A/N: hey guys! So…. Um. Someone mentioned I might want to do something besides k/n or k/j. I have decided that K/ROALD IS NOW AN OPTION! However, it will probably be a relationship that ends in tragedy, because roald and kel cant marry.

Anyways, on with the story.

Keladry of Shang

Chapter 8: Friend or Foe?

The next morning Kel rose with the sun, stretching languorously before getting dressed and leaving for the practice courts. There she spent the next three hours training in almost every weapon imaginable.

When she finally looked up, wiping sweat from her burning eyes, Joren stood in front of her. He watched her intently, looking uncomfortable. Kel blinked. She had never seen him looking like he felt out of place. They stared at each other. He opened his mouth and she tensed. He stopped and returned to staring at her shyly. Finally she sighed and asked, "What do you want, Joren?"

He blushed nervously and fidgeted. Kel raised her eyebrow impatiently. He took a deep breath and answered her at last, "I wanted to talk to you."

"I could see that." Kel remarked scathingly.

He couldn't stop himself from glaring at her before he continued. " I know I haven't been nice to you. In fact, I have been terrible to you. I am truly and deeply sorry. I want to start over with you. And your friends too, if I can."

Kel looked at him disbelievingly. " And this change of heart just suddenly happened overnight?"

Joren looked down at the ground and scuffed his foot sheepishly. " Fighting you again…. It was an eye opener. When we fought as pages, I dismissed your prowess as the knowledge of a few tricks, nothing more. But now, in less time then I have been training, you have learned to fight better than I ever will. And I guess that showed me that what I was raised to think is wrong."

Kel sighed. "Alright Joren, you get one chance. ONE. And I will hunt you down if you ever betray this chance. I'll see you later."

Joren gave her a shaky, tentative grin. She merely nodded at him before leaving the courts. If she had looked back, she would have seen Joren's smug, malicious smirk. But she walked on without turning around.

Joren watched her go. He stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. Once she was gone he turned around and left the other way. He smiled. Everything was going perfectly. He would have his revenge for that match.

Across the palace, a messy haired knight sat in his room, trying to read his book about the immortal wars. He was, unfortunately, failing. His thoughts constantly strayed to a certain ex-page friend of his. He was both annoyed and confused by this problem. This was Kel, the sensible, talented girl he had sponsored for the year she had trained with them! So why did he get a warm giddy feeling in his stomach when he tohought of her? Why did his heart flutter when he pictured her, the way she had been in the match? Why did she seem so perfect? He smiled, remembering her fierce beauty. How he longed to gaze into those dreamy hazel eyes, to run his hands through that dark golden-brown hair and to kiss her perfect, full lips… he jolted out of that thought. Where had that come from?

He sighed and cradled his head in his hands. He had a feeling that things were only going to get more confusing.

His headache was disturbed by a firm knock on the door. Rising to greet his visitor, he opened the solid oak door and came face to face with the object of his thoughts. She smiled up at him, asking him to join her for breakfast. He nodded, unable to say a word. Kel noticed his silence and asked concernedly, "Neal, is something wrong?"

This time, Neal managed to actually speak, "Everything's fine, Kel." She smiled at him, and he unwittingly smiled back, feeling that warm feeling again. Oh yes, things were definitely going to be confusing. But suddenly, confusing didn't seem so bad.

He smiled again and offered her his arm. Lost in her own thoughts about a certain blond blue-eyed knight, she didn't hear him mutter under her breath, "Everything's fine."

A/N: sorry it is so short you guys. Also, I am feeling lazy, so I will reply to reviews in the next chappie, k? sorry….

Heh. I am kinda starting to like writing k/n-ish stuff. Hmmm….

Poll results are:

K/faleron:1 (when did I say that was an option?)

K/prosper: 1 (ditto above)

K/n: 13 (I think this is what it will be)

K/j: 9 ( I will include something about k/j, but I don't think it's gonna be the "real thing". As you can see in this chapter. When I am completely decided, I will definitely make sure to give credit to the wonderful reviewer who gave me the idea!

K/roald: like with prosper and faleron, I did not ask for this, but I am willing to give it a try. BE WARNED! If I use this paring, this story will be a tragedy, kinda like alanna and jon, except they will give each other up while still being in love. Kel would make a bad queen, since all the conservatives hate her, and she doesn't bring anything to the kingdom by marrying roald.