NINETY SEVEN: Taegus pt 3

The official surrender of the kingdom of Pandreia was brief.

But it seemed to take hours.

Kel watched Taegus intently the entire time, swallowing around a knot she hadn't realized was growing in her throat.

The last time she saw him, he lay bleeding on the forest floor, minutes away from death. Time for worrying what became of him was hardly available between everything else going on, but the boy had always lingered in the back of her mind.

She'd never wanted to face it--to actually say the words out loud--but deep down she'd been certain.

Certain that her friend was dead.

To see him in front of her now, caused a wave of relief to flood over her.

After the formalities ended, the ball continued. In between the dancing couples, Kel's and Taegus's eyes still seemed to always meet each other as they continually searched the other out among the crowd.