A/N - Sorry. I think I got kind of distracted with this story. I think that I'm going to try to finish this up soon, it seems like it's starting to drag. (Does it?) But thank you to every who has reviewed. I won't ask for a specific number of reviews, but I'd be v. grateful it it's a lot!
~*~*~
Kel sighed. For the past fifteen minutes, her ride to Neal's home had been nothing but strained comments about the weather or the condition of the road. With an exasperated look at Dom and Owen, she rode ahead to where Yuki and Neal were riding peacefully. Yuki raised a questioning eyebrow, but said nothing. Neal, on the other hand was more blunt. "What's the problem back there? Dom and Own look more tightly wound than a corkscrew!"
Kel couldn't help but to smile. Neal would always speak his mind, no matter the consequences, or so it seemed. She wanted to talk, but she didn't want to seem girly or over sure of herself. She wasn't even positive that Owen has feelings for her. But if he didn't, why was he acting so strangely? Instead of opening herself to Neal, Kel decided to talk to Yuki. Yuki would never openly criticize Kel, but would tell her the truth - something she needed right now. After listening to Neal's babbling about some subject or another, she tactfully urged her horse to the other side of Yuki. There, she explained the problem.
Yuki listened with a straight face, due to years of living in the Yamani Islands, but a slight crinkling around her eyes gave her away. "You think this is funny!" Kel wailed.
"No I don't," Yuki assured Kel, "well, not really funny," she amended. "But you have to admit that this is amusing! Now all we need is Neal to fall in love with you."
Kel laughed shallowly. "Yes, isn't this great? The man I -think- I love isn't able to marry."
"What do you mean, Kel?" Yuki asked.
"Didn't you know? No member of the Kings Own may get married, except for my Lord Raoul." Kel explained. "I'm already called things behind my back, and sometimes to my face, they don't hurt because I know they aren't true, but if they were..." Kel trailed off.
Yuki wasn't smiling anymore. "So you mean that if Dom got married to you, he'd be forfeiting his position with the King's Own?"
"I think so." Kel replied. "I never asked Lord Raoul, but if you're married, I know that you can't join, and the men laugh because even though Raoul is the only one who could marry, he doesn't."
"Well, this puts a spin on things," Yuki muttered to herself. When pressed, she wouldn't say anything more on the subject. Instead, talk turned to more common things. Keladry rode the rest of the way with Yuki and Neal, not turning around to see if Dom or Owen was watching her. After a while, the company arrived at Neal's home. Yuki would stay here, and Neal would go on with them, back to Haven. Kel was shown to the same rooms she had stayed in before, and she started to unpack.
~*~*~
"You didn't tell me that by marrying her, you would be forfeiting your job!" Yuki hissed. Yukimi and Domitan were huddled in the corner of a hallway as far from Kel's room as possible, their voices echoing on the chilly stones of the floor.
"Just a minor detail..." Dom protested.
"No it's not, Domitan of Masbolle! Your duty is to the crown, and Kel knows that! If you can't fulfill your duty, how are you going to make a living if Kel marries you? Remember, Kel will do nothing that would hurt other's lives, especially if she cares about them! Even if you do get the guts to ask her - which I've noticed that you haven't - she'll say no! She doesn't want to ruin your life!" she snapped.
"Woah there!" Dom was shocked. "I thought you were brought up as a proper Yamani lady! What's all of this temper I see?"
Yuki took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I still want to know why you lied to me, and what you're planning on doing about your little, how should we put it, situation?"
"All right. I was wrong. I know that. But I do think that I love Keladry. I also know that I can't, or shouldn't, give up my post with the King's Own. I know that Keladry would live a life of celibacy before hurting someone she love's chances for the future. That's why I came to you. I just kind of, um, forgot, that minor detail before..."
"It's not a case of forgot, you just seem to be a coward, Sergeant Domitan! You need to talk to Kel. Don't just let her go off wondering!"
Dom looked annoyed. "I didn't know that by asking your opinion, you would become my advice-giver!"
"I didn't know that you couldn't just-" Yuki broke off. Kel was walking down the hallway towards them, a curios expression on her face. "Good afternoon, Kel," Yuki said. Her Yamani training gave nothing away - except maybe to another Yamani. "We were just discussing dinner plans. Would you care to eat with Dom tonight?" Yuki ignored Dom's squawk of surprise and continued. "We were planning on setting a table or two in the garden. If Dom wants, he can join us. I think most of the King's Own would be more comfortable in the mess."
Kel scrutinized Yuki. Her face was carefully blank. "That would be nice. Should I change?"
"If you would like. We're not dressing up, although you always look nice in that grey and blue shift that Lalasa made before you left New Hope. How about you wear that?" Yuki suggested.
Kel agreed, and Yuki walked back to her rooms with her, chatting politely. Dom was left staring at their backs as they retreated down the hall, talking to themselves.
