Chapter 3:

Right, well here's the next instalment! I apologise for not posting it sooner – I've almost finished my exams now, so I should be able to update a lot faster in a few days. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed and especially for the ideas and pointers. Chapter 3…

* * *

"Not having much luck with that, my Pearl?" Cleon asked grinning at Kel. Kel didn't see though; instead she dropped her quill on the library table without looking round.

"Huh? Sorry Cleon, I didn't hear you,"

"Your work, are you having trouble?" He repeated. Kel glanced round at him distractedly.

"Yes…I mean, no…Oh actually I've finished now anyway," she mumbled sweeping the pieces of parchment into a pile. Cleon spun round suddenly.

"Hey Roald!"

"Cleon," Roald nodded in acknowledgement. This time Kel did turn round, catching his eye. Roald looked at Cleon pointedly.

"Do you mind if I talk to Kel for a moment?" he muttered. Cleon stared back, giving him an odd look.

"Ok, sure." Kel watched him leave, before standing up to face Roald, who was shifting his weight uncomfortably. Kel's face fell momentarily, but she put on a blank expression.

"I had to speak to my father this morning," he said slowly. Kel nodded politely, unable to figure out what significance that had. For a fleeting moment, she imagined that maybe he had told his father about her and he disapproved.

"It's just, he said that there had been a change of circumstances and…" He fumbled for the right words.

"Are you ok?" Kel asked carefully. Roald shut his eyes briefly.

"Look, I'm sorry Kel," he filled the gap between them in two strides and cupped Kel's face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers. He pulled away reluctantly.

"I didn't realise that my father had planned anything so soon," he said regretfully. Kel had a sinking feeling that she knew what was coming and braced herself, as Roald took a deep breath.

"He's drawn up a treaty abroad and, well, he wants me to meet a lady…" He looked at Kel to make sure she understood. Kel felt like collapsing inside, but she struggled to keep her face impassive.

"I guess it was inevitable," she said lightly, shrugging. She knew that it must be worse for Roald, having little choice over his own future, and she also knew that although he was trying to seem casual in front of her, it didn't reflect how he was feeling. Roald didn't try to answer. He smiled briefly at Kel.

"I'll see you later," he said gently, leaving.

* * *

"What did Roald want to talk to you about so urgently?" Cleon asked curiously, as Kel caught up with him. Kel shrugged and quickly changed the subject, turning to Cleon with decision.

"Cleon, do you want to go riding for a bit?" He looked at Kel strangely.

"Riding?"

"Yes, riding as in horses!" Kel answered cuffing him lightly on the sleeve. Finally his face broke into a grin.

"Sure, why not, so long as it doesn't require racing, my diamond. I don't feel like being beaten again this week."

Kel pretended to scrunch up her face in distaste.

"Do I really look like a diamond to you?" she asked, as they walked towards the stables.

"Your face reflects the sun, as a diamond reflects the light," Cleon replied dreamily. Kel rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Oh, but you mean that I'm sharp and have many faces too, do you?" she muttered darkly, noting Cleon's sudden horrified look with a grin.

* * *

Kel was awoken by a loud knocking on her door.

"Yes, who is it?" Kel asked groggily. She heard laughing on the other side of the door.

"It's us!" She heard Neal answer. Kel groaned and sat up, changing her night clothes for a shirt and breeches.

"Ok, I'm coming, wait a minute," she said impatiently.

Eventually, she opened the door, and immediately Cleon and Neal walking into her room and started picking up her clothes.

"Hey, what in the name of the Goddess are you doing with my stuff," she demanded, annoyed.

"You are coming camping," Neal said firmly, and without looking off.

"We only have two days off left," Kel complained, "and I don't intend to spend it in the mud!"

This time Neal did look up, feigning sympathy.

"Well I would let you get away with it…but we've already informed your knight master, so there's no backing out now!"

Kel glared at him, infuriated, but kept her mouth shut. She had a feeling that Roaul had probably put them up to it anyway, as he knew she hated being stuck in the castle for too long. Instead she sighed and strode across the room to pack some clothes.

Eventually; once Kel was sure that she had packed she would need into a saddlebag, she went with Cleon and Neal to the stables. Kel couldn't quite work out why Neal and Cleon would want to actually go camping in the first place.

"How many other people did you force into going too?" she muttered.

Cleon glanced across at her.

"Well Neal managed to drag Merric out; albeit kicking and screaming," he added pointedly, "The King wants Roald to stay in court for a while, but he's meeting us there later…although he took some persuading too."

"I wonder why!" Kel mumbled. She heaved her saddlebags up over Peachblossom, and looked at Neal suspiciously.

"Why exactly do you two want to go camping in your free time. Neal you hate camping!"

"Oh?" Neal looked at Kel surprised. "Didn't you hear? We're meeting up with my cousin's squad on the other side of the royal forest," Neal said, saddling his horse. Kel shook her head in disbelief, but didn't reply.

