Winter had come and gone, with spring finally beginning to thaw at New Hope, making travel once again possible. Things were going wonderfully with Dom. They talked more and more about getting married and starting a family with each day that passed; on that front things couldn't get better. With Neal however, Kel was ready to pull her hair out. He was back to his moody self about missing Yuki and seeing Kel and Dom so happy and in love was making it worse. Kel and Dom did not try to hide their relationship in any way, they even shared Kel's apartment, deciding after the first week of being back and after having a talk with Toby, who was ecstatic about it, that it would be pointless to do otherwise. So, in return they had to hear Neal whine and moan about everything.
Kel's other concern, besides a moody Neal, was that she never got a response from her parent's about Lord Raoul before the roads were snowed in. Winter came early that year and didn't let up till the thaw had started. Any communication, other than what Numair had set up, was impossible. Kel was still worried about what they would have to say. Now that the roads were finally clearing up she was going to send another letter to them just in case her past one didn't make it.
What no one knew was that they would all be getting a surprise when the supply carts finally did arrive to New Hope.
On a clear chilly spring morning Kel stepped out of the headquarters building to breath in the fresh air. She made her way over to the mess hall, having already completed her warm ups for the day. She knew it was going to be a good day. The farmers were planning on going out to survey the fields now that the snow has begun to melt for the spring and see what they would be working with.
"Hello Dom, Toby," she said, ruffling Toby's hair as he tried to duck out of her way, taking her seat at the table. "Anything fun planned for today?"
"Peachblossom was telling me about a new trail he found," Toby said excitedly. During the winter they had let some of the warhorses out to pasture since they could take care of themselves, and then brought them in when the weather got too bad. "Can I go explore it with him? Please?"
Kel looked at him wearily, knowing that it was still pretty early in the raiding season and they hadn't seen or heard any sign of Scanrans, so the chances were still pretty slim of something like that happening and Peachblossom was as good as five men. She looked to Dom to see what he had to say.
"I think it should be ok, but you need to take your spear, a call horn, and you need to be back in an hour and a half. Make sure you put the smaller saddle Kel had made for you onto Peachblossom, too, just in case you need to use it," Dom told Toby, then glanced up at Kel to see if he said the right thing.
Kel could only smile at him and think he would make a wonderful father one day, since he was already doing so well with Toby. They finished up with their breakfasts and watched as Toby ran off to go on his adventure.
"You did good," Kel turned to Dom with a smile and gave him a small kiss. She looked up when she heard the horn call from outside the walls signaling a supply cart was approaching.
"The supply cart, I wasn't expecting that for another week at least. Not to say that I won't take it. Our stores were running low. And maybe they'll have a letter from Yuki so Neal can stop whining so much," Kel said with a grin as she started to walk towards the gates. They waved the travelers and merchants in with welcome arms, happy to have news from the outside world. While Kel and Dom were busy talking to the head solder in charge of the escort they didn't see a lone merchant, dressed to blend in as much as possible, slip off into the fort.
Kel was lost in her own thoughts, ecstatic, she had a letter from her parents in the mail bag! Two letters actually! She could finally stop worrying about everything. She left with the rest of the camps letters, on her way towards headquarters, so that the scribes could distribute them for her and so she could read her own letters. Just as she was about to walk into the door she is interrupted by a very flustered looking Neal.
"Keladry, my dear, dear friend. I need you to come with me. Right. Now," He said as he forcefully dragged her across the courtyard to the infirmary.
"Neal, what in the world are you doing?" Kel asked, as she floundered behind him.
Neal on the other hand just kept dragging her, through the infirmary doors, past the beds, past his desk, through his bedroom door, and stopped Kel so suddenly she stumbled and slammed the bedroom door shut. It took Kel a minute to realize what exactly she was staring at.
There in Neal's bedroom, stood Yuki, but not looking like normal. No, this Yuki was wearing tattered pants, worn shoes, a long coat with patches, gloves with holes in them, a scarf wrapped around most of her face, Kel guessed to hide her Yamani features, and dirt smeared on what skin was showing.
"Does Cricket know what you've done?" Kel asked her calmly.
