Disclaimer: I own…still just Kaylan.
Look another update and as I'm writing this I have just updated the last chapter…well I started it then anyway. You know easily sidetracked :shrug:
Chapter Two: So this is Corus?
Kel and Kaylan rode into Corus. It was dawn and there weren't as many people out as there would normally be.
"So this is Corus?" Kaylan asked. "Doesn't look like much." Kel turned to glare at him. "What!" Kaylan exclaimed. "It doesn't look like anything we had to rush to get to."
The reason for the rush was weighing on Kel. She was heating up again.
They rode quietly the rest of the way through the city.
Once Kel explained that she was visiting, they got their horses stabled and brushed down.
"What now?" Kaylan asked. He'd never been in a castle before and it was making him rather nervous.
"We've readied rooms for you," a servant girl bowed.
"Thank you," Kel said to the girl before turning to Kaylan. "Can you take my things there? I have something I would like to attend to before heading there. Get some sleep afterward."
Kaylan nodded. "See you later."
Kel walked off toward one of the lesser libraries. The same library her and Neal had found legend in. It seemed as good a place to start as any. She walked to the same shelf as before and went for the book. It wasn't there.
She sighed. The only other person she could think of who would have the book would be Neal and she was putting that reunion off as long as possible. She thought back to the story. Was there any clue of how to get rid of the magic, without dying? The boy had burned. Lathander had…died. This wasn't helping. She sat down at a table and put her head in her hands.
Neal practically ran down the hall. He'd heard from a servant that Kel was back. He stopped at a door finger combed his hair and moved to knock at the door. He froze. Why was he so excited? He hadn't seen this girl in three years and he was betrothed. He just wanted to say hi to her. That's all to welcome her back to the castle. He reached up and knocked on the door.
He heard a guy swearing and the sound of blankets being thrown from the bed. He stared at the door his eyes widening in the thought of what he'd just interrupted.
'Well,' he thought 'it has been three years.' He stood patiently at the door, head swimming with thoughts that we didn't particularly want to be thinking.
The door opened and a boy about Kel's age stood in front of him. He looked rumpled and was scowling.
"What?" Kaylan asked rubbing his eyes. 'Why are his eyes so big?' he asked himself.
"I uh…was…um," Neal stammered his mind still elsewhere.
"Does everyone here stutter like you?" Kaylan asked him, leaning on the doorway.
"I was looking for Keladry. I was told she was here," Neal said indignantly. "I must have been someone else I heard about."
"No," Kaylan said. "Who are you?"
"What?" Neal asked.
Kaylan sighed. "Who are you?"
"Nealan of Queenscove," Neal replied standing up straighter.
"Neal!" Kaylan exclaimed. "I've heard about you!"
"What?" Neal asked confused. "If you heard that I'd done anything-"
"Kel's told me about you," Kaylan went on ignoring him.
"Kel!" Neal cried. "So she is here!"
"Yes," Kaylan replied. Neal leaned into the doorway looking around the room. "She's not actually here," he replied looking at Neal.
'So they weren't….good,' Neal thought happily. "Where is she?"
"A library," Kaylan replied. "I think so anyway. She didn't actually tell me but we did come for a book so I'm assuming that's-"
"Which one?" Neal asked hurriedly. 'Calm down.' he told himself.
"There's more than one?" Kaylan asked confused.
Neal sighed impatiently. "I'll go find her!" He took off down the hall.
Kaylan watched him go. "Why do I think more went on with them than she told me." He shook his head and went back into his room to sleep.
"She came for a book….what book?" he asked himself as he ran into a library took one look around and ran back out. "What book! That legend book of course!" he stopped dead in the hall. "I have that book." He stood there debating whether he ran back to his room to grab the book.
He finally decided not to because he didn't want to explain to Yuki why he was running around the palace like a mad man.
'Why am I running around the palace like mad man? I'm betrothed. Going to be married in a couple of weeks.' he thought. 'Just seeing an old friend.' he told himself, over and over.
Without another thought he took of running to the next library.
A girl stood with her back to him at a shelf. She was flipping furiously through a book.
"Excuse me," Neal said. "I was looking for a friend of mine Keladry of Mindelan."