Kel was very suspicious. Kel knew that something was up, and she would find out what before the dinner.
~*~*~
Kel sighed. For the past fifteen minutes, her ride to Neal's home had been nothing but strained comments about the weather or the condition of the road. With an exasperated look at Dom and Owen, she rode ahead to where Yuki and Neal were riding peacefully. Yuki raised a questioning eyebrow, but said nothing. Neal, on the other hand was more blunt. "What's the problem back there? Dom and Own look more tightly wound than a corkscrew!"
Kel couldn't help but to smile. Neal would always speak his mind, no matter the consequences, or so it seemed. She wanted to talk, but she didn't want to seem girly or over sure of herself. She wasn't even positive that Owen has feelings for her. But if he didn't, why was he acting so strangely? Instead of opening herself to Neal, Kel decided to talk to Yuki. Yuki would never openly criticize Kel, but would tell her the truth - something she needed right now. After listening to Neal's babbling about some subject or another, she tactfully urged her horse to the other side of Yuki. There, she explained the problem.
Yuki listened with a straight face, due to years of living in the Yamani Islands, but a slight crinkling around her eyes gave her away. "You think this is funny!" Kel wailed.
"No I don't," Yuki assured Kel, "well, not really funny," she amended. "But you have to admit that this is amusing! Now all we need is Neal to fall in love with you."
Kel laughed shallowly. "Yes, isn't this great? The man I -think- I love isn't able to marry."
"What do you mean, Kel?" Yuki asked.
"Didn't you know? No member of the Kings Own may get married, except for my Lord Raoul." Kel explained. "I'm already called things behind my back, and sometimes to my face, they don't hurt because I know they aren't true, but if they were..." Kel trailed off.
Yuki wasn't smiling anymore. "So you mean that if Dom got married to you, he'd be forfeiting his position with the King's Own?"
"I think so." Kel replied. "I never asked Lord Raoul, but if you're married, I know that you can't join, and the men laugh because even though Raoul is the only one who could marry, he doesn't."
"Well, this puts a spin on things," Yuki muttered to herself. When pressed, she wouldn't say anything more on the subject. Instead, talk turned to more common things. Keladry rode the rest of the way with Yuki and Neal, not turning around to see if Dom or Owen was watching her. After a while, the company arrived at Neal's home. Yuki would stay here, and Neal would go on with them, back to Haven. Kel was shown to the same rooms she had stayed in before, and she started to unpack.
~*~*~
"You didn't tell me that by marrying her, you would be forfeiting your job!" Yuki hissed. Yukimi and Domitan were huddled in the corner of a hallway as far from Kel's room as possible, their voices echoing on the chilly stones of the floor.
"Just a minor detail..." Dom protested.
"No it's not, Domitan of Masbolle! Your duty is to the crown, and Kel knows that! If you can't fulfill your duty, how are you going to make a living if Kel marries you? Remember, Kel will do nothing that would hurt other's lives, especially if she cares about them! Even if you do get the guts to ask her - which I've noticed that you haven't - she'll say no! She doesn't want to ruin your life!" she snapped.
"Woah there!" Dom was shocked. "I thought you were brought up as a proper Yamani lady! What's all of this temper I see?"
Yuki took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I still want to know why you lied to me, and what you're planning on doing about your little, how should we put it, situation?"
"All right. I was wrong. I know that. But I do think that I love Keladry. I also know that I can't, or shouldn't, give up my post with the King's Own. I know that Keladry would live a life of celibacy before hurting someone she love's chances for the future. That's why I came to you. I just kind of, um, forgot, that minor detail before..."
"It's not a case of forgot, you just seem to be a coward, Sergeant Domitan! You need to talk to Kel. Don't just let her go off wondering!"
Dom looked annoyed. "I didn't know that by asking your opinion, you would become my advice-giver!"
"I didn't know that you couldn't just-" Yuki broke off. Kel was walking down the hallway towards them, a curios expression on her face. "Good afternoon, Kel," Yuki said. Her Yamani training gave nothing away - except maybe to another Yamani. "We were just discussing dinner plans. Would you care to eat with Dom tonight?" Yuki ignored Dom's squawk of surprise and continued. "We were planning on setting a table or two in the garden. If Dom wants, he can join us. I think most of the King's Own would be more comfortable in the mess."
Kel scrutinized Yuki. Her face was carefully blank. "That would be nice. Should I change?"
"If you would like. We're not dressing up, although you always look nice in that grey and blue shift that Lalasa made before you left New Hope. How about you wear that?" Yuki suggested.
Kel agreed, and Yuki walked back to her rooms with her, chatting politely. Dom was left staring at their backs as they retreated down the hall, talking to themselves.
Kel was very suspicious. Kel knew that something was up, and she would find out what before the dinner.
