
Neal's face broke into another smile. "So we can be ambassadors? Together?"
"It isn't quite that simple." The king told him. Was it Kel's imagination, or was there a slight smile on the king's lips? "The Yamanis, as I'm sure Keladry knows, disapprove of a man and a woman being together without a chaperone if they aren't married. That would be very inconvenient if you are to live together. And how are you to work together if you don't live together?"
"Is that the only problem?" Neal asked. When the king nodded, the almost- smile still there, Neal's face broke into a true grin. He continued, "Well, that's easy to fix! How about it, Kel?"
Kel blinked.
"What?"
Neal grinned, bowed quickly to the King and sank to the floor. Kel leaned forward to help him up, and the King looked concerned. But Neal sat up and rearranged his legs (why did it take him so long, he cursed inwardly? He only had two!) until one leg was outstretched and one knee was bent. Kel's eyes flashed with sudden recognition and…something else. Was it horror? Never mind.
"Kel…" he stuck his hand in his pocket, frowned, and pulled out a small gold ring and held it out, "I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but never got the courage to, but I just kept mother's ring with me just in case. This is the perfect opportunity, so…will you marry me?"
Kel blinked again. Nervously, Neal stood, but he still held out the ring.
"Yes," said Kel, and Neal had to smile at her 'well-finally' tone.
"Ah," said the King, "So when…"
"Today."
"Today? Hasty, aren't you?" Jonathan told Kel, "Go on, tell your sister, get married. Please invite me," he slowly turned purple, and they looked concerned, but he waved their worries away and shooed them out.
The minute they had closed the door, King Jonathan burst out laughing. The door opened,
"We heard that," Neal reprimanded sternly, "If you must mock, please do it in private."
The king just grinned disarmingly, and shooed them away again.
It took the pair two minutes to decide when they would have their wedding (at sunset), where they would have their wedding (in the palace chapel), and who they would invite. Kel and Neal would both go to Lalasa to get their clothes for the evening made. Kel was pretty sure that Lalasa would abandon everything else to get the clothes done, and would have them ready in time. She set about writing the list of who to invite, and Neal went to get himself fitted for his wedding tunic, carrying an invitation for Lalasa in his pocket.
The list of people invited was long. It included Kel's parents (they were still at court), brothers, and sisters, Neal's mother and sister, all of their friends among the knights and squires, Lady Alanna and her family, Sir Raoul and his wife Buriram Tourakom, their Majesties the king and queen, Numair and Veralidaine, Sir Myles of Olau, Stefan the stable hand, Gower, Salma, and pretty much all of their other acquaintances and friends. The list was long, but Kel felt sure that most of the people would be able to come.
Once Kel had written the list, and Neal had come back and made a few changes, Neal set off to make all of the other necessary arrangements while Kel went to see Lalasa.
As soon as Kel entered the dressmaking shop, Lalasa threw herself at her and hugged her. She was crying with happiness for her former page-mistress and friend.
"Oh my lady! Kel," she corrected herself delightedly, "It's true! You and Neal…oh my lady!"
"Kel," she corrected the young woman
Lalasa nodded and beamed like a small, busy, satisfied bird
"You never get over your first love," she remarked wistfully, measuring Kel, "You and Master Neal were meant to be…Keladry of Queenscove," she said happily
Kel grinned.
Neal knocked cheerfully on Cleon of Kennan's door and found his invitation before the door opened. It was opened by Neal's younger sister, Carramea, and Neal wasn't sure how to feel about that because he was glad Carra and Cleon were becoming close but…just how close were they getting?
"Neal!" she hugged him, "Come in I have wonderful news!"
"Let me tell you mine!" he cried out, "Here, an invitation to…"
She pulled the card out of his hands and read aloud
"Cleon of Kennan is cordially invited to the wedding of Sir Duke Nealan of Queenscove and Sir Lady Keladry of Mindelan. Oh, NEAL!" she cried, hugging him, "Cleon, did you hear?"
Cleon looked up from his chair and nodded. He had a smear of rouge on his cheek and was grinning.
"Coincidence," he said happily, "I just…"
"HE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!" screamed Carra, right in Neal's ear
Neal hugged his sister and grinned at Cleon.
"Why don't you have it with us?" he suggested
"What?"
