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Keladry of Mindelan walked stealthily up the steep hill to her bed quarters. The very same ones she stayed in as a page. The only things that had changed since those times were her gaining her knighthood, and that Lalasa didn't live with her anymore.
Kel entered her room. She immediately headed for the full tub losing items of clothing along the way. Gods help me, it is boiling out there, she thought to herself.
She sank into the tub, and promptly fell asleep.
In the bath.
Which was not smart.
Kel saw him flailing his arms hardly able to stay afloat. She immediately jumped into the water swimming out to reach him. She couldn't just let him drown. He suddenly stopped drowning and looked at her with his piercing green eyes and said the three most shocking words she'd ever heard.
"I love you."
Kel awoke with a start. Splashing water everywhere, she stumbled out the bath, which had long since gone cold. She shivered uncontrollably looking for her bathrobe. What was that?! What was Neal doing in my dream pretending to drown? She wondered confusedly.
There was a knock at the door.
"Kel! Open up, it's Neal! I've been knocking for ages!"
Neal, just the person I need to see right now, she said to herself.
"Neal, wait a second. I need to get dressed."
She pulled on her clothes that had been strewn around the room as fast as she could.
Obviously it wasn't fast enough because the door suddenly swung open. Low and behold, there stood Nealan of Queenscove eyes fixed on Kel's half naked body.
"Uuhh," He managed.
"Neal, unless you wish to be castrated, I suggest you close that door and TURN AROUND!" She yelled at him.
"Uuhhuuuhh..." Neal said as he turned around, cheeks very red and shut the door silently.
Kel finished pulling her clothes on and tapped him on the shirt.
"It's ok, I'm decent."
Neal turned around as crimson as ever and stared at his feet, which had become absolutely fascinating. To him, at least.
"Kel, I th-thought you s-said 'I'm in distress.'" He stuttered.
"Oh Neal get over it. It's not like you've never seen a woman without a shirt before. There's no difference," Kel scolded.
"Yeah, but you're Kel. There's tons of difference."
"No, there isn't. Did you come here for a reason other than to gawk at my half dressed figure?"
"Umm... yes, I did. I wanted to know if you wanted to be my partner at the ball tomorrow."
"Neal, you of all people know I don't like going to balls."
"I'll make it worth your while..." He smiled cheekily at her.
Well he seems to have gotten over it, at least. Maybe I should go with him, as friends. What's the harm? She contemplated in her head.
"What do I get out of this?" Kel asked him.
"An unforgettable night with the wonderful, sexy Sir Neal." He said puffing out his chest. A rather impressive chest that other women found very attractive. Kel just laughed at his ego.
"Ahuh. You mean the brain damaged, hearing impaired Sir Meathead." He groaned at the nickname.
"Ok. Fine. You win. I'll... umm... groom Peachblossom for you." He said.
"He'd probably bite your hand off."
"True... I'd rather keep my hand. I'll... I'll... What have you never done before?" He asked her. "Well, I've never flown. Never died. Never traveled the world in 80 days. Never been inside a whale. Never been kissed—" She clapped her hand over mouth. Why did I say that??
She removed her hand and eased her expression into her notoriously known 'lump face' other wise known as her Yamani Mask.
Neal grinned mischievously and winked at her after his initial moment of shock.
"Well then. There's your answer. I'll teach you how to kiss like a pro, and you'll go to the ball with me."
"Who said I want to kiss you, Meathead? And why is it you're so eager to get me to go to the ball?" Kel asked suspiciously.
"Well, Cleon bet that I couldn't get you to go, let alone with me, and I bet that I could. Please? For your one and only Meathead?"
Kel sighed resignedly and accepted her fate.
"Fine Neal. I'll go to the ball with you. But I am so not wearing a dress. So dream on."
"Oh, but that's one of the conditions. You have to come dressed as a court lady."
Kel groaned and let her head drop against the wall with a soft thud.
"Pick you up at 8. Thanks Kel" He said with an evil grin.
Neal enveloped her in a bear hug. He walked out of the room.
What have I gotten myself into this time?
A/N: Yup. So I'm finally getting around to re-writing this thing... This chapter isn't really different. And it has been pointed out to me that Kel has indeed been kissed before, but for the well-being of this story's plot line (if it even HAS one. . .) the relationship between Kel and Cleon never happened. And neither did the 4th book. Because I still haven't read it. Gah. I'm such a bad fan. Ah, well.
