Chapter 2:

"Nee, I think we need to talk," I finally tell her with a frown, breaking my gaze from the doorway Kel has just disappeared from.

"Of course." She glances up at me through long, falsely black eyelashes and smiles, and I grimace inwardly at its appearance, so wide and obvious and over-done, like everything else about her. So fake. And I hate her, hate her for forcing me to give that same falseness back, hate myself for being weak enough not to stand up to my mother, as I should have. Hate Kel, for not seeing what's directly in front of her face.

"I enjoy your company." Hah, that was a total lie. Still, I would respect my mother's wishes, as much as possible at least, since I apparently didn't have the pride to tell her the truth. If a little-or not so little-lie made her easier to bear in this case, so be it; I justify it to myself with the knowledge that lies are all she knows, that telling truths are a foreign concept for her, too used to court intrigue and teenage gossip, but even that excuse falls flat, leaving me with a twist in my stomach that I can't be rid of. "However, if you continue to insult my friends, I will be forced to stop courting you." Forced. Yeah. It would be my distinct pleasure.

She flutters her eyelashes in what is supposed to, I think, be a flirtatious manner. Such obvious displays give me the urge to hurl, and the guilty feeling is lost as quickly as it came. "But Sir Seaver, she was flirting with you! If I hadn't have done anything, gods know what she would've done!"

I know my frown, at this point, has grown much more pronounced, obviously showing my blatant displeasure with her. "Kel is one of the most honorable people I know. She wouldn't do that." I don't mention that she wouldn't do it because it was me, for that is much too real, too unpleasant, a thought to bear. Only in my dreams, it seems, would she even consider the idea of flirting with me, of—oh, if I could only be that lucky—more. Alas, it seems like I am doomed to a mere friendship with the woman who has long possessed my heart, forever mourning my feelings for her in a morose silence.

Oh, Mithros, I sound like one of Neal's devastatingly bad poems. I shake my head, attempting to focus, and turn back to my conversation with Nee, for lack of anything better, really.

"She was being rude to me. She's trying to take you away from me," the girl pouts, and I almost wish I hadn't turned back when I did, to avoid this display. Girl is precisely what she is-in comparison to Kel; she is a weak-minded, infantile, petty, little girl, too malicious and uncaring by half. It was shocking, the day I discovered that I compared all women to Kel. It doesn't shock me anymore to realize that none of these women-or girls-held a candle to her either. Why would she waste her time on me, when there are so many out there so much better to share her life with?

I roll my eyes at her foolishness, and don't deign to comment in such a public place, knowing that I've made too much of this conversation already public. Instead, I pull her out past a glassed door to a more private—if only slightly, but I don't dare anything more, for fear of compromising her honor, also known as getting stuck with her for life—balcony.
"You were the one being rude, Lady. She attempted to be polite, but you continued to make disparaging comments about personal matters, having even the gall to insult her abilities as a knight! She is one of the people that keep this country safe! You should at least manage to be slightly more polite to her! Also, she is an excellent commander, and a lot of impressionable people are her friends, including the chief healer and his son, the prince, Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and his wife, Lord Wyldon of Cavall, and the queen!" I know that my words will have no effect at all on her, but hurl them out nonetheless, for my need to defend Kel proves too great.

She turns pale. Suddenly, tears begin to spill from her eyes, and she follows it by sobbing— loudly. "You love her more than you love me!"

Oh, dear Mithros. Is she really serious?

"Of course I do! She has been one of my best friends for over ten years, someone who was constantly by my side, supporting me. I've been courting you for two months! And if you aren't more polite to the people I care about, that's as long as it will be!" I don't even have it in me to feel guilty for this ultimatum, furious as I am, and half wish that she'll use it as an excuse to stop dating me. But no, I could only be that lucky.

She (thankfully) halts her annoyingly overdone sobbing at the threat and stares up at me with large green eyes left brimming with tears. A deliberate ploy, I'm sure, yet still I can't help but feel a bit of remorse for my unchivalrous behavior, despite how obviously she deserved it. "Of course, my lord. I believe I shall retire. Will we still be going to the city on the morrow?"

I sigh, brushing a dark lock from my face and rubbing at my temples, more as a ploy to stall, to provide me time to think, than anything else. Shouting definitely wasn't the best means of correcting the problem, I realize with a sigh. "Yes, of course. I'll send for you before Kel and I practice, if you still want to watch." I inform her, desperately praying that no, she doesn't indeed wish to rise at such an awful hour of the morning for a bit of pre-dawn sword play.

Perhaps predawn was pushing it a bit, but it certainly felt like it to me, when I rise the next morning with a headache, knowing that this day is, if possible, going to go even longer than the one previous. I quickly dress, anxious at least for the morning, and head down to the practice courts.

Kel awaits me, already stretching when I walk in, and she doesn't even pause, just offers me a smile as she continues with her morning routine. "Morning, Seaver."