"We're getting married today," Neal told his sister, "As many people as we can think of are coming. Just add Cleon's parents-" he nodded to his friend, "-and some of your palace friends, and just have it tonight."
Carra nodded
"Cleon, what do you think?"
"Darling…" he glanced quickly at Neal, blushed slightly, and continued speaking to Carra, "It wouldn't be possible. My mother has to be talked around, I've already told you that. Um, Neal, would you mind going? So I can talk to Carra properly?" Neal nodded, and left the room. As he was closing the door, he heard, "Look, my rosebud," Neal choked and stopped closing the door; "We will get married, with or without my mother's consent. But won't it be so much nicer for us if we do have her consent?" Neal remembered himself and finished closing the door softly. Cleon would do well by Carra, and Neal could trust him. Half-skipping, he went to deliver the rest of the invitations, and then to tell Kel the news.
"Hey Kel! You'll never guess what happened when I delivered Cleon his invitation!" Kel had just come back from Lalasa, and she was looking flushed, and, Neal noticed, very pretty. She always looked pretty to him.
"Cleon and Carra are getting married." Kel told him.
"You knew!" Neal said in disbelief.
"Are they really??? Oh gods! I was just joking! Are…are they?" Neal nodded happily.
"Life always turns out perfectly, doesn't it! And here I was thinking that Cleon would be slightly jealous! I knew that they were close, but I didn't know just how close. Oh, how great for them!"
Neal and Kel talked (well, most of the time) for a long time, before remembering that it was tradition not to see each other for a full day before the wedding. They should make it at least a full two hours. Besides, Lalasa had just arrived with the clothes. She politely (and firmly. Kel was beginning to get quite scared of her sometimes) told Neal to get out, and then she filled a bath for Kel. Kel knew that she would have an hour and a half of scrubbing, hair-styling, being made-up, and last- minute dress adjusting to put up with. Sighing deeply, she allowed Lalasa to push her in the direction of the bath. It would be worth it.
Neal himself had little to do; he had a bath, changed and combed his hair (he wished Kel could check it) and went to visit Carra. She was standing in the middle of her room, dressed in emerald and gold, gauze and netting and cauls and a chain.
"Kel asked me to be her maid-of-honour," she informed him, painting her mouth crimson, "Aren't you going to ask Cleon to be your best man?"
"Oh, right."
Cleon was delighted and agreed, and spent the next fifteen minutes trying to match his outfit with Neal's wedding clothes until Neal realised he needed to go.
The Royal Palace had a small adjoining chapel, where ceremonies of the sort that Kel and Neal were about to take part in took place. It had been in the middle of cleaning when they heard the news that a wedding was to take place. The room smelled of lye and lemon soap, fresh wall hangings, oil and incense. At the altar, a priestess of the Goddess, dressed in a white dress with a red surcoat was standing, setting up the cake, rope and wine. A harpist, a flustered young woman with red hair and a lute player sat behind her. The pews were filled with rows of people, all dressed in their hastiest finery.
Two doors on either side of the altar opened, and Cleon and Carra stepped out, Cleon from the right, Carra from the left. They were followed by Kel and Neal.
Cleon had matched Neal's gold tunic, emerald leggings and emerald shirt to his gold page's tunic (straining at the seams), a pair of forest green leggings and shirt.
Carra wore an elaborate gown of green with gold embroidered flowers and leaves on an unending vine on the skirt and a gold bodice over the top. The sleeves were green covered in gold netting, and her hair was in a caul. It was lucky, Neal decided, that she already had all the clothes. Kel, behind her, wore a chaplet of primroses, a green gown, a very simple one with a delicate gold tissue surcoat weighted with gold beads. Her hair was loose and fell to her shoulders. She looked happy, and was even wearing makeup, which Neal smiled at.
They stopped before the altar, and the priestess beamed at them.
"Do you consent to be wed?" she repeated the age old formula
"Yes," they replied together, and smiled
"Are there objections to your union?"
"No."
"Then hold out your dominant hands."
They both held out their right arms and the priestess held up the length of red rope. She tied their arms together
"Where before you were two, now you are one! Do you consent to this union?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Then partake of food together and be known forever more as man and wife!"
Kel took the goblet of wine and Neal took the cake. Although it was ritual, Kel giggled and whispered,
"Don't forget to eat your vegetables!"
