Heart Duel
Disclaimer: See first chapter
Chapter 17: A Toast To Friendship
I joined Naria for breakfast the next day as she sat up in bed, surrounded by a mountain of pillows.
"Then what did he say?" she asked, wanting to know the details of Kaelen's interrogation two days before.
"He said nothing!" I exclaimed, before sipping at my hot chocolate. "Well, he did add something along the lines of 'Did you see the looks on their faces?'"
She laughed. "That is to be expected. Kaelen is of marriageable age and our parents have always told him to spread his favours around till a suitable wife is found."
"For him or by him?" I questioned with the arch of an eyebrow.
Naria shook her head, causing her auburn curls to bounce merrily. "They have never said anything. I have known for most of my life that I would marry your cousin. It was not something I came to terms easily, mind you. I feared that he would turn out to be a drooling, grotesque man with a hateful personality to match. Thankfully, he wasn't." she grinned with mock relief.
Suddenly remembering the letter I had received that morning, I pulled it out from my bodice and handed it to her for her perusal. "What do you make of that?"
"That this Lord Alasseo has you in his thoughts. I do believe you've found yourself a secret admirer!"
"But who is Lord Alasseo? Is he tall, dark and handsome with sparkling blue eyes?" I asked with a girlish laugh.
Instead of receiving answers to my questions Naria frowned slightly. "I don't believe I've met a Lord Alasseo. He's probably some ambassador. Why don't you ask Kaelen? He might have a clue." I nodded assent at her suggestion.
&&&
After leaving Naria's bedchambers, I made it a point to seek out my cousin, assuming that Kaelen would be in his company. But while I came across the former slowly but surely getting acquainted with his wife's homeland, I did not catch sight of my intended quarry. It was by coincidence that we finally met.
I had contented myself with traversing the many intersecting hallways of the palace, admiring works of art, fabulous masterpieces wrought of precious stones and metals when a feminine laugh wafted out of a doorway over which a tapestry hung. Curious, I took a peek within and found many of the young lords and ladies I had met the night before along with Kaelen, seated on cushions around small knee-high tables. A tea party?
While it is rude to invite oneself to an event that one wasn't invited to, I was too impatient to have a word with Kaelen in private that I knocked briskly on the door frame and lifted the tapestry to identify myself. "Lady Tylana, what a pleasure!" exclaimed Lady Aarielle, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness. Her piercing gaze conveyed another message altogether.
"Forgive me for the intrusion," I replied with downcast eyes, studiously ignoring Kaelen's questioning glance in my direction. "But I overheard laughter while exploring the palace and was curious as to what was going on. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "But perhaps you should bear in mind the old adage: curiosity killed the cat."
"But satisfaction brought it back, did it not?" I returned, catching Kaelen's eye from across the room. A smile flickered across his features but he did not bid me to take a seat next to him. Lady Calio, however, did.
"We're having a poetry recital cum tea party, the theme today is friendship. Aarielle comes up with the most boring themes," she said with a sigh.
Her sister Calie chimed in, "Do you have such things in Remalna?"
"Yes, we do," I replied with a laugh at their exuberance. "But I'm not much of a poet myself," I added with a grimace.
Just then, Kaelen was forced to take the stage. He looked thoroughly uncomfortable for a second, but soon composed himself amidst his friends' casual banter. He cleared his throat and unfolded a piece of parchment that he withdrew from his pocket.
"As yet untitled," he began, drawing some laughter that soon died down. Then he began:
"Have
you ever felt like you knew someone a long, long time ago?
Another
place, another time, a friendship of the souls?
Two people who
share a bond for reasons neither know,
A feeling that they were
friends, a long, long time ago?
Did they stumble onto each
other by pure circumstance,
Or was it fate and destiny that played
a certain hand?
Two souls intertwined, they are worlds apart,
But
the soul, it knows no difference, in matters of the heart.
Somehow
they are drawn together, fate has brought them back,
Each living
worlds apart, they journey separate paths.
When this life is over,
and a new life begins,
Their souls will find each other, two souls
that we call friends."
He darted a look in my direction when he finished and I my jaw must have been on the floor for he grinned at my surprised expression. I didn't know he was such an accomplished poet! Appreciative applause rang out but he raised both hands palm up to silence them. "As some of you may know, I've never been a master of words. I'm still not. But I've had a little inspiration with regards to today's theme of late and decided most adamantly to put pen to paper. However, I failed most terribly and was, once again, forced to peruse some century-old manuscript in search of a suitable poem that would cater to your refined tastes." He bowed most dramatically before returning to his seat.
Lady Aarielle reclaimed the spotlight as hostess yet again. "Lady Tylana? Would you honour us with a poem?"
Caught unawares, I almost stuttered, "I've come unprepared."
"A line or two would be just as appreciated as Kaelen's soulful piece," she replied, fluttering her eyelashes in his direction. Since when was she on a first name basis with Kaelen?
Kaelen stepped in. "Perhaps Lady Tylana would acquiesce to us in the future?" I nodded, grateful to have been so deftly extricated from such an embarrassing situation. "You have our thanks in advance," he murmured just loudly enough for those around us to hear as he came towards the table I shared with the triplets and bowed over my hand. "Time for some tea to quench our parched throats?" he suggested to general agreement before heading back to his seat.
