~*~AN: I couldn't leave you on the cliff. I'm too nice (yeah right!) so
here it is. the next chapter!
DISCALIMER: Everything and everyone (besides Yali) belongs to TP. However the plot is mine. it is entirely original!
~*~Chapter Four~*~
Neal was quite shocked by this answer, however he was greatly relieved. To his disappointment she continued, "I'm going to the palace to become a Knight; being a Page is simply the first step." (AN. hehehe. bet you didn't expect that! lol!)
"Yali, I told you; you're not going." Neal was starting to get very annoyed and it showed in his voice. "I will have no more discussion, go get ready for dinner now, and hurry up. Kel'll be hungry."
Yali was too furious and upset to argue any more, she just turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard behind her.
~*~
That night at dinner Yali was not her usual cheerful self. She didn't talk to anyone. She didn't even look at anyone. She sat staring at her food, slowly eating. She ate more out of habit than because she was hungry; the churning of anger in her stomach prevented her from having any real appetite.
Neal was also strangely quiet during dinner; however his silence seemed to be more thoughtful than angry. If anyone noticed the change in their behaviors no one commented on it - at least not at the dinner table
Later that night, however, after everyone had retired for the night and Yali was asleep, Lady Yukimi of Queenscove confronted her husband.
"Neal, dear," she started, walking out of her dressing room in her sleeping kimono, "What has happened between Yali and you?"
"What do you mean?" asked Neal as he climbed into bed, already changed for the night. When Yuki only raised an eyebrow to answer he sighed. "So you noticed, huh?"
"Yes; I noticed. How could I not? Neither of you said a word at dinner. Poor Kel, it was a very awkward position to put her in; sitting there with the two of you on either side of her."
Neal didn't answer for a while, as Yuki turned out the lantern, climbed into bed beside him and laid down. "She wants to become a Knight." He announced to his wife. She sat bolt up right again.
"She what?" Yuki asked, stunned. "When did she tell you this? Why didn't you tell me?"
Neal sighed again. "She approached me a couple of weeks ago, told me she wanted to go to the palace for training. We had a discussion," Yuki snorted at the word; they both knew what kind of discussion it had been, "we had a discussion, and I told her she couldn't go."
"And?" Yuki asked, confused; if this had been weeks ago why had they been that way tonight. And more importantly why hadn't either Neal or Yali talked to her about it?
"Well. she seemed to give up. she just said 'oh well' and ran off to the stables to go riding." There was a slight pause. Yuki was getting impatient. However she didn't want to interrupt because she knew Neal would explain. eventually. "Then today Kel arrived. she came storming into my study demanding to know why I wouldn't let Yali become a Page and why I was her friend if I was so against Lady Knights." Yuki almost laughed, but her Yamani control stopped her, however, she smiled slightly. Kel didn't loose her temper often but when she did you didn't want to get in her way; Yuki new this, she knew this very well.
Because it was dark, Neal didn't see his wife's smile. He continued, "Well, you can imagine how surprised I was! I hadn't known Kel knew about Yali wanting to become a Knight, I was especially surprised by her comment about us being friends. To tell you the truth, I was kind of scared; Kel angry is something you never want to see." He added, back to his usual dry drawl. Yuki did laugh this time. Neal laughed too, but he quickly sobered. He continued, "After Kel calmed down a bit, she told me what had happened. It turns out Yali sent Kel a letter telling her I wouldn't let her become a Knight and Kel came riding back to help Yali convince me." He paused.
She waited, she knew he would go on, "When she got here Yali told her that, and I quote, that I was being horrible and I wouldn't let her be a Page. she also said that I said that she wouldn't be a able to cope with the training and that it's no place for a girl."
Yuki thought she could guess what happened next, "So then you talked to Yali, you scolded her for being dishonest and for trying to use Kel against you. You then told her she still couldn't be a Page and she went storming off.' There was a stunned silence. "Am I right?" Yuki asked.
"How did you know that's what happened?" Neal asked, shocked and slightly suspicious. "Have you been spying on me?"
Yuki laughed. "Of course not!" she cracked up laughing again at the ridiculousness of the accusation. After a while Neal saw the funny side of the situation too; he grinned and chuckled slightly. "Well? How then? If you weren't spying on me?"
"Well, I guessed. I mean it's what I would have done."
"It is?" he asked, sounding slightly relieved that some one was finally taking his side. "Yeah. except I probably would have let her become a Page."
"YOU WHAT?" Neal asked loudly. His exaggerated reaction was partly due to shock but mostly due to disappointment; he had thought that some one finally agreed with him.
"Yes." Yuki replied calmly. "I would let her go to the palace to train. I think she's made for that life. She enjoys combat training - the little she's already had, she has a great sense of duty and honor and she's responsible and mature enough to handle it." There was yet another stunned silence. "However, you're the Lord of Queenscove and you're her father so the decision is up to you. What ever you decide, I'm sure it's for the best."
"You're just trying to make me feel guilty." Neal accused, he was not in the best of moods and didn't appreciate being told he was making the wrong decision all the time.
Yuki understood this so she simply replied, "No, I'm not. I was just telling you my opinion; what I would do. The decision is entirely up to you. I'm not trying to influence you in anyway."
There was a short pause. "Now go to sleep, we have to be up early to see Kel off again." And with that Yuki turned over and fell asleep almost instantly. Neal on the other hand lay thinking for quite some time.
~*~AN: Sorry. I don't really like this chapter. I think I'm a bit tired to be writing this at the moment. I've run out of ideas right now. I'll write more later. it'll be better than this. promise!
