Can anybody help me? I'm out of plans... Guess I left my world in somebody's hands... I don't like to hurt but everyone gets weak... Someone to rely on, that's what I really need- David Guetta ft Estelle –One Love

Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan stood atop New Hope's walls, surveying the land beyond in the dusky pink twilight. The mid-spring evening was pleasant, and Kel, alone for the first time in what felt like a very long time to her, relished the peace and quiet of the evening, deeply inhaling the woody scents of the forest surrounding New Hope. Her hazel eyes were dreamy, her skin chapped from the hard winter she and the residents of New Hope had endured, and her outward composure was calm and relaxed, though her hand never strayed far from the hilt of her sword, Griffin. She may have looked the epitome of calm, but this was not so.

Lady Keladry of Mindelan was absolutely furious.

Stupid, STUPID IDIOT! She mentally screamed to herself over and over again. Why, WHY did you have to have that stupid glass of date wine at Raoul and Buri's wedding?! WHY?! Now the whole of Third Company hates me because I can't keep my stupid mouth shut when I have the liquor in me!

It hadn't been that bad, really. Kel, like the rest of the knights, infantry and foot soldiers as well as the king, queen and assorted well disguised nobility, had been present at Fort Mastiff for the grand double war-time wedding of Neal and Yuki, Raoul and Buri. It was at the celebration dinner, however, after Kel had finished serving as the 'best lady' for Neal and had made her speech that things had become bad.

Weddings invitations really should have warnings attached to them like 'Don't have a glass of wine if you are lonely and need someone to share your little insignificant life moments with' or 'Don't wear a dress if you don't usually because certain men will get ideas' or how about 'Don't choose the moment of prayer of thanks to Mithros and the Goddess at the end of the banquet, when you are absolutely, ridiculously drunk on two glasses of wine, to announce to the whole gathering that you are in love with Domitan of Masbolle!'

Kel's Yamani-calm slipped then, and a fat angry tear rolled down her cheek. She had made a complete fool of herself- Kel, the calm, patient, steady, reliable Kel. She wiped the tear away, and turned her face up to the breeze, and last rays of the sun for the day. She had just wanted somebody to be able to talk to, share the stupid mundane, silly things of everyday life with, and she had honestly believed that Dom was that person for her. Though most of the gathering hadn't heard her drunken proclamation, those that mattered most to Kel had, and it was those people's faces that burned into her mind each time she closed her eyes- Neal's shocked face which was rapidly turning red, Raoul, Buri and Yuki's look of pure ecstacy for their friend, Merric, Seaver and Esmond's exchanged look of surprise, followed by acceptance, and Dom's look of... confusion... Oh well. It would be months until she would run into Dom again, hopefully by then this whole stupid mess will have blown over.

And Dom will probably have found some other pretty lady to occupy his time with while he is stationed in Riversedge a nasty voice niggled her

"KELADRY" Fanche's voice bellowed from below, cutting through Kel's unpleasant reverie.

"Yes Fanche?" Kel turned, glad for the purple sky which hid her tear-blotched face.

"I said, Sir Merric requested that you present yourself at the council meeting in the mess hall now, and that you leave young Abel here to run his own watch. Also, Tobe wanted to let you know that he, Gydo and Meech were in the stables with the others, to help mend tack and clean your and the others equipment because Tobe said you didn't have much time for it at Mastiff, what with the weddings and the meetings and what not." Fanche turned and walked off, shouting over her shoulder "Chin up Kel- it's about time that you realised your feelings for the young sergeant! There is a reason for everything."

They had only been back a few hours from Mastiff and it seemed that now everyone in New Hope knew about Kel's stupid drunken behaviour. As she trudged down the stairs and along the beaten path to the mess, Kel tucked her emotions away behind her Yamani mask, and pulled her loneliness and anger into a tight bundle and shoved it as far away as it would go. Steeling herself, she walked into the mess, only to walk into the trouble she had hoped she had left far behind.

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