Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce
Enjoy!
1. Silk
Kel wore a dress to Lord Raoul's wedding. Seeing her clothed in russet silk, Dom found the change from her normal attire startling. He supposed, however, that the mud-splattered garments he was used to her wearing would not have been entirely appropriate for the affair.
2. Memory
The war continued on, in a seemingly endless pattern of blood and boredom. When it finally ended and they were told that they could return home, Kel found it hard to rid herself of the images of death every time she closed her eyes. Likewise, for months afterward, the scent of iron mixed with copper followed Dom everywhere.
3. Sky
As Kel lay on her back and watched the clouds with Roald and Owen on either side of her, she thought about how very happy she was that her friends had found love even within the most unusual of places; an arranged marriage and the Cavall household, respectively. She was quite proud that she managed to say so aloud, without even a touch of yearning to color her voice.
4. Sorrow
When Kel received news that Conal had been killed in a hurrok attack, she'd found it hard to maintain her Yamani calm. He may not have been her favorite brother, but she had loved him all the same. Kel held back her tears until she'd made her way back to her quarters. A few hours later, Neal and Dom turned up at her door with food, soothing words, and a mug of tea that put her right to sleep.
When she awoke, they were both still there, Neal reading by the fire and Dom sleeping in a nearby chair.
5. Horses
Dom was in need of a new warhorse after his old and dear mount Jasper had been killed in a recent skirmish. He enlisted Tobe's help in picking out a mount that would suit him. If he'd known that enlisting Tobe meant enlisting Kel as well, he kept his mouth shut about it.
The three of them spent the day in the market, inspecting horses, snacking on fresh fruits and hot sticky buns, and lingering over booths.
By sunset, Dom had found the perfect horse; a well muscled gelding of 16 hands high. He was all over glossy black with feathering on his fetlocks and a flowing mane and tail. The merchant assured Dom that this breed was known for its strength as well as agility and Tobe assured him that the gelding was itching to be useful and already like Dom's look and manner. In thanks, he allowed Tobe to name him, but the boy insisted that only Kel could give him the perfect name.
"Very well then, I rather like Kuro".
6. Window
Dom stood at the library window and watched Kel on the practice courts below. Part of him felt like this behavior counted as stalking (especially when he'd spent breakfast doing much of the same), but the other parts told him it was simple admiration.
7. Warmth
It'd been a month since Kel had seen most of her friends as she had been off patrolling the Tusaine border. Her first night back she met Neal, Yuki, Dom, Seaver, Roald, and Shinko in their highnesses rooms for a night of catching up.
Eventually she ended up in conversation with Dom. At one point, he reached out to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. The gesture seemed unconscious on his part, but its half-intimate nature confused her. She was very glad that she wasn't prone to blushing as her insides were flooded with warmth.
8. Rain
Dom found himself inexplicably hating summer storms when he saw that they made Kel's soaked clothes cling to her skin oh-so-closely.
9. Candlelight
Light flickered across Kel's surprised face and threw shadows against the wall. Her lips still tingled from the kiss Dom had just pressed to her mouth.
10. Chance
Could Meatheadedness be contagious? he idly wondered afterwards. He hadn't planned on doing it, or gone over the consequences, or even really finished the thought before he had leaned in and kissed her. As he'd done it, though, Dom had realized that this explained everything he'd been feeling lately.
11. Fourteen
When Kel first met Dom she was fourteen to his twenty-two. Now she was twenty-two and he was thirty and they'd only been involved for a few days. Kel couldn't help but wonder if the age difference would have a large impact on this…..relationship? Was it too soon to even call it that?
She steeled herself to ask Dom what he thought. He grinned and pointed out that Daine and Numair were fourteen years apart and they did just fine
12. Secret
They didn't keep their relationship a secret, but nor did they make any announcement to their friends. They simply let people find out on their own.
13. Shadow
Even though it'd been a good few years since the tragedy of Haven and he'd since found work in the Rider stables, Tobe still trailed after Kel whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Dom chuckled, "We're going to have to do something about your shadow if we ever want to have a moment alone".
14. Reason
Kel wasn't deaf to the court gossip, though hardly anyone spoke any of it to her face.
"She's no beauty, nor particularly rich".
"What possible reason could a handsome, well-bred man like that have for being with a girl like her?"
"Most likely the answer lays in her skill in bed".
What Kel did not know was that Dom wasn't deaf to the gossip either. With the help of the Yamani ladies he started his own rumors. Only they took it to a kinder extreme.
"I heard the good sergeant mention her eyes, her stature--"
"—her grace in battle".
"No, no, it's her loyal heart and determination that caught him".
15. Skin
Dom slid his hands down her stomach to grip the edge of her nightshirt. He lifted it off her slowly, making Kel shiver as his hands dragged against her skin.
16. Love Triangle
Some days it felt like there were three people in this relationship: Kel, Dom, and those court ladies who were upset over the sergeant's loss of interest in them.