I nod to her, once, before removing my tunic and stretching along side her, losing myself in the motion as I watch her, barely aware that I do my own stretches, probably not as hard as I should.

A voice interrupts my thoughts, much too cheery and peppy and everything else unfortunate in the world—or mine at least. "Good morning!" Nee makes her way over to us, looking impossibly fresh and sickeningly lovely in a pink summer gown, edged with a pristine white lace, her curls pinned atop her head in a fashionable array and strung through with the same lace. Much too overdone, I think, especially for such an early hour of the morning. I don't like something looking so…pristine, like I'll ruin it just with a touch. I glance over at Kel, who looks impossibly real, infinitely more attractive, than this court beauty. A bit of sweat already clings to her forehead, and her hair is pulled back from her face in an uncompromising, sensible style that suits her in its simplicity. Her dress is equally sensible, brown breeches and a simple blue shirt the color of her shield, the cotton light and cool, allowing for easy movements and much needed airflow. A light sheen of sweat already clings to her forehead, making me think she has already done a bit of practicing, perhaps even an early morning run as she is sometimes taken with, before I arrived, and I almost regret my lack of participation in it, if only to spend that much more time with her.

I'm distracted by movement from the corner of my eye as Nee walks to the outskirts of the court, a frown marring her forehead, but I don't really care why; she's interrupting my time, my rather rare as of late time, with Kel. My thoughts, especially at such an early hour, aren't so kind to her.

Finally, I feel loose enough to move, and mouth, "ready?" to my opponent, or rather my soon to be conqueror, wanting to make this little thing, all I have, just between us, resenting Nee for even being here to witness it.

She nods her head and we both grab at practice swords, hefting them into our grip and bringing them up as we bow. I keep my gaze up, watching the graceful arch of her neck as she bends, and then before I realize it, we've begun.

We dance around each other. She attacks first, her feet moving quickly as she brings her sword into position for an upper cut, aimed for my neck. I quickly throw my sword up in defense, and am given no chance to do anything but defend as she moves her blade down to shift into a cross cut.

She gains another step on me, her blade precariously near, a schnitt that I swiftly block, and finally I get in an attack, an under cut that she pulls herself back into inside stance for. I manage to get in two more, a slanting cut aimed for her thigh that she quickly brings her sword down, so it rests on the cloth stretched across her inner thigh, to block, and another swiftly after aimed for her other side that she dances out of my way to avoid. She suddenly lurches forward, and I fall back to defend once more, but she easily pushes my blade out of her way before her own, thankfully wooden, is kissing my throat.

"I yield already!" I inform her, laughing a bit so the tip bounces off my Adam's apple. She removes the would-be weapon with a small smile of her own, bringing it down to her side and unfortunately taking a step back from me, for decency's sake I'm sure. I hadn't realized, until she moved back, how closely we stood, her almost pressed against me between my thighs, my face down to peer into hers. Close enough for me to wrap my arms around her—

But no, I mustn't let my thoughts distract me right now, not especially in front of her.

I take a deep breath, leaning my hands on my knees to relax after the rather fast-paced workout. Nee skitters over to me with my skin of water, and I take a quick sip from it before passing it to Kel, who leans in the same position across from me, though much to my chagrin doesn't seem to have quite the trouble breathing I'm displaying. She takes it with an easy smile, and I repress a shiver and freeze as her fingers press gently on mine for a moment. She looks at me and I release the skin finally, leaving her to gaze bemusedly at me as she slowly swallows the chilled water and I follow the line of her throat.

"Kel, do you want to do your glaive work now?" I question after several moments after I've regained her senses and she her breath—though mine, I think, was the more trying effort—, knowing 'want' was probably not the best word choice, as there is, I'm sure, nothing she wants less at this point.

Still, she doesn't argue, but moves to grab her weapon from its perch propped up against the wall. She pauses there for a moment, carefully balancing the weapon in her hand and adjusting her grip on it, giving herself more time to concentrate, I think if nothing else.

In even strides, she has positioned herself in the perfect center of the court. Both hands placed on her thighs as her glaive rests on the ground at her feet, she gives us a Yamani-style bow, face perfectly blank, before she once more palms her weapon. The first swing is hesitant, a slow arch that cuts through the air, and the sun glimmers on the steel and I'm entranced, as per usual, as her body turns smoothly to follow, and then she picks the pace up, forming a series of cuts, turns, and swings that looks much too complicated for my simple mind to grasp. The weapon appears only a shining silver blur, so quickly she wields it, and she follows through each motion, as if the glaive is not merely a weapon, but an extension of herself, and it's so beautiful a display of skill, of her, that I couldn't look away if I wanted to.

She finishes with a rapid turn and a halt, and I regain myself, standing up from where I had collapsed to a sitting position on the ground to move towards her, leaving Nee all but forgotten somewhere behind me. I can't even think about my would-be beau, not with this beautiful image before me, not when all I want to do is have a decidedly different woman in my arms. Kel's sweating heavily, her breaths coming in pants, and I force back the imagery my mind wants to supply with that, of her in a decidedly different area of the castle, wearing decidedly less clothing than what she's in now.

