A/N: So this fic's going to be a collection of one-shots of side plots that we've heard about, but never got to read. Examples: Neal's proposal to Yuki, Daine hunting the bandits with Brokefang's pack, the ball where Raoul and Buri got together, etc. Please R&R! And if there's anything you'd like me to write about, please let me know via review, and I may just write it. Each chapter will be a new short story, completely unrelated to the previous ones.

Raoul's Tale

A/N: The tale of how Raoul and Buri got together.

Genre: Romance / Humor

Rating: K+

This fic was inspired by the following passage:

"Why not bring someone?" asked Kel sensibly. "They can't try to match you up if you bring an eligible female. Not me, though. Not even for you, sir, would I face at your great-aunt's what I get at Grandmama's. … Why not Buri?" she suggested at last. "She won't get any romantic notions, you'll have someone to talk to, and maybe your relatives will leave you alone, at least about marriage."

"She'll never agree," Raoul said, one hand inching toward a sheet of parchement.

Kel smiled and put the book down. "Not if you don't ask her. I'll take the message."

-

"Not nervous are you, Raoul?"

Raoul jumped at the sound of his name. He'd been lost in his own thoughts for a while.

"Sorry," he said, feeling like a child caught not paying attention.

"Not having second thoughts about me meeting your parents, are you?" she asked teasingly, batting her eyelashes, making Raoul laugh.

"I'm just worried they won't fall for this," he admitted. "Maybe this was a bad idea…"

"So what happens if they don't fall for it?" Buri asked pointedly. "They go back to treating you like before. It can't possibly get any worse. It can only help, right?"

He smiled. "That's true I guess." He looked out the window of the carriage—which his aunt had insisted on sending them (Raoul assumed so he didn't smell like horse when she introduced him to the court ladies.) They were almost there. "I owe you for this, you know."

"What are friends for?"

A few minutes later, the carriage pulled to a stop. "You ready?" he asked. Buri rolled her eyes at him.

"Just go," she ordered him. He obediently opened the door and stepped out, then offering her a hand to help her out after him.

-

"Raoul dear! There you are!" An old lady approached the two when the entered. Buri stood back a few paces, waiting for Raoul to introduce them.

"Hello, Aunt Sebila," Raoul answered her, forcing a smile onto his face.

"And once again you come without a lady, I suppose. You know you really should think about settling down and starting a family," her voice was far louder than it needed to be, as her hearing was going. "But not to worry, dear, not to worry, there are plenty of single women here your Auntie wants you to meet! Come along!" she turned her back and began walking across the room.

"Actually," Raoul said, making her turn back around. "There is someone here I'd like you to meet." He beckoned for Buri to step forward. "May I introduce Buriram Tourakam, Commander of the Queen's Riders?"

Buri stepped forward and curtsied. She hated gowns, but for Raoul's sake she had donned one. At least it was simple, a deep shade of blue with no frills or bows.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Sebila," she lied, smiling sweetly. "And call me Buri, please."

"Buri," she said, frowning slightly, then she put on what looked like an incredibly painful smile. "Well come, dear, let's have a look at you." Buri wasn't quite sure what the lady wanted her to do, but she was spared having to figure that out when she gripped her hand and spun her around slowly. Then she turned to Raoul, speaking as though Buri wasn't there. "Well, Raoul, she's not as dainty a lady I would've thought for you. But then again, you did waste a lot of time in that army of yours, so I suppose you should be happy with her. It's not as if you could do better."

Buri put her hands on her hips. "Now wait just a dog-gone minute—"

"Oh there's Lady Tisyri! Tisyri! Wait up darling. We've loads of catching up to do!" Sebila walked after another lady, who had reluctantly stopped walking and turned to face her, she looked resigned to her fate.

Buri scowled at Raoul. "You really, really owe me for this," she informed him promptly.

"Consider me in your debt," Raoul said in a strangled voice. Then he lost his inner battle. He couldn't help it—he laughed.

"Well I'm glad you find this amusing." She thumped him on the arm lightly.

"I'm sorry!" he said, trying desperately to stifle his laughter. "But I told you she was a dragon. Though at the last family reunion, she was doing the same thing to about ten different women at once, with no idea they could all hear every word she was saying."

"Wonderful. So now I get the brunt of the dragon's fire ten fold."

Laughter made the two of them turn around. "Raoul, you clever old dog," the man behind them said in good humor. His hair was a mix of white and gray, and very curly, with just a hint of brown to it in places. He was a large man, very tall. Buri looked from him to Raoul, they looked very much alike. "Why didn't I ever think of that?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Hello, Father," Raoul said sheepishly, blushing slightly.

"So is your name really Buri, miss?" the man asked, turning to her. "Or is that part of the performance as well?"

She grinned. She liked this man, and he didn't seem to mind that Raoul had brought her as trickery. "My name is indeed Buri, sir." She replied. "And I have no notion of what you speak regarding a 'performance.'" She batted her eyelashes in false innocence, making both father and son laugh.

"I like her," he announced to Raoul, smiling. "And not to worry, I won't tell Sebila. It's more than I could've hoped that my son actually came."

"As if I could've gotten out of coming!" Raoul exclaimed. "You told me that if I didn't come you would cut off my head, load it in a catapult, and launch it over Scanran borders."

