Hey Everyone:

Sorry about the long wait. I have a massive list of excuses, really. But instead I just wrote an extra long chapter to make up to you all :)

I don't have time to write personal thankyou's this time, but thank you to Silverlake, SarahE7191, Weezer Girl, Dark Unicorn Lurking, Madame-S-Butterfly, crabbycat14, Sogno di Felicita and tadpole.

Just to clarify, stuff in italics is what's going on inside the character's heads only. Oh, and I had page breaks but the stupid things didn't show up last time :(

StarryEmeraldNights

Disclaimer: All characters, places and objects belong to Tamora Pierce. Everything else is mine!

Chapter 4

Last Chapter: Neal muttered several generally incomprehensible strings of language, out of which it was possible to catch sarcastic re-runs (his specialty) of 'Kel's liked him for ages,' 'I think its about time I corrected those rumours' and a final '...bossy little thing!'

His best friend and his cousin were going to be going out together. This was bad. This was very, very bad. But the more Neal thought about it, the situation did present several amusing possibilities...

Perhaps there was a little midwinter luck hanging around in the air after all.

Keladry of Mindelan was not in the most excellent of moods. Kel didn't usually get grumpy, but in the space of two hours a very real problem she had been trying to avoid had finally caught up with her.

No, thought Kel the optimist, it's not a problem exactly, merely a complication – an uncertainty.

Yeah right, thought Kel the pessimist, you're falling for – no, fallen for – a guy, and everyone in the palace is now going to know that by midday thanks to Loesia. Nothing to be annoyed about, nothing at all...

But the optimist won. It was Midwinter after all, and what comes will come, and Kel would meet it when it does. Deciding against seeking out and throttling Loesia, Kel headed off for the main stables and Hoshi. Rides always seemed to clear out her head, and Kel would get her own back with Loey later.

The stableman, Stefan, greeted her as she came in the door. 'Lady Kel! A pleasure to see yer once again.' He seemed intent on saying something. Kel smiled and nodded at him to continue.

'Lady Kel. A moment if you please...George Cooper contacted me not half an hour past by a scry mage. He's a currently headed for the palace from the Swoop right now. What he said was most strange, and concerns ya quite a bit. He weren't gonna give me any details 'case the message was intercepted like, but he told me this: inform the younger lady knight that there's someone out to kill her.' Stefan shrugged almost apologetically 'More'n that, I have no clue.'

Kel swayed ever so slightly before she brought herself under control. She had always suspected that Alanna's husband was the realm's spymaster since learning of that interesting way of crossing the Vassa from Neal a year ago. Obviously, her suspicions were right.

'Thank you,' she told Stefan, her voice void of emotion 'Should you hear anything else, I would be glad to hear of it immediately.' Stefan nodded his understanding as Kel turned and continued down the stables towards Hoshi's stall.

'Someone is out to kill me. That's...different, to say the least. But there's nothing I can do about it,' reasoned Kel. 'I will simply have to be aware that something is going on, and continue as if I know nothing about it. If he's riding from Pirate's Swoop like Stefan said, George will be here come midday tomorrow. Until then, all I can do is watch my back.'

Kel wasn't happy with that answer, but there was no alternative. Having finished saddling Hoshi, Kel double checked for her sword at her waist, and led Hoshi to the stable door. Stefan was there again, and he was nervous.

'My lady, I don't mean to offend, but might I ask that if you're goin' anywhere but the training yard ya reconsider that decision. It's dangerous.'

Kel sighed inwardly, not letting it show on her face. Unless a whole army managed to march into the palace grounds, it was highly unlikely she was in anymore danger in the forest than in the training yards. It wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself!

To Stefan, Kel said 'Thank you for your concern, but I'm intent on going into the forest, and I shall continue to do so.' Kel was polite, but firm, a trick she had learnt the hard way from her time as Commander of Haven and New Hope. Stefan backed down and moved out of her way, not daring to try and stop the Lady Knight from doing as she wished. Kel nodded to him, swung herself up onto Hoshi's back and set off for the forest.

It was only when Kel was completely out of hearing that a man came out of a stall a little down the way, leading his own horse. With a cheery smile, he informed a mildly interested Stefan that 'Although I'm not the least bit worried if Kel is attacked by any number under six, I might just be required to finish the last one off of any big number.' Stefan shook his head around in a mixture of puzzlement, indecision and agreement. The sergeant apparently took this as a good sign, and headed off into the forest, keeping the Lady Knight just within his sights.

Within a few metres of the tree line, Kel realised that someone was following her. She couldn't definitely hear anything and she certainly couldn't see anything, but her years with The King's Own had taught her to trust her instincts.

Having made it into the forest, Kel was just about to turn around to see who was following her when two sparrows zipped through the trees and nearly collided with Kel's face. Sensing Kel's worry, Arrow and Quiksilver did a little quick investigatory work, producing their findings very quickly.

Kel continued Hoshi down the forest path as the sparrows zipped back through the air with their news. Upon arrival, they began flying in circles, signaling 'friend.' Kel nodded wearily and once again was about to turn around, when the sparrows did something very odd. They made a sort of second glance at each other, sort of nodded their heads and then began to fly in a progressively tighter circle. Within a few revolutions they were circling so tight they looked like pigs on a spit over a fire.

