Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or setting used here, they are property of the amazing Tamora Pierce.
Qwertyuiop
Was every woman in the palace taken? With only a handful of days before the wedding, the number of available women were scarce. And with that fact, he was sure that the only woman he wanted was taken as well.
As he passed an ajar doorway, he couldn't help but hear, "You will come to my wedding, with an escort, even if I have to ask one for you!" She held her fingers up with barely room for a hair between them, I'm this close to doing the same for Yukimi!" He didn't recognize the nearly shouting voice, but he certainly recognized the one that replied, "You wouldn't." It was Kel, his best friend since page training.
He paused. Was it possible the woman of his dreams was still available? But maybe… should he ask her? Or the other one, to choose the safe option that wouldn't break his heart?
"Hey Meathead," a voice broke him from his thoughts. It could only be one person.
"Dom," Neal narrowed his eyes as his cousin caught up to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him down the corridor. It was times like now, when that particular nickname was used, that Neal thought Dom might not be his favorite cousin. "What are you doing alone? I would think you would be busy making your wedding date think that you are the sun, moon, and stars ahead of time."
"I would, but I don't have one yet. I need one however, or the Commander might have my head."
"Who are you planning to ask?"
"Lord Raoul suggested Lady Kel, or one of the princesses' ladies… Lady Yukimi I believe. I need food first, however. No sense asking a lady out when you're too hungry to think straight."
"Did someone say hungry?" Kel's voice came from behind them, stopping Neal from doing anything rash. His fist curled. This could be his chance to get the woman he loved, and he wouldn't let his cousin steal her. Or maybe… maybe it would be better? He couldn't decide if he should risk her rejection if he asked her and she wanted nothing to do with him.
Dom and Neal stopped to wait for Kel and she caught up easily, "I'm starving. Lassa had me in fittings most of the morning."
The three of them headed to lunch, all speaking of other things, but their minds on a unified subject.
Who would be their dates to the wedding?
Qwertyuiop
Entering the crowded dining hall, Dom, Kel, and Neal wound their way to the serving line, grabbing trays and beginning to pile them high. Distracted by his thoughts and the sight of food, Neal made a grevious error.
He skipped the vegetables.
"Neal," Kel spoke up sweetly from her place behind him, "You wouldn't happen to be forgetting something, would you?"
"Um…" he looked at her with wide eyes. That tone did not bode well for him. Spotting his plate, he realized his error and reached hastily for the serving spoon. One small scoop of vegetables—green beans—made their way to his plate. Kel took it from him and gave him a mountain that nearly buried his potatoes before serving herself a good sized mound. Moving down, Dom took the spoon from Kel and added an amount of vegetables the young woman must have found sufficient because she prodded Neal to move along.
Neal made a face at his cousin, but moved.
Once they had collected their food, they searched for a clean patch of table, sitting in a line. There was no room on the opposite side for one of them, which lead to the men talking at Kel, but not at each other. The tension from their hallway conversation still lingered in the air between them.
After fifteen minutes of barely eating for needing to make replies, Kel begged off, saying she needed to visit Peachblossom.
Returning her tray after stuffing a pair of rolls with some meat and potatoes, she headed for the stables.
Sometimes, horses were infinitely better company than humans.