Disclaimer: No, I don't own the characters or setting, though I wish I did.

Chapter 4: Neal's Punishment

~~~~~~KEL'S POV~~~~~~

Neal had seen them kissing, and flirting. That is good, Kel thought. Kel remembered the kiss. It wasn't supposed to have meant anything, it was supposed to be part of Neal's punishment, but somehow Kel couldn't convince herself to forget it. She had liked it, though it hadn't meant a thing to Dom. Just part of Neal's punishment, she reminded herself. Kel hated herself for being so fluttery. So giddy. After all Dom just wanted to punish Neal. Just part of Neal's punishment, she repeated.

Everything had fallen into place after Neal had left. The conversations he'd been holding with Dom and Kel, and his odd behavior since the first day at Steadfast. Kel chuckled a little at the thought. Neal thinks we're lovers, she said to herself, and that Dom is being deceitful, that he is playing with me and other women. That is when the plan rolled into action.

Kel looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't look too bad. Neal would get suspicious if she wore a dress again, so she was wearing a dressy tunic and some breeches. They were similar too what she would wear to meals, only a bit dressier than usual. Dom was going to pick her up for breakfast. He would be coming at anytime.

There was a knock on the door. Kel opened it, and stepped outside. Dom grabbed her hand and walked with her to the mess hall. People looked at them as they came in, and whispers sprouted up around the hall. Kel blushed and dropped Dom's hand before sliding in across from Neal and Yuki. Dom joined her. He leaned in to whisper in Kel's ear. "The Meathead looks surprised." Kel blushed feeling Dom so close, and giggled a little at Dom's blunt statement.

"Oh! How cute!" Yuki squealed quietly, they straightened up and turned to their meals. Kel blushed a bit more. Just part of Neal's punishment, she reminded herself once again.

"Yes. Cute." Neal drawled. "So what does everyone have planned for the day? Dom, I was hoping to borrow Kel. I need the practice."

"Imagine that! The meathead asking for help!" Dom said, astounded. "But Kel and I have other plans."

"Dom." Kel warned. "How often does Neal ask for help? I'll go with Neal and meet up with you tonight."

"Tonight? That sounds promising." Dom grinned. Kel elbowed him in the ribs. She turned back to Neal and Yuki. Yuki was trying not to smile, and Neal was glaring at Dom.

"So what did you think of the wedding?" Yuki asked after seeing Neal. "What about ours, Neal?"

Neal jumped and stopped staring at Dom, turning all his attention to Yuki. The rest of the meal was spent talking about wedding plans for the two.

Kel stood when she was finished. Giving Dom a quick kiss she told him, "I have to go change into some practice clothes."

~~~~~~NEAL'S POV~~~~~~

Not long after Kel left the hall, another woman took her place next to Dom. Dom smiled at the woman. This had to be one of the other women. "Good morning Dom." She said, hugging him around the waist.

"Morning." Dom replied. He kissed her on the forehead, then the cheek, then the lips.

What in the world is he doing? Neal wondered. Everyone here just saw him with Kel, and now he's with another woman! He's a fool! He'll get caught. . .That's good.

"They look so cute together." Yuki commented.

"Yuki!" Neal whispered harshly. "What about Kel?"

"Kel?" Yuki asked surprised.

"He was just kissing Kel, and now he's with her!" Neal said. "What about Kel?"

"I'm sure he doesn't mean anything by it." Yuki said.

"Well, I'd best be going." Dom announced.

"Dom?" The woman asked. "Will I see you later?"

"I've got plans tonight. With the Own." Dom lied. "But I'll see you in the morning."

"All right. Bye, Love." She said, kissing him one last time before he left.

"I've got to go." Neal told Yuki. She smiled and let him leave.

What's wrong with Yuki? I thought she was Kel's friend. How can she see those two together and not care? She doesn't want Kel hurt, does she?

Neal reached the practice courts. Kel wasn't there yet, so he found a sparring partner. Partway through the fight, Neal saw something that made him drop his sword and lose the match: Dom coming prancing onto the courts with his arm wrapped around yet another woman, a tall blonde. Neal watched his cousin, and the woman from breakfast came up to speak to him while he was with the blonde.

Kel came onto the court. "Kel look at Dom, please."



Kel did so. "Yes, he looks nice today."

"Kel, don't you see him with those women?"

"Of coarse. They're just friends. He told me so."

How can he have Kel so wrapped up that she doesn't even notice when he's with other women? She can't trust him that much! Or can she?

