Chapter 6: A Strange Choice

For the rest of the ride back to Whitley Bay and for the rest of Kel's visit, Hattie refused to talk to her. Kel would be lying if she said she was hurt by it. Hattie's silent treatment was nothing compared to Dom's. Although, Kel did feel a bit sorry for laughing as she had at Neal's insult. Kel had repeatedly try to apologize for her friend, explaining Neal was like that to everyone, but Hattie had only huffed and stalked off whenever Kel tried.

The rest of the visit was a cheerful one. Without having to be faced with Dom on a daily basis, Kel was her old self again. She spent afternoons with her mother, catching up, mornings with Cora, practicing with a glaive, and the evenings she would take Peachblossom or Hoshi out on a leisurely ride around the Bay. But again, Kel would have been lying if she said her thoughts weren't constantly on him. Even if their interactions had been awkward and forced, even if it had been excruciating watching Dom flirt with Hattie, Kel still missed his presence as she much as she always had. Time flew by, however, and Kel tried to keep herself focus on what she was at Whitley for: her niece's wedding.

It seemed that Cora would never fail to surprise her aunt, Kel thought, as she watched Cora on the morning of her wedding. Kel had never seen a calmer bride, and she had attended to both her Yamani friends before their weddings. The fact that her Tortallan niece could beat her Yamani friends in calmness made Kel smile. Cora hummed to herself and gently stroked her new pet, the sparrow of Kel's that had taken a liking to her, although Ilane threatened the bird would be cat food if it left droppings on Cora's dress. The younger woman's eyes were steady and her face was filled with happiness and anticipation. There was none of the usual anxiousness in her even as she stood on the steps of the village's temple, waiting to walk down the aisle.

"Most brides are contemplating running for the hills by now," Kel informed her niece, smiling over at her as Ilane and Lorraine fluffed her hair and her veil. Cora stifled a giggle before pulling away from her cousin and grandmother to peer into the building, trying to catch a sneak of her husband to be.

When Ilane finally shut the door, Cora sighed and turned to her aunt. "I am about to marry a man I love and respect and who loves and respects me. What is there to run from?"

It wasn't until the feast that night, as Kel watched Cora and Arthur stare lovingly into each other's eyes that Kel realized her niece was far wiser than Kel had been at her age.

The next morning, Kel's good mood evaporated as she packed to leave. Cora and her new husband had already left on their wedding trip. Kel had hugged the girl affectionately and given her the sparrow as a wedding present. Kel knew Cora would take good care of him. Ilane was packing up Lorraine and Hattie to head back to Mindelan for a month before they headed to Corus for the end of the summer. Kel kept on a cheerful, calm face but on the inside she was as jumpy as her sparrows when they weren't fed on time. She was heading back to Queenscove for a quick visit. After that, Kel wasn't sure what she would do. She was still on an ordered leave and with her work done at New Hope, she didn't know where she would go.

The morning Kel and her mother were both set to leave, however, plans changed. Just as the four women were waiting in the courtyard of Whitley manor for their horses, Kel looked up to see a courier enter through the gate. A palace courier, Kel realized as she saw his uniform and watched him dismount his horse to ask for directions from a guard. When the guard turned and pointed straight at her, Kel groaned but then quickly cheered up. Perhaps she was getting sent on an assignment. Yuki and Neal might be mad if she cancelled her visit, but she could always visit another time. When certain Own captains weren't there, Kel added with the hint of a frown.

"Keladry of Mindelan?" The courier bowed to the group of noble women and as Kel nodded, he handed her a sealed letter. Cutting the seal with her belt knife, Kel opened it to read the simple order that had been written down by a generic palace scribe.

Kel looked up to see Lorraine and Ilane's eyes upon her. Hattie simply looked bored and impatient as she stood with a hand on her hip. "Their majesties have requested that I return to Corus." She didn't have an answer for her mother's questioning look so Kel simply shrugged and turned back to the messenger. "Tell their majesties I'll leave for Corus immediately."

She asked the courier to bring a message to Queenscove before returning to the capital and then set out on the road with her mother and nieces. At Port Caynn, the group said their goodbyes, Kel to turn to Corus and her mother to head north to their home fief. Kel sat on Hoshi and watched down the road until her family disappeared. Once Peachblossom had decided he'd waited long enough, he turned his head to take a bite out of Kel's leg, but Hoshi was too quick for him and stepped sideways.

"Keep your bridle on," Kel growled at her annoyed warhorse turned pack mule. "We're going."

It took a full day's ride for Kel to make it back to Corus and by the time she closed the door to her suite of rooms it was well past sunset. It was too late for her to have her audience with the King, so she'd simply sent a page to make his clerk aware that she'd arrived and would be at his disposal tomorrow. What the King wanted her for, Kel could only guess. What she was hoping for was obviously an assignment of some kind. She wanted work and had she not proved herself capable enough? Hopefully, Kel though, he'd realize she'd had enough of vacation.

The next morning Kel went down to the Rider's mess. As soon as she'd entered the room, it wasn't necessary for her to look around for a loud shout of, "Lady Kel!" alerted her of location of the person she was looking for. Smiling, she sat down next to Tobe and was caught up on all of his latest training and schemes. She told him of all the news from New Hope and his face took on a wistful look. Kel knew that he missed the place and the friends he'd made there.

After she finished her meal and gently squeezed Tobe's shoulder, Kel headed to the practice courts. A half-hour into her glaive pattern dance, however, she was politely interrupted by a page who stammered, "His majesty would—would like to see you now, Sir—Lady." Kel smiled at the boy and nodded. Great, she thought as she wiped sweat from her forehead and rushed back to her rooms to put her glaive away, hoping she'd have time to change.

