Neal couldn't sit still. It had been about a week since Kel had left with
Alanna with some grand adventure but he couldn't stop worrying about his
friend and secret love. The Baron seemed well satisfied with his wife's
wild chase after an adventure, undoubtedly receiving a myriad of letters
and reports from his wife incessantly even as he sits at this moment. Kel
hadn't sent anything about her well being to anyone and he was beginning to
worry. At the moment, he was contemplating on whether or not he should
pack up and start after the trail Alanna and Kel had left, maybe with a
help from the Baron as well.
His thoughts were interrupted with a knock.
"Sir Nealan of Queenscove, may I have your audience at my chamber for the evening?"
Neal's ears pricked at the sound of the voice. It was Raoul. He opened the door to find the big man standing in front of the door formally.
"I will join you for the evening. Does it require anything formal?"
"Oh no. It will be quite a comfortable atmosphere. It will only be you, myself, and Jonathan." With that, he departed on his way.
Jonathan? KING Jonathan? Neal shifted his weight uncomfortably as he stood at the doorway, staring at the man disappear in the hall. What do they want?
8 Neal swirled the wine in his glass for the fifth time during that evening. Raoul was like-wise uncomfortable in his situation. KING Jonathan was late to their rendezvous and Neal was too young for Raoul to converse about the passing times.
The door swung open quietly as a tall black-headed man enter the room. The king was dressed informally, his crown nowhere in sight. "You don't know how long those advisors go on and on about the well-being of the kingdom and how I'm spending too much money on the education of the poor, " he complained as he poured himself some wine and familiarly sat on a couch between Raoul and Neal.
Raoul smiled in good humor as he replied, "Ah But they are only the advisors. Surely the king can do as he may."
Jonathan shot him a sour look. "You know very well a good king can't offend his nobles. I'm doing a silly balancing act on a piece of string, trying to appease both the nobles and the commoners." His eyes fell on Neal. "Ah! Nealan. How do you do?"
"Very well, thank you Your Highness," Neal replied stiffly.
"Come now, don't be so stiff-necked. We're all men here," Jonathan joked as he slapped him in the back good-naturedly.
Neal smiled unsurely.
"I believe young Nealan would like to know why he is here with us," Raoul commented.
"Ah, yes. Neal, I know you feel very uncomfortable sitting with the two of us, especially with Raoul."
Shifting his weight to and fro, Neal rubbed his hand together and faced the floor.
"I'm sorry if I sounded so blunt. It's in my nature. Going back to our conversation-"
Raoul cut in. "What Jonathan means to tell you is that I won't be around here to chase after Alanna and Kel and make sure they stay out of trouble, even though we know very well that they are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. I know we both want to make sure that the person we care about is same and clear away from danger." Raoul stared at Neal unnervingly.
Neal looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I know you love her. Keladry of Mindelan. My ex-squire. And in some way, I do too and I know you know. As much as I'd like to go after her and at least offer my hand in their service, I can't. My duty binds me to the kingdom, whether I like it or not. It's not that I love Tortall more than Kel. It's only that I must protect a country full of people and be wise to let another perfectly capable man do what I had intended to do. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Sir Raoul means well Neal. It's been hard on him to tear his heart away from his duty and ignore his passion. Likewise, I know it's hard for you to be here and talk to your 'rival.' But I believe this will be a better solution. It would be reassurance to send another person to aid them in their quest. I'm not so sure Kel can contain Alanna's enormous temper," Jonathan explain, smiling at his little stab at Alanna.
If Neal thought anything about Jonathan's concern about Alanna, he didn't reveal it. Instead he replied, "I had been thinking about going after Kel, if not able to bring her back, then to aid her and Lady Alanna in their quest. Can I go on this quest with your permission?" he asked Raoul.
Raoul smiled wearily and sadly. "Nealan, you don't need my permission to do what your heart tells you to do. Just make sure you will aid them competently."
Neal stood up and bowed. "Thank you sir." With that, he left the room quietly.
"Are you sure you made the right decision to let him go after her like that?" Jonathan asked him in concern.
