Disclaimer: not a chance, no money either
AN: I updated! Would have done it sooner but it takes a long time to type this all up. But the chapter is longer than usual and I hope you like it. Thanks to anybody that reviewed.
That Morning Feeling Chapter Eight
************
"My answer is... Yes."
************
Later that Evening
Kel's POV
They had finally left. The questions, the accusations were no longer heard. The sneering face of Lord Burchard was gone. She now knew where Joren got his mannerisms.
That awful man had been so horrible to her. No wonder Joren was the twisted asshole that he was. With a Father like that you'd have to have problems.
And tomorrow she was to formally presented to the court as Joren of Stonemountain's betrothed. Fabulous.
She was going to have to spend time with one of the world's most disgusting, nasty people and she had agreed with it!
How did she get into these things?
She had to be insane.
It was the only explanation. The only one.
What was she going to do?
Her breathing began to quicken. She shakily ran a hesitant hand through her hair. She was sweating. The beads of sweat on her upper lip trailed to the corner of her mouth, where she quickly licked it up. The salty taste distracted her for a moment.
How was she going to get out of this? How?
She could... she could... attempt her own suicide. That would make people think it had been one last practical joke before she died. Wait! One last joke? She wasn't known for her jokes, pity. Oh why couldn't she be known for her jokes? No that plan wouldn't work. But what would?
This was the most trouble she had ever been in.
There was nothing she could do to it. She had agreed to it. She had to uphold the honor of Mindelan. And of herself. She would prove herself to better than him.
And there was no way out, if there had been well... that was another story.
************
Joren's POV
His Father had escorted him to his room and then had left. He had muttered something about not tarnishing the house of Joren's betrothed. Joren had merely shuddered.
It had not helped him. Father then had gone a long lecture about respect. As if Joren hadn't heard it a million times before. He could nearly repeat it word by word.
Of course Father had been his ever so courteous self. Handling out contemptuous with oh so many double meanings. And exchanging insults. All the normal stuff.
I don't think they get along.
This is going to be a long betrothal.
************
Kel's POV
Knock Knock.
Kel was beginning to hate knocks. They were so repetitive. So annoying.
Knock Knock.
If it were Joren, she would stab him. It was only proper.
Knock Knock.
She'd better get it.
Knockknockknock.
She stood up and started to make her way to the door and as she did she over heard a conversation.
"Do you think she's here?" the voice was familiar but different in some way.
"I-ay don'tt knoow," this person's voice was softer and had difficulty over the words which made it even harder to understand, "Shee coould be but–"
I opened the door.
There in front of her was a tall woman wearing a dark blue dress but the most confusing about her, which made it hard to recognize her, was because of the bandages she wore wrapped around her head.
The other person appeared to be wearing a neck brace and was staring straight in front of him self.
"Kel dear!" the woman reached out and grabbed her arms pulling her into a hug.
All at once it was familiar.
"Mother!"
Her Mother's warmth enveloped her but her familiar scent was overridden by the harsh smell of poultices.
"Mother! What happened? Why are you bandaged up like that? Why are you here? Are you well? I thou–"
"Now Keladry. All will be explained. Just be patient. But don't you think that your Father needs a hug too?" her Mother's voice interrupted her, Mother's bandages around her lips moved in what Kel supposed was a smile.
"Of course!" she hugs her Father; he stares ahead his eyes twisting to meet her. "I missed you Father," she tightened her grip around his body.
"And I missed you," her Father replied.
"So once again, what happened? And why are you here?"
There was a long awkward silence.
************
Narrator's POV
Now Joren was the kind of person you didn't see to keep a diary. Many assumed he was a bit of an idiot. A no brainer. And he was actually, in some ways. But in the very few other ways he was very intelligent. However he viewed the world in strange ways unknown to the rest of humanity.
But because he was quite meticulous, he decided to keep a record for future generations to marvel at his wit and his eventful heroic life.
That was Joren thought anyway.
************
~Dear Diary,
Guess what? I'm betrothed! It really has become an interesting day...
I wonder what's going to happen next? I mean everything has been so hectic today. ~
He paused and looked around at the scalar around him.
~And I don't mean the blue rabbits, through that had been interesting too~
Indeed it had. It was hard to wipe out those types of memories and he had tried to. But to all avail, he had failed.
~... I don't want to talk about it anymore. All that blue and... red, everywhere.~
It was so incredibly difficult to get out of his clothes too. Silk is such a fragile material. All has been destroyed. It had been his favourite tunic. Oh the memories! They just wouldn't fade away.
