Rob the disclaimer guy: Heeeello. Yeah, none of this belongs to Ms. Fonseca/Caila here. Everything is Tamora Pierce. Except for teh plot. BTW, this is just something short Caila came up with. Writers block for teh other fanfic, you know, you know. She'll type it up soon.
"O charming Protector of the Small, is there a reason as to why you are tiring yourself out like this?" Kel looked up from her spot, and glared at the man standing in front of her. Stretching, she put one hand back behind her head, and with the other shielded her eyes so she could get a proper look at him. Dark hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a nose that was on more than one member of that family.
"Hullo, Dom." He grinned, and bent over at the waist to lean over her.
"You still haven't answered my question, dear Keladry." She groaned, and covered her eyes with her hand.
"Go away."
"Oh, but Kel, the knights might want their tilting field back. You see- Oh no! Run! Neal's coming!" Kel quickly sat up, but seeing no one on the field she yelled,
"Domitan!" He grinned again.
"Yes?"
"I hate you. You ruined my sleep." Kel leaned against the tree trunk at her back, and looked at the palace. A bell rang, and Kel hesitantly asked, knowing what the answer was, "Was that the noon bell?" Dom shook his head cheerfully.
"Nope. That was three bells ago." Kel yelped. "And the problem is…"
Kel started to get up as she explained, "I was supposed to meet milord at the noon bell, and go over the reports on New Hope." Dom sat down in her former spot, and pulled her down with him.
"Don't worry. I gave him the reports you left on your desk, and he said that was all he needed."
"But-"
"And I groomed Hoshi for you. Peachblossom tried to bite Neal, who was trying to groom him, and Tobe took over."
Kel sighed. "I'm a terrible knight." He laughed.
"No, you're not. I know plenty of knights who ignore their horses for so much less than a few good hours of sleep. Take Sir Meathead, for instance. He flies off his horse at the word that his 'Yamani Dove' has come to see him." Kel started to grin, but hid it under her mask. Dom looked at her, knowing what she was trying to avoid doing. "Oh dear Keladry, what am I going to do with you? You need to show emotions sometime, young Protector." He seemed to think for a moment, and Kel tentatively reached out a hand to shake his shoulder.
"Uh, Dom?"
"Yes, my dear Keladry?" She shook her head.
"What are you thinking about?" Dom grinned wolfishly. Kel shook her head, and started to move away from him. "Dom-"
"Why dear Keladry, stay awhile!" He caught Kel trying to get up, and pulled her back down next to him. She sighed, and Dom threw his arm around her. "You see, I've come up with an ingenious plan." As he explained, Kel zoned out, and fell asleep leaning against his shoulder. "And so what do you think?" He looked down at Kel, and was surprised to see her asleep. He shrugged, and leaned back against the tree as he too succumbed to slumber.
"Very interesting…" Neal said quietly, as he surveyed the scene in front of him. He crouched next to Kel, and pulled the blanket he had brought out and laid it over her. Grinning, he turned and walked back to the palace, humming under his breath, and intent on informing Yuki and Raoul about what he had seen.
Kel yawned, and moved a hand to rub her eyes sleepily. Putting her hand back in its former position, she was surprised when she found her hand resting on something.
Please say its Jump... she thought fervently, and was shocked as she looked up into the sleeping face of Domitan of Masbolle.
Her head was resting comfortably on his chest, and he had one arm around her waist, the other hand on her hair. Kel's hand was on Dom's chest, next to the spot where her head rested, and the other was draped across him. Struggling to move, Kel realized that she wouldn't be able to get up without Dom letting go of her. She sighed, and then realized that there was a blanket on top of her.
Kel panicked. Someone must have seen them, and depending on who it was, the entire palace could know where they were. Kel yawned, and realized that she was quite comfortable. Telling her mind to wake her up before Dom woke, she fell back asleep.
"Kel, Kel- wake up." Kel shivered, and opened her eyes to see Dom flicking her nose gently, although his other arm remained around her waist. "Kel, it's raining. We have to get back into the palace." Kel muttered something. "What was that, Kel?"
"I said that I could get up if you would let go of me." She looked down at Dom's arm, and he realized his arm had been around her waist the entire time.
"Sorry about that," he said softly as he blushed. Luckily, in the darkness, Kel could not see. She sneezed, and Dom exclaimed, "I'd better get you inside before you freeze to death." He got up, and pulled Kel up by her arm. Holding the blanket over both of them to block the rain, they ran quickly to the palace.
As they entered the hallway where Kel's rooms were, Dom apologized again for keeping her out in the rain.
"Really Dom," Kel said for the fifth time, "It's not your fault. I was the one who fell asleep while you were talking. What was it you were saying, anyway?" Dom grinned.
"It would take me too long to explain now." He gestured to Kel's door, which they stood in front of. "And this is where I leave you. I'll tell you over breakfast tomorrow?" Kel tried to hide her dismay, and then quickly said,
"Er… you could stay and dry off, if you want to. And tell me what it was you were talking about before." Dom laughed.
