Everything's Okay In the End
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: YES! THEY ARE MINE! I AM TAMORA PIERCE!!!! THEY ARE ALLLLLLLL MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *crazy laughter* ahem. . .i mean. . .
A/N: Not much in this chapter. . .it takes place over a month and a half, next chapter will be the half month preparing for the wedding and chapter 7 will probably be the last and the wedding. So this is really just a chapter to take up time and lots of fluff! Yay! Hehehe. Okay, I'll stop now so you can read and REVIEW!!!
Kel woke at her usual early hour, her head was on Cleon's shoulder. She remember what they did last night and smiled. She looked around her room: all their clothes were scattered around. She kissed Cleon's cheek and gently got out of bed so she wouldn't wake him.
She put on an old pair of breeches and a shirt and started to pick up her things from last night. She placed Cleon's clothes on a chair and got her glaive down to start her morning work out.
She was tired but did one of her most complex pattern dances to loosen her muscles. She finished in an elegant flourish. She squeaked when she saw Cleon sitting up in bed. How long had he been watching? He was smiling at her.
"As always, my sweet," he started, "that was amazing." She smiled at him and walked over to play with his rumpled red curls.
"Why thank you, love," she said quietly. He pulled her down so she was sitting next to him on the bed and kissed her warmly. What Kel wouldn't give to stay in this moment for the rest of her life. Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other. (They did have to breathe after all.)
Cleon gently stroked her cheek. Kel smiled at him again. "You should get dressed," she told him. He kissed her again, then climbed out of bed and got dressed. He went to his room quickly (people would wonder why he was still wearing his clothes from the ball the night before) and changed into everyday clothes. He and Kel spent the day together.
* * *
Later that month, Cleon still spent most of his time with Kel, hardly ever spending time alone with Kathryn.
One day, Kel and Cleon were walking through the gardens, talking and laughing, and getting very close. (And being very careless about looking before they kissed.) Cleon held her waist tightly while Kel's arms were around his next, her fingers dancing in his hair. They were kissing softly, when they heard someone coming. They jumped apart only to see Neal approaching. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
He sighed. "You two should be a bit more careful with the public displays of affection," he teased. Kel blushed. Neal stopped grinning. "Seriously, though, you guys. I could have been anyone. I could have been Kathryn, or her friend Fae. Cleon, did you know you're mother arrived at court this morning? I might have been your mother. Imagine her joy to see her son snogging the Lady Knight of Tortall when he's betrothed."
Cleon looked at his feet, ashamed of himself. Kel knew how much honor meant to him. /So why are we doing this?/ she asked herself. /We both know it won't last. And Neal's right, if we get caught, we'll both be ruined./
Neal gripped both their shoulders in a silent apology and left them once again.
"He's right," Kel said softly. "We have to end it, Cleon."
Cleon stared at her for a minuet. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I can." He stroked Kel's hair. "Curse it all, Kel! I love you so much! I want to be with you. I don't mean marriage. We have our whole lives for that-"
"No, Cleon. We don't. You have to marry Kathryn in a month and a half." Kel's eyes shown with unshed tears.
Cleon sighed and pulled her in a tight hug. Kel wasn't sure how long they stayed there in each others arms, but she didn't care. Especially since no one saw them.
* * *
So not to arouse suspicion, and to get to know his betrothed better, Cleon spent must of his days with Kathryn, but all of his nights with Kel. Many of their friends who had suspicions they were together when they were squires, didn't seem to think so anymore. Only Neal knew better. (His room was between Kel's and Cleon's. Whatever room they spent the night in he could hear them. . .unfortunately. He couldn't look either of them in the eye for days.)
Cleon and Kathryn became good friends. That's it. Cleon felt nothing for her. Sure, she's was pretty. Kind. Rich to boot. /But she wasn't Kel!/ Kathryn felt similar toward Cleon.
"There's nothing there, Fae," Kathryn confessed to her friend one evening after an afternoon with Cleon. "Is there something wrong with me? I know I'm going to marry him. Eventually have children. And he's really nice. And funny. And handsome. So why do I only see him as a friend?"
Fae smiled ironically at the younger woman. "Well, it could be because you're young. Or because you know you /have/ to marry him. Or maybe because you know he's in love with a certain lady knight of Tortall. Or even because of your own Knight In Shining Armor, Mister Faleron of Kings Reach?" She raised her eyebrows innocently.
Kathryn blushed furiously and bit her lip. She /did/ really like Faleron. (or Fal as he had insisted she call him) Kathryn knew it was wrong, as she was betrothed, but she had somewhat of a large crush on Fal. And she liked Kel. She respected her. (She was also a little afraid of her. She was a knight for the Goddess's sake!) And Kathryn had to marry the man Kel was in love with. She looked up at Fae and nodded. "That's it," she said sadly. "They are in love and I'm the big bad bitch that pulls them apart." (She conveniently forgot to mention that she too was for someone else.)
"Hey! That's a bit harsh don't you think?" Fae said. "You don't /want/ to end it for them, but you have to. It's your duty. It's /his/ duty, and he knows it. You aren't a bitch," she hugged Kathryn around the shoulders.
"Duty. . ." Kathryn said under her breath.
* * *
Before anyone realized it, the wedding was two weeks away. . .
A/N: yeah I know. Short. Sucky. Pleh. Like I said, this was a chapter to take up time. The next chapter might not be much more interesting. *shrug* and it probably won't be up for a while. So anyway, please review, if only to say this chapter blows. Ta.
