A/N: I am not good at making up Yamani names! And I can never remember them!!!!! Also, do they call dinner, 'dinner' or something else??? Thanks to all the people who have added this to their story alert!
Kel returned to her rooms, tired and frustrated, after dinner. Dom had dragged her off to dinner with him after their ride, she hadn't liked to say no and hurt his feelings- again. Yuki had carefully, when Kel and Dom had met her and Neal for dinner, wedged Kel, next to Dom, in between her and Neal, with her sitting on Kel's other side. Yuki had also kept up a constant chatter about 'Lady Kariami' at the meal, all the while smiling mischeviously at Kel.
Much to Kel's embarrassment, all of the Third Company, instead of just some, had wanted to sit at their table to hear about this Yamani guest coming, and everyone had had to sit squished together. Which definitely hadn't helped her temper at all, she had sat squished up to Dom, hearing him talk about this 'Yamani noble woman' all of the meal.
She plonked on her bed with a loud sigh. Tomorrow she would have to wrap Midwinter gifts, train and go to Yuki's for dress fittings. Talk about a boring day. And to make matters worse, on the second night of Midwinter- the first day Yuki was dressing her up- a ball was going to be held and everyone in the palace was invited. Including any guests that might be visiting. Luckily, she thought, there wasn't another ball on the first night of Midwinter, only a party to which all knights, King's Own's men and any escorts were invited to.
Kel didn't remember falling asleep, but she opened her eyes in the morning and the sun was shining through her window. She rubbed her eyes groggily and then jumped out of bed in horror. It was past dawn, she should have been up by now, practising.
Kel dressed quickly and grabbed her glaive. She ran down the corridor and, turning a corner, tripped on a jutting bit of stone and crashed straight into a man. The man somehow managed to grab hold of the wall and didn't fall, but Kel fell face down on the floor. Her glaive clattered on the floor next to her, nearly stabbing the man, but he caught it neatly. He looked down at her anxiously.
"Are you alright?"
Kel went hot. Why, oh why, did it have to be Dom, of all people, witnessing her humiliation, her clumsiness?
"I'm fine," she mumbled, and climbed to her feet. She noticed that Dom was holding her glaive and held out her hand for it.
"Was that just an excuse to try and stab me?" Dom asked teasingly. "I mean, I know I'm annoying, but..."
Kel went even redder. Lakelakelakelake. Rock. Smooth, unfeeling, rock. she thought desperately.
Dom lifted the glaive from the ground.
"That's quite a heavy pigsticker, Kel."
Kel, by this time, had control of her face.
"Glaive," she corrected him lightly. "It's not really, once you get fighting."
Dom raised an eyebrow. "Surely it would get heavier if you were fighting with it for a long time?"
Kel shrugged. "It works for me."
He finally gave her the glaive back and she tossed it lightly from hand to hand, wondering how she could politely get away from him and practise.
Dom seemed to read her mind. "Are you going to practise with that... that thing?" he queried.
"Yes," Kel answered.
He nodded. "Can I watch?"
She nearly groaned. What a distraction, having Dom watch!
But she nodded in agreement. "If you want." Deciding she would still go to her usual, hidden, peaceful place, she headed down the hall, turned left, went a little way down another corridor, turned right and came to the small door, leading out into the garden. Dom opened it and bowed her out.
"Ladies first!"
She rolled her eyes at his playful flirting but walked into the sunlight, tilting her head up to the sunlight and sighing happily. Dom followed her out.
"What is this place, anyway?"
"I don't know," Kel replied. "I don't think anyone comes here. And if you tell Meathead and Yuki that I come here..." she raised her glaive threateningly.
Dom put his hands up in mocking surrender. "Okay, okay, I won't! I swear, by Mithros!"
She laughed and stepped out into an open area. "Don't get in my way, you might get sliced in half if you do."
Dom leant against the wall, watching intently. She began her pattern dance.
The sun glistened off her hair and her deadly glaive. Dom watched her twirl it, spin it and was surprised to see that she was actually quite graceful. A deadly graceful, to be sure, but graceful nonetheless. Her dreamy hazel eyes were determined, but they weren't focussed on him.
She twirled once and finished, stamping her foot, then the glaive down onto the ground.
Dom shook himself out of his admiration. What is wrong with me? I'm admiring Kel! Kel!
"Wow," he pretended to back away. "I'm not going to be aggravating you anytime soon."
She laughed, white teeth showing.
"Oh sure, til next time you decide to play a trick on me." She spun her glaive in her hands, watching it catch the sunlight.
Dom joined in her laughter. They seemed like good friends again, and he was able to forget his earlier admiration, much to his confused relief.
"Breakfast?" he asked her, hopefully.
"You're hungry," she said sarcastically. "And you haven't even done anything!"
He feigned hurt. "I'm a growing lad!"
Kel joined into his laughter. "I'll meet you there," she told him, and began walking to her rooms. She changed clothes quickly and went down to the mess hall.
After breakfast, Kel began wrapping Midwinter gifts. She had gotten Yuki a locket, Lalasa to sew griffin feathers onto a band for Neal, Dom a Yamani lucky cat (he was the only one of her friends that hadn't gotten one from her) and the others all small gifts. Kel and her friends had decided to exchange gifts on the first day of Midwinter rather then the fourth as Kel was 'going on an assignment'.
She then went to Lalasa's shop, which was crowded with customers, and gave them to Lalasa to hand out to her friends the next day. Lalasa had Tian taking orders and was sewing out the back, a pale, creamy brown piece of fabric on her lap. She smiled at Kel, but firmly told her:
"You're not allowed to look at this. It's one of yours."
"One of mine?" Kel asked apprehensively. "Just how many am I having here?!"
Lalasa winked. "You'll find out."
Kel exited the shop, shaking her head.
She met Neal on the way back.
"Neal," she smiled widely. "Ready to joust?"
She didn't wait for an answer. She dragged him down to the stables, ignoring his protests.
After beating Neal six times sparring and losing once (when Yuki came over and distracted Kel during a fight), practising archery and having lunch, Yuki came to Kel's room, along with Lalasa and Alanna.
"What! I thought I was going to your room," Kel demurred, trying to subtly slide out the door.
"I decided, just in case you tried to leave, we'd come here," Yuki smirked.
Kel looked at Alanna, hoping for a rescue. The Lioness just grinned.
"Not you too!" Kel groaned. Hours of being poked and prodded with pins...
A/N: another chapter down. yay!!! Purple button is calling... I'm kidding.
