Oh no she didn't...oh yes she did just add another chapter. And I think, if some of you were a little disappointed by the birth scene from earlier, you will be a little more intrigued by this one. Or confused. Either one works for me.

*cackles maniaclly*

10

Voice floated around her.

"Just keep fanning, for gods' sake man!"

"Look, Meathead, you might be Mister Calm when it comes to women giving birth on you, but not all of us are blessed with such gifts, all right?"

A cool breeze blew on her face. Her head ached. She seemed to be lying on a hard surface.

Kel opened her eyes to find Dom looming over her, fanning her with a stack of parchment. She was stretched out on the floor of the corridor outside her rooms, her feet propped up on Neal's lap to keep them higher than her head.

"Please don't tell me I fainted."

"Okay, we won't," smirked Neal. "Just keep still for a bit, while we let some blood get back into your brain. Mithros knows, it needs all it can get."

"I really hate you sometimes, Neal."

Kel stared at the ceiling for a while, until she felt steady enough to attempt sitting up. As she did so, she had to clutch at the front of her dress to stop it from falling off.

"What the…" Kel glared at the two men. "Who on earth undid my dress?"

"I did," said Neal, cutting across Dom's embarrassed splutterings. "That damned corset you're wearing was restricting your breathing. That's probably a large contributing factor to why you passed out. I had to cut the strings." He inspected the large bruise on his hand that Lalasa had given him and touched a casual green tipped finger to it. The bruise vanished.

They helped Kel to her feet, as she tried to retain some semblance of dignity. It wasn't really working. She glanced down at her hands, which, like the front of her dress, were covered in drying blood. She was a mess.

"Go to mine and Yuki's rooms. I'll send someone to get some hot water and bring you some clothes. Once you're sorted come back to the great hall. There's still my wedding going on you know." Neal pressed a key into her hand. "My dear cousin will help you down the hall if you're feeling giddy still. See you in a while." And with that he loped off.

Kel scowled at his retreating back, before shaking her head and sighing. She gave the now closed door to her room a cautious glance. Tobe was leaning on it, grinning at her.

"Wipe that smile off your face, Tobeis Boon, and fetch me some clean clothes. And if either of you even think about telling anyone about this…" she waved a menacing finger at them, before being forced to grasp her dress once more.

"I wouldn't worry about us, Milady," chuckled Tobe. "T'is Sir Nealan I'd be worried about, if I was you. A gob like his, likely the whole realm'll know within a week."

"Rats," muttered Kel. He was right. She frowned suddenly. "What about Lalasa and the baby, shouldn't we…?"

"Best leave them to it," commented Dom, not meeting her eyes. "The midwife's in there now and Gethin. They probably don't want us intruding."

"I suppose," murmured Kel. She started to walk down the corridor to Neal's chambers. Dom caught up with her as she went.

"Sorry I was a bit useless," he said, as they reached the door. "I've never had to deal with that before."

"Me neither," Kel said. "Give me a battlefield any day." She paused, turning the key in the lock. "Dom…thanks."

"For what?"

"For being there," Kel shrugged, with a shy smile. Impulsively, she bobbed up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. Before he could react, she was in Neal's room, leaning on the shut door and breathing deeply.

xxx

A few hours later, Neal and Yuki found Kel hiding in a corner with a group of people that included her former knight master.

"Sorry, we got caught up with their majesties. The Queen wanted to know how Lalasa was," said Neal.

Kel smiled. She had always liked Queen Thayet and her down-to-earth manner. There were not many queens who would inquire after the health of a mere dressmaker.

"Neal tells me I am not to scold you for stealing him away from our big day," Yuki's eyes were crinkled in a smile. "I am glad Lalasa is well. I look forward to meeting the newest addition to her family."

"You look better anyway, Kel. You're not quite so pale…or so cupcake like. Though I think getting someone to give birth on you was a little bit too far to go, just so you could change out of that dress," Neal added with a wicked grin.

If she were not in company, Kel would have treated her best friend to the beating of a lifetime. As it was, she had to make do with glaring at him. She had washed and changed, gratefully, into shirt, hose and her best tunic in Mindelan colours. The flower in her hair had been removed and she had smoothed it down into a much more low-key style, full of a new reserve to get it cut as soon as she could.

Raoul looked confused. "What was wrong with you, Kel?"

"Nothing," she said, through clenched teeth, giving Neal a warning look. "Just a bit of shock. It's not everyday someone gives birth in my room. I'll have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

"Your old room in the Own's quarters is still empty," commented Buri. "Why don't you stay there?"

It was a little bit too near to Dom for her liking, but the other choice was a trek out to her parent's town house, which she did not relish at this hour. Kel nodded reluctantly.

The wedding party went on into the small hours. Kel wished she could make an excuse to leave early, but felt she had to stay. She was the maid of honour, after all, and had missed a significant chunk of it earlier.

Finally, with Raoul and Buri in tow, Kel made her way to her old room with the Own. She hadn't seen Dom all evening after the incident with Lalasa. She didn't know if he had been purposely avoiding her.

Why did I do that? she thought to herself, crossly. After all we've said to each other…now he'll probably think I'm some sort of lovesick girl who can't get over him. Which made her even more angry, as there was a smattering of truth in that.

Digging her hands into her pockets, Kel followed a laughing Raoul and Buri across the torch lit courtyard to their quarters. She fell further behind, lost in her own thoughts.

She wasn't paying attention then, when something hurtled out of the darkness to smash into her back.

With a yell, Kel fell forward, managing to free her hands from her pockets just in time to prevent her face from smacking into the flagstones. She rolled as she hit the floor, feeling something heavy strike the stones just inches from her face.

She lunged to her feet, squinting in the dim light at her attacker.

A shapeless shadow hovered before her. Kel felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"What…what are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The shadow pulsed. With incredible speed, it flew at her. Kel dove to the side, feeling it clip her shoulder as it barrelled past. It was solid, that was for certain, as she felt the beginnings of a bruise.

Whirling, she faced it once more. "What do you want? Why are you attacking me?" She had no weapons on her apart from her belt knife. Besides…she didn't know what she would use to fight this…thing.

It pulsed again and Kel set her body for the attack. But instead a soft, hissing voice came from somewhere within the shadow. "Protector…Protector of the Small…"

Goosebumps rippled down her arms. Where were Raoul and Buri? "What do you want from me?"

"Protector…" the voice seemed to be all around her. "You have brought forth new life today…and yet death walks with you…"

Kel's knees felt watery, but her hands balled into fists. She didn't know what this creature was, but she would show it she wasn't easily frightened. "I hate being spoken to in riddles. Ask the Chamber of the Ordeal. Speak plainly!"

"Death stalks you…you have been aware of it since you were a child…death will find you, Protector…you must be ready for it…you must stop it…or death will take the realm and all you hold dear…including the child you helped bring into this world…death is coming for you…"

And suddenly, the shadow came at her once more and Kel was too slow to avoid it. But, instead of hitting her with force like it did before, the shadow seemed to envelope her in a cloud of stinging darkness.

Then, it was gone.

Kel blinked, aware that she was icy cold. Her breath formed clouds in front of her, though the night had been warm enough before.

"Kel?" Raoul's voice seemed obscenely loud after the hissing whisper of the shadow before. She jumped nervously.

"Kel, what are you doing? Are you coming back with us or what?" Buri stood with her husband, hands on hips.

She shivered, rubbing her arms to try and warm herself. "Yes…I'm coming."