Yuki bowed her head in shame. "She thinks I've gone to Queenscove," came her short reply.
Kel just nodded her head. Suddenly Neal's door burst open. "Kel what's going on, I saw Neal dragging you across… the… oh," Dom just stopped talking as he came in and closed the door. "This is…interesting."
"Shut it Dom," said Neal moodily. "This is not funny, interesting, or anything like that! This is serious. We are in a war zone, she can't be here! She could be arrested for being here!"
"Stop being so dramatic Neal," responded Kel. "Like I'm going to arrest Yuki, but Neal is right. Yuki, legally you can't be here, you need to go back capital."
"I'm not going Keladry," came Yuki's tight reply as she stared at her defiantly.
"See! This is why I'm being dramatic, don't you think I already tried to reason with her. I already explained that only refugees and soldiers are allowed to be here. She won't listen to me. Kel you need to talk some sense into her," Neal said desperately.
Kel knew as soon as he said it, that it was the complete wrong thing to say. If Neal had been in his right mind, he would have realized that too, because as soon as he finished that last sentence, Yuki seemed to grow a foot and was talking in a voice that was colder than the Scanra River in winter.
"Nealan of Queenscove, no one is going to talk some sense into me. I am Yukimi noh Daiomoru, a member of the Yamani noble house and am more than capable of making my own decisions. And as a member of a noble house, I am thoroughly educated, thus highly intelligent, something you seem to think I am lacking. I know the laws pertaining to a war zone. You think I would come up here without a plan? I know that in accordance to Section Three of the War Time By Laws, a Knights wife has the right to choose to be stationed with their spouse as long as they in an enclosed fortress or camp."
Neal was just holding his head in his hands. "Yuki," he tried to speak calmly. "You seem to be forgetting, that while we are engaged, we are not yet actually married!" He finished, his voice rising to a frantic tone by the end.
"Do you think I don't realize that Nealan. If I did, I would not have impersonated a merchant and sneaked my way up here. That, is why Keladry is going to marry is," she said with a defiant smirk. "I am not leaving this refugee camp unless you drag me from it, which I know you will not do Nealan, because you value your life. I've already written my parents and they know of what I have planned. While they are not exactly pleased they have given their blessing as they value my happiness. And before you worry, they know you had no idea or say in the matter."
"Yuki, this is insane! Kel can't marry us! Can you marry us?" He asked Kel, turning to her suddenly unsure of everything.
"Well, technically….Yeah," Kel said hesitantly, not knowing exactly what she was getting herself into. "As the commander of the refugee camp I can perform a civil marriage, though I haven't been asked to do one yet."
"See," said Yuki triumphantly.
"I don't know Yuki, this all sounds pretty crazy," Neal told her, finally starting to calm down.
Dom seeing that they weren't going to kill each other at the moment, thought that this conversation should probably be between the two of them. "Why don't we leave the two of you to talk about this, now that everyone is a little calmer," he said as he put his arm around Kel's waist, leading her towards the door. "Just… Find us when you're done." And he quickly pushed Kel out of the door and closed it behind them. Once they were safely outside, away from the waring couple Dom turned to Kel.
"I did not see that coming," he muttered to her.
Kel shook her head and frowned. "I may be shocked, but I can't say that I'm surprised. Yamani women are quite and demure on the outside, but on the inside they are fierce worriers. While I did not expect her to go to such an extreme, I did expect her to start protesting soon."
"I guess knowing Princess Shinko, Yuki, and you that is a very logical and reasonable explanation," Dom responded to her as he hugged her around the waist.
"Well, I am going to go see if my parents are furious with me for not consulting them about becoming Lord Raoul's heir," she sighed.
Dom just laughed at her, "I'm sure they will love you just as much as they did before, my dear."
"Oh, it's not their love I'm worried about," she smirked. "You forget, my parents are bureaucrats. They are very good at making sure you know they are unhappy with you, without actually seeming unhappy with you. And I have yet to figure out how they actually do it."
Dom just continued to laugh at her, thinking she was working herself up over nothing. He leaned in and gave her a kiss to her temple before she pushed him away for not taking her seriously.
