Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tamora Pierce.
"I thought you said you were going to tell him today." Neal spoke from behind the fitting room curtain. "He's at the palace, you know. You're going to have to face him at dinner."
Although Neal never mentioned his name, they both knew who he was talking about. Kel had always promised herself that one-day she would tell Cleon but she had managed to put it off till the end of the war. They had been back at the palace for three days and had been avoiding him.
Anders was now almost four years old and every day he looked more like Cleon: he was tall for his age with flaming red hair and piercing grey eyes. He loved the many corridors of the palace and Kel had quickly become exhausted chasing him all over the giant rabbit warren. His favourite game had fast become knights, he would insist they go down to watch people train in the knight's practice courts and then try to copy them. Kel's fellow knight's also found it very amusing to watch "The Yamani Lump" display so much emotion as she pretended to be the damsel in distress.
Kel stepped out from the fitting booth, showing Neal her new dress, "Cleon's a married man, now. And from what I hear, happily married." Pause. "What if he doesn't want to be part of Anders' life?"
"We've been through this, Kel. Anders is wonderful, everyone thinks so. Cleon will want to be a part of his son's life." Neal spoke kindly and she knew he was telling the truth. "The dress is good, by the way. Merric will love it." Neal winked at her, trying to lighten the mood with talk of the upcoming balls to celebrate the end of a long war.
"Thanks Neal. Now lets get going, if I'm going to tell Cleon before Anders is a real knight, it had better be today." The two friends walked back through the city, Neal chatting easily to try and keep Kel relaxed. He could tell it wasn't working as Anders ran up to meet Kel at the gate: she had her Yamani Lump face on and Kel never wore her Yamani Lump face for Anders. Never.
***
"I don't want to wear my good clothes, Mummy. I don't want to!" Anders was about this close to throwing a temper tantrum.
"Now Anders," Kel said in a firm voice, "Would a good night start whining just because he had to ware good clothes?"
"No, Mama." Anders hung his head.
"And are you go to be a good boy for Mummy when we meet Sir Cleon Kennan?"
"Yes, Mama."
Anders was usually had such a cheerful disposition and scenes such as these were rare. He had his tantrums, as every three year old does, but Kel realised her stress must have seeped through to put him so out of sorts this early in the day.
***
Kel took a deep breath and straightened Anders tunic a final time before knocking on Cleon's door. She was glad he was staying here in the knight's wing, it meant he had not brought his wife to Corus and this was not a conversation she wanted to have with Ermelian of Kennan.
Cleon lumbered over to the door. He still had a hangover from some solitary celebrations the night before – okay he would admit it, he was drinking alone. He had not expected anyone to come and see him this morning, all of his year mates had other plans for today. Expecting to have one such knight demanding he came down to the practice courts before lunch, he flung the door open unceremoniously.
Kel thought the shocked look on his face was priceless as he looked first from Kel and then to Anders, both standing at his door in their Sunday Best. His jaw dropped slightly before he quickly straightened himself up, ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair, and swept into a low bow. He was now glad he had fallen asleep with his boots still on last night.
Kel finally couldn't hold it in anymore, she giggled as she curtsied and Anders gave his most formal bow, then swept Anders into Cleon's rooms ahead of herself.
Inside his room, Cleon was looking more confused by the second as his eyes flicked from Kel to Anders and back again. Kel almost started giggling again as she realised he had no idea who Anders was, even after seeing him.
"Cleon, I would like to introduce you to Anders. Anders, this is Sir Cleon of Kennan, knight of the realm." Cleon rose his eyebrows, even more confused by his formal introduction. Answering his unasked question Kel added, "Anders has his heart set on being a lone knight, rescuing princesses, fighting off barbarians and raiders, and we thought you might be able to talk to him about it."
Cleon smiled, "Well, I'd be honoured to tell you all about it Anders, but I would think Sir Keladry could have told you all you want about being a knight and then some." Cleon looked up at Kel in admiration, "She doesn't like to boast but Sir Keladry has been on more adventures than you've had Sunday dinners."
Anders looked up at Kel with veneration in his eyes, "You've been on adventures, Mama?"
Kel looked back at Anders with love as shock and then anger flashed across Cleon's face, "I'll tell you about them later darling. We're here to listen to Cleon's adventures today." Kel flashed a warning glare at Cleon.
Cleon looked back at Anders and forced a smile before launching into extravagant tales of bandits, immortals, and saving a princess or two.
Half a bell later Neal knocked on the door and Kel, expecting him, answered the door. "Does he know?" Neal whispered, looking pointedly at Cleon.
"Yes, but we haven't had time to discuss it yet."
Anders, hearing his mother whispering to his "uncle" Neal, looked up suspiciously. Neal had formerly had been his hero: playing games, healing him, and standing up to his mother's regime of five serves of vegetables a day; hero in the past tense now he had met Sir Cleon.
"Time to go, Anders. We're going to lunch while you mother has a talk to Sir Cleon." Neal saw the tantrum approaching and added quickly, "We want to get lunch before your mother comes down and then I'll take to down to the practice courts and play swords." Kel smiled thankfully at him as Anders got up and trotted out the door, eager for seconds of sweets at lunch and playing with his new wooden sword.
***
Cleon's face had contorted into one of anger after Anders had left the room. "Mama, Kel?" Cleon glared at her, "I expected someone else would steal your heart, I've even heard stories about you and Merric, but I never expected you to get over me that quickly!" Cleon's face clearly portrayed the rage and hurt he was feeling.
"Cleon." Kel voice was cold and angry now, and Cleon paled at the thought, "Anders will be four in two months. Now think, what were we doing a little over four years ago?"
Cleon was more stunned than ever and looked shaken. "Oh." His face had blanked now but a million thoughts were rushing through his mind. "You… you should have told me Kel. You know I would have married you in an instant. I loved you. And now I'm a married man and can't do anything about it. I still love you, Kel."
Kel's face had softened during his speech, "That's why I didn't tell you Cleon. You would have rushed in and done the honourable thing, and your people would have smiled. I loved you too, but I love Merric now.
Merric loves me and he loves Anders, but he will never be Anders' father." Kel's voice was hardly audible now, "He'd like it if you would be in his life. He doesn't know you're his father, and he's never questioned why he doesn't have a father, but he will soon. I'd like it if you could be there for him then."
"I'd like that too."