Author's Note: Here's a little TP ficlet, about Kel getting some advice on relationships from none other than Buri. (It's mostly an excuse to squeeze in R/Bness using Kel as a cover. :P) The ficlet is set during SQUIRE, after Raoul and Buri slept together on a Midwinter night and before Kel and Cleon almost slept together.

Love is A Sweet Thing

By Trisana McGraw

Keladry of Mindelan awoke at dawn and fed the various animals who lived with her per her regular schedule. She was fixing herself something to drink when something happened that a month ago she would have deemed unusual but was now becoming part of her morning schedule: Buriram Tourakom, Commander of the Queen's Riders, walked out of Raoul's room, wearing nothing more than a blanket. Humming under her breath, Buri headed across the hall to the privy.

Kel's years in the Yamani Islands prevented her face from showing any semblance of surprise in her expression, but inwardly she grinned with amusement. "Good morning, Command – um, Buri," she called, using the K'mir woman's first name, as Buri had instructed her several times.

Startled by the sudden voice in the quiet morning, Buri nearly dropped the blanket. A moment later, she spun around. Her expression of surprise faded to normal, as she smiled and hoisted the blanket up with a sudden self-consciousness. "Keladry, hi. Did you sleep well?"

"I slept fine, thanks," Kel replied. "How did you sleep?" Inwardly again, she winced for not thinking of the double entendre her question presented.

"Fine too," Buri replied, but she was smirking. The K'mir leaned more comfortably against the doorway and gazed at Kel for the passing of a couple seconds. "So," she finally said, a note of surprise in her voice, ". . . you're here."

Kel paused in what she was doing and looked up at Buri with furrowed brows.

"What I mean is," Buri continued, "we" – the "we" was undoubtedly she and Kel's knight-master Raoul, who happened to be Buri's friend and lover – "thought you were out, training – or –"

Kel suddenly realized what the older woman was saying. "Oh, if you'd like me to give you some privacy, I can," she quickly suggested, suddenly wishing to be as far from Raoul's suite of rooms as was humanly – or magically – possible. "I haven't been practicing with the lance for weeks, and I really should –"

"No, wait!" Buri interrupted as Kel rose from the table. "I didn't mean it like that. There is no way I'm going to drive you out of your own rooms. Stay, eat, and don't feel like you have to leave on account of us."

Buri straightened from her position against the wall and turned around, headed back toward Raoul's chambers. "By the way, you were practicing with the lance two days ago," Buri added, halfway into the room.

Kel couldn't help but smile a little. "Well, it gets harder to make excuses," she admitted ruefully.

"I'm sorry about that," Buri apologized, "and about always putting you in a compromising position."

Buri ducked into Raoul's room, but she surprised Kel by reappearing a few moments later, carrying a bundle of clothes. "I was planning on getting dressed anyway," she explained. "Now's as good a time as ever, I guess."

A sleepy rumble sounded from the room, and Buri rolled her eyes and grinned. Before shutting the door, she poked her head in and murmured something to the dozing knight still inside. He answered with a clearer, yet still unintelligible reply. Buri said, "By the way, Kel's here, so if you do decide to come out, you had better be decent." She shut the door, still smiling to herself as she again crossed the hall to the privy.

Kel was struck by how easily Buri and Raoul had talked to one another. They had the considerable warm affection of lovers, but they still teased one another and joked around. They had been best friends a long time before they became lovers, but their new relationship seemed every bit as natural as their long-lasting friendship -- which was still standing, Kel noted with interest.

Buri reappeared a few minutes later, dressed in a comfortable tunic and breeches. Her long black hair hung down over her shoulders, and it shifted as she stretched her arms over her head and behind her back. Once finished with stretching, the stocky woman seated herself across from Kel and leaned her elbows against the table.

"Would you like something to drink?" Kel offered as she poured some steaming hot chocolate into one mug.

Buri shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm fine."

"What about my lord?" Kel asked. "Will he be joining us?"

Buri laughed quietly. "I wouldn't expect him to stir for a few hours. The poor man was positively drained after all that –" She suddenly caught herself and looked very sheepish. "After all that talking we did last night," she finished lamely. As an uncomfortable silence stretched between them, Buri sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. "It's very awkward for you, isn't it?" she asked Kel quietly.

"Only a little," Kel admitted. It wasn't as if she were displeased with Raoul and Buri's relationship; they were both adults who respected her, and she them. That was the problem, however. Kel remembered when her mother, Ilane of Mindelan, had mentioned getting "carried away" with Kel's father; the thought still gave her the shivers. Since she knew both Raoul and Buri well, it was a bit awkward when they were experiencing certain aspects of a relationship that Kel had never been through.

