Chapter 7

Haha okay sorry this is more than a few days but… In my defence, I have 4 projects I just finished a midterm and have 2 more coming up! Hope your days are much better than mine. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the characters.

Meet me by the gate at the first bell after dinner. I have something im—

Kel gave a cry as the sheet of paper was yanked out of her hands. Neal stood over her grinning like the idiot that he was, the said note in his clutches.

"Neal!"

"My dear Keladry, what do we have here? A love letter? A declaration of undying lo-"

"Neal! Didn't you knock?!"

Her best friend rolled his eyes at her. "I did, I knocked and I asked you if I could enter, but you didn't even look up. Now what have we here 'Meet me by the gate at the first bell after dinner. I have something important to ask you. R.' Who is this mysterious R?"

"No one!" Kel tried to snatch the paper back but Neal held it above is head. "Come on Nealan of Queenscove!" She held his shoulder for leverage as she jumped up to grab the note from his hands.

The sound of footsteps made Neal turn, and he looked at the door to see Joren walk by. At that moment, Kel gave a last ditch effort to reach for the note and toppled Neal over as she regained its possession. Glancing to the door, she froze as Joren stopped to narrow is eyes at them, her own widening in surprise. His eyes took in Kel kneeling half over Neal's lanky frame before sliding to the paper in Kel's hands and he stiffened. He gave them a hostile glare before stalking off.

"Wow… that was scary even for Stone Mountain. Who knows what he might do now…" Neal muttered.

Kel shrugged and tried to stuff the note into her pocket, but the movement only reminded Neal of his original task.

"So… Who is this R? Your secret lover, R…" he pondered for a moment and suddenly clapped his hands together. "R as in Ragnal of Durroch?! As in the page who follows Balduin of Disart around, that's your R?!"

Kel punched her friend in the arm. "Ugh Neal, I barely even talk to that group, what makes you think anything is going on?"

"But you didn't deny it! So there is a secret person R… R…. Mithros and Goddess! Its Roald isn't it! Oh Lord, I knew this would happen, Kel you know that you can't be have the crown prince as your secret lover! He's engaged! It's political, I know it's really hard to balance them both but there's something above your love! As much as I support these kinds of romantic stories I really can't-Oh gods this is unbelievable, I can't…!" as Neal talked himself into hysteria, his voice became higher and louder, forcing Keladry to cover his mouth. But he only shook his head away.

"Oh… this can't happen, you can't! You just can't! This isn't good, Roald is to blame, I know you're the perfect and all, but he shouldn't do this. I'm going to talk to him. Come on!"

With that, Kel finally learnt how weight training paid off for Neal, no matter how he tried to act like he was weak during practice. As Neal dragged her to the Prince's room, her attempts to stop him was met by him quickening his pace.

Neal burst into Roald's room with all the ceremony of a madman. Shaking the note at him, he began to launch into a monologue which neither Kel nor the prince could comprehend. As the Prince grabbed the note to start reading, Kel covered her face with both hands.

"Neal."

"… Of course I know that you can't control who you fall in love with, but this clearly will not work out-"

"Neal!" Roald grabbed his friend's arm. "Neal, it isn't me. Look at the handwriting, and look at mine, they are completely different. Besides, I have to be present at the ambassador's dinner today, I couldn't have met Kel today even if I wanted to."

As Neal compared his friend's work and the note, Roald gave Kel a sympathetic smile and shrugged.

"Ugh, then who is it? I won't let this matter rest till you tell me who it is. Kel, I'm your best friend I ought to know!" Neal scowled at her.

"I… I don't know who R is Neal, honestly!" Kel protested. "Maybe the letter got sent to the wrong person! What gate is R talking about? There are hundreds of them even in this wing of the palace."

Appeased but still suspicious, Neal nodded his head and passed the note back to Kel. "Sounds reasonable, but we are still going to study together after dinner. But for now, I can hear my books calling for my presence, I shall heed their call." Fluttering his fingers, Neal walked back to his room, leaving Kel and Roald staring after him.

"Well, I'd better go prepare for my lessons as well," Kel gave a weak smile. Roald nodded, but as she stepped over the threshold, he spoke up.

"Kel, if I were you, I'd keep that note properly. I saw him writing that in class yesterday and he had at least ten drafts saying about the same thing. And the paper costs a gold noble a piece."

Kel whirled around, her eyes wide, but Roald only grinned at her. "Cross my heart, your secret is safe. I'll be sitting with some of the year four pages today, I'll pass on your unavailability? Perhaps R would be happy to see you tomorrow?"

Speechless, Kel nodded and proceeded back to her room. He was going to be furious.

