Author's Note: Wow.25 handwritten pages! This is it though! We made it!
Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond!
~Chapter 7/7~
Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Mallorie's Peak looked from where he had been reading reports of the progress of the war, catching the stirring on the cot he sat next to out of the corner of his eye. On the other side Dom sat, snoring lightly in his sleep. Raoul sighed with relief as a pair of hazel eyes slowly opened.
Kel tried to sit up and rub her bangs out of her face but she was stopped both by Raoul catching her arms and the pain in her shoulder. Raoul gently lowered her back onto her cot. "My lord, what?" Kel asked, still slightly out of it.
"Rest easy Kel! You've had a healing and you know how you get after them."
"Yessir." Kel murmured. She shifted slightly, trying to make herself more comfortable, stopping when she caught sight of the lightly sleeping Dom.
Raoul looked where her gaze had focused and a slight grin crossed his face. "He's barely left your side, you know."
Kel turned her head to face him, snapping more into focus. "My lord?"
"Dom. The only times he's left your side was to change his clothes and wash. He even eats and sleeps here." A grin crossed his face. "My only comment is that something must have happened between you two out there." He held up a hand as Kel tried to protest. "Kel, I've seen him with the men and I've seen him with the court ladies. He hasn't acted this way for either." He stood, resting a hand on her good shoulder. "I'll leave you to think about this now. Just remember, you could do worse than Dom." He turned and left, leaving her to think of his words.
A blue eye slowly opened meeting Kel's hazel. The other blue eye joined its mate. "Kel!" Dom exclaimed, moving closer and gently, watching for her injured arm pulled her to himself for a hug. "Thank Mithros you're okay."
Kel wrapped her good arm around him and pulled him closer, resting her head on his strong shoulder, letting a contented sigh escape from her lips.
An orange colored cat batted at Dom's knee, causing him to gently lower Kel back to the cot and look at her. He blinked recognizing Duchess. She pawed at the ground and made the sign from "friends coming."
"The Own must almost be here." Dom sniffed the air. It smelled like something rotting, mixed with sulfur. He turned to see his green eyed cousin approaching, a small bowl in his hands. "Ugh! Meathead, what IS that?!" "Don't worry dom. It's not for you." He gave the bowl to Kel. "Drink." Neal ordered.
She blanched slightly. "You're kidding, right?"
"Well, I'm not the one that took on a Scanran mage on my own Kel. Drink."
Kel took a sip and grimaced before quickly finishing it. She shuddered slightly. "One of these days I'll make you drink it."
"Not going to happen. I don't plan on being crazy enough to take on a mage like that by myself and get a chunk of my arm taken off." Neal smirked.
"If I had a loaf of bread and the energy right now you'd be dead Neal."
He shook his head, and took the bowl back. "Father said you can leave whenever you feel up to it." Neal said, not noticing that she had fallen back asleep.
Duchess jumped lightly onto the bed where Kel's long legs didn't reach. She pawed at the blanket, turned once and settled herself to take a nap.
Dom shook his head. "I'll never understand you." She merely opened her eyes from where her head rested on her paws, daring Dom to keep her awake.
A small, angular head poked in the slightly opened door, causing it to creek slightly. Seeing Dom the one eared, scarred dog entered, wagging his twice-broke tail. Jump walked over to Dom and sat at his feet. His tongue lolled out of the corner of his open mouth and he looked up at Dom as if to say "well, aren't you going to pet me?" Dom chuckled and bent to scratch his head.
From up on Steadfast's walls a horn sounded, alerting the fort to the people coming. Dom tensed momentarily and relaxed as the familiar call returned.
He went over the roster in his head. The squads out on patrol weren't due back for another hour or so. He stood and kissed Kel's forehead. Walking to the door, he looked back before leaving to greet his men.
Entering the stables he shook is head watching his men put away their horses' tack. The men were dirty, faces and uniforms covered with mud. "What did you do, swim in a mud pit and then roll in some dirt?"
The men laughed. "Sir, how's milady?" One asked.