Dom was becoming worried after he didn't see Kel for the rest of the day After asking around he found out no one else had seen her either, she didn't even show up to lunch or dinner. So, after telling Toby to go play with the other children for a bit, he brought a plate of food up to Kel. He gently opened the door, not sure what he would find.
"Kel, sweet? Did they disown you?" He called out, half joking as he poked his head into the common room. He became even more worried when he didn't find her there. He set the plate of food on the table and made his way to their bedroom. He cautiously opened the door, only to find Kel, curled in a ball, asleep on the bed, with her face red, eyes puffy, and dried streaks running down her cheeks from crying.
'They couldn't have actually disowned her!' He thought frantically. Going over to the bed to grab the two letters she had from her parents and scanning through them. Once he realized the truth he stumbled backwards into the wall.
"…Kel, we are so thrilled for you my dear. I know how fondly you think of Raoul and him you. I can't believe you would think your father and I would actually be cross with you, silly child…
…I do, however, have some bad news. Your father is sick, been sick actually, and getting sicker by the day. The healers have informed us there is nothing that can be done to prevent the inevitable. It is only a matter of time until he succumbs, I'm afraid. He forbid us from telling you, scared it would distract you and inadvertently cause you harm, but it's to the point that you must know…"
"…My Dearest daughter Keladry, I'm writing you, because I am on my last days. I want you to know I am so proud of all you have managed to accomplish and all you will come to accomplish in the future, because I will always be emphatically proud of you…
…I know that Raoul and you have an, interesting, bond to say the least. And now that you are his heir, I want you to take that relationship seriously now that I won't be here. It pains me greatly that I won't be there for you, to help you when your hurt, walk you down the aisle, see you become a mother and my grandchildren grow, but a wonderful man is more than willing to stand in now that I cannot be there. So I beg you Keladry, allow him to do it, it would help my soul rest easier knowing you still had a father figure in your life…
…Kel I'm saddened to tell you, your father passed away peacefully in his sleep last night..."
"Gods Kel," Dom spoke softly. He then took off his boots and armor and crawled into bed to wrap himself around her. Trying to give her as much comfort as possible.
"…Dom…" He heard her mumble softly as she turned around in his arms and buried her head in his chest. "He's gone…"
Dom just held her and stroked her hair, trying to comfort her in anyway could. She finally fell back asleep after crying for about ten minutes. He just continued to hold her, trying to offer her unconscious what it sought.
He must have dosed off with her because he was roused from a light sleep by knock at the door. He gently untangled himself from Kel, trying his best to not disturb her. He made it to the door before they knocked again, opening the door to find Neal and Yuki standing on the landing.
Dom just sighed wearily, "You can come in, but I can tell you now you're not seeing her tonight." He saw the puzzled expressions on their faces. "Just come in, I'm not about to explain this in the hall, and try to be quiet, she needs to rest," he whispered to them as he ushered them towards the guestroom farthest from Kel's and his bedroom, then gently shut the door. He turned around to find Neal staring at him.
"You got her pregnant didn't you? I knew you would do something irresponsible and stupid and idiotic…"
"Meathead, shut up. You're not becoming an uncle anytime in the near future. I actually wish it were that simple, that we could at least do a quick wedding and say it happened the night of," Dom sighed, then looked up to see Neal's horrified expression. "What, don't give me that look. You would think up the same thing and you know it. You're just mad that I thought of it so easily. No, this is worse, at least a child we could fix… There is no fixing this."
"Dom, while I have gotten used to Neal's dramatics somewhat over the years, I would like you to tell me what is going on with my friend," Yuki demanded.
Dom looked up at them. "Before winter set in, Kel wrote to her parents about accepting the position of being Lord Raoul's heir. She was scared they would be upset with her, since she didn't talk to them first. She never got a reply before the winter storms set in," he sighed. "Today she got two letters from them. One written by her mother, saying they were thrilled for her, naturally, then telling her that her father was gravely ill and they did not expect him to last much longer, but he did not want Kel knowing, because he was worried she would be distracted. And as we all know, a distracted soldier can be a dead soldier. The second letter was from her father, written to her while he was on his death bed. Begging her to Lord Raoul as a father figure, because he would no longer be there for her or her future children. At the end of the letter was her mother's writing, saying that he passed away peacefully in his sleep."