~You wouldn't believe whom I'm betrothed to. Guess? Guess? Keladry of Mindelan! Surprise! Father wasn't that pleased. He's going to have to answer to Mother.~
I can imagine how he feels. Mother can be scary. Just like Marriellis. It's so not fair that she inherited all of Mother's scariness. All I got was her eyes and as stunning as I look in them, I need some scariness. Icy blue eyes can only go so far.
~Today. How will it end?
Love, Joren~
He finished his name with a fancy twirl.
Joren sniffed with emotion. He truly was the greatest diary writer in the world. Who cares what other people said about him? They were just jealous fools trying and not succeeding to imitate him. Which was impossible. He was perfect after all.
The connecting door from his Knight Master's door opened suddenly with a loud crash at it tore its way through the air, the hinges protesting as it did so.
"Jooooorrrreeeeenn!!!" came a rather shrill voice.
************
Kel's POV
"So there was a fire? That's how you hurt your face Mother?" her questions came out swiftly, she was afraid for her parents, worried for their well being.
Her parents exchanged glances. Her Father tilting his head in a bizarre way.
"Y-yes that's how I was hurt," her Mother's tone was rather odd but that could be contributed to the accident, the fire. It was all so strange.
"Then how was Father hurt? He doesn't seem to have any burn injuries. What happened to him?" more questions but they had to be answered.
Her Father shifted slightly on the bed, the bed when she had asked him to come him he had targeted it. He had dismissed the more sensible choice of the chair and had elected to sit on her bed. Very odd.
"Well. I have received some minor burns in... other places," her Father really didn't want to talk about this. It was all evident. Wait. Other places? Did he mean...? Oh! I see now, no wonder. That explains it.
"What about your neck? Why do you have a brace on your neck? How could you get that from a fire?" Kel didn't want to press but she was curious, there seemed more to this story than they were telling. Very curious indeed.
Her parents once again exchanged glances.
"Um. Why don't we have some tea! Of course the Yamini have the best tea! Green tea. How I miss it. They just don't grow it right here.And to import cost a fortune!" her Father rambled on about tea.
"What happened to your neck? Its not serious is it? You're not seriously injured and these are your final moments, are you? Oh Father I'm going to miss you so mu–"
"I'm not dying Kel. Really, you were always the most dramatic of all the children and you don't reveal it much. You hide behind that mask." Kel made a face; "Don't you think I don't see this young lady!"
"...and your neck?" he really was getting nervous, his twitching was becoming more erratic.
"Er well," he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "I fell off a balcony."
"You fell off a balcony?" highly realistic, he really was hard pressed. "What were you doing? Falling off a balcony? You told me it was dinnertime and that the candles caught light with the tablecloth. You were lying weren't you?" she accused, she was getting to the end of this tale and she wanted the truth.
Her Father was sweating and twitching, nothing strange there. But her mother was doing some queer little movements with her face. She didn't know her Mother had these types of problems. Not that she minded or anything. These people were on this world because the Gods wished it. Plus she had bad experiences when she was a child. She had often walked close to death. Not the most pleasant experiences.
"Your mother and I," here her Mother grimaced and edged further away from her Father and started staring at great interest at her Cats. "Have many children," he once again paused, he really likes his pauses she thought viewing the sweat sliding down his face and become increasingly twitchy. But where could this conversation be going? "And we... were trying for another!" her Father ended with a great explanation mark and was breathing quite harshly. Her Mother's gaze hadn't faulted but her blinking was becoming more frequent. What could the mean? Children. Making...? Oh.
Dear Goddess.
Her parents were having sex!
************
Joren's POV
Slam!
He heard the door behind him make. But other than to try to run faster he took no notice other than to run faster and faster and... well he got the point.
"I have to get away from here," he muttered under his breath turning into a corridor and them momentarily paused listening intently. There was silence; not a sound was made. In fact he couldn't even fell his own heartbeat. He was kind of woozy. His eyes fluttered and he felt dizzy. And still there wasn't a sound.
Wait a minute... he wasn't breathing! He took a huge gulp of air and began to breathe again his harsh heavy breath echoing in the hall. The blood rushed up to his head and he could feel a headache coming along. But with that, the memories returned.
His Knight Master prancing around in four-inch hells, their intense orange colours with its neon yellow stripes. His twirly, floaty, pink dress swishy. And the over bright grin, his teeth a brilliant white (which later he discovered were dyed that colour).
