A/N: I'm back! Thank you to all my faithful reviewers. Enjoy this chapter! By the way, the name of the inn where Kel, Dom, Yuki, and Neal had dinner now called the Eagle's Roost.
Disclaimer: I own only the plot. Characters and other elements are compliments of Tamora Pierce (as if you did not already know).
So far, no one had noticed that Dom and Kel were courting. They simply acted as friends in public. Apparently, Neal and Yuki were too wrapped up in their wedding plans, now less than a week away, to put the pieces together.
In the morning, Dom would train with his squad. Kel worked to complete the endless stacks of paperwork that wound up on her desk. Afternoons, however, would usually be spent in Kel's rooms. They talked, cuddled in front of the fire, and, of course, spent most of their time kissing. Kel had never had a relationship like that. With Cleon, they only snuck quick kisses in shadowy hiding places. With Dom, it was different. He respected her as a friend and a comrade, but he treated her as a lover. It was nice to be cared about and feel loved.
One evening, Kel bustled about making willow tea as Dom lounged on her couch. Kel brought over a tray and perched on the edge of the couch. "Dom, do you think we should tell Neal and Yuki about this." She spread her hands out and smiled. "After all, they did set us up, kind of."
"If by setting us up you mean leaving us at the Eagle's Roost to fend for ourselves. Whatever you want to do, go ahead. I'd scream it from all the rooftops in Corus, if you wanted me to." Dom sat up and kissed her deeply.
"You've got a point, about the first part that is," Kel admitted, a little breathless, when he finally pulled away. Dom began to kiss her neck. "Stop it! I can't think when you do that." She swatted him playfully and pushed him away.
"I know." He smiled and lay down again, pulling Kel down with him. She nestled into his shoulder, comfortable against his muscular chest.
"Maybe this is a situation that calls for a little revenge," Kel said evilly.
Dom, absently tracing patterns on her back, asked, "What did you have in mind?"
"I think we need to take a trip to the kitchens."
Dom groaned he got up. "This better be good. I was comfortable."
In the blue glow of predawn, Kel made her way to Yuki's room. She carefully wired a bucket of melted chocolate, thinned with milk, to a string, almost invisible, stretching across the doorway, a few inches above the ground. When Yuki walked out, the string would tip the bucket forward, covering the Yamani with its contents. Kel waited outside the door with another bucket of whipped cream to top off the sticky girl.
Dom, meanwhile, had installed a similar trap at Neal's door. Neal was the first to exit the safety of his chambers. As soon as he stepped out, his foot caught the string. The chocolate tipped, covering a very shocked Neal. Dom quickly waltzed over.
"Well cousin, you always wanted the court ladies to say you were sweet. You are missing one thing, though…" Dom put the bucket of whipped cream on his head and laughed. "That is for trying to fix Kel and me up without asking," he said smugly.
Neal slowly removed the bucket from his head. He wiped the chocolate out of his eyes. When Dom saw Neal's eyes, he knew that he was in big trouble. "I am going to kill you! You stupid son of a warthog and a weasel!" Neal ran back into his rooms and came out brandishing a sword.
"Oh shit!" Dom exclaimed, running as fast as he could. Neal chased after him, screaming incoherently. Dom sprinted blindly through the many corridors of the palace. He did not even notice when he passed Yuki's rooms, where Kel was still waiting for her to wake up.
Kel looked up just in time to see the blue eyed sergeant fly past. "Dom?" she asked, but he could not hear her. Hearing yelling, she turned and watched a chocolate covered madman running toward Dom's fleeing figure. It took a moment for her to realize that the madman was Neal, and Dom was in mortal peril.
Just then, Yuki opened her door, "What in the world?" she muttered as she stepped through the door frame to get a better look. Splat! Down came the chocolate. Yuki wiped it out of her eyes and gazed blankly at Kel, too stunned to speak.
"Sorry Yuki," Kel said, "Your fiancée is about to kill Dom." Kel ran off in the direction Dom and Neal took, still holding the bucket of whipped cream.
"I need a bath," Yuki commented, to no one in particular, as she went back into her chambers.
Kel arrived at a foyer in time to see Neal pulling Dom out of a broom closet by the collar of her shirt.
"Neal! Stop!" she shouted.
"Why? He did this to me."
"Neal, put down the sword and unhand Dom," Kel commanded, getting annoyed.