DISCALIMER: Everything and everyone (besides Yali) belongs to TP. However the plot is mine. it is entirely original!
~*~Chapter Four~*~
Neal was quite shocked by this answer, however he was greatly relieved. To his disappointment she continued, "I'm going to the palace to become a Knight; being a Page is simply the first step." (AN. hehehe. bet you didn't expect that! lol!)
"Yali, I told you; you're not going." Neal was starting to get very annoyed and it showed in his voice. "I will have no more discussion, go get ready for dinner now, and hurry up. Kel'll be hungry."
Yali was too furious and upset to argue any more, she just turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard behind her.
~*~
That night at dinner Yali was not her usual cheerful self. She didn't talk to anyone. She didn't even look at anyone. She sat staring at her food, slowly eating. She ate more out of habit than because she was hungry; the churning of anger in her stomach prevented her from having any real appetite.
Neal was also strangely quiet during dinner; however his silence seemed to be more thoughtful than angry. If anyone noticed the change in their behaviors no one commented on it - at least not at the dinner table
Later that night, however, after everyone had retired for the night and Yali was asleep, Lady Yukimi of Queenscove confronted her husband.
"Neal, dear," she started, walking out of her dressing room in her sleeping kimono, "What has happened between Yali and you?"
"What do you mean?" asked Neal as he climbed into bed, already changed for the night. When Yuki only raised an eyebrow to answer he sighed. "So you noticed, huh?"
"Yes; I noticed. How could I not? Neither of you said a word at dinner. Poor Kel, it was a very awkward position to put her in; sitting there with the two of you on either side of her."
Neal didn't answer for a while, as Yuki turned out the lantern, climbed into bed beside him and laid down. "She wants to become a Knight." He announced to his wife. She sat bolt up right again.
"She what?" Yuki asked, stunned. "When did she tell you this? Why didn't you tell me?"
Neal sighed again. "She approached me a couple of weeks ago, told me she wanted to go to the palace for training. We had a discussion," Yuki snorted at the word; they both knew what kind of discussion it had been, "we had a discussion, and I told her she couldn't go."
"And?" Yuki asked, confused; if this had been weeks ago why had they been that way tonight. And more importantly why hadn't either Neal or Yali talked to her about it?
"Well. she seemed to give up. she just said 'oh well' and ran off to the stables to go riding." There was a slight pause. Yuki was getting impatient. However she didn't want to interrupt because she knew Neal would explain. eventually. "Then today Kel arrived. she came storming into my study demanding to know why I wouldn't let Yali become a Page and why I was her friend if I was so against Lady Knights." Yuki almost laughed, but her Yamani control stopped her, however, she smiled slightly. Kel didn't loose her temper often but when she did you didn't want to get in her way; Yuki new this, she knew this very well.
Because it was dark, Neal didn't see his wife's smile. He continued, "Well, you can imagine how surprised I was! I hadn't known Kel knew about Yali wanting to become a Knight, I was especially surprised by her comment about us being friends. To tell you the truth, I was kind of scared; Kel angry is something you never want to see." He added, back to his usual dry drawl. Yuki did laugh this time. Neal laughed too, but he quickly sobered. He continued, "After Kel calmed down a bit, she told me what had happened. It turns out Yali sent Kel a letter telling her I wouldn't let her become a Knight and Kel came riding back to help Yali convince me." He paused.
She waited, she knew he would go on, "When she got here Yali told her that, and I quote, that I was being horrible and I wouldn't let her be a Page. she also said that I said that she wouldn't be a able to cope with the training and that it's no place for a girl."
Yuki thought she could guess what happened next, "So then you talked to Yali, you scolded her for being dishonest and for trying to use Kel against you. You then told her she still couldn't be a Page and she went storming off.' There was a stunned silence. "Am I right?" Yuki asked.
"How did you know that's what happened?" Neal asked, shocked and slightly suspicious. "Have you been spying on me?"
Yuki laughed. "Of course not!" she cracked up laughing again at the ridiculousness of the accusation. After a while Neal saw the funny side of the situation too; he grinned and chuckled slightly. "Well? How then? If you weren't spying on me?"
"Well, I guessed. I mean it's what I would have done."
"It is?" he asked, sounding slightly relieved that some one was finally taking his side. "Yeah. except I probably would have let her become a Page."
"YOU WHAT?" Neal asked loudly. His exaggerated reaction was partly due to shock but mostly due to disappointment; he had thought that some one finally agreed with him.
"Yes." Yuki replied calmly. "I would let her go to the palace to train. I think she's made for that life. She enjoys combat training - the little she's already had, she has a great sense of duty and honor and she's responsible and mature enough to handle it." There was yet another stunned silence. "However, you're the Lord of Queenscove and you're her father so the decision is up to you. What ever you decide, I'm sure it's for the best."
"You're just trying to make me feel guilty." Neal accused, he was not in the best of moods and didn't appreciate being told he was making the wrong decision all the time.
Yuki understood this so she simply replied, "No, I'm not. I was just telling you my opinion; what I would do. The decision is entirely up to you. I'm not trying to influence you in anyway."
There was a short pause. "Now go to sleep, we have to be up early to see Kel off again." And with that Yuki turned over and fell asleep almost instantly. Neal on the other hand lay thinking for quite some time.
~*~AN: Sorry. I don't really like this chapter. I think I'm a bit tired to be writing this at the moment. I've run out of ideas right now. I'll write more later. it'll be better than this. promise!
