Dom followed Kel, bleary eyed, down to the dining hall. They collected their breakfast and sat down at a table. Neal joined them a few moments later. He grinned at them. "Morning, you lazy, lazy people." He said.

Kel looked at him, confused. "Whatever do you mean?" She asked.

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come now, Keladry! Don't play innocent with me." He said, his eyes full of mockery. "You two haven't been seen in two days."

Kel blushed immensely, and Dom hit Neal upside the head. "First of all, Meathead," he said, wagging his finger at his cousin, "that is rude, and you shouldn't say that to a lady, even if she is Kel! Secondly, it's not true!"

Kel looked at Dom, her brow furrowed. She did not mind him telling Neal to be polite, he was careful not to treat her too much like a lady, but he sounded almost – embarrassed. Like she was. He always got angry when she was embarrassed of their relationship, but he was too! That didn't bother her at all. In fact, it made her smile.

"What?" Neal said bluntly.

Kel looked up, shaken from her stupor. "Pardon?" She asked, looking at him.

"You were smiling at something." He said.

Kel shrank down. "Nothing." She squeaked. "Just laughing at you two. I'm glad to be here for it again."

Neal reached over and clapped her on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back, too." He said, just as Merric, Seaver, and Owen walked up to them.

"It's true!" Owen said, hearing Neal's last sentence. "It is good to have you back!"

Merric grinned. "Welcome home, Protector of the Small." He said, bowing.

Kel rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You know I hate that! Besides," she said, lowering her eyes, "it was not small at all."

They all made the sign against evil on their chest. "Mithros protect." Neal muttered. "Well," he said, popping back up, "we need to do something to celebrate the healthy return of our favourite female knight!"

Neal jumped as a hand laid on his shoulder. "Excuse me?" A voice said coldly.

Neal looked up. Leaning over him was the lioness. "Don't make me cut off your extremities." She said.

Neal blanched, but everyone else, Alanna included, laughed.

"Actually," she said, looking at Kel, "I came over to talk to you." She said in all seriousness. Kel stood up.

"I wish to congratulate you on a journey well travelled." She said, "a story well read, a task well taken out, and a mission well accomplished." She bowed deeply to Kel, then stood again. "I wish to congratulate you on a job well done."

Kel bowed in return. "Thank you very much, Lady Alanna." With that, Alanna walked over and hugged her.

"I am proud to call you my favourite knight." She whispered in Kel's ear. Kel laughed. "I bid you farewell. Many things to do! Please take care of yourself Kel," she pointed to all of the men sitting around the table. "And all of you, keep an eye on her!"

After she was gone, Kel sat back down. Dom took her hand under the table and squeezed it. "Congratulations, Kel. I'm not sure if I have said that yet."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Let's hear it for Kel!" Someone cried.

Kel sighed. They were going to go on for a while. She quickly excused herself. Dom followed her.

"I want to actually practice." She said. "But I think I might just use my glaive in my room. I don't know if I have the energy to go down to the courts."

Dom grinned and took her by the hand. "Oh no you don't!" He said, dragging her down towards the stables.

"Dom, let go!" Kel cried, trying to pull away from him.

Dom grabbed her around the waist. "Oh, come on, it's not so bad!" He said.

Kel laughed and pushed on his arms. "Put me down, Dom! I have to go practice!"

Dom sighed and put her down. "Fine, Lady Knight. But since we're at the stables already, I must show you something." He glanced at the sundial that stood outside of the stables. "Will you look at that, we're right on time!" Kel raised an eyebrow, but Dom just shrugged. "What can I say, we're expected!"

He took her by the wrist again, but this time she came willingly. She wanted to know what was going on in the stables. She could hear voices in the centre aisle, and as she and Dom turned the corner, she could see Raoul, Alanna and Neal leaning against two stalls. Neal and Alanna looked out of breath, as if they had run there. Raoul was grinning at them.

"What's going on?" Kel asked warily.

Raoul stood up straight and bowed. "My lady Keladry," he said formally, trying not to laugh, "we present you with a gift. Two of the finest horses belonging to any knight." He said, making a sweeping gesture to the stall beside him.

Kel looked at them suspiciously, but followed to where Raoul's hand lay open. Standing in the stall was Hoshi. The one next to it held Peachblossom.

Kel's mouth fell open. "You didn't!" She cried. "Thank you!" She threw herself at Raoul, then at Neal, Alanna, and Dom in turn.

"The important thing is, how did we get them here?" Raoul said, holding his hand in the air, in order to get everyone's attention. "I think the answer is obvious." He said, nodding his head at something behind Kel.

Kel spun around. Standing in front of her were her parents. "Mother! Father!" She cried. "I am so sorry I did not get to stay at home..."

Ilane hushed her. "Don't be silly, child. You were too busy saving the realm! That can be excused!"

Kel smiled and hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you so much for coming." She said. She hugged her father as well, then smiled again. She and her parents walked back up to the palace, talking and laughing. "How was your journey?" Kel asked.

Piers smiled. "Wonderful. We had fabulous weather. Though I must say, we were a bit worried."

"Why?" Kel asked.

Ilane smiled warmly. "Well, when the messenger came to us, we were only told that when he left, you were unconscious in a hospital bed after traipsing alone through Scanra, fighting an army of men and immortals, and being held hostage by a mage."

Kel smiled. "It sounds pretty bad doesn't it?" She asked.

Ilane nodded her head slowly. "It was a bit shocking. The messenger didn't know what was happening with you. He just knew gossip, and I promised myself it wasn't true. How much of it was?"

Kel bit her lip. "All of it." She said cautiously.

Ilane raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Well, congratulations, dear." She said.

-----

Ilane was not the only person to congratulate Kel. She received a purse from the king, larger than any purse her brothers had received. It was greatly needed. Kel still had all of the gear that Alanna had given her when she was a page, but it did not mean that she had