A/N. Hello, people of the world! Yes, literally the world. Hey, wow! I came up with a new greeting! How good am I? Yeah, I know, not very, but I just need to keep telling my self these things, so bear with me. Anyway, the piece of literary not so genius you are about to read, is the third chapter of Love Is Confusing. Take it away maestro! (so maestro's a musical term, big deal)

Disclaimer: If I owned any of this stuff, do you honestly think I would be posting it here? No. I wouldn't. I'd be selling it to publishers and earning mega bucks. So basically, that means I don't own any of the characters/places in this story.

Chapter 3.

Palace life continued as usual for the next few weeks. No one made any mention of that first day in the fencing courts, but Kel thought about it frequently. Had Neal really tried to kiss her? What would have happened if he had? She mused over these thoughts often and never could come up with an answer.

Neal was still being strangely protective of her and Owen was still avoiding her. Both their behaviours puzzled her. Neal had never been worried for her safety before, and Owen was never so quiet and definitely never avoided anyone, let very near ran in the opposite direction whenever he spotted her coming.

Things didn't start getting confusing until about a month into term.

One day, Kel was busy helping Merric with his mathematics homework during their lunch break. While Merric was writing out a problem, she looked up briefly and spotted Neal, coming towards them. She smiled, waved, and went back to helping Merric. Neal came over and sat down with them. He sat in silence for a minute, watching as Kel explained the problem step by step. After a short time, he spoke.

"Um, Kel, could you give me a hand with that new staff combination we were supposed to learn his morning?" Kel nodded, her eyes still on what Merric was writing.

"Yes, alright. Just hang on a moment until we've finished this." Neal took a deep breath.

"Actually, now might be easier. I mean, we'll have more work and stuff later and…" His voice petered out and he coloured ever so slightly, looking hopeful. Kel looked up at him.

"No, Neal. I'll help you late, but right now, I'm busy helping Merric and I can't help both of you with two completely different things at the same time." She went back to the problem. Neal sighed noisily and stalked away. Merric looked up in surprise.

"What's up with him?" Kel shrugged, frowning at Neal's disappearing back.

"No idea, but I think I'm going to have to have a word with him later." She wasn't sure, but it had felt as if he had been trying to take her away from Merric. Merric grunted and continued to battle his way through the current problem. Kel watched Neal stalk away for a moment longer. Now that she thought about it, she didn't remember Neal having any particular problems with the combination, but obviously he felt that he needed help. She returned to the problem the two of them were working through.

Afternoon classes that day weren't half as much fun as usual. Even Tkaa's lesson on the immortals lost its interest. Kel was sitting with her friends as usual, but there was a difference. Instead of sitting between Neal and Merric, as she would have normally, she was sitting between Merric and an empty chair. Neal was sitting at the opposite end of the line, next to Seaver. She found that she missed Neal's sarcastic comments. As much as she liked Merric, he just wasn't quite the same as Neal. As for Neal, he spent the afternoon sitting with his arms crossed, glowering at the blackboard and occasionally turning slightly to give Merric a dirty look. Everyone noticed his strange behaviour and wondered at it. It was so unlike him to be really out of sorts with anyone, particularly Kel and the rest of his friends.

Neal's afternoon was lonely as well. He didn't say anything except to ask Seaver if her could sit with him. Seaver had agreed, but looked slightly startled at the sudden change in seating arrangements. He noticed the look on Neal's face though, and prudently decided against commenting. Neal had spent their written classes sitting in silence on the end of the row, thinking bitter things about Merric. He knew it was unfair, maybe even ridiculous, but he couldn't help feeling less than friendly towards him.

After classes had finished for the day, Kel went to find Neal. He was lying on his bed reading a thick volume with a singularly boring title. She stood in the doorway for a time. When he didn't say anything or show any sign of having noticed her, Kel decided it was up to her to say something.

