Disclaimer: I STILL don't own the characters, but I would like to invite
Neal to come live in my closet next to Vincent Kartheiser and Elijah Wood.
Chapter 2
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"So tell me again about this Narumi?" Kel reached over to grab the pitcher of honey. She looked up into Neal's green eyes as she drenched her food in the golden syrup.
"I don't know too much about her. Only that Dom thinks she's the most amazing thing in the world. Lady Narumi noh Satoya is her name. I was hoping you knew of her. After all, you did live on the Yamani Islands for a good part of your life." Neal popped a piece of fruit into his mouth.
"I don't remember any ladies named Narumi. I remember the family name, though. The last person I know of with that name was a commoner who married a Princess. I can't remember what rank the Princess was, however. I remember the Princess, very vaguely. She did have a daughter, but I don't know if the child's name was Narumi. I remember the Princess died in a Scandran raid. Her husband died defending her. I don't know what happened to the girl. I can't remember if she died as well or not."
"Oh well." Neal stood, stretching. "Do you want to come with me and Dom to go meet the girls? It'd be fun." Kel stood as well.
"I can't. I promised Lord Raoul I'd be about to play 'Pop Kel from the Saddle' with him."
"At least you don't have to play 'Hide from the Ex-Knight-Mistress Because She'll Bite You'." Neal answered, finishing off his fruit juice. "Let's go see if we can't find Dom, at least."
"No need to come find Dom. He's here and ready to go get his Lady." Dom gestured dramatically and excitedly at the door. "So let's go get her!" Neal laughed and clapped Kel on the shoulder as a silent bye and followed Dom out the door.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
September 25, 461
I don't understand. I have never once felt this way about anyone. But for some reason, I feel like crying. Just to bawl my eyes out about how I feel. Why does Dom have a lady? And it didn't help that he looked so good in that blue tunic. I just wanted to melt to his feet. Domitan of Masbolle is the most handsome man I'd have ever seen...
Kel sniffed, holding back her tears as she slowly closed her journal. It was her best friend. A better friend to her than Neal ever was or could be. She wasn't sure why, but everything just felt better if she wrote it down.
Suddenly she jumped when her door flew open. The woman walking in shouted in surprise.
"My lady, my apologies. I had not known you were here!" The servant said, picking up the rags she had dropped.
"Oh, it's no problem. I was on my way out. If my Lord Raoul comes looking, please tell him that I am out in the orchards. If anyone else comes looking for me, I'm just out. No where in particular." Kel stood and gathered her papers. Just her journal, a wooden slab that she used as a writing desk while she was out, and another book.
"Yes, my lady." The servant curtseyed and moved out of the way so that the Lady Knight could pass.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kel strolled along the dirt lanes, enjoying the quiet, faux-country air. If there was one thing she missed about the Scandran War, it was the air, the quietness, and the farms. She was from the north, where the people farmed for food and everything was relatively quiet.
Where she was from, no one would bother her unless it was important. She could disappear into the woods for hours on end without a search party being sent out. She missed that. She had regained some of that while running New Haven.
But after the September when she and Neal had gone to Steadfast to meet Yuki and Buri, they had learned that Yuki had to return to the Yamani Islands immediately. Of course that had broken Neal's heart. She and Neal returned to New Haven and about 4 months later, they received a letter to return to Steadfast.
When they got there, Lord Wyldon informed them that they were relieved of their positions and were to return home. Kel had protested. She hadn't wanted to leave her charges by themselves, but when she learned that the newly knighted Owen of Jesslaw was to take her place, she quickly agreed.
So here she was, almost over a year after the rebuilding of New Haven, utterly alone and miserable. She didn't even have Tobe to keep her company. Fanche and Saefas adopted Tobe and a good number of the other orphans of New Haven after they married. Kel choked back a sob and hurried down the lane to get to the apple orchards. She wouldn't be bothered by anyone else there, and that was all she wanted.
Kel sat against a tree, and let the quiet sobs wrack her body. She needed this so badly. To let all the emotions out of her and just sit back and look at her life. Was this really what she wanted? To be a knight, yes, she had wanted that badly. But to be downright alone was not something she'd bargained for.
Kel waited for the tears to stop flowing before she opened the book she carried. The pages were blank except for at the beginning. Those pages were filled with charcoal sketches and even some ink sketches. Kel sighed, ready to indulge herself in one of her newest pastimes. It was silly, yes for a Lady knight, but Kel loved the work.
Kel flipped to the first blank page and pulled out a charcoal stick. She began to draw the designs coming to her head. Her hand moved on its own, sketching first the lines, then returning to fill the lines with a more definite shape. The same of a bodice came, followed closely by a skirt, that was simple, yet very flattering.
She pulled her hand away and put the charcoal down and leaned back to admire her work. It was one of the many gowns and outfits she designed. Sometime when she was free, she'd take them to Lalasa, the only other person who knew of her hobby, and have her look into them. Lalasa would make the ones she felt she could throw into the world of fashion and put the design on one of the high ladies of court.
Kel loved it. The feel of thrill and conceitedness of the fact that the ladies that shunned her were wearing her designs. She liked how it made them hypocrites. It was fun for her.
Kel put down the book and picked up her journal. She flicked it open and began to read her old entries...
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
That's it for now... I wanted to get a chapter up, so here it is! I hope you like it!
"I liked it! NOT!"
