Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Tamora Pierce
Chapter 5: The name
~~~~~~KEL'S POV~~~~~~
Kel lay staring at the ceiling, she had hardly got any sleep that night. That has to be it, she thought. I didn't think Neal was that prompt, or that Dom was a traitor.
"Lady, are you okay?" Tobe asked. He sounded worried.
Kel turned her head to look at him. She sighed and rolled out of bed. "I'm fine Tobe. Just thinking is all."
"Oh, about the sergeant?" Tobe asked.
"No!" Kel protested.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Kel knew he didn't believe her. "I'm not thinking about him. Now get out so I can get dressed." She told him.
"Yes you are." Tobe told her, before leaving; effectively dodging the pillow she had thrown.
Kel got up and dressed, putting on breeches and a shirt. She ran a comb through her hair, splashed her face with water and headed to the mess hall. After getting her food she sat across from Neal, who pointedly ignored her. Dom came and sat next to her.
"Good morning." Dom said with a grin.
Kel glared at him and turned back to her meal. He betrays me then tried to be nice? Kel thought, I can't believe him. And how did Neal know how to punish her so well? Surely I'm not that obviously in love with Dom. In love with? Kel couldn't figure out why she hadn't thought of that before. But Dom would never feel the same way about me. He made her so mad! But he doesn't know he's playing with my heart. I'm sure he worked out a deal with his cousin. He helps Neal get even with me and Neal will leave him be.
Yuki came waltzing in soon enough and sat across from Dom. "You're going to be my maid of honor." She informed Kel before taking a bite of her porridge.
"Have I any say in this?" Kel asked.
"No. Report for fitting sometime before lunch. My room."
"Fine." Kel grumbled. Neal grinned. At least Kel knew he wasn't going to ignore her forever. She almost wished he would though.
Kel went to the practice courts, and worked with Wolset on pole arms and fencing. They were about to move on to unarmed combat when Kel remembered her fitting. "Wolset, I've got to go."
"For?" Wolset asked curiously.
"I'm going to be mercilessly poked with needles." Kel told him. He didn't seem to understand. "Dress fitting, for Neal's wedding."
"I'm glad I'm not a girl." Wolset said to no one in particular. A few soldiers who heard him chuckled.
Kel ran immediately to Yuki's room. She opened the door, to find Lalasa, Yukimi, and one of Neal's female cousin's there. "We're almost ready for you." Lalasa said, without looking at Kel.
Yuki did though. "Kel! You're covered in sweat! Go take a bath, this instant!"
Kel grumbled, before going off. She went to the ladies' bath, not wanting to send for water of her own. She scrubbed herself down, but before she was done, the bell for lunch rang. She saw Dom as she left the bathhouse.
"Kel!" He said, jogging to catch up with her. She didn't acknowledge him, but he spoke anyhow. "Kel, I'm really sorry."
Kel knew he was apologizing about betraying her, and though she wanted to forgive him, part of her said not to. "I trusted you, Dom. I thought you were my friend. Then you betray me like this." Dom was silent.
After a moment, Dom stopped talking, before turning around and returning to his room. Kel felt bad, what he did was wrong. Kel joined Yuki for lunch, before returning for the fitting. When they arrived, Kel found it was more a measuring than a fitting. The dresses were only partially done, but Lalasa needed Kel's measurements. Kel let it slide as a miscommunication; Yuki was, after all, not a Tortallan native, the language wasn't her native one. Lalasa showed them the design for the dress. "I can't wear that!" Kel exclaimed.
It wasn't that the dress was bad. It was actually nice, and with Lalasa making it, it would be even better. The dress was just very feminine. Low and wide neckline, low back, lace, ribbon, clinging fabric. And then Kel knew there would be face paint, hairpins, and a number of other torture devices.
"Sorry Kel." Yuki said evilly. "I helped you punish Neal, now I'm helping him get revenge. Besides, I like the dress."
"Revenge? The dress is revenge?" Kel asked. "Was Neal planning anything else?"
"No. He said this was already cruel enough."
"Are we done here Yuki?" Kel asked.
"No."
Kel waited anxiously as she was measured. "And don't cut your hair. It's too short, maybe it'll grow some by the wedding."
"But Yuki, your wedding isn't for another . . .what, three months?"
"It'll only grow a few inches."
"It'll be in the way."
"Kel!"
"Fine!" Kel was in no mood to argue. She had to apologize to Dom.
"Good, you're done."
Kel nearly bolted out of the room. She headed to the Own's hall and pounded on Dom's door. No one answered. She pounded harder. She waited. Still no answer. She pounded for what seemed like hours. "Dom!" She called when her fist began to hurt.
One of the doors a few rooms down opened. "Lady, the Sergeant went riding just after lunch started."
"Thank you." Kel said before heading to the stables. Dom's horse was absent.
