Disclaimer: I don't own them, and it's a pity.
Neal was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. But he was failing miserably. Thoughts of Kel were swimming around his head. Along with her were thoughts of his failing relationship. In the next room was his wife. His wife! Not beside him in bed, but in the next room.
He didn't understand how things had gone so awry. He and Yuki had gotten along so famously before the wedding. Even after the wedding. But he just. . . couldn't bring himself to bed her.
Which is why she is currently not speaking with him.
He didn't know what to do. He didn't understand why Yuki was so mad.
In his mind's eye, Neal could see Kel. Kel fighting by his side. Kel laughing with him in the halls. Kel eating with him. Kel scolding him. Kel beating him to a bloody pulp in the practise courts. Kel dancing with him at that night's ball.
Maybe Kel could help him sort out his problem.
What he thought was fair would be annul his marriage with Yuki. They hadn't consummated their 'love', so really they should just end their relationship. . . but it would make his scandal.
In two words he could tell anyone why that would be so terrible: His father.
Duke Baird was a nice guy and a good father, but he hated scandals. They were his pet peeves and no matter what Neal did, he could do it so long as there was no scandal. That didn't exactly leave him much choice.
He also knew that requesting an annulment would wound Yuki's pride. As a Yamani, she had a very strong sense of it (pride, that is) and he knew the idea would just make her angrier.
He really hoped that as a woman, Kel could offer him some advice.
Kel was outside practising jousting like usual. Peachblossom was being exceptionally good, so her mood was good. The night before was forever replaying in her mind, but she tirelessly tried to block it out. She needed to concentrate or she'd get buffeted.
Something about Neal last night made her feel edgy. He kept looking at her, as if he were surprised that she existed. And then he kept studying her face, as if he wasn't quite sure she was who she'd always been. Kel.
'Speaking of which. . .' Kel muttered under her breath. Low and behold, Neal was walking towards her, a small smile on his face.
"Hey Kel! Come down off of that monster and talk to me."
Kel turned Peachblossom around to his chagrin, and dismounted. She walked over to Neal apprehensively. Neal, sensing her hesitance said, "Don't worry. I won't bite. Which I can't guarantee Peachblossom over there won't do." As if on cue, Peachblossom stretched his neck forward to bite him, but Kel quickly seized the reins.
"Why does he hate me so?" Neal asked, eyeing the big gelding wearily.
"He recognises a threat when he sees one." Kel retorted. Neal raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
"Is there a reason you wished to speak to me Sir Meathead? I do have things that need my attention." Kel said impatiently.
"Yes, yes. I wanted you to come help me with my sword work. I need practice."
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I swear I just heard you willingly volunteer yourself to physical activity. Trying physical activity, at that."
"No, that's what I said." Neal confirmed solemnly. Any sacrifice was worth it to get advice from Kel who was staring at him blankly.
"Who are you and what have you done with my Nealan?" Kel asked him slowly, looking around for the real Nealan of Queenscove.
"Your Nealan, eh? I think I like the sound of that." Kel just snorted disdainfully.
"Oh come on, Kel. Please? For your Nealan?"
"Fine. But on one condition," Neal raised his eyebrows inquisitively. "You have to never mention I called you my Neal, ok?"
"Fine. But I won't forget it." Neal winked, leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. Kel just shook her head and mounted Peachblossom again.
'Imagine that. Neal wants to practise swordsmanship. . . What is this world coming to?'
There was a brisk knock at the door. Neal, thinking that it was Kel, walked over to the door and opened it. Standing there was Yuki. His lovely and angry wife.
"Hello, dear. I wasn't expecting you." Neal said politely.
"You very rarely are. I wanted to see what our dinner plans were for tomorrow. We so hardly ever go out anymore." Yuki replied in what would have been a whine had her voice not been so flat and emotionless.
"I rather think that's due to the fact that you've refused to say a word to me for the past few weeks."
"Look, Neal. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't want to be angry," she said with a sigh.
"No, I understand. I don't want you to be angry either. Anyway, do you mind if I bring Dom along? He's my cousin. We were planning on going out for a drink, but I'm sure he'd love to meet you."
"Absolutely. I wouldn't want to be rude." Of course, this meant that she didn't really want Dom to come along, but Neal ever so conveniently didn't pick up on the hint.
"I'll come by your bed chambers at 8 and we'll go to The Dove Inn. They've got great food."
"I shall be awaiting your arrival." Yuki said blandly as she saw Keladry of Mindelan walking to Neal's door.
"Meathead, are you ready for your sword practice? I only have one bell to do this." Kel said, shooting a glance over at Yuki. Yuki stared back, her face Yamani smooth. Kel's face immediately took on the same expression.
"Neal, don't be tardy."
"A tardy knight costs lives." Neal and Kel recited at the same time. They looked at each other and chuckled slightly.
"Don't worry Yuki, I'll be there at 8. Good night." Neal said. Yuki glided back towards her own bedchambers and Kel walked into Neal's. Neal shut the door behind her.
"Kel. I need your help."
A/N: Oh. My. God. HOW DID ANYBODY READ THIS STORY BEFORE? It was so LAME! I should have gotten a bazillion flames. Maybe I should flame myself. . .