"Wow he does know how to be polite," the woman said sarcastically as she turned around.
Neal's eyes widened to the size of saucers for the second time that hour as Kel turned to face him.
"You cut your hair," Neal said.
"Nice to see you too," Kel replied. She turned back to the shelf. 'Well there he is.'
'It's her and all you can say is that she cut her hair. You idiot.' Neal mentally slapped himself on the forehead.
"You've grown," Neal said and mentally hit himself again. 'That's so much better.'
"It's been three years," Kel replied simply and pulled another book from the shelf.
"What are you looking for?" Neal asked suddenly.
"I.." she paused "there's a problem I need to solve."
"Come on Kel, it may have been three years but I know you better than that," Neal snapped. Whenever she got like this it told him something was wrong. Very wrong. She wasn't looking at him. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.
That's when he noticed it. The ring. She had a gold ring on her finger. A small gold ring adorned with a ruby.
'Were she and that boy betrothed?' Neal felt as if someone had just dropped a lead weight on him. "Are you betrothed?" he asked quietly.
Kel looked startled. "What?" She followed his gaze to the ring on her finger. 'Well it would certainly get him off my back. At least until he notices I'm hotter than I should be. Well if I can stop him from touching me it shouldn't be a problem….I hope.'
"Are you and that boy I found in your rooms earlier betrothed?" Neal asked quietly. 'Calm down,' his mind warned. 'Remember you're betrothed too.'
'A boy in my room?' she thought confused. Then it dawned on her. 'He's met Kaylan. Wait, they should have separate rooms.' Kel wondered if she could get Kaylan to go along with it.
"Yes we are," Kel replied quietly.
"Oh," Neal replied. "Uh congratulations."
They sat in silence until Kel turned back toward the shelf and the book she was looking through. "Do you have that book about the legends?"
"Oh, yes," Neal said quietly. "Why do you want that?"
"I want to look through it," Kel replied.
"I'll go get it," Neal said. "Do you want me to bring it to your rooms?"
Kel thought a moment. 'It would give me time to explain to Kaylan.' "Yes."
Neal nodded. "OK." He turned and walked out of the room.
Kel slid the book back onto the shelf and put her head against the wood. "Why did I tell him I was betrothed to Kaylan?"
"You told him we were betrothed?" Kaylan asked trying unsuccessfully to hide his smirk.
"I wouldn't have but he asked if we were," Kel replied with a sigh.
"Why would he ask?" Kaylan asked.
"Well he said he found you in my room and," she held up her hand with the ring on it.
"He came to my room," Kaylan replied. "You still can't take the ring off?"
"No," Kel grumbled. "I couldn't find anything in the library and Neal has the book with the legend so I have to wait until he drops it off to see if there's anything useful in it. So will you do it?"
"Sure," Kaylan replied. "Anything for my friend….who happens to be the only person I know here and could kill me if she really wanted to."
Kel smiled slightly. "Thank you."
"Of course love," Kaylan replied lightly.
Then there was a knock at the door. Kel went to open it and found Neal standing there. The book was under his arm.
"Come on in," Kel said gesturing inside.
"Why do you guys have separate rooms?" Neal asked curiously.
Kel froze. 'I hadn't thought about that.'
"Actually," Kaylan began. "We haven't actually told anyone about the betrothal yet so we got separate rooms."
Neal nodded but then stopped. "You haven't told anyone?"
"Not yet," Kel replied. 'Thank Mithros Kaylan can think on his feet.'
"Oh, here's the book." Neal handed it to her.
"Thank you," Kel replied.
"Of course," Neal said glancing around the room. Everywhere but at Kel and….he didn't actually know his name yet.
"Oh of course," Kel said suddenly as if she'd read his mind. "You haven't been formally introduced. Neal this is Kaylan. Kaylan, Neal."
Kaylan held out his hand and Neal shook it. "Nice to meet you."
"Like wise," Neal said studying him. 'Well he wasn't Lathander at least. Not that Lathander ended up being all that bad at the end.'
"Well," Kel began. "I'm going to go train a bit." She disappeared into the hall.
"Watch her," Neal warned. "She'll train herself to death."