Dom grinned. "Well enough to be giving my cousin a hard time." The men cheered. "Even better I've been told to tell you we have the next two days off to recruit men to replace our losses. If we don't get enough here then after my lord's wedding we'll be heading south to recruit from the Bazhir tribes. I'll leave you to your unpacking now. After dinner I wish to see my corporals." He left, ignoring the combination of cheers and groans.
~Several Days Later~
Kel couldn't help the grin that crossed her face as the realms former most infamous bachelor danced with his new wife on the makeshift dance floor that had been set up. She stretched her right arm; glad to divest herself of the annoying sling that had been the bane of her existence. She smoothed an imaginary wrinkle in the blue dress that Lalasa had made especially for the occasion.
Her attention returned to the dance floor and she was surprised to see a familiar pair of sapphire blue eyes looking up at her from a bow. "Would milady care to join her humble friend in a dance?" Dom asked in a courtly manner.
Kel smiled. "Kind sir, I would enjoy the honor, however I must correct you as you are not a humble man." She offered her hand to Dom who took it and was surprised when he brought it to his lips for a kiss. He smiled at the slight flush that crossed her face. Placing her hand in his she allowed him to walk them onto the dance floor.
"When do you leave for New Hope?" Dom asked.
Kel bit her lip. "Tomorrow morning."
"Would you mind some company? My squad and I are riding south to recruit from the Bazhir."
Kel grinned. "We leave at dawn. I would encourage you and your men not to get drunk tonight and to get to bed at a reasonable hour."
"Yes mother." Dom grinned down at her as Kel looked up at him, happy and content in his arms.
Several songs later she found herself dancing with her former knight master. "Did you think about what I told you about Dom?" He asked.
Kel felt a blush cross her face. "Yessir." Raoul cocked an eyebrow as if to ask "and." "I think you were right about him my lord. I could do worse, but I don't think I could do better."
End chapter 7/7 End "Spies Love"
Aww...a happy ending with room for sequels if I choose to write them. Don't forget they still have to have their talk and travel to New Hope. Oh the possibilities that are dancing in my head! Don't forget to respond and tell me what you think! Putting away my ink and paper for now, Suzanne of Dragon's Breath
~Chapter 7/7~
Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Mallorie's Peak looked from where he had been reading reports of the progress of the war, catching the stirring on the cot he sat next to out of the corner of his eye. On the other side Dom sat, snoring lightly in his sleep. Raoul sighed with relief as a pair of hazel eyes slowly opened.
Kel tried to sit up and rub her bangs out of her face but she was stopped both by Raoul catching her arms and the pain in her shoulder. Raoul gently lowered her back onto her cot. "My lord, what?" Kel asked, still slightly out of it.
"Rest easy Kel! You've had a healing and you know how you get after them."
"Yessir." Kel murmured. She shifted slightly, trying to make herself more comfortable, stopping when she caught sight of the lightly sleeping Dom.
Raoul looked where her gaze had focused and a slight grin crossed his face. "He's barely left your side, you know."
Kel turned her head to face him, snapping more into focus. "My lord?"
"Dom. The only times he's left your side was to change his clothes and wash. He even eats and sleeps here." A grin crossed his face. "My only comment is that something must have happened between you two out there." He held up a hand as Kel tried to protest. "Kel, I've seen him with the men and I've seen him with the court ladies. He hasn't acted this way for either." He stood, resting a hand on her good shoulder. "I'll leave you to think about this now. Just remember, you could do worse than Dom." He turned and left, leaving her to think of his words.
A blue eye slowly opened meeting Kel's hazel. The other blue eye joined its mate. "Kel!" Dom exclaimed, moving closer and gently, watching for her injured arm pulled her to himself for a hug. "Thank Mithros you're okay."
Kel wrapped her good arm around him and pulled him closer, resting her head on his strong shoulder, letting a contented sigh escape from her lips.
An orange colored cat batted at Dom's knee, causing him to gently lower Kel back to the cot and look at her. He blinked recognizing Duchess. She pawed at the ground and made the sign from "friends coming."
