Kel woke a day later, wondering Where am I? She thought, then remembered.
Steadfast. It's time to get up, Kel, you can't lay abed forever because of
a heart wound. She gasped when she saw Neal laying motionless on the floor.
"Raoul!" She cried. He rushed in and gasped.
"Kel! You're up..Wait. Why is he..Oh gods no!"
"What happened?" Kel asked as she knelt by her friend.
"He.called upon the Goddess for strength to heal you. He's alive, but badly drained."
Neal slept for a week before making a full recovery. When he was better, Raoul told Kel that they would return to New Hope. Wyldon had arrived that morning. Kel and Neal were overjoyed, Neal because he would be seeing his beloved Yuki, who had come to the fort to be with her fiancé.
The ride was quick, what with Kel to see Dom, Neal pining for Yukimi, and Raoul waiting to see Buri. Tobe followed quickly on Hoshi. He wanted to see his friends Loey and Meech and the others.
Nearing the fort, Kel couldn't help herself for all she was worth. She kicked Peachblossom into a gallop, leaving her three companions behind.
Scouts on New Hope's walls reported to Dom.
"Sir, four mounted soldiers. Three are knights, They carry the shields of Goldenlake, Queenscove, and Mindelan."
Kel is here! Dom thought excitedly. He knew she must have healed because otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hold up her shield.
"Thankyou, Wolset." Dom replied and ran down the stairs.
The gates opened and Peachblossom charged through. Kel saw Dom race through the crowds and down the barrack steps.
She jumped off Peachblossom and ran towards him.
Dom swept her off her feet into a fierce kiss. How he had hoped she would be alright. Even though it had only been a month, it had seemed like years to Kel and Dom.
Someone coughed. They broke apart to see Neal, Yuki, Raoul, and Tobe watching them. Raoul was grinning with parental pride, Yuki was smiling happily. Neal's jaw was threatening to touch the ground as Tobe looked on puzzled but happy.
Dom slipped an arm around her waist as the six walked into New Hope's mess hall.
"You have some explaining to do." Neal stated matter-of-factly.
"You do too." Kel retorted, grinning, as she pointed out the lump on Yuki's stomach.
"At least we're married!" Neal cried out.
"Yes, well. I'm not pregnant." Kel retorted.
"You had better not be." Neal said.
"Neal, hush." Yuki said, slapping him lightly with her fan. "Leave Kel alone." Neal just grumbled and went to get food. There were cheers and whistles from the convicts and refugees when they saw Dom's protective arm around their commander. Idrius Valestone scowled but one look from Dom told him if he said one word he would be a worm food smooshed into the ground.
"Dom, why did you bring me here?" They sat atop a large hill, watching the fading sun.
"I need to ask you, something Kel." He replied. She raised an eyebrow. He bent down on one knee.
"Keladry of Mindelan, will you marry me?" And for the first time in Kel's life, she cried in happiness.
"Yes, Dom. I would love to be your wife."
Dear Lalasa,
You will be surprised with what I have to say. I am marrying Sergeant Domitan of Massbolle, and I need a wedding gown. Could you please have one sent to me? Make sure the neckline isn't too low.
~Kel
Kel sent the letter out with a messenger going to Corus. Kel was surprised when the gates opened the next day to see a lone, battered rider. Kel went down to meet the person, and saw a dusty Lalasa run towards her.
"Oh, milady. I couldn't help it. I'm not going to miss your wedding. So where's the lucky man?" She asked excitedly.
"Right here." Dom said coming up behind Kel, putting an arm around her waist. Lalasa looked him up and down skeptically.
"You watch out for her sergeant." She said sternly.
"I will. Promise." Dom replied. Kel almost laughed out loud. When she was 11, Lalasa would have only curtsied, mumbled, and stared at the ground in front of Dom, and now she was scolding him to watch out for her.
"Here is the dress, Kel." Lalasa handed over a package.
"Thankyou, Lalasa. When did you learn to ride a horse?"
"I didn't." Kel's former maid replied." I just asked the king to borrow a horse, mounted, and let him follow Nari here. I did my best to stay on. She grinned.
"Let Loesia here show you to a room, Lalasa. I will see you at supper."
