Disclaimer: All Characters and Places recognized belong to Tamora Pierce!
Buri watched with amusement as Third Company rode towards the extra barracks. There at the head of the column was her beloved husband and Lady Knight Keladry, in a travel worn, but well-made dress, most likely the creation of the younger woman who stood giggling next to her.
Behind Raoul and Kel, Buri noticed Sergeant Domitan sporting a dress similar to that worn by the Lady Knight. But she had to resist falling into a fit of laughter as she saw the squad of men who followed the sergeant. She could have sworn at first glance that they were all naked, but upon closer inspection, she noticed that they were actually in loincloths.
An evil twinkle in her eye, Buri stepped forward to meet her husband, "It looks as if Jon was correct, your men are in desperate need of supplies."
Giving his wife a quick kiss, Raoul answered, "All the young sergeants and Lady Knights doing, since you left Corus however, we are actually down almost half a dozen tents, but assuming young Lalasa is here for my former squire, I take it the missing garments have been found?"
Bobbing a quick curtsy, Lalasa answered, "Yes my Lord, milady's clothes, and those of Sergeant Dom's were found in an old storage room, I came because I never did finish with the final fittings of milady's new clothes." Here the young seamstress looked at both Kel and Dom, "As I remember it, the last fitting was interrupted."
Blushing, Kel rushed to hug her old friend, "And I assume these clothes are in our rooms?"
At Lalasa's nod, the two were about to leave when the seamstress spoke up, "I do have to say Sergeant, it will be a shame once you change back to your normal uniform, it seems that dresses suit you." And with that, she walked to a supply of new uniforms and started handing them out to the waiting men.
Kel had been enjoying the quite of a bath in her room. She knew that Lalasa would come soon for final fittings and hopefully bearing news from Corus. She was just finishing drying her hair when there was a soft knock on her door.
Upon opening it, Kel found that the hall was empty. Looking at the floor, she saw one of the most beautiful flower arrangements she had ever seen. Picking up the basket, she counted a dozen dark red roses, light pink tube roses, half a dozen white tulips and a large purple lily, and a splash of baby's breath. She gasped at the sight of such a bouquet and took in a deep breath. Looking once more, she noticed a slip of paper tucked between two of the stems.
"Milady, please take these lovely enchanted flowers, magiced to never wilt until my love for you wilts away like the flowers in the dead of winter. (I was also assured that it would allow you to know that I am true, for as soon as I have intents with another, they shall begin their wilting of a broken heart.) Will you please join this helplessly in love sergeant for a dinner in town, a date promised to me so long ago by the woman who has held my heart for many years."
Kel was amazed, enchanted flowers, ones that would leave no doubt as to Dom's faithfulness, she had never heard of such a thing. It amazed her that he would buy such a lovely gift, and try to convey to her that she was something special.
She was broken out of her spiraling thoughts by a knock on her door. Quickly setting the flowers on her bedside table, Kel rushed to open the door.
"Lalasa!" Kel couldn't help but feel a little down that her former maid stood behind the closed door. "Please, come in, I need to deliver a note before we can begin our final fitting."
Walking into the room, Lalasa quickly noticed the rather beautiful floral arrangement that adorned the room.
"I see that things have gone well for you and the Sergeant."
Without looking up, Kel replied, "They're enchanted to never wilt as long as he stays true." Standing up, Kel waved her hand, "Please, set up, I will be back in a moment."
Lalasa could not help but smile as Kel left the room; she had the feeling that she would be helping the lady prepare for another date with the handsome sergeant.
Dom had been wondering around Pearlmouth, attempting to re-accustom himself to the feel of breeches and shirts, after all, he had spent a little shy of a month wearing those darn dresses, when he saw a flower shop.
Feeling drawn to the shop, he had entered. In all of Tortall, he had never seen such a shop with so much variety in flowers.
He quickly spotted some flowers from the Yamani Islands. He was just about to reach out and touch a purple lily when a voice behind him made him jump, "Please sir, we would rather not have anyone besides the shop personal to touch the flora."
Turning Dom came face to face with a wrinkled old man, who grinned up at him toothlessly. "I see the Yamani Love Lily has drawn your eye. It is said that a Lady who receives such a flower from her suitor shall have no other lover for the rest of her life. And, you happened to come into the only flower shop within Tortall and all the Eastern lands, which has one. Actually, I have heard that this lily is more than difficult to even get on the Islands."
Dom thought it over. "Please sir, may I have one of these lilies within a bouquet of red roses?"
"Of course young master, please, look around and tell me if you see any other flowers you wish for your lady love."