SHUT UP DRANIC! And don't worry, this fic will live up to its title... ;)
~Icebyrd67 (February 19, 2003)
Chapter 2
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"So tell me again about this Narumi?" Kel reached over to grab the pitcher of honey. She looked up into Neal's green eyes as she drenched her food in the golden syrup.
"I don't know too much about her. Only that Dom thinks she's the most amazing thing in the world. Lady Narumi noh Satoya is her name. I was hoping you knew of her. After all, you did live on the Yamani Islands for a good part of your life." Neal popped a piece of fruit into his mouth.
"I don't remember any ladies named Narumi. I remember the family name, though. The last person I know of with that name was a commoner who married a Princess. I can't remember what rank the Princess was, however. I remember the Princess, very vaguely. She did have a daughter, but I don't know if the child's name was Narumi. I remember the Princess died in a Scandran raid. Her husband died defending her. I don't know what happened to the girl. I can't remember if she died as well or not."
"Oh well." Neal stood, stretching. "Do you want to come with me and Dom to go meet the girls? It'd be fun." Kel stood as well.
"I can't. I promised Lord Raoul I'd be about to play 'Pop Kel from the Saddle' with him."
"At least you don't have to play 'Hide from the Ex-Knight-Mistress Because She'll Bite You'." Neal answered, finishing off his fruit juice. "Let's go see if we can't find Dom, at least."
"No need to come find Dom. He's here and ready to go get his Lady." Dom gestured dramatically and excitedly at the door. "So let's go get her!" Neal laughed and clapped Kel on the shoulder as a silent bye and followed Dom out the door.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
September 25, 461
I don't understand. I have never once felt this way about anyone. But for some reason, I feel like crying. Just to bawl my eyes out about how I feel. Why does Dom have a lady? And it didn't help that he looked so good in that blue tunic. I just wanted to melt to his feet. Domitan of Masbolle is the most handsome man I'd have ever seen...
Kel sniffed, holding back her tears as she slowly closed her journal. It was her best friend. A better friend to her than Neal ever was or could be. She wasn't sure why, but everything just felt better if she wrote it down.
Suddenly she jumped when her door flew open. The woman walking in shouted in surprise.
"My lady, my apologies. I had not known you were here!" The servant said, picking up the rags she had dropped.
"Oh, it's no problem. I was on my way out. If my Lord Raoul comes looking, please tell him that I am out in the orchards. If anyone else comes looking for me, I'm just out. No where in particular." Kel stood and gathered her papers. Just her journal, a wooden slab that she used as a writing desk while she was out, and another book.
"Yes, my lady." The servant curtseyed and moved out of the way so that the Lady Knight could pass.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kel strolled along the dirt lanes, enjoying the quiet, faux-country air. If there was one thing she missed about the Scandran War, it was the air, the quietness, and the farms. She was from the north, where the people farmed for food and everything was relatively quiet.
Where she was from, no one would bother her unless it was important. She could disappear into the woods for hours on end without a search party being sent out. She missed that. She had regained some of that while running New Haven.
But after the September when she and Neal had gone to Steadfast to meet Yuki and Buri, they had learned that Yuki had to return to the Yamani Islands immediately. Of course that had broken Neal's heart. She and Neal returned to New Haven and about 4 months later, they received a letter to return to Steadfast.
When they got there, Lord Wyldon informed them that they were relieved of their positions and were to return home. Kel had protested. She hadn't wanted to leave her charges by themselves, but when she learned that the newly knighted Owen of Jesslaw was to take her place, she quickly agreed.
So here she was, almost over a year after the rebuilding of New Haven, utterly alone and miserable. She didn't even have Tobe to keep her company. Fanche and Saefas adopted Tobe and a good number of the other orphans of New Haven after they married. Kel choked back a sob and hurried down the lane to get to the apple orchards. She wouldn't be bothered by anyone else there, and that was all she wanted.
Kel sat against a tree, and let the quiet sobs wrack her body. She needed this so badly. To let all the emotions out of her and just sit back and look at her life. Was this really what she wanted? To be a knight, yes, she had wanted that badly. But to be downright alone was not something she'd bargained for.
Kel waited for the tears to stop flowing before she opened the book she carried. The pages were blank except for at the beginning. Those pages were filled with charcoal sketches and even some ink sketches. Kel sighed, ready to indulge herself in one of her newest pastimes. It was silly, yes for a Lady knight, but Kel loved the work.
Kel flipped to the first blank page and pulled out a charcoal stick. She began to draw the designs coming to her head. Her hand moved on its own, sketching first the lines, then returning to fill the lines with a more definite shape. The same of a bodice came, followed closely by a skirt, that was simple, yet very flattering.
She pulled her hand away and put the charcoal down and leaned back to admire her work. It was one of the many gowns and outfits she designed. Sometime when she was free, she'd take them to Lalasa, the only other person who knew of her hobby, and have her look into them. Lalasa would make the ones she felt she could throw into the world of fashion and put the design on one of the high ladies of court.
Kel loved it. The feel of thrill and conceitedness of the fact that the ladies that shunned her were wearing her designs. She liked how it made them hypocrites. It was fun for her.
Kel put down the book and picked up her journal. She flicked it open and began to read her old entries...
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
That's it for now... I wanted to get a chapter up, so here it is! I hope you like it!
"I liked it! NOT!"
SHUT UP DRANIC! And don't worry, this fic will live up to its title... ;)
~Icebyrd67 (February 19, 2003)