Because she was in a mood, Kel saddled Hoshi and took the mare out for a ride. As they explored Kennan, Kel felt the storm in her chest slowly begin to settle.
The forests were thinned by the recent floods, only the biggest trees and youngest saplings remained. Hoshi delicately navigated through the debris, taking in the disaster area with her usual calm eye.
Kel steered Hoshi through the new growth; the Lady Knight was determined to be as calm as her horse. "I am stone." Kel muttered under her breath. She pictured a calm, sunny lake in her mind's eye. Hoshi snorted and jostled Kel out of her thoughts.
Kel patted the mare's neck ruefully and dismounted. "I suppose stones are no fun to carry." Kel murmured. Hoshi tossed her head in agreement.
Twigs snapped behind her, and Kel spun around quickly. There was a horse and rider approaching. Kel grabbed a hefty stick and planted her feet. Better safe than sorry.
As the rider came closer, Kel saw he was dressed as a nobleman. The cloak was dark leather, and the tunic underneath was a lively green. His boots were adorned with ceremonial silver spurs; his hose were a soft cream color. The horse was dappled gray; Kel estimated it was seventeen hands if it was an inch.
He stopped several feet in front of her and bowed in the saddle. He was tall, with silvering blond hair and coal-black eyes. "Good sir, I apologize if I startled you…
The man frowned as he noticed the doubled-banded badge on her chest. "Lady Knight." He amended. "You must be Keladry of Mindelan. I am honored. Anders told me all about you." He paused. "He neglected to mention you were so beautiful."
Kel felt a sharp pain in her chest. He was obviously trying to be polite, but the compliment fell flat. Even up close, he'd thought he was addressing a man. She forced herself to smile.
"Any friend of Anders is a friend of mine." She replied. Kel started to bow, and thought better of it. Instead, she gave him a shallow curtsy. He nodded respectfully and dismounted his own horse.
"I am Pavel of Pearlmouth, Godfather to Cleon of Kennan."
Kel tried not to let her surprise show. Her brother planned to match her with a man old enough to be her father? It happened in court occasionally, but she'd never imagined…
'What did you expect?' Kel thought grimly. 'To marry for love?'
8888888
Dom lazed in the sunny afternoon at Kennan. Out in the field, he was removed from Anders and the inquisitive Mindelan family. He chewed absently on a piece of long-stemmed grass.
Dom pulled a letter from Meathead out of his breast pocket. He broke the seal and skimmed the letter's contents.
"My Dear Cousin,
In the nicest possible way, I write to suggest that you treat Kel with the respect she deserves. From what I've gathered, her family won't. She recently admitted to me that her sisters-in-law used to call her "the cow." DO NOT TELL HER I SHARED THAT SECRET. Our Lady Knight is more vulnerable than she leads us to believe. The Protector of the Small may require your protection, at least socially. Try not to be your oafish, womanizing self for once. If I find out she was harmed on your watch, you can look forward to a life of warts and ingrown toenails.
Yours cheerfully, Nealan of Queenscove
P.S. Yuki says she'll give you a painful lesson with her glaive if Kel isn't returned in one piece.
P.S.S. In the name of decency, I can't write what the men-at-arms say they'll do to you if something should happen to their Lady. For your sake, and hers, be careful."
Dom laughed aloud and tucked the letter away. Ah, poor Kel. It was a good thing Neal had written that letter. Now her sudden need for a man made sense. Kel normally abhorred asking for help. She was independent to a fault; although she understood command well enough. Dom sighed and lay back in the grass.
Once again, he wondered why in-the-name-of-Kyprioth's-ear-wax he agreed to come. His mind considered and discarded several fanciful reasons. No, he did not expect Kel to fall for him. It had taken him a brief span of two weeks to realize she was immune. Still, Kel was his friend, so he was here to help. After what they went through in Scanra, Kel's matchmaking grandmother would be small potatoes.
He dozed off, but was re-awakened by the pounding of hooves against the earth. He blinked blearily and stood. Kel and Hoshi galloped back to the gate, with another horse and rider in tow.
Dom rose and dusted himself off. Ruefully, he realized he looked rather pitiful for a nobleman with a family in the Book of Gold. He wore a retired uniform from the Own; the tunic was faded and the hose were worn at the knees. He probably resembled Stefas rather than Milord.
He waved down the riders, and Kel adjusted their course to meet him. Hoshi trotted to a stop and nudged Dom good-naturedly. The sergeant blew politely on the mare's nose, and Hoshi responded by lipping the front of his tunic.
Kel looked horrified, "Dom, I—
Dom waved his hand aimlessly. "Don't apologize, Mindelan, I'll just have to wear something different to the feast tonight."