17. First
Yuki found Kel in the mess hall and waited patiently for her to finish eating. As Kel left, Yuki followed quietly behind her.
"There's no getting rid of you is there?"
"I am simply here in case you would like to discuss it. First fights are quite miserable".
18. Surprise
The first time Dom spent the entire night in Kel's room, he woke to find her, not curled up against him, but running a series of drills with her glaive.
"Do you do this every morning?"
It was months before he finally stopped teasing her for actually dropping her weapon in surprise.
19. Loss
Third Company of the King's Own had been riding this way and that, fighting bandits and spidrens and yet more bandits and now they'd gone too far out to make it back to Corus for Midwinter. Dom knew it wasn't anyone's fault, but that didn't stop him from cursing everything around him for the loss of his first Midwinter with Kel.
20. Stockings
"I am going to strangle you with these stockings if you don't shut up" were some of the last words Dom expected to come from his love's mouth. If she hadn't been issuing said death threat in her usual calm manner, he would have been extremely worried for her sanity. As it was, he felt some concern was appropriate. However, after entering Kel's sitting room, he swiftly disregarded it. Kel sat on the floor pulling on her boots whilst Neal sat at the table surrounded by several thick books. One of which was open. And entitled A Comparison of the Political Systems in the Eastern Lands.
21. Glass
It was not the easiest of relationships; they could go weeks, sometimes months, without seeing each other. At first they both feared that the smallest cracks would cause it to shatter completely.
22. Sleep
It'd been a tiring day and all Kel wanted to do was fall asleep listening to Dom's soft breathing, but she still did not have the nerve to just go to his room and climb into his bed. However, upon opening the door, she found Dom fast asleep in her own bed.
23. Hands
She'd had no notion of how nice it was to come home after slogging through the rain and mud and find, not only a hot bath, but also a pair of hands waiting to wash every inch of her clean.
24. Waiting
Word had come that Third Company had been involved in a series of bloody skirmishes, the kind that lent themselves to a high number of casualties. No one had bothered with the names of those injured and dead, or if they had, they hadn't told her. The king sent two Rider groups and several healers back with the messenger. The first day of waiting Kel drove herself to distraction with weapons practice, the second day she cleaned her quarters until everything she owned was tidy and in its proper place. The third day was spent polishing her gear. She had finished her armor, and was just starting on her sword when someone cleared their throat from the open doorway of her room.
"Should I be insulted that you weren't waiting at the stable to reassure yourself of my health?"
25. Sign
Kel kept finding pieces of Dom's clothing whenever she took it upon herself reorganize her room. Once, after using the privy in his rooms, she found her own hose and tunic laid across the edge of the bath.
The day Dom ran to Kel's quarters to try and find his last mostly-clean uniform shirt, was the day Kel suggested that this must be a sign for something. Dom responded that clearly the gods thought they should move in together.
26. Nostalgia
Kel often accompanied Third Company on missions, whether by Raoul's invite or on assignment from the king. It brought back memories of her squire days. Except she didn't tend to Raoul's gear and when they sat around the fire at night, Dom would sling an arm around her shoulders and pull her close.
27. Song
"Can't you tell your sparrows that it's far too early in the morning to be singing?" Dom grumbled as he buried his head under his pillow.
28. War
The war with Scanra was long over, but sometimes it didn't feel that way. Not when Third Company was away or Kel was off chasing bandits.
29. Mystery
The identity of Kel's first crush forever eluded Dom. She refused to tell him, and though he guessed everyone in the palace from Stefan to King Jonathan, she never confirmed or denied. He knew it couldn't possibly be Cleon, there had to have been someone before the redhead, but she just would not tell him.
Kel, of course, knew that she would never live down the teasing if she admitted it had been his cousin.
30. Sword
They were equally matched when it came to bows and spears. Kel had him beat with glaives, lances, and (most of the time) with hand-to-hand. Dom was glad he could at least claim regular victory with a sword.
31. Tea
A stuffed up and achy Dom glared up at Kel from their bed, "When I asked for tea, I didn't mean for you to go Neal".
"This will make you feel much better than regular tea would. Besides you only asked for a cup of tea, you weren't specific in the least," Kel replied calmly.
"Well, I would have thought it obvious seeing as how those vile concoctions Meathead makes could not possibly be considered tea".
32. Hunger
Warm lips worked their way down her neck as her hands slid up his back to grip his shoulders. She knew that tomorrow she'd have to apply a fair amount of face paint to hide the marks, but at that moment, she just didn't care.
33. Birthday
"What does one get a Lady Knight for her birthday?"
Kel opened the box to find a pin with the Mindelan owl painted underneath diamond.
34. Paint
When Dom returned to their quarters at the end of the day, the sight of him was hardly one Kel would have expected. For one thing, he was scowling. For another, his skin and clothes were covered in splatters of purple and gold paint.
"Has Raoul issued new outfits then? Were the old ones not flashy enough for his liking?"
