"Kel, is it true what they say?" Clean asked, as he stared directly into
her hazel eyes.
After his bitter spat with his fiancée, Cleon had ended up in front of Kel's door. The flood of information had forced him to come to the source of his confusion: Kel. Kel, the girl he had at first nonchalantly flirted with then later fell in love with, the girl who's heart he had broken, the girl who was the only one who held his heart yet would always remain forbidden. Kel had reluctantly let him enter and now he sat across from her, in need of some sort of consolation that the girl he had loved hadn't damaged her reputation in some way, not when she had strived so hard to become a respectable lady knight, the second in the realm of Tortall.
Kel refused to look at him, not because of the faulty accusations that fell on her path, but because her love for Clean hadn't ebbed away. She doubted that she would ever replace the void he left in her heart when he abruptly ended their relationship.
"Does this mean what those 'ladies' gossip about is true?"
She slammed her fist on her wooden table and stared directly at him, her eyes filled with brimstones of outrage. "Is that how you see me? A harlot? Do you think I give myself to any passing man because I'm heartbroken? How dare you underestimate me like that!"
Cleon slumped back at his chair in relief.
However, Kel was worked up and started ranting and attacking Cleon, her sorrow changed into hate.
"I thought you knew me! I thought you loved me for who I am! I guess I was wrong! Is that why you said you loved me? Because you thought I was just another girl who would be eager to have SEX with you? I was just your escape and your entertainment wasn't I? Now that some 'respectable' girl has finally crossed your path, you dump me for that 'jewel.' " She stood abruptly and stared out her window. "Of course. No one takes me seriously anyway. Never did. I can save the world from certain disaster and they would still make denoting comments because I'm a GIRL."
Cleon walked to her and laid a comfortingly hand on her shoulder. "You know that's not true. You're letting your grief blind you with hate. You know it as well as I do. You know deep in your heart that I loved you and I still do."
Kel turned around to face him, who happened to be extremely close. She could feel his breathing brush against her cheeks and her heart began to beat faster. "You still love me?" she whispered, her face inching closer.
"I can't forget about you Kel. You're always on my mind." His face leaned to kiss her when they were suddenly interrupted by a barrage of knocks on her door.
Kel immediately stepped away from him, blushing slightly for being so unguarded and rushed to get the door.
"Kel, I-" Neal began then stopped shortly after spotting Cleon standing uncomfortably behind her. He looked at Kel again to see a faint trace of blush leave her cheeks. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked vehemently.
Kel's blush returned boldly and colored her cheeks with a brilliant crimson. "No Neal. Nothing was going on. Cleon was about to leave to meet up with his fiancée," she said firmly, ignoring the burning blush remain on her face.
"Uh. right." Cleon took his cue and immediately scurried out of her bedroom.
Neal watched Cleon leave with sharpened eyes resembling close to a hawk's. "So what was REALLY going on in here?"
"Won't you come in Neal?" Kel asked, ignoring his blunt question.
"Don't mind if I do," and he entered the room, sitting in the seat that was occupied by Cleon a few minutes ago.
"So what brings you into my bedroom?"
"Lalasa's been looking for you. She's trying to pin you down so she can fix up a dress for you before the Midsummer's ball."
Kel made a face and made a gagging noise. "Why her sudden fascination with dressed for me? She used to fix up nice tunics and breeches lined with nice little embroideries."
"That was when you were still training to be a knight. You've graduated from that for several years now. It's time for you to act like a lady knight now. Lady Alanna doesn't make much fuss about it."
"NOW she doesn't. I know for a fact that she never wanted to wear a dress, it was only after she got married that she started wearing dresses. She STILL doesn't like them that much."
"Well it's nice to dress all prettied up sometimes."
"Let me guess, you've been secretly trying on all these nice ballgowns."
"You finally caught me! Oh, I think I hear the dressmaker right outside your door."
Correctly interpreting the soft footsteps approaching her door, Lalasa opened Kel's bedroom door. "I suppose Sir Nealon was trying to warn you of my coming," she said wickedly.
"On the contrary, I was preventing her from escaping," Neal responded, winking at Kel.
She stuck out her tongue as Lalasa began to take measurements all around her body. After finishing the measuring, Lalasa frowned at Kel. "Lady Kel! You've grown two more inches! At this rate, I'll have to replace your entire wardrobe AGAIN!"
Kel grimaced at the thought of Lalasa fussing over every article of clothing she owned. "It's not my fault I'm growing like a beanstalk. Do you think I WANT all these new clothes?"
Neal sniggered in the background.
Kel whirled around and growled at him.
"Whoa Kel. Got to keep down that temper. It's not very lady-like you know," and he winked.
"Out," she commanded him.
"What? What did I do? You can't just me out. It's not. very rational."
"It's my room so I will do what I'd like."
"Better not get on her nerves any longer Sir Neal. You know what she can do once she gets extremely angry," Lalasa warned him gently.
"Right! I'm out of here! I'll see you soon LADY Kel!" he shouted as he ran out.
