Chapter 9 - Friends?
Disclaimer - Tortall and it's characters are the property of Tamora Pierce.
Joren watched as she walked away and groaned. Now what was wrong with the Lump? Chasing after her, he found her grooming her monster of a horse. Taking care to stay out of the way of the horse, he asked calmly, "Kel. Do you want to tell me what that was about?" The words were bland, but his tone made it obvious that he was annoyed. Kel ignored him, continuing to groom the horse. "If you don't tell me what I did wrong, I can't fix it. In case you forgot, we are supposed to be trying to get along."
"Why can't you accept that women can fight?" she asked calmly, her eyes not leaving her horse.
"Kel, you can't make me change everything I believe in just because I got you pregnant. I'm a conservative, from a conservative family. I was born a conservative. If anything, you should be trying to agree with my point of view."
"What?" Kel turned to him. "You don't expect me to do that. Do you?" she demanded.
"No. I said we were trying to get along. But you can't expect me to do change my views either."
"I guess you're right," Kel conceded.
"Good. Now that we understand each other…" He leaned in and kissed her.
"Anybody could see us," Kel hissed, pulling away.
"So?" He pulled her closer while her horse eyed them curiously.
"Peachblossom, bite him," ordered Kel. The horse, contrary as ever, blew a raspberry in the air. Joren smirked.
"Have you seen my squire about, Wyldon?" His smirk was immediately replaced by a scowl. With a quick kiss, he strode off. Finding his knight-master, Joren was told to polish Lord Paxton's armour. As he did, Joren wondered why he was so physically attracted to Kel. Whenever he was near her, he was unable to control his need to touch her, to kiss her, while she had no problems in keeping a firm check on her desire. He knew that she did feel that same desire for him, if only from the short amounts of time they had spent together. At least he knew that if he had to spend the rest of his life with Kel, she was a real thinking person, not just the Lump he had known before. Joren had come to terms with his fate, shameful that it was, and found that he did not mind it all that much.
Kel lay in her bedroll that night, thinking about Joren. She knew she had feelings for him, although she didn't know exactly what they were. While she knew she didn't love him, she also felt something more than friendship towards him, even though they had never truly been friends.) Kel slowly came to the realisation that neither of them knew the other very well. Wondering what Joren's reaction to her actions would be, she opened her tent flap and after checking that nobody was nearby, went outside and silently went over to Joren's tent. Upon reaching it, she called his name softly.He opened the tent flap and raised his eyebrows in silent question. Joren closed the tent flap, wearing a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "I didn't come here for that."
Joren arched an eyebrow at her. "Why then?"
"I thought that we should try to learn a bit more about each other, seeing as we are getting married."
He sighed in resignation. "What did you want to know?"
"I don't know. Just tell me things about you."
"Such as?"
Kel sighed. "My favourite weapon is the glaive, I spent six years in the Yamani Isles, I like maths and hate poetry and my favourite colour is red."
He looked at her derisively but humoured her. "My favourite weapon is the sword, I hate etiquette and Master Yayin and my favourite colour is blue. Now, tell me Kel, why do you want to be a knight?"
"I want to learn to fight."
"But why? What made you decide to learn to fight?" Kel quickly told him t about the golden swords and how she saw her mother guard then from Scanran raiders until the Yamani guards came. She briefly wondered how Joren would react as nobody, not even Neal, had heard that story.
Joren nodded slowly. "So what will you do now?"
"Nothing, I guess. Become a 'proper' lady. Nobody else will take me now. They all want people who are unattached," Kel said bitterly despite herself.
"There's nothing wrong with being a lady, Kel."
She scowled at him. "I'm not in the least bit lady like. Could you really see me in the convent?"
He looked at her thoughtfully, then began to laugh softly. "You're right. I could see Queenscove in the convent more easily than you." Kel continued to scowl. This was not what she had planned. She pushed him on the bedroll. Chuckling, he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him down to him, "It's notjust that youare unfeminine, despite your dresses," said Joren, his fingers tracing her neck, "Ican't see you curtseying and flirting either."
Her breath hitched as his hand moved behind her neck. "I see," she said as coldly as she could.
"A lady's life isn't too boring Kel. And you'll be busy raising our children as well."
"Children?" She looked at him pointedly.
"Well, I would like for us to have more than one child," Joren replied, interpreting her question correctly. "It's quite fun making them too," he added suggestively.
"Really?" said Kel archly. Joren didn't bother to answer. He pulled her head down and kissed her.
A/N - Thanks heaps to Carrie from the Dove. This chapter has been split which is why it is a tad shorter (not much though). Please review, I adore reviews.