"Shit," said Neal as he collapsed on the edge of the bed. "No wonder she's been missing all day."
"Well, it's a good thing I'm staying," Yuki stated, causing Dom to look at her. "She will need a good sparring partner to keep her occupied."
"Why do you have that insufferable look on your face Dom?" Neal demanded.
"I always knew you wouldn't wear the pants in a relationship," Dom joked, trying to lighten the mood in the room.
"I will have you know Domitan, it was a mutual decision," Neal said adamantly.
"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night," Dom scoffed. "I should be getting back to her though. Can one of you find Toby and quietly let him know what's going on. That way he doesn't come bounding in like he usually does before bed."
"Yeah, we'll find him. Let us know if you need anything, ok?" Neal said as he put his hand on Dom's shoulder. "We'll see you tomorrow."
With that Dom saw them out and made his way back to Kel. Hoping to help her through this hard time in any way he could.
The next morning Kel woke up with a groan. "Dom?...Dom my head is killing me," she moaned.
"Well love, crying all day can do that to a person. I already told Neal that you were taking a personal leave day," he said into her hair as he held her close. "How are you feeling sweet?"
"I just can't believe he's gone. I didn't even know he was ill," she whispered against his neck. "It's just so much for me to process. I open one letter saying their happy for me, only to turn to he's sick and dying. Then the very next one he died. Thank gods and goddesses I thought to look at the post dates and didn't open my father's first."
Dom internally cringed at that thought. "We will get through this my love. I hope you don't mind, but when I saw you in such a state I read the letters."
"Dom, don't be daft," she said softly. "You know I would have just shown you any way. I probably never would have been able to tell you everything in the state I was in, even now I have my doubts."
Dom gave a silent sigh of relief, he was worried she would be angry with him. However, Dom was now worried about the next topic he was going to bring up. "I saw what you father wrote to you, about Raoul…" he left it hanging to see if she would say anything to the subject.
"Yes, he did. I know where he is coming from and given time….. I think I will be able to think in that way as well..." Dom noticed she was very careful to avoid using the word "father figure". "…But for now the wounds are too fresh, I need to heal love. For now Lord Raoul will be who he has always been to me, and if he wants to view me as his daughter, which I know he does no matter what I say, he can. Then we shall see what the future holds," she told him with a small smile.
"I think that is a perfectly reasonable answer my dear," Dom replied to her, tapping the end of her nose with his finger as he stood up from the bed. "Are you feeling up to going down to the mess hall, or would you like me to bring up plates for us to eat?"
"I think a day in would be nice," she looked up at him hopefully.
"If a day in is what my lady wants, then a day in is what she shall have!" Dom gestured grandly, making Kel laugh at him, which was his intended goal after all. "I believe I have also earned a personal day, and I intend to take it. I already know Toby has planned to be gone all day after I told him what had happened. He said and I quote, "I don't do crying ladies." He did say he was sorry to hear about your father though. So, it shall be you and me my dear. Well, until Yuki stops by, which I'm sure Neal will only be able to hold her off for about an hour at best. I'll be back with our food."
Kel just watched as Dom walked out the door, wondering if perhaps a day in really was the best idea.
After they had eaten and Dom informed her of the news that Yuki was, in fact, staying. They decided to sit by the fire and read until Yuki arrived. They knew it wouldn't be long. By the time the knock on the door finally came, Kel was curled against Dom's side, reading a book Piers had given her as a child that was filled with Yamani fairy tales. Dom got up to get the door as Kel continued to look at the book and quietly slipped out of the apartment to allow them their privacy.
"I remember that book," Yuki said fondly. "Cricket and I used to translate the stories to you, before you learned to read Yamani."
"Yes, now you have Neal to translate them for," Kel said with a sad smile, trying to be happy for her friend.
"I suppose I will," Yuki returned a real smile and grabbed Kel's hand. "'All of life is a dream walking, all of death is a going home.' He is in the Black Gods hands Kel. He is at peace. There was nothing you could have done except see him in pain, which he didn't want. You are right where he wanted you to be and while that is hard to accept, it is what he needed to be at peace. 'Without sorrows no one becomes a saint.'"