"Alright, alright. I'll stay." Kel unlocked the door, and ushered Dom in. She shivered again, and Dom strode over to the fireplace. "Here, I'll light this." Kel walked into her dressing room, saying over her shoulder,
"I'm going to change out of my wet clothes. I'll be back in a bit." Dom nodded, and lit the fire. Sitting down on Kel's bed, he waited for her until she walked out of the room, wearing a dry cream colored shirt and brown breeches. Reaching for a blanket at the foot of the bed, she wrapped it around herself before curling up in the armchair.
"There's a shirt in there that might fit you, if you want to change into it. Meathead lent it to me, and I forgot to give it back." Dom nodded, and pulled off his sopping wet shirt before walking into the dressing room. Kel looked into the fire, willing herself to not look at Dom through the open door.
"Kel, where is it? I can't find it anywhere!" She sighed, and got up and walked into the room.
"Dom," She said, "It's right here. Where you threw your other shirt." Kel picked up the white shirt, and handed it to Dom. "Put it on, and then come and sit down by the fire to dry off." She walked back into her bedroom, and placed a kettle filled with water over the fire. Dom walked out of her dressing room a few minutes later, and sniffed the air.
"Mmm, what's that?"
Kel sighed. "Water, Dom. For tea. You do know what tea is, don't you?" Dom grinned, and laid down on her bed, putting his hands behind his head.
"Of course, dear Protector. Two lumps of sugar, a dash of milk. Much thanks." Kel glared at him.
"If you weren't lying down on my bed, I would dump this water over you." Dom dove under the covers.
"Can't get me now!" Kel swore in Yaman, and busied herself with pouring her tea. After a few minutes, Dom stuck his head out.
"Hey, where's my tea?" She hit his head, and then handed him a cup. "It's hot-" she warned him, and grimaced as he yelped. "I warned you." He laughed, and sipped the tea more slowly. "Now Domitan, what was it you were trying to tell me earlier?" Dom glared at her.
"Don't call me Domitan."
"Fine, cousin to the Meathead-"
"Call me Dom."
"Fine, Dom."
"That's better. Anyway, I was talking about a jolly joke I would like to play, that would certainly improve your emotional state-"
"Does this have to do with Neal?" Dom looked shocked.
"Of course not! How rude of you to think such! Now, if I could continue?" Kel nodded hesitantly. "I want you to agree, right now, that you would help me execute this joke." She shrugged.
"I guess. As long as it has absolutely nothing to do with the King and Queen, or Alanna, or Neal."
Dom grinned. "Then we're in business. Now, it involves a bucket of mud, a bottle of hair dye, and an unsuspecting Knight Commander-"
"What?" Kel exclaimed, "Raoul?"
"Yes, he was left off your list of people not to prank. And, might I remind you, he did make you wear that dress to his wedding."
"But I liked the dress!"
"Shush, you're not helping my case. Anyway, the plan goes something like this-"
"No Dom, I won't play a joke on milord."
"Too late, you agreed!" Kel put her cup on the table next to the chair, and wrapped the blanket around her, drowning out his words. Dom shrugged, and after placing his mug on the same table, pulled the covers over himself, falling asleep quickly.
After a few minutes, when Kel had grown all too aware of the silence, she poked her head out from the blankets. "Dom?" She asked hesitantly, and got up and padded over to her bed. Dom's dark hair stuck out from the blankets, and he snored gently. Kel started to laugh, and decided to just leave him where he was. She walked back to the chair, and pulling the blankets around her, said softly, "Good night, Dom."
Neal pocketed his lock picks and stood in the middle of the room. "This will not do," He muttered, and strode over to the armchair where Kel was curled up.
Picking her up, he noticed with glee as she mumbled the word, "Dom," in her sleep. Kicking aside the blankets, he rolled over his cousin and settled Kel down on the bed next to Dom. He pursed his lips, and then arranged Dom's arms around Kel.
Perfect, he thought to himself, and pulled the blankets over them before skipping out of the room. Still skipping, he ran into Raoul, who was just leaving his own rooms.
"Nealan," Raoul said slowly, steadying Neal, who almost fell. "Why in Mithros' name are you so happy?" Neal grinned.
"Remember what I told you about earlier?" Raoul's eyes immediately grew wider.
"You mean about Kel and-" Neal nodded.
"Well…"
"Nealan, what did you do?" Neal grinned.
"Just gave them a nudge in the right direction." Raoul grinned back.
"Thank the gods." Raoul started walking in the direction of Kel's rooms.
"Milord, what are you doing?" Raoul mumbled something, and sped off towards Kel's door.
Entering her room quietly, Raoul grinned as he saw his ex-squire and Sergeant together. But his happiness was even greater as he spied a spare piece of parchment on Kel's desk. Quickly scrawling a note, he propped it up next to the half-drunk cups of tea, and fled.
Kel yawned, and again found herself in a very odd position. Again, her head was resting on Dom's chest, and again, his arm was around her waist.
