DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything….

Author's Note:

Hey everyone, guess what? I am back. ducks flying vegetables I know that I said I would be back on at the end of March, but, that didn't happen…lol. Well I am back now, so here it goes!

Kel and Neal stood stiffly as the laughter and dancing continued in the room behind them. Neal wondered about his feelings towards his best friend. Nothing had changed since the last year, and yet it had. Kel was definitely different, but he couldn't quite get his mind to pin point what really drew him to her.

Kel, on the other hand, was wondering what was wrong with her. He's your best friend, what is wrong with you? She didn't want to move in case if by moving made everything real, and not a dream. Her hopes were shattered when two figures walked out toward them.

"Kel?" The lioness approached them and Kel turned to face her and her companion. Prince Roald smiled at them and looked at Neal. Neal seemed to have paled.

"Yes?" Kel said calmly, holding her Yamani mask.

"Roald was wondering if you would dance with him." Alanna said smiling at the girl. Kel smiled and nodded. The prince led her into the ballroom and Kel couldn't help but notice the hurt face of Neal.

"So, liking the ball?" Roald asked as they joined the dance. Kel thought about her answer.

"Why yes, Your Highness." Kel said formally, plastering a smile to her face.

"Oh come on Kel, would you have rather been Luke tonight instead?" Roald asked. Kel opened her mouth to answer and instead was passed to another partner, as the dance dictated. Her new partner was none other than Lord Wyldon. He nodded politely and smiled. Kel raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Soon she was back dancing with the prince.

"Okay, explain." Kel said. She felt completely inept of pretending to be a boy. Roald smiled as the dance ended. He led her to the balcony once more, but Neal wasn't there. They stood at the balustrade and Roald told her of his musings.

"I finally figured it out when you bought that dress. See, I believed you earlier, but once I saw that you were wearing it, everything just seemed to click into place. I don't think anyone else really knows." Roald said leaning against a pillar. Kel studied the garden for a while, thinking about things. She just couldn't believe that there were so many people who knew who she was.

"Neal and Joren know. Along with Myles." Kel sighed, thinking of the long list of people who knew. "Am I that apparent?"

"No, growing up in the palace has taught me to pick up on things. Owen, Cleon. Merric, Seaver and Faleron have no idea. And we were all very close last year, so I say you are doing a great job." Roald straightened and put an arm around her shoulders, leading back into the warm ballroom. Kel smiled at Roald and she was vaguely aware that people saw them. And she knew they would assume that they were closer than friends, and for some reason, Kel didn't really mind. 'Kel' would be leaving soon, the story they had chosen was that she had gone off on her own, and that she had been missing for a while to only end up at distant convent in Galla, learning 'proper' behavior.

When they arrive back in the group Roald is summoned by his parents and the rest of the group claim they are being called away, leaving Kel and Neal alone. Kel raised both her eyebrows and looked at Neal, who in turn looked confused at the retreating backs of their friends.

"Is there something going on I need to know about?" Neal asked Kel shaking his head. He was trying to forget the almost kiss and get back onto safe ground. Kel took the bait relieved.

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask them later. I am actually quite tired. I will see you in the morning." Neal nodded and she left the ballroom. She ran into Lord Burchard of Stone Mountain at the door. He looked down his nose at her.

"I hear that only a convent in Galla would take you." He said smirking. Kel thought about this comment, thinking if she had tried to get into a convent, he would have probably stopped her.

"Indeed milord." She said sweetly, "I had heard that country was so beautiful, and so I went there. I never got the chance to try the one here in Tortall, pity though, seems you have gone through a lot of trouble on my part." Kel smirked at his outraged face and slipped out the door before he could respond. She quickly made her way to the Lioness's rooms and knocked on the door. Waiting a few minutes she opened the door, knowing no one was in there. She quickly changed into her page's uniform and re-dyed her hair and eyes. Double-checking her appearance, she made sure everything was in order.

Nodding, she checked the hall, seeing no one she slipped out, leaving her dress behind. She would send Lalasa to get it in the morning. Kel returned to her room and closed the door behind her sighing, it was good to have been a 'girl' for a while, though she was completely confused about her feelings with Neal.

I will deal with it later, if I have to. Kel thought, collapsing to bed after changing into to nightshirt.

Kel woke before dawn and did a pattern dance, thinking about the ball the night before. Instead of dwelling on things she made up her mind to forget all about it. Lalasa woke and set her things out for the day. After she finished she made her way to the mess hall for breakfast. She was the first of her friends to arrive, they slowly made their way in and sat at the table, everyone looked pale and tired.

"How was the ball?" Kel had given the excuse that she was feeling quite sick and couldn't get to the ball.

Seaver answered, "It was great. Kel was there, too bad you were sick and didn't get the chance to meet her. I hear that she left this morning. I never got a chance to say goodbye though." He looked disappointed, and Kel decided that she would have to tell Alanna, that 'Kel' should go to a few more balls.

