A/N:
This takes a few months after Lady Knight. Neal/Yuki and Raoul/Buri are married. The Scanran War is at standstill, neither side having the upper hand.
Some characters might be OOC, but blame my tired, sleep deprived mind. Kinda like Neal. Cackles.
Enjoy, Ayleia.
Footsteps echoed along one of Corus' many hallways as an exhausted knight paced back and forth. His green eyes were wide but shining with sleeplessness, his hair was mussed and sticking up in odd directions. His nightshirt tucked hastily into his pants was stained with blood-not-his-own and covered in dirt as was his breeches. Straw stuck to him everywhere, it was even in his hair. The Knight sighed and ran a dirty hand through his hair, which only made him look more like a wild man.
Nealan of Queenscove was tired. He had been called away from his nice warm bed (and nice warm wife) to the palace infirmary because of the eighth Rider Group returning to the castle. Many of them had been wounded, and healing – those that could be saved – with his father had been exhausting. And finally when he had finished and been able to return to his rooms, he had found out that he was locked out of them.
Neal, being the paranoid Meathead he was had locked the door to his and Yuki's room before he left, so no one could get in and hurt Yuki without him there to protect her. He was too tired to use his magic to open the door, and he knew there was no way he could wake Yuki up after the long day she had, working with Princess Shinkokami and the Riders.
Ignoring the rain and staying on the covered pathways, Neal had just walked. He had gone to the stables, but his horse Magewhisper had looked at him like he was insane and knocked him over accidentally, covering him in dirt. Cursing, He had hurried to the baths, but it was two hours past midnight and the doors were closed and barred. Next he had walked to the practice courts before remembering that his weapons were locked safely inside his room and he had nothing to do. He walked around, wandering finally ending up in one of the deserted corridors off the Knight's wing of the palace. His eyes lit as he saw a couch there and he quickly strode over and lay down struggling to get comfortable on the hard stone bench. It was four hours past midnight when he had finally fallen asleep.
Neal had slept restlessly for about an hour before he was shaken rudely awake. He sat bolt upright reaching for his sword on the nightstand next to his bed. When he couldn't find it he frowned, and opened his eyes, the entire ordeal came rushing back to him and he groaned. Sitting up he met the eyes of an annoyed Maid, She was elderly and had her arms crossed over her chest tapping her foot she frowned "Commoners are not allowed inside the palace at night unless the king places them in the commoner's wing, and you are far, far from there."
Neal blinked, still half asleep. "What?"
She sighed and grabbed his upper arm. Forcing him to stand up, she towed him to an outer door with surprising strength. At this point Neal had sufficiently woken up enough that he realized he was being dragged out of the castle by a woman old enough it be his grandmother. Gently, he pulled his arm form her grasp and stood, back straight, and looked down his nose at her. "My dear woman I believe you have confused me with someone else, my name is Nea–"
"I don't care what your name is, go home. If you want to speak to the King, you have to appeal to the council of commoners first." The Maid yanked the door open and gave him a sharp push on the back, stumbling Neal landed in a puddle on the ground completely soaking him to the bone. He spring up, trying to wipe the water – as well as the last vestiges of sleep – from his eyes. Turning to the door the muddy, wet, angry Meathead took a step forward while he was still blinded from the water, the next thing he knew a sharp pain had caught him right between the eyes, and he fell to his knees, clutching his head.
Neal cursed – using a few choice words learned from soldiers – clutching his throbbing head. The Maid had slammed the door shut right as he had stepped closer to the solid piece of wood, catching him right between the eyes.
Neal's mouth screwed, his lips pursed and he screamed to the sky "MITHROS, GREAT MOTHER GODESS! I'm exhausted! I have a throbbing headache! I've been mistaken for a commoner! My gift is drained so I can't heal said headache! And now I'm outside, in the rain GETTING SOAKED! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!"
Suddenly a voice came from above. "Shaddup! I'm TRYING to SLEEP!"