"That didn't stop you from trying to ditch the reunion last year," he commented casually. He extended his hand to Buri. "I'm Ralerin, by the way. Raoul's father."

She took the offered hand. "I surmised as much," she admitted.

"In the meantime," he glared at his son. "Do not let me catch you using that name about your Aunt while you are here or I will make your life a misery," he thought about that, glancing around the room. "Even more of a misery than now," he added as an afterthought.

Raoul bowed mockingly, then straightened and saluted. "Yessir!"

"And you best not let her know you're faking, or she'll have you're head." He winked at Buri and walked away.

"He seems nice," Buri commented. "He won't tell her, will he?"

"Not father. You forget she's his aunt, too—my great aunt. She did this whole thing to him, as well. So he knows what it's like." The main door to the room opened, and a young woman walked in. "Oh Mithros, no…." Raoul muttered under his breath, face paling.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Lady Iona. Sebila was particularly interested in—hello Iona! How are you doing this evening?" she had walked straight up to them.

"I am fine, thank you Raoul." She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. Buri suppressed a scowl. This woman was almost pretty. Almost. Her nose was a bit to big and her eyes a little too close together to be considered a beauty. "We must catch up later, you and I. It's been far too long since we've spoken." She moved a little closer to him, resting a hand on his arm. "Save a dance for me?" she asked, leaving, or at least attempting to leave, no room for argument.

"My dear, I would love to dance with you," Raoul said, taking half a step back. "But unfortunately, I think my guest here would get bored if I left her alone in a room full of people she doesn't know."

Iona's eyes narrowed, making them seem even closer together than before. "She?" she aksed, her eyes moving onto Buri. "Hello," she said coldly.

"Lady Iona, may I introduce Lady Buriram Tourakam. Buri, Lady Iona."

"Charming to meet you," she said, still coldly. "Raoul, it's so nice to meet your friend… Her voice trailed, inviting Raoul to either confirm or deny the statement.

Raoul thought about what he could say for a moment, trying to find a way to tell Iona this without making Buri entirely uncomfortable. "Actually, Buri's—"

"His lover," Buri interrupted, placing a possessive hand on his arm. Raoul put his arm around her, letting Buri lean into him.

"Oh, is that so?" Iona answered. Raoul kissed the top of Buri's head, trying to sell the lie. "How wonderful for the both of you. Why, I do believe I see Lehon over there," she said suddenly, looking passed the two. "If you'd excuse me?" she didn't wait for an answer before leaving them.

"Who's Lehon?" Buri asked, sliding from Raoul's grip. Her heart had quickened for some reason.

"My cousin, who as a matter of fact is not here tonight. I almost feel sorry for her."

"So who is she, exactly?"

"Someone the dragon has been quite persistent in trying to match me up with," he grinned at her. "I'm lucky to have such an understanding lover, who doesn't get jealous when a young lady tries to flirt with me."

Buri turned from him to look around the room, trying to hide the faint blush that had risen to her cheeks. When she was sure it had faded she turned back to him. "So how long are we here for, anyway?"

He shrugged. "Sebila's old. She can't stay up too late or she'll fall asleep in here. I reckon as soon as she retires we can duck out."

"Did I hear correctly?" A new woman, drew up to the two of them, an older woman, but not as old as Sebila. "Has my son found a new lady friend?"

Raoul sighed. "Hello, mother."

"Buri, isn't it?" she asked, offering a hand to her, who took it. "You're the commander of the Queen's Riders, aren't you?"

"Oh leave the poor boy alone," Ralerin ordered her good naturedly. "He gets enough trouble over women from Sebila."

The woman ignored him. "I'm Astia, Raoul's mother," she explained, offering her hand to Buri, which she took. "So how long have you and my son been courting?" she asked mischievously. "Are you planning on marriage?"

Raoul blushed scarlet. "Mother!" he exclaimed.

-

The evening went rather smoothly for a while, until five women—all from Sebila's matchmaking list—bombarded Raoul at once. Fortunately, about this time is when the dragon retired to her chambers, leaving Raoul and Buri free to take their leave.

Raoul and Buri left the carriage laughing. For all the lying, dodging the mad dragon, and sneaking away from disgruntled women, it had been a fun evening.

"You should have seen the look on your face when your mother mentioned marriage!" Buri told him, eyes watering from her laughter.

"Well what about your face when Sebila said you weren't dainty enough?" he accused, a wicked gleam in his own eyes. She leaned on his shoulder, gasping for breath as they walked.

They reached the spot where their paths separated, but it took them some time still to calm down again, their laughter trailing off at last.

"Well," said Raoul at last. "Thank you for making tonight much more bearable than it otherwise would have been." He said, turning to look her in the eye. Suddenly he realized they were standing very close together, for when he turned his head their faces were scant inches apart.

He shouldn't have done it; he knew that before he even did. But something about that evening had felt right. He lowered his face the last few inches and pressed his mouth to hers.

A small gasp escaped Buri, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

When at last they pulled apart, they didn't even speak about what had happened. But they both turned right and walked towards Raoul's rooms together: a much more…private setting.

A/N: Hope you liked it! More stories will be coming soon. Once again, if you have any ideas for future stories you'd like me to write about, please feel free to tell me via review. Thanks for reading!