Neal practice with Kel for a while, thinking all of this over. When the lunch bell rang, they went to wash and entered the mess. Kel sat with Neal and Yuki. Dom sat with yet another woman. Not the blonde, or the one from breakfast. No one seemed to care. No one seemed to notice.

~~~~~~DOM'S POV~~~~~~

Dom looked across the mess. His cousin seemed to be going mad. "Poor Nealan." Roselyn remarked. She was a rider, come to Steadfast for the wedding.

"He does look confused doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does."

Neal was watching them, so they made it a point to absorb themselves in each other. Dom was finished eating, Roselyn wasn't. He kissed her goodbye, she was sweet and nice. For some reason he missed Kel when he kissed her. Kel was better. She had something Roselyn lacked.

Dom saw Neal leave the mess hall right after he did. Neal was following him. Dom walked to Anne's room, she opened the door and hugged Dom. He hugged her back, wishing for all the world it were Kel he was holding. When they started walking down the hall, Neal fell in step.

"Hello you two."

"What do you want Meathead?" Dom asked.

"To speak to this lovely lady." Neal said with a scowl. "Lady, have you notice my dear cousin Domitan with other women. The Lady knight, a tall blonde, or anyone else.?"

"Of coarse. They're just his friends, he told me." Anne said sweetly.

"Yes, Nealan." Dom warned. "Anne is the only lady for me."

"Dom loves me, and I him." Anne said pertly.

Dom knew Neal was watching him. Wherever Dom went that day, Neal was nearby. Dom knew Neal saw him with plenty of women, and was questioning his friends. The plan they had seemed to be going perfectly.

At dinner, Dom sat with Kel again. He notice Neal frown more deeply than ever when Kel hugged him, but Dom didn't care, Kel was there, he couldn't think straight. Throughout the meal, other women came along, often they would whisper something to Dom, or flirt with him a bit.

"Kel!" Neal said. "How can you just watch them?"

"They're just his friends Neal. Dom can speak with other women. You're friends with other women. I'm your friend, should Yuki get paranoid?"

"I don't go around flirting with and kissing other women!" Neal said with exasperation.

"It's just between friends Neal."

"Calm down." Someone behind Dom said. It was Wolset. "The girl is right you know."

Neal was angrier than Dom had ever seen him. He finally burst and yelled loud enough for the entire mess to hear. "Calm down? How can I calm down when I see my cousin hurting my best friend? When everyone knows, but the women involved, and no one says anything?"

"What are you talking about?" Yuki asked. "Kel's got the right of it, they're just his friends."

"Just his friends?" Neal yelled. "When he treats them like THAT!" Neal said, pointing at Dom. Dom grinned he had been flirting with a woman who was passing by.

"Yes, Dear." Yuki said. Everyone was staring. Neal blushed and was quiet for a moment.

"Have you all gone mad?" He finally said. The hall was quiet, everyone heard him. "You see him with woman after woman, all head over heels about him, and you say it is just friendly."

"You're the one who's making too much out of this." Dom said. "What do you think of me?"

"Honestly, Sir Nealan." Wolset agreed. Everyone in the hall nodded.

Neal turned bright red. "I'm ashamed of you, Nealan of Queenscove." Yukimi said, standing and walking out of the room.

"What did I do?" He asked following her.

"Trying to break Kel and Dom up. Accusing him of. . .of. . .cheating on her." She turned her back and stormed off. Neal tried to follow. "Get away from me, I never knew you were so cruel, or I'd have not agreed to marry you. Don't speak to me again. I never want to see you again. . .ever."

He watched her go, looking red with shame and humiliation. Everyone in the hall behind him was grinning. Finally someone started chuckling. The whole hall burst into laughter. Neal turned around looking ready to kill someone.

Yuki had reentered the hall, and just as Neal was about to throw himself at Dom, she grabbed him. I hope he feels punished, Dom thought. "I think you've been punished enough." Yuki told him.

"Punished?"

"I found it hard to believe you would think so lowly of your cousin." Yuki said.

"But I saw him leaving Kel's room!" Neal stuttered.

"I told you I was delivering a message. Ask Raoul if you don't believe me." Dom answered. Raoul was nodding.

"I heard him tell you if you were caught. . ."

"We were speaking of love and marriage Neal." Dom explained. "Raoul started it."

"How much of this was a joke?" Neal asked, now pale.

"Everything. The flirting, kissing, your fight with Yuki." Dom said, ticking things off on his fingers. "Just about everyone in the Fort was in on it."

Neal looked offended. "You will pay for this." He stormed out of the room, face burning once again.

Everyone stayed for a while longer. When the crowd started to break up, Dom walked Kel back to her room. The last time he'd been there, Neal had been spying. There was no one now. "That was fun." Kel remarked.

Dom nodded. No one would see, he thought. But what would she think of me? I don't want her to hate me, better a friend than an enemy. . . But she looks so charming. I may never get another chance. . .

Kel looked worried. "Dom, what's. . ."

He kissed her. She didn't move, she was shocked.

"Dom, we're done acting. You don't have to do that."

"Kel, I wasn't acting." He kissed her quickly, not giving her time to react and walked down the hall, not daring to look back.

A/N: Review. I know it's bad. Don't kill me!