Everything's Okay in the End
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: dude…if you think the characters are mine…you'd be right, but only if you were thinking of Kathryn and Fae
A/N: *ducks sharp and/or heavy objects being chucked at her head* I KNOW I'm late!! REALLY late! But it's your fault! Yes, that's right! I told you to keep your fingers crossed that I would get very little homework but apparently, not enough of you did because I got a metric butt-load of homework! Anyway, this chapter we will be dealing with Cleon's mother…i'm going to try to make her as small of a bitch as I can but…i'm making no promises. I MIGHT put in some more wedding preparations depending on how long it takes to get through the Mother Mess…anyway, I'm gonna start now before you all kill me.
"Mother!" Cleon gasped.
The color vanished from Kel's face. Oh gods… she thought. She tried desperately to straiten her shirt and tunic, but it didn't matter; Cleon's mother had surly seen him fondling her.
Daphnia of Kennan was purple with rage. What exactly was her son doing with this…this…this female?! And what was she doing in men's clothes? Then she realized. This was the girl. The Lady Knight. The one Cleon had been talking about for years now. Well it was going to stop…now.
Daphnia glared down on her son. Even though he was a good two heads taller than she, he seemed to shrink to the size of a toddler under her cold gaze.
"Cleon," she said ever coldly, "we have some things to discuss. Come with me." Without a word or second glace at Kel, Daphnia turned on her heal heading back to her suit in the castle. She didn't even have to look back to make sure her son was following. He wouldn't dare not to. As if to prove her point, Cleon came jogging up next to her.
"Mother, I—" Cleon started hurriedly.
"We will talk in my rooms," Daphnia said sharply.
When they reached Daphnia's sweet, Cleon opened the door for her and let her in. When he turned around from closing it, Daphnia slapped her son lightly across the face.
"What were you thinking?" she hissed.
Cleon couldn't meet his angry mother's eyes. Instead, he stared at the leg of her bed. "I…" Cleon started.
But Daphnia interrupted him again. "Do you want Kennan to starve? Your fraternizing with that woman will do just that! Think about what would happen had you been seen? The wedding to Kathryn would be called off and in a matter of years Kennan would cease to exist! Because you are selfish and decided that you wanted your cake and would eat it too!"
They stood in silence for a few minuets when finally Daphnia asked, "What's so special about her? And what's wrong with Kathryn?"
Silence.
And then, "I don't love Kathryn," Cleon said quietly, but firmly.
Daphnia snorted as though she thought Cleon was joking. "And you love this, this knight woman?" She seemed to find this amusing.
Now Cleon did look at his mother. Straight in the eye. "Yes. I love her with every fiber of my being." His tone made his mother stop giggling.
After another moment of awkward silence between mother and son, Daphnia finally said, "Well, Cleon, I am sorry. But it has to end. Like it or not, you are marrying Kathryn in two weeks. It will be hard, but it's for the best for Kennan. No more dallying with the Lady Knight."
Before she could say another word Cleon stormed out of the room heading to the practice courts. He needed to hit something.
*~*~*
Kathryn and Fae were riding into the city for Kathryn's first fitting for her wedding dress. Half of her was excited—the half that was controlled by estrogen. The little girl part of her that couldn't wait for her wedding. Her brain controlled the other half. This was the half that did not want anything to do with this "blessed" event. No matter how pretty the dress was.
When they reached Lalasa's Dress Shop, a pretty, slightly plump woman with dark hair greeted them. "Hello Fae!" she called smiling to them. As they dismounted she curtsied. "You must be Lady Kathryn?" she asked. Kathryn nodded. Lalasa seemed very nice, but she was making the thing that all but sealed the deal on her marriage to Cleon. "Please, come inside," Lalasa invited. "Fae, I'll take you to the dress, Lady Kathryn? This is my good friend and assistant, Tian. Tian, please show Lady Kathryn to the dressing room and get her ready for the fitting." Tian nodded and led Kathryn in the opposite direction from where Lalasa and Fae were going.
Tian led Kathryn to a small, closed off room with no windows. (Doubtless so young men couldn't peak at naked women changing clothes.) "I think you will like your dress…to say the lease." Tian said smiling. Kathryn also smiled, but it was hard in coming. Kathryn was beginning to hate everything connected to this wedding. Tian helped her unlace her corset as Lalasa and Fae strode in. Fae was holding a bad that obviously held Kathryn's wedding dress, and was grinning like a fool. With the added help of Lalasa and Fae, Tian was able to undress Kathryn quickly.
"You should close your eyes while we get this on!" Fae said excitedly. Kathryn rolled her eyes, but closed them tightly, while several sets of fingers pulled, and tied, and tightened all around her. With one final pull, Fae announced, "Open your eyes!"
Kathryn slowly opened them and turned to face the mirror. Oh my… she thought.
The dress was incredible. More than incredible. It was something she expected a princess to wear, not an heiress! The under dress was simple—smooth, with no patterns or designs, and made of quite possibly the softest silk ever to grace a woman's skin. The sleeves were long, and tight and came to a point on the top of her hand.
But it was the outer dress that made Kathryn (and the others) speechless. It was velvet with fig leaves imprinted all over it, on one long vine. The square neckline came down just low enough that was stylish, but not flaunting. The sleeves—also long—were loose and made a bell shape, ending at Kathryn's knuckles. The skirt came up in a V at the bottom up to her waist, so you see some of the under dress.
The dress showed her curves and flattered her skin tone. (Which was very pale) and the petticoats were just the right amount—not too many, but noticeable.
While Kathryn was surveying herself in the mirror and taking it all in, Lalasa placed a white sheer cloth over her head, and placed a small tiara on top to hold it in place. The veil.
"I'll need to take it up some, it's a bit long," Lalasa was saying. "But other than that, I think it fits very nicely. Do you agree, Lady Kathryn?"
Kathryn nodded slowly, still gazing at her reflection. "Yes, thank you, Lalasa. It fits perfectly."
*~*~*
Cleon danced around the empty practice room, striking the air with his fist or foot. He pulled a dagger out of his boot and hurled it at he wall near the door—which had just opened to admit Neal. Cleon's dagger was a mere seven inches away from Neal's head.
"Should I come back later, then?" Neal said jokingly, but with a bit of fear in his eyes.
Cleon sighed and shook his head. "No, no. Come on in."
Neal pulled the dagger out of the wall with a slight grunt and brought it back to Cleon. "Are you feeling okay, Cleon?"
Cleon was wearing an ironic smile. "We should have listened to you," he said simply. When Neal raised an eyebrow, Cleon continued, "My mother saw Kel and I…urm…together. Not like that!" he exclaimed, for Neal had misunderstood and thought that Cleon meant his mother had seen them making love. "She just saw us kissing in the hallway. She's…making us end it. I was just really angry with her and came here to blow off some steam. I haven't talked to Kel about it yet."
"Oh…Well, I am sorry Cleon…but I hate to say I told you so…" Neal balked under Cleon's glare, but Cleon didn't do anything. He just clutched Neal's shoulder (maybe a bit more tightly than normal) and walked out of the practice courts.
A/N: blech! I HATE this chapter! Especially this ending! Yuck yuck yuck!!! But I have to end it and I REALLY need to get a new chapter up before people start coming after me to lynch me. o.O anyway, I hope you guys are as disgusted with this chapter as I am. And I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to get up, but along with a butt load of homework, I've also had a serious case or writers block :( so…don't be expecting a new chapter any time soon. Like SOON soon. Maybe not as long as it's taken this one, but who knows? I'm really just trying to take up time till the wedding because I DO know what'll happen then. So, be aware of fluff in upcoming chapters!!! :P