It had all been too much. His strange movements were so peculiar, so horrible. But it was worse when he asked an ultimate question.
"Did you like it? Did you? Did you? Huh? Huh? I hope you do I really do. I really really need this job as a dancer. Being a Knight doesn't pay as it looks and the equipment costs and the gifts to the King! He can be so mean! Only giving money out when you do something but whenever a Royal Birthday or something happens I with so little money have to give all these presents! I do love my new outfit. So do you? Yes! No... Yes!" he grunted hopefully at Joren preening himself slightly.
Joren had taken the only possible option. He had run and he had run fast. Broken from his thoughts he returned to the present and those footsteps that were approaching very soon. They were so close. He moved further into the wall and hoped that the person coming was Blind.
************
Kel's POV
Kel walked onwards through the Palace. Her shoes dragging across the floor dismally. She was walking aimlessly, nowhere to go, not a destination in mind. She was also more than likely lost, as she didn't have a clue where she was. She knew she was in the older more conservative section of the Palace and therefore she had not often gone here, preferring to keep her skin the way in was. There was also the pain. Who liked to feel pain? Well... there was this one guy – never mind.
Turning into a corridor she paused and thought about the situation. Her parents. Sex. Her parents having sex. Ewww! It was all too real. Who wanted to know about their parents having sex? Or worse your parents kinky sex life... she thought rather glumly.
But there had been a plus side to the visit; she brightened up a glimmer of hope emerging. If only she could find it. She leant against the wall not expecting to feel a warm moving body behind her. But there was one there.
She started. She was shocked, especially when the person's hand touched places she would not like to mention. She squeaked and threw out an arm in self-defense. It hit her assailant in the face and he let out a cry of pain.
She immediately recognized it.
"Joren!"
"Kel!"
************
Joren's POV
He stood there as quietly as he could; his breathing slowed down and he resisted the urge to run once more.
Don't you worry you can make it! The little voice encouraged.
No. No. No. He had to stay here. It was dark they wouldn't know. That what he was thinking when a body pressed against his. His arms jerked out of their position by his side and moved erratically.
Pain!
Red-hot pain flared in his face and he let out a cry of agony, bringing a hand to his face.
"Joren"!
"Kel!"
End Chapter Eight
R/R please!
AN: I updated! Would have done it sooner but it takes a long time to type this all up. But the chapter is longer than usual and I hope you like it. Thanks to anybody that reviewed.
That Morning Feeling Chapter Eight
************
"My answer is... Yes."
************
Later that Evening
Kel's POV
They had finally left. The questions, the accusations were no longer heard. The sneering face of Lord Burchard was gone. She now knew where Joren got his mannerisms.
That awful man had been so horrible to her. No wonder Joren was the twisted asshole that he was. With a Father like that you'd have to have problems.
And tomorrow she was to formally presented to the court as Joren of Stonemountain's betrothed. Fabulous.
She was going to have to spend time with one of the world's most disgusting, nasty people and she had agreed with it!
How did she get into these things?
She had to be insane.
It was the only explanation. The only one.
What was she going to do?
Her breathing began to quicken. She shakily ran a hesitant hand through her hair. She was sweating. The beads of sweat on her upper lip trailed to the corner of her mouth, where she quickly licked it up. The salty taste distracted her for a moment.
How was she going to get out of this? How?
She could... she could... attempt her own suicide. That would make people think it had been one last practical joke before she died. Wait! One last joke? She wasn't known for her jokes, pity. Oh why couldn't she be known for her jokes? No that plan wouldn't work. But what would?
This was the most trouble she had ever been in.
There was nothing she could do to it. She had agreed to it. She had to uphold the honor of Mindelan. And of herself. She would prove herself to better than him.
And there was no way out, if there had been well... that was another story.
************
Joren's POV
His Father had escorted him to his room and then had left. He had muttered something about not tarnishing the house of Joren's betrothed. Joren had merely shuddered.
It had not helped him. Father then had gone a long lecture about respect. As if Joren hadn't heard it a million times before. He could nearly repeat it word by word.
Of course Father had been his ever so courteous self. Handling out contemptuous with oh so many double meanings. And exchanging insults. All the normal stuff.
I don't think they get along.
This is going to be a long betrothal.
************
Kel's POV
Knock Knock.
Kel was beginning to hate knocks. They were so repetitive. So annoying.
Knock Knock.
If it were Joren, she would stab him. It was only proper.
Knock Knock.
She'd better get it.
