A/N: Well, we're now in Lady Knight! Woo-hoo! :D

Chapter Seventeen: Waking Dreams

"The newcomer was a big fellow, a knight from his tunic badge, with curly red hair and gray eyes. Kel froze. It was Cleon of Kennan, her sweetheart. But something was wrong… Here he was, but she didn't feel warm and eager at the sight of him. Friendship was there, but passion was gone.

Worse, a part of her wasn't surprised by the change. They'd been apart for such a long time, with only letters to keep their feelings alive. So much had happened, too much, all of it more vivid and recent than her memories of him…"

-Tamora Pierce, Lady Knight

For the first few months of her knighthood Kel remained in Corus. In that time, she had been receiving one dream from the Chamber multiple times a week, a dream that showed her the Nothing Man, as she had come to call him. Raoul had brought news to her a few days ago that the Scanran clans had been united under one man, Maggur Rathhausak. Tortall would now be in an official war with Scanra, as the King announced when he summoned all the knights and warriors to court that were not already up north.

After that, Kel had revisited the Chamber of the Ordeal. It frustrated her when it wasn't able to tell her the location of the Nothing Man or his killing devices. As she had told the Chamber, her prediction had come true. Now it was the end of March, and King Jon was sending her, along with the rest of the eligible fighters in Corus, up north into battle. She still cursed the Chamber. If it could've somehow told her how to find the Nothing Man, she could've already gone ahead to find him. She wouldn't have had to wait around, and now she was on the orders of the Crown. Disobeying orders was treason, and as a green knight, that was the last thing she wanted before she even started.

However, the images the Chamber sent her were always returning to her thoughts. As they rode north, it was all she could do to get her mind of it. Riding alongside Neal and Prince Roald, however didn't present her with the opportunity of much conversation. Her two friends were too busy thinking of their betrotheds.

That was another thing that had transpired since she had become a knight. Not only was Shinko engaged to one of her good friends, but now Neal and Yuki were engaged to be married as well. Kel was so happy when she had received the news. She could tell they really cared for each other, passed both of their stubbornness.

She often teased Yuki about it, since she always claimed that Neal was so stubborn. When Kel teased her about it after their engagement, Yuki had hidden her face behind her shukusen and said, "Yes, but I'd rather have a stubborn husband than a boring one. It's much more fun to argue. It makes it that much more interesting."

As Kel rode alongside Neal and Roald, she pushed the thoughts of the Nothing Man out of her mind and started to think of her own love life. Immediately Dom came to mind. His dark, slightly tousled hair. His bright blue eyes that almost always held a sparkle of mischief in them. The way he had looked at her after he had kissed her, soft and heated. His long mouth that always held a smile. His warm, soft lips that even the thought of caused Kel's heart to beat faster. His broad shoulders…that kiss…

His warm heart. The way he believed in her without a second thought. The way he had been nervous when he had told her that he liked her. She smiled at the memory.

Kel thought of the last time she had seen him, and the looks and smiles they had shared. She could remember the warmth she had felt when he told her he was in danger of breaking his promise and about to kiss her right then. A big part of her almost wished he had.

She remembered it all like it had happened an hour ago- the day at the lake, when he was hurt in battle, the day she left the Own…it was all vivid in her memory.

"Thinking about a red-headed friend of ours?" Neal asked her suddenly.

Kel started, forgetting where she was.

"And here, you tease us about thinking too much about our sweethearts," said Neal in his usual drawl.

"I'm not thinking about him," retorted Kel, reddening at the truthfulness of her words.

Neal gave her an incredulous look. "Oh sure, you were practically sighing with longing," he teased.

She gave him a narrowed look. "Well even if I had, which I wasn't, nobody would be able to hear it over the warbling notes of one of your love ballads."

"Please," he said, waving it off, "I am above love songs and poetry. That was when I was a mere child."

Overhearing this, Roald smiled, "Wasn't that, like, a year ago?"

Kel laughed as Neal looked at Roald, "A person can grow a lot in a year."

"He's right. I think I've grown a few inches since the last time I saw you two," added Kel. All three of them chuckled at that.

Then silence fell over them again. Neal returned to thinking about Yuki, Roald about Shinko, and Kel about Dom- and Cleon.

Thinking about Cleon, Kel couldn't really remember the way it felt to be in his arms. She couldn't really recall his kisses. The memories of him were fading, unlike all the vivid memories of Dom that she could think of…

Two weeks into their journey, they found themselves in another wayhouse. That night, Kel had another dream. However, this one didn't have to do with Blayce for once.