Kel expertly turned her chuckle into a small coughing fit.
The second rider had been several yards behind Kel, and by the time he caught up, Dom's old tunic was covered in horse spit.
The two men eyed each other; both were unsure what to make of the situation. Kel explained, "Pavel of Pearlmouth, allow me to introduce my friend, Domitan of Masbolle."
Pavel peered down at Dom. The older man spoke slowly, as though piecing information together on the spot. "Anders mentioned…Dom, is it?" Pavel glanced over at Kel. "He is your…guest for the celebration, correct?"
Because Kel came from a family of diplomats, she ignored Pavel's dry tone and deliberate hesitation. She dismounted and placed an affirming hand on Dom's shoulder. "Yes. Dom is my escort for the ceremony."
"That's correct." Dom chimed in. "We're very old, dear friends. Kel and I served together under Lord Raoul in the King's Own."
A look of mild distaste crossed Pavel's features. "The Own is not what it used to be." He sighed regretfully. "When I served…" He caught himself. "Many of the changes are for the better." He amended hastily. "Certainly, the realm needed a new fighting force after the gate to the divine realms was opened. And the return of Lady Knights has inspired the nation's womenfolk, thereby garnering extra fighters. I meant to say that the Own used to be a more…selective group." He re-gathered his reins and straightened his spine. "It was pleasant to meet you, Keladry. I look forward to perhaps sharing a dance with you this evening?"
Kel politely accepted the offer. Pavel nodded curtly to Dom, and then spurred his horse into a gallop.
Kel and Dom watched as Pavel disappeared. Dom raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What do you need me for, if you've got savants like him?"
"I invited you to ward off 'savants' like him." Kel retorted. "He's an old friend of Anders, but…." She shrugged and looked away.
Dom frowned. "What?" He prompted.
Kel seemed to struggle with herself for a moment. "I don't understand why he's interested." Her gaze bordered on desolate. "I have a small dowry; my noble lineage is only two generations long." She paused and pursed her lips. "It might be that my family is popular in court, thanks to Shinko and the Yamanis. However, Pavel doesn't strike me as a political demon. I never saw him at any of the Court functions I served during my page years."
"You're ignoring the obvious." Dom commented wryly. "Love, attraction…remember all those good things the bards sing about?" He waited and watched her reaction carefully.
Kel's smile was weak and utterly false. "I ignored those for the obvious reasons." She let her words sink in for a moment. "We crossed paths in the forest; at first Pavel thought I was a man. Once he realized his error, he proceeded to compliment my beauty."
Dom snorted. "Of course. I immediately noticed his tact."
Kel loved the ironic note in his voice. She quickly pushed that thought aside; they were discussing Pavel, not Dom. "Sometimes you remind me uncannily of our dear Meathead." She nudged his ribs playfully. "I'll have to make sure you eat your vegetables tonight."
Dom noticed she was smiling again. 'Keep going, Masbolle. She deserves a laugh.' He held up his right hand. "Your wish is my command, Lady." Dom replied gravely. The sergeant threw up his arms in a classic Neal stance. "You have bewitched me with your charm, utterly beguiled me with your grace," he bowed extravagantly, "for you I would brave the perils of the Copper Island Jungles. If you wished me to be silent, I would declare myself a mute."
Kel barely managed to control her urge to giggle. "How would a mute declare anything?" She inquired flatly. "And cut it out, Cleon used to—
She stopped suddenly, surprised at how much that wound still hurt. Kel was certain she was no longer in love with Cleon, but occasionally, she missed the feeling of comfort, respect. As long as she was being honest with herself, Kel admitted she missed that feeling of being adored.
She coughed and shrugged. "I should get back to my rooms; my mother wanted to see me before dinner." She finished weakly.
Without another word, Kel swung her leg up and over the saddle. She gave Dom as crisp salute before spurring Hoshi toward the Kennan residence.
Dom sat back in the grass and rubbed his forehead. He'd never seen Kel so vulnerable, so lonely. She had even grown cynical, for Mithros's sakes. The men had come to see Kel as an idealist, like Raoul.
Dom had to admit, he liked her dry sense of humor. She was practical, and not easily fooled.
But it looked as if Neal was right.
A/N: Hello reviewers,
First off, thank you everyone who has dilgently (and gently) pointed out my errors, you strengthen my story with every critique. Second, I need to address a specific error...the summary. I forgot to update it when I added Chapter 5; those of you following this story may have noticed the nearly month long gap in updates between chapters 4 and 5. I moved recently, and thus had little time to spend writing. This story is no longer on hold, but I plan to finish "Beka's Cat" before updating Kel's story again.
Okay, that was probably tmi for all you just thinking about Kel. But she's my favorite character, so I always want to do her justice.