He laughed and broke off a piece of the cake and ate it, then passed it to her. She broke off a piece, and then sipped the wine and handed it to him. He drank from it.
That was it. They were married…almost
"Please sign here to signify your consent," said the priestess, "Will your witnesses sign below your names?"
Kel scrawled her signature and handed the quill to Neal, who wrote, and handed it to Carra, who signed beneath Kel's name, and handed it to Cleon, who scribbled beneath Neal's name.
They were married.
"By the way," said Neal as the guests went to congratulate them , "Did Kel and I tell you we're going to the Yamani Isles for a few months?"
Later, in Neal's rooms, Kel crept into Neal's bed with a sigh. She had taken off her wedding dress. It did make her look beautiful, but boy was it uncomfortable! Kel and Neal had decided to spend the night in his rooms, as they were larger. Neal's family was an old nobility, so he had a larger suite of rooms than Kel. They would leave for the Islands the day after tomorrow. As she would be packing all of her clothes for the Islands tomorrow anyway, all that she had brought to Neal's, no, their rooms was what she would need tonight and tomorrow.
Neal joined her in a bed, unconsciously letting out a sigh just as deep as Kel's a few minutes before.
"Did you see the looks on their faces?" Neal asked her, laughing softly. He hadn't changed in the three hours that they'd been married. Kel was now Sir Keladry of Queenscove!
"Well, what did you expect?" She asked, moving closer to him. "First, we tell them four hours before the wedding that we're getting married, and then we tell them that we're going to the Islands for at least three months! But their faces were a picture."
"You know something, my dear wife?" Kel grinned in the dark. "I'm glad that the king gave me a chance to propose. Who would have thought, less than ten hours ago, we had barely kissed a dozen times? And now we're married!"
There was a long pause, Kel lying close to Neal. Then, "Kel…"
"Yes, Neal?"
"Are you tired?"
"No, not really."
"Okay." Another short pause.
"Kel…"
"Yes, Neal?"
"Do you mind co-operating?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind moving your hands for just a moment?"
"Why?"
"How am I supposed to get your night-dress off if your hands are around my waist?"
"But this is so comfortable!"
"What would you prefer?"
"Good point."
Little did they know, in a room a short distance away:
"Carra…"
"Yes Cleon?"
"I think I should go now."
"Why?"
"Because my shirt's already on the floor."
"And…"
"I wouldn't want this to get out of hand."
"Have you ever asked me what I want?"
"No…"
"Well, we are betrothed, aren't we?"
There was silence for a while. Then, "Carra?"
"Yes, Cleon?"
Another short silence. Then, in a slightly embarrassed voice, "You do…uh… do you have a charm?"
"Oh Cleon! Come here."
**********************
A/N Sorry about that. That was STEF so blame HER. Now that I'm allowed to have the keyboard back (sez Stef shooting another glare at Chloe), I can get on with the Author's note. Um…this chapter is a little more deserving of the rating than any of the other stories we've written, but there isn't really much apart from innuendoes in here. I don't think we'll ever be able to write an NC-17 fic, so don't worry/get your hopes up. Now we will shut up, with one last comment: R/R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Knighthood
Keladry of Mindelan drew the chain over her door and sighed. Half the people
she had met that morning had urged her to take on a squire. The other half had urged
her to quit. There was a brisk rap on the door.
"Coming!" Kel yelled. She opened her door to see Lord Nealan of Queenscove. He
was still dressed in his mourning clothes; the pain of losing his father had not
vanished for him, his mother or his sister, Carramea.
"Neal, come in," Kel shut the door, the snap of wood on wood reminding her with
pleasure that she was a knight, and free to keep her doors closed.
"Hello, Kel."
Kel stared at her friend. Ever since his father had caught the sweating
sickness and died, Neal had often been lost for words, no longer inclined to
joke or send Kel's dark moods away with a wry comment.
They stood staring at each other, silent. Then Neal blinked and gave her a
letter. It was open; the respective envelope had several words on them.
"Kel, I'm so sorry…" whispered Neal, "I didn't want to give it to you."
The envelope had written on it,
'The Lord of Queenscove, Keladry of Mindelan, DO NOT SHOW THIS TO ANYBODY
ELSE'.
