Just when everyone thought this story had reached its peak in fluffiness and cornyness, this chapter comes along… Sorry folks, I, the master and lover of all that is corny and romantic, simply could not leave well enough alone. Since Kel and Neal have finally 'hooked up' I decided to have a little experiment. I haven't found my own Neal yet, sigh but I shall continue my quest, always living in hope!
Disclaimer: (said in a dull, monotonous voice) All characters, settings, and the background for this fanfiction belong to Tamora Pierce. All Rights Reserved.
Kel awoke to loud thumps and loud curses coming from outside her door. It was still several hours before dawn, and she couldn't see a thing. Quickly, she lit a candle and clutching it, tiptoed over to her door. Her sleepy mind overcame the urgent warning in the back of her brain as she quietly creaked the door open. Outside she saw Cleon, sitting on the floor and clutching his foot in pain as he muttered about the 'damn walls' in the palace. Apparently, he had been looking for her door when, being the clumsy dolt he was, ran straight into the wall, stubbing his toe and earning himself a nasty conk on the head. (A/N: He deserved it.)
"Cleon, what in the gods names are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Kel hissed angrily.
"Kel! I'm sorry, I couldn't see," he scrambled to his feet, looking at her earnestly.
"You didn't answer my question. Why are you skulking about here in the dead of night, breaking the rules, risking getting me in a lot of trouble, and not even having a light?" She handed him hers irritably. "Here. Just take this and go to bed. You can explain tomorrow," she yawned, "Now I'm tired, so if you'll excuse me…" but as she turned around and was getting ready to shut the door, Cleon snatched her round the waist from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. He blew out the candle and dropped it on the floor. Then he closed Kel's door and set off down the hall with one hand clapped over her mouth against her shouts for help. Kel desperately struggled against Cleon's hold as he dragged her out of the pages wing, but it was in vain. He was too much bigger than she was.
Stupid! She scolded herself furiously, why did I open the door? I'm such an idiot! But why is Cleon acting so strangely? When she tried to bite his hand to cry for aid, he simply slapped her across the face, then replaced his hand across her mouth. By this point, she was livid. How dare that ass come, just grab her and drag her around! She began her silent battle for escape with renewed vigor, but to no avail as Cleon continued to cart her out of the castle, across the practice yards, and deep into the Royal Forest.
The next morning, Neal's vain and nervous side got the best of him as stood in front of his dressing room mirror, trying to make his light brown hair lay flat. It doesn't matter, his rational self told him, Kel doesn't care what you look like. "But I'd like to look nice all the same," he said aloud, and gave one final effort at his hair. "Good enough," he muttered. "Great, now I'm most likely going to be late for breakfast," As he opened his door, he wondered why Kel hadn't come to get him already since he'd taken so long, but passed it away as nothing.
Stopping at her room, he missed the candlestick lying on the floor near his feet. "Kel, come on," he said, knocking quickly, "we're late!" After a minute with no answer, Neal figured that she had just gone down without him, though he really didn't think she would.
He started to worry when he didn't see Kel in the mess hall, and even more when Lord Wyldon assigned him to muck the stables for a bell on Sunday afternoon for being late. After waiting a good 10 minutes among grumbling from everyone for Kel and Cleon to appear, Lord Wyldon gave up and continued without them. "Where's Kel?" Neal asked his friends as they sat down after the prayer to their now cold food.
"Why is she not with you?" Merric asked, puzzled.
"I don't know!" Neal exclaimed. "I went by her room on the way here and she didn't answer!"
"Well, maybe she's just sleeping, she could be sick or something," Roald offered, always the reasonable one.
Seaver smiled slyly at Neal's left. "He's right. Kel's probably just tired out and is sleeping. She did have a lot of… excitement last night."
Neal went red and elbowed his teasing friend. "Do any of you mind going up after breakfast to check on her?" he asked, "We'd have to ask Salma to open it up, because the lock's magicked so nobody can break in."
Everyone agreed that it was fine, so after breakfast they fetched Salma and she reluctantly unlocked Kel's room. Neal led the group in and looked around. Kel wasn't anywhere to be seen. Her clothes were still laid out across a chair, meaning that Kel hadn't headed out already. Growing more and more distressed, he strode over to her dressing room and knocked briskly as the others began to wander about her room, looking for clues as to where she could be. "Kel? Kel, are you in there?" he called, then opened the door. Empty. Neal started to panic.
"Where was Cleon this morning, anyway?" pondered Merric. Neal's eyes widened.
"You don't think they-"
He was interrupted by Seaver calling in from the hallway. "Look what I found!" he cried, brandishing the candle Cleon had dropped the night before.
"Seaver, it's a candle," Faleron said slowly, not seeing why Seaver was so excited.
"That's not the point you dolt! Who's candle is it?" the other said.
Neal looked at the candlestick. "That's Kel's! It has a dent in it where she hit it with her glaive when she was practicing once!"
Seaver nodded. "And it was in the hallway. So Kel must have left this room sometime last night without getting dressed, and dropped her candlestick here!"
The others were impressed by Seaver's logic working. It did make sense, however useless this information was.
"But why in Mithros' name would Kel leave her room in the middle of the night, not even dressed?" Roald wondered.
Neal shook his head, his emerald eyes wide with alarm. "Did anyone see Cleon last night? He wasn't there to study with us."
Merric furrowed his brow. "That's right! But it's odd, he was with us when we found you and Kel, uh… here. He must've left before we went back to your room Neal," he concluded.
"Ah!" Faleron exclaimed. Everyone looked at him. "I saw him again, on the way back to my room after studying."
"Well, did you talk to him?" Roald asked.
"Nooo, he was mad! I've never seen him like it before, looked as if he'd lost his bloody mind! I wasn't going to talk to him," Faleron said.
Neal was overwhelmed with emotion. Where was Kel? He pressed a cold hand to his eyes. He was afraid he would cry, as embarrassing as it would be, and he didn't want any of his friends to see it.
"Neal, it's alright. We'll find Kel, I promise," Seaver said softly, slinging an arm around his shoulder.
We better, Neal thought, I promise Kel, I won't let you down, he called to her silently, If it's the last thing I do, I'll find you!
Wow. That was so corny. Perfect. Teeheehee... I'm such a nut. Poor Neal, worried out of his wits. And what the heck was the deal with Cleon? This is starting to sound like a soap opera. "Find out what happens next on 'The Young and the Violent'!" And please leave a review while you're at it. For me? Pretty please with a shiny red cherry on top?