Chapter Six: Good 'ol Memory Lane

Ok, much as this chappie doesn't actually get to the ball, it think its one of my finer works, especially since I am using Kel's character and we are working with, you know, the stereotypical KelNeal ball idea here. Personally, I think I've done pretty well all things considered, but I still gotta check with LJ before I post this chappie. Just so you guys all know, after I'm done with this chapter, me and LJ are both going to go back and edit all the other chapters, (Yes, LJ, we are) cos u noe, since we never had a plan for this story (I made up "the Dom thing" as I wrote it, the only thing we knew was going to happen was the ball) its kinda screwed, especially the first chapter, cos LJ kinda didn't know Dom was dead yet, and the fourth chapter, which just plain sux. So yeah, when u check for the next chappie, u mite wanna reread the rest of the fic too, I think u'll be very pleasantly surprised!!!

JiLL

p.s. Review dammit... or LJ will stomp on your foot in her horrible chunky shoes

Disclaimer: I'm not Tamora Pierce, and unless there's A LOT she's not telling me, neither is LJ. Plz dun steal the plot. Go steal it of one of the other 225 million KELNEAL fans who've written a "Kel gets ready for the ball scene"

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It didn't strike Kel until much, much later that perhaps, despite the tragedy that Doms death had been, it was meant to be. In fact, nothing of the sort occurred to her until years later, long after the ball that marked a half-year since his death. To suggest anything of the sort to Kel until years later would have earned you an intimate discussion with her glaive, but, once the grief had finally passed, she often reflected that her life would have been very different without it.

But even as Kel got ready in her rooms on the night of the courts latest ball, she could not, would not have denied that Doms death did have a remarkable effect on her lifestyle. Despite the fact that Dom had been both her friend and her love, what she went through the days after the letter arrived was not any one of the stages of grief. No, her thoughts were much deeper than that of someone who had lost a soul mate. Although it was through the assumption, by Kel, and everyone else in the palace, that the loss of someone such as Dom, (who would probably shortly have become her fiancé, or at least her lover, had he not died) would constitute days in her rooms mourning his memory, that she ever had a chance to really understand her thoughts at all. And it was in these days that Kel discovered what her subconscious had been in some way aware of for years: That her job was a very dangerous one.

Having never really known a knight who had died in war, she had, up until those long days in her room, shoved the possibility to the back of her mind. Of course, there was fear when she battled, but it was based more on challenge and excitement than on a true understanding of what she was doing. It was in these lonely days, sometime between much prayer, thought and tears, that Kel had decided to live for the moment.

Or at least, more than she was anyway, no need to get drunk every night or invest in a corset, but perhaps, if she, in some small ways, tried to make her life a little better, more like she wanted, while it lasted, she could, in some small way, make Doms death seem a little more worthwhile.

But, standing in front of her mirror and inspecting herself an hour before the ball was due to start, she considered that perhaps this was taking the whole thing a little too far. As she was she hardly recognised herself, she felt like the ugly duckling, who, after years of assuming he was a duck, discovered he was a swan after all. The floaty sleeves of the dress covered almost all of the muscle she had built up over her years of training, and its long, light skirt tickled her bare ankles and made her feel very girly. The corset helped the dress to hug her curves, and, - although she was having a little trouble breathing - wasn't quite as uncomfortable as she'd thought it would be.

Kel laughed as she discovered she was unable to stop staring at herself in the mirror. She liked the way she felt in the dress, girly, risky and free. For a long time now she had felt like she was being what she had to be, the childlike tomboy afraid of boys in a romantic setting. But in this dress...well, it was a long shot, but perhaps she'd at least get asked to dance.

All of a sudden there was a knock at her door. Not having Lalasa around to perform such services for her nowadays, Kel tore herself away from the mirror and walked across the room to open the door, wondering who on earth could be calling on her so soon before the ball. She had given it a good deal of thought, but had decided to attend the ball unaccompanied, mainly so that the court gossips would see that, even though she did not wear black for Dom, she at least respected his memory by waiting to court anyone else. So who would be at my door at such an odd time? She thought to herself. Weary of anyone being at the door after 'the Dom incident' she hesitated a few seconds before opening the handle.

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Owen had been looking forward to the midwinter ball for weeks. Now that he was no longer required to wait on other people he found that it was one of the most enjoyable events on his social Calender.

Still, despite his lack of nerves, and his knowledge that he was more than old enough to dress himself nowadays, he had decided, on a whim, to call upon his pagehood friends and give Kel a little surprise. After all, who didn't love a little trip down memory lane once in a while? And besides, ever since Dom's death, Kel had always seemed as though she could use a bit of cheering up.

So Owen had planned the whole thing, he'd visited the whole gang (except Cleon, who had decided to spend midwinter with his new wife and baby) and asked them to be part of Kel's tenth annual midwinter inspection.

Unfortunately though, destiny ruins all the best plans, and it seemed that all the former pages except for Owen, Merric and Faleron, had been bullied into meeting their wives/lovers/should be wives (A/N: Take note Neal) long before the ball started. Still Owen through to himself It's the thought that jolly well counts.

However, as the three friends stood, waiting cheerily outside Kel's door on the night of the ball, Owen began to realise it was probably not the best idea in the world. Kel hardly ever attended balls - insisting that she hated dressing up and that no-one would miss her anyway - and Owen feared they would quite likely find her crying into her pillow (after all, only mere months had passed since the death of her love), or just mysteriously absent.

But as the door opened, Owen discovered just how wrong he was...

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Kel wrenched the door open, revealing the three familiar faces that stood in the corridor. Unfortunately though, when they saw her, they didn't seem to find her all that familiar, at least, not as a friend or a former year-mate. No, the looks these boys are giving me are a lot more than friendly, she thought to herself. Faleron's mouth had dropped open, Merric's face had gone as red as his hair, and it was only Owen who didn't seem to have a problem with the situation.

"See" he said, almost proudly to the others "I told you she was a real girl"

Kel looked down at her dress. She knew that Lalasa would never have made her anything too revealing, but the neckline seemed a lot lower from her new angle. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea, after all, she had never like balls, and she had never really intended to change her life THIS drastically...

There's nothing you could do about it now, Mindelan she thought to herself You've made your bed, now lie in it. She had nothing else to wear to the ball, and if she backed out now she'd look like a fool. Besides, she thought to herself maybe it will make Neal notice me a bit more...in a friendly way of course. Kel wondered at her own thought how could cleavage make Neal notice me in a friendly way?

Deciding not to read any further into her possibly perverse thought, Kel merely turned to the boys. Faleron still had his mouth open. Kel privately thought he looked like a stunned fish.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to stare?" she asked him matter-of-factly. Faleron promptly closed his mouth and commenced looking everywhere but at Kel. "So," she began again, addressing them all this time "Do you want to come in and be inspected? Or stand out in the hall all night?"

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So. That's it. Now REVIEW!!!