Happy New Year! You can always tell when I am bored when I update a lot, or when my chapters are particularly long. Winter break can be boring, but I'm really dreading having to go back to school after one more day! Somebody asked if this was a one-shot, and don't think me stupid, but I'm not very fluent in the writing lingo. What exactly is a one-shot? And what is a canon pairing?
Disclaimer: I hereby officially proclaim that nothing in this story is my creation except for Sir Leighmont, who, I just noticed, I referred to as Sir Leighton a couple times in the third chapter. So pretend I didn't cuz I'm really just too lazy to fix it.
After Joren and his henchmen had been deposited in their lowly position in a dung heap, a small group of exhausted pages slowly trudged up to the palace snickering gleefully of their triumph. When they had almost arrived at the front doors, an angry Lord Wyldon strode up to meet them, carrying a torch. Kel's good mood evaporated, leaving her bones chilled with fear. This is it; I'm about to be kicked out. Why did I have to be so stupid? Now all of my best friends are probably going to be thrown out of page training as well, and it's entirely my fault. The seven of them hung their heads, awaiting his judgement. He silently looked them over, then ordered, "Come with me," before stalking down the hall. Everyone froze and looked at each other for a second, before Neal proudly stepped forward and nodded to the rest of them to follow.
Lord Wyldon turned down several dark hallways, with six anxious pages trailing behind. They were the only ones awake in the palace, alone to experience the eerie calm hour before dawn. Kel thought that Lord Wyldon would be taking them to his office, but she then realized that they had missed the turn for that hallway several minutes ago. Finally, he stopped before a great oaken door and pulled an ornate brass key matching the door handle out of his tunic pocket. Blowing a thick layer of dust off of the keyhole, he inserted the key and turned, as a low click was heard. Kel looked at her friends, face white with fear to realize what horrors awaited them in this mysterious room, and saw that theirs all matched. She reached out to clap a reassuring hand on Merric's shoulder, seeing as he looked like he was going to faint. He managed a shaky smile in reply.
The door slowly swung with a high creaking of rusty hinges, and Lord Wyldon stepped into the dark chamber. He set his torch into a bracket in the wall, and immediately the whole room was illuminated, revealing spotless stone floors and walls, and polished mahogany furniture.
"An enchantment," Neal murmured, right next to Kel. She started; she hadn't been aware of his presence so near her, but she was grateful for it. The pages ventured into the mysterious room, looking around them. There was a large podium in the front center of the room, with high-backed benches behind wooden barriers on either side and two elaborately carved wooden thrones on a higher level behind. The back half of the chamber was occupied by two sets of long benches, each row on a higher level than the last, and a stair going up between them. Everyone gaped at the sight around them.
"It's like a court room," breathed Seaver.
Merric's eyes widened. "Are we going to have a hearing?"
Lord Wyldon motioned to the bench on the right of the podium. "Sit." Neal slid in first followed by Kel, then Faleron, Merric, Seaver, Cleon and Roald. As the seven friends waited, people slowly filed into the room, occupying the first few rows of the benches. Kel recognized some of them, her professors; Sir Myles, Master Oakbridge, a few Mithran priests, Sir Leighmont, even the basilisk Tkaa. Numair Salmalin and Daine were also there, looking worried. Kel had always liked admired the young wildmage since she had helped Kel with her gelding Peachblossom. The thought that Daine would see her being put to shame made her cheeks burn. Then her attention was turned again to the door where two extremely important people were making an entrance. King Jonathan, astonishingly handsome in a deep azure tunic with cream colored shirt and hose and Queen Thayet, equally stunning in a scarlet dress with gold embroidery on the bodice and trim. Kel felt old anger and subdued hatred bubbling up inside of her, seeing the man who had allowed her to be put on probation for a year again. Well I guess he'll be happy now, since I'm going to be leaving. She thought bitterly. Silently the King and Queen made their way to the thrones and sat, looking out over the small crowd assembled before them. Prince Roald looked faint. Lord Wyldon, standing all this time, took his position in the seat at the podium.
Suddenly a loud clatter accompanied by angry curses was heard outside the door as Stefan led in a very angry Joren and two large men, hands bound behind their backs. Lord Wyldon gestured for him to seat them in the bench where Kel and her friends were sitting. As they passed, the people sitting in the audience wrinkled their noses against the distinct smell of horse dung. Merric, Cleon, Neal, and Faleron snorted quietly, trying to suppress laughter. Kel and Seaver merely smiled. Roald still looked like he had seen death.