Dom did just that, after browsing the great floral selection, he decided to add some white tulips and light pink tube roses. He nearly gasped when he saw the wonderful bouquet that the florist brought out.
"It's perfect! I wish there was some way to preserve it." Dom sighed.
The shop keeper looked at Dom, seeming to look through him to his very soul. "There is a spell I can perform, but, you need to be willing to commit your soul to your love, once your heart strays, even for a second, the flowers will wilt and dies."
Dom didn't even hesitate, "I'll do it, my heart has belonged to her for many years."
After the simple charm was performed, Dom returned, luckily unseen. He knocked on Kel's door and quickly made it over to his room.
He was just beginning to worry that it was too much when he heard something being slid under his door.
"Dom, they are the most beautiful flowers that I have ever seen! Of course I will join you tonight for dinner!"
Dom smiled, he had another date with Kel. Whistling, Dom left his room and once again went out into the city. He wanted to find the perfect eating house for his lady.
"There mi-Kel." Lalasa placed the last of the pins within the garment Kel was wearing. "I can finish these before you ride out, I can also take your dresses back to Corus with me."
Kel nodded, "Lalasa, what am I going to wear tonight? All my dresses that were packed are dirty, even if I have not worn them."
Lalasa had a shy smile. "I actually have a new dress for you; it is in my packs waiting for a final fitting." She walked over to where her packs were resting against the bed." I also have some letters for you. I was waiting until after the fitting to give them to you."
Lalasa placed the letters upon the table and unwrapped the hidden creation. She heard Kel gasp from behind her. "Lalasa, it's so beautiful."
Within her hands, Lalasa held what could possibly her best creation ever; maybe not fit for the Queen, but it was perfect for a lady knight. The bodice and skirt was made from a dark forest green fabric, just as soft as silk, there was an under bust brown leather corset, and the sleeves, starting off with the green fabric, and ended with a fine brown lace, widening and draping down from the elbows. On the skirt, Lalasa had stitched small designs in both a green and brown thread. All of the colors seemed to be perfectly blended, none of them outweighing the other and without giving the illusion of a tree.
Kel allowed Lalasa to pull the corset, and for that matter the dress, tight, and stood still as she adjusted the hem.
"I can have this hem sewn by tonight and you can wear it on your date."
Lalasa loosened the ties, "If you don't mind Kel, I would like to work here, it will cut down on travel time, and I was rather hoping we could talk."
"Of course," Kel moved towards the table with the letters, "but could I read these first?"
Lalasa nodded, "That gives me some time to focus on getting the dress finished, besides we can gossip as we get you ready, maybe those letters will save me time of having to explain what has been happening in your absence."
Kel nodded as she opened the first letter from her parents. A quick glance told her that they were doing well and one of her sisters were expecting.
The next letter was from Neal. Upon the opening line, she knew that she was going to share this with Dom tonight. It read:
"My Dearest Protector,
How now I wish and long for your sane and steady influence! My dearest and precious Yamani blossom has turned upon me! I have been striving to understand why and I have yet to discover the cause.
All that I have done recently is try to convince her to take things easy for the baby. I was walking around the palace one morning with my father discussing the best way to treat and dress wounds when in a war situation.
I still stand by my argument that the best method is to clean the wound using non-magical methods, apply a minimal amount of healing to fight the infection and then put bandages on it. My father on the other hand believes that the wound should have the healing first, then treated non-magically, and finally be bandaged.
Well, anyways, I know that father and I will never agree on this, and it is by far way off the point, as I was saying father and I were walking when I saw Yuki swinging that pig sticker you two seem to love. She was fighting against the Queen and the Princess! I nearly lost my mind!
I rushed over there and put an end to the duel. She was not too happy.
And lately, when she tries to go back for practice and I even attempt to tell her 'No,' she hits me! Can you believe it! Right on the head with that blasted fan of hers!
I have talked to both my father and my former knight mistress and they fail to take my side! They tell me to allow her to continue practicing! Can you believe the utter injustice of it all?
I will stop my complaining and focus on something that has made me smile in my overly depressing time. I really wish I could have gone and seen you off! After all, who knows when I would be seeing my best friend again? And on top of that, it would have given me so much new material against my dearest cousin Domitan!
I would have loved to see the two of you forced to ride out in dresses! Hopefully if I had actually seen that I could get him to 'forget' that one time when we were stuffing our parent's hats with meat, and then before I could do anything, they put it on me! Could you believe it!
