DISClAIMER: It's amazing how something this small can make me so bitter. I mean it's not like anyone's actually asked me about whether it's mine, and it would take a real idiot to think that I actually owned the rights to any of this.

i just had a question. In a few fanfics, I've seen people write that Kel has an older older sister, named Patricine (or something to that effect). This has reappeared too often to be coincidence. I'm wondering if it ever mentioned that, because I honestly don't remember that character.

Song of the Chapter: Seasons of Love by Jonathan Larson (from the musical RENT). i saw it on Broadway, and i'm psyched to see it when the movie comes out.

Peace out.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Kel made her way to Neal's rooms. She had slept that night in her parents' apartments, enjoying a short time with her family before she would have to go back out to the northern borders.

She was worried for her friends. Merric had been knighted the previous morning, and it was Neal's turn that night for his Ordeal of Knighthood.

When she came to Neal's room, adjacent to the Lioness', her friend wasn't there. She found him aimlessly skimming through volumes in one of the libraries His eyes weren't focusing on the words and Kel could see that he was worried.

"Neal?" She said from the doorway. He leapt to his feet as though stung.

"Kel!" he ran to her side and embraced his friend. "We're so happy to see you, it's been too long. We were afraid that you would get too involved with the Riders and forget all about us back in the world of knight training. I'm afraid, Kel I don't know what my father would do if I didn't pass the Ordeal. There's been a knight in the Queenscove..."

"... House for centuries." Kel finished for him, grinning. "Come now Nealan, it won't be as bad as you think. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful knight." Neal visibly relaxed with the comment, though Kel could see that he was still tense. "Come with me. I'll Take your mind off of it." She grabbed the book right out of Neal's hands and dropped it on the table. She tugged on his arm and dragged him, protesting, to the indoor practice courts where she thrust a wooden practice sword into his hands.

They warmed up together and sparred for the next two hours straight. A few friends came by in that time and practised with them. Kel had better technique than Neal, it was obvious from all of her time spent training while he read books instead, but Neal was stronger than her physically by a long shot. He managed to overpower her with sheer force and bring her to her knees in eight matches out of ten. The last two were won by Kel as Neal's strength faded but her skill held true.

"Now there's the mark of a good swordsman." Neal gasped as Kel's sword grazed his throat. He dropped his own in surrender and Kel offered him a hand. "You need to be able to last right until the end of a long fight." He stood up. "No point being skilled if you meet someone comparable to you when you don't have the endurance to last him right out to the end. Now if you don't mind, my lady." he mock bowed to her, "I will return to my rooms and my dear knight mistress and I will clean myself up for my midday meal."

"Go ahead, Neal." Kel said, picking her sword back up. "I'll stay here for a spell and practise."

"Suit yourself Keladry." Neal put away his sword and turned to leave. "I hope you'll be in the Chapel tomorrow morning." he said softly before closing the door to the practise courts behind him.

Kel took up her sword and faced off against one of the practise dummies. She tried a few passes with her right arm, but found that it was stiff from training with Neal, and she didn't have the proper co-ordination. She remembered how the Lioness had told her about her page training and how she had learned to fight with her left arm as well as her right, 'just in the event that you are unable to use your right'.

Kel transferred the sword to her left arm and too an opposite stance to her original. She tried a swing at the dummy, but her aim was so poor that the sword glanced off of the arm instead of the head she had been aiming at. Her second attempt sent her off balance and she stumbled. A hand caught her before she fell. Kel turned. Who had come into the court without her hearing them? She came to face with a set of sapphire eyes and dark hair. Stumbling backwards, Kel bowed clumsily. Remembering herself, she curtsied quickly as well.

"Your Majesty!" She exclaimed, "I didn't see you there."

King Jonathan laughed, "Come now Keladry, I did learn a few things when I was training as a boy. I'm not an old man yet." Kel hid her blush. This was the king of Tortall, the man who had ordered her expulsion from page training all those years ago, the man she had vowed she would serve and hate. At a distance, when he was saying prayers, giving orders or addressing the people she disliked his way of acting, she hated him. Here, standing before her, laughing and joking with her she felt differently about King Jonathan. She could see that under the propriety he expressed as a monarch, he was just a man trying to be peaceful and accommodate everyone he could.

"I apologize, Your Majesty." she bowed, "I didn't mean to imply-"

"Don't worry yourself now Keladry. Speak normally, there's no need to stand at attention. I don't like it when people bow to me after everything I say. Now about that left hand. I assume you know about how the Lioness learned to fight left handed?" Kel nodded, "Let me tell you, learning left handed swordplay was the best thing Alanna ever did. It saved her life once when she was faced off against a full Tusaine knight as my squire. The man had cut her right arm and she couldn't wield a blade. She beat a full grown knight with her left hand. It's good for you to be practising that. Now in the meantime, show me your skills with your right hand. i want to know how good my kingdom's Protector is.

Kel's eyes grew wide at the name. How did King Jonathan know about that. She thought about protesting his choice of a duel after she had been training all morning, but caught herself, realizing that this could be a test for her. Warriors were meant to be able to fight even tired. King Jonathan was testing her to make sure that she had the stamina to be a fighter. Grimly she picked up her sword and tossed another practice sword to the king.

"If it's any encouragement, I haven't duelled anyone in well over five years." King Jonathan laughed. "So you'll have to go easy on this old man. But I promise I won't have you executed if you beat me." Kel nodded, not sure how to respond to that. both of them faced off.

