~~~
Chapter Eleven: Of Apprehensions and Conclusions
~~~
Kel swung herself into Hoshi's saddle, taking a last look around as she did so.
"Will you get going?" Fanche asked, her rough voice filled with amusement. "If you don't leave, you'll talk yourself into staying."
Kel grinned. "No, I'm just sure I've forgotten something."
"Sir Nealan?" Tobe suggested, riding up behind her. Loesia led Neal's horse on his right. Kel and Fanche both laughed.
"I wish we could," Kel quipped. "He'll be an insufferable companion on the ride to Steadfast. Completely desperate to see his betrothed, Lady Yukimi."
"Your sergeant is at Steadfast too, isn't he?" Fanche remarked slyly.
"He's not my sergeant," Kel argued, suddenly aware of Tobe and Loesia, who were listening with interest.
"Really?" drawled Fanche.
"Yes," Kel said firmly, but her blush betrayed her.
Fanche took a step towards Hoshi, so that only Kel could hear her. "You take my advice, girl. Take him, before it's too late. You won't find many like him." The woman paused. "And you need him."
The lady knight had no answer to that. Fortunately, she didn't have to come up with one, as Neal arrived in that instant. "I'm sorry I'm late." He threw himself onto the saddle. "Shall we go?" He ignored the dirty looks that Tobe and Kel shot him as they nudged their horses, beginning their ride.
"Slow down, Sir Nealan," Kel teased, as they rode through the gate. "A little eager, are you?"
Neal shot her a look as he slowed his pace marginally. "Well, you're in a better mood than I've seen you in for months." He raised his eyebrows. "Excited about seeing a certain cousin of mine?"
"You're one to talk," Kel retorted. "You've been mooning over Yuki for the last week straight." Her friend flushed and subsided.
She was finally becoming resigned to the constant teasing about Dom. It would be easier, however, if she had any idea how he was going to receive her when she arrived at Steadfast. She hadn't had a chance to speak with him before he and his squad had left for the fort, at Lord Raoul's command. However, he had never been far from her thoughts, especially not that confusing- and wonderful- kiss.
"Lady?" Tobe's voice roused her from her musing.
Kel looked at him, hoping that he didn't suspected where her musings had wandered to. "Yes?"
"Sir Nealan's getting ahead,." He pointed to where Neal was galloping wildly towards the fort.
"Well," Kel laughed. She thought it might have been first time she'd laughed since Dom had left. "We can't have that, can we?"
She nudged Hoshi into a gallop.
~~~
"Sir! Small party coming in from the east, two- no, three riders!"
Dom, who had been pacing the ramparts as had been his habit for the past week, whipped around and snatched the spyglass from his surprised subordinate. Peering eagerly through it, he finally saw the very party that he had been waiting for. As he caught sight of Kel, her short hair flying in wind, his hear began to pound uncontrollably.
"Right," Dom said, attempting to keep his voice steady. "That'd be my cousin's party."
He thought he heard one of his men mutter teasingly, "Oh, and I'm sure the cousin is the attraction," and quiet laughter. Dom, however, chose to ignore this side comment. It wasn't as if he hadn't heard enough of them from his men, his friends and even his family. But none of this was important any longer. For he knew that today, he would have his answer about Kel, the reason he had been waiting up on the ramparts for all these days.
Shouting orders to his troops, Dom walked down the steps to the courtyard. However, instead of stopping in the courtyard to welcome the travelers, he strolled passed the gates and towards the buildings were the nobles were housed. He knew that there was probably only one other person in the whole of Steadfast that was anticipating the arrival of this party as much as he was, and he wanted to inform her of their eminent approach.
Dom knocked on the door of one building with the familiarity of a budding friendship and was bid to enter. He opened the door and smiled reassuringly at the Yamani Lady inside. "Yuki? They're nearly here."
Though possessed of extraordinary Yamini calm, Yuki let out a gasp of joy, before hastily rising and tying her kimono more securely around her waist. "Neal is here?" she asked, her dark eyes spilling over with excitement.
"Nearly," Dom smiled at her. He offered her his arm. "Come on. Let's go."
Dom had made an purposeful effort to get to know his cousin's betrothed, for he was far closer to Neal than their banter suggested. Yuki seemed to understand the gesture, and had gracefully reciprocated his interest. However, now neither of them spoke, though Yuki gripped Dom's arm tightly. As the two returned to the courtyard, they found the men opening the gates already. Dom's heart was beating so fiercely that he was sure his cousin's betrothed could hear it.
