Chapter 11: Friends and Lovers

It was several days later. Kel knocked on the door hesitantly. She wasn't sure if she would be welcome, but it was several hours before Cleon would come out of the Chamber and she needed a distraction! She waited for a while, and almost changed her mind, when a rough voice asked, "Who is it?"

"I-it's me, Kel. Is it ok if I come in?" Kel was trying hard not to show her nervousness.

After another pause, Joren replied in the affirmative. Kel turned the knob and entered the room. She saw Joren lying on the bed with his eyes closed, covered in a blanket. His hands were bandaged. Maybe it isn't such a good idea to use Joren as distraction. Kel thought to herself. Joren's condition only made her more anxious of Cleon's Ordeal. She examined his face. Its paleness highlighted the shadows beneath the skin. He looks so pretty—and fragile. Kel found herself thinking.

Joren's eyes opened and he smiled at Kel. "The earbobs go well with your eyes."

Kel blushed, much to her mortification, her right hand instinctively coming up to finger her newly-pierced earlobe. "Uh, thanks." She tentatively sat down on the chair beside the bed. "Are you ok?"

Joren smiled wryly and shrugged, before looking away. There reigned a very awkward silence, neither sure what they could say to each other.

Kel cleared her throat. "Um, I just came by to thank you for the gift. They're gorgeous." Joren reddened a bit, but didn't look at her. "And… I've been thinking. I want to believe in you, Joren. It's hard to trust you after everything, but I'd like to think people can change." Kel also blushed. Speeches weren't her thing.

Joren closed his eyes, but not soon enough to hide the single tear that rolled down towards his left ear. When he spoke, his voice was even rougher. He spoke fast, as if he wanted to get the words out as soon as possible. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I didn't hire those thugs. I… I just opened my big mouth. I didn't like you, and I didn't think you'd make a good knight, but I didn't hate you enough to do that to you or your maid." His eyes were still closed. He didn't want to see Kel's expression.

After awhile, he heard Kel speak hesitantly. "If you didn't do it, then who did?" Joren couldn't read anything in her voice.

"I don't know. I suspect it's my father. Or one of his friends." His voice was dull. He knew he didn't have any proof to convince her.

"But why did those men tell everyone that you did it?"

"I don't know. Probably because our little… rivalry was known to many, so nobody would question me as the fall guy. If it's my father though, he might have found it funny to blame me. You know, so he could put me in a bind."

"Why would he do that? He is your father…" Kel's voice traced off when she saw the bitter smile on Joren's face.

"We don't really get along." Joren sighed internally. That was an understatement.

Kel was quiet for a moment. "I'm not saying I don't believe you, Joren, but I need time to process this."

"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't believe me either." Joren finally opened his eyes to smile at her wryly.

Kel smiled back. "But Neal told me about…"

"Neal?" Joren interrupted. "What did he say?" Then he flushed. "Nevermind."

Joren's expression puzzled Kel. What was going on? Then a tiny idea appeared in her mind. Could it be?

"Uh, I have to go, Joren. I'll be back tomorrow, ok?" Kel needed time to figure this out.

Joren's eyes lowered. "Sure."

Kel didn't want to leave like that, so she touched his hand briefly. "I'll bring you some pastries. You're too thin!" She smiled at him, as if trying to say that she forgives him for everything.

Joren smiled too, although he was startled by her touch. "I'd like that."

***

Neal was doing stretches when Kel marched up to him in her determined way. "We have got to talk."

Neal raised his eyebrows. "And hello to you, too. How's Cleon?"

Kel blushed. "He's fine. He liked the earrings. Now will you shut up?" She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look mean.

"Ok." Neal raised his arms in surrender. "What's wrong?"

"It's Joren." She told him bluntly, watching his reactions carefully. Which was fortunate since Neal swallowed, looked around as if trapped, and blushed crimson.

"What about him?" He sighed.

"I went to his room." Suddenly, this didn't seem such a good idea. "H-he told me that he wasn't the one who hired those men to kidnap Lalasa."

Neal's expression changed from disbelief to something Kel couldn't read. "And did you believe him?"

Kel countered, "Do you?"

Neal sighed. "I don't know. I mean, why did he say he did it if it weren't true?"

Kel frowned. "I think he couldn't care less at that time. He knew the worst he could be punished with was a fine. And he knew they could afford it." She shook her head. "Looking at him, I'm inclined to believe him, but is that wise of me? He is known for his silver tongue."

"Why? What did he look like?" Neal all but whispered.

"Like hell. Like he had lost everything." Kel replied in an equally hushed tone, remembering the scar, the dark circles under Joren's eyes, and the dullness in his eyes. He couldn't have been faking that.

Neal looked haunted. Kel was lost in her thoughts, but when she noticed him in the same condition, that same little idea popped in her mind. "Oh, and Neal?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes?" Neal turned to her automatically.

"I think he's in love with you." She left him with his mouth hanging open.