An Unexpected Turn of Events

Kel/Dom fluff fanfic

I own nothing. This is my first fanfic ever, so please don't judge too harshly. Gracias for reading!

Chapter 1

The muffled thump of the practice sword soundly hitting the wooden post gave Lady Knight Keladry of Mindeland only the slightest bit of satisfaction. She had been practicing for hours, paying no attention to the new blister forming on the inside crease of her thumb, or the hot, sticky sweat trailing down from her neck and drenching the light cotton tunic she had donned. The war against the Scanrans was newly over, and like everyone else, Kel had assumed she would return to her post as commander of New Haven after her old knight master Lord Raoul and best friend Nealan of Queenscove's weddings that had taken place as soon as most of the fighting was over. However, this was not the case. The king had decided that the Lady Knight and her small band loyal animals were to return to Corus for the time being, giving the refugees of New Hope a chance to thrive on their own. Kel had felt the internal battle wage inside her as soon as she had read the letter delivered by Lord Wyldon the previous week. She had been proud that the King had wanted to give her refugees the room to grow that they might flourish and grow stronger and maybe even become an actual town after the heartache that the war had brought to so many of them. On the other hand, she felt uneasy. There were still bandits and rouge Scanrans who had broken off after the defeat of Blayce and his killing machines, roaming the lands. After the fall of Haven Keladry had been hesitant to leave them to their own devices for too long. She had made the gods a silent promise to do whatever they would need of her if she managed to rescue them from the fate that Blayce had for them after he had ordered their kidnapping in order to fuel his killing machines.

Apparently the King had other plans, Kel thought bitterly as she stopped long enough to wipe the sweat from her eyes before returning to the task at hand. Her year mate and friend Merric of Hollyrose and his squad of thirty men had been permitted to stay and help train the refugees in combat and the defense of their keep, but Kel was not sure that would be enough to keep them safe. Which was why Kel was now in the outdoor practice arena, endlessly whacking away her anger towards the king in the blistering heat for hours.

"Pretending that post is a certain Sir Meathead?" a voice casually drawled from behind her. Kel froze mid stroke and turned around. The man to whom the voice belonged pretended to raise his hands and back away from her. "Or maybe you just wanted to get some practice in! Who am I to say?" his deep sapphire eyes sparkled with mischief. Kel laughed and lowered her practice sword, walking over to the fence where the man stood.

"Dom! When did you get back?" She asked, reaching out to pull the taller man into a rough embrace, ignoring the flip her stomach made as he grinned down at her.

"We got in late last night. My lord has returned from his honeymoon so we figured we should return to the palace to await new orders." Sargent Domitan of Masbolle was a member of The Own, which was led by Lord Raoul. Kel had spent her four years as a squire fighting alongside the members of The Own, becoming friends with many, including Dom, who happened to be Neal's favorite cousin, despite the fact that he had dubbed Neal with the nickname "Meathead." Kel had nursed a secret crush on the handsome Sargeant since her days with The Own, and unlike her other childhood crushes to her dismay, it never failed to return whenever she saw Dom again. "Everyone else has gone into town but I was thinking of going to find Meathead and catch up. I was walking to the infirmary when I heard someone trying to kill a post, so I came over to investigate."

Kel grinned sheepishly, "I was bored. All this sitting around is making me stir-crazy. So I decided to get some practice in before anyone came looking." Dom raised an eyebrow but made no comment. Instead he flourished an animated bow.

"Would the Lady Knight do me the honor of accompanying me to dine?" Kel stifled a laugh and maintained a serious face, the corners of her mouth fighting a smile, curtsying in return.

"I would be delighted to Sargent," Dom turned his head up towards Kel, his brilliant blue eyes peeking out from beneath his dark fringe. "However, I require a trip to my rooms for a bath, I've been our here since mid- morning." Dom straightened and held his arm out for Kel to take.

"I shall escort the lady to her rooms, and then we shall dine!" A snort of laugher escaped Kel's serious demeanor causing her to quickly slap a hand over her mouth, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Ignoring Kel's mortified look, Dom laughed and flung his arm around her still slightly damp shoulders, walking at a leisurely pace towards her rooms.

"So, is fame everything it's cracked up to be?" he inquired.

Kel made a face, "Oh it's just wonderful. All of the parties and balls which I am required to attend are just what I imagined doing when I got my shield." Dom chuckled at her response.

"You sound just like my lord." He mused as Kel let out a frustrated sigh.

"I could be at New Hope doing something! Making a difference! But instead the king demands I stay here so he can show me off to every noble and magistrate who attends these insufferable balls!"

"Don't worry Kel. The king knows what he'd doing. He'll let you return to your command soon."

Kel kept her face Yamani blank but inside her stomach churned with fear and anger. It's not fair! She wanted to cry out. I've done my duty! I saved them! These are my people! Why now must I abandon them? But she held her tongue. She would not speak ill of the king, not even to one of her closest friends. They slowed to a halt, finally reaching the door to her chambers. Dom turned her around to face him and gave her a swift hug. After she pulled away, she smiled at him gratefully. Dom always knew what to do and say to make her feel better.

"Now! Do not dawdle Lady Knight! I pine your immediate return so that we might enjoy a hearty meal together that I might get but a few lowly minutes in the company of someone as ravishing as yourself!" Dom flashed her a wicked smile as she deftly closed the door in his face.