I stop not even a touch away from her, wanting to move that last step so I am actually touching her, sharing her breath and brushing behind her ear the small lock of hair that has fallen forward. I reach to do just that, but she moves too quickly, brushing it aside with an annoyed frown herself, and I unreasonably feel as if she's just taken away something from me.

She rests her weapon once more against the wall and I take a moment to observe Nee, just in time to see the angry frown she quickly veils with the too-cheery smile she always adopts.

"That was wonderful," I inform my friend, letting my eyes migrate, as they always want to, back to her.

She smiles, flashing pearly white teeth at me, a smile that never contains any falseness, at least not when its aimed at me, a smile of warmth and affection and peace and reality. She slowly allows it to slip from her face, though her eyes still dance from unsuppressed energy. A bead of sweat trickles down the side of her face. "Thanks. It's the most complicated one I know."

"It looks it. I wouldn't have been able to do that." I quirk one side of my mouth up into a grin, about to continue the comment when Nee pushes her arm through my own.

"Aren't we going to go now, my lord? We've been out here for nearly two bells." I've decided the chit spends much too much of her time sulking, find it odd that she was paying such ridiculous attention to the time, when I was distracted to the point of thoughtlessness.

"Of course, my dear. Just let me put up my things and get my tunic. I'm sure you would be most embarrassed for me not to be fully dressed." I roll my eyes as I say it, though she doesn't see, and I find myself wishing she did, wishing that she would get fed up with me and end this silly mock of a courtship herself.

Instead, she does what is almost the exact opposite and reaches up—its much too far a reach, and I discover another glorious thing I love about Kel, her tall stature that puts her on almost even footing with me, the perfect height to look down into her eyes, to lean down and claim her lips for my own— to wind her too-thin arms around my neck, and I see her flinch inwardly as she feels herself come into contact with the cool sweat that drenches my skin. I roll my eyes again, wondering with disgust how I could ever settle down with anyone who is so blatantly repulsed by the evidence of hard work.

I ignore the thought, and her gesture, unreturned, to pull on my tunic, keeping my gaze trained on Kel as she wipes down her glaive with an embroidered handkerchief. Once again, words leave my mouth that I should never allow said, despite how much I want them to be, as I ask, "Do you want to come with us?"

When both women turn to look at me, I realize even more clearly what a bad question it seriously is.

"No I don't think so. I have a few reports to do," She answers mildly, thankfully finding an easy way out of what could've been an uncomfortable situation for both of us. I'm even more grateful to her, despite the fact that she's leaving me stranded with Nee.

I ignore my thoughts and respond with a scrunch of my nose to pay witness to my disgust, "I'm certainly glad I'm not a commander. They bombard you guys with paperwork." I shake my head, as if trying to rid myself of the horror of that thought, and she laughs at my expression, a look in her eyes that I recall from the days that she constantly chastised Neal to eat his vegetables, and my heart stops and my stomach plummets as I wonder if she is thinking of Neal right now, as she's looking at me and laughing silently behind her mask. The thought is a repulsive one, and I try to banish it from my brain, knowing I'm jealous, foolishly so because I don't think she's seriously spoken to Neal in months, but I can't help the feeling.

"Well, I'll see you later, I suppose?" It was meant to be a statement, but instead it becomes a question, as I beg almost for her company. A half smile lights her face, and I know that if not for the girl dangling on my arm, glaring at us both, it would be full fledged, but she's too worried about saving face, protecting herself from an obvious foe that would attempt to cut her to pieces for any sign of interest in me. And while this girl can't wield a sword, her tongue cuts just as sharp, and Kel's mask can only shield her for so long before it fails, like even the best armor does.

"Yeah," is the soft-spoken response that I get, and I wonder if I just imagine the slight breathiness to it, but then again, I must be, because even if she felt in the slightest bit excited about it, she wouldn't let such an emotion seep so obviously into her words. My overactive imagination is attempting to escape me once more, and I forcefully put a clamp on it, but not before once again going against my better judgment to kiss her on the cheek.
Nee reaches to pull me away, I know, glaring even more furiously now, so before she can do anything more, I grab Kel's hand, warm and large and calloused, and squeeze it gently before quickly releasing her. "Later," I promise over my shoulder as the lady practically drags me from the courts. I look back in time to see her nod, this time a large, uncaring grin assuming her features, just daring others to take it in.

I do, as a parched man does water, until I am pulled out into the desert with nothing to soothe my thirst.

I've finished editing the first two chapters. The second two are works for tomorrow. So trust me, I know that they change after this point from first-person to third. That'll be fixed, I promise, because these ones have been changed.

Any problems in the first two, however, I apologize profusely for, and would definitely appreciate anyone who pointed them out to me so they can be corrected.

-dreamerdoll