Sir Nealan - Chapter One

[ara]

Title: Sir Nealan, Knight of the Realm - Chapter One: Meathead Torture and an Idea
Fandom: Tamora Pierce
Pairing: Neal/Yuki, Kel/Dom
Summary: Neal has a brilliant idea
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Meathead teasing, fan hitting, raving scholars, extreme paranoia...you get the idea
A/N: The first installment of this epic tale *snort*

~Sir Nealan, Knight of the Realm~

Chapter One: Meathead Torture and an Idea

Sir Nealan of Queenscove was sitting in a tavern in Corus watching the snow fall from the sky. He was on leave for midwinter and was happy to be in the city, spending the day with his soon to be wife, Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru. Only, his fiancé was in a dress fitting right now. Obviously not being allowed to watch, and not wanting to wait among the gossiping women at the shop, he had retreated to his present location to wait.

Absently looking up as he heard the door open, Neal groaned as he identified the figure of his charming cousin, Domitan of Masbolle, with the rest of his squad from the King’s Own. Dom was the ultimate maker of jokes, and his overly cheery demeanor seemed to derive from what he called “Meathead Torture,” Meathead being his name for Neal. No, whenever his cousin was around, Neal could be sure of one thing: he would be unmercifully teased.

Looking around for a place to sit, Dom spied Neal. With a grin he called, “Meathead! Lost your beloved Yamani blossom already?” He moved over to where Neal was.

“I’ll have you know, cousin, that my beautiful fiancé is in a dress fitting, after which she will undoubtedly rush to my side, not wishing to be parted from me,” Neal replied loftily.

Dom only laughed. “A dress fitting, eh? She managed to get rid of you that easily? I’m impressed by her deviousness.”

Neal just rolled his eyes as Dom sat down next to him, waving over the rest of his squad. “If you wanted to know, I do mind that you sit there.”

Dom smiled sweetly at him. “Now Nealan, is that any way to treat family?”

Neal scowled and called for more ale.

Later, Dom and Neal had yet to cease their banter. Yuki had returned a while ago, but had convinced Neal to stay. She wanted to talk to the men, whose fighting skills were well known , and to get to know their commander, of whom she had heard so much from her friend Keladry of Mindelan. Dom was soon to be her cousin-in-law, and, she suspected, he and Kel would likely end up together.

And so the group talked late into the night. Dom was teasing Neal about an incident from their childhood. “I’m still surprised that poor ickle Nealan got up to such great things: cavorting about with fierce Lady Knights and chasing after ragged bands of refugees in the middle of Scanra, and all!” Dom said, fake awe evident in his voice. The men laughed.

“I’d remind you, cousin, that you, how did you put it? Ah yes, ‘Cavorted about’ with the very same lady knights, and followed the same refugees,” Neal replied lazily.

“Why yes,” Dom exclaimed as if surprised. “But I had no choice but to ride with my Lord’s squire and my cousin’s best friend, and I went into Scanra on orders, not in treason.”

“As I seem to remember, you volunteered to charge into Scanra. Isn’t that correct, gentleman?” Neal asked the squad. There was a chorus of ayes from the men. “You think I would be insane enough to rush headlong into enemy territory after a mad knight?” Dom cried, dramatically placing his hand over his heart. “Never!”

Everyone laughed, knowing how eager he had been to follow Kel. Yuki almost smiled at Dom’s antics. He reminded her so much of Neal.

As the group calmed down Dom shook his head, saying “What really surprises me is that Meathead has not produced some great work of literature detailing his and Kel’s escapades, with an emphasis on his of course.” That caused a few chuckles, everyone being quite familiar with Neal’s scholarly tendencies.

“What makes you think I am not constructing a magnificent work of art?” Neal demanded.

“Please cousin, spare us!” Dom cried sarcastically. “Do not corrupt our beautiful Lady Knight’s story with your lack of literary talent!”

“My dear cousin, you are thinking of my poetry,” Neal replied in a condescending tone. “I assure you, my prose is quite excellent.”

“Really?” Dom inquired. “And to think that for all these years I believed the true reason you left the university was because you wrote so poorly!” Everyone laughed even harder than before. Even Yuki giggled, throwing up her fan to screen her face.

Before Neal could stop stuttering long enough to make his indignant reply, Dom interjected, “Well, this was fun, but I’m afraid we men of the Own must return, as we have practice in the morning.” A collective groan went up from his squad. “It was a pleasure Lady Yukimi, Sir Meathead.” He bowed and signaled his squad to follow him out.

Neal watched him go, thinking on what Dom had said. So, his cousin thought he couldn’t write? Well he’d show him! He was going to write that book and it would be about Kel’s adventures! Considering this, he decided it could be a present for her. That worked out, he turned to his lady and led her out into the night.