Chapter 31: Patience is Rewarded

… "If you get called away, I won't be able to see you, and I'll miss you." Rye pouted.

Adalia burst into laughter. Rye looked hurt, and she couldn't tell if it was acting or real. She wiped some tears of mirth out of her eyes and sobered. She then asked teasingly, "Really. And why would that be, my most noble mage?"

His expression turned deadly serious and he grabbed Adalia and said softly, "Because I… I love you, Adalia."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adalia blinked in astonishment. Then the consequences of those words crashed into her, and the air was sucked from her lungs. She pulled her hand out of Rye's, stood up slowly, and as if in a trance, ran away.

She didn't notice Rye kick his chair out of the way in his haste to follow her, she just ran.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rye found Adalia in the stables, pacing up and down in front of her horse's stalls. She looked agitated now that the shock from his statement had worn off. "Adalia…"

Adalia froze in her pacing. She put her face in her hands as Rye approached her like he would a frightened horse.

"Adalia." Rye said again, firmly.

Adalia took a big breath and forced herself to look him in the eyes. His face was set with determination. The next thing he said was so quiet that she nearly missed it, "Do you not feel the same way? If you don't, tell me now, and we can go back to how we were before…" His face flashed with sorrow, but he held her eyes.

Adalia broke the eye contact and started pacing again. She was trying to find the right words, but they weren't coming. Damn and Heck! I'll just have to say something…

Adalia let out a strangled sound and continued pacing. In a slightly angry voice, she said, "No. I.… I love you too, Rye… it's just…"

She chanced a quick glance at Rye, and the beginnings of a smile were playing on his lips. She had to force herself to continue. "…That isn't the problem. The problem is… we've never really talked about what we were doing. Never. I don't want to be caged up by this…whatever this is. I don't want to stop being a squire, or have to give up my shield… It's just, I don't know. I like to be able to do what I want, and I don't know if I'd be able to do that if we were properly together. I can't make that kind of commitment."

Suddenly she stopped pacing, and collapsed on the ground, leaning against a stall door. She felt limp with the release of words, but tension was curling in her gut. She hoped he would understand.

She was shocked to hear soft chuckling and almost flinched when she felt a hand under her chin. His touch was soft, so Adalia raised her eyes to meet his.

Rye's tone was teasing as he said, "Ady, you can be so silly sometimes."

She glared at him, and he laughed. He seemed elated, and she couldn't understand it.

"Ady, we can make this work. I have no intension of making you do anything you don't want to. And about us, all I know is that I want to be with you, and only you. I understand that you don't want to be pinned down, and I accept that. I just ask that we can be together."

Warmth flooded into Adalia through Rye's fingertips. She couldn't help but say, "We were together before…"

Rye shook his head, "Like you said, we didn't say what it was that we were doing. I want you to know that I love you."

His eyes were darkening and Adalia could sense the love and desire in his gaze. He caught her gaze and she realised he was moving closer. She lightly pushed him back, still unsure.

"I don't know…" she whispered, even though her instincts were screaming for her to go unresisting into his arms, his kiss, his love.

Rye kept his hands around her, determined not to let go. He opened his mouth to reassure her, but was cut off by a derisive snort from a nearby stall.

Adalia and Rye snapped around to look at Anika, who was watching them, ears cocked forward. A light voice reached both of them, 'Silly crow. Love now, because you may not be able to love later. You can still fly, nothing can take your wings.'

Adalia raised her eyebrows at the mare, who just whinnied. Even if she didn't want to admit it, horse logic seemed very convincing right about now.

Rye pulled her closer, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him. He was grinning widely, and whispered, "I knew there was a reason I like your horses..." He swept Adalia into a kiss, and she could feel him smiling as she matched his intensity. There were no more reasons to resist.

Long moments later, they broke apart, and Adalia could see Rye grinning like a fool. She felt that she was probably doing the same. She caught his gaze, and said softly, "I love you too, Rye."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Meanwhile: Kel. Not 10 minutes after Adalia exited the room.)

Insistent knocking interrupted the comfortable silence which Kel and Dom had been enjoying after the ever original Adalia had exited the room.

Kel and Dom shared exasperated looks. Dom whispered, "I wonder who it is now?"