Knockknockknock.
She stood up and started to make her way to the door and as she did she over heard a conversation.
"Do you think she's here?" the voice was familiar but different in some way.
"I-ay don'tt knoow," this person's voice was softer and had difficulty over the words which made it even harder to understand, "Shee coould be but–"
I opened the door.
There in front of her was a tall woman wearing a dark blue dress but the most confusing about her, which made it hard to recognize her, was because of the bandages she wore wrapped around her head.
The other person appeared to be wearing a neck brace and was staring straight in front of him self.
"Kel dear!" the woman reached out and grabbed her arms pulling her into a hug.
All at once it was familiar.
"Mother!"
Her Mother's warmth enveloped her but her familiar scent was overridden by the harsh smell of poultices.
"Mother! What happened? Why are you bandaged up like that? Why are you here? Are you well? I thou–"
"Now Keladry. All will be explained. Just be patient. But don't you think that your Father needs a hug too?" her Mother's voice interrupted her, Mother's bandages around her lips moved in what Kel supposed was a smile.
"Of course!" she hugs her Father; he stares ahead his eyes twisting to meet her. "I missed you Father," she tightened her grip around his body.
"And I missed you," her Father replied.
"So once again, what happened? And why are you here?"
There was a long awkward silence.
************
Narrator's POV
Now Joren was the kind of person you didn't see to keep a diary. Many assumed he was a bit of an idiot. A no brainer. And he was actually, in some ways. But in the very few other ways he was very intelligent. However he viewed the world in strange ways unknown to the rest of humanity.
But because he was quite meticulous, he decided to keep a record for future generations to marvel at his wit and his eventful heroic life.
That was Joren thought anyway.
************
~Dear Diary,
Guess what? I'm betrothed! It really has become an interesting day...
I wonder what's going to happen next? I mean everything has been so hectic today. ~
He paused and looked around at the scalar around him.
~And I don't mean the blue rabbits, through that had been interesting too~
Indeed it had. It was hard to wipe out those types of memories and he had tried to. But to all avail, he had failed.
~... I don't want to talk about it anymore. All that blue and... red, everywhere.~
It was so incredibly difficult to get out of his clothes too. Silk is such a fragile material. All has been destroyed. It had been his favourite tunic. Oh the memories! They just wouldn't fade away.
~You wouldn't believe whom I'm betrothed to. Guess? Guess? Keladry of Mindelan! Surprise! Father wasn't that pleased. He's going to have to answer to Mother.~
I can imagine how he feels. Mother can be scary. Just like Marriellis. It's so not fair that she inherited all of Mother's scariness. All I got was her eyes and as stunning as I look in them, I need some scariness. Icy blue eyes can only go so far.
~Today. How will it end?
Love, Joren~
He finished his name with a fancy twirl.
Joren sniffed with emotion. He truly was the greatest diary writer in the world. Who cares what other people said about him? They were just jealous fools trying and not succeeding to imitate him. Which was impossible. He was perfect after all.
The connecting door from his Knight Master's door opened suddenly with a loud crash at it tore its way through the air, the hinges protesting as it did so.
"Jooooorrrreeeeenn!!!" came a rather shrill voice.
************
Kel's POV
"So there was a fire? That's how you hurt your face Mother?" her questions came out swiftly, she was afraid for her parents, worried for their well being.
Her parents exchanged glances. Her Father tilting his head in a bizarre way.
"Y-yes that's how I was hurt," her Mother's tone was rather odd but that could be contributed to the accident, the fire. It was all so strange.
"Then how was Father hurt? He doesn't seem to have any burn injuries. What happened to him?" more questions but they had to be answered.
Her Father shifted slightly on the bed, the bed when she had asked him to come him he had targeted it. He had dismissed the more sensible choice of the chair and had elected to sit on her bed. Very odd.
"Well. I have received some minor burns in... other places," her Father really didn't want to talk about this. It was all evident. Wait. Other places? Did he mean...? Oh! I see now, no wonder. That explains it.
"What about your neck? Why do you have a brace on your neck? How could you get that from a fire?" Kel didn't want to press but she was curious, there seemed more to this story than they were telling. Very curious indeed.
Her parents once again exchanged glances.
"Um. Why don't we have some tea! Of course the Yamini have the best tea! Green tea. How I miss it. They just don't grow it right here.And to import cost a fortune!" her Father rambled on about tea.