After everything had quieted down, Lord Wyldon cleared his throat and stated in a loud formal voice, "You have been assembled here this morning to explore the strange matter of the disappearances of the two pages Keladry of Mindelan and Cleon of Kennan. I will be calling upon witnesses to recall the events of the last two days. King Jonathan will be making sure that no one lies. Page Keladry, please stand." Kel obeyed. "Please tell the committee exactly what happened two nights ago."
Kel's mouth went dry. She couldn't do this! Every face in the room was turned toward her, watching her intently. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She tried again, and managed to stutter out her story.
"In the middle of the night, I heard something outside of my door, so I went to see what it was. When I opened the door Cleon was there, so I told him to go away, but then he grabbed me and carried me to the Royal Forest…" She glanced over at Cleon. He was looking at her in horror and disbelief.
"And…?" Lord Wyldon prompted.
Kel faltered. "Then… Then I passed out, I guess, because I don't remember anything until waking up. Then I was… well, I couldn't see, but I guess I was in the top of a tree." She looked up at Lord Wyldon to see if he wanted to hear anything else.
"How did you get back to the palace, and why were," he gestured to her friends, "-they with you?"
"I think I passed out again," Kel said, embarrassed by her helplessness, "And Neal found me and got me out of the tree and I woke up," she paused, remembering her relief to see him. "Then Joren came, and he said that he wanted to get rid me. I think he was responsible for my uh, abduction."
There was some stirring in the opposite bench, but Kel couldn't see Joren around the podium.
Wyldon looked over in that direction and the movement stopped, and then he looked back at Kel, prodding her to go on.
"After he said that, Cleon ran in and they started fighting. Then these two big men, the ones here right now, came and joined in. We thought they were going to kill Cleon, so we tried to help. And then everyone else came, and we managed to overpower them. We tied the three of them up so they couldn't hurt anybody, and we brought them back to the palace."
Wyldon looked back at Jonathan, who nodded, she was telling the truth. "Very well. Keladry, you may sit. Cleon of Kennan, please stand." Cleon clumsily and shakily rose to his feet. "Please recount for us what you did the night of Keladry's abduction and why you abducted her."
Kel's heart wrenched looking at her poor friend. He was so white that his freckles stood out against his skin. "Sir, I don't remember doing anything of that night, I had no idea I kidnapped Kel! I just went to bed like normal, and when I woke up, I was leaning against a tree, in the Royal Forest I guess. I heard Kel scream, and I called for her, but then I got conked over the head. Then these two men woke me up to take me back to the palace. But I couldn't leave Kel there, so I slugged one of them, and ran back and attacked Joren. And then the rest is like she said."
Wyldon furrowed his brow. "Why did you attack Joren?"
Cleon suddenly looked angry. "Cause he hurt Kel and he was going to hurt Neal, he told me so!"
"When?"
"The night before I couldn't remember anything."
"Cleon, back up. What happened that evening?"
Cleon turned red. "Well, I was going to study, but… something happened and I decided not to. Then Joren showed up and said he wanted to talk to me privately. So I go to his rooms, and the two men were there and he said he knew that I was mad at Neal, and he could help me get revenge. But I didn't want revenge for anything, so I told him to shove off! Of course, he didn't take that too well, and kept badgering me about it until I got really angry and just left before I hurt him. Then I just went to bed."
Wyldon checked with Jonathan that he wasn't lying and nodded. "Sit down, Kennan." Cleon's legs collapsed and he plopped down on the bench. "Nealan of Queenscove, stand up," he said wearily, beginning to tire of the formalities and proper process of examination. If he had it his way, they'd already be at the bottom of this. "What happened last night?"
Neal stood up gracefully and started his recount. "Sir, After we talked to you, something led me to believe that Joren was responsible for Kel's abduction. So I took the liberty of doing a little, ah, questioning of him myself. He didn't tell me anything, but later I figured that the only place that Kel could be was in the Royal Forest. That evening, I set out to find her. Once I was in the forest, I saw two men headed deeper in, so I followed them. They led me to Cleon, who, as he said, was sleeping and they took him back to the palace. I looked around and saw Keladry at the top of a tree, so I got her down and you know the rest." Wyldon didn't bother asking how Neal figured that Joren had something to do with it or that Kel was in the Royal Forest. He knew that the boy's reasoning was just impossible to follow sometimes. He looked up at Jonathan again, then allowed Neal to sit, which he primly did so.