As the door shut softly in his face, Domitan of Masbolle kept his eyes on Keladry on Mindeland, her soft hazel eyes, framed with thick dreamers lashes were enough to make any man weak in the knees, not that Kel knew this of course. She was blissfully unaware of the effect she had on many of the men in her life. His playful friendly flirting had always been just that, friendly. It was not until he had seen Kel slumped against the wall, covered in blood at the battle of Hamrkeng after the defeat of Blayce and his body guard and kidnapper Stenmun that he had realized that perhaps the Lady Knight was more than just a friend to him. His heart he was sure, had nearly stopped seeing her like that, unsure if she was alive or had been claimed by the Black Gods, Dom had rushed to her side. No, no, no. Don't be dead Kel, oh Gods, please don't be dead. Dropping to his knees, he tried to remove her armor and chainmail as swiftly as he could. He held his ear to her chest and held his breath, waiting, listening. Then he had heard it. The painfully slow and soft lub-dub of her heartbeat. He wiped away the tears he had not realized had leaked from his eyes and the knot that had been in his stomach unclenched. He had gently lifted Kel up and walked as quickly as he could carrying her in his arms, to Neal, who had looked both relieved and horrified at the sight of his best friend. Kel's injuries had required so much of Neal's healing magic that he himself had fallen into unconsciousness as soon as it was done.

Dom rested his head on the door of her room, lost in memory- in the nightmare.

He had stayed up to watch over them as they both slept that night. He remembered awaking to find Neal staring at him. He held Kel's, his arms folded on her bed, his head resting on them like a pillow. Neal had said nothing as Dom quickly extracted his hand from Kel's and sat up. But his eyes glinted mischievously and tauntingly as he grinned and lifted his eyebrows in an unspoken question. True to his nature, Dom had stuck his tongue out at Neal and muttered Meathead under his breath as he turned away, not dignifying Neal's look with an answer, a slight blush creeping up the back of his neck just barely visible as he strode from the room.

Dom was brought back from his memories by the feeling of falling. Kel, who had finished washing and changing, had opened the door to her chambers, unaware that Dom was leaning on the other side.
Kel rushed to catch her falling comrade but managed to get herself dragged down as Dom hit the ground, with herself landing on top of him. At first they were both frozen in shock at the close proximity they now shared. Their eyes bored into one another, unable to look away. It was only subtle clearing of a throat that brought them back to reality. There was a frantic rush to get up, Kel quickly hauling herself from off of Dom, and Dom quickly composing himself before flashing Kel a playful smirk.

"If you wanted to invite me into your chambers Lady Knight, all you had to do was ask." Kel narrowed her eyes, but before she could retort, there was another subtle clearing of a throat. Kel and Dom both turned to face Neal, his eyebrows so far up his forehead they threatened to disappear into his hairline.

"Kel, I was going to ask you if you knew where Dom was so he could join us in the mess hall, but it seems that you have already found him." A sly smile flashed across Neal's face but was quickly replaced with a scowl at Kel's rebuttal.

"If you don't lower your eyebrows Meathead, they'll get stuck up there." She seethed, only her flashing eyes giving away her Yamani calm face. Dom let out a chuckle and moved to leave the room, standing at the door holding a sweeping arm out.

"Ladies first! Sorry Kel, that means Sir Meathead here." Neal shot him a scowl before dramatically striding from the room. Kel laughed and smiled gratefully at Dom before running to catch up with Neal.

"Meathead, that unimaginative, and lack wit nickname! Why must you wound me so! Where is your loyalty? Where are the bonds of friendship? Have you no respect for authority? Have you no decency? Meathead! As if I was some churlish Neanderthal brute who does not deserve to be spoken to for lack on intelligence! How dare you!" Kel and Dom both rolled their eyes, already well versed with the dramatic monologues that Neal tended to give. Kel reached up and smacked him soundly on the shoulder before he could continue.

"Where were you all day? I wanted someone to spar with!"

Neal grimaced. "I was hiding from you for that exact reason" he drawled. "I got whacked by sticks enough as a page! I do not wish to repeat those activities in my spare time now as a knight!" Kel shook her head and began whistling quietly, occasionally being joined with the melodic chirps of a sparrow whom she had named Quicksliver, which sat perched on her shoulder. Dom regarded the interaction between the two friends from a few paces back. The friendship was so odd, that it was amazing that it had been maintained for so long. Neal, one who had a knack for the dramatics, and a flowery way with his words, who often lacked the ability to hold his tongue, was the perfect foil to the polite, quiet and loyal Keladry of Mindeland. Having sponsored her in her first year as a page, Neal was very intrigued by the enigma that was Kel. He had often written Dom, sharing stories of Kel's reckless and selfless adventures, her determination to stop bullies, and her impressive combat abilities. Their friendship overtime, had only grown stronger with Neal now being more of an older brother figure than a friend to Kel. They were so different, but balanced each other perfectly. There were often times where Dom had been suspicious that Neal had more on his mind than friendship, but now that was no longer a worry, as he had just recently married the Yamani beauty Yuikmi noh Daiomoru, known to her friends as Yuki. The irony was that it had indeed been Kel who had introduced the two, Kel who had grown up in the Yamani islands as a child had known Yuki for years.

"Do you plan on joining us any day soon Sargent Domitan?" Neal and Kel had stopped and were now turned around waiting for Dom to catch up. He quicken his pace slightly, reaching Kel and Neal before they continued on their way. Whilst walking, Kel's hand accidentally brushed against Dom's. Quickly pulling it away she whispered a quiet apology, to which Dom responded with a quick wink before returning to his conversation with Neal about some bandits Dom and Third Company had happened upon before they returned to the castle.

Kel internally let out a groan of frustration. What am I going on do? I'm a helpless female whenever he so much as bats an eye in my direction. This is ridiculous. And I would never hear the end of it from Neal!

She squared her jaw in determination. It was in that moment that Keladry of Mindelan decided to once and for to rid herself on her hopeless crush on Domitan of Masbolle.

I hope.