"Dom…" she said softly, and then yelled, "Domitan!" when he didn't wake up at first. Dom immediately tried to get up, and struggling with the blankets knocked Kel out of the bed. As he heard the thunk as she hit the floor, he looked at her sheepishly.
"Sorry about that. But why were you in my room?" Kel got up and hit him on the head.
"It's my room, Dom. You fell asleep while we were talking, and I fell asleep in the chair." Actually puzzled, she looked around the room. "But how did I end up here?" Spying the piece of parchment by the two cups, she strode over to it and opened the letter.
Dearest Keladry,
I'd like to tell you that this took long enough in coming. You go girl! I always knew the Sergeant would end up with my ex-s- best friend. Have fun!
-Your best friend, the one, the only, Neal
Kel started muttering in Yaman, and Dom got out of the bed to approach her cautiously.
"Kel?" She raised her head, and held out the letter to Dom.
"I hate the Meathead." After reading the letter, Dom grinned.
"We might hate the Meathead, but I think we should also have a mutual hatred for someone else." Looking at Kel, who was completely baffled, he laughed. "He goes by the title of Knight Commander-"
"What?" Kel exclaimed, and her face grew red as Dom pointed out the part where whoever had written the letter had crossed out 'ex s' and had written 'best friend'.
"You see, 'ex s' can be taken as one thing. Ex-squire. So there you go. It was Raoul. Plus, it's his handwriting. Not Neal's." Kel immediately sat down at her desk, and Dom noticed a calculating look on her face. "Kel, what's the matter? What are you doing?" She looked at him incredulously.
"Dom, get over here, and help me plan this joke! He won't get away with this." Dom grinned, and clapped his hands.
"So I've finally gotten you to join the dark side." She hit the side of his head.
"Nah, I've just decided that Raoul went too far. So now I need revenge. Simple as that." Dom nodded.
"Of course, of course. Now, I think we should put the mud above the door to Raoul's room-" Kel looked at Dom.
"That is the worst plan ever. He'll know something was up. I say we take him into the woods for a walk, and have him fall in the mud. Then he'll go back to his rooms to wash up and change, and we will have substituted his bottle of shampoo with the hair dye. Voila, we have a blonde Raoul." Dom started laughing, and exclaimed,
"Kel, what did I ever do without your genius mind?" She shrugged.
"I suppose you starved. Now then, we'll need to find the best mud…"
Raoul walked cautiously through the clearing towards Dom and Kel. "Kel, why did you ask me to meet you two here?"
"Well, milord, we decided that we needed time to catch up," She explained.
"And the palace is too stuffy," Dom put in.
"Ah, I see. Well, you know all about the wedding."
"Yes milord. You made me wear a dress," Kel said.
"And I've told you countless times to call me Raoul, dearest Keladry." She smirked, but quickly hid it behind her Yamani mask as she saw Dom's eyes flare up.
As he made sure that Raoul wasn't looking at him, Dom mouthed the words, 'Don't show emotion.' Kel nodded, and took Raoul's arm as she walked through the woods.
"So you see, sir," She said quickly, "I was wondering if you had any assignments for me, now that Fanche has taken command at New Hope." Raoul grinned.
"I was hoping you'd like to ride with me and Third Company." He looked at Dom, who was innocently whistling.
"Of course, milo- Raoul." Dom grinned at Raoul.
"Well, dearest Keladry, I would like to welcome you to the Own!" He promptly skipped over and pushed her into the mud, and she dragged Raoul down with her.
"Domitan!" Kel wiped the mud out of her eyes, and started to chase after Dom. Realizing Raoul was still in the mud, she looked back at him over her shoulder. "Raoul, I have to go hurt a certain sergeant. Will you be alright?" Raoul nodded, and waved her on.
"I'll just head up to my room and wash off. I'll see you two at dinner? Please don't hurt him too badly. Think of how boring the Own would be without him." Kel nodded, and ran after Dom, who was crashing through the woods. Raoul shook his head, and muttered, "Those two make me feel old," as he trotted up to the palace.
Dom burst out into laughter as Kel caught up with him. He started to prance around the clearing near the small pond, only stopping when Kel threw a stick at him. Dom unceremoniously sat next to her, and exclaimed,
"We're geniuses! Amazing! Spectacular! Third Company will be talking about this one for ages!"
Kel looked mortified. "What!"
"Oh, you know. We're always playing pranks on Raoul. He's always playing pranks on us. But, my dear Protector," Here he winced as Kel hit him, "You will have all the credit for this one. I will be known as the Henchman."
"Dom…"
"Oh fine. We'll take equal credit. Shall we go back inside?" Kel sneezed. "I'll take that as a yes. Kel, I'm going to get Neal and he'll see to it that you're not sick." She made a face. "Of course, I won't let him heal you until after dinner. Can't have you missing Raoul, could we?" He rose, and offered Kel his arm. "To the palace, milady." Kel blushed, and took the offered arm as they walked through the woods in the direction of the palace.