Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tamora Peirce in the Protector of the Small series.

It was a beautiful morning on the practice courts, the sun was out and the chill wind helped the soldier's muscles work that little bit harder. The pages were practicing jousting, squires and green knights could be found sparring against each other and a large wooden pole, the Queen's Riders were practicing archery, the King's Own were doing drills and, in the only empty practice court available to her, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan was trying to learn a new weapon.

As Kel tried another chop she thought the massive Scanran battle-axe was as good at hiding its weight as her glaive. The thing was far heavier than it looked, and it didn't look light. Kel almost severed her toes from her body for the third time that morning and let out a loud string of swears that clearly illustrated to everyone in hearing distance that she had been brought up with the hardiest soldiers. She put the weapon down in the dust, not caring if the lump of steel and wood got dirty, and got herself a drink.

It had been two weeks since her conversation with Yuki. Two weeks of sharing awkward glances with Neal at meals; two weeks of sending death glares at Yuki whenever she received the kisses and hidden caresses; two weeks of feeling utterly guilty that she had any wish to destroy her friends happiness.

But after two weeks she was still wondering how she had fallen in love so deeply so fast. She had always known she was a little more than slightly fickle. After all, she had thought herself in love with Neal before only to fall just as hard for his cousin and then forget about Dom when a boy kissed her. So here she was, after Cleon had left her and her infatuation with Dom had faded, back at the beginning of this perverted love cycle.

Except now it was too late. She had hidden her feelings until they no longer mattered.

Which got back to why she was on the only empty practice court learning how to fight with what was effectively a lump of steel poorly attached to a lump of wood: to escape these depressing feelings. Kel wanted to be sure that she would move on again and find another man, but with Neal… It felt like she had never really fallen out of love, just put it on hold while friendship grew, making their bond stronger.

***

Dom walked over to Kel as she was making another attempt with the Scanran battle axe and smiled, finally a weapon he could teach her something about.

"Lady Knight," he grinned as she turned around almost dropping the heavy weapon, "Please allow me to help you with that. After all, I can't have you cutting your toes off, after all the time I spent teaching you to dance."

"You never taught me to dance at all." Kel replied smiling, remembering their easy friendship and enjoying the distraction of flirting.

"Ah, then this must be rectified at once!" Dom grinned as took the weapon, lifting it easily, "Perhaps at the ball next Friday, fair lady?"

"Why, sergeant, are you were asking me, a helpless maiden, to the ball while holding an axe over my head and smelling of a hard morning in the practice yards! Now if you'd just let me get my sword out we could fix this." Kel joked. She rarely acted so dramatically and enjoyed being able to act the player without being judged.

Their conversation continued like this as Dom walked Kel up to her rooms. As they reached Kel's door, Dom grabbed Kel's hand and swung her around to face him, "But seriously Kel, will you come to the ball with me?"

Kel smiled, "Sure."

***

Kel sat in her luke warm bath wondering if she had made the right decision to go to the ball with Dom. She knew she certainly didn't love him, but could she really expect that any more? The bards wrote about love like a spark, that set everything alight and lasted forever. Kel knew from hard experience on the road that that was not the nature of fire. A spark like that would set the dry, crumpled leaves alight and blaze for a moment, then die.

Kel thought of her parents, they had not even met before they were betrothed – they grew to love each other with time, compassion and perseverance. She wondered if she had the endurance of spirit to work so hard for something that would always be second to her love for Neal.

Finally drawing herself from the bath, Kel began frantically rummaging through her closet for an appropriate dress. She held the beautiful princess line dress in a bright vermilion that hugged her scant curves Lalasa had given her nervously. It was certainly the only appropriate dress she owned, but she feared the revealing neckline and low-cut back would further damage her newly founded reputation. She didn't want to risk losing the trust she had only recently gained as a commander.

Kel pulled on the dress and tied the straps tight. Gazing at her reflection, Kel thought she would be lucky if she didn't lose the respect of her friends; the dress was certainly cut to fit. She brushed her hair and added some pearl ornaments her sisters had once given her in an attempt to make her more feminine and smoothed the dress over her thighs.

It was then that Dom decided to rap nervously on the door to Kel's chamber. He had hesitated outside for some time and did not understand how taking a girl to a dance could scare him more than facing the kraken. Admittedly it was Kel.

Opening the door, Kel appraised Dom surreptitiously. She could still appreciate he was very handsome, even if he didn't cause her heart to flutter anymore; he was resplendent in Masbolle colours and the sword hanging at his belt reminded her of his prowess in battle. But they were only friends.

Dom collected himself from the shock of seeing Kel as a lady, no matter how often she wore her drab, workaday dresses to dinner, it did not compare to this. He lounged against the door conspicuously scrutinizing Kel as she put the finishing touches on her hair.

Dom took Kel's hand, laying a soft kiss upon it, "My lady, you look more lovely than ever tonight." Kel curtsied coyly at the sergeant, recognising the twinkle in his eye and his teasing tone of voice, "I am honoured to escort the most beautiful lady at court to tonight's affair."

"You forget, sergeant, that I have never been a lady of the court, and if you feel I am the most beautiful then I must assume your flirtatious way has scared away half the young ladies of the court." Kel paused as Dom laughed, "Do not laugh, my friends will be very disappointed if there are no ladies at this ball to dance with!"

***

As Dom led Kel through the maze of well known corridors that led to the main ballroom, she though it might not be so bad to be married to someone like Dom, when the time came. Spending her life with someone she could laugh with would not be so bad and she knew many of her friends had already been forced into far worse matches.

If the time came, Kel would be happy to marry such a friend as Dom. Her love for Neal was desperate, but her honour would never allow her to act upon it.

The End.

(I know, I don't like that ending either. But I think it's obvious I got sick of it.)