Neal was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. But he was failing miserably. Thoughts of Kel were swimming around his head. Along with her were thoughts of his failing relationship. In the next room was his wife. His wife! Not beside him in bed, but in the next room.
He didn't understand how things had gone so awry. He and Yuki had gotten along so famously before the wedding. Even after the wedding. But he just. . . couldn't bring himself to bed her.
Which is why she is currently not speaking with him.
He didn't know what to do. He didn't understand why Yuki was so mad.
In his mind's eye, Neal could see Kel. Kel fighting by his side. Kel laughing with him in the halls. Kel eating with him. Kel scolding him. Kel beating him to a bloody pulp in the practise courts. Kel dancing with him at that night's ball.
Maybe Kel could help him sort out his problem.
What he thought was fair would be annul his marriage with Yuki. They hadn't consummated their 'love', so really they should just end their relationship. . . but it would make his scandal.
In two words he could tell anyone why that would be so terrible: His father.
Duke Baird was a nice guy and a good father, but he hated scandals. They were his pet peeves and no matter what Neal did, he could do it so long as there was no scandal. That didn't exactly leave him much choice.
He also knew that requesting an annulment would wound Yuki's pride. As a Yamani, she had a very strong sense of it (pride, that is) and he knew the idea would just make her angrier.
He really hoped that as a woman, Kel could offer him some advice.
Kel was outside practising jousting like usual. Peachblossom was being exceptionally good, so her mood was good. The night before was forever replaying in her mind, but she tirelessly tried to block it out. She needed to concentrate or she'd get buffeted.
Something about Neal last night made her feel edgy. He kept looking at her, as if he were surprised that she existed. And then he kept studying her face, as if he wasn't quite sure she was who she'd always been. Kel.
'Speaking of which. . .' Kel muttered under her breath. Low and behold, Neal was walking towards her, a small smile on his face.
"Hey Kel! Come down off of that monster and talk to me."
Kel turned Peachblossom around to his chagrin, and dismounted. She walked over to Neal apprehensively. Neal, sensing her hesitance said, "Don't worry. I won't bite. Which I can't guarantee Peachblossom over there won't do." As if on cue, Peachblossom stretched his neck forward to bite him, but Kel quickly seized the reins.
"Why does he hate me so?" Neal asked, eyeing the big gelding wearily.
"He recognises a threat when he sees one." Kel retorted. Neal raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
"Is there a reason you wished to speak to me Sir Meathead? I do have things that need my attention." Kel said impatiently.
"Yes, yes. I wanted you to come help me with my sword work. I need practice."
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I swear I just heard you willingly volunteer yourself to physical activity. Trying physical activity, at that."
"No, that's what I said." Neal confirmed solemnly. Any sacrifice was worth it to get advice from Kel who was staring at him blankly.
"Who are you and what have you done with my Nealan?" Kel asked him slowly, looking around for the real Nealan of Queenscove.
"Your Nealan, eh? I think I like the sound of that." Kel just snorted disdainfully.
"Oh come on, Kel. Please? For your Nealan?"
"Fine. But on one condition," Neal raised his eyebrows inquisitively. "You have to never mention I called you my Neal, ok?"
"Fine. But I won't forget it." Neal winked, leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. Kel just shook her head and mounted Peachblossom again.
'Imagine that. Neal wants to practise swordsmanship. . . What is this world coming to?'
There was a brisk knock at the door. Neal, thinking that it was Kel, walked over to the door and opened it. Standing there was Yuki. His lovely and angry wife.
"Hello, dear. I wasn't expecting you." Neal said politely.
"You very rarely are. I wanted to see what our dinner plans were for tomorrow. We so hardly ever go out anymore." Yuki replied in what would have been a whine had her voice not been so flat and emotionless.
"I rather think that's due to the fact that you've refused to say a word to me for the past few weeks."
"Look, Neal. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't want to be angry," she said with a sigh.
"No, I understand. I don't want you to be angry either. Anyway, do you mind if I bring Dom along? He's my cousin. We were planning on going out for a drink, but I'm sure he'd love to meet you."
"Absolutely. I wouldn't want to be rude." Of course, this meant that she didn't really want Dom to come along, but Neal ever so conveniently didn't pick up on the hint.
"I'll come by your bed chambers at 8 and we'll go to The Dove Inn. They've got great food."
"I shall be awaiting your arrival." Yuki said blandly as she saw Keladry of Mindelan walking to Neal's door.
"Meathead, are you ready for your sword practice? I only have one bell to do this." Kel said, shooting a glance over at Yuki. Yuki stared back, her face Yamani smooth. Kel's face immediately took on the same expression.
"Neal, don't be tardy."
"A tardy knight costs lives." Neal and Kel recited at the same time. They looked at each other and chuckled slightly.
"Don't worry Yuki, I'll be there at 8. Good night." Neal said. Yuki glided back towards her own bedchambers and Kel walked into Neal's. Neal shut the door behind her.
"Kel. I need your help."
A/N: Oh. My. God. HOW DID ANYBODY READ THIS STORY BEFORE? It was so LAME! I should have gotten a bazillion flames. Maybe I should flame myself. . .