"It's so weird," Neal remarked, "I mean, why write to you?"
Kel ignored him and perused the epistle. The handwriting was large and common,
and the letters apart, not cursive. Yet the grammar, paper and ink were clearly
first rate.
'To the Lord of Queenscove and Keladry of Mindelan,
Please do not show this to anyone, for if it is known that I have revealed this
information, I will be dead and unable to reveal further. This letter should be
burnt after being read. Perhaps sending this letter is my death-sentence, but
you need to know. I have taken every precaution possible, but I must ask you:
DO NOT TRY TO TRACE ME. Who I am, you will never know. If I am found out, we
will all die. If you are prepared to trust me, then, Lord of Queenscove, use
your Gift on the back of this letter to find out what is written there. After
you have finished reading the back, burn this immediately. If you decide not to
read it, burn it now. That is all I have to say here. Your life is in danger
if you do not heed my warnings.'
The letter doesn't have a signature, was the first thing Kel thought. And then
her panic started. Who sent it? Why did he/she send it? Kel's imagination
went into overload as she thought up all the possibilities. None of them were
pleasant. She felt a touch on her arm, and looked up to see Neal's concerned
eyes looking down into her own.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine." She said softly. After all, it concerned him as much as her. Probably.
"You sure?"
Kel nodded mutely.
"You want me to read the back?" Again, Kel nodded. Then she realised she was
being silly. It was Neal's parents that had died, Neal that was supposed to be
feeling apprehensive, and yet here he was, comforting her.
"Yep. Read it." It was probably just a joke. Not very funny, but a joke
nonetheless. Neal took the paper. After a slight hesitation, he turned the letter over, and
performed the spell. Slowly, words appeared.
'So, you have chosen to read this. I only beg of the Gods that you do not
regret it. Yukimi of the Yamani Isles died on the third night of the ice rain month-'
"That's last month, the last month of the year," whispered Kel, "And the person
writing is a Yaman, or has at least lived there a while, and been familiar with
them. You don't learn things like that from visiting once."
Neal smiled dryly and continued reading. Kel looked over his shoulder.
'-she died from an arrow while travelling in a litter to meet a cousin in the
Storm-Sand mountains. She leaves behind three children.'
"Oh Gods," whispered Kel softly, "Poor things. They'll be brought up by a nurse
now. Yaman fathers don't look after their children."
"Neither do Tortallan ones," Neal pointed out.
'However, I must tell you this. LADY YUKIMI IS NOT DEAD! You see, if she died,
her dowry would be returned to her parents, but it has NOT been! Her husband,
Ruki al Umman, still has the money, pastures and animals given, as well as the
silks and jewels. I don't know why, but I know it's something bad, because Yukimi's parents are
very poor and would grab at the chance of any money. Their house is dusty and
dirty, and they're losing face. Money is all they need.
Please help. Please help. I am-I knew Yuki, very well. And I'm afraid. Her
dowry is in sole possession of her husband and children-but there has to be
something strange. Why else would her parents not have the money?
Please come to the Yamani Isles. I will wait on the port everyday, holding an
orange shukusen, for one year. I pray you come quickly.
Come, come, for Yuki needs your help.'
It was signed rather messily with a long, scratchy, loopy 'R'.
Kel looked up at Neal. His face was white from where he'd been inside so
long, and he was thin and gaunt. He needs to get away from the palace, Kel
thought.
"Do you want to go?" Neal looked at her searchingly before replying.
"I guess it'd be better than moping around here, hey?" He seemed to have
read her thoughts. Kel nodded in agreement.
"So we'll go. Shall we go and talk to the King now?"
"Okay."
"Should we show him the letter, or make up an excuse?"
"I don't know." After a while, Neal continued, but speaking slowly.
"Maybe we should come up with another reason, a good reason to visit the Yamani
Islands, but show him the letter as well. Maybe, with the two combined, he'll
let us go. After all, it's not as if Tortall doesn't have enough knights for
fighting, even with the war with Scanra."
"True. Ok, let's do it. Any ideas for what we can do in the Yamani isles
apart from search for Yuki?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. We could…You have friends there, don't you?"
"Ye-es…"
"Well, you could say you just want to go visit them and…I'm going to keep you entertained?"
