A/N: Wow, I'm updating! This is like… tons of Kel/Joren banter and fluff (eww, I know…), but I couldn't help it. I know Joren is moving out of charcter very very rapidly, but there's nothing I could do about it. Seriously. I tried to slow him down, but he's very willful. My beta ThePenMage, still isn't here because she's away celebrating her birthday (HAPPY B-DAY AGAIN!) so you can just pretend that there are no errors in this fic. Hehe. Anyway, this is… the last bit of the story—and then I'm going to add an epilogue. I hope you enjoyed it.

Part III: Bless the Child

Kel breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into the dining room for breakfast the next morning and saw Joren sitting quietly at the end of it. She had almost expected him to have disappeared in the night, before he ever had to look at her again, and she wouldn't have been able to bear not having him in her life. She knew he loved her, that much was evident even if he had only said so once, but being a father was a completely different state of affairs. He was staring down at his empty plate, so deeply engrossed in his own thoughts that he hadn't seen her come in. Kel would have killed to know what he was thinking.

Her father was sitting at the opposite end of the table, frowning with disapproval at everything. After Clio's visit late last night, Kel had almost forgotten the window incident. Reminded by her father's frown, Kel groaned slightly and slid into her seat at the long table, wishing she could just disappear.

"Good morning, Keladry," her mother said, kissing the top of her head affectionately. Kel saw Joren look up from his plate at the sound of her name as if he had been snapped out of a trance. She held contact with his eyes for a moment before smiling at her mother.

"Good morning," she responded warmly.

"We've a busy day ahead of us, Kel," Ilane began, taking the seat next to her daughter. "We've been invited to the Grenwall Manor for Lady Patricia's wedding, and will have to leave in the early afternoon. It only occurred to me this morning that you might not have anything suitable to wear for the event."

Kel bit her lip. A wedding? She didn't think she could handle dressing up and being sociable that night. "No, I wasn't expecting to be attending anything formal—"

"Well, I suppose one of Oranie's dresses could be altered to fit you," Ilane said, pressing a delicate finger to her lips. "You're a bit too tall, but you're slim enough to fit in one of her dresses from the engagement at least."

Kel nodded and pulled a chunk off the bread that had been set on her plate. "All right." The dresses from Oranie's bridal trousseau were all painfully feminine and frightfully expensive, but since she had gained weight in her pregnancy, she wouldn't be able to use them in any case.

Pregnancy. Kel grimaced at the thought of it. She had always wanted to have children eventually, but she certainly didn't think of having them when she was so young, unmarried, and just beginning full service to King Jonathan. And since she and Joren had begun their relationship, there were enough challenges to keep them busy without having a child involved in the picture.

She and Joren fought so badly sometimes that they wouldn't speak for days. Usually, she was the more patient and understanding of the two, but even she lost her patience with him at times. And then there was the fact that they were both very busy on duty, and away from one another for weeks at a time. It was not a relationship that would welcome a child.

"Aren't you going to have any breakfast?" Kel's mother asked her quietly. Kel realized she had been ignoring her food and smiled tightly before beginning to eat. She dragged her eyes upward to look at everyone at the table. Everyone was busily eating or chatting, and only her mother had noticed her silence. Even Joren was busily talking to Anders about something or the other.

Kel suddenly felt very alone.

* * *

The entire day was filled with daily activities and Kel had to spend three hours with a seamstress her mother had managed to find that morning. She hadn't managed even a minute alone with Joren all day, and she desperately needed to know what he was thinking about the whole situation.

Mostly, she just tried to focus on remaining calm and trying to forget about Clio's news.

Ilane brought Kel's dress to her rooms just half an hour before they were scheduled to leave for Grenwall. It was the simplest they could find among Oranie's dresses that would still suit Kel, and the seamstress had added 3 inches to the skirt by sewing an embroidered strip of fabric over the ends.

Kel's mother was dressed already in an unadorned deep blue gown, her hair pulled back in a simple but elegant knot. Everything about the noblewoman was elegant, in fact, from the delicate arch of her experienced brow, to the steadiness of her shoulders and firm set of her mouth.

Looking at her mother, Kel felt at ease. "Have you ever heard of a pregnancy charm that failed to serve its purpose?" she asked.

Ilane pursed her lips, studying her daughter with knowing eyes. "I knew something was the matter. When did you find out about this news?"

Kel sighed. "Last night. I told Joren, but we haven't had the time to really talk about it yet."

"Are you certain? You have been wearing the charm, haven't you?"

"Every day." She told her mother, holding back tears. "And yes, I'm rather certain."

"I've never heard of a charm not serving its purpose, darling." Ilane told her, stroking her daughter's smooth brown hair with a gentle hand. "I would relax if I were you, and just wait. It could just be that your cycle is slightly off. Time will tell, there's no use worrying about it now."