"I know," Kaylan replied quietly.
"How'd you meet?" Neal asked.
"I was traveling and she was looking for something. We met at an inn. So I helped her look." Kaylan shrugged.
"What was she looking for?" Neal asked curiously.
Kaylan hesitated. "A ring."
"A ring?" Neal questioned, puzzled.
"Yes," Kaylan replied.
Kel swung the glaive around and stopped before she began the next pattern dance.
"Did you study in the isles?" a voice asked curiously.
Kel stopped and turned to the woman who stood near her, watching. "Yes, my family was there. I studied with the training master at the palace."
The woman looked startled and squinted slightly studying Kel. "Kel!" she said with a suddenly smile.
Kel stared at her. "Yuki? Wow what are you doing here?"
"Shinkokami is marrying Roald," Yuki replied with a smile.
"Cricket?" Kel asked in surprise.
Yuki nodded. "You'll never believe this!"
"What?" Kel asked resting on her glaive.
"I'm betrothed!" Yuki cried happily.
"Really," Kel grinned. "Who?"
"Nealan of Queenscove!" Yuki replied with smile.
Kel froze. Neal…betrothed…to Yuki. She forced herself to smile. "Neal, I've met him."
"Really," Yuki replied. She stopped. "Wait, you…three years ago?"
Kel nodded. "Yea."
"Oh so you're a Shang!" Yuki said. "Good."
Kel nodded again. 'Her and Neal are betrothed.' she thought again.
"So is there a man I your life?" Yuki asked.
"Yes," Kel replied after a moment. 'Keep up the charade.'
"Who is he?" Yuki questioned curiously.
"His name is Kaylan," Kel replied.
"Lucky guy!" Yuki said with a grin. "It's wonderful to see you."
"Yea it is," Kel replied with her fake smile. "I should probably head back to my room now."
"Oh Ok. Will I get to meet this Kaylan?" Yuki asked. "Oh how about the four of us have dinner tonight? Oh if you're up for it of course."
"Sure," Kel smiled.
"Great!" Yuki exclaimed. "We'll come by your rooms to pick a restaurant about 6 OK?"
"Great," Kel replied. "See you then."
Kel walked immediately back to the room and sat on her bed with her had in her hands.
There was a knock on the door and without waiting for her to answer Kaylan walked in.
"We're going to dinner," he said.
"What?" Kel asked.
"Neal invited us to dinner with him and his fiancee," Kaylan replied.
"Yea," Kel muttered. "Yuki invited us out."
"You met Yuki?" Kaylan asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yes. She's an old friend actually," Kel replied. "So we're going to have to act like we're engaged."
Kaylan let out a short laugh. "We're so screwed."
"That's an understatement," Kel replied smiling.
"Well my darling," Kaylan said exaggeratedly. "We should prepare for dinner with the natives."
Kel's smiled widened. "Oh yes, lets."
"Shall we dress up?" Kaylan asked.
"Nice but not too nice," Kel replied.
"Great! I shall be back to coordinate our garments after I see if I actually own anything wearable!" Kaylan said with more exaggerated.
Kel smiled again. "You do that,"
I hate the dialogue between Kel and Yuki, hmm that may need to be fixed. Anyway here's an update for you my ducks.
Kizzie-
Thank yous:
Wake-Robin: I hope you liked this chapter as well. This one was slightly longer than the last.
Misty-N-Foxy: Sorry it took so long. I try but I get sidetracked easily.
The Dark Enigma: Hmmm am I?
Helkardowen: Yay someone who thinks it'll be fun! I thought so too
Soccerchick-08: Ah of course it made sense…to me at least. I know I miss Lathander too :sniff: I still plan to write a prequel with him in it of course I just haven't gotten around to planning it out yet. But I still plan on it happening.
Protectress of the small: I'm glad you like it. That makes me really quite happy. I'm glad you're happy with the pace.
Wingedrider: I was afraid giving her more than one of the magics would be a bit confusing. I'm glad you like it though
The Original Meathead: I debated with myself about whether the pieces would have their own history but since you (and you are a faithful reviewer) asked about it I'll definitely put it in now.
Redneck girl: I did. Sorry it took so long.