That may not even be the real problem, Kel suddenly realized. Her added realization startled her even more: she was slightly jealous of her knight-master and his lover because she was incredibly confused by her own sweetheart, Cleon. Kel certainly enjoyed kissing Cleon, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to sleep with him. If so, was it because she truly loved him or was just attracted to him physically?

Neither was a bad thing, but Kel didn't want to get caught in the trap of marriage and childbearing before she had gotten her shield and proved herself as a lady knight. Plus, she and Cleon hadn't gone any farther in their relationship than warm hugs and even warmer kisses. They hadn't had time to talk about anything more serious, anyway; they hadn't seen each other in months, what with the new knight always being sent off on various training missions and the like and Kel spending her time as Raoul's squire in the King's Own.

And yet, her sensible side spoke up then, here you've got someone who would know exactly how it feels to be friends and lovers. Maybe she has some advice for you about Cleon.

Kel took a seat and blew on her hot chocolate to cool it down, watching the older woman as she did so. Finally, she worked up enough nerve to speak. "There was something I wanted your advice on, Co – Buri," she said, catching herself earlier than she had before.

Buri shrugged and replied, "Sure, Kel. Shoot."

Kel cautiously sipped her drink, trying to arrange her words correctly. "You and Lord Raoul – your relationship – what's it like?"

There was silence for several long moments, as Buri frowned and tried to understand what Kel was asking. "Is this going to turn into a sex talk?" she asked. "Because then I will need something to drink. And didn't Raoul give you that talk already?"

"Oh, no!" Kel hastened to assure her, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "My mama already did, and that wasn't what I was talking about anyway. What I meant was, what is it like going from friends to lovers?"

Buri cocked her head to the side and regarded Kel thoughtfully for several moments. "Before I start answering, there's a question I'd like to ask," she said, and Kel quickly nodded. "Do you have a certain boy in mind, that you're asking me about relationships?"

Kel kept her face Yamani-smooth, but she glanced down shyly and twisted her hands in her lap. "Yes," she finally answered. "He's been my friend since we were pages, and he's a knight now. His name is Cleon –"

"Of Kennan," Buri finished, and Kel nodded, slightly surprised that Buri knew Cleon's name. Buri leaned back in her chair. "I've seen him, on occasion. Raoul said he's a good boy." Kel's lips curled upward slightly; her knight-master was a good judge of character, and she was secretly glad that he thought well of Cleon.

"And are you and Cleon lovers?" Buri asked.

Kel emphatically shook her head. "That's why I asked you about this. We haven't talked much about becoming . . . more serious." Other than joking about it on a few occasions, that is, she reminded herself. "So I was wondering: Is it hard to go from friends to lovers?"

Buri paused before answering, choosing her words carefully. "I guess you could say it is," she began slowly. "It certainly makes things a lot more complicated. I mean, if you've known the person for years and years and suddenly you want to take the relationship to a much higher level, it can be hit-and-miss." Kel blinked; it seemed that Buri was talking about more than just Kel and Cleon.

"You might be afraid that taking a relationship farther will ruin your friendship." Buri was returning to something that Kel could identify with. "That might happen; that's what I mean about being unsure of what to do.

"But at the same time, it can be greater than anything you've known," Buri went on. "If you've been friends for a long time, you're bound to be close to the person, so you feel you can share anything with him. Becoming lovers only helps to cement that relationship; it brings people closer while allowing them to realize how secure their friendship is."

"And you and my lord?" Kel asked. She was aware that she was being impertinent, but she needed a way she could somehow understand better.

Buri shot her a sharp look, but she remembered that Kel was a mature girl that Raoul respected and trusted; and if he felt that way, Buri could too. She also realized that Kel might need a better example if she were to fully understand. "We're not lovers just for the sex," Buri answered, and Kel swallowed and blushed at the casual wording. "It goes deeper than that. Raoul and I – well, we became friends years and years ago, when Thayet and I first came to Tortall. We instantly liked one another and enjoyed each other's company, and the years in which we've been friends have served only to strengthen that bond. We took a chance one night and found that it worked for both of us. We're not any less friends for it, and we're exploring a new aspect in our relationship. We trusted each other enough to try a new and terrifying thing. Neither of us were expecting it, let me tell you.

"Going from friends to lovers can be the best thing that ever happened to you, Kel. They say, that all of the long-living relationships start with friendship. Only then can you truly understand and trust your lover." Buri paused and tried to figure out what words would properly convey her message to Kel.

