A/N: A shorter one for those of you who just want more.
Three nights after the party, Neal sat in his study with the door closed writing a new chapter into his ballad for Kel. He had neglected to write the events of her new found love life over the past half of a year. He had finally weaseled out the details of how they had first come together at the time of his darling Yuki's death. He had to stop several times when writing how Kel had valiantly protected the Princess alongside her friend and how her friend had been gravely injured. He had to stop when he wrote about Dom coming for her in the waiting room and the reason he had had to comfort her. His hands shook when he wrote about the two of them and their selflessness at coming to care for him the moment he had need. He really wasn't as deserving of his friends, no… family. Kel and Dom were family. Dom by blood whatever his mother may have decided to say, and Kel was not necessarily a sister but one of those deep bonded friends that can only be family. Soon, he hoped, that Kel would actually be family.
Dom had not brought up anything regarding betrothal because Kel was busy and he was still working hard on keeping Neal sane. Neal also believed it had something to do with his aunt's decision to disown him. Despite everything Dom had said about probably being better off and being alright with the decision, Neal guessed, and assumed he was right, that Dom didn't want to consider marriage until he found some sort of stable ground to call his own. Living in Neal's spare room didn't exactly make for a place of his own and moving in with Kel would feel like imposing on her. While Dom full heartedly supported women doing just as much or more than men in every aspect, it was likely that he wasn't comfortable feeling that Kel was doing everything. If anything he would probably wish he was pulling at least his share of the work and income. Neal wouldn't have wanted to enter a marriage without a home, career, or income of any sort and it didn't sound like a good way to start a life together though Kel wouldn't care in the least.
Feeling more at ease he began to write again, marking out the points in Kel's recent history that revolved around her work, Dom, and her care for her poor best friend. He smiled as he added in a small drawing that had been given to him by Sir Faleron of King's Reach. It seemed he was quite the artist and had managed to draw a very good likeness of Kel and Dom at the party several nights before dancing together. He had somehow captured the lights in her eyes as she smiled up at Dom and the way he had clutched her closer. As he pasted the drawing into place, he considered asking Faleron to read and draw some more pictures to accompany the story. Sometimes pictures made a thing much better if they were tasteful and Faleron's art was certainly tasteful.
A knock on the door frame made Neal look up to see Dom leaning casually against it. Neal waved him in, relieved it wasn't Kel. The moment Dom drew close his eyes fell on the drawing and he smiled.
"You didn't draw that?" It sounded like a question but Neal knew it was more of a statement.
"Fal did. He gave it to me to add to my history of Kel I've been working on. But by Mithros I swear if you tell her I'm doing this…" a new thought occurred to Neal that Dom probably would tell Kel everything because the two of them discussed everything. If Kel found out about the book she would likely try and discourage Neal from ever writing about her again. She never thought anything she did was special enough to be history.
"I won't. But I would like to read it sometime," Dom grinned and settled into a chair across from Neal. "So Kel has been summoned to some big grand meeting with Their Majesties and Their Highnesses and the whole damned council in the morning. Any ideas as to why Oh Brilliant Master of Conspiracies?"
"You must be drunk to be calling me 'Brilliant' or 'Master' in anything," Neal chuckled. Dom only gave him a fake drunken grin. "I honestly have no idea. Perhaps it's to offer her a job like Training Master or Knight Commander of the King's Own."
"I thought so too but it's nice to hear the thoughts echoed. Those would be her two strengths: working with children and training them, and commanding large groups of unruly warriors." Dom sighed. "Training Master I could handle because she would be here and I could still see her and share her bed. Knight Commander of the King's Own? I never understood how Buri could handle it."
"Perhaps it's because Buri had her own work and her own focuses until they married. Then she started keeping Raoul close or traveling with him." Neal pointed out. He stood and went to pull out two goblets of wine from his locked cabinet. This sounded like one of those conversations that would need some relaxation to endure.