"You always know what I need to hear," Kel said to her warmly. "Thank you."
"You are always most welcome, Keladry." They shared a comfortable silence for a while as they looked at the book together, remembering better times.
"So, I hear I have a wedding to officiate," Kel finally said trying to hide her amusement.
"Please, like you ever doubted it would happen," Yuki declared with a spark in her eye. "He kept foolishly demand I go back to Corus, which both you and I knew wasn't going to happen, even if Neal still had delusions. So I finally told him that I was either staying here and marrying him or calling off the engagement all together, then walked out of the room. He came storming after me of course and all but dragged me back into the room. Started pacing back and forth in the room, honestly you might want to check the floor boards for wear," Kel looked up and saw the laughter in her eyes. "He finally asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this, give up my fancy wedding with everyone, my parents, being there. I told him that I would not have disguised myself as a merchant and traveled into a warzone, risking imprisonment if I were discovered, if I wasn't sure. He really can be thick headed sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Kel smiled.
"So needless to say, he agreed to the marriage and I will be joining you here. I hid a few of my normal things in my packs, but I will have to send a letter to Shinko in Corus to let her know what I have done, beg her forgiveness, and ask her to send me some of my things until Neal gets leave and we can go to Corus or Queenscove to collect some things for myself.
"If anyone would understand, it would be Shinko, with Roald posted at the City of the Gods. Even if they had not decided to put the wedding on hold due to the war, I highly doubt they would allow the crown prince and princess to be in a warzone together. I'm sure if she could pull a stunt like you did and get away with it, she would in a heartbeat," Kel said comfortingly.
"I know, I just can't help but feel like bad for not confiding in her. I knew though, that if I were to be caught, the less people that knew, the better."
"Yuki," Kel chuckled. "Do you honestly think that the intended to the future Duke of Queenscove would get more than a slap on the wrist? All they would have done was shipped you back to Corus. Queenscove is in The Book of Gold, if they pulled their support from the crown it could easily cause a civil war. That is not something the King would risk. There is also the fact that every high command official, which is who would determine what your punishment would be, would realize who you are once they removed your head scarfs, because you know all of them from here to Corus."
"So some parts of my plan may have been flawed, but I got here, and I am staying. That is all that matters," Yuki said triumphantly.
The next day Kel was in a much better mood. While she was still sad and upset about her father's passing, Yuki helped her to realize that it was better for him to be gone, than here and suffer, and selfish of her to think otherwise. Then Dom was there to comfort her till she forgot about her sorrows. When she walked into the mess hall in the morning and people started saying good morning, she could honestly give a happy reply. Today she was going to marry her two best friends; that is what she was looking forward to.
"Good morning Dom," Kel gave him a small smile, sitting next to him so there legs touched. "Thank you, for last night." She looked at him tenderly.
"Love, you needed comfort and I gave it to you. You never have to thank me for that. It's given freely," he told her gently, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "So are you ready to pronounce Mr. and Mrs. Meathead!" He grinned.
"Yes," she laughed. "But you better never let Yuki ever hear you refer to her as that or you will not like the ramifications."
"But my dear, that's why I have my very own Protector of the Small!" He joked with her.
"Oh no, I will not be protecting you from Yuki, especially for that." She proclaimed, poking him in the chest. Meanwhile, the player that Dom is, acted like he was dying.
"Oh, my love, you wound me so!" Clutching his chest while slumping over.
"What did you do to Dom this time?" Neal said behind them, causing Kel to smirk.
"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Kel didn't do anything," Dom all but shouted as he shoved his hand over Kel's mouth before she could say anything, scared that Yuki was right behind Neal.
"Ok, I don't even want to know," Neal just shook his head. "Kel, Yuki asked if you would bring her breakfast to my room. She kicked me out as soon as we woke up and said I couldn't see her again until the wedding. When is the wedding by the way?"
"I figured we could do it after breakfast actually. It's honestly my only free time," she said feeling slightly guilty. "Between helping with the chores, training the civilians, and now that we are plowing the fields…" She reached up and played with a strand of hair, a nervous habit she had yet to realize she picked up now that her hair was longer.