In a blur of motion, the three riders thundered into the courtyard, and before Dom could blink, Neal had slid off his horse, instantly looking around for his betrothed.
Dom heard Yuki let out a cry of, "Neal!" before she abandoned all of her Yamani calm and ran to him. His cousin caught her up in his arms and embraced her fiercely. Watching them, Dom couldn't help smiling, but he couldn't forget the other matter on his mind, namely, the stunning lady knight who was currently dismounting from her stubborn mount.
Dom turned to her, to find her looking straight at him with a slight smile. "Dom," she greeted him softly, appearing uncertain about how he would receive her.
Without any conscious thought, Dom went to her and took her hands in his. "Kel." He knew that he was probably smiling like a fool, but he honestly couldn't help it. "It's so good to see you again."
Kel glanced down at their joined hands, then back up into his eyes. "It's good to see you too," she managed.
Suddenly conscious that there were other people in the world besides the two of them, Dom released her hand. "Come on," he said softly. He wanted to talk to her, kiss her, hold her hand again- anything, but certainly not here. "I'll show you were you're supposed to stay."
Silence fell between them as he led her inside. Dom had no idea to introduce the subject foremost on his mind; namely, how she felt about him. And he had no desire to fill the silence with petty conversation when he really just wanted to take her in his arms.
"So," Kel broke the quiet as they walked through the hallways. "How have you been?"
"What?" Dom asked, distractedly. He had no clear idea of where he was going or what he was doing. Sensing Kel's presence beside him was too intoxicating and agonizing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've been fine." Then, out of nowhere, inspiration struck him, the perfect lead into the conversation that he had been waiting weeks to have.
"Actually," he added, pausing beside the staircase. "I really missed you."
Kel's blush was all the reward that he need, a crimson flush that spread across her cheeks. She looked down as if to steady herself, then met his gaze. "I missed you too. A lot." she added.
Dom could no longer restrain himself; fireworks seemed to explode in the corners of his vision. Sliding a hand under her hair to cradle her neck, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Everything around him, any and all concerns seemed to dissolve instantly as he felt her, not pull away in shock, but tentatively, then warmly, kiss him back.
Dom's last idea before he abandoned coherent thought was that he and Kel had finally broken the last barrier between them. Finally, after their long dance of flirtation and friendship, they were truly together.
~~~
Chapter Eleven: Of Apprehensions and Conclusions
~~~
Kel swung herself into Hoshi's saddle, taking a last look around as she did so.
"Will you get going?" Fanche asked, her rough voice filled with amusement. "If you don't leave, you'll talk yourself into staying."
Kel grinned. "No, I'm just sure I've forgotten something."
"Sir Nealan?" Tobe suggested, riding up behind her. Loesia led Neal's horse on his right. Kel and Fanche both laughed.
"I wish we could," Kel quipped. "He'll be an insufferable companion on the ride to Steadfast. Completely desperate to see his betrothed, Lady Yukimi."
"Your sergeant is at Steadfast too, isn't he?" Fanche remarked slyly.
"He's not my sergeant," Kel argued, suddenly aware of Tobe and Loesia, who were listening with interest.
"Really?" drawled Fanche.
"Yes," Kel said firmly, but her blush betrayed her.
Fanche took a step towards Hoshi, so that only Kel could hear her. "You take my advice, girl. Take him, before it's too late. You won't find many like him." The woman paused. "And you need him."
The lady knight had no answer to that. Fortunately, she didn't have to come up with one, as Neal arrived in that instant. "I'm sorry I'm late." He threw himself onto the saddle. "Shall we go?" He ignored the dirty looks that Tobe and Kel shot him as they nudged their horses, beginning their ride.
"Slow down, Sir Nealan," Kel teased, as they rode through the gate. "A little eager, are you?"
Neal shot her a look as he slowed his pace marginally. "Well, you're in a better mood than I've seen you in for months." He raised his eyebrows. "Excited about seeing a certain cousin of mine?"
"You're one to talk," Kel retorted. "You've been mooning over Yuki for the last week straight." Her friend flushed and subsided.
She was finally becoming resigned to the constant teasing about Dom. It would be easier, however, if she had any idea how he was going to receive her when she arrived at Steadfast. She hadn't had a chance to speak with him before he and his squad had left for the fort, at Lord Raoul's command. However, he had never been far from her thoughts, especially not that confusing- and wonderful- kiss.
"Lady?" Tobe's voice roused her from her musing.
Kel looked at him, hoping that he didn't suspected where her musings had wandered to. "Yes?"
