Lord Wyldon of Cavall was preparing to go to bed when he heard his squire enter his rooms. Now would be the perfect time to tell him.
"Owen, would you come in here, please?" called Wyldon. Owen opened the door and bowed.
"What does my lord require?" he inquired.
"Have a seat, squire." Owen complied. "I have decided that we will leave for Cavall the day after tomorrow. You may have tomorrow off to pack and say your good-byes." Owen stood, bowed, and went back to his own room. Why do we have to leave right now? Maybe Kel will forget she ever liked me. Maybe she'll fall in love with someone with more muscles. Maybe he'll be really handsome and she won't be able to help herself. Maybe the king will send her away while I'm gone and she won't be back in time for my Ordeal and I'll die and she'll forget all about me! Owen desperately tried to stop his thoughts, but it didn't work. He started imagining his own death. Would he be bloody and beat up, or would his body be unmarked, like Joren's had been? Owen finished and tumbled into bed. As restless as he had been, he had no problem getting to sleep.
Keladry of Mindelan, one of the two Lady Knights in the realm of Tortall, woke up smiling. She had had a dream about Owen. She got out of bed and started a glaive pattern dance. She had finished a short dance and was stretching out her warmed-up muscles in preparation for a longer one when her door burst open. Squire Owen of Jesslaw was standing there. Kel went over to him and gave him a hug.
"Don't you know how to knock?" She asked, teasing him as she reached up to wind her fingers through his hair. She still couldn't believe how much he had grown the past summer. He absentmindedly brushed her hand away. Kel was confused. He had been so nice the night before and now he was being, being, so cold. He didn't even notice her confusion and disappointment. Instead, he did the very Owen-ish thing and began raving. He just kept walking around her room and muttering to himself. It was like she wasn't even there. Kel began to recognize several words that were coming out of Owen's mouth.
"Ordeal … back in time … those girls … fall in love … Joren … dead …" Kel held up a hand to stop him before he could confuse her further. That didn't work so she tackled him. Owen looked at her and chuckled.
"Sorry Kel, can you get off me now?" Kel nodded and stood up. Owen swept her up in a passionate kiss. They parted for air and Kel was ready to go back for more when Owen put a finger on her lips to stop her. He led her to the bed and motioned for her to sit. He stood up and paced.
"Kel, I'm leaving. Lord Wyldon decided to go visit his family and I have to go too. I don't want to go, I'd rather be here with you, but I don't have a choice in the matter. I have all day today off. I think Lord Wyldon knows we're up to something. What if you get sent away while I'm gone and you're not back in time for my Ordeal. It's like bad luck in a relationship, I mean even Baron George was at the Lioness' Ordeal, even though he was disguised. Why can't I have been one year older? Then I wouldn't have…" Kel put her finger to his lips and drew him down beside her. She was smiling and Owen couldn't figure out why.
"Have you forgotten about the royal wedding this summer? I've been asked to be one of Shinko's bridesmaids and I know for a fact that your knight-master will be there." Owen kissed her again.
"And how do you know that, oh beautiful flower of my heart?" Kel winced at the sound of the endearment. It reminded her so much of Cleon. Owen saw this and kissed her softly. Kel shook her head to clear it and answered him.
"He asked me to be his dinner partner." Owen grinned widely.
"Kel! Squires are supposed to sit with their knight-masters. You'll be near me!" Kel laughed at him. Owen was always very excitable.
"Now shoo! I want to get dressed. I'll see you at breakfast." Kel ushered him out of her room. She got dressed quickly and opened her door to go meet her friends. The problem was, someone was already standing at her door, fist raised to knock.
"Neal!" Kel exclaimed. "What's up?" He grinned slyly at her.
"You know what's up." He stated bobbing his head up and down like it wasn't attached to his neck. (Think of a bobble-head doll.)
"Do I?" Kel asked. Neal pushed his way into her room and turned with a triumphant look on his face.
"You and Owen are in love." He accused. Kel laughed.
"Why would you think a thing like that?"
"A) The little munchkin told me himself, and B) You never hum little love ditties."
"I was humming?" Asked Kel, shocked. Wouldn't she know if she was humming?
"Yes you were." Neal made himself comfortable on her bed. "So…?"
"So what?"
"Tell me everything. He kissed you, right. I told him you wouldn't kill him, so I hope he did."
"You have no right nosing in my business." Kel objected. Neal had a hurt look on his face. Kel knew it was probably a fake one, but it melted her all the same. "Yes, yes, and I'm not sure." Neal grinned. He was definitely rubbing off on her.
"Clarify those answers for me please." He knew what she was going to say, but wanted to hear it from her own lips. He was a little upset that she had never told him about her and Cleon, although Cleon had always spilled everything.
"Yes, he kissed me. Yes, I liked it. I'm not sure that I'm in love with him." Neal shook a finger at her.
"Kel, remember what I said earlier, don't use Owen as your rebound toy." Kel looked sadly at him.
"I couldn't do that Neal. I'm too, too,…" Kel searched for the right word for the second time that morning.
"Honest. Innocent." Neal suggested helpfully.
"Yeah. Come on. Let's go. I'm hungry." Kel dragged Neal out the door and to the mess hall. They got their food and went over to their usual table. Kel slid into a seat next to Owen. Neal sat on her other side. Kel noticed some new faces at the table. Prince Roald was sitting with them, for a change. He had been spending a lot of time with his betrothed.
"Faleron, you're back!" Kel exclaimed at the knight sitting across the table from her.
"Yup. Just got in last night." He had been at the Scanran border for a few months.
"Hey Neal, how's Yuki?" asked Merric with a glint in his eye. The other boys started grinning. Neal just looked at his plate, suddenly interested in his vegetables. The boys started taunting him. Kel was shaking with suppressed laughter. He knew she wouldn't say anything that he had told her about his relationship with the Yamani. He had as much dirt on her as she did on him. Seaver, sitting on Neal's other side, elbowed him hard.
"You must have gotten up awful early to make it to breakfast with us. I'm sure you were tired after last night." Everyone laughed at this comment, even Kel. Neal glared at her. She was supposed to be his best friend!
"S-S-Sorry, Neal!" She gasped out. Neal was fed up.
"You should be sorry, Mindelan! Cleon's dead not a month and you go waltzing around with Owen like some barroom slut! You make me sick, disrespecting the memory of a man you said you loved. Maybe you didn't love him. Maybe the Yamani Lump isn't capable of love. You're too stiff, Mindelan! I hate you, pretending to be a man's true love and making out with some pudgy squire before he's cold in his grave!" Neal never got further. Kel slammed her fist into the face of her best friend and fled the mess hall, sobbing. Neal hit the ground with a loud thump. He clutched his bleeding nose as he watched Owen run after Kel. He stared in shock at his and Kel's friends. They stared back at him, equally shocked.
"What have I done?" Neal whispered to himself as he left the dining hall, clutching his broken nose. He just wandered around for several hours before finding himself in his room and sleeping on the floor.