According to the triplets there was an art to drinking tea. One had to serve the tea to one another, never for one self. The way the teapot was handled was also taken into consideration and contained hidden meanings of all sorts.
"Lift the teapot with only your right hand using the thumb, index finger and middle finger," said Calia, "Place the middle finger of your left hand lightly on the top of the teapot to hold the cover in place."
"This is called flirting with a teapot," added Calie.
"Why?" I asked.
"To display the elegance of one's hands of course!" she replied in a most matter-of-fact manner. "Only serve tea in such a way when one wishes to flirt," she added gravely.
"What other ways are there?"
"Well, if serving tea to someone like the king or queen, one does so with the utmost respect and practicality," said Calio in all seriousness. "You wouldn't want to incite the queen's jealousy by showing off your hands. Although I wouldn't mind catching the king's eye!" she added with a giggle.
I laughed inwardly at such a ludicrous notion. The entire affair ended soon enough with everyone exchanging pleasantries and an invitation to the next poetry recital cum tea party extended to my by the triplets. I hung back as much as I could while the rest of the guests left, hoping to have a word with Kaelen. Such an attempt proved to be much more difficult than I had anticipated for he was constantly surrounded by his particular group of friends, mainly female, who did not include me in their conversation. With a resigned sigh I hastened my steps to catch up with the triplets, hoping to get some information about the elusive Lord Alasseo from them.
"Alasseo isn't a Sartoran name, is it?" said Calio with a frown.
"But such a unique name would have warranted our attention," added Calie.
"A secret admirer with a exotic pen name? How exotic!" exclaimed Calia.
Perhaps that was it. Alasseo was just a fanciful pen name for a secret admirer who wished to remain secret. Was he amongst the young folk I have met? None of them had shown any overt interest in me, however, so how would that be possible? I decided then and there that I would get to the bottom of this 'secret admirer' business just for the fun of it. Call it a fanciful notion, but my life thus far has been relatively dull, filled with nothing more than balls and parties. Even those get tiresome after a while.
I headed back to my rooms with a sense of purpose. Upon entering my rooms, I spied upon the letter table a palm-sized silver case engraved with artful swirls. Flipping it open I saw that it held a folded letter. Unsealed and signed simply – Alasseo. There were instructions that told me how the case was to be used, and I was thrilled to have in my possession such a gadget. It was after all, quite a useful convenience. Penning a quick reply of thanks I asked yet again why he had sought me out thus, for he had made no answer to that question but had instead expressed his hope for our continued correspondence, non-consequential as it may be. I huffed out a breath of air and murmured the words of power that would send my missive on its way, thinking that Lord Alasseo may prove a useful diversion from Kaelen since he seemed to expect no emotional attachment from this correspondence – the best alternative for us all, especially me.
A sharp rap yanked me out of my wandering thoughts. Replacing the case on the letter table, I beat Louise to answering the door. Pulling it open right after smoothing out the front of my gown and plastering a smile on my face, I found Kaelen standing right outside with his hands clasped behind his back, a smile mirroring mine gracing his features. "Do I look like that?" he asked with a grimace.
"I believe we all do. Come in!" I said brightly. "I didn't expect to find you here since you were avoiding me at all costs." He opened his mouth to make his excuses but I cut in, "I understand that it's for my own good. I'm not holding it against you. Tea?" he nodded as we settled by the window seat. I began pouring out the hot beverage for the both of us with efficient movements.
"No pretty teapot flourishes?" he asked grinning. "Lady Aarielle practically performed acrobatics while she handled the teapot today."
I laughed a laugh of pure delight. "I'm not that proficient with a teapot yet. I'm far too clumsy to do anything other than pour tea with it." After taking a sip of the lukewarm liquid I said, "Are there any other activities around here that a lady of gentle breeding, such as myself, can indulge in asides from reciting poetry and drinking tea?"
He replaced his teacup on its saucer. "Well, you could go riding. You shouldn't stop practicing you know, now that you've shown some progress. The farmlands to the East are perfect for riding."
"Brilliant!" I exclaimed before lapsing into thought. "But who shall I ride with? Certainly not with Naria – she's recuperating. Derrick's always by her side and I'm not supposed to be with you, am I?"
"Well, if we're careful about it, I could go riding with you whenever I can find the time. We'll do it carefully of course. In disguise?" He shook his head.
"That sounds like a good idea. Disguises are easy to put on, as in physical changes in terms of dress. It's the little mannerisms that give you away. So it's settled?" He agreed whole-heartedly, laughing as if it were a very good joke. The conversation lapsed just then as we continued sipping at our tea that had now gone cold.
Suddenly, he said, "About the kiss…"
"I've been meaning to ask you about that last one, but which one are you currently referring to?" I asked jokingly with a slight cough as I choked on a sip of tea, a feeling of slight unease crept into my heart.
"Actually, all of them. For the first, I apologise for being childish and immature enough to accept such a stupid dare. For the second, I apologise for being rash and impulsive – I should've been in control of myself. For the last, I apologise for embarrassing you such and putting you in such an unfavourable position, although I have to admit that it was pretty enjoyable to see those painted faces turn green." He made a face.
