What's that really formal apologies you see in animes all the time? Dogeza? I'm doing it now. I'm sorry it's been such a long time. I bet many of you thought I gave up. I'm still here. RL issues are very big right now but I write when I can. Thanks to everyone who is still reading this story.
Kel had tried to argue his decision to purchase a house, citing that their time in Blue Harbor was limited. It was wasteful to buy a house that neither would in eight months, and wouldn't rumors crop up if they sold the house and vanished as soon as she birthed the babe?
"I already paid part of the price," Neal shrugged, sliding a signed contract of ownership across the desk. Roald had authorized a budget of 100 gold nobles a month to be delivered in two payments. 60 gold nobles now got them an almost coastal property, and because he had paid two-thirds of its value upfront, the duo of knights were allowed to move in. He would pay the remaining 30 nobles in a week's time when Roald's messenger arrived.
He had spent a week meticulously examining houses. Both he and Kel were well aware of how her body would change in the coming months. Single story homes were a rarity in populated places like Blue Harbor, and thus more expensive. Neal reasoned paying a higher price was a worthwhile decision, as the female knight would be infinitely more comfortable when the sore feet and back and swollen ankles set in.
Neal knew the moment Kel read the line about payment because the whites of her eyes were blown wide. Then she pitched forward slightly, avoiding completely falling over by planting a foot in front of her to regain her balance. He leapt up to steady her, determinedly guiding her to the chair he just vacated.
She waved off his concern and the hands that were already reaching for her temple. "I'm fine, Neal. It was a dizzy spell."
Although he itched to make sure it was nothing more than that, Neal settled his hands on the curve of her shoulders instead. This was the second instance of dizziness since they had arrived in the bustling port town. The first had happened when she tried to rise from bed too quickly. Neal supposed many might feel faint upon seeing the price. 90 gold nobles was equivalent to renting a townhouse in Corus during the summer season. For Kel, who was one of nine children, nobility did not mean endless wealth that could be thrown around when needed.
"—too much." Kel's complaint snapped him out of his thoughts.
"First," he drawled, sounding unconcerned, "it's not my money."
"All the more reason you shouldn't be spending it so exorbitantly. We can continue to room here at the inn until an affordable house is available."
"Second, as heir to a dukedom, I could have paid for the house with my own money. But, since Roald is providing for you, I see no reason to select subpar housing."
His friend flashed him a wry grin, knowing that Neal would enjoy spending the other man's money. "What are you going to do with it when we go back to Corus?"
"Thank you for leading so nicely into my third point. Three, I can always use it as a summerhouse or have it waiting until I start my own family. Wouldn't want to live at home forever. Jessamine spends half her year there despite being married." Neal effected a theatrical shudder. He loved his sister dearly of course, but she could be a strong willed as Keladry when the social season hit.
Kel worried her bottom lip, seeming to digest and adjust to the revelation he might be looking to settle down. His heart twinged uncomfortably. He had loved Kel going on nearly a decade now, from their last year as pages. To distract himself from his growing feelings for her at a time when Kel especially couldn't act upon it, Neal had turned his attention towards other court women, flirting freely and writing horrible poetry.
In doing so, he had giving her the wrong impression of his character. Assuredly, the woman had missed the romantic overture in his offer. He had presented it as an offer to protect her reputation should she want an out, and so Kel had taken his words at face value.
Neal firmed his resolve. It matter not that she was unaware of the sincerity in his offer. He had several months to make her see him as a love interest.
He held several advantages over the King, none of which he would hesitate to use. Obviously, he was completely unattached. With him, Kel didn't have to feel guilty about being the other woman and ruining her friends' marriage. Not to mention Roald had two strikes against him, hurting her once by leading her to believe their courtship would ever be more than dalliances, and he continued to hurt her over and over again with this scheme.
And now Roald had preemptively sent her from his side because of his guilt. He wouldn't be there for the baby's first fluttering of movement, nor as she gained strength and began kicking. Roald had already failed in the comforting department, more concerned with keep the true nature of the babe's father secret.
Revealing Shinko's deception, notwithstanding her husband's lack of involvement, would inevitably shatter Kel. Neal couldn't bring himself to be the one to tell her she was the center of a ruse far more complicated than she already knew. The healer may know her best, but Shinkokami was her oldest friend and Roald currently the object of her amorous affections.
Neal could do nothing regarding the Queen, but if he could convince Kel to love himself in return he could soften Roald's unwilling betrayal.
It was unfortunate, he reflected, that loving someone opened the heart to being broken.
"Is that something you want one day?" she asked at length.
"One day," he agreed, imaging a home full of children that would shoot up like weeds to the point they were unrecognizable when they had a break from knighthood training. If justice were liquid it would likely flow through their veins.
The pair moved into the house that afternoon. If Neal had needed another reason to choose a house on the water's edge, the healthy flush of her skin would have been high priority. After its initial rejuvenation, the excitement and fast pace of Blue Harbor appeared to exhaust Keladry.