Keladry of Mindelan walked stealthily up the steep hill to her bed quarters. The very same ones she stayed in as a page. The only things that had changed since those times were her gaining her knighthood, and that Lalasa didn't live with her anymore.
Kel entered her room. She immediately headed for the full tub losing items of clothing along the way. Gods help me, it is boiling out there, she thought to herself.
She sank into the tub, and promptly fell asleep.
In the bath.
Which was not smart.
Kel saw him flailing his arms hardly able to stay afloat. She immediately jumped into the water swimming out to reach him. She couldn't just let him drown. He suddenly stopped drowning and looked at her with his piercing green eyes and said the three most shocking words she'd ever heard.
"I love you."
Kel awoke with a start. Splashing water everywhere, she stumbled out the bath, which had long since gone cold. She shivered uncontrollably looking for her bathrobe. What was that?! What was Neal doing in my dream pretending to drown? She wondered confusedly.
There was a knock at the door.
"Kel! Open up, it's Neal! I've been knocking for ages!"
Neal, just the person I need to see right now, she said to herself.
"Neal, wait a second. I need to get dressed."
She pulled on her clothes that had been strewn around the room as fast as she could.
Obviously it wasn't fast enough because the door suddenly swung open. Low and behold, there stood Nealan of Queenscove eyes fixed on Kel's half naked body.
"Uuhh," He managed.
"Neal, unless you wish to be castrated, I suggest you close that door and TURN AROUND!" She yelled at him.
"Uuhhuuuhh..." Neal said as he turned around, cheeks very red and shut the door silently.
Kel finished pulling her clothes on and tapped him on the shirt.
"It's ok, I'm decent."
Neal turned around as crimson as ever and stared at his feet, which had become absolutely fascinating. To him, at least.
"Kel, I th-thought you s-said 'I'm in distress.'" He stuttered.
"Oh Neal get over it. It's not like you've never seen a woman without a shirt before. There's no difference," Kel scolded.
"Yeah, but you're Kel. There's tons of difference."
"No, there isn't. Did you come here for a reason other than to gawk at my half dressed figure?"
"Umm... yes, I did. I wanted to know if you wanted to be my partner at the ball tomorrow."
"Neal, you of all people know I don't like going to balls."
"I'll make it worth your while..." He smiled cheekily at her.
Well he seems to have gotten over it, at least. Maybe I should go with him, as friends. What's the harm? She contemplated in her head.
"What do I get out of this?" Kel asked him.
"An unforgettable night with the wonderful, sexy Sir Neal." He said puffing out his chest. A rather impressive chest that other women found very attractive. Kel just laughed at his ego.
"Ahuh. You mean the brain damaged, hearing impaired Sir Meathead." He groaned at the nickname.
"Ok. Fine. You win. I'll... umm... groom Peachblossom for you." He said.
"He'd probably bite your hand off."
"True... I'd rather keep my hand. I'll... I'll... What have you never done before?" He asked her. "Well, I've never flown. Never died. Never traveled the world in 80 days. Never been inside a whale. Never been kissed—" She clapped her hand over mouth. Why did I say that??
She removed her hand and eased her expression into her notoriously known 'lump face' other wise known as her Yamani Mask.
Neal grinned mischievously and winked at her after his initial moment of shock.
"Well then. There's your answer. I'll teach you how to kiss like a pro, and you'll go to the ball with me."
"Who said I want to kiss you, Meathead? And why is it you're so eager to get me to go to the ball?" Kel asked suspiciously.
"Well, Cleon bet that I couldn't get you to go, let alone with me, and I bet that I could. Please? For your one and only Meathead?"
Kel sighed resignedly and accepted her fate.
"Fine Neal. I'll go to the ball with you. But I am so not wearing a dress. So dream on."
"Oh, but that's one of the conditions. You have to come dressed as a court lady."
Kel groaned and let her head drop against the wall with a soft thud.
"Pick you up at 8. Thanks Kel" He said with an evil grin.
Neal enveloped her in a bear hug. He walked out of the room.
What have I gotten myself into this time?
A/N: Yup. So I'm finally getting around to re-writing this thing... This chapter isn't really different. And it has been pointed out to me that Kel has indeed been kissed before, but for the well-being of this story's plot line (if it even HAS one. . .) the relationship between Kel and Cleon never happened. And neither did the 4th book. Because I still haven't read it. Gah. I'm such a bad fan. Ah, well.