All characters, and some dialogue, are Tamora Pierce's. But if you're reading this you knew that already.
Try not to steam it up...
He saw Dom nudge Kel and demand a turn using her spyglass. He noticed the flush billow quickly up her neck and cheeks; but it left with equal speed, and employing her usual dry wit, he listened to Kel reply in turn. Lerant knew she liked Dom and hid it. Lerant couldn't help but notice her, her actions, she flitted in and out of his thoughts like those damn birds that seemed to follow her everywhere. He saw her steal a glance at Dom as the sergeant peered through her spyglass. His face was screwed up in a very unattractive manner. How can she like him? I'd be so much better for her... the traitor thought blazed its trail across his mind before he could stop it. It was followed by its treasonous friend which suggested: Maybe I could just acknowledge my feelings...
I don't want to feel all this! Lerant thought with a wave of anger. There were hundreds of beautiful women in the Progress; by the Gods above, they were staring at Queen, the Royal Ladies and the Yamani delegation! The greatest concentration of beautiful women in the Kingdom, and he would surely be able to convince one of them a member of Eldorne House wasn't such a bad proposition...
Maybe he'd just take a little bit of a closer look at all these fine Court ladies; that would be a good idea. It did mean he'd have to ask Kel for that spyglass, but this was a means to an end. In no way an excuse to speak to her.
"If I pretend I like you, squire, can I use the spyglass?" Lerant asked Kel.
"Please don't try," she replied. "You're not that good an actor." But he was, and he'd never let her know.
A/N: I can't help it, I can't, I'm obsessed with Lerant. This is the first of an occasional series of Lerant-centric fics.