The fight lasted a long time. Kel was exhausted, but King Jonathan, even having not fought anyone in years was still skilled with a blade and pushed her every which way. Every opportunity she saw to get a hit, he always seemed to be one step a head of her, blocking with ease. She was parrying his own blows only by a small margin. In the end, they had to draw, both having a blade at the other's throat at the same time.

Kel was breathing heavily, as was the king. They both cleaned and put away their swords and sat down on a bench in the corner. King Jonathan turned to Kel after they sat down.

"Keladry, I must admit, there was a reason I came to find you. I must speak with you without all of my advisors knowing." he hesitated, searching for a way to phrase his thoughts. "I know that you entered the Chamber." Kel gasped. Had the Riders told him?

"Your Majesty, I had no choice, it was drawing me-"

"Yes, I understand." Jonathan waved his hand to sit Kel back down. In her distress she had sprung to her feet. "The Chamber came to my dream and told me what it was you saw. Now as you muct understand, i am faced with a dilemma." Kel looked puzzled, Jonathan continued. "You see by any of our old laws, you would a be a knight, having survived the Chamber of the Ordeal. Now I could have you knighted publicly, but then the conservatives would get angry that you could survive when many grown men haven't." He put up a hand to silence Kel's protests. "No, listen to me, Keladry. I know that you believe that I was wrong kicking you out of your training. i know that some women are just as capable and strong as most men. I have Alanna to prove that. The only thing standing in my way of letting you be a lady knight is the influence of the conservatives. I cannot afford to have a civil war on my hands, and there are too many powerful ones to overrule them. If you are a leader, Keladry, you will understand that sometimes you must go against your own beliefs or compromise, so as to satisfy if not content everyone around you."

Kel's eyes were downcast. She felt ashamed that she had ever hated this man for throwing her out. She held no like for the king, but she felt that she had been unjust in her hatred of him. "So that's why I left." She said softly.

"Yes it is. Now Keladry, you must tell no one of your encounter with the Chamber, only your Rider group, if you must. Especially Alanna must never know of this."

"Why?"

Jonathan sighed, "Alanna is set in her thought and her ways. Often she will refuse to acknowledge any other beliefs than hers, and she will not compromise. If she learns about his, she will force me into knighting you publicly and making an enemy of the conservative nobles. I cannot afford for that to happen, and if I refuse, she will leave. With this war going on, I can't afford to lose any of my knights. You must understand this Keladry. Alanna is stubborn and unrelenting." his voice changed, he seemed thoughtful. "It's why I couldn't bring myself to marry her. SHe would not have been a good Queen of the kingdom, she would have caused strife between the nobles with her beliefs." he seemed to realize himself and spoke clearly, "Understand, Keladry, you cannot tell anyone of this, not your best squire or knight friends." Kel nodded. "Good."

"Thank you, Your Majesty for telling me all of this." Kel bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait Keladry." Jonathan had a strange expression in his eyes. It was one of amusement and defiance. "Between you and me, I think you would have made a good knight and a good leader of others. In fact I believe you'll be content with your next Rider group placement after Midwinter festivals." he smiled, then his expression grew solemn. "Now I want you to kneel." Kel looked confused, but complied. King Jonathan took her sword and held it out above her head. "We can't have anything official, but you did survive your Ordeal. The Gods won't allow you to go unrewarded." He voice was calm and official sounding. "Do you, Rider Keladry of Mindelan know the Code of Chivalry?"

Kel nodded, "Yes I do."

"Do you swear to uphold these laws and values in every circumstance?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Will you serve the kingdom of Tortall in war and in peace, as a Rider and a knight?"

"Yes I will." Kel said confidently.

"Then arise, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan and take your sword with which you will protect your people. May Mithros and the Goddess look fondly on you and guide you through your troubles."

Kel stood and took the sword offered to her by King Jonathan. She bowed to her king, trying desperately and failing to hide her smile. Her dream had finally come true, and in a way she would never have imagined. It didn't matter that no one would know about his. She had proven to herself and to her king that she could do this. That was all that mattered to her.

King Jonathan smiled at her and clapped her on the shoulder. "Well done Keladry. I'm proud of you, really I am. You didn't give up, even when your dream was thrown back in your face. i wish the kingdom had more like you." Kel blushed. This was too much. The king was proud of her. She would have rather heard it from Alanna, buri, or Queent Thayet, but the king was a good man himself.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." she bowed.

"Now you should be getting to dinner with your parents. I believe they are expecting you. And tomorrow after your friend Neal's shield is earned, your group will see me, Burriam and Raoul to discuss your new assignment. You might be happy about this one. Now remember that none of these past events leaves this court." Kel nodded. "Thank you, Keladry. Now I must be going. I believe Thayet is expecting me. Goodbye." He nodded to her and left.

Kel stood in a daze for a few minutes before leaving the court and walking to her parents' rooms. This was an interesting day. She smiled to herself.

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TO ALL MY REVIEWERS:

Bit of a short chapter. I'm getting a bit of writer's block, and I really can't think of what else to write. Besides I want to get this up as fast as possible. Sorry Katie, I know I'm bypassing you, but i promise I haven't forgotten about you, next chapter i promise.

Which excuse should I use? i was away all summer, school work in my last year is up to my ears, I have outside commitments also up to my neck, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer or I just broke up with the guy I'm in love with for something entirely my fault and stupid? Take your pick, any one of them.

Peace out

Alanna

P.S. i wonder how many people have abandoned the thought of getting a new chapter?