DISCLAIMER: All characters and settings belong to Tamora Pierce
~*Chapter Four *~
Meanwhile Lord Wyldon had just finished explaining things to Lord Raoul, 'It is a good thing you thought to ban the boys from seeing her, but do you really think it will stop them? ' He asked. 'Some how I don't think you simply banning it will stop some of her closer friends from at least trying.'
Lord Wyldon looked furious at the implication that he did not have complete control over his charges however he replied coolly, ' I think it will stop them from all rushing to see her straight away and I hope that it will give them time to think and hopefully they will realize that it is best to leave her alone.'
'Yes. I believe you are right about that.' said Raoul, 'I just hope they do think better of it because Kel would hate for them to see her any time soon. she was very upset.'
'You coddle her too much, Raoul, she has to be treated like any other page.'
'Yes, and "any other page" would be allowed time to themselves to grieve.' Lord Raoul replied shortly.
'You progressives are all the same. you think just because she's a girl.'
If that is all, I will be going now.' Lord Raoul interrupted him calmly, he did not think now was the time for him to have a political debate with Lord Wyldon
~*~ Kel lay on her bed, numb. She had cried herself out a long time before and now she was left with a terrible ache in her heart. She wished she could cry because crying blunted the hurt she felt but she could not cry. Try as she might not a tear would fall. She lay there for what could have been minutes, hours or even days; she didn't know and she didn't care.
Kel stared at the ceiling above her bed. She had been staring at it for quite some time now however it was only now she was actually seeing it. On it she saw a tiny speck. As it moved she saw that it was a fly. She watched the fly as it crawled across the ceiling, suddenly she noticed that it had a slight purple tinge to it.
Though her grief stricken mind id not entirely register the fact that a purple fly was a highly unusual thing she still felt slightly strange as she looked at it. It was then she realized that she had seen that color purple before; it was the exact color of Alanna's gift.
She also realized that the fly was behaving in a very un-fly-like manner. Since when did flies crawl across the ceiling?
As she realized this she became terribly angry. It was not like her to loose her temper, but this was too much, after all that had happened a purple, ceiling-walking fly was too much. She hurled a pillow at the fly, hoping to squash it against the ceiling. However she had obviously misjudged her strength because the pillow made it nowhere near the ceiling and simply fell back to land in her face.
As Kel laid there the significance of the situation sunk in, there was a fly acting very un-fly-like which just happened to be purple. The exact same shade of purple as Alanna's gift happened to be.
'ALANNA!!!' She shrieked at the fly, 'Stop spying on me an leave me alone!!!
The fly stayed still for a moment. Just as Kel was about to loose her temper again there was a flash of purple light and when she could see again the fly no longer had a purple tinge to it. It stood stunned for a moment then took off, flying towards the window. That's much more like a fly should act, she thought dazedly.
She was still furious with Alanna for using the fly to spy on her. Just then she heard a knock on the door. She decided to ignore it like she had every other time; she didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. She was so ashamed of crying in front of everyone. They must all think I'm a complete wimp, she thought, crying like that in front of them. They'll never let me live it down.
Just then she heard someone speaking to her through the door, it was Alanna. 'I'm sorry, Kel. I wasn't spying on you, I was just checking to make sure you were all right. I didn't want you to do anything rash. We weren't sure whether you were still in there or if you had sneaked out because you've been so quiet. I'm sorry; I was just trying to help you. Will you forgive me?'
Hearing one of the most powerful people in the realm grovel to her made Kel feel very powerful, and she didn't like it. 'Please, just go away!' She replied. 'I forgive you, just please get them all to leave me alone. I don't want to speak to anyone.'
There was a pause and she heard people muttering, so it wasn't only Alanna who was out there. The muttering stopped and she heard a voice that she had not expected to hear. 'Kel, dear, I want you to open this door right now! I need to talk to you, no more of this sulking and moping, you understand? Open this door.' Came her mother's voice, slightly muffled through the door.
For as long as Kel could remember she had always done exactly as she was told by her mother. She automatically obeyed as she got up off the bed and walked towards the door. She stood behind the door as she opened it so that no one in the hallway could see her.
Her mother walked in and she quickly shut it to avoid having to talk to anyone else. Her mother turned to her and without saying anything she held out her arms. Kel ran to her and hugged her tightly. 'Oh mama!' Was all she could say.
