DISCLAIMER: All characters and settings belong to Tamora Pierce
~*Chapter Two *~
Kel was shocked. She tried to stay calm. She tried to keep her emotions under control, to speak normally. The result was that her voice sounded hollow and horribly forced. 'Is he alright?' There was another pause. 'He was being taken to Mindelan, to recover fully, but he didn't make it there in time; he had lost too much blood.'
Kel let out a small cry; Anders had been her closest brother, he had always been supportive of her coming to the palace, he had even given her advice about how to deal with the boys' teasing and bullying. She turned away from the Yamanies. She didn't want to disgrace herself by having them witness how little control she had over her expression. She stumbled away, she wanted to get away from them, she had to be by herself. She opened the door that stood in front of her, not caring where it took her as long as it was away. She realized too late that she had just opened the door to the mess hall. It was too late to turn around so, fighting to keep control of her emotions, she walked to the front of the room and stood before Lord Wyldon. In the hush that followed her sudden re-entry Kel heard the Yamani Ladies enter and then the clanking and swishing as everyone in the room tried to rise to bow.
Kel bowed to Lord Wyldon, 'My Lord, may I be excused from the rest of supper this evening?' she asked in a slightly shaky voice. Lord Wyldon looked at Kel then looked past her to Princess Shinko; he saw something in her expression that stopped him from proceeding with his usual interrogation as to why she wanted to be excused. Instead he simply nodded.
'Thank you, My Lord.' Kel said, bowing. She turned and set off across the room to the door. She had to struggle to stop her self from running. She tried to think calming thoughts; she tried to imagine the calm lake she would like her face to reflect but it was no good. She was half way across the room when to her immense horror and shame she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. This was followed by another and another, until they were streaming down her face. She couldn't face the looks she new would be on her peers' faces if she looked up; wonder, disbelief, scorn but worst of all pity. She knew she couldn't stand the pity that her friends' faces would show. So she kept her head down and ran for the door.
~*Chapter Two *~
Kel was shocked. She tried to stay calm. She tried to keep her emotions under control, to speak normally. The result was that her voice sounded hollow and horribly forced. 'Is he alright?' There was another pause. 'He was being taken to Mindelan, to recover fully, but he didn't make it there in time; he had lost too much blood.'
Kel let out a small cry; Anders had been her closest brother, he had always been supportive of her coming to the palace, he had even given her advice about how to deal with the boys' teasing and bullying. She turned away from the Yamanies. She didn't want to disgrace herself by having them witness how little control she had over her expression. She stumbled away, she wanted to get away from them, she had to be by herself. She opened the door that stood in front of her, not caring where it took her as long as it was away. She realized too late that she had just opened the door to the mess hall. It was too late to turn around so, fighting to keep control of her emotions, she walked to the front of the room and stood before Lord Wyldon. In the hush that followed her sudden re-entry Kel heard the Yamani Ladies enter and then the clanking and swishing as everyone in the room tried to rise to bow.
Kel bowed to Lord Wyldon, 'My Lord, may I be excused from the rest of supper this evening?' she asked in a slightly shaky voice. Lord Wyldon looked at Kel then looked past her to Princess Shinko; he saw something in her expression that stopped him from proceeding with his usual interrogation as to why she wanted to be excused. Instead he simply nodded.
'Thank you, My Lord.' Kel said, bowing. She turned and set off across the room to the door. She had to struggle to stop her self from running. She tried to think calming thoughts; she tried to imagine the calm lake she would like her face to reflect but it was no good. She was half way across the room when to her immense horror and shame she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. This was followed by another and another, until they were streaming down her face. She couldn't face the looks she new would be on her peers' faces if she looked up; wonder, disbelief, scorn but worst of all pity. She knew she couldn't stand the pity that her friends' faces would show. So she kept her head down and ran for the door.