The salty air seemed to revive her, her cheeks gained a splash of red and her eyes sparkled, as she leaned on the balustrade that wrapped around two sides of the house. Several minutes of deep steady breathing transformed his friend from a wan imitation of a porcelain doll into a human being. Kel's health, and her baby's too, was worth more than any amount of gold coin.
Their peace was short lived. Horns cried out, shattering the idyllic bubble of peace they shared. As one they raced to retrieve their weapons. Kel had secured her Yamani naginata across her back and was buckling Griffin's sheath by the time he had picked up his own sword.
"Didn't your Knightmaster teach you to always be prepared, Sneal?"
Kel's barb was delivered in her typical emotionless deadpan, aside from the twisting of her lips to try and pronounce his name like snail. Neal shook his head ruefully. "Please don't call me by that ever again. It sounds like some horrible illness. I'll have you know I can be much more creative than that clot Cleon," he threatened when the corner of her mouth tilted infuriatingly upward.
"And I blame you for that," Neal continued easily as the two knights sprinted towards the docks, where all the ruckus was originating.
"Of course you do."
"I will graciously accept your apology," he said magnanimously. "Because tales of your wondrous skills, magnificent battles, and many chaotic adventures reached her ears. And she decided that someone who spent as much time as I did around you should never be caught unguarded." Neal clenched his right hand into a fist instinctively, remembering all the times Alanna had landed a solid blow to his knuckles for not being quick enough on the draw.
"You're welcome," said Kel sincerely.
"Wel-welcome?" he sputtered, horrified. "It was not welcomed! It was torture."
"Sounds to me like I made you a more fearsome knight."
"I never wished for that reputation, but I will no doubt take advantage of it in the future if I ever take on a minion of my own. I'll tell him-"
"Or her."
"Or her, don't get so defensive. It was coming. That I trained with the two most famous female knights of the last three decades. They'll be terrified."
Kel interrupted, "Speaking of terrified." The port was in chaos. There wasn't a pirate ship at any of the docks, so Neal assumed they commandeered or hidden on a Tortallan one. They'd raid the city, steal a ship because that would be worth more than any loot they plundered, and be gone in a matter of hours. The armed mercenaries hired to protect a ship were being overwhelmed in this instance, more due to the fact they thought they were safe once the ship had docked, as Neal observed they weren't unskilled.
"What are you waiting for? Go unleash the wrath of the Protector of the Small upon them."
She frowned severely at the title. Even after all this years, her discomfort with being recognized for her heroics amused him. Doing her duty as a knight, protecting those that could not do so themselves, was a task Kel enjoyed fully. She simply hated the title she had been appointed because it made her seem like she was someone special.
"You'll pay for that on the training field," she announced, the flat side of her sword slapped against his chest.
"Now I'm terrified," teased Neal, avoiding her half-hearted glare by thrusting his way into the middle of a pack of four pirates. Even amidst the general confusion and dancing blades, he could see the female knight make her way down to the other end of the dock.
With their addition, the mercenaries rallied together to put forth a more organized defense. One tolling of the bell later, the local Provost Guards were shackling and hauling away the defeated pirates. Neal proceeded to bully the mercenaries into letting him treat their more serious injuries.
"Excuse me," a voice sounded gruffly over his shoulder. Neal brushed at the gathering sweat on his brow with the back of his arm. The man was built like an ox, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with salt and pepper hair. The heavy set brow and bulging arm muscles presented the picture of a man whom Neal did not want to face in combat.
"Need something?" he asked shortly. There were several more people Neal wanted to see to yet, and he couldn't discern any visible injuries on the man.
"You're new here." Neal blinked at the non sequitur.
"Yes," he drew the word out, wondering if they perhaps thought him in league with the pirates because of his outsider status.
"And that girl that can fight. She with you?"
Neal groaned, only a touch theatrically. That girl just could not stay out of trouble. "What has she done now? Were these pirates slave traders? Don't tell me she stormed their ship to rescue a couple of sea urchins. Knowing her luck they'll be exotic traders trying to sell baby Merfolk. Please tell me she's still on the dock."
Neal liked to imagine that the man shared a commiserating grin, but it was probably a grimace because he was rambling. "She's unconscious."
The healer straightened abruptly. "Where."
The man thumbed his shoulder. Uncaring of the exhaustion, an unfortunate side effect of using the Gift, Neal strode through a throng of people, shoving aside people too slow to move out of his path. His mind was racing, conjuring up scenarios, each one worse than the last.
His knees hit the ground hard. They would sting later, but Neal was concerned with Kel's shallow breathing. He ran green magic coated hands over her ribs and lungs first. He didn't see any blood, but it was possible she was hit with enough blunt force to displace a rib and have it puncture the lung.
Three scans, growing progressively more thorough, found nothing more than bruising to the mid-back on the right side of the spine, and a shallow knife wound to the upper arm. Neal easily healed the cut, letting his the glow of his Gift dissipate as he sat gracefully his haunches.
"It's just exhaustion. She'll be fine with a bit of rest," he told the other man, still hovering over his shoulder. He nodded brusquely and hurried off to another group of frantic people. Neal, on the other hand, flopped on his back now that no one was watching and lay his arm across his eyes.
"You are going to prematurely send me to the Black God's realm."