"Neal!" she exclaimed, slapping him half-heartedly. He grinned
"Alright…I'm going with you to-" his face became blank and innocent, "Learn firsthand about the Yamanis for a book I'm writing on Yamini philosophy."
Kel snorted, but nodded at the same time
"Let's tell the King!"
Kel was mildly surprised when a servant immediately ushered Neal and herself into the King's private study. She had thought she would have to at least make an appointment. As she entered, the King wrote his signature with a flourish, expertly folded the paper into three, and turned in his chair to face them. Kel looked at Neal, but he nodded to her to speak to the King.
"Your Majesty, may we have a few minutes of your time?" she asked formally.
"Go ahead, Sir Keladry." The king replied, his voice equally as formal. Kel swallowed, and, keeping her features blank, began her narrative.
"I have had a request from some friends of my family's to visit them in the Yamani Isles. Some want me to do favours for them, personal favours." Please don't ask, she thought, and she continued quickly. "I know I haven't been a knight of the realm for six months yet, but I was hoping that you'd let Neal and me go to the Isles. He wants to do some research for a book he's planning on writing. Is there a post you could give us that centres us in the Islands?"
The king looked at her thoughtfully. He had seemed to have either ignored her 'personal favours' part. Maybe he knew that she didn't want to tell him. Either way, he didn't question her. Finally, he replied,
"Actually, there may be a post available. We haven't had an ambassador in the Yamani Islands for some time, as most find learning the language and keeping their faces void of emotion to be difficult. There have also been complaints of ambassador's children finding it hard to live among the Yamani children."
Neal's face broke into another smile. "So we can be ambassadors? Together?"
"It isn't quite that simple." The king told him. Was it Kel's imagination, or was there a slight smile on the king's lips? "The Yamanis, as I'm sure Keladry knows, disapprove of a man and a woman being together without a chaperone if they aren't married. That would be very inconvenient if you are to live together. And how are you to work together if you don't live together?"
"Is that the only problem?" Neal asked. When the king nodded, the almost- smile still there, Neal's face broke into a true grin. He continued, "Well, that's easy to fix! How about it, Kel?"
Kel blinked.
"What?"
Neal grinned, bowed quickly to the King and sank to the floor. Kel leaned forward to help him up, and the King looked concerned. But Neal sat up and rearranged his legs (why did it take him so long, he cursed inwardly? He only had two!) until one leg was outstretched and one knee was bent. Kel's eyes flashed with sudden recognition and…something else. Was it horror? Never mind.
"Kel…" he stuck his hand in his pocket, frowned, and pulled out a small gold ring and held it out, "I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but never got the courage to, but I just kept mother's ring with me just in case. This is the perfect opportunity, so…will you marry me?"
Kel blinked again. Nervously, Neal stood, but he still held out the ring.
"Yes," said Kel, and Neal had to smile at her 'well-finally' tone.
"Ah," said the King, "So when…"
"Today."
"Today? Hasty, aren't you?" Jonathan told Kel, "Go on, tell your sister, get married. Please invite me," he slowly turned purple, and they looked concerned, but he waved their worries away and shooed them out.
The minute they had closed the door, King Jonathan burst out laughing. The door opened,
"We heard that," Neal reprimanded sternly, "If you must mock, please do it in private."
The king just grinned disarmingly, and shooed them away again.
It took the pair two minutes to decide when they would have their wedding (at sunset), where they would have their wedding (in the palace chapel), and who they would invite. Kel and Neal would both go to Lalasa to get their clothes for the evening made. Kel was pretty sure that Lalasa would abandon everything else to get the clothes done, and would have them ready in time. She set about writing the list of who to invite, and Neal went to get himself fitted for his wedding tunic, carrying an invitation for Lalasa in his pocket.
The list of people invited was long. It included Kel's parents (they were still at court), brothers, and sisters, Neal's mother and sister, all of their friends among the knights and squires, Lady Alanna and her family, Sir Raoul and his wife Buriram Tourakom, their Majesties the king and queen, Numair and Veralidaine, Sir Myles of Olau, Stefan the stable hand, Gower, Salma, and pretty much all of their other acquaintances and friends. The list was long, but Kel felt sure that most of the people would be able to come.
Once Kel had written the list, and Neal had come back and made a few changes, Neal set off to make all of the other necessary arrangements while Kel went to see Lalasa.