* * *

The journey didn't seem to take as long as Kel had thought it would, which was probably due to Neal and Merric's constant chattering in her ear. The camp itself was larger than she had imagined as well, and she was surprised to see that Dom's squad had already arrived and set up camp. A man called Farros greeted them at the gate and led them to a place where they could yoke their horses. Carefully, Kel tied Peachblossom up, away from the other horses and removed her saddlebags.

"You already have a tent set up," Someone said cheerfully behind Kel. She spun round coming face to face with Dom.

"Oh Hi Dom," Kel mumbled, before adding, "You shouldn't have bothered, I can manage myself." Dom laughed gently.

"Don't worry, it wasn't me!" He answered, showing Kel where her sleeping quarters would be.

"How did you know your squad know that we were going to be here?" Kel murmured suspiciously. Dom looked back at her with piercing green eyes, and shrugged mysteriously. Silence stretched between them.

"We didn't…Several of our number were injured in battle; they won't be needing their tents. Anyway, I'd better go and see how my little cousin Meathead is doing," Dom added grinning. He left Kel to unpack her stuff and tend to Peachblossom.

Kel was cleaning Peachblossom's tack after supper, when Merric, Neal and Cleon walked into the tent, folding the flap up on her door.

"Are you coming with us?" Merric asked sitting down on Kel's bedroll. Kel looked up, confused.

"Why? Where are you going?" She muttered. Neal looked at Cleon and back again.

"Swimming," Neal replied cheerily. Kel made a double take.

"Swimming?" She repeated. Neal nodded, unfazed.

"Down by the river," Merric added, when Kel didn't say anything.

"Yes, well where else would you swim?" Neal said turning to Merric, exasperated, and knocked him on the head lightly.

"Are you going to come?" Cleon repeated, constraining himself not to add 'my flower' after Kel's earlier remark. Kel thought over for a while.

"Ok…But I'm not going in the water; it's too cold to swim!" She complained.

Kel put Peachblossom's tack away safely and followed her friends down to the river, finding a tree hollow to rest against, trying not to be embarrassed as the boy's took off their shirts.

As soon as Merric stepped into the water, he yelped from the cold, and climbed back out, but eventually all three were splashing about madly and jumping in from the side. Kel felt a small pang of jealousy that they were having so much fun, but for the most part she looked on, grinning at their antics. Eventually Merric decided that he was too cold, climbing out for the last time.

"Hey, we haven't finished yet!" Neal called out indignantly. He pulled himself onto the riverbank running after Merric; closely followed by Cleon.

Kel sighed to herself, wondering if she should wait for them to get back or not, and eventually deciding to wait. Instead, she walked across to the edge of the riverbank and, rolling up her breeches, dangled her feet into the cool water. ater a while she felt someone stand next to her.

"They haven't been back here yet."

"Who haven't?" Kel glanced up to see Roald standing above her. She tried not to show her surprise.

"Sorry, I thought you were Merric," she said quietly, shifting her gaze back to the river. Roald laughed gently.

"Yeah, I heard them all the way back at camp," he said good-naturedly. She heard him stretching his arms, but he said nothing for a while.

"Haven't you been in the water yet?" he asked, grinning. Kel shook her head.

"Too cold."

"Oh well, if you're not going in then I will," Roald said, "I've been travelling a good part of the day."

Kel kept her gaze fixed on the water as Roald stripped off his shirt and rolled the legs of his breeches up.

The water came up to his middle as he waded out into the centre of the river.

"Why didn't you come earlier?" Kel asked to start conversation, before realising her mistake. Kel looked at Roald through the dusk, but his face had fallen expressionless.

"My father wanted to discuss some things with me," he answered. "Anyway, they were not that important," he added, striding back across the river. In one movement, he had scooped Kel up into his arms and walked back to the middle of the water with her, despite her protests.

"Roald!" she exclaimed loudly. She clung onto his neck tightly, kicking her legs wildly as they dipped into the water's surface. Roald stood still, grinning at her until she stopped moving, and Kel was aware of his bare chest against her. She tilted her head to meet his gaze, in silence. The long pause was eventually broken, by the padding of bare feet along the bank.

"Hey Kel…" Cleon called across the water. He stopped in his tracks; his dry clothes hung over one arm. At the same instant Kel pulled away from Roald's grasp.

The loud splash of Kel hitting the water filled the silence. Neither Cleon nor Roald could help but laugh as Kel stood fully clothed and dripping with water. When the laughter subsided, Roald could see mixed emotions in Cleon's face.

"Ok Cleon?" he asked with exaggerated cheerfulness. Cleon nodded in acknowledgement.

"You made it then." It was Roald's turn to nod. The two boys looked at each other momentarily.

"Right, well I guess Kel had better find some dry clothes then," Roald said motioning to the bank. Kel turned back to Roald, scooping water into her hands and splashing it into his face. Roald choked, looking back at her through a mop of black hair.

"Hey, what was that for?" He said is mock indignation.

Kel said smiling innocently at him and waded across to the bank, where Cleon gave her a hand up.

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading this far. I kind of had a debate with myself as to how much detail to put in, especially between scenes, and in the end I edited some parts out because I didn't think they were needed. Anyway, I hope it was ok, and if anyone has any further suggestions about where the plot should head, or any random ideas, that'd be cool. R&R!!!