"That's fine with me. I honestly wasn't looking forward to purposely avoiding Yuki all day. That and once we are married we can let her come out of my room in normal clothes without fear of her being reported."
"Are you seriously going on about that too?" Kel just stared at him in amazement. Apparently they were both thick headed and meant to be together. "Neal, you're a Queenscove, one of the four Houses that are the Shield of Tortall… Do you seriously not see where I am going with this?"
"…"
"Gods, you really are meant for each other. Nealan, they wouldn't do anything to her, other than lecture her about thinking herself above rules and ship her back to Corus. The Crown cannot now, nor ever, risk losing the support of Queenscove."
"I never really thought of it that way," Neal said reluctantly. "But what if someone that didn't know her found her? The King never would have been involved."
"Then she would have been taken to the Commander of the district Nealan, I swear you guys do not use your brains sometimes. I know for a fact, that every Commander on the route she would have taken from here to Corus at least knows what Yuki looks like and who she is in relation to you, if they have not actually met her."
"And that is why I love you," Dom cut in. He could tell that Kel was starting to get frustrated with Neal's lack of thought. While she was starting to feel slightly back to normal compared to yesterday, her patience was nowhere near there yet.
Kel turned to Dom with a small smile, "I hope you love me for a lot more than that."
"And that's my que to leave. Just, please, go take Yuki some food. I'll go wait in headquarters for you guys with lover boy here," he spoke while getting up from the bench and dragging Dom with him.
Kel also got up to take her plate to be washed in the back, then went and grabbed some food for Yuki before making her way across the courtyard towards the infirmary to find Yuki. Once there she gave a knock on Neal's door.
"Who is it?" she heard Yuki call out.
"It's the Yamani Emperor, open up," Kel joked, only to be met with Yuki's scowl.
"I am not in a laughing mood Keladry. Nealan tried to get back in this room five times before he realized I wasn't letting him back in till the ceremony. Now come in before he tries again," she rushed Kel through the door.
Kel just rolled her eyes at Yuki's antics. "I highly doubt he'll be trying again. He and Dom are waiting in headquarter for us. This morning is really the only time I have to do the ceremony," Kel said slowly, hoping she wasn't making Yuki feel unimportant. "It's just we're trying to get ready for planting, and training the civilians, and, and you're not mad are you?"
Yuki just smiled at her, "No Kel, I'm not mad. I'm well aware that you have a refugee camp to run and can't plan a wedding around it. I wasn't expecting a big ceremony. All I need is Neal, me, and you, since you have to marry us," she finished with laughter in her eyes.
Kel gave a silent sigh of relief and hugged Yuki. "Well let's go get you married then, after you eat of course."
"Do you honestly expect me to eat? I'm about to get married," Yuki stated excitedly.
"What was I thinking," Kel joked. "Let's go make you a Lady of Queenscove."
With that they walked across the courtyard to the headquarters building where Neal and Dom were waiting. When they walked inside they found Dom sitting by the fire, with Neal pacing anxiously.
"Apparently I'll have to check these floor boards too," Kel muttered to Yuki, making her bring her shukusen up to cover her smile of amusement.
"So are you ready to have a wedding?" Kel asked louder.
"Kel, we may have a bit of a problem," Dom said in a bored tone. "Meathead here has realized he doesn't have the wedding ring for Yuki, since the Queenscove ring that was supposed to be given to her on their wedding day is in the family vault in Queenscove. This ring is passed down through generations of Queenscove Lady's, hence what brought on the pacing." He gestured to Neal.
Kel turned to Yuki. "I don't suppose you brought a stand in ring?"
"No, I spent as little money as possible to not arouse suspicions," she grimaced. They all tried to think of a solution.
'I have a few rings,' Kel thought. 'But they would all be too large on Yuki's fingers. Her hands look like a child's compared to mine.'
"That's it!" Kel shouted excitedly. "I'll be right back." She raced upstairs, leaving a bewildered group.
"Do you know what she's doing?" Neal questioned Dom.