And Neal's battered and bruised head was further pained with an attack from the heavens when he was assaulted with a boot thrown out a window from the second floor.
Neal ran.
His feet pounding on the dirt, Neal headed for the stables, the rain was soaking him through and he should get some shelter. Crossing into the building that housed the horses, Neal tripped on a Curry Comb someone had left on the ground. Once again Neal became intimately acquainted with the floor. Covered in dirt and mud, cursing again Neal stumbled up and sighed, he sat down on a bale of hay and tried to get to sleep. He couldn't. He lay there for half an hour, his mind spinning and head hurting.
Finally he managed to doze off, but he was startled to wakefulness twenty minutes later by the dratted bell that woke up the Pages and Squires every morning. Panicked Neal glanced down at his clothes, he was covered in dries mud and dirt, straw stuck to him and his hair gave him the look of one escaped from a nice padded room. He couldn't let the Pages or Squires see him like this! He needed a change of clothes from his rooms, and then he needed to go take a bath.
Then Neal had a brilliant idea, Kel! She was always up this early feeding those sparrows of hers or practicing with that pigsticker, her Glaive. She was the only one of his friends who had close ties to Yuki and a private bath. His smile widened, if he hurried, he might also have a few minutes of quality Kel-Annoying time.
He picked himself up from the pile of hay he had been sitting on and snuck back towards the Knights wing. He was let in by and amused manservant who laughed heartily at his predicament but let him in anyway. Neal tiptoed past Seaver, Esmond, and Merric's rooms and up to Kel's.
Quietly, Neal knocked on the door to Kel's room. She, like he himself had also had a long day. Practicing with the Lioness, and then Jousting with Lord Raoul, Kel had taken a beating. He didn't want to risk the Lady Knights wrath if she had decided to sleep in – for once – today of all days. But Neal laughed softly to himself, what was the chance of that happening? None! Neal opened the door with his usual exuberance and opened his mouth to call out a 'Good Morning', only to be greeted by a sight he never would have expected to see. Neal's mouth dropped open and his green eyes opened impossibly wide.
There in her bed lay Kel, her shoulder length hair down, laying in soft wisps around her body. Her shoulders were bare as was the creamy expanse of skin he could see leading down to the top of the blanket covering her chest. But Kel was not the one who was making Neal gape and rub his eyes. Curled around Neal's best friend and holding her in a protective embrace was Neal's cousin (who was also lacking clothing). It all led to one frightening conclusion:
Domitan of Masebolle and Keladry of Mindelan were sleeping together.
And this conclusion is what led Neal to where he was now. Pacing. He was tired, dirty, hungry, and too prideful to be seen like this.
A thought pierced Neal's annoyed thoughts, why shouldn't he go to breakfast looking like a wild man? His cousin and best friend were sleeping together! Neal laughed, "Who would have thunk it?" he murmured quietly to himself. Then he let out another bark of laughter "Thunk, what a funny word. Thunk, Thunk Thunk." Neal grinned, and started walking towards the Dining Hall.
Reaching the massive doorway that allowed entrance to the Dining Hall, Neal passed through them, all the while smiling inanely. He missed the sharp glances that were sent his way and sat himself down next to Roald and across from Merric, Esmond, and Seaver, The Prince looked at him, then back at his food, before having a double-take. "Neal?" he asked incredulously. This exclamation brought Merric, Esmond, and Seaver's attention to Neal.
"Yes, your highness?" Neal asked formally then laughed again.
"Are you… ok?" The heir to the throne of Tortall asked one of his closest friends.
"No," Neal smiles and his eyes bulged.
"Oh" Roald nodded, doubting his friend's sanity
"But it doesn't matter"
"Why?" The prince asked slowly hoping to the gods he wasn't going to regret this question.
Neal's answer was shouted to the ceiling and was followed by a bout of cackling laughter.
"BECAUSE SHE'S SLEEPING WITH HIM!"