As soon as Kel entered the dressmaking shop, Lalasa threw herself at her and hugged her. She was crying with happiness for her former page-mistress and friend.
"Oh my lady! Kel," she corrected herself delightedly, "It's true! You and Neal…oh my lady!"
"Kel," she corrected the young woman
Lalasa nodded and beamed like a small, busy, satisfied bird
"You never get over your first love," she remarked wistfully, measuring Kel, "You and Master Neal were meant to be…Keladry of Queenscove," she said happily
Kel grinned.
Neal knocked cheerfully on Cleon of Kennan's door and found his invitation before the door opened. It was opened by Neal's younger sister, Carramea, and Neal wasn't sure how to feel about that because he was glad Carra and Cleon were becoming close but…just how close were they getting?
"Neal!" she hugged him, "Come in I have wonderful news!"
"Let me tell you mine!" he cried out, "Here, an invitation to…"
She pulled the card out of his hands and read aloud
"Cleon of Kennan is cordially invited to the wedding of Sir Duke Nealan of Queenscove and Sir Lady Keladry of Mindelan. Oh, NEAL!" she cried, hugging him, "Cleon, did you hear?"
Cleon looked up from his chair and nodded. He had a smear of rouge on his cheek and was grinning.
"Coincidence," he said happily, "I just…"
"HE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!" screamed Carra, right in Neal's ear
Neal hugged his sister and grinned at Cleon.
"Why don't you have it with us?" he suggested
"What?"
"We're getting married today," Neal told his sister, "As many people as we can think of are coming. Just add Cleon's parents-" he nodded to his friend, "-and some of your palace friends, and just have it tonight."
Carra nodded
"Cleon, what do you think?"
"Darling…" he glanced quickly at Neal, blushed slightly, and continued speaking to Carra, "It wouldn't be possible. My mother has to be talked around, I've already told you that. Um, Neal, would you mind going? So I can talk to Carra properly?" Neal nodded, and left the room. As he was closing the door, he heard, "Look, my rosebud," Neal choked and stopped closing the door; "We will get married, with or without my mother's consent. But won't it be so much nicer for us if we do have her consent?" Neal remembered himself and finished closing the door softly. Cleon would do well by Carra, and Neal could trust him. Half-skipping, he went to deliver the rest of the invitations, and then to tell Kel the news.
"Hey Kel! You'll never guess what happened when I delivered Cleon his invitation!" Kel had just come back from Lalasa, and she was looking flushed, and, Neal noticed, very pretty. She always looked pretty to him.
"Cleon and Carra are getting married." Kel told him.
"You knew!" Neal said in disbelief.
"Are they really??? Oh gods! I was just joking! Are…are they?" Neal nodded happily.
"Life always turns out perfectly, doesn't it! And here I was thinking that Cleon would be slightly jealous! I knew that they were close, but I didn't know just how close. Oh, how great for them!"
Neal and Kel talked (well, most of the time) for a long time, before remembering that it was tradition not to see each other for a full day before the wedding. They should make it at least a full two hours. Besides, Lalasa had just arrived with the clothes. She politely (and firmly. Kel was beginning to get quite scared of her sometimes) told Neal to get out, and then she filled a bath for Kel. Kel knew that she would have an hour and a half of scrubbing, hair-styling, being made-up, and last- minute dress adjusting to put up with. Sighing deeply, she allowed Lalasa to push her in the direction of the bath. It would be worth it.
Neal himself had little to do; he had a bath, changed and combed his hair (he wished Kel could check it) and went to visit Carra. She was standing in the middle of her room, dressed in emerald and gold, gauze and netting and cauls and a chain.
"Kel asked me to be her maid-of-honour," she informed him, painting her mouth crimson, "Aren't you going to ask Cleon to be your best man?"
"Oh, right."
Cleon was delighted and agreed, and spent the next fifteen minutes trying to match his outfit with Neal's wedding clothes until Neal realised he needed to go.
The Royal Palace had a small adjoining chapel, where ceremonies of the sort that Kel and Neal were about to take part in took place. It had been in the middle of cleaning when they heard the news that a wedding was to take place. The room smelled of lye and lemon soap, fresh wall hangings, oil and incense. At the altar, a priestess of the Goddess, dressed in a white dress with a red surcoat was standing, setting up the cake, rope and wine. A harpist, a flustered young woman with red hair and a lute player sat behind her. The pews were filled with rows of people, all dressed in their hastiest finery.