Whether or not she was acceptable looking, Kel didn't know as she waited nervously outside the door to the king's office. Her hands didn't shake but she clasped them firmly behind her back just the same as she waited. Finally, the door opened and Kel stood face to face with her old knight master. Kel smiled broadly. It was the first time she had seen him in more than a year. The grin he gave her back as he pulled away from a quick hug made her feel a bit nervous, however.

"What are you up to, my Lord?" Kel asked accusingly, keeping her voice low as she narrowed his eyes at him. That grin most always made him look as if he was up to no good.

"You'll see. Come have dinner in the Own's mess tonight?" Kel nodded, but she didn't have time to ponder his answer or strange behavior for long. The big man had already taken off down the hallway, Kel could hear him whistling, and a servant was ushering her into the king's office.

King Jonathan was as handsome as ever and he had a charming smile on his face, but as always Kel heard her self think how it wasn't as attractive as Dom's. As devoted to her realm as Kel was, she still couldn't bring herself to fully forgive her monarch for the year of probation he had put her through. She would always be loyal to him, but respect was another question. Kel bowed low just the same and took the seat across from him when he motioned for her to sit.

"I trust you had an enjoyable vacation?"

Her Yamani mask kept the confusion and slight impatience from her face as Kel nodded. "It was fine, your majesty."

The king nodded and shifted through several papers he had lying on his desk before he folded his hands together and studied Kel for a moment. "I've been looking over you reports from your work at New Hope, lady knight." Kel's heart sank. Had they not been up to his standards? To Kel's extreme relief, he went on with a smile, "They are very good. It seems you have done fine work at the town just as you did while it was a camp." Jonathan held up a few papers that Kel had not seen before. "I even received a number of recommendations and praises of you from the townspeople. You seem to have gained great respect from them. Most duly earned I expect."

A blush crept through Kel's mask as she bowed her head in humility. "Thank you, your majesty. I was just doing as I was taught and ordered. New Hope's residents deserve as much if not more credit than I do."

The office was silent as Kel folded her hands in her lap and the king studied her for a few moments. Finally he leaned back in his chair. "Of course you must be aware there has always been a gap in the border fiefs and forts." Kel nodded her head, looking up to meet his eyes. She wasn't sure what he was getting at. "The council has decided, and the Queen and myself agree fully, that New Hope shall be promoted to a fief."

Kel's eyebrows shot up, but she was thankful her mouth didn't fall open. Picturing the old camp as a fief was extremely hard for Kel. Picturing it under the control of some ungrateful knight who cared nothing for her people was an entire other matter. Swallowing, Kel tried her best not to squirm as she asked slowly, "Have the people of New Hope been informed of this decision?" The thought of Fanche when she heard the news nearly made Kel wince and feel sorry for the poor soul who would be given the land and title.

The king nodded. "Yes, we sent a courier yesterday and judging by these recommendations, they will no doubt agree with the council."

It was too much for Kel to take and her curiosity soon took over as she asked, "Merric of Hollyrose, your majesty?" It seemed like a strange choice to Kel. The New Hope folk no doubt respected him, but wasn't he set to inherit his Hollyrose?"

When the king let out a chuckle, Kel couldn't help but look at him strangely. Before she could ask, however, the king had raised an eyebrow of his own and explained simply, "You have unarguably done much for the crown and the realm, Lady Knight. Even the conservatives on the council couldn't disagree. New Hope is yours."

It wasn't hard to find Raoul amongst the Own in the mess hall. He was by far laughing the loudest at a table with Qasim and more men that Kel recognized. Her hands balling into fists, Kel stormed up the aisle of tables towards her ex knight master, not hearing the calls of greetings some of her friends amongst the men sent her. When they studied her for a second, most of the men fell silent, not able to remember a time they had seen the lady knight glaring so harshly. Stopping behind Raoul, Kel placed her fists firmly on her hips. As the rest of the men around him went dead quiet, Raoul finally turned to see what they were staring at over his shoulder.

"Oh, hello, Kel! Aren't you going to get your food?"

"You knew."

"The stew is really very good today, you should try some."

"You knew!"

"Push over, Wolset. And the pot pie as well? Divine."

"YOU KNEW!"

Undaunted by the raised voice of Kel, Raoul chuckled and patted the seat beside him. The men all looked at him as if he had two heads. The lady knight looked ready to commit murder and their commander was teasing her. "What'd you do to her, milord? Lerant didn't wake in your bed, did he, Kel?"

Kel barely noticed as the annoyed flag carrier pushed Aiden off his bench as she took the seat Raoul had patted. It was really too much effort to pretend to be mad at the man, especially when she was still in a state of shock from her meeting with the king. Just the memory of it left her breathless. It still didn't mean Raoul was off the hook.

"You knew," she grumbled under her breath as someone passed her a bowl of stew and a piece of bread. She took them gratefully and turned to give Raoul an accusing glare. He merely smiled back at her sweetly.

"Of course I knew." To the men who were watching the scene with raised eyebrow and looks of curiosity, Raoul explained, "Lady Knight Keladry of New Hope. Has a nice ring to it, no?"

Kel hid her face in her bowl of stew as the table fell silent once more. She had a large piece of rabbit in her mouth when suddenly almost every man in the room let out a whoop and Wolset was pounding her on the back.

"About time! Congrats, Kel!"

Kel was too busy choking to thank him and the other men who went on to talk about how long this had been coming. As Kel finally cleared her throat, she smiled gratefully at the men. Perhaps this was really a good thing after all.