Chapter 3: Averting Disastor
Kel was able to avoid her nieces and the rest of her family for that matter until dinner that evening. It was at the same time that she was introduced to Cora's intended husband, Arthur. He was a nice enough fellow, Kel decided as she was placed across from him at dinner. Like her eldest niece, Arthur didn't seem interested in idle chatter and after a few polite yet curious questions about a few battles during the war, he returned to his dinner. Kel had learned from her mother before dinner that Arthur had been in the Own for several years. Ignoring the lurch the sound of 'The Own' gave her heart, Kel didn't get time to ask the particulars before her mother explained that Arthur had received an injury that had led to his early retirement.
Seated beside her mother, Kel received more gossip from Mindelan as she tried to devour her dish of lobster without looking at the tiny black eyes that stared up at her. Ander's son had gone for his shield the previous midwinter, and although Neal had informed her of his having passed his ordeal without trouble, Ilane explained that he was now patrolling the Tyra border. Lorraine and Hattie had no chance to question their aunt as they were seated at the other end of the table, having a lively discussion with Arthur's father about what, Kel could only guess. Kel originally thought the bride to be was slightly morose as she stared down at her plate in silence, as everyone around her seemed in good spirits. Was she not looking forward to her wedding in the coming week? Kel had to wonder as she watched Cora from the corner of her eye. The glances that Cora gave her fiancé during the dinner, however, set Kel's mind at ease. The gaze was filled with something like awe and Kel could clearly read the affection there. The girl was lucky, Kel realized, to have found a husband she truly cared for. Kel only hoped her other nieces would be as lucky.
She had long ago given up hope for herself.
Eyes passing over the others at the table, Kel couldn't help but wonder about the lack of guests so soon before the wedding. Besides the members of Kel's own family that were there, there were only Arthur's parents and a sibling or two present that evening.
Her thoughts were interrupted and her questions soon answered as Arthur's father, Lord Farrell, broke off his conversation with Lorraine and Hattie to announce to his dinner companions, "Before the heavy flow of well wishers comes in on the eve of my son's wedding to his lovely fiancé, our presence shall be graced by an early guest who is arriving tomorrow. Is he not, Arty? A certain Captain of the King's Own, no?"
The girls quickly went into action, looks of excitement clouding their faces as they demanded in unison, "Who? Who?" Everyone turned to Arthur for an answer, but all they got was a small smile and a shrug. Kel was the only one not to join in the curiosity, but no one seemed to notice as her entire body went rigid. Rather than pestering poor Arthur who was just trying to eat his dinner, she was praying to Mithros, the Goddess, the Black God, anyone who had any say to please not let this be a joke from the Trickster god. It took great concentration to keep the panic off her face. I am stone, she thought over and over in an effort to keep calm. I am stone.
Finally, Arthur swallowed his last bite and answered softly, "Captain Domitan of Masbolle is on his way to visit kin near here and wrote that he wished to give his congratulations in person before the wedding."
Kel swore under her breath, but as both Hattie and Lorraine had nearly gone into fits of hysterics only Arthur had heard. Kel met his eyes before lowering them apologetically and burying herself in a cup of rice pudding. He only seemed to look at her quizzically for a second before Lorraine and Hattie were upon him once more.
"Domitan of Masbolle? When I was at court last, I remember hearing he had quite the reputation," Cora commented with a slightly uncaring voice. She seemed more interested in the silverware she was weighing in one hand.
Hattie gushed, "I heard he's the most handsome man in the Own! And quite rich, as well. The Crown gave him quite a purse for some heroic thing he did during the beginning of the war. Plus his pension as a captain!"
"With commanders of the Own permitted to marry, you may want to watch out for these two," Farrell jokingly instructed Ilane, gesturing towards Lorraine and Hattie who both appeared transfixed at the idea of snatching up such a sweetheart.
Ilane smiled diplomatically, but her voice was as stern as it was polite when she finally replied, "Well, I'm sure both my granddaughters will remember they are representing Mindelan when ever they are in society. Especially in the society of rich Own captains." Both girls glanced at their grandmother and then each other before looking down, slightly red faced.
As everyone went on chatting about the illustrious captain, Kel didn't hear a word of it. To her companions she may have looked nonchalant or even bored, but inside she felt as if she was going to either explode or cry. Why had she agreed to come here? She should have explained to her mother she had work to do. She should have asked the king to reconsider his mandatory leave. She could have stayed on at New Hope. At least when she was busy or when preoccupied she could try to convince herself her heart had moved on, that it no longer had any concern for the past. However, just at the slight mention of his name, Kel's world came crashing down. Forget the fact the he was even in the same country with her, now he was going to be in the same Fief!
