Epilogue- Two Years Later
''I do.''
The words rang clear and sharp from Kel's mouth, with a smile spread wide across her face. They were in response to the words Neal had uttered before, and to the vows the priest had given her.
''You may now kiss the bride,'' the priest said.
Once more, Neal's lips found its way on Kel's. Smooth as honey and spicy as cinnamon, once again he was enveloped by her presence. With her, he had found home, secure and blissful and absolutely beautiful.
He was married to this beautiful woman. She was going to have his babies; she was going to live at his fief and grow old with him. The thought hit him and filled him with this new sort of ecstasy, this buzz that made him want to zip through the chapel and just laugh.
He lead her down the stairs to the crowd. He put his arm behind her back; right now, he was especially protective of her.
She put her hand on her stomach, feeling its slight curve. She could not help but smile whenever she did(although she was already beaming at this point). Neal was ecstatic too, although a little worried.
There was great celebration afterwards.
The party was at Queenscove, and all of her friends and family were there.
They were met by Kel's mother, whose eyes were shining with tears. Kel's father was behind her, and tears were also in his eyes too.
Each time Piers gave his daughters away was painful, but it had been particularly so with Kel. He figured it was in light of everything that had happened in the past three years. The events that had, figuratively and literally, ripped her away from him. But he could not give her away to a better man.
Baird was there, too, smiling, along with Neal's sister Jessamine. Not far away from them was Tobe, who was having a conversation with Liam.
There were also Kel's siblings and other friends, all in different places in the room.
''Auntie Kel!''
Suddenly, she felt her knees cave in as Shinko's little body crashed into it. She smiled.
''Shinko,'' Neal scolded. ''Don't do that. You could hurt Auntie Kel. Or at the very least stain her dress.''
''You really shouldn't do that, Shinko,'' Kel said. ''But never mind that, we're cutting the cake soon.''
''We are?'' she asked, eyes widening.
She ran away eagerly, going to get little Dom and Baird.
Kel laughed.
''She really shouldn't do that,'' Neal said, his voice serious, ''especially considering your condition.''
''Oh Neal,'' she said, smiling.
Upon seeing her smile, he could not help smiling too.
Cleon and Rachelle approached them, Rachelle supporting Cleon as he limped to them. ''Congratulations,'' Cleon said.
''Thank you,'' Neal said, looking at Rachelle.
Cleon had explained to them when he came that he annulled his marriage to Ermelian two years before. He had fell in love with Rachelle before, he claimed, and it wasn't fair to continue. It seemed a little unfair to Ermelian, Neal thought, considering she kept his fief from going under.
But he could see Cleon loved her in the way that he loved Kel, and she seemed nice enough.
Later on, Raoul and Buri went up to congratulate them. Raoul, still tearful, gave Kel a hug(he only found out later about Kel's near-death experience. In all the haste and horror, Neal forgot to write him a letter).
Eventually, they did cut the cake.
As he spooned cake in her mouth, Kel experienced one of the most happiest moments in her life. Because, in spite of all the obstacles thrown her way, things were almost perfect now. She was married to a man who she absolutely adored and cherished, and who absolutely adored and cherished her in return. She had a child on the way, a child already here and two stepchildren who felt as her own children; in the years to come, she would have even more children with this man.
Yet, a sadness ebbed at her. She was supposed to have this day with another man, but she was having it with his cousin while their child sat and watched. Their child and her unborn child would never get the chance to know a man who was just as wonderful, and who she loved just as much. When she had started dating Neal, she took her engagement ring off her finger although she still kept it around her neck on a chain.
She would always love Dom, but she would move on with Neal.
As their chocolate-colored lips touched, she felt at peace. Because her future would be bright with Neal, and she would be happy and safe and secure.
I've never been to a wedding so, if there are any errors here please correct me(I'll go back and fix it). Being an epilogue, this is shorter than my typical chapters (although it's much longer than the prologue). So this is officially the end of In Her Darkest Hour. I'll do a couple of more scenarios in Telling Neal, before I take a little hiatus from the world of fanfiction (I'll update some oneshots, although a lot of them won't be Tamora Pierce). So please read and review and tell me what you think.