"Wolset. Prank. Bath. Now".
35. Desert
Raoul found his sergeant and former squire sitting back to back in the shade of a palm tree, absorbed in their thoughts. They appeared oblivious to the heat in the air or the rough sand underneath them. In fact, they appeared quite content to just sit with one another. Raoul turned and walked off. His news could wait.
36. Autumn
The gash bled heavily as Kel sat on the forest floor, blood flowed from her thigh to stain the orange and yellow leaves. Her opponents, two bandits and a rogue ogre, lay dead around her. One of the men from Balim's squad was slumped over, unconscious, next to her. After checking on Lachlan, Kel ripped fabric from her tunic to create a makeshift bandage for herself.
This was how three other men out of Balim's squad found them.
"My lord and Sergeant Dom became quite worried when you and Lachlan didn't come back, milady," the biggest of the men stated as he stooped to sling Lachlan over his shoulder.
With their help, Kel left the bloodied leaves behind.
37. Dream
Dom confessed that he once had a dream about her when she had been a newly-made knight.
"The good kind of dream?" she teased.
"The best kind," he replied "Of course, I woke up horrified. Spent a week fretting about it until I decided it was only a dream and didn't mean a thing".
38. Step
Kel was less than fond of dancing and Dom, knowing this, rarely even bothered asking her to dance.
One Midwinter, however, after being rejected once again and running off to dance with Shinko, he returned to Kel and watched the dancing with a wistful expression. Kel, after staring at him for a few moments, sighed and held out her hand in front of his chest.
The grin he gave her made the dancing worth it.
39. Gift
"Did Yuki and Neal tell you they're off to visit her family in the Yamani Islands at the end of the month?" Kel inquired while they lay in bed late one spring night.
"Yes, and I will relish it. Two months without the Meathead, it is as if he's giving me a belated birthday gift!"
40. Forest
It was the rare occasion where both Kel and Dom had the entire day free. They wasted no time in taking advantage of it. After a leisurely breakfast, they saddled up Hoshi and Sky Flyer so as to spend the day riding through the Royal Forest.
41. Ink
Dom glanced down at his ink-stained hands and grimaced. How was he supposed to concentrate on writing reports when Kel was off fighting gods knew what and he was left to wonder whether or not this would be the time that she did not return.
42. Scratch
"I never thought my lord would have to give an order banning attempts to tame hurroks", Kel told Dom as a healer applied a salve to his hands
"For the last time, I was trying to stop those cursed idiots, not help them!"
43. Combat
They accompanied each other to Faleron's wedding, despite being in the midst of a rather large fight. Kel's stony silence combined with Dom's pointed glares and snipes helped Merric quickly deduce that their joint attendance was a mistake and he spent the majority of the wedding and subsequent ball keeping them as far from each other as possible, so they would not inadvertently spoil the occasion for Faleron and his bride.
44. Play
Even warriors need to have fun every now and again, Kel told herself as she watched Dom gleefully run his squad through a series of torturous drills. Even if their definitions of "fun" greatly differ.
45. Pointless
Dom did not think that punishing those members of the Riders and the Own engaged in the latest string of pranks had much of a point. Especially when that punishment entailed working together to clean their respective stables from top to bottom. It was bound to set off another round of pranks, with him being the victim of at least one of them. One that would probably have the side-effect of turning Kel into the innocent co-victim. This would only serve to make Kel angry with Dom himself. Not to mention that there would be yet more punishment work. So really, Lord Raoul and Commander Evin just shouldn't inconvenience anyone with punishment to begin with.
46. Scent
Those times when letters were their only means of communication were always hard. Dom discovered he missed everything from the strands of hair he continually found on his clothes to her sparrows ushering in the day before the sun had even risen. Kel learned to hate laundry day because it meant that his comforting scent would no longer be found on their pillows and sheets, making her feel twice as lonely.
47. Fire
Heat diffused through Kel's body as Dom touched his lips to hers; she buried her hands in his hair and drew him closer so she could feel him against her, chest to chest, hip to hip. Kel pushed him backwards as they kissed until he ran into the bed and fell onto it, pulling her down with him.
48. Three
Dom didn't know how he ended up agreeing to watch his three-year old cousin Kimiko though he thought it had something to do with Neal not allowing him a chance to respond before fleeing from the room. Dom loved the bright-eyed little girl, but he'd also never been solely in charge of her care for any long period of time. By the end of the afternoon he'd never been so glad that he and Kel would not be having children any time in the near future.
49. Saddle
A serene atmosphere had descended into the stable. Kel and Dom sat across from one another, each tending to their own tack. Neither spoke, the only sounds came from the horses and the scraping of wire brushes on leather.
50. Gold
Years had passed and neither Kel nor Dom wore a marriage band. To do so, to have the ceremony that would bind them together in matrimony, would mean the end of Dom's beloved career. Besides, they loved each other and that was good enough for them, they didn't need a wedding to prove it to everyone else.