"Oh, what a pity. Maybe I will be able to meet her some other time." Kel looked at all her friends, they were very tired. "So when did everyone finally get some sleep?"

Before anyone could answer, Lord Wyldon entered the room and said the prayer. After it was done they all sat down to eat. Kel looked around the table to see who was sitting with them. The prince, who smiled at her, Cleon, Faleron, Neal, Merric and Seaver were all there.

"Where is Owen?" She asked looking around the hall. She didn't spot him anywhere.

"Oh, He got tripped going down the stairs, so Lord Wyldon excused him from dinner." This quiet reply came from the other side of Neal, who was sitting next to her, bleary eyed. Joren didn't look as tired as the rest of them, but just shoved his food around the plate.

"Oh." Kel knew instantly what happened. The hazing had begun early that morning. Even with Owen in their group, Vinson couldn't resist torturing the poor lad.

"So Luke, I see you are feeling better today." Roald commented straight face. Kel nodded, keeping her face blank. "You missed quite the ball. Very beautiful court ladies."

"Oh, I am too young to think of such things." Kel said rising from the table. "I will see you guys at the practice courts. She returned her dishes and returned to her room to get her practice clothes on. Changed, she looked in the mirror. Her blue eyes looked back at her, her black hair was shiny. It was now just below her ears, and Kel decided to grow it out.

"Milady, I fetched the dress. It is in the dressing room, behind my dresses. Well hidden." Lalasa said while she fed Jump. Kel nodded and waved as she left the room. She arrived at the practice courts and started to stretch and warm up for the first class. Having already stretched, Kel was surprised that her arms felt a bit stiff.

Must have been the dancing last night, Kel thought ruefully. She began some simple push-ups and then started to get fancy, using only one arm, with the other behind her back. When finished she stood up and turned, seeing that had an audience. Shaking her head she looked at her friends.

"Anything wrong?" She asked. She looked directly at Merric and he shook his head. The rest of her friends followed suit.

"Where did you learn that?" Owen asked, he had been woken up for morning classes.

"My cousin, the Lioness. She says its great for building up your muscles. I recommend it." She smiled then listened as the teacher began the class. It seemed that the first years were going to learn how to tilt. Suppressing a groan, Kel readied Peachblossom. They were each given a lance and Kel tested the weight of hers. This year no one had given her a weighted one, and so she knew she would have to go to the smithy. After training last year with weighted ones, she decided she liked having them heavy, it helped with building up muscles in her arms.

"Olau, your turn." Lord Wyldon announced to her. She acted like she was nervous and then went for a go at the dummy (sorry couldn't spell 'quintain'…is that how you spell it?). Compensating for the weight Kel hit the shield avoiding being buffeted by the dummy. She knew that she should have missed, but she didn't feel like getting pounded.

"Good job, you may have the morning off. Be sure to be back at Midday." Kel could almost jump for joy. When she passed her friends, most of them gaped. Neal and Roald just shook their heads.

When she got closer to the two she said, "Hey couldn't help it. But I'm off to the smithy, see you at midday." She grinned and unsaddled Peachblossom, telling him he was being a very good horsie, and whistled on her way out of the stables.

Later that evening saw Kel studying in one of the Libraries by herself. She knew it was probably foolish, but she couldn't help it. The books on the table just told her of how foolish she was being. The titles were such as How to Embroider, Proper Etiquette for the Noble Lady, and Courtly Manners for Young Noble Women. Last night told her that if she were going to come back and 'visit' as a 'Lady', she would definitely need to study.

"Why couldn't I just come to my wits and just go to a convent?" Kel asked herself aloud, putting down one of the books. She had a headache and she rubbed her temples.

"Then it wouldn't be as much fun." Kel looked up and smiled at Roald. They had been talking together between classes, finally at ease with each other. Kel was sort of glad that he knew.

"Yeah, but it would have saved me the headache." Kel said, continuing to rub her temples. She closed her eyes and tried to will it away, but to no avail. Suddenly she felt coolness, and the headache was gone. Kel opened her eyes and looked at Roald.

"I forgot you could do that." Kel said. His gift had been a soft blue, like the color of his eyes.

"Yeah, a lot of people do. Even though my father has the Gift, they forget that I had it to." Roald said, rubbing his hands together. He looked at the books on the table and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't get started. I just realized if I am going to 'come visit' I should at least know what I am doing for 'Lady Kel.'" Roald just shook his head smiling. Suddenly he sat straight up and Kel looked at him confused.

"I forgot, my parents just told me who my betrothed is." Roald looked at his hands. For some reason Kel felt uneasy.

"Who?"

"You."

AHH! Cliffie! I know you just love me….some parts were boring, but hey, I needed to do something. I just thought I would try to show you some life…So, Like the developements?

Macko