Kel and Dom sat on the bed in Kel's rooms. Tobe practiced his letters in a chair nearby."
"Lady?" Tobe asked.
"Hmm?" Kel asked him.
"I want you to be my mother. And," he glanced at Dom. "Dom my father."
Kel smiled happily at him, and looked at Dom. He grinned broadly and nodded.
"Alright. I'll be back in a moment." She went into Raoul's study and fetched some papers. In her rooms, she wrote out the adoption paperwork.
"Write your name, there Tobe." She said. His practicing had helped him improve a lot. He signed and set them down. Suddenly he ran towards his new parents, hugging them tightly.
"I've never had a family before." He murmured.
"You do now, Tobe. You do now." Kel said, stroking hair.
"Hold still, milady." Lalasa said as she put up Kel's curled hair. She wore a white gown that swept around her feet, and ended in long bell sleeves at her finger tips.
"Now place your joined hands in the fire, and let the Goddess accept your union. They did, and two garlands of ivy leaves appeared to encircle their heads.
I am the luckiest man on this Earth, Dom thought joyously, watching his beautiful bride.
I'm getting married to the best and handsomest sergeant there is, and I have a son, Kel thought. If I had known the first time I met Dom, and he handed me a turnover, that I would marry him and adopt a son, I would have gone insane and drowned myself in a rain barrel. I love him, though.
"You may kiss the bride," The priest said.
Dom pulled her close and kissed her for long moments while clapping and cheers erupted from the crowd. Tobe went to stand by his kissing parents, when suddenly the doors opened and in strolled Lord Wyldon. Apparently he had not been informed of the wedding because he gasped and froze when he saw Kel and Dom by the alter. Could that truly be the girl page he had almost sent home? The girl that was one of the best, that ran an entire fort as an excellent commander but only a green knight?
People were now roaming about getting drinks and desserts. Raoul beckoned Kel, Dom, and Tobe over to him and Wyldon.
The married couple could tell Raoul was trying to suppress the laughter he had at the look on Wyldon's face when he said, "Wyldon, please meet Keladry's new husband and son." Lord Wyldon's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline and his jaw dropped. He quickly compose himself.
"Gods above, Mindelan. Congradulations."
"Thank you, milord." Kel replied.
"Raoul!" She cried. He rushed in and gasped.
"Kel! You're up..Wait. Why is he..Oh gods no!"
"What happened?" Kel asked as she knelt by her friend.
"He.called upon the Goddess for strength to heal you. He's alive, but badly drained."
Neal slept for a week before making a full recovery. When he was better, Raoul told Kel that they would return to New Hope. Wyldon had arrived that morning. Kel and Neal were overjoyed, Neal because he would be seeing his beloved Yuki, who had come to the fort to be with her fiancé.
The ride was quick, what with Kel to see Dom, Neal pining for Yukimi, and Raoul waiting to see Buri. Tobe followed quickly on Hoshi. He wanted to see his friends Loey and Meech and the others.
Nearing the fort, Kel couldn't help herself for all she was worth. She kicked Peachblossom into a gallop, leaving her three companions behind.
Scouts on New Hope's walls reported to Dom.
"Sir, four mounted soldiers. Three are knights, They carry the shields of Goldenlake, Queenscove, and Mindelan."
Kel is here! Dom thought excitedly. He knew she must have healed because otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hold up her shield.
"Thankyou, Wolset." Dom replied and ran down the stairs.
The gates opened and Peachblossom charged through. Kel saw Dom race through the crowds and down the barrack steps.
She jumped off Peachblossom and ran towards him.
Dom swept her off her feet into a fierce kiss. How he had hoped she would be alright. Even though it had only been a month, it had seemed like years to Kel and Dom.
Someone coughed. They broke apart to see Neal, Yuki, Raoul, and Tobe watching them. Raoul was grinning with parental pride, Yuki was smiling happily. Neal's jaw was threatening to touch the ground as Tobe looked on puzzled but happy.
Dom slipped an arm around her waist as the six walked into New Hope's mess hall.
"You have some explaining to do." Neal stated matter-of-factly.
"You do too." Kel retorted, grinning, as she pointed out the lump on Yuki's stomach.
"At least we're married!" Neal cried out.