"The Own must almost be here." Dom sniffed the air. It smelled like something rotting, mixed with sulfur. He turned to see his green eyed cousin approaching, a small bowl in his hands. "Ugh! Meathead, what IS that?!" "Don't worry dom. It's not for you." He gave the bowl to Kel. "Drink." Neal ordered.
She blanched slightly. "You're kidding, right?"
"Well, I'm not the one that took on a Scanran mage on my own Kel. Drink."
Kel took a sip and grimaced before quickly finishing it. She shuddered slightly. "One of these days I'll make you drink it."
"Not going to happen. I don't plan on being crazy enough to take on a mage like that by myself and get a chunk of my arm taken off." Neal smirked.
"If I had a loaf of bread and the energy right now you'd be dead Neal."
He shook his head, and took the bowl back. "Father said you can leave whenever you feel up to it." Neal said, not noticing that she had fallen back asleep.
Duchess jumped lightly onto the bed where Kel's long legs didn't reach. She pawed at the blanket, turned once and settled herself to take a nap.
Dom shook his head. "I'll never understand you." She merely opened her eyes from where her head rested on her paws, daring Dom to keep her awake.
A small, angular head poked in the slightly opened door, causing it to creek slightly. Seeing Dom the one eared, scarred dog entered, wagging his twice-broke tail. Jump walked over to Dom and sat at his feet. His tongue lolled out of the corner of his open mouth and he looked up at Dom as if to say "well, aren't you going to pet me?" Dom chuckled and bent to scratch his head.
From up on Steadfast's walls a horn sounded, alerting the fort to the people coming. Dom tensed momentarily and relaxed as the familiar call returned.
He went over the roster in his head. The squads out on patrol weren't due back for another hour or so. He stood and kissed Kel's forehead. Walking to the door, he looked back before leaving to greet his men.
Entering the stables he shook is head watching his men put away their horses' tack. The men were dirty, faces and uniforms covered with mud. "What did you do, swim in a mud pit and then roll in some dirt?"
The men laughed. "Sir, how's milady?" One asked.
Dom grinned. "Well enough to be giving my cousin a hard time." The men cheered. "Even better I've been told to tell you we have the next two days off to recruit men to replace our losses. If we don't get enough here then after my lord's wedding we'll be heading south to recruit from the Bazhir tribes. I'll leave you to your unpacking now. After dinner I wish to see my corporals." He left, ignoring the combination of cheers and groans.
~Several Days Later~
Kel couldn't help the grin that crossed her face as the realms former most infamous bachelor danced with his new wife on the makeshift dance floor that had been set up. She stretched her right arm; glad to divest herself of the annoying sling that had been the bane of her existence. She smoothed an imaginary wrinkle in the blue dress that Lalasa had made especially for the occasion.
Her attention returned to the dance floor and she was surprised to see a familiar pair of sapphire blue eyes looking up at her from a bow. "Would milady care to join her humble friend in a dance?" Dom asked in a courtly manner.
Kel smiled. "Kind sir, I would enjoy the honor, however I must correct you as you are not a humble man." She offered her hand to Dom who took it and was surprised when he brought it to his lips for a kiss. He smiled at the slight flush that crossed her face. Placing her hand in his she allowed him to walk them onto the dance floor.
"When do you leave for New Hope?" Dom asked.
Kel bit her lip. "Tomorrow morning."
"Would you mind some company? My squad and I are riding south to recruit from the Bazhir."
Kel grinned. "We leave at dawn. I would encourage you and your men not to get drunk tonight and to get to bed at a reasonable hour."
"Yes mother." Dom grinned down at her as Kel looked up at him, happy and content in his arms.
Several songs later she found herself dancing with her former knight master. "Did you think about what I told you about Dom?" He asked.
Kel felt a blush cross her face. "Yessir." Raoul cocked an eyebrow as if to ask "and." "I think you were right about him my lord. I could do worse, but I don't think I could do better."
End chapter 7/7 End "Spies Love"
Aww...a happy ending with room for sequels if I choose to write them. Don't forget they still have to have their talk and travel to New Hope. Oh the possibilities that are dancing in my head! Don't forget to respond and tell me what you think! Putting away my ink and paper for now, Suzanne of Dragon's Breath