In Mithros' name, how was she ever going to get through this?
"Domitan…Why does that name sound familiar?" The rest of the table had moved on to other topics of discussion, but Ilane leaned towards her daughter, her voice curious.
Kel swallowed before picking up her napkin as a way to avoid her mother's eyes. "He's a cousin of Neal's." Ilane gave her daughter a look of concern but just nodded her head as Arthur's mother engaged her in conversation from across the table.
As she was finally able to shut the door to her room, Kel wasn't sure she could remember a time she'd felt more grateful to finally be alone. With the door closed, she leaned against it heavily and rested her head on the wood. The rest of dinner had been torture, trying to make polite conversation in between segments of relaying gossip anyone had heard about their future visitor. The heroic deeds he'd done, the court ladies he was rumored to have been engaged to at one time or another, and anecdotes Arthur relayed about their time in the Own together were just a few of the reminders Kel had to endure. Thankfully, her mother had kept mum about Dom's relation to her daughter's best friend, otherwise Kel might have been forced to join in the conversation. Something Kel wasn't quite sure she could have survived.
Turning away from the door, Kel stopped short as she turned only to face a dozen small faces that were looking up at her curiously. Jump, now an old man in dog years, didn't even bother to raise his head from her comforter as he inspected her with his one good eye. The other had glazed over and, Kel suspected, was now useless to her old friend. The sparrows were perched either on Jump or on other posts around the room. Sensing something was the matter with their human, all the animals were quiet as they watched her with unnatural concern.
Kel sighed as she stared from one small face to another before finally rubbing her weary eyes with the back of her hand. "I hope you all feel lucky you're not human." In reply, Jump let out a groan before shutting his eyes and thumping the bed with his tail.
For one of the rare times since Kel had started page training, she slept in. She had lain awake the previous night, her mind drifting to the obvious as she fought back tears. Almost as badly wounded as her heart had been at losing the man she loved was her pride. It had been five years and yet she still cried for him? The whole situation made her feel weak. The sun was already shining through the shutters and the sparrows had been peeping for a time to be fed when her mother roused her from a surprisingly deep sleep. Blinking, Kel looked out from under her covers to see her mother smiling down at her, all three of her nieces not far behind her.
"How late is it?" Kel asked as she pushed off her covers, being careful not to disturb anyone, but as she looked around all of the sparrows were posted like sentries on the foot of her bed and Jump had disappeared, most likely to steal his breakfast. One sparrow, however, a new one that had joined Kel's flock at her recent stay in New Hope, was perched on Cora's index finger. The girl was smiling down at the bird as she stroked it's back gently. Both bird and girl were obviously enamored with each other.
"Well past sunrise, dear," Kel's mother answered, shooing the girls as she led Kel behind a screen to change. Realizing she had no clothes, Kel turned to her drawers, but Ilane had already shoved a green linen shift at Kel along with a pale yellow over gown. Kel merely raised her eyebrows at her mother, but without question she went behind the screen and dressed. To her shock, both shift and gown fit like gloves. Once her lacings were tied and she returned from behind the screen, Kel saw a number of other dresses laid out across her bed.
"Lalassa refused to let me leave Corus without some new gowns for you," Ilane explained. "She was sure that you must have ruined all yours in the north."
"And you couldn't attend my wedding in mail. Could she?" Cora addressed the question to her new pet. The bird peeped up at her in reply as he leaned his head against her finger affectionately. Kel, not realizing that this one of her nieces was no blunt, couldn't help but smile at her.
"I think he likes you." Cora looked up, her eyes hopeful before she looked back down at the passenger on her hand.
"The Captain is supposed to arrive before night fall, Aunt Keladry!" Hattie couldn't hold it in any longer and she was absolutely hopping with excitement. Lorraine was more dignified in her enthusiasm as she grinned at her sister. Cora honestly looked as if she'd already bored of talk of the handsome captain and seemed about to say so before Kel cut her off.
"It's just Kel, Hattie."