Boots thumped on the stone floors, coming closer to where they were standing. Alanna and Raoul turned the corner of a hallway to behold a strange sight. Neal, covered in chocolate and a fluffy white substance, held Dom by the collar with one hand and a sword in the other, staring wildly at Kel, who had her arms crossed glaring at him.
"What is going on here?" Alanna asked, staring at the three of them.
"Nothing," Kel and Dom chorused at once.
"Nothing?" Neal shouted, wildly gesticulating, "Nothing? Dom covered me in this and now he is going to pay."
"Why?" Raoul asked, trying to cover his laughter.
Alanna, not even trying to hide her amusement, said, "Because he and Yuki tried to fix these two up." Raoul looked intrigued; this was all news to him.
Kel narrowed her eyes. "You were in on it. You were there."
Alanna shrugged as she gazed at her legacy. "Everyone deserves a little happiness. If I can help, why shouldn't I?"
Kel looked at Alanna, then at the bucket in her hand. Picking up her train of thought, Alanna shielded her face with her hands. "Keladry of Mindelan, don't you dare dump that on me. I am your superior."
"Well," Kel replied, "That me be true. But I swore to uphold justice when I became a knight, so…" Kel overturned the bucket above Alanna's head, ignoring her further protests. Neal, Raoul, and Dom stood shell shocked. Kel turned around and pried Dom from Neal's grasp. When he did not move, she took him by the arm and pulled him toward the door. Turning around, she said, "Oh, Alanna, you seem to be dripping. I suggest you get a towel." Smiling, she walked down the hall and out of sight, leaving a creamy Alanna in her wake.
Raoul, recovering from his stupor, handed Alanna a clean handkerchief. There was a look of utter disbelief on the Lioness's face. "So," Raoul began,taking a finger full of whipped cream off Alanna's head and tasting it, "Are they together?"
A/N: Sweet Revenge! Get it? Chocolate is sweet; it is revenge. Okay, ignore my psycho side. That was a bit short, but exciting! Just imagine the look on Alanna's face. And poor Raoul, left out of the loop. I promise to update very soon, probably tomorrow. For now, when you read the sound of the bell, review as fast as you can. On your mark! Get set! Ding! Ding! Ding! Review time- Go! Go! Go!
Disclaimer: I own only the plot. Characters and other elements are compliments of Tamora Pierce (as if you did not already know).
So far, no one had noticed that Dom and Kel were courting. They simply acted as friends in public. Apparently, Neal and Yuki were too wrapped up in their wedding plans, now less than a week away, to put the pieces together.
In the morning, Dom would train with his squad. Kel worked to complete the endless stacks of paperwork that wound up on her desk. Afternoons, however, would usually be spent in Kel's rooms. They talked, cuddled in front of the fire, and, of course, spent most of their time kissing. Kel had never had a relationship like that. With Cleon, they only snuck quick kisses in shadowy hiding places. With Dom, it was different. He respected her as a friend and a comrade, but he treated her as a lover. It was nice to be cared about and feel loved.
One evening, Kel bustled about making willow tea as Dom lounged on her couch. Kel brought over a tray and perched on the edge of the couch. "Dom, do you think we should tell Neal and Yuki about this." She spread her hands out and smiled. "After all, they did set us up, kind of."
"If by setting us up you mean leaving us at the Eagle's Roost to fend for ourselves. Whatever you want to do, go ahead. I'd scream it from all the rooftops in Corus, if you wanted me to." Dom sat up and kissed her deeply.
"You've got a point, about the first part that is," Kel admitted, a little breathless, when he finally pulled away. Dom began to kiss her neck. "Stop it! I can't think when you do that." She swatted him playfully and pushed him away.
"I know." He smiled and lay down again, pulling Kel down with him. She nestled into his shoulder, comfortable against his muscular chest.
"Maybe this is a situation that calls for a little revenge," Kel said evilly.
Dom, absently tracing patterns on her back, asked, "What did you have in mind?"
"I think we need to take a trip to the kitchens."
Dom groaned he got up. "This better be good. I was comfortable."
In the blue glow of predawn, Kel made her way to Yuki's room. She carefully wired a bucket of melted chocolate, thinned with milk, to a string, almost invisible, stretching across the doorway, a few inches above the ground. When Yuki walked out, the string would tip the bucket forward, covering the Yamani with its contents. Kel waited outside the door with another bucket of whipped cream to top off the sticky girl.