This time, the setting was an unknown fort. She was walking along the ramparts, when suddenly Dom appeared beside her. In her dream, he had appeared so suddenly, that she jumped and lost her balance. She was in fear of falling off the wall when Dom reached out and helped her steady herself. She thanked him. He smiled and pulled her to him. She smiled back. Slowly, they started leaning toward each other. Closer and closer. Her heart was racing in a pleasing way- until suddenly she heard her name being called. She turned to see who called out her name.

The person Kel saw in her dream caused her to jerk awake. It was just a dream! She felt her body relax.

"Lady?"

She opened her eyes again. Tobe, the young boy she had taken on in Queensgrace a few days ago, was standing at her bedside, looking at her curiously. Kel sat up.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked him. This was not the first time he had appeared at her bedside after one of her dreams. The other two times had both been about the Nothing Man.

"Who's Cleon?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Oh, he's…um, a friend of mine," she replied, not sure how to state it.

"You sounded upset when y' said his name."

"Oh, no, no, it was just a dr-"

"So 's Dom th' good guy, then? Y' sounded happy when y' said his name."

"No, they're both very good friends of mine, Tobe. I was just having a dream, that's all," she reassured him, glad of the darkness that covered her heated face.

"Okay, then," he said, returning to his bedroll, "Sweet dreams, Lady."

Lying back down, Kel thought to herself, You need to be more careful now that you have Tobe. This boy hears everything! Let's just hope he keeps it to himself…

The next morning, they arrived in the village of Wolfwood. Raoul informed them that they would be staying a few days there. On hearing this, Kel and Neal were immediately happy.

"It's about time," said Neal, "I'm looking forward to sleeping most of our stay."

"Don't be so lazy, Queenscove," said Alanna as she walked past them, "We have plenty of things for you to do, and sleeping isn't one of them."

"Sometimes it still feels like I'm that woman's squire," Neal grumbled as she walked away.

"I heard that," said Alanna, still continuing on her way.

Kel laughed at Neal's expression. "Well, I agree with you, Neal," she told him, "Sleep does sound good. I haven't gotten enough of it lately."

"If y' stop dreamin', Lady, then y' should be fine," piped up Tobe, trailing behind them.

She turned to him and said, "You can't just stop dreaming, Tobe." She didn't want Neal to know about her dreams of Blayce and the killing devices, so she started to suggest that Tobe go take a bath when he interrupted her.

"Y' can't? Don' y' have anythin' to stop dreams, Sir Neal?"

Neal chuckled, "No, there is no such thing."

"Then how about somethin' t' give y' good dreams?" he persisted. "Then Lady can have as many good dreams as she wants about D-"

"Okay, Tobe," Kel quickly interrupted, "That's enough out of you. Go upstairs and have a good, hot bath, okay?"

She was lucky that the boy was starting to like hot baths, otherwise he might have revealed all. She didn't know how she would've danced around it if Neal found out. Already he was looking at her curiously.

Do deter his questions, Kel laughed and motioned to Tobe, "Ever since that first bath he had he's been eager to take another."

Neal didn't seem to pay attention. "So who's the lady knight having dreams about?" he asked curiously. Gods! Him and his one track mind!

Kel looked at her best friend, and said quickly, "Dragons. I've always been fascinated by dragons."

"You know, I was there during the Immortals War when Daine appeared on a dragon…"

As Neal continued on, relief flooded through Kel. Thank Mithros for quick thinking and Neal's love of words!

That night at supper, however, Kel felt far from relieved. She thought she was dreaming again!

When she saw the tall red-headed knight walk through the door, she wanted to pinch herself, but no matter how many times she blinked, Kel realized it wasn't a dream. He was there, standing a few feet away from her. Cleon!

Looking at him, nothing stirred inside her like it used to. Gone were her feelings of attraction and affection, overcome with the feelings she felt when she looked at Neal, Roald, and Yuki. The feelings of friendship.

A lot had happened since she had seen him last, the most major being the developments between her and a certain member of the King's Own.

Kel looked down at the table, feeling guilty that just the thought of Dom set her heart pounding while her sweetheart stood in the same room, and she felt largely unaffected by his presence. When their eyes met, Kel saw something in his that she knew was not reflected in her own. She didn't want to break his heart, but she had to break it off with him now. It would be unfair not to when she didn't return his feelings.

When Cleon asked to have a word with her alone, Kel knew this was the time. She followed him outside, her heart pounding...

A/N: Well you know what happens. The next chapter will take place after they break up.

And how about the appearance of Tobe? Were you missing him? Lol. That little nuisance, almost spilling Dom's name! lol, I wonder what Neal would have done…hilarious mental pictures going through head :D.

Anyway, yes, Kel and Cleon are finally broken up! (Aww, poor Cleon!) But we all knew it was coming. I'll update soon!