"Aunt Kel then, have you have ever seen this captain? You've spent more time at Corus than—"
"Try these on, specifically the blue one. If they don't fall right, I want to get them altered before Cora's wedding." This time it was Ilane who interrupted Hattie's banter. She shoved three more gowns into Kel's arms and shooed her behind the screen, giving Kel a chance to consume herself. Kel sent a silent thank you to her mother as she took her time trying on each dress.
It felt strange wearing a dress, Kel thought, adjusting her yellow gown once more as she walked with her mother and nieces. They all seemed perfectly at ease. None of them continuously tripped on the hems of their gowns or had trouble climbing stairs. Kel realized with a start that it had actually been three years since she'd worn a dress during her last stay in Corus.
"What did you wear in the north then?" Lorraine asked, her thin eyebrows knit together. "Breeches and shirts?" The girl asked it sarcastically and, wondering what Anders had been teaching his daughters, Kel made a mental note to bring her nieces to the Riders mess the next time they went to Corus. It would be an eye opening experience the girls definitely needed.
"Well, you can't exactly fight bandits or put up houses in a dress, can you?" When Hattie gave her a look that she clearly didn't know the answer, Kel sighed and simply gave up. The Riders mess it was then. Kel decided not to shock them too much by pointing out that the Queen more often wore men's clothes than not.
The four were making a trip to the village after noon meal. Jump trotted behind them, floating in and out of the bushes. Sometimes Kel would hear him crashing through the underbrush, chasing a rabbit or rodent, but he always returned to the road empty handed, his tail held high as if he was just having his fun. The trip was being made on the pretense that Cora needed to purchase some jewelry for the big day, but Ilane had confided in Kel before they left that she wanted to distract Hattie from the impending arrival of a certain visitor. Little did her mother realize that Kel hoped it would serve as a distraction for herself. Every horseman that came their way between the manor and the village, however, made Kel jump and she realized that this was not going to work.
The way back to the manor was worse. Kel had faced immortals, being charged with treason, armies of fierce Scanran soldiers, and many run ins with the kraken, but nothing could describe the terror she felt as she got a step closer to the manor. What if he had already arrived? Just the thought of facing him after all of these years of avoiding him made her throat tighten and her heart work double time. Had he found himself another love? How much had he changed since they parted? Would he even recognize her? Would he still be bitter with her? The worst of all of those was the first, but Kel tried to put it out of her mind.
Kel's thoughts were far off on Dom as she followed her mother through the courtyard of Whitley manor that she didn't notice the stray root that projected from the ground. It wasn't one of Kel's proudest moments as she fell like a cut tree to the ground, the sound of her dress ripping filling the air. As the dust settled around her, Kel looked up at the three other women, Ilane's eyes crinkling in amusement, Lorraine and Hattie both looking horrified, as Cora openly smiled and offered her aunt a hand.
"Don't lady knights have to be graceful as well as strong?" Cora asked.
Kel took her hand and replied with a lopsided smile, "They never mentioned it in training." As soon as Kel put her weight on both feet, she let out a hiss of pain. Her left ankle had bolts of sharp pain going through it and as she pulled up her dress slightly, she could see it was already beginning to swell. "Wonderful."
It took Cora and Kel's mother to help the lady knight to her rooms. Once she was changed into a clean dressing gown, they sat Kel down in a chair and examined the affected ankle.
Cora looked up at Kel apologetically. "We only have one slight healer in the Bay and I'm afraid she's not very good."
Turning to look out the window, Kel could see the sun was already setting. "I wouldn't want to bother her. I think I'll live until tomorrow."
"You won't be able to walk on it until then at least," Ilane pointed out as she looked at her daughter thoughtfully. "We'll have to have dinner sent up to your rooms."
It was then that Kel realized what a blessing this actually was and she couldn't help but cheer up. It would mean an extra night of avoiding Dom. The pain she could take, she'd felt much worse in her time. Perhaps she could even get out of showing her face tomorrow as well. Hopefully by then, he'd be gone.
"You won't get to meet the handsome captain," Cora drawled, rolling her eyes as Kel wondered if her niece could read minds. "But I'm sure Hattie and Lor will fill you in on every single word he'll utter so you shouldn't worry."
Kel barked out a laugh and ushered the two women out of her room with assurances that she'd be fine. Once they were gone and Kel had collapsed on her bed, she became aware that Jump was gone, but she didn't think too much of it. Most likely he'd simply gone to harass the kitchen staff. Closing her eyes, it was easy for her to fall into a peaceful sleep, aware that through one disaster she had averted another.