"I'm going to-"
"Lady Kel, would you lift your arms so I can measure your waist?"
After his bitter spat with his fiancée, Cleon had ended up in front of Kel's door. The flood of information had forced him to come to the source of his confusion: Kel. Kel, the girl he had at first nonchalantly flirted with then later fell in love with, the girl who's heart he had broken, the girl who was the only one who held his heart yet would always remain forbidden. Kel had reluctantly let him enter and now he sat across from her, in need of some sort of consolation that the girl he had loved hadn't damaged her reputation in some way, not when she had strived so hard to become a respectable lady knight, the second in the realm of Tortall.
Kel refused to look at him, not because of the faulty accusations that fell on her path, but because her love for Clean hadn't ebbed away. She doubted that she would ever replace the void he left in her heart when he abruptly ended their relationship.
"Does this mean what those 'ladies' gossip about is true?"
She slammed her fist on her wooden table and stared directly at him, her eyes filled with brimstones of outrage. "Is that how you see me? A harlot? Do you think I give myself to any passing man because I'm heartbroken? How dare you underestimate me like that!"
Cleon slumped back at his chair in relief.
However, Kel was worked up and started ranting and attacking Cleon, her sorrow changed into hate.
"I thought you knew me! I thought you loved me for who I am! I guess I was wrong! Is that why you said you loved me? Because you thought I was just another girl who would be eager to have SEX with you? I was just your escape and your entertainment wasn't I? Now that some 'respectable' girl has finally crossed your path, you dump me for that 'jewel.' " She stood abruptly and stared out her window. "Of course. No one takes me seriously anyway. Never did. I can save the world from certain disaster and they would still make denoting comments because I'm a GIRL."
Cleon walked to her and laid a comfortingly hand on her shoulder. "You know that's not true. You're letting your grief blind you with hate. You know it as well as I do. You know deep in your heart that I loved you and I still do."
Kel turned around to face him, who happened to be extremely close. She could feel his breathing brush against her cheeks and her heart began to beat faster. "You still love me?" she whispered, her face inching closer.
"I can't forget about you Kel. You're always on my mind." His face leaned to kiss her when they were suddenly interrupted by a barrage of knocks on her door.
Kel immediately stepped away from him, blushing slightly for being so unguarded and rushed to get the door.
"Kel, I-" Neal began then stopped shortly after spotting Cleon standing uncomfortably behind her. He looked at Kel again to see a faint trace of blush leave her cheeks. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked vehemently.
Kel's blush returned boldly and colored her cheeks with a brilliant crimson. "No Neal. Nothing was going on. Cleon was about to leave to meet up with his fiancée," she said firmly, ignoring the burning blush remain on her face.
"Uh. right." Cleon took his cue and immediately scurried out of her bedroom.
Neal watched Cleon leave with sharpened eyes resembling close to a hawk's. "So what was REALLY going on in here?"
"Won't you come in Neal?" Kel asked, ignoring his blunt question.
"Don't mind if I do," and he entered the room, sitting in the seat that was occupied by Cleon a few minutes ago.
"So what brings you into my bedroom?"
"Lalasa's been looking for you. She's trying to pin you down so she can fix up a dress for you before the Midsummer's ball."
Kel made a face and made a gagging noise. "Why her sudden fascination with dressed for me? She used to fix up nice tunics and breeches lined with nice little embroideries."
"That was when you were still training to be a knight. You've graduated from that for several years now. It's time for you to act like a lady knight now. Lady Alanna doesn't make much fuss about it."
"NOW she doesn't. I know for a fact that she never wanted to wear a dress, it was only after she got married that she started wearing dresses. She STILL doesn't like them that much."
"Well it's nice to dress all prettied up sometimes."
"Let me guess, you've been secretly trying on all these nice ballgowns."
"You finally caught me! Oh, I think I hear the dressmaker right outside your door."
Correctly interpreting the soft footsteps approaching her door, Lalasa opened Kel's bedroom door. "I suppose Sir Nealon was trying to warn you of my coming," she said wickedly.
"On the contrary, I was preventing her from escaping," Neal responded, winking at Kel.
She stuck out her tongue as Lalasa began to take measurements all around her body. After finishing the measuring, Lalasa frowned at Kel. "Lady Kel! You've grown two more inches! At this rate, I'll have to replace your entire wardrobe AGAIN!"
Kel grimaced at the thought of Lalasa fussing over every article of clothing she owned. "It's not my fault I'm growing like a beanstalk. Do you think I WANT all these new clothes?"
Neal sniggered in the background.
Kel whirled around and growled at him.
"Whoa Kel. Got to keep down that temper. It's not very lady-like you know," and he winked.
"Out," she commanded him.
"What? What did I do? You can't just me out. It's not. very rational."
"It's my room so I will do what I'd like."
"Better not get on her nerves any longer Sir Neal. You know what she can do once she gets extremely angry," Lalasa warned him gently.
"Right! I'm out of here! I'll see you soon LADY Kel!" he shouted as he ran out.
"I'm going to-"
"Lady Kel, would you lift your arms so I can measure your waist?"