Disclaimer: YES! THEY ARE MINE! I AM TAMORA PIERCE!!!! THEY ARE ALLLLLLLL MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *crazy laughter* ahem. . .i mean. . .
A/N: Not much in this chapter. . .it takes place over a month and a half, next chapter will be the half month preparing for the wedding and chapter 7 will probably be the last and the wedding. So this is really just a chapter to take up time and lots of fluff! Yay! Hehehe. Okay, I'll stop now so you can read and REVIEW!!!
Kel woke at her usual early hour, her head was on Cleon's shoulder. She remember what they did last night and smiled. She looked around her room: all their clothes were scattered around. She kissed Cleon's cheek and gently got out of bed so she wouldn't wake him.
She put on an old pair of breeches and a shirt and started to pick up her things from last night. She placed Cleon's clothes on a chair and got her glaive down to start her morning work out.
She was tired but did one of her most complex pattern dances to loosen her muscles. She finished in an elegant flourish. She squeaked when she saw Cleon sitting up in bed. How long had he been watching? He was smiling at her.
"As always, my sweet," he started, "that was amazing." She smiled at him and walked over to play with his rumpled red curls.
"Why thank you, love," she said quietly. He pulled her down so she was sitting next to him on the bed and kissed her warmly. What Kel wouldn't give to stay in this moment for the rest of her life. Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other. (They did have to breathe after all.)
Cleon gently stroked her cheek. Kel smiled at him again. "You should get dressed," she told him. He kissed her again, then climbed out of bed and got dressed. He went to his room quickly (people would wonder why he was still wearing his clothes from the ball the night before) and changed into everyday clothes. He and Kel spent the day together.
* * *
Later that month, Cleon still spent most of his time with Kel, hardly ever spending time alone with Kathryn.
One day, Kel and Cleon were walking through the gardens, talking and laughing, and getting very close. (And being very careless about looking before they kissed.) Cleon held her waist tightly while Kel's arms were around his next, her fingers dancing in his hair. They were kissing softly, when they heard someone coming. They jumped apart only to see Neal approaching. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
He sighed. "You two should be a bit more careful with the public displays of affection," he teased. Kel blushed. Neal stopped grinning. "Seriously, though, you guys. I could have been anyone. I could have been Kathryn, or her friend Fae. Cleon, did you know you're mother arrived at court this morning? I might have been your mother. Imagine her joy to see her son snogging the Lady Knight of Tortall when he's betrothed."
Cleon looked at his feet, ashamed of himself. Kel knew how much honor meant to him. /So why are we doing this?/ she asked herself. /We both know it won't last. And Neal's right, if we get caught, we'll both be ruined./
Neal gripped both their shoulders in a silent apology and left them once again.
"He's right," Kel said softly. "We have to end it, Cleon."
Cleon stared at her for a minuet. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I can." He stroked Kel's hair. "Curse it all, Kel! I love you so much! I want to be with you. I don't mean marriage. We have our whole lives for that-"
"No, Cleon. We don't. You have to marry Kathryn in a month and a half." Kel's eyes shown with unshed tears.
Cleon sighed and pulled her in a tight hug. Kel wasn't sure how long they stayed there in each others arms, but she didn't care. Especially since no one saw them.
* * *
So not to arouse suspicion, and to get to know his betrothed better, Cleon spent must of his days with Kathryn, but all of his nights with Kel. Many of their friends who had suspicions they were together when they were squires, didn't seem to think so anymore. Only Neal knew better. (His room was between Kel's and Cleon's. Whatever room they spent the night in he could hear them. . .unfortunately. He couldn't look either of them in the eye for days.)
Cleon and Kathryn became good friends. That's it. Cleon felt nothing for her. Sure, she's was pretty. Kind. Rich to boot. /But she wasn't Kel!/ Kathryn felt similar toward Cleon.
"There's nothing there, Fae," Kathryn confessed to her friend one evening after an afternoon with Cleon. "Is there something wrong with me? I know I'm going to marry him. Eventually have children. And he's really nice. And funny. And handsome. So why do I only see him as a friend?"
Fae smiled ironically at the younger woman. "Well, it could be because you're young. Or because you know you /have/ to marry him. Or maybe because you know he's in love with a certain lady knight of Tortall. Or even because of your own Knight In Shining Armor, Mister Faleron of Kings Reach?" She raised her eyebrows innocently.
Kathryn blushed furiously and bit her lip. She /did/ really like Faleron. (or Fal as he had insisted she call him) Kathryn knew it was wrong, as she was betrothed, but she had somewhat of a large crush on Fal. And she liked Kel. She respected her. (She was also a little afraid of her. She was a knight for the Goddess's sake!) And Kathryn had to marry the man Kel was in love with. She looked up at Fae and nodded. "That's it," she said sadly. "They are in love and I'm the big bad bitch that pulls them apart." (She conveniently forgot to mention that she too was for someone else.)
"Hey! That's a bit harsh don't you think?" Fae said. "You don't /want/ to end it for them, but you have to. It's your duty. It's /his/ duty, and he knows it. You aren't a bitch," she hugged Kathryn around the shoulders.
"Duty. . ." Kathryn said under her breath.
* * *
Before anyone realized it, the wedding was two weeks away. . .
A/N: yeah I know. Short. Sucky. Pleh. Like I said, this was a chapter to take up time. The next chapter might not be much more interesting. *shrug* and it probably won't be up for a while. So anyway, please review, if only to say this chapter blows. Ta.