"Let me put it this way," Buri said. "Raoul is one of my closest friends. I completely trust him with my body and my emotions, and this is the best relationship I've had in years. Does that help?"

Kel nodded, as she silently considered Buri's words. She was still worried about how she would deal with Cleon, but hearing Buri speak of friends and lovers soothed some of her fears. Truth be told, she had been anxiously wondering if she and Cleon could be both friends and more than friends, and Buri had assured her that it was possible. Look at her and Raoul, anyway, Kel thought.

As if on cue, Raoul appeared from the privy, fully dressed in comfortable clothes, and approached the table at which Kel and Buri sat.

Buri turned when she heard him walking toward them. "And he awakens," she teased, grinning up at the still drowsy knight. "You didn't have to get up, you know."

Raoul shrugged. "I was hungry." He smiled at Kel in greeting, then looked suspiciously at both women. "Now, what were you two talking about?"

Buri was still smiling. "Just girl talk."

"All right, then. I'd best not intrude," Raoul decided, moving to the counter to make himself a drink. Kel rose, but before she could offer to make the drink for him, Raoul ordered her to sit back down.

"We're finished, sir," Kel told him. She turned back to the stocky K'mir sitting across from her. "I think I understand better. Thank you, Buri."

Buri grinned at hearing Kel address her by her first name. "Your welcome, Kel. I hope I helped you at all. If you have any other questions, you know where to find me."

In Raoul's room or the Rider barracks, Kel added to herself. Aloud she said, "All right."

There came a knock at the door, and Buri rose to answer it. A royal messenger stood on the icy doorstep. When he saw Buri, he asked, "Buriram Tourakom?" She nodded, and the messenger handed her a folded piece of parchment. "The Queen wanted to tell you that she thought she might find you here," the messenger recited, having no idea what Thayet had meant but delivering the message as was his duty.

"Thank you," Buri said, closing the door. From the kitchen, Raoul rolled his eyes and muttered something about monarchs with a sense of humor.

Buri sat back down and unfolded the parchment. She read silently, her eyes skimming over the short letter, and then she looked up at the knight and squire watching her curiously.

The K'mir sighed and handed the letter to Raoul. "Thayet's decided, since Midwinter's ended and we're in the new year, it's time to send out Seventeenth." Seventeenth was the Rider Group Buri was primarily in charge of. Buri grimaced and looked at Raoul, who had finished reading the letter and stared calmly at her. She curled her fingers around his large hand and smiled apologetically. "It looks like we'll be out for a few months, and the Own may not be with us. Plus, I'm practically ordered to get ready now, as in this morning. Sorry I have to leave so abruptly."

Raoul shrugged, but his hand tightened on hers. "It's all right. That's a fighter's life, isn't it? I'll see you in a little while then, gods willing."

"Of course you will," Buri answered, her eyes primarily on him; both seemed to have forgotten Kel for the moment. "If you want, the moment we return to Corus I'll rush into your arms."

Raoul smirked. "All sweaty and dirty from the road?"

Buri rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll bathe first, then we'll reunite happily. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Raoul answered. "I'll look forward to it."

Buri stood, and she and Raoul exchanged a warm, tight hug for several moments. He kissed her on the cheek and looked about to pull back when Buri muttered, "Come on, you big lug" and kissed him on the lips. He gladly returned the kiss, and when they pulled apart both were smiling shyly.

So that's love, Kel thought, watching the two with interest. Or at least, a really good friendship that includes being lovers. If only she could hope for as much.

Buri shook her hand. "See you later, Kel."

"Goodbye, Buri," Kel replied.

The K'mir disappeared into Raoul's chambers to gather her remaining belongings, and she waved goodbye to both as she stepped outside and began the walk back to her suite of rooms.


Raoul looked at Kel searchingly for several moments. "What were you –" he started, then thought better of asking. "Never mind. I probably wouldn't want to know, anyway."

Kel shrugged as she returned to her seat and sipped some more of her hot chocolate. "Buri was just giving me some advice. Girl talk, like she said."

"Really," Raoul murmured, watching the door through which Buri had left. He shoved his hands into his pockets and took a seat next to Kel. "She's great, isn't she?"

Kel grinned into her mug at the dreamy look she had never before seen on Raoul's face. Buri had been right when she said that her relationship with Raoul was the best thing for them. Though he and Buri had been friends for countless years, Raoul was happier than Kel had ever seen him when he and Buri were together as lovers. They really are made for one another, Kel thought. Ah, the joys of romance.

"Yes, my lord," she replied automatically, and Raoul was so engrossed in thoughts about Buri that he didn't remember to correct Kel.

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