Kel spun and thrust with her glaive in one of the more complex pattern dances. Her breath was ragged and her hair soaked in sweat. Unnoticed by her drops of it fell off her face to land with a wet splat on the floor of the practice court.

That wasn't the only thing that escaped her attention. Dom watched from the sidelines, brows raised. Anyone but her closest friends would miss the way her jaw jutted forward and how she stamped her foot like the very idea of ground under her feet offended her. To put it mildly, something bothered the Lady Knight.

She finished with a downward slice that stopped inches off the floor. After she held the position for a few moments she stepped back and swung the weapon so the butt rested on the floor.

Before she could begin another dance Dom strode quickly to greet her. Kel started when he spoke. She hadn't noticed him approaching. Her face instantly smoothed into her emotionless mask. "Hello. Something on your mind?"

Flashing hazel eyes met his. Dom took a step back. Whatever the news had been in the meeting, he was sure she didn't like it. "Wow, good guess," she answered shortly. "First and most important is how I'm going to kill Lord Wyldon so slowly and painfully that he'll wish he never met me. Scratch that, he'll wish he'd never been born."

She headed for the benches where towels and pitches of water were arranged for the use of anyone training. "Then there's King Maggot," she spoke his name with contempt. Her face was still impassive but her eyes and voice betrayed her anger. "Oh, how I'm going to have fun with him."

She dumped water on her head and towelled it off briskly. She rested the glaive against the wall and dropped onto a bench. Dom followed suit. Normally his nearness would have given her goosebumps, but she was too angry to care.

"So what actually happened?" Dom tried in vain to keep amusement out of his voice.

Kel shot him a withering glare and looked like she was about to say something but thought better of it. She sighed and leaned back so her head rested on the wall behind her. "It's just… I don't understand," she said, a lot calmer. "He gives me a job to do but pulls me out halfway through and says I have something that's more important to spend my time on," she said matter of factly. She'd regained control of her emotions.

"Lord Wyldon?"

Kel nodded and continued. "As if patrol is more important than helping the homeless build homes and teaching the defenceless to defend themselves. I mean, it's not like the coast is that unprepared and a major attack probably won't come for who knows-" Clapping her hand to her mouth she looked at Dom. "Don't tell anyone," she warned, poking a finger into his chest. "If you do, so help me you'll regret-"

Dom held up his hands, an exaggerated expression of innocence on his face. "Tell them what? That you're planning on torturing the Stump? I'm sure a lot of his former pupils would gladly help you. Other than that I didn't hear a thing."

Kel could only hold her mask in place for so long before bursting into laughter. Dom grinned. He loved making her laugh. It made his chest constrict and his heart sing.

When Kel had finally recovered she looked up into a pair of shockingly purple eyes. The expression on Alanna's face set her off into fresh peals of laughter.

"I see you've gotten over you're little spat in the office." Kel looked down, a blush rising to her cheeks. In part her anger had been directed at herself for losing control. There was a time where she could have smiled politely at Wyldon and even complimented him on his good thinking. Lately, however, she was finding that she was less and less able to sink into her Yamani calm.

"Wyldon was quite surprised. Oh, yes, he noticed all right. He was looking out for your reaction." She chuckled. "I didn't think there was anything that could shock him that badly. He expected you to be angry, but throwing a tantrum was on the bottom of the list."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Kel asked plaintively as Alanna sat next to her and stretched herself out.

The red head grinned at her and nodded. "I came to cheer you up but it looks like someone beat me to it. And did a hell of a better job of it than I would." She gave Dom a sly glance. "Did Raoul send you out here?"

Dom looked down for a moment. Was he blushing? Kel's hopes rose, then were dashed when he looked up. There was no trace of colour on his face. "He was pretty shocked. He just said that Kel had gone mad and sent me down here. Actually, I volunteered. No one else wanted to." He smiled apologetically at Kel. "You're just too scary when you're angry."

"I almost forgot," Alanna said. "Lord Raoul told me to tell you that we leave in a week. After the wedding, of course." The last part was said offhandedly.

Kel sat up quickly. "Wedding?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Buri and Raoul finally decided to get it over with. We'll have trouble getting his attention a week from now."

"Oh yeah," Kel said, slightly depressed.

"Not to mention we'll get the brunt of his vexation from being away from her for so long," Dom added.

"I'm sure that you wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you Dom?" Kel asked sweetly.

"Would I do something so dreadful, good lady?" Dom replied, overly sincere and with his hand over his heart.

They all laughed, the sound of it ringing out over the courts. They eventually calmed down. "Anyway," Alanna began, still trying to catch her breath, "Lalasa should be arriving tomorrow so we'll have our first dress fitting then."

"Joy," Kel said sarcastically. Dom concealed a grin.

"Did I mention you're a bridesmaid?"

Kel looked horrified. "Me? What did I do to deserve this?" She looked imploringly at the sky.

Alanna looked at Dom, who she decided was looking too smug for his own good. "Dom," the smile was wiped off his face at her honeyed tone. "You, too, will be fitted. As a best man you have to look you're best. See you around, children." With that she strode away.

Dom and Kel looked at each other. "Why us?" Dom asked of nobody.

I had a lot of fun writing this - maybe too much. I'm not sure when I'll get the next one up. I have to work out a few things first. For those who think Kel's a bit out of character, she'll probably be like this for the rest of the story. Anyway, thanks to all reviewers. I love you guys! :D