"No idea," he said as Kel came running back down just as fast as she had left trying to catch her breath. "That was fast," Dom joked with her as Kel stuck her tongue out at him.
"This is the only thing I can think of that might fit," Kel said, hold in the palm of her hand a solid silver ring. "I had it made for Toby, to fit on his thumb. It has a protection spell and locator spell worked into the metal, so that I can always find him."
"Even if it fits, I can't take that Kel, not when it's to keep Toby safe," Yuki said seriously.
Kel just smiled at her. "Yes, you can. You see, I prepared for the fact that Toby is a small boy that loses things constantly. That's why I had four of these made out of silver instead of one made out of gold. When we get down to one ring we go on a scavenger hunt to find the other ones. Sometimes I think he loses them on purpose just to have a few hours of fun with me looking for them with the locator."
"Well. If you're sure, then I guess I can try," Yuki said hesitantly, while taking the ring. She slipped it on her ring finger, while it was slightly loose, it was better that anything else they had. "It will do for now," Yuki nodded her head.
"After the ceremony, I'll take it over to the blacksmith," Neal said. "He can melt a small piece of silver down and attach it to the inside to make so it won't slide off." He smiled, trying be happier, but still upset she wouldn't be getting the Queenscove ring.
"Then it will be perfect," Yuki smiled towards him brightly, knowing he was still upset. "And we can just switch your family ring to your other hand for now, until we can get your wedding band from the vault also."
"So, before we begin, would you guys like to say your own vows, or would you like me to say the traditional ones?" Kel asked.
"Do you honestly think I would pass on the chance to say my own vows Kel?" Neal asked her amused.
"Right," Kel smiled. "So we need a witness…"
"Here!" Dom called, earning a chuckle from everyone.
"We have a rings, though they aren't really needed, I have the paperwork that I had the scribes write up, and we have a bride and groom. Ok let's begin. Neal, you may say your vows."
"Wait, what, just like that?" Neal turned his head towards her, stunned.
"Well yeah, it's not like I have an audience here to introduce you to or anything, now spill your heart out," Kel smiled at him.
Neal blushed. "Oh, well, Yuki, I promise… Man this is harder than it looks," he chuckled nervously and cleared his throat. "I love you more than life itself. You're my reason for waking in the morning, so I can be with you. And my reason for going to sleep at night, so I can see you in my dreams. I never want to imagine my life without you. I will always treat you with the respect you deserve, listen to your words and undying wisdom, even when it might take me a little longer than most to comprehend them," he smiled at her. "I will love you forever, until the breath has left my body and an eternity after." He reached up and wiped a lone tear off of Yuki's cheek as she smiled at him.
"Yuki," Kel said lightly.
"Nealan, how you went from an uncouth squire to the man I fell in love with I don't know," she smiled fondly. "But I do not regret one second of it. You are the true Ying to my Yang. My soul mate. And I would willingly travel this world a thousand times over to find you again. I promise to talk reason into you, not let you worry yourself to death, treat you with just as much respect as you give me, and on occasion let you win an argument. I love you Nealan, now and always."
Kel looked over at Dom, who was trying to inconspicuously dab his eyes, causing her to smile. She then looked at Neal and handed him the ring she had for Yuki.
"Nealan of Queenscove, repeat after me, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"
"With this ring, I the wed," Neal said with the grin of a kid in a candy store as he slipped the ring on Yuki's finger. She then handed Yuki Neal's ring.
Yukimi no Diaomaru, repeat after me, "With this ring I thee wed."
"By the power vested in my by the Crown of Tortall, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss your bride!" Kel said excitedly, happy for her friends. Neal dipped Yuki backwards and swept in for the kiss. Dom and Kel clapped and whistled for their friends and family. Dom came over to Kel, giving her a kiss on the cheek, then looking at Neal and Yuki, who were still caught up in their moment.
"Do you think we'll look that happy?" he asked her, with a gleam in his eyes.
"I think you love to tease me Domitan of Masbolle," Kel proclaimed as she gently elbowed him.
There you go, I gave you a wedding! Probably not the one you wanted though. I also love to tease you guys :P A little sad mixed with a little happy. Hope you enjoyed give a review! One more chapter to go!