"I am never sure of what I'm doing. It is a risk to send a man who's in love with the same girl whom I have affection towards. But it is better to send someone to aid her than to send no one at all," Raoul replied quietly.
Jonathan looked at his friend unsurely but remained quiet for his benefit. It was better to keep his doubts within than to worry his friend further.
His thoughts were interrupted with a knock.
"Sir Nealan of Queenscove, may I have your audience at my chamber for the evening?"
Neal's ears pricked at the sound of the voice. It was Raoul. He opened the door to find the big man standing in front of the door formally.
"I will join you for the evening. Does it require anything formal?"
"Oh no. It will be quite a comfortable atmosphere. It will only be you, myself, and Jonathan." With that, he departed on his way.
Jonathan? KING Jonathan? Neal shifted his weight uncomfortably as he stood at the doorway, staring at the man disappear in the hall. What do they want?
8 Neal swirled the wine in his glass for the fifth time during that evening. Raoul was like-wise uncomfortable in his situation. KING Jonathan was late to their rendezvous and Neal was too young for Raoul to converse about the passing times.
The door swung open quietly as a tall black-headed man enter the room. The king was dressed informally, his crown nowhere in sight. "You don't know how long those advisors go on and on about the well-being of the kingdom and how I'm spending too much money on the education of the poor, " he complained as he poured himself some wine and familiarly sat on a couch between Raoul and Neal.
Raoul smiled in good humor as he replied, "Ah But they are only the advisors. Surely the king can do as he may."
Jonathan shot him a sour look. "You know very well a good king can't offend his nobles. I'm doing a silly balancing act on a piece of string, trying to appease both the nobles and the commoners." His eyes fell on Neal. "Ah! Nealan. How do you do?"
"Very well, thank you Your Highness," Neal replied stiffly.
"Come now, don't be so stiff-necked. We're all men here," Jonathan joked as he slapped him in the back good-naturedly.
Neal smiled unsurely.
"I believe young Nealan would like to know why he is here with us," Raoul commented.
"Ah, yes. Neal, I know you feel very uncomfortable sitting with the two of us, especially with Raoul."
Shifting his weight to and fro, Neal rubbed his hand together and faced the floor.
"I'm sorry if I sounded so blunt. It's in my nature. Going back to our conversation-"
Raoul cut in. "What Jonathan means to tell you is that I won't be around here to chase after Alanna and Kel and make sure they stay out of trouble, even though we know very well that they are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. I know we both want to make sure that the person we care about is same and clear away from danger." Raoul stared at Neal unnervingly.
Neal looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I know you love her. Keladry of Mindelan. My ex-squire. And in some way, I do too and I know you know. As much as I'd like to go after her and at least offer my hand in their service, I can't. My duty binds me to the kingdom, whether I like it or not. It's not that I love Tortall more than Kel. It's only that I must protect a country full of people and be wise to let another perfectly capable man do what I had intended to do. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Sir Raoul means well Neal. It's been hard on him to tear his heart away from his duty and ignore his passion. Likewise, I know it's hard for you to be here and talk to your 'rival.' But I believe this will be a better solution. It would be reassurance to send another person to aid them in their quest. I'm not so sure Kel can contain Alanna's enormous temper," Jonathan explain, smiling at his little stab at Alanna.
If Neal thought anything about Jonathan's concern about Alanna, he didn't reveal it. Instead he replied, "I had been thinking about going after Kel, if not able to bring her back, then to aid her and Lady Alanna in their quest. Can I go on this quest with your permission?" he asked Raoul.
Raoul smiled wearily and sadly. "Nealan, you don't need my permission to do what your heart tells you to do. Just make sure you will aid them competently."
Neal stood up and bowed. "Thank you sir." With that, he left the room quietly.
"Are you sure you made the right decision to let him go after her like that?" Jonathan asked him in concern.
"I am never sure of what I'm doing. It is a risk to send a man who's in love with the same girl whom I have affection towards. But it is better to send someone to aid her than to send no one at all," Raoul replied quietly.
Jonathan looked at his friend unsurely but remained quiet for his benefit. It was better to keep his doubts within than to worry his friend further.