I was covered in meat! The dogs were chasing after me! And all that blasted cousin of mine could do was point and laugh! And after that whole ordeal, he started to call me meathead! He could have just as easily been made the meathead!
If I was able to see him dressed like that then, maybe he could become…I don't know, 'Pretty Pretty Princess Domitan.'
At any rate, I think I should stop this letter now before it becomes a novel.
Take care of yourself Keladry, Goddess Bless
Nealan of Queenscove
P.S. I think I hear Yuki trying to sneak out, wish me the best of luck that I don't get bashed upon the head or end up dead from my lovely Yamani blossom."
Kel couldn't help but smile at her friends "problems." She would expect that after having Alanna as a knight mistress, he would know better what the limits of females were while pregnant. Even his father had enough sense.
Kel quickly went through all the other letters, the one from Yuki talking about how crazy Neal had become and another from Princess Shinko, which also expressed her views on Neal's behavior, and confining to Kel that what the young healer, and most of the Tortallan population did not know, that she too was pregnant.
Putting her letters aside, Kel refocused on Lalasa. "So I hear that Sir Nealan is going insane."
Lalasa laughed. "That's one way of putting it. I can't wait for him to learn of your relationship to Sergeant Domitan. I have been wondering how things have gone with you two Kel." Lalasa looked up. "You deserve happiness my lady."
Kel smiled and sat next to the older girl. "I can fill you in as you sew."
Raoul and Buri had found a quiet corner near the entrance of the barracks. They had had a nice early dinner and where about to call it a night. But just like teenagers, they found it difficult to wait to get to their room before sharing a deep passionate kiss.
They were just about to leave the shadows when they saw two figures leaving. Squinting against the bright light of the setting sun, Raoul let out a chuckle.
Buri gasped, "Is that…Kel being escorted by Sergeant Domitan?"
"Yep." Buri looked up at her husband. "I found the sergeant in the Lady Knight's room that morning we left, after their first date. I know nothing happened that night, but recently, the nightly 'struggle' seems to be more difficult for them to control." When he looked down, he noticed Buri's raised eyebrow.
"I knew they started their relationship, finally, and when Kel's tent was destroyed, I gave them permission to share his tent…actually I think that was the same night that they became a couple. I had to remind them that they were only in a tent, they kept me up half the night more than once."
Buri smiled. "Finally, those two have been dancing around each other for years."
Raoul swept her off her feet, "Kind of reminds me of another couple I know. I believe they were just about to go to the bed chamber and…" he was cut off when Buri pressed her lips to his effectively cutting off all other thoughts but carrying her up to their room.
The men in Dom's squad were relishing in the feel of clothes.
"Lalasa is a lady from heaven." Riley sighed, stroking the leg of his breeches.
Wolset snorted, "Just ye remember, she be Lady Kel's former maid, from what I heard, the Lady taught her how to ward off unwanted males. She has even been teachin' the women in the city how to protect 'emselves."
Riley whistled. "Truly? That little seamstress?"
Qasim, who had wondered over, nodded, "Dom once read a letter from his cousin, Sir Nealan, it told of how he was present during her first lessons." Here he and several men laughed.
"Ye see, Page Nealan, as he 'twas then, had a crush on our Lady Knight, else he'd have never allowed his 'poor body that had been abused all mornin' in the courts be bruised yet again.' He also complained how Lady Kel demanded him to 'grab her arm and get ready for pain.'"
By then all the men were laughing, they had all been thrown by Kel and knew she was not a force to be messed with.
Qasim interrupted. "Have any of you seen the Lady? I was sure she would be at the mess, but she seems to be missing."
Riley spoke up, "She might be with Lalasa, it seemed that they had some catching up to do."
Standing, Wolset shrugged. "What 'em lady fold talk about is 'tween 'em. I don't know about ye lads, but I have half a mind to hit the town tonight."
Qasim stood up, "Why don't we go get Dom, I am sure he could use some time with us men folk."
With little disagreement, the men quickly walked to Dom's door and knocked. When they finally decided that he was not in his rooms, they decided to just find fun in the town.
AN: I am so sorry for the dry spell, I started school 4 weeks ago, and work about 6 weeks ago...so needless to say things have been crazy! I can promise another chapter soonish and maybe even another one shortly after that. I actually had a lot more written for this chapter, but upon actually typing the monster out, I realized that I would be better off giving you, my faithful readers, a little more of the story! I will try my hardest to update the next chapters quickly (I have been writing them out while in my Evolution class), but I can make no promise as to a timeline, within the upcoming month, I have 4 midterms, 2 quizes, 1 lab practical, 1 skill test, and 1 big homework assignment.