~*Chapter Four *~
Meanwhile Lord Wyldon had just finished explaining things to Lord Raoul, 'It is a good thing you thought to ban the boys from seeing her, but do you really think it will stop them? ' He asked. 'Some how I don't think you simply banning it will stop some of her closer friends from at least trying.'
Lord Wyldon looked furious at the implication that he did not have complete control over his charges however he replied coolly, ' I think it will stop them from all rushing to see her straight away and I hope that it will give them time to think and hopefully they will realize that it is best to leave her alone.'
'Yes. I believe you are right about that.' said Raoul, 'I just hope they do think better of it because Kel would hate for them to see her any time soon. she was very upset.'
'You coddle her too much, Raoul, she has to be treated like any other page.'
'Yes, and "any other page" would be allowed time to themselves to grieve.' Lord Raoul replied shortly.
'You progressives are all the same. you think just because she's a girl.'
If that is all, I will be going now.' Lord Raoul interrupted him calmly, he did not think now was the time for him to have a political debate with Lord Wyldon
~*~ Kel lay on her bed, numb. She had cried herself out a long time before and now she was left with a terrible ache in her heart. She wished she could cry because crying blunted the hurt she felt but she could not cry. Try as she might not a tear would fall. She lay there for what could have been minutes, hours or even days; she didn't know and she didn't care.
Kel stared at the ceiling above her bed. She had been staring at it for quite some time now however it was only now she was actually seeing it. On it she saw a tiny speck. As it moved she saw that it was a fly. She watched the fly as it crawled across the ceiling, suddenly she noticed that it had a slight purple tinge to it.
Though her grief stricken mind id not entirely register the fact that a purple fly was a highly unusual thing she still felt slightly strange as she looked at it. It was then she realized that she had seen that color purple before; it was the exact color of Alanna's gift.
She also realized that the fly was behaving in a very un-fly-like manner. Since when did flies crawl across the ceiling?
As she realized this she became terribly angry. It was not like her to loose her temper, but this was too much, after all that had happened a purple, ceiling-walking fly was too much. She hurled a pillow at the fly, hoping to squash it against the ceiling. However she had obviously misjudged her strength because the pillow made it nowhere near the ceiling and simply fell back to land in her face.
As Kel laid there the significance of the situation sunk in, there was a fly acting very un-fly-like which just happened to be purple. The exact same shade of purple as Alanna's gift happened to be.
'ALANNA!!!' She shrieked at the fly, 'Stop spying on me an leave me alone!!!
The fly stayed still for a moment. Just as Kel was about to loose her temper again there was a flash of purple light and when she could see again the fly no longer had a purple tinge to it. It stood stunned for a moment then took off, flying towards the window. That's much more like a fly should act, she thought dazedly.
She was still furious with Alanna for using the fly to spy on her. Just then she heard a knock on the door. She decided to ignore it like she had every other time; she didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. She was so ashamed of crying in front of everyone. They must all think I'm a complete wimp, she thought, crying like that in front of them. They'll never let me live it down.
Just then she heard someone speaking to her through the door, it was Alanna. 'I'm sorry, Kel. I wasn't spying on you, I was just checking to make sure you were all right. I didn't want you to do anything rash. We weren't sure whether you were still in there or if you had sneaked out because you've been so quiet. I'm sorry; I was just trying to help you. Will you forgive me?'
Hearing one of the most powerful people in the realm grovel to her made Kel feel very powerful, and she didn't like it. 'Please, just go away!' She replied. 'I forgive you, just please get them all to leave me alone. I don't want to speak to anyone.'
There was a pause and she heard people muttering, so it wasn't only Alanna who was out there. The muttering stopped and she heard a voice that she had not expected to hear. 'Kel, dear, I want you to open this door right now! I need to talk to you, no more of this sulking and moping, you understand? Open this door.' Came her mother's voice, slightly muffled through the door.
For as long as Kel could remember she had always done exactly as she was told by her mother. She automatically obeyed as she got up off the bed and walked towards the door. She stood behind the door as she opened it so that no one in the hallway could see her.
Her mother walked in and she quickly shut it to avoid having to talk to anyone else. Her mother turned to her and without saying anything she held out her arms. Kel ran to her and hugged her tightly. 'Oh mama!' Was all she could say.