"Do you still want help with that staff combination?" He didn't even look up. She tried again. "Neal? Do you still want help?" Once again, no response. "Hello! Neal! I know you can hear me. If you're going to ignore me, can I at least know why?" Finally. She had said the right thing. Neal raised himself onto his elbows and regarded her. After a minute, he said the thing that Kel had least expected.

"Is there something between you and Merric?" Kel stared at him. Where on earth had he got that notion from? And why should he care if there was?

"What do you mean 'is there something between you and Merric'?" Neal gave her a flat look. Kel was confused. Neal was never like this, and certainly not with her.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. I saw the two of you together today, having a little cosy session in the corner. I came over to talk to you, remember? Or am I too insignificant to have registered?" Kel stared at him, her mouth slightly open. She tried to control the rage and confusion that was filling her, but her Yamani training failed her, for the first time ever.

"For sir's information, there is nothing between Merric and me. He was simply getting help with his maths. And if I'm not allowed to talk to my other friends then…" She struggled for words and gave up. She turned on her heel and left as quickly as she could with out losing her last remaining scraps of dignity and running. Neal watched her go with a slightly resentful look on his face.

Lalasa took one look at her mistresses as she entered the room and fled. She had never seen Kel look so angry and upset. Outside, she halted. She knew enough about being miserable to realise that Kel wouldn't want to be disturbed for at least half an hour. After a few minutes thought, Lalasa decided that the best course of action would be to find one or two of Kel's friends and ask them to go to her in a time.

She started off towards Neal's room, but something made her stop. She didn't know why, but she redirected her steps instead to Merric's room.

She found him sitting at his desk working. He turned when she knocked and looked slightly surprised to see his friend's maid standing in the doorway.

"Hello Lalasa. What's up?"

"Forgive me, disturbing you like this, but I need your help." Merric gave her a sharp look, plainly wondering what he could help her with that Kel couldn't.

"Well, fire away then." Lalasa took a deep breath.

"It's Lady Keladry. There's something wrong with her. I didn't stop to find out what as she didn't look to be in any mood for explanations. She looked terrible. I haven't ever seen her angry. I was wondering if you another and another of the boys might go and look in on her in a little time." Merric let out a breath, which he had apparently been holding.

" So. That's it. I've been waiting for something of this nature to happen. Yes, of course I'll go to her." Lalasa smiled gratefully.

"Thank you sir. I'm very much obliged."

Kel returned to her room as quickly as she could. She knew her emotions were written all over her face, but for once she didn't care. She would have liked to have broken down and run, but that would have made it even more obvious to an observer that something was wrong.

When she reached her room, she didn't even notice that Lalasa fled as soon as she entered. Kel threw her self onto the bed and sobbed. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried like this. How dare Neal do that to her? Trying to stop her talking to her other friends, even when they asked her for help, was bad enough. But then accusing her of being in love with them…that was just more than she could bare.

Kel didn't know how long she cried for. After what she felt must surely have been days, she heard a quiet knock on the door. She sat up and dried her eyes, attempting to regain some scrap of composure.

"Come in." Her voice was not as steady as she would have liked, but there was no help for that. The door opened to admit Merric and Seaver.

"Kel? Are you all right?" The boys both looked concerned. Kel tried to smile at them, but it was a very watery smile, and her lips trembled. She tried to say that she was fine, but the words stuck. Merric and Seaver came and sat next to her on the bed.

"What's wrong Kel?" Kel sighed and looked at her hands, which were balled into fists in her lap.

"It's Neal. He's acting really strangely towards me. It's like he doesn't want me talking to anyone else, only him. You saw him Merric, when I was helping you at break today. He tried to take me away from you. Then when I went to him after classes, to see if he still wanted help, he wouldn't talk to me. And then when he did, it was only to accuse me of being with Merric." Kel realised that tears were rolling down her face again. She dashed angrily at her eyes. "Why's he being like this? He never does that sort of thing, certainly not to me anyway." A look of comprehension dawned on Seaver's face. Merric just nodded, he had already guessed what had happened.