Two doors on either side of the altar opened, and Cleon and Carra stepped out, Cleon from the right, Carra from the left. They were followed by Kel and Neal.
Cleon had matched Neal's gold tunic, emerald leggings and emerald shirt to his gold page's tunic (straining at the seams), a pair of forest green leggings and shirt.
Carra wore an elaborate gown of green with gold embroidered flowers and leaves on an unending vine on the skirt and a gold bodice over the top. The sleeves were green covered in gold netting, and her hair was in a caul. It was lucky, Neal decided, that she already had all the clothes. Kel, behind her, wore a chaplet of primroses, a green gown, a very simple one with a delicate gold tissue surcoat weighted with gold beads. Her hair was loose and fell to her shoulders. She looked happy, and was even wearing makeup, which Neal smiled at.
They stopped before the altar, and the priestess beamed at them.
"Do you consent to be wed?" she repeated the age old formula
"Yes," they replied together, and smiled
"Are there objections to your union?"
"No."
"Then hold out your dominant hands."
They both held out their right arms and the priestess held up the length of red rope. She tied their arms together
"Where before you were two, now you are one! Do you consent to this union?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Then partake of food together and be known forever more as man and wife!"
Kel took the goblet of wine and Neal took the cake. Although it was ritual, Kel giggled and whispered,
"Don't forget to eat your vegetables!"
He laughed and broke off a piece of the cake and ate it, then passed it to her. She broke off a piece, and then sipped the wine and handed it to him. He drank from it.
That was it. They were married…almost
"Please sign here to signify your consent," said the priestess, "Will your witnesses sign below your names?"
Kel scrawled her signature and handed the quill to Neal, who wrote, and handed it to Carra, who signed beneath Kel's name, and handed it to Cleon, who scribbled beneath Neal's name.
They were married.
"By the way," said Neal as the guests went to congratulate them , "Did Kel and I tell you we're going to the Yamani Isles for a few months?"
Later, in Neal's rooms, Kel crept into Neal's bed with a sigh. She had taken off her wedding dress. It did make her look beautiful, but boy was it uncomfortable! Kel and Neal had decided to spend the night in his rooms, as they were larger. Neal's family was an old nobility, so he had a larger suite of rooms than Kel. They would leave for the Islands the day after tomorrow. As she would be packing all of her clothes for the Islands tomorrow anyway, all that she had brought to Neal's, no, their rooms was what she would need tonight and tomorrow.
Neal joined her in a bed, unconsciously letting out a sigh just as deep as Kel's a few minutes before.
"Did you see the looks on their faces?" Neal asked her, laughing softly. He hadn't changed in the three hours that they'd been married. Kel was now Sir Keladry of Queenscove!
"Well, what did you expect?" She asked, moving closer to him. "First, we tell them four hours before the wedding that we're getting married, and then we tell them that we're going to the Islands for at least three months! But their faces were a picture."
"You know something, my dear wife?" Kel grinned in the dark. "I'm glad that the king gave me a chance to propose. Who would have thought, less than ten hours ago, we had barely kissed a dozen times? And now we're married!"
There was a long pause, Kel lying close to Neal. Then, "Kel…"
"Yes, Neal?"
"Are you tired?"
"No, not really."
"Okay." Another short pause.
"Kel…"
"Yes, Neal?"
"Do you mind co-operating?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind moving your hands for just a moment?"
"Why?"
"How am I supposed to get your night-dress off if your hands are around my waist?"
"But this is so comfortable!"
"What would you prefer?"
"Good point."
Little did they know, in a room a short distance away:
"Carra…"
"Yes Cleon?"
"I think I should go now."
"Why?"
"Because my shirt's already on the floor."
"And…"
"I wouldn't want this to get out of hand."
"Have you ever asked me what I want?"
"No…"
"Well, we are betrothed, aren't we?"
There was silence for a while. Then, "Carra?"
"Yes, Cleon?"
Another short silence. Then, in a slightly embarrassed voice, "You do…uh… do you have a charm?"
"Oh Cleon! Come here."
**********************