"What happened to your neck? Its not serious is it? You're not seriously injured and these are your final moments, are you? Oh Father I'm going to miss you so mu–"
"I'm not dying Kel. Really, you were always the most dramatic of all the children and you don't reveal it much. You hide behind that mask." Kel made a face; "Don't you think I don't see this young lady!"
"...and your neck?" he really was getting nervous, his twitching was becoming more erratic.
"Er well," he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "I fell off a balcony."
"You fell off a balcony?" highly realistic, he really was hard pressed. "What were you doing? Falling off a balcony? You told me it was dinnertime and that the candles caught light with the tablecloth. You were lying weren't you?" she accused, she was getting to the end of this tale and she wanted the truth.
Her Father was sweating and twitching, nothing strange there. But her mother was doing some queer little movements with her face. She didn't know her Mother had these types of problems. Not that she minded or anything. These people were on this world because the Gods wished it. Plus she had bad experiences when she was a child. She had often walked close to death. Not the most pleasant experiences.
"Your mother and I," here her Mother grimaced and edged further away from her Father and started staring at great interest at her Cats. "Have many children," he once again paused, he really likes his pauses she thought viewing the sweat sliding down his face and become increasingly twitchy. But where could this conversation be going? "And we... were trying for another!" her Father ended with a great explanation mark and was breathing quite harshly. Her Mother's gaze hadn't faulted but her blinking was becoming more frequent. What could the mean? Children. Making...? Oh.
Dear Goddess.
Her parents were having sex!
************
Joren's POV
Slam!
He heard the door behind him make. But other than to try to run faster he took no notice other than to run faster and faster and... well he got the point.
"I have to get away from here," he muttered under his breath turning into a corridor and them momentarily paused listening intently. There was silence; not a sound was made. In fact he couldn't even fell his own heartbeat. He was kind of woozy. His eyes fluttered and he felt dizzy. And still there wasn't a sound.
Wait a minute... he wasn't breathing! He took a huge gulp of air and began to breathe again his harsh heavy breath echoing in the hall. The blood rushed up to his head and he could feel a headache coming along. But with that, the memories returned.
His Knight Master prancing around in four-inch hells, their intense orange colours with its neon yellow stripes. His twirly, floaty, pink dress swishy. And the over bright grin, his teeth a brilliant white (which later he discovered were dyed that colour).
It had all been too much. His strange movements were so peculiar, so horrible. But it was worse when he asked an ultimate question.
"Did you like it? Did you? Did you? Huh? Huh? I hope you do I really do. I really really need this job as a dancer. Being a Knight doesn't pay as it looks and the equipment costs and the gifts to the King! He can be so mean! Only giving money out when you do something but whenever a Royal Birthday or something happens I with so little money have to give all these presents! I do love my new outfit. So do you? Yes! No... Yes!" he grunted hopefully at Joren preening himself slightly.
Joren had taken the only possible option. He had run and he had run fast. Broken from his thoughts he returned to the present and those footsteps that were approaching very soon. They were so close. He moved further into the wall and hoped that the person coming was Blind.
************
Kel's POV
Kel walked onwards through the Palace. Her shoes dragging across the floor dismally. She was walking aimlessly, nowhere to go, not a destination in mind. She was also more than likely lost, as she didn't have a clue where she was. She knew she was in the older more conservative section of the Palace and therefore she had not often gone here, preferring to keep her skin the way in was. There was also the pain. Who liked to feel pain? Well... there was this one guy – never mind.
Turning into a corridor she paused and thought about the situation. Her parents. Sex. Her parents having sex. Ewww! It was all too real. Who wanted to know about their parents having sex? Or worse your parents kinky sex life... she thought rather glumly.
But there had been a plus side to the visit; she brightened up a glimmer of hope emerging. If only she could find it. She leant against the wall not expecting to feel a warm moving body behind her. But there was one there.
She started. She was shocked, especially when the person's hand touched places she would not like to mention. She squeaked and threw out an arm in self-defense. It hit her assailant in the face and he let out a cry of pain.
She immediately recognized it.
"Joren!"
"Kel!"
************
Joren's POV
He stood there as quietly as he could; his breathing slowed down and he resisted the urge to run once more.
Don't you worry you can make it! The little voice encouraged.
No. No. No. He had to stay here. It was dark they wouldn't know. That what he was thinking when a body pressed against his. His arms jerked out of their position by his side and moved erratically.
Pain!
Red-hot pain flared in his face and he let out a cry of agony, bringing a hand to his face.
"Joren"!
"Kel!"
End Chapter Eight
R/R please!