Knight of Kandor

Lena- Duty

My cheeks hurt from laughing at the joke Winn just finished telling. It amazed me at how Kara's friends just found me and integrated themselves into my life. Jess sat on the small couch next to me, Winn across from us in a chair, James sat in the chair next to him. John was even here, rifling through the books of the sitting room. Ever since Kara's trial, Winn had been insistent on making sure I was fine. Then Jess found out and insisted on inviting him for tea. James soon followed and John was almost always with me anyways. For the first time, I had real friends. Not those pretend Ladies-in-waiting that I knew reported back to my mother everything I said and did.

"I have to get going. Shift change is soon and I like to be there for that. It's the most dangerous time of day. " says James.

"I'll walk with you," says Winn, jumping up from his chair, a little too quickly.

James just smiles and nods as they leave. Jess bursts into laughter as soon as the door is shut behind her. I look at her a little startled. John even chuckles.

"That boy has it bad," John says in his deep voice. It had dropped remarkably quickly from the first time Lena had met him.

"Excuse me. Am I missing something?" I ask. Jess laughs even harder.

"My lady, you are hopeless. Winn likes James." I feel my mouth fall open at Jess' statement.

"Really?"

"No wonder you never figured out Kara was a woman, even after you kissed her. You, my lady, are blinded by social constructs of what love is."

I blush at her truthful statement. The whole same-gender relationships thing was not very common in the upper classes or spoken of much. But then there was Kara. I fell in love with her smile, and her drive to learn, and her protectiveness. It was amazing how she began to stutter whenever Lena stood too close but was so cool and calm in the practice yard whenever Lena had watched her from the window above it. Lena had begun to realize how obviously feminine Kara was but how well she hid it with peoples preconceived assumptions.

"You are doing it again."

"Hmm..." I respond as Jess pulls me out of my thoughts.

"You are thinking about her again even though no one even mentioned anything about her," Jess says.

"I don't know what you mean." I blush, knowing full well that Jess knows me better than anyone. John was sitting and reading a book, pretending not to listen.

"Lena, you are a hopeless, lady loving mess."

I open my mouth to retort when the door opens. The smile falls from my face as my mother enters. John and Jessica leap to their feet, only to bow deeply. I rise much more slowly and bow my head to the Queen.She stops just inside the doorway, her guards already positioned outside with two of my own. Lillian glares at John and Jessica.

"Leave us." She commands and they quickly move to exit the room, the door shuts behind them and the silence hangs heavy in the room.

"What is this about mother?" I finally ask, sitting back down on the couch, having enough of her piercing glare already.

We had hardly spoken since Lex had left, even that wasn't much since Kara's banishment. Well, we hadn't really spoken for most my life now that I think about it. She had, however, made known her disapproval of my new friends. Actually went out of her way to stop me in the garden, the one place she never goes, to lecture me on proper relationships for a future Queen to have.

"What? No tea? No pleasantries? Do you really despise my company so much that you wish to be rid of me so quickly?"

"Mother we have no more tea and you only speak to me when you need something." Lillian rolls her eyes and sits across from Lena.