"Sir Nealan's getting ahead,." He pointed to where Neal was galloping wildly towards the fort.
"Well," Kel laughed. She thought it might have been first time she'd laughed since Dom had left. "We can't have that, can we?"
She nudged Hoshi into a gallop.
~~~
"Sir! Small party coming in from the east, two- no, three riders!"
Dom, who had been pacing the ramparts as had been his habit for the past week, whipped around and snatched the spyglass from his surprised subordinate. Peering eagerly through it, he finally saw the very party that he had been waiting for. As he caught sight of Kel, her short hair flying in wind, his hear began to pound uncontrollably.
"Right," Dom said, attempting to keep his voice steady. "That'd be my cousin's party."
He thought he heard one of his men mutter teasingly, "Oh, and I'm sure the cousin is the attraction," and quiet laughter. Dom, however, chose to ignore this side comment. It wasn't as if he hadn't heard enough of them from his men, his friends and even his family. But none of this was important any longer. For he knew that today, he would have his answer about Kel, the reason he had been waiting up on the ramparts for all these days.
Shouting orders to his troops, Dom walked down the steps to the courtyard. However, instead of stopping in the courtyard to welcome the travelers, he strolled passed the gates and towards the buildings were the nobles were housed. He knew that there was probably only one other person in the whole of Steadfast that was anticipating the arrival of this party as much as he was, and he wanted to inform her of their eminent approach.
Dom knocked on the door of one building with the familiarity of a budding friendship and was bid to enter. He opened the door and smiled reassuringly at the Yamani Lady inside. "Yuki? They're nearly here."
Though possessed of extraordinary Yamini calm, Yuki let out a gasp of joy, before hastily rising and tying her kimono more securely around her waist. "Neal is here?" she asked, her dark eyes spilling over with excitement.
"Nearly," Dom smiled at her. He offered her his arm. "Come on. Let's go."
Dom had made an purposeful effort to get to know his cousin's betrothed, for he was far closer to Neal than their banter suggested. Yuki seemed to understand the gesture, and had gracefully reciprocated his interest. However, now neither of them spoke, though Yuki gripped Dom's arm tightly. As the two returned to the courtyard, they found the men opening the gates already. Dom's heart was beating so fiercely that he was sure his cousin's betrothed could hear it.
In a blur of motion, the three riders thundered into the courtyard, and before Dom could blink, Neal had slid off his horse, instantly looking around for his betrothed.
Dom heard Yuki let out a cry of, "Neal!" before she abandoned all of her Yamani calm and ran to him. His cousin caught her up in his arms and embraced her fiercely. Watching them, Dom couldn't help smiling, but he couldn't forget the other matter on his mind, namely, the stunning lady knight who was currently dismounting from her stubborn mount.
Dom turned to her, to find her looking straight at him with a slight smile. "Dom," she greeted him softly, appearing uncertain about how he would receive her.
Without any conscious thought, Dom went to her and took her hands in his. "Kel." He knew that he was probably smiling like a fool, but he honestly couldn't help it. "It's so good to see you again."
Kel glanced down at their joined hands, then back up into his eyes. "It's good to see you too," she managed.
Suddenly conscious that there were other people in the world besides the two of them, Dom released her hand. "Come on," he said softly. He wanted to talk to her, kiss her, hold her hand again- anything, but certainly not here. "I'll show you were you're supposed to stay."
Silence fell between them as he led her inside. Dom had no idea to introduce the subject foremost on his mind; namely, how she felt about him. And he had no desire to fill the silence with petty conversation when he really just wanted to take her in his arms.
"So," Kel broke the quiet as they walked through the hallways. "How have you been?"
"What?" Dom asked, distractedly. He had no clear idea of where he was going or what he was doing. Sensing Kel's presence beside him was too intoxicating and agonizing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've been fine." Then, out of nowhere, inspiration struck him, the perfect lead into the conversation that he had been waiting weeks to have.
"Actually," he added, pausing beside the staircase. "I really missed you."
Kel's blush was all the reward that he need, a crimson flush that spread across her cheeks. She looked down as if to steady herself, then met his gaze. "I missed you too. A lot." she added.
Dom could no longer restrain himself; fireworks seemed to explode in the corners of his vision. Sliding a hand under her hair to cradle her neck, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Everything around him, any and all concerns seemed to dissolve instantly as he felt her, not pull away in shock, but tentatively, then warmly, kiss him back.
Dom's last idea before he abandoned coherent thought was that he and Kel had finally broken the last barrier between them. Finally, after their long dance of flirtation and friendship, they were truly together.
~~~