"Oh Mithros. I didn't think he'd let get that far." Seaver looked a bit shocked. Kel gave him a sharp glance.

"Didn't realise he'd let what get that far?" Merric and Seaver looked at each other, both plainly searching for words.

"You tell her Seaver. He's told you more than he has me." Seaver grimaced at his red headed friend. Kel was beginning to feel more than a little confused.

"Look, would you two stop talking as if I'm not here and explain what's going on? Exactly what has Neal let get this far? What has he told Seaver?" Seaver looked slightly awkward.

"Oh Kel, isn't it obvious?"

"Seaver, if it was obvious, I wouldn't have to ask." Seaver twisted his hands in his lap and remained silent. Finally, Merric got sick of waiting for him to come up with a nice way to put what he was about to say and said it for him.

"What he's trying to tell you is that Neal is in love with you." Kel gaped at him. Neal…in love with her…she had had a crush on him for at least a year, but she had never dreamt that her feelings may be reciprocated…

"But…but he… I'm not his type. He goes for the classically beautiful ones…that definitely discludes me." Merric gave an exasperated sigh.

"Kel, I'm here to tell you right now that he loves you. He's been writing bad poetry to you since the end of last year. When you aren't around, he's always wondering where you are, if you need help, that kind of thing." Kel still felt confused. It just didn't make sense.

"But…I still don't see…" Merric groaned.

"Oh come on Kel, stop acting thick. Neal's got the sulks. He always does when he's in love."

"But those are only ever crushes. Having a crush on me is no reason to stop me talking to my friends."

"Yes, I know. But I think this may be more than a crush. Neal's crushes never last for more than a month and this has been going on for nearly three." Just then, the bell rang. Seaver jumped.

"Come on Merric, we'd best go. Get yourself cleaned up and change Kel. We'll see you at dinner." Kel nodded and went to change into her traditional gown for dinner.

As she washed her face and hands and tidied her hair, she thought about what Merric and Seaver had told her. Was it possible that Neal might love her? He'd certainly been acting strangely towards her, being protective, maybe even possessive. She continued to think about it on the way down to dinner. If Neal loved her, how would that affect her own feelings towards him? Could a crush turn into love? Yes. Yes, she thought it might. He was extremely good looking after all. Smiling slightly at the thought, Kel entered the mess hall.

Kel collected her tray and scanned the hall. She was one of the first down to the mess. After a minute, she spotted Neal sitting alone at the end of a table in a far corner. She went over and sat down opposite him.

"Are you talking to me yet?" Neal said nothing and began fiddling with his fork. Kel searched for a tactful way to say what she was about to say. The search proved unfruitful. She would just have to be blunt about it.

"Uh, Neal, there's something I need to ask you." This made him look up. "Um…" Kel paused, nervous about his reaction. "Doyouloveme?" It came out in an unintelligible rush. Neal raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry?" Kel took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Do you love me?" This time she managed to say it a bit more clearly. Neal coloured faintly and looked at his hands. His answer was murmured.

"Yes." Kel relaxed slightly. For an awful moment, she had thought he might laugh.

"Right…well, as long as I'm allowed to talk to my other friends, I don't object. And as long as Lord Wyldon doesn't find out, I can't see that it will matter." Neal smiled slightly.

"Oh, well, now that I've got your express permission to love you…and we will have to keep it from the Stump. We can't have you getting kicked out, and certainly not on my account."

When the rest of the little group arrived, they were relieved to see that Kel and Neal were back on speaking terms. Everyone had found it strange, having them out of sorts with each other, no matter for how short a period of time.

A/N. Well, there you have chapter 3. I know I promised fluff and it hasn't appeared yet, but I'm getting there, so just hold your horses. As always, reviews are welcome. Oh and by the was New Hope, yes, you are being presumptuous.

Lexi G