"Does anyone know where Dom went?" She asked as she saddled Hoshi.
No one knew. She sent a few of the sparrows out to find him and left through the gates. Not sure where Dom might have gone, Kel decided to follow the path until he sparrows found her. It took nearly an hour. It was getting dark when the sparrows caught up with her. They flew into the woods, and Kel followed, Dom wasn't far in. He was sitting by the river, his horse wandering freely. Kel dismounted.
"Dom, can speak with you, please?"
Dom jumped when she spoke, then nodded his head. When she settled herself beside him, he spoke. "Kel, like I said, I'm really sorry."
"I'm the one who should apologize." He stared at her in amazement.
"Why?"
"I suppose I was wondering why you would want to kiss me." She said guiltily. "It kept me up all night. Then I came to the conclusion that the only reason you would, the only time you would. . .would be if Neal was trying to play a trick, you know get his revenge. Like he promised."
"Why would Neal get even that way?" Kel didn't want to tell him about her crush. When he saw her hesitate, Dom ordered that she tell him. "You owe it to me."
She took a deep breath. "I've had a crush on you for a while, a long while. I think Neal might know. That is why I thought you may have been asked to. . .to kiss me."
"Oh." Was all Dom said.
"Can you ever forgive me?" Kel asked.
Dom thought it over. "I think so." He said, and then grinned. "So. . .you have a crush on me?" Kel blushed, she knew Dom saw when his grin grew bigger. "Good." He leaned over and kissed her, pulling her body close to his. Kel didn't pull away, and after a moment, she reached up around his neck. When he stopped, she pulled his head down for another kiss. When they both realized breathing would be a good idea, they pulled a part.
"So what made you realize Meathead wasn't taking revenge on you? Through me that is." Dom asked.
"I found out how he was going to punish me." Kel said.
"How is that?"
"Not telling." Kel told him, smiling smugly. Dom was hers now; he'd like the dress, even if she didn't. "Has Neal gotten you?"
"Not yet, but you don't seem to upset, maybe I shouldn't worry."
"It is good revenge, really, but I have a long while to brood over it." Kel informed him.
"I'm scared again." Dom notified her.
"You should be, I think. Neal knows you too well."
"Yes, he does, doesn't he?"
They sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly Kel said. "I think we should head back."
"I think you're right." Dom replied.
They mounted their horses and headed back to Steadfast, both in much better spirits.
A/N: End of chapter. Please review.
Chapter 5: The name
~~~~~~KEL'S POV~~~~~~
Kel lay staring at the ceiling, she had hardly got any sleep that night. That has to be it, she thought. I didn't think Neal was that prompt, or that Dom was a traitor.
"Lady, are you okay?" Tobe asked. He sounded worried.
Kel turned her head to look at him. She sighed and rolled out of bed. "I'm fine Tobe. Just thinking is all."
"Oh, about the sergeant?" Tobe asked.
"No!" Kel protested.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Kel knew he didn't believe her. "I'm not thinking about him. Now get out so I can get dressed." She told him.
"Yes you are." Tobe told her, before leaving; effectively dodging the pillow she had thrown.
Kel got up and dressed, putting on breeches and a shirt. She ran a comb through her hair, splashed her face with water and headed to the mess hall. After getting her food she sat across from Neal, who pointedly ignored her. Dom came and sat next to her.
"Good morning." Dom said with a grin.
Kel glared at him and turned back to her meal. He betrays me then tried to be nice? Kel thought, I can't believe him. And how did Neal know how to punish her so well? Surely I'm not that obviously in love with Dom. In love with? Kel couldn't figure out why she hadn't thought of that before. But Dom would never feel the same way about me. He made her so mad! But he doesn't know he's playing with my heart. I'm sure he worked out a deal with his cousin. He helps Neal get even with me and Neal will leave him be.
Yuki came waltzing in soon enough and sat across from Dom. "You're going to be my maid of honor." She informed Kel before taking a bite of her porridge.
"Have I any say in this?" Kel asked.
"No. Report for fitting sometime before lunch. My room."
"Fine." Kel grumbled. Neal grinned. At least Kel knew he wasn't going to ignore her forever. She almost wished he would though.
Kel went to the practice courts, and worked with Wolset on pole arms and fencing. They were about to move on to unarmed combat when Kel remembered her fitting. "Wolset, I've got to go."
"For?" Wolset asked curiously.
"I'm going to be mercilessly poked with needles." Kel told him. He didn't seem to understand. "Dress fitting, for Neal's wedding."
"I'm glad I'm not a girl." Wolset said to no one in particular. A few soldiers who heard him chuckled.
Kel ran immediately to Yuki's room. She opened the door, to find Lalasa, Yukimi, and one of Neal's female cousin's there. "We're almost ready for you." Lalasa said, without looking at Kel.