"There's no need to apologise for anything," I said airily, "You're still a good friend. And I have to confess that I do enjoy kissing you. The second kiss, by the way, was entirely my fault. I instigated it," I reminded him. It gave me a warm feeling inside, having resolved these awkward issues between us. I'm sure Kaelen felt the same way.
"So, you think I'm a good kisser?"
"Let's not go there, shall we? But if you're so interested, it's probably safe to let you know that you're a better kisser than that toad. Eugh!" We both laughed at that, connected by an easy camaraderie that had to be kept private for both our sakes.
He left a while later, a casual warning on his lips as we stood before the doorway. "Be careful of who you befriend here. I'll do my best to protect you though," he added as an afterthought.
"I don't need your protection!" I said with indignation. "But that's a very kind offer. I'd rather you show me around this vast place more though. I've never been out of Remalna before and I do not want to let this opportunity slip by."
"It'll be my honour to show you around. Till we meet again." He lifted my hand to his lips, straightened and pulled me into his arms for a peck on the cheek. We both grinned.
"You know, we could play this game!" I said laughingly, the idea striking me just then.
"What game?" Kaelen looked positively confused.
"This game of us flirting with one another. I mean, I won't be here for long so we could pretend to be interested in each other to antagonise your many admirers. I've got diplomatic immunity, they can't do anything to hurt me physically and I'm more than capable of handling their verbal barbs."
"I don't take relationships lightly," he said gravely.
"You don't have to take this lightly. The underlying relationship between us is still friendship - not that anyone else has to know that right? And since you haven't found that special someone to spend the rest of your life with, after I return to Remalna you can pretend to be pining for me for as long as you want to keep the rest of them off your back!" I looked at him triumphantly, applauding myself for coming up with such a fantastic idea.
He stared at me in utter amazement and gave a short bark of laughter, arms tightening around me in a hug that lifted me a foot of the ground. "That's wonderful! Does it mean I don't have to be distant and polite towards you?" I nodded eagerly as he set me back down on my feet.
"I wonder why I didn't meet you sooner? You could've saved me a lot of trouble without either of us getting the wrong idea. To friendship and its inspiration!" he extended a hand for me to shake. I grabbed it and gave it a business-like pump. We were both grinning like idiots. "We'll still have to address each other with our formal titles though," he added with a sigh. "No matter! How about a ride early tomorrow morning? I'll send word."
He left trailing muffled laughter and I couldn't help smiling. Things between us were looking good and it was so much easier to be just a friend to a person such as Kaelen, as compared to being anything more or less than a friend. I turned towards the letter table and absently picked up the case yet again, flicking it open with my fingers. Another letter awaited and I raised an eyebrow in Lord Alasseo's expedience.
Lady Tylana:
I look forward to making your acquaintance in person as soon as possible. For now, I hope that an acquaintance such as this would be enough to satisfy your curiosity. In this court - as in any other, true friends are hard to be found. I had sought you out in hopes of offering you any assistance you might require in getting to know Sartor.
Yours truly,
Lord AlasseoI knew not what to make of that, but deduced that it held an offer of friendship and a faint warning. He did not expect me to trust him wholly but hoped that I would continue this strange relationship nonetheless. I put the letter aside, deciding instead to pick out something to wear for dinner before giving Naria yet another visit.
A/N: This would be one of my shorter chapters I think. I hope you guys like it nonetheless! I haven't updated in about 8 months! That must be a record for writer's block. Well, now that I've started up on it again, the story is flowing back to me. I apologise for the long wait and hope that this does not mean no one will read this fic anymore! That was the case – I thought, when I received less than 10 reviews for chapter 16. Then Pirate Princess came up and I just thought: Well, no one's reading it anyway, so there's no point updating.
But you guys were encouraging and your constant bugging has paid off! I hope finish HD as soon as possible. And hope that isn't too rushed. I've tried to maintain my style of writing HD in this chapter as much as I can so I hope you like it!
Lastly, HD has never truly had a proper plot. And while it does have a mysterious twist, I have to admit that the hints so far have not been exactly enlightening. The main purpose of this fic is to write fluffy scenes with interesting (hopefully!) characters, funny scenes and witty conversations – things I see in my head that I just had to write down for fun. Should you like some serious plot-wise stuff, check out Pirate Princess instead. Should you like serious fluffiness, check out Truly Gifted instead. Should you like song fics, check out All About You and It Is You instead.
Thanks to all reviewers who were so very encouraging! There are too many of you to thank one by one so this chapter is dedicated to you all. Doesn't the title chapter make sense now? Haha.)
P.S Ereshkigalgirl is currently busy, thus Pirate Princess seems to have been put on hold at the moment. We're up to chapter 22 by the way. This gives me more time for HD which I intend to complete by May when my semester begins. REVIEWS PLEASE!
To any of you who would like to get in touch with me or would like me to have you on my UPDATE notification list (I'm starting a new one), contact me at with HD reviews in the subject title. I like discussing fanfics with anyone so email me!
FelSong