Kel sighed again, brushing her tears away. "You're right." She said, slipping out of her clothes so that she could get into the dress. There was no explaining Clio's to her mother at a time like this. There was no telling what her mother would think of her adventures with gods and goddesses in the previous year.

* * *

"I don't like your dress." Joren said softly into her ear as they came together on the dance floor. He hadn't spoken her to her alone since she told her her news the night before. They hadn't spoken during the car ride over, during the ceremony, or even at dinner, and all he had to say to her was the he didn't like her dress!

Joren felt her stiffen in his arms and tightened his hold on her. "It's not that you look lovely in the dress." He explained in a low, rumbling voice, "I just think you'd look ten times better without it."

Kel smiled despite herself. Something about being in the circle of Joren's arms, surrounded by his warmth and fresh smell made her forget that they had a problem that needed to be addressed. "That's all you ever think about, isn't it?" Kel accused, albeit endearingly.

"I think about other things too." Joren said, defensively. "I think about you in my bed, and about me in your bed, and about whether or not you're wearing anything under that awful dress..."

"You need help." Kel said, rolling her eyes.

Joren smirked and pulled her into him again, so close now that she could rest her chin on his shoulder. She was so happy when things were simple like this, and was reluctant to have to complicate things. She lifted her head up from his shoulder and looked up at him.

"Joren, I think we need to talk."

He sighed. "I hate it when you say that." Joren pursed his lips, and continued leading her in the dance. "Before you say anything else, I want to ask you a serious question."

Kel frowned. "Go ahead."

Joren took a deep breath. "I know we haven't talked about it before, but would you consider becoming my wife?"

My wife. The words echoed in her head for a minute before she could bring herself to respond. "You—you want to get married?" she asked, making sure she had heard him correctly.

"Sure." He said, with a shrug. "Don't look so shocked, Mindelan, it's not like we're not practically married now anyway."

"We're not anywhere near the level of marriage right now!" Kel disagreed. "I hardly ever see you because of our crazy assignments for the throne, and when we have an argument, we won't speak to one another for days. Married people can't do that. Married people are supposed to understand each other, and make sacrifices for the sake of the relationship. We don't do that, Joren."

"Are you saying that you don't think I can make sacrifices for you?" Joren asked.

"It's not that, Joren," Kel whispered. He made sacrifices in his own little way every day for her, as did she, and they both knew it. "It's just that we haven't completely sorted out our problems—the baby excluded—and who knows if we'll ever be able to?"

"Maybe not. But I know not every married couple agrees on everything, but they can still be happy together. You're going to have a baby without being married, and that will ruin your reputation completely—"

"Joren," Kel sighed. "I don't want you to marry me just because I'm pregnant."

"I probably would have married you anyway, eventually," Joren said, clenching his jaw with frustration. "Gods, Kel, you're not giving me enough credit."

"You're taking marriage too lightly. It isn't just sharing a bed, or wearing a set of rings. It's a whole different lifestyle."

"I'm not an idiot. I know what marriage is and I would know if I couldn't handle it." Joren's eyes were snapping with restrained anger.

"You're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say you were an idiot—"

"But you're acting like I am one. I wouldn't have asked you the damn question if I thought you were going to get all worked up about it!" he whispered harshly. "Just forget I said anything!"

"Fine!" Kel snapped. She continued dancing stiffly, jaw clenched with anger. Joren always took anything she said as a personal affront, and she hated it. He had such a hot temper and he never saw problems in places that she did. He didn't think it was a bad idea to get married, even though they could hardly have a conversation about it without wanting to murder one another.

The music stopped, and the musicians struck up a lively tune that both Kel and Joren didn't know the dancing steps to. She stepped away from him, but he took her hand and led her to the side of the room.

"All right, so maybe I do see your point about marriage, even if I disagree with you in the long run." Joren began. Kel raised an eyebrow. Joren never admitted that she had a point, even if it was as clear as day. "Don't look at me like that either," He growled at her, "I am capable of keeping an open mind, you know."

"You've never done it before. I'm just surprised." Kel said, flashing him a subdued half smile.

"I'm full of surprises, if you haven't noticed." Joren muttered dryly. He took a deep breath. "Anyway, if you don't want to get married, what do you propose we do?"

Kel blew out a sigh. "Wait for Clio to come and bless the baby, I suppose."

Joren studied her face for a minute without speaking, and then smirked. "I hope she comes back soon. This little guy is going to need a hell of a lot of blessings with us as parents."

* * *

Joren stared out the screened window of the carriage, listening to the sound of rain and the beating of horse hooves as they synchronized to form a calming rhythm. He and Kel sat alone in the smaller of the Mindelan carriages, returning to the fief after the wedding.