Yuki did though. "Kel! You're covered in sweat! Go take a bath, this instant!"
Kel grumbled, before going off. She went to the ladies' bath, not wanting to send for water of her own. She scrubbed herself down, but before she was done, the bell for lunch rang. She saw Dom as she left the bathhouse.
"Kel!" He said, jogging to catch up with her. She didn't acknowledge him, but he spoke anyhow. "Kel, I'm really sorry."
Kel knew he was apologizing about betraying her, and though she wanted to forgive him, part of her said not to. "I trusted you, Dom. I thought you were my friend. Then you betray me like this." Dom was silent.
After a moment, Dom stopped talking, before turning around and returning to his room. Kel felt bad, what he did was wrong. Kel joined Yuki for lunch, before returning for the fitting. When they arrived, Kel found it was more a measuring than a fitting. The dresses were only partially done, but Lalasa needed Kel's measurements. Kel let it slide as a miscommunication; Yuki was, after all, not a Tortallan native, the language wasn't her native one. Lalasa showed them the design for the dress. "I can't wear that!" Kel exclaimed.
It wasn't that the dress was bad. It was actually nice, and with Lalasa making it, it would be even better. The dress was just very feminine. Low and wide neckline, low back, lace, ribbon, clinging fabric. And then Kel knew there would be face paint, hairpins, and a number of other torture devices.
"Sorry Kel." Yuki said evilly. "I helped you punish Neal, now I'm helping him get revenge. Besides, I like the dress."
"Revenge? The dress is revenge?" Kel asked. "Was Neal planning anything else?"
"No. He said this was already cruel enough."
"Are we done here Yuki?" Kel asked.
"No."
Kel waited anxiously as she was measured. "And don't cut your hair. It's too short, maybe it'll grow some by the wedding."
"But Yuki, your wedding isn't for another . . .what, three months?"
"It'll only grow a few inches."
"It'll be in the way."
"Kel!"
"Fine!" Kel was in no mood to argue. She had to apologize to Dom.
"Good, you're done."
Kel nearly bolted out of the room. She headed to the Own's hall and pounded on Dom's door. No one answered. She pounded harder. She waited. Still no answer. She pounded for what seemed like hours. "Dom!" She called when her fist began to hurt.
One of the doors a few rooms down opened. "Lady, the Sergeant went riding just after lunch started."
"Thank you." Kel said before heading to the stables. Dom's horse was absent.
"Does anyone know where Dom went?" She asked as she saddled Hoshi.
No one knew. She sent a few of the sparrows out to find him and left through the gates. Not sure where Dom might have gone, Kel decided to follow the path until he sparrows found her. It took nearly an hour. It was getting dark when the sparrows caught up with her. They flew into the woods, and Kel followed, Dom wasn't far in. He was sitting by the river, his horse wandering freely. Kel dismounted.
"Dom, can speak with you, please?"
Dom jumped when she spoke, then nodded his head. When she settled herself beside him, he spoke. "Kel, like I said, I'm really sorry."
"I'm the one who should apologize." He stared at her in amazement.
"Why?"
"I suppose I was wondering why you would want to kiss me." She said guiltily. "It kept me up all night. Then I came to the conclusion that the only reason you would, the only time you would. . .would be if Neal was trying to play a trick, you know get his revenge. Like he promised."
"Why would Neal get even that way?" Kel didn't want to tell him about her crush. When he saw her hesitate, Dom ordered that she tell him. "You owe it to me."
She took a deep breath. "I've had a crush on you for a while, a long while. I think Neal might know. That is why I thought you may have been asked to. . .to kiss me."
"Oh." Was all Dom said.
"Can you ever forgive me?" Kel asked.
Dom thought it over. "I think so." He said, and then grinned. "So. . .you have a crush on me?" Kel blushed, she knew Dom saw when his grin grew bigger. "Good." He leaned over and kissed her, pulling her body close to his. Kel didn't pull away, and after a moment, she reached up around his neck. When he stopped, she pulled his head down for another kiss. When they both realized breathing would be a good idea, they pulled a part.
"So what made you realize Meathead wasn't taking revenge on you? Through me that is." Dom asked.
"I found out how he was going to punish me." Kel said.
"How is that?"
"Not telling." Kel told him, smiling smugly. Dom was hers now; he'd like the dress, even if she didn't. "Has Neal gotten you?"
"Not yet, but you don't seem to upset, maybe I shouldn't worry."
"It is good revenge, really, but I have a long while to brood over it." Kel informed him.
"I'm scared again." Dom notified her.
"You should be, I think. Neal knows you too well."
"Yes, he does, doesn't he?"
They sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly Kel said. "I think we should head back."
"I think you're right." Dom replied.
They mounted their horses and headed back to Steadfast, both in much better spirits.
A/N: End of chapter. Please review.