"Yes, well. I'm not pregnant." Kel retorted.
"You had better not be." Neal said.
"Neal, hush." Yuki said, slapping him lightly with her fan. "Leave Kel alone." Neal just grumbled and went to get food. There were cheers and whistles from the convicts and refugees when they saw Dom's protective arm around their commander. Idrius Valestone scowled but one look from Dom told him if he said one word he would be a worm food smooshed into the ground.
"Dom, why did you bring me here?" They sat atop a large hill, watching the fading sun.
"I need to ask you, something Kel." He replied. She raised an eyebrow. He bent down on one knee.
"Keladry of Mindelan, will you marry me?" And for the first time in Kel's life, she cried in happiness.
"Yes, Dom. I would love to be your wife."
Dear Lalasa,
You will be surprised with what I have to say. I am marrying Sergeant Domitan of Massbolle, and I need a wedding gown. Could you please have one sent to me? Make sure the neckline isn't too low.
~Kel
Kel sent the letter out with a messenger going to Corus. Kel was surprised when the gates opened the next day to see a lone, battered rider. Kel went down to meet the person, and saw a dusty Lalasa run towards her.
"Oh, milady. I couldn't help it. I'm not going to miss your wedding. So where's the lucky man?" She asked excitedly.
"Right here." Dom said coming up behind Kel, putting an arm around her waist. Lalasa looked him up and down skeptically.
"You watch out for her sergeant." She said sternly.
"I will. Promise." Dom replied. Kel almost laughed out loud. When she was 11, Lalasa would have only curtsied, mumbled, and stared at the ground in front of Dom, and now she was scolding him to watch out for her.
"Here is the dress, Kel." Lalasa handed over a package.
"Thankyou, Lalasa. When did you learn to ride a horse?"
"I didn't." Kel's former maid replied." I just asked the king to borrow a horse, mounted, and let him follow Nari here. I did my best to stay on. She grinned.
"Let Loesia here show you to a room, Lalasa. I will see you at supper."
Kel and Dom sat on the bed in Kel's rooms. Tobe practiced his letters in a chair nearby."
"Lady?" Tobe asked.
"Hmm?" Kel asked him.
"I want you to be my mother. And," he glanced at Dom. "Dom my father."
Kel smiled happily at him, and looked at Dom. He grinned broadly and nodded.
"Alright. I'll be back in a moment." She went into Raoul's study and fetched some papers. In her rooms, she wrote out the adoption paperwork.
"Write your name, there Tobe." She said. His practicing had helped him improve a lot. He signed and set them down. Suddenly he ran towards his new parents, hugging them tightly.
"I've never had a family before." He murmured.
"You do now, Tobe. You do now." Kel said, stroking hair.
"Hold still, milady." Lalasa said as she put up Kel's curled hair. She wore a white gown that swept around her feet, and ended in long bell sleeves at her finger tips.
"Now place your joined hands in the fire, and let the Goddess accept your union. They did, and two garlands of ivy leaves appeared to encircle their heads.
I am the luckiest man on this Earth, Dom thought joyously, watching his beautiful bride.
I'm getting married to the best and handsomest sergeant there is, and I have a son, Kel thought. If I had known the first time I met Dom, and he handed me a turnover, that I would marry him and adopt a son, I would have gone insane and drowned myself in a rain barrel. I love him, though.
"You may kiss the bride," The priest said.
Dom pulled her close and kissed her for long moments while clapping and cheers erupted from the crowd. Tobe went to stand by his kissing parents, when suddenly the doors opened and in strolled Lord Wyldon. Apparently he had not been informed of the wedding because he gasped and froze when he saw Kel and Dom by the alter. Could that truly be the girl page he had almost sent home? The girl that was one of the best, that ran an entire fort as an excellent commander but only a green knight?
People were now roaming about getting drinks and desserts. Raoul beckoned Kel, Dom, and Tobe over to him and Wyldon.
The married couple could tell Raoul was trying to suppress the laughter he had at the look on Wyldon's face when he said, "Wyldon, please meet Keladry's new husband and son." Lord Wyldon's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline and his jaw dropped. He quickly compose himself.
"Gods above, Mindelan. Congradulations."
"Thank you, milord." Kel replied.