Dom, meanwhile, had installed a similar trap at Neal's door. Neal was the first to exit the safety of his chambers. As soon as he stepped out, his foot caught the string. The chocolate tipped, covering a very shocked Neal. Dom quickly waltzed over.
"Well cousin, you always wanted the court ladies to say you were sweet. You are missing one thing, though…" Dom put the bucket of whipped cream on his head and laughed. "That is for trying to fix Kel and me up without asking," he said smugly.
Neal slowly removed the bucket from his head. He wiped the chocolate out of his eyes. When Dom saw Neal's eyes, he knew that he was in big trouble. "I am going to kill you! You stupid son of a warthog and a weasel!" Neal ran back into his rooms and came out brandishing a sword.
"Oh shit!" Dom exclaimed, running as fast as he could. Neal chased after him, screaming incoherently. Dom sprinted blindly through the many corridors of the palace. He did not even notice when he passed Yuki's rooms, where Kel was still waiting for her to wake up.
Kel looked up just in time to see the blue eyed sergeant fly past. "Dom?" she asked, but he could not hear her. Hearing yelling, she turned and watched a chocolate covered madman running toward Dom's fleeing figure. It took a moment for her to realize that the madman was Neal, and Dom was in mortal peril.
Just then, Yuki opened her door, "What in the world?" she muttered as she stepped through the door frame to get a better look. Splat! Down came the chocolate. Yuki wiped it out of her eyes and gazed blankly at Kel, too stunned to speak.
"Sorry Yuki," Kel said, "Your fiancée is about to kill Dom." Kel ran off in the direction Dom and Neal took, still holding the bucket of whipped cream.
"I need a bath," Yuki commented, to no one in particular, as she went back into her chambers.
Kel arrived at a foyer in time to see Neal pulling Dom out of a broom closet by the collar of her shirt.
"Neal! Stop!" she shouted.
"Why? He did this to me."
"Neal, put down the sword and unhand Dom," Kel commanded, getting annoyed.
Boots thumped on the stone floors, coming closer to where they were standing. Alanna and Raoul turned the corner of a hallway to behold a strange sight. Neal, covered in chocolate and a fluffy white substance, held Dom by the collar with one hand and a sword in the other, staring wildly at Kel, who had her arms crossed glaring at him.
"What is going on here?" Alanna asked, staring at the three of them.
"Nothing," Kel and Dom chorused at once.
"Nothing?" Neal shouted, wildly gesticulating, "Nothing? Dom covered me in this and now he is going to pay."
"Why?" Raoul asked, trying to cover his laughter.
Alanna, not even trying to hide her amusement, said, "Because he and Yuki tried to fix these two up." Raoul looked intrigued; this was all news to him.
Kel narrowed her eyes. "You were in on it. You were there."
Alanna shrugged as she gazed at her legacy. "Everyone deserves a little happiness. If I can help, why shouldn't I?"
Kel looked at Alanna, then at the bucket in her hand. Picking up her train of thought, Alanna shielded her face with her hands. "Keladry of Mindelan, don't you dare dump that on me. I am your superior."
"Well," Kel replied, "That me be true. But I swore to uphold justice when I became a knight, so…" Kel overturned the bucket above Alanna's head, ignoring her further protests. Neal, Raoul, and Dom stood shell shocked. Kel turned around and pried Dom from Neal's grasp. When he did not move, she took him by the arm and pulled him toward the door. Turning around, she said, "Oh, Alanna, you seem to be dripping. I suggest you get a towel." Smiling, she walked down the hall and out of sight, leaving a creamy Alanna in her wake.
Raoul, recovering from his stupor, handed Alanna a clean handkerchief. There was a look of utter disbelief on the Lioness's face. "So," Raoul began,taking a finger full of whipped cream off Alanna's head and tasting it, "Are they together?"
A/N: Sweet Revenge! Get it? Chocolate is sweet; it is revenge. Okay, ignore my psycho side. That was a bit short, but exciting! Just imagine the look on Alanna's face. And poor Raoul, left out of the loop. I promise to update very soon, probably tomorrow. For now, when you read the sound of the bell, review as fast as you can. On your mark! Get set! Ding! Ding! Ding! Review time- Go! Go! Go!