Title: Trust Betrayed

Author: jessalae

Disclaimer: I own none of Tamora Pierce's characters, settings, or concepts.

A/N: "-…-" is thoughts.

-o-o-O-o-o-

"Hey, Cleon, guess what?"

"What?"

"No, guess!"

"Owen, I'm really not in the mood for games."

"Come on, just one guess?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I don't have time for this." Cleon turned and continued down the corridor.

"No, wait! I have a secret to tell you!"

"Then hurry up and tell me already!"

Owen stood on his tiptoes to whisper into Cleon's ear. "Neal loves Kel."

"What? You're joking, right? I mean, how is that possible?"

"It is! He told me himself."

"Why would he tell you, of all people?"

"Well, he didn't really mean to tell me. It sort of slipped out."

"Oh, wonderful."

-o-O-o-

"Hello, father!" Aludra sang out as she skipped into the healer's wing.

"Good to see you, Aludra. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Do I need an excuse to visit my father?"

"Well, of course not. I was really wondering why you are so giddy this afternoon."

"I'm just bursting with news. Good news, if I know anything."

"Oh, really? What is this news that's so wonderful you're skipping?"

"Neal's in love with Kel."

Duke Baird was shocked. "What? Are you certain?"

"Yes I am. He told me."

"This is an interesting development. It makes some sense, though. Hm." Duke Baird stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We'll just have to wait and see…"

-o-O-o-

"Arrgh…" Cleon collapsed into a chair and rested his head in his hands.

"Arrgh? What's the matter?" Roald asked, looking up from his reading.

"Life is complicated."

"Well, yes, I had noticed that. To what specific aspect of life were you referring?"

Cleon lifted his head momentarily. "That sarcastic streak will get you into trouble someday, Highness." He shifted in his seat so he could put his head on the table. "My friends seem to be the most complicated thing at the moment."

"Ah, court intrigues, is it?"

"No, but it will be if Owen can't keep his fool mouth shut."

"What will be?"

"The thing that I am absolutely not going to tell you."

"So that's how it's going to be, is it?" Roald shut his book carefully. "Would you tell me if I guess right?"

"No. Well, probably not. It's so outrageous you wouldn't guess it anyway, so I might as well say yes."

"Oh, good! Hm, what's so outrageous I would never think to guess it?

Um… Peachblossom let Neal ride him?"

"No."

"A new girl wants to be a page and Kel's asking to sponsor her?"

"No."

"Neal and Yuki broke up?"

"N- well, yes, but you already knew about that."

"Just testing you. Merric jumped off Balor's Needle?"

"What? No!"

"My father has declared war on Carthak?"

"No. Wouldn't know before me if that were the case?"

"Yes, I guess so. What else, what else… Neal's in love with Kel?"

Cleon sat up so quickly his neck cracked.

"Oh, is that it?" Roald grinned. "I would have thought it would be something less obvious."

"Obvious?" Cleon sputtered.

"Of course. Anyone with eyes can see they were meant for each other."

"I have eyes, and I couldn't see it!"

"Calm down, it's just a figure of speech. Yes, I've been expecting something like this for a while. I was beginning to wonder if he would ever figure it out."

Cleon stared at his friend incredulously. "You really saw this coming?"

"Yes."

"You amaze me. And life is still too complicated."

-o-O-o-

"Your Grace! How are you?"

"Very well, very well, Lioness. And you?"

"Just fine. My new squire isn't quite as, well, entertaining as my previous one."

"Yes, Neal can certainly be entertaining. Why, just yesterday I found out he was keeping secrets from me."

"Oh, really!" Alanna's famed violet eyes sparked with interest. "Keeping secrets from his father! Nothing too serious, I hope."

"Not particularly, although I'm sure he'll skin me if I tell the subject of the secret what it is."

"Hmm. Troubles with friends? Romances? I may be able to help. These things require a woman's touch, you know."

"Well, I need to tell someone to get it off my chest." He stepped into a corner, Alanna following. "You see, it seems Neal has realized that he is in love with Keladry."

"Keldary? And Neal? They would make quite a couple."

"Yes, but she doesn't know, so you mustn't tell anyone."

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed."

-o-o-O-o-o-

A/N: Poor Neal. Owen does have a big mouth, doesn't he? Ah well. I have the next chapter all planned, but haven't started to write it yet. It looks to me as if this story will end up being around 17 chapters long, give or take a chapter, so I have my work cut out for me. The again, that's only six chapters more. Yikes! Well, we'll have to see when we get there. Review, review, review!

--jessalae