He hated to admit it, even to himself, but having Kel refuse his proposal of marriage upset him. He had never thought he would propose to any woman, let alone that she would actually refuse him. And weren't women the ones who were supposed to want commitment from the ever-reluctant man? Why were things always so different with her?

Her voice cut into his stream of reflections. "A copper for your thoughts."

Joren gave her a tight smile. "I was thinking about how difficult you are." He said.

Kel crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him in the dim light of the carriage. "I'm difficult?"

"Yes, you're difficult. You --" Joren racked his brains for a coherent thought. "You just have to be the exception to the rule, time and time again."

Kel raised a curious eyebrow, but Joren knew she was probably feeling very defensive. "What makes you say that?"

"Most women want to get married, especially if they are pregnant. It saves their reputations and offers them a certain amount of security. But you—you just have to be different. You almost welcome the conflict that will come from this."

"I don't care what other people think, Joren." Kel said, frowning.

"Well, sometimes you need to care about it." He said, gritting his teeth. "You can't just live your life by your own rules, and throw convention to the wind all the time. Sometimes, you have to live in the lines other people set for you."

"No, I don't. It's my life, and I'm going to do things the way I think is best. Who cares if people gossip about me?" she asked him. "After all, I'm only living up to their expectations."

Joren snorted.

"And I didn't refuse your proposal because I was trying to be different," she continued stiffly. "I refused you because you and I—we're not exactly prime canidates for a healthy relationship. There are things between us that won't just disappear once we're married. You know that."

"So what's the point of being together if we're never going to be able to work out our problems?"

Kel shrugged. "Maybe there is no point."

"That's encouraging," Joren said, his voice low and bitter. Kel rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her own window. Joren was so hard to understand—sometimes he was eager to please and willing to compromise for her, and other times he was cold and uncooperative.

And why was he suddenly so interested in getting married in any event? True, he was always one to follow social convention, due to his conservative upbringing, but she didn't see how that could carry over so strongly into something like marriage, even if there was a baby. He normally hated having to show any sort of commitment to her or confirm in words that he loved her.

He wouldn't want to marry me unless he really loved me, whether I am pregnant or not. Kel reasoned.

But sometimes it was hard to believe that they really loved one another. Between their shouting matches and cold silences, one would think there wasn't much room for love. But there always was. They had enough passion and chemistry between them to keep them in love for a very long time, and both knew as much. And they had developed some honest, quiet love and understanding over the past year as well, hadn't they?

The carriage came to an abrupt halt, jolting Kel from her thoughts. Joren opened the carriage door from the inside and moved to slide out, but Kel caught his hand before he could.

"Close the door, Joren," Kel said. He hesitantly obeyed, looking back at her with a puzzled frown. When the door shut, Kel drew him into a deep kiss. She pulled away, and brushed her fingers through the soft blond hair that fell around his face as he stared at her. "Do you really want to get married?" she asked, her voice low but serious.

The sound of the rain beating on the carriage was the only noise either could hear for a few seconds, though their eyes were focused intently on one another. "Yes." He responded finally.

Kel pursed her lips. "Then we'll get married," She said. After a moment, she smiled ever so slightly. "I hope you don't regret this, Stone Mountain."

Joren thought about it for a moment. "If we're engaged, your dad won't kill me if he finds me in your room, right?"

"Joren…"

"Right?" he asked again, dropping a kiss on the nape of her neck.

Kel sighed. "Right."

"Then believe me, I won't regret this." He said, teasing her with little kisses along her neck and behind her ear.

"You're hopeless." Kel said with a sigh, though her stomach was beginning to tie in knots of arousal. "Absolutely hopeless."

"No, Kel, not hopeless. I'm engaged." He said. "And I intend to enjoy the perks of such a position." He ran his hands down the bodice of the dress and pulled her into his lap.

Kel laughed as her head hit the top of the carriage. "Cut it out, the driver's going to wonder what is taking us so long in here."

Joren refused to release her, kissing her hungrily, his mouth hot and demanding on hers. "Gods, I'm in bad shape." He said in a raspy voice before releasing her. "I think I'm going to explode by the time this week is over."

"Stop being so melodramatic, Joren." Kel said dryly, rolling her eyes. "You've been to the black god's realm and have returned to tell the tale. I have a sneaking suspicion that a few more days without sex won't kill you."

He groaned as he opened the carriage door and stepped out into the rain. "You obviously don't know me too well."

"Shut up, smart ass." Kel replied as she jumped out with him.

"Who are you calling a smart ass, you stupid wench!"

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

"Slut."

"I hate you." Kel said under her breath as they stripped off their dripping cloaks in the entrance hall of the Mindelan Manor.

The corners of Joren's mouth twitched as he held back a smile. "I hate you too."

* * *

A/N- One more bit to go! Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!