Lord Wyldon surveyed the rest of the pages on his right and chose Prince Roald to question. The boy had a more level head on his shoulders then the others at most times. "Prince Roald, please stand up and tell us why you were in the forest last night."
Roald stood up, looking extremely faint. He stared at his parents with fear and remorse, who returned his gaze, not with anger exactly, but more with curiosity as Thayet gently nodded to her son. He swallowed, then started calmly, "Sir, we were studying in Faleron's room when Seaver rushed in and told us that he'd just looked out a window and seen Neal heading into the Royal Forest. We knew that he'd get hurt if he were by himself, so after some deliberation, we decided to go after him. It took us a while to find them, but when we did, he, Kel and Cleon were fighting Joren and the two men. After that, it is as Kel said." After it had been confirmed that he spoke the truth, he sat down quietly.
Lord Wyldon rubbed his temples for a moment as he thought. So far what he had was fitting together, but it didn't make sense. There was one piece missing- Joren's piece. The 'why' and the 'how'. And he intended to get that piece. "Joren of Stone Mountain, please stand," he said.
Joren rose up haughtily, either not noticing or ignoring the people who leaned away from slightly because of the stench. It was making it hard for Wyldon himself to breathe. "Joren, please tell us what made you arrange Keladry's abduction, and how it was executed."
The boy actually looked somewhat pleased with himself. "Sir, I knew you wanted to be rid of her, and the easiest way was to make her simply disappear. But I couldn't kidnap her myself, it'd be too obvious, and it was a task that required several people. Cleon wouldn't be convinced to take Kel on his own, so I decided a little… persuasion was in order. That night, I had Bador and Euin here," he gestured to his two thugs, "put a control spell on him, so I had complete control over what he did for a period of time. With that, I made him bring her into the Royal Forest, where they were waiting. Bador and Euin tied her in the top of a tree, for lack of anywhere better to put her. Since they're too stupid to figure anything else out, they just put a sleeping spell on Cleon on top of the control spell."
The second thug, Euin, piped up, "That must be why remembered her screamin' up there! It'd been a bit less messy if we hadn't had to conk 'im out."
Lord Wyldon and Joren both looked at him and he immediately shut up.
Joren then stuck his chin up slightly and continued. "I went to the forest to see if they had messed up, again, and I found Queenscove helping her. Then Cleon attacked me, Sir," he concluded. Kel was disgusted to see that he wasn't the least bit ashamed of what he had done. She clenched her fists and felt a warmth over one of them as Neal slid a large hand over hers. She managed a forced smile, and saw Neal's amused one in return. He always saw right through her.
King Jonathan cleared his throat, and when Wyldon looked at him, nodded slightly. Finally, the training master thought, it seems we've sorted this out. There's just a few loose ends to sort out. Like the spells used, and the punishments.
"Numair Salmalin, please take Cleon of Kennan, Bador and Euin to investigate the spells that were used on him," Numair stood up and nodded. After he had removed them from the room, Wyldon continued, speaking to the committee about Joren. "Joren of Stone is to be tried in a real court for the crime of abduction and attempted murder of a noble, the forcing of magic to be used by Bador and Euin, who happen to be ex-convicts, placing enchantments on a fellow page, and breaking several small palace rules. The hearing will be open to Stone Mountain family members only." He turned to the pages on his right. "As for you, you also know that there are consequences for your actions," he said severely. "You have broken several palace rules, and shall be punished for each one. Leaving your rooms after the last bell, not only that, but leaving the palace completely, entering the Royal Forest alone, which is forbidden for pages, and fighting. For that, each of you owes me a paper each week for the next two months on the proper use of combat training and palace rules. In addition to that, during those months, each page will serve in the stables or the laundry floor for two bells each Sunday."
The six looked at each other in wonderment. They weren't to be expelled! The whole dismissal was a blur to them in their relief. When they were released to go to breakfast, Lord Wyldon glanced at Kel, still in her nightgown and the boys covered in dirt. "You might wash and change first," he suggested.
Wow, I'm so proud of myself for writing such a long one! Not very interesting, but everything's all sorted out. Now the stage is hopefully set for some more fluff! ::Sings:: "Fluff, fluff, the glorious stuff!" How 'bout sending me some more reviews?