A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for all the great feedback. We really like this chapter… hope you do too!

Raoul woke at a knock on his door. He rubbed his eyes drowsily and reached for his robe at the end of his bed. He walked to the door, dragging his feet with fatigue. When he opened it, he was rather annoyed to see the King fully awake and dressed.

"Good morning!" he said with enthusiasm. He continued talking before Raoul could say anything in response. "I need you in the council room as soon as possible… I had to call an urgent meeting."

"Now?" Raoul had stayed up late the night before, discussing the missing Jewel with Buri.

"Yes, right away." Jon turned and walked away as suddenly as he had arrived. Raoul sighed and rubbed his face. He had a feeling that this was going to be a long morning.

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The members of the council began to file into the council room around the old, careworn table. They all felt as weary as they looked. The usual chatter that was present among the council members was not there at this early hour. Behind her exhaustion, Daine's eyes shone with excitement. She sat next to Kaddar, who didn't seem quite as enthused. When Numair entered, he scanned the room and slowly took a seat across from Daine.

"Good morning," he said to her as sat down. She smiled back at him and turned her attention to the King as he cleared his throat, ready to begin.

"Sorry to call you here so early. But something happened last night and I wanted to share it with you all as soon as possible. I believe that I have… or rather, Daine has found a solution to our problem concerning the Dominion Jewel. We all know about Daine's experience with stormwings. She has volunteered to track down Vergor Thunderstar and retrieve the Dominion Jewel."

"She can't go by herself!" Numair spoke out suddenly. Daine shot him a menacing look acorss the table but he didn't seem to notice.

Jon casually replied, "But, she isn't." Numair looked confused.

"Kaddar is going with her. He has experience with stormwings as well. Numair had an odd expression. But eventually he nodded and became silent.

The meeting continued, with discussions of Daine and Kaddar's excursion and other orders of business.

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Daine, needing to catch up on her sleep since she was deprived of it last night, began to make her way to her room. In her sleepy haze she didn't notice there was someone in front of her until she walked right into him.

"Sorry," she mumbled and walked right past. The person grabbed her arm, holding her back. She finally looked up to see it was Numair.

"I wanted to talk to you…about this idea of yours."

"Yes?" she said impatiently, knowing he was probably going to say that she needed an army around her for protection.

"Are you sure that was a good decision…. choosing him?"

"What are you talking about?" Daine demanded, getting angrier.

"Is it really wise to spend so much time alone with him? And I don't think he has the requirements needed for this expedition."

"First of all, I didn't choose to be accompanied at all! He volunteered to go, and the King agreed that I should have a companion."

"Look, Ma- er Daine, I-"

"Just say it! Magelet. I don't see why you act so awkwardly around me sometimes. It wasn't easy for me either, to go through what we did, but at least I try to keep our friendship going. Why don't you- ugh!" And with that, she threw her hands in the air and stalked off. He watched dumbly after her.

"Ah!" He turned around when he felt someone tap his shoulder. It was the Lioness.

"Hmm… I wonder what she was going to say… don't you?"

"What?" She stabbed him in the chest with her index finger. Numair was not prepared for what she had to say.

"You're an idiot! I know you still like her and we both know why you broke up with her. You two had a silly fight and you automatically think she will never love you because of the age gap! It's ridiculous! Then, you go and expect sympathy from everyone. Don't you think that it affected her too? I've been watching you two, you know. You're being such a twit!" Numair looked at the ground sheepishly. He had nothing to say. He uncharacteristically shuffled his feet on the stone floor.

"You're so- ugh!" The Lioness with nothing more to say, stalked away in the direction of Daine, smiling.

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Neal licked his dry lips nervously before knocking. He stood outside Kel's door, about to address her. He knocked twice and waited. The door swung open to reveal Kel, with Jump at her heels. She invited him in, noticing how pale he was.

"Is something wrong?" her brow furrowed with concern.

"Maybe you should sit down, Kel," he told her, remembering the last time he had to deliver bad news to her a few years ago.

He decided to go straight to the point. "It's about Cleon."

Kel stood up. "Is he hurt? Is everything all right?"

Neal put his hand on her shoulder and gently forced her back down onto the chair. "No…not exactly."

"Then what is it?"

Neal wrung his hands. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Cleon and Elspeth…well…they've had a child. A boy."

Kel's face crumpled, but she sat up straight and immediately regained control of herself. She was silent for a few moments. "He didn't even tell me she was pregnant," she whispered.

Neal drew in a breath. "Kel, no one knew. Cleon found out just recently himself. He's been gone from Fief Kennan for a long time."

Kel still seemed to be registering what Neal had said. "Kel," he began slowly, not sure what to say next. He reached out to her instead. She pushed him away and stood up. As she moved toward the door, he called out to her again. She paid no heed to him, and hurried out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kel sat on a stone bench, letting the tears run down her cheeks as she watched the water trickle down the fountain in front of her. Feeling foolish, she began to wipe away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, when she heard a voice.