Miliko's POV

'Mmm, he is sooo hot. I wonder if what Shadi said is right, and he's going to marry Yukimi. Not if I can help it. He's mine. No one else is going to have him. Even if I have to trash Yukimi's reputation.'

"Have you sorted things out with Yukimi yet, Neal?" I heard Milord Raoul asking.

"No, not just yet." Neal answered.

'He is so hot. And available, going by this conversation. Time to take action. "Neal, how kind of you to meet us halfway to your tent. That was very kind of you." I said. Neal looked at me, smiling. He has one killer smile.

"That's okay." I was being hypnotized by his smile. Rather odd, such white teeth in a place like the Middle Ages.

"Have you and Yukimi broken up?" I just had to check if Shadi's information was right. He frowned, bingo!

"Yes, but I hope we can fix it up." Damn. Strike one!

"I hope you can too." I smiled, lying through the skin of my teeth. Neal glanced at my hand. It had a small scratch on it. And the scratch was glowing pale yellow.

"You have the Healing gift." He commented.

"Do I? I didn't know." I commented, rather absently, entranced by the blackness on my hand. The scratch had almost vanished.

"You mean you haven't had training?" Neal asked.

I looked up at him quickly. "No. I never knew I even had the smallest gift, till I started killing wolves, in that clearing back there. Where are our bags?" I asked, all in one breath.

"Your bags are in your tents, which are next to mine and my knight mistresses. And why didn't you know that you had the gift, and a strong one at that?" Neal asked, staring hard at me.

I thought hard. "Because there was no history of the Gift in our family, nor Myanh's or Shadi's." I answered. But what if they decided to do a background check on me?

"Okay. Then we'll have to get you a teacher. Alanna should agree. And Shadi could get lessons from Daine, and Myanh can join you. That okay?" Neal queried, obviously thinking hard, considering I had had no training, and was not likely to have any control at all. My magic at the moment was on automatic. Who knew what could happen?

"Yes. But, we're at your tent, why did you want me?" I asked. I could have kicked myself.

"Because Myles is here, and wanted to talk to you. He asked me to make sure you were fresh and ready to talk to him, and the king. And Alanna. You'd better be polite." I smiled. Alanna, yelling at me. Time to test Tamora Pierce's writing skills. Is Alanna really as fiery as Tamora says she is? Experiment two. Experiment one being: Can I get Neal to like me?

"I'm fine to talk. I can't guarantee I'll be polite though. I want to see the Lioness blow up." I smiled, and Neal shook his head at what he thought, and rightly so, was stupidity. As I was about to find out.