The entire hall quieted and looked to the laughing Knight, Everyone including Those here in Corus for a War Conference; King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, Lord Raoul, Lady Alanna, Lord Gareth the Younger, Lord Wyldon, and the New Training-Master: Lord haMinch. Noticing this Neal stood up – still laughing – and he extended his arms like a player. "My dear Pages, Squires, Lords and Lady, Your Majesties, I regretfully announce that I –" He looked at the King and gave a short mock bow "– have been scarred for life!"
"Neal, sit down!" Merric gripped Neal's arm and tried to pull him back down onto the bench but Neal resisted. Twisting his arm he grabbed Merric by the arm and he led him to the middle of the room.
"Merric, Merric, Merric." Neal intoned, as if he was a upset parent, annoyed with his child. "I have been knocked over, hit in the head with a door, thrown out of the castle (don't ask), had a boot tossed on my head, but the most horrendous thing I saw was right behind…" he shuddered "the door."
"The door?" Seaver asked.
Neal nodded seriously. "The door."
"Which door?" Merric asked exasperated, trying to get Neal's arm off of him. "And who's sleeping with who?"
Behind them: "Get. Duke. Baird. Now." Roald ordered Esmond softly; the quiet page nodded and scurried off.
"That's a good question Merric" Neal answered nodding, releasing Merric he stepped backwards and tripped.
Landing on his back the knight giggled, and then laughed, then cackled pounding his head on the floor as well as his feet and fists. Stopping for a moment, the dead silence he shouted "THEY'RE SLEEPING TOGETHER!" and he collapsed into giggles again.
Merric, Seaver, and Roald exchanged glances and split up. Roald went up to calm down his father, who looked like he might call the castle security. Seaver ran to the soldier's mess to see if he could find Neal's cousin. Merric kept all the pages and Squires from approaching the idiot squirming on the Dining hall floor.
"I went to got see her this morning and guess what, MY BEST FRIEND AND MY COUSIN ARE SLEEPING TOGETHER!"
Merric, Roald, Raoul, and Alanna froze. And a slow smile spread on both of the two older knight's faces.
And At the worst possible moment, the two in question walked into the room.
"Neal, are you ok?" an incredulous voice cut through Neal's haze of jolly-ness he snickered. Jolly-ness. But then the voice invaded his mind, he knew that voice, it was… He looked up.
And Screamed.
Fearing for his life Neal scrambled away from the concerned Lady Knight, He took a running jump. Tripped. Again. And slid on his stomach into the table which the King was standing behind. It almost collapsed on top of him but he managed to get out from under it in time.
"Meathead?" This second voice had Neal scrambling behind Lord Raoul and Lady Alanna, gripping the back of the Knight Commander of the Kings Own's tunic, trying to hide behind him.
Merric turned to the newcomers his eyes wide. It was Kel and Dom, standing a few feet from each other. Seaver stood behind him, with the rest of Dom's squad behind him watching intently with no small amount of amusement. Next to them Esmond was standing next to them Duke Baird looking puzzled at his side.
Without thinking, Merric opened his mouth and asked softly. "You're sleeping together?" it didn't matter, every one heard him.
Dom's eyes widened and Kel glanced at her lover, betraying her feelings. She didn't get her mask up quick enough and everyone knew it was the truth. Angrily, Kel turned to Neal who was unsuccessfully trying to hide behind her grinning former knight master. She gripped her sword hilt and started forward, but Dom grabbed her arm and a silent communication passed between them.
Kel sighed and released her sword. Dom smiled at her rakishly.
And swept her into a passionate kiss.
Neal sighed. Then laughed.
Seaver, Roald, Merric, and Esmond clapped and cheered for their year-mate.
Dom's squad started shouting and cheering, making more noise than the rest of the room combined.
Jonathan frowned.
Thayet elbowed him.
Alanna grinned.
Wyldon shook his head, slightly smiling.
Lord haMinch glared.
And Raoul held out his hand, as a scowling Gary counted coins into it.