This produced a groan from both Kel and her follower, who could just see the sparrows from his position several metres behind Kel. Both firstly thought 'Am I really that obvious that birds can tell.' Kel proceeded to think four subsequent thoughts: 'I am going to kill Loesia; I so know who is following me now; I'm not going to turn around and Sakuyo, I repeat, this is NOT FUNNY!'

But Sakuyo wasn't listening. Sakuyo was busy placing a bet with the Graveyard Hag and Kyprioth, the Carthaki and Copper Isles Tricksters. Sakuyo was betting Princess Minami for four days that Kel and Dom would get together. Determined to outdo her fellow Trickster in the stakes department, the Graveyard Hag bet Princess Kalasin for a week that Kel would punch Dom. Kyprioth bet Princess Petranne for two weeks (quite frankly he didn't dare bet Aly or Dove) that Dom was going to die.

Sakuyo, knowing Kel much better than the other two Tricksters, had already started planning the fun he could have being the patron god of three princesses all at once.

After approximately twenty minutes silent venting as she continued down the forest path, Kel gave in and rode up to the river bank, pulling Hoshi to a stop. She dismounted, and brushing off the new-fallen snow, found a nice rock to sit on. Kel was perfectly aware that Dom was only several metres behind her, but apparently Dom hadn't realised she knew he was there. It took Dom five minutes to 'accidentally-casually' ride in, which brought an eye-roll and a smirk from Kel. Men, they were all the same.

'Kel! Nice to see you, again' Replacing the eye-wobble with a slight mask, Kel stood up and turned around to be greeted by an infectiously smiling Sergeant. 'Nice to see you again too, Dom'

By this point Dom could feel the sweat start to trickle down his neck, and so far he'd only said hello. With no better idea than the Graveyard Hag on Kel's likely reaction to what he was about to say, he was quite worried that either the Graveyard Hag's or Kyprioth's predictions would come true.

'Um, Kel. I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now, and I suppose this is as good a time as any…'

Kel resisted the urge to look away, and instead said 'Yeah.' Whatever it was Dom wanted to say, Kel was almost positive it wasn't what she wanted to hear. Almost. Very close too completely, but nevertheless…only almost sure.

By now, Dom was absolutely and totally positive he was going to die. Mithros, I've faced giant metal monsters with knives for fingers and I've never been this nervous! And now here he was, this nervous over a girl! Dully, Dom realised that this particular girl had personally destroyed half a dozen of those monsters. Now that's something you don't come across every day, especially in Tortall.

Dom took a deep breath, and prepared to just spit it out, every one of his limbs ready to run at the first sign of a murderous glare.

'You know, I've got to say Numair, you're the best buddy in the world.' Neal's smile as he said that made the black robe feel sickly. Why did he agree to lend Queenscove his scry ball? Why?

'Ooh, Numy, look at this. This is great; it's like a play or something. Look at him, he is pretty hot.'

Numair raised an eyebrow at the nickname and the final statement. 'You do realise, Nealan that your last statement was not only full of homosexual tendencies but was also incestuous?'

It took Neal several seconds to realise what Numair was saying. Presently, Neal turned bright red and said hotly (and even truthfully) 'I was talking from Kel's point of view, okay!'

Numair groaned. This was going to be a very long day - especially with an excited Nealan of Queenscove involved.

'Kel, I'm just going to say this. I really hope you don't kil-hate me, but I think it needs to be said. Whatever you think about what I say, I don't want to lose our friendship, but-'

The major theme running through Kel's mind at this point was 'This is so not fitting with the whole 'you told Loey who told Miri who told Evin who told Wolset who told Lerant who told Raoul that you liked me and sorry but I have to break you heart' expectation that I had.'

'-Anyway, Kel, since pretty much the day I first met you, right up until now, the fact is-'

Now Kel was really sure this wasn't fitting with any of her almost positive expectations. Kel was equally sure that if the knots in her stomach didn't undo soon she'd almost feel like throwing up…from nerves, of all things. Her hand found Hoshi's mane.

'I've liked you, a lot.' Dom finished, shrugging a little and waiting for Kel's reaction 'Will you go to the ball with me?'

It was like a ball of blazebalm had just exploded inside Kel's head. Contrary to the expectations of the general public, she simply turned away from Dom; her hand's finding Hoshi's tack and fiddling absentmindedly as her brain ran into full gear. 'It's a joke, it has to be. No, it's a dare. Do you really think Dom would play a trick on you after all these years? But the ball's tomorrow night! I don't even have anything to wear. This is ridiculous, this is not happening; it's not supposed to happen to girls like me.'

'Kel?' Dom asked tentatively. 'Did I upset her? Shock her? Why won't she even look at me?'

Kel took a deep breath, and asked herself one simple question. It was the million dollar, risk-absolutely-everything question. 'Do you like him?' Kel gave herself the answer, and smiled randomly at nothing in particular.

Then she turned around.

And he kissed her.

Back in the palace, Nealan of Queenscove ran out of Numair's rooms, then down the corridor towards his own quarters, screaming wildly all the way 'Yuki, he did it! They got together!'

Sakuyo was in the middle of a celebratory party dance as he ran off to Carthak to start enjoying his winnings. 'Sorry Keladry,' he yelled wildly as he roared with laughter 'But Sakuyo likes to laugh!'

Hoped you like it! If you did, you all know where the review button is!

StarryEmeraldNights