As they sat and said their prayers, Kel tried to act as normally as she would, while she inconspicuously tried to glance over to the fourth-years. Finally, as they got up to return their plates, she saw Roald walk over to the fourth-year tables and pass on the message to him. His face turned into a storm cloud and he gave a terse reply. As he turned over, Cleon draped his arm over Kel's shoulders, making her jump.

"Kel, Moonlight pearls, it would be your pleasure to fetch my personal drying towels, I must have left it in the courtyard just now could you pass it to me when we're studying later?"

"What?! Wait, no Cleon! Not today!" Neal exclaimed, prying Cleon's arm off her. "I have to watch her tonight, she might be meeting some mysterious person!"

"What? What mysterious person?! You can't tell me what I can tell Kel!"

As they began to argue, Kel glanced over but the fourth-years had already cleared and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay Cleon, I'll get your towel, Neal if you really want to you, can follow me there and back. Come on, before we're old and grey!" As she dragged them off, she hoped that he was able to make it tomorrow night.

He paced by the gate, glancing up at every sound. This was one of the few gates that no one visited and it was hidden by shadow. They found it exploring it in the past break together. The only problem was that it was far from the pages wing and she'd probably take a while to get away from her friends. If she was even coming. She was distracted by Cleon of Kennan just as he was about to nod his head at her. A hand grabbed his arm and he whirled around, pinning his assailant to the wall.

"'Ren." Kel smiled in relief up the five inches that separated Joren and was completely at ease despite being held completely immobile by someone strong enough to break her bones. But then again, he was more likely to break his own first before he broke hers. "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to make it tonight, but Cleon distracted me."

"I know," Joren scowled at her. "I was the one who got ignored in favour of some red headed giant who can barely distinguish his sword from a stone."

Kel huffed. "Don't say that about my friends, they're really good people. Imagine what would have happened if Roald knew about us and decided to tell everyone? Although I'm quite sure that Neal and the others would understand if they knew."

At the mention of her best friend, Joren tightened his grip on her wrists. "Yes... about Neal… I really dislike how he's this overly familiar with you. So you can lie over his body but you don't even want me near you sometimes? Really?" He scowled at her.

"Oh Joren! Come on, yesterday was nothing! He took the note and I was trying to get it back from him, we fell and that's all." Attempting to distract him, she tried to slide her wrists out of his grip. "Anyway, you wanted to meet me tonight for…?"

At that, Joren stepped closer to her. "I saw you meeting my brother last week." His blue eyes reflected by the small lantern she had brought, burning into hers.

"Yes, I met your brother, why?"

"You know how dangerous it is to associate yourself with us in broad daylight! My father has spies everywhere! He could harm you or your family anytime and bring them down in an instant!"

Kel gave a small sigh. "You know, Joren sometimes I think his paranoia is one of the strongest that he passed on to you. Your father is busy with the landslides issue and the Copper Isles trade problem at home, you told me that yourself, he doesn't have time to send spies to watch your brother!"

"Well now I'm saying that he does! And it's not just him! There could have been so many others watching you two and reporting back to him!" Joren pressed closer.

"Jayce's relationship with your father is really bad and you know how many people lie to him just to curry favour! He was even in disguise Joren! You're being really paranoid for something that…" Kel stopped as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Joren. Are you jealous of me meeting your brother?"

Joren coughed and released her hands. "No I'm not! I'm just really worried for you both! And I'm just angry that Jayce made you so vulnerable when he shouldn't even be leaving the University to find you or meeting you near the palace or kissing you on the cheek!"

The stunned silence that followed was only matched by Joren's burning cheeks. He squeezed his eyes shut wishing the ground could swallow him up. As he opened one eye, then another, he found that Kel was looking at him with the strangest expression on her face. In a passing thought, he found that she looked unbelievably pretty just at that moment. Turning away, he was stopped by her hand on his arm.

"I'm not in love with Jayce that way, Joren. He's just like another brother to me. Just as the other boys will just be my friends, you are the only one, Joren." She told him quietly, unwavering and in that confident voice that made him believe her wholeheartedly.

As he turned to face her, her hazel eyes caught his and he fell into them again. Pulling her against him, Joren reveled in her warmth, into the escape that she brought him. He felt her smile against his chest and courage unfurled inside him.

Leaning down, he pressed a hand to her neck and cupped her cheek with the other. He stared into her startled eyes and the courage left him, instead, they left him only with a leap of faith that he took to press his lips against hers. The sounds of the night muted out, everything fell away, he could barely hear the sound of the evening bell chiming, the lantern, the gate and shadows blurred and there was only her.

The next update will not be as soon due to horrible stuff known as Uni, but anyway I've been listening to Mackenzie Johnson on youtube (random fact) and I got an asshole B for my assignment which I'm really sad for at the moment :( Yea well, I'm ranting as usual… okay I don't know how to end off so… well… just… bye