"Kel wouldn't thank me at all if I traveled with her. Not that she would hate me sharing her bedroll and fighting alongside of her, but she wouldn't need the gossip that followed or the rumors that she couldn't do it alone." Dom gave a small smile. "I used to be fairly independent. I mean, I didn't need a woman though it was nice to have one. I didn't have to see her or write to her. But with Kel, it's different. It's like… I'm not really sure, but comfortable when she's with me. And when she's not it's not unbearable but all the same, I prefer her with me."
"I'm sure it helps knowing that she's coming back each night or that it's only going to be a week or two, or an exact time away like she has border patrol for three months. That's understandable and bearable. You know when she's supposed to be back. But if she was a Knight Commander of the King's Own she wouldn't have a set schedule. She would be out for possibly years and back maybe only for a day or two before being called out again. That's hard on any relationship. The only person I ever credited with the patience to withstand such a relationship is the person you are worried about. I would have discouraged both of you had I thought it would be too hard on her."
"You appear to believe we wouldn't have come together on our own," Dom sipped at his wine. "Do we not get any credit?"
"Kel never would have admitted her feelings for you to you. She's harbored her attraction to you since she was a first year squire. And you, did you really think of her as a potential sweetheart before I started pushing?"
"No, but I know the feeling was there. I just hadn't realized it yet." Dom grinned. "I could have still realized it at some point without your help."
"So where is your most amazing, wonderful, dearest sweetheart now since I doubt we'd have this conversation at all with her somewhere in these rooms."
"She took Karin down to see Shinko to ask about getting her a child's training naginata." Dom thought that Neal would choke on his wine or at least blanch a little. Karin was only turning three in the next year. He couldn't imagine that Neal, the most overprotective father, would allow for weapons training. Instead Neal only nodded.
"She mentioned most children started by three or four in Yaman. I told her I wanted Karin trained like her mother had been." Neal set his goblet down. "I get the hunch that I should provide her with all of the training I can since I doubt I'll be able to protect her for long. No daughter of Yuki's will be mild and meek and no daughter of mine will be able to stop herself from whatever she chooses to pursue."
"That sounded almost levelheaded. Are you sure you are feeling alright?" Dom teased. He knew from what Kel had said from the seer child at New Hope that Neal's daughter would try for her shield. The fact that Neal would have her prepared and was preparing to let her do what she wished when it came to that time meant he had learned something from Yuki's death, or perhaps after. Dom wasn't sure exactly when these sort of changes happened.
"Funny," Neal commented. "So when is Kel's summoning tomorrow?"
"She's to be there by the second bell of the morning." Dom recalled. "You know, a thought just came to mind. Since when do they call the whole council and their royal Highnesses and Majesties together to offer a job? As I recall that's usually just the King and his small private council that do such things."
Neal had to admit that it was a valid point. Jobs such as Knight Commander of the King's Own or Training Master were usually offered by the King to an individual after it had been discussed with his private council. It had been done this way through all of King Jonathon's rule. The person wasn't usually summoned to them either, often they were sent letters calling them to their duty. Looking down at his book, still open in front of him to the drawing of Dom and Kel dancing, he had his answer. Kel wasn't just any random noble. She had gone above and beyond expectations so many times over. She had fought battle after battle against inequality and had won over and over again. Not just for herself but for the common people as well. She was the Protector of the Small, the woman who dispatched Stenmun and Blayce the Gallan. She saved countless lives both in war and in times of peace. She had never done things according to expectations or rules except when it came to the rules and expectations of chivalry. There really was only one answer to the question Dom had posed. Only one answer to the reason Kel would have to have such a large amount of people for her to take up any sort of official position within the workings of the realm outside of being the standard knight.
"Since it's Kel."
A/N: I get into this bad habit where I check this site about 10 times a day at least hoping for someone to update. When I manage to catch an update I usually squeal and lock my behind into my computer chair and read with a silly grin on my face. After reading some of the reviews about people binge reading or doing the forbidden reading at work (I'm guilty of this too), it occurred to me that perhaps those reading my story that actually enjoy it are just waiting for updates too. So when I catch myself thinking, I wish someone would update... I turn around and remind myself I haven't updated yet. It may only be a short one this time, but adding more to this particular chapter would be excessive in my eyes. I hope you all enjoy and I appreciate reviews.