Kel yelled, "It's open!"

She couldn't be bothered to extricate herself from Dom's hold, and glanced lazily at the Royal messenger who had entered.

"I have a message for Commander Domitan of Masbolle and Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan and Masbolle …"

Kel sighed and felt Dom's arms tighten around her. The messenger allowed himself an apologetic tone when he said, "The King orders you to join Third Company of the King's Own in the pursuit of an elusive band of raiders that have emerged near the Scanran Boarder."

Kel scowled at the messenger, who threw up his hands as if to prove his innocence, "Don't shoot the messenger! The King said that he ordered you to go because you will be positioned at the township of New Hope until the threat has passed, to fortify their defences. Commander Dom will be leading the men to hunt down the raiders. They are unusually organised for dirty rotten scum, and have proved a threat to other townships closer to the border. There is a chance that nothing will happen, he just wanted to make sure the villagers would be ok."

Kel turned white and stood up immediately, as did Dom. She was about to walk out to the stables to saddle Peachblossom when the messenger shouted that he wasn't finished yet. "He says to depart tomorrow, as he is organising extra supplies for the soldiers so they do not clean out the town." And with that, the man turned and practically ran out of the room.

Kel scowled after his retreating back, "I don't want to wait. What if something happens?"

Dom rubbed her shoulders comfortingly and said, "it won't, don't worry. New Hope is fortified and even if they were under siege will be able to hold out until we get there. You didn't leave them defenceless, and they are fighters. The messenger himself said nothing is likely to happen. The King probably sent you because he knew there was a chance you would go of your own volition if rumours of the threat reached you."

Kel allowed herself to grin sheepishly. He was referring to the time she had heard of a threat to New Hope a few years ago and told the King that she was going. He had no chance to argue, not that he would have dared just about then.

Dom said, "I'll go down and inform the men that we are going. You could always go inform Adalia that you have a mission."

"I'll come with you for the moment. I'll find Adalia after lunch. We can't have the men dawdling." She grinned wolfishly and Dom laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders, and the two of them went down to the Own's barracks.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

After lunch the Lady Knight exited the mess hall with the intension of finding her errant squire. At least I can tell her we have something to do. I bet she'll be happy after what she said this morning…

No matter where she looked, she couldn't find Adalia. The girl wasn't on the practise courts, although there was a long line of pages practising the staff. Kel decided to ask Flick, who was watching them, if she had seen Adalia, or knew where she was.

She approached the Shang, and waited patiently while she corrected the grip of one of the pages. Once Flick had finished, Kel tapped her on the shoulder. The Shang looked up distractedly, but smiled as she saw Kel.

Kel got straight to the point, "Have you seen Adalia? I've been looking for her since lunch, but haven't found her. I thought that she might be training here, but obviously not."

Flick grinned slightly, "Yes, but you've just missed her. Lord Padraig roped her into helping me train the pages. I've got to say, she did a good job of it, even if it was obvious she didn't want to be here. Why are you looking for her?"

Kel was disappointed, but didn't let it show on her face. She said, "We have a new mission from the King, and I need to get her to help me with organising the Own so we can leave on time tomorrow. Where did she go?"

Flick snapped her fingers in disappointment, "Damn. That means she won't be able to help me train the pages. Oh well. She didn't say where she was going, but she headed in the direction of the forest. I think she was headed towards the jousting field or maybe her rooms."

Kel thanked her and went to check those two places. She had no luck in finding her errant squire, however, and the sky was darkening quickly, much to her dismay. I hope Dom doesn't mind doing a lot of organising himself… Kel thought, not in the least bit saddened by missing helping with all the last minute paperwork. Dom would probably just enlist Raoul to help him.

Kel, disheartened, went to have dinner in the mess. She asked around if anyone had seen Adalia, and, as luck would have it, Numair said rather tiredly that he had.

Kel's eyes snapped to the exhausted mage, who was slumped over his meal, and said, "Where?"

Numair looked at her distractedly and said, "She watched my duel with Justin Grenike. She went off with Rye afterwards. I think I heard something about dinner…"

Kel shook her head, smiling slightly. Obviously that was why I couldn't find her, she must have been inside whatever spells they were using to protect the area around their duel.

Daine leaned around her exhausted husband to smile at Kel, "I saw them enter the Rider's mess as I was coming over here… you could check there."

Kel quickly finished her meal and thanked Numair and Daine for their help. Finally I have a good lead! Maybe now I'll be able to find her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, Kel was approaching the mess, hoping that Adalia was still there. She poked her head in and took in the rows of Rider's eating and joking over hot plates of food. Scanning the people for a face she knew, she was tempted to swear and stomp away. A very familiar face caught her eye and waved her over to a nearby table.

"Kel! It's great to see you! What brings you to the Rider's mess?" It was a handsome young man, with blue eyes and blond hair. She smiled and clapped him on the back, taking a seat next to him.

"Tobe, it's great to see you. I hear you were promoted to sergeant."

He grinned, "Yup. Now, what are you here for?"

Kel sighed, "I was looking for my squire, I heard she was here, but it seems as though she has disappeared again."

Tobe laughed. Adalia was infamous for not staying in the same place for long, and many a time Kel would be forced to go looking for her. "Actually, you just missed her –"

Kel raised her hands in annoyance, "You have no idea how many times I have heard those words!"

Tobe's grin just grew wider and he said, "She ran out a few minutes ago."

"Ran out…?"

Tobe shrugged, "She was talking to Rye and then ran. He followed her, though."

Kel sighed. "You wouldn't happen to know where she went?"

Tobe looked thoughtful, and then got the distracted expression he always did while he was conversing with the horses. A few seconds later his eyebrows rose, and then he looked straight at Kel, "She's in the stables, in front of Anika and Sora's stalls…"

"Great, thanks." Kel jumped up and ran out of the mess, towards the stables, obviously determined not to miss her again.

Tobe chuckled, and finished his sentence, even though she wouldn't hear him, "…but I don't think she wants to be found right about now…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kel charged into the stables minutes later to be greeted by an unexpected sight. She stood silently in the doorway, shocked. She had finally found her squire…and she was in a very compromising position. Kel stood silent for a few seconds as she took in the sight of Adalia with her hands wound tightly in Rye's brown hair, his hands around her waist, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

After she had got over the initial shock, Kel said loudly, "Ahem."

The two sprang apart and turned to look at Kel, embarrassment and shock etched on both faces.

Kel was careful to keep her face devoid of expression as she said, "Adalia, we have a mission tomorrow and I need you to come with me."

Adalia smiled brightly and turned to Rye, saying lightly, "Well, see ya!"

Rye was unable to hide his embarrassment as Adalia had done, and his face was red as he murmured a goodbye and practically ran away.

Adalia looked after him and when she turned to Kel her expression was annoyed, "You just had to come at this moment, didn't you?"

Kel raised an eyebrow, "You are annoyed."

"Good guess, Captain Obvious. Do we have to go tomorrow?" Adalia whined.

Kel snorted, "Are you the same person that was saying how bored you were this morning? And anyway, I think I am the one who gets to be annoyed when I walk in on my squire pashing someone." She pointed out.

"Of course I am the same person, it's just that suddenly the palace has become much more interesting. About you being angry with me; you didn't seem at all inclined to yell at me, so I decided I would be the one lecturing. Oh, and I bet that knight masters have been walking in on their squire's pashing someone for centuries, and it's only because I happen to be female that anyone cares. Does that answer your questions? Oh, and Rye isn't just some random guy."

Kel rubbed her temples. Somehow, most conversations with Adalia ended up like this. "Well, too bad. We are travelling tomorrow with the Own to New Hope, to boost their defences while Third Company cleans out a dangerous group of bandits that have been attacking towns near the Scanran border. Since you are my squire, you have to come as well. And you didn't give me a chance to lecture you. Be quiet and come help me prepare the supplies."

Kel's usually ample temper was close to breaking point, and Adalia decided not to test how far she could push the knight, sensing that it wouldn't be a good result for her. So, instead of arguing pointlessly, she followed silently in Kel's wake.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lol. I hope that people liked it, cos I sure had fun writing this.

Some smart cookies may have figured out that the title of this chapter doesn't match anything in the story. That is because I decided to make it out to all you lovely readers that waited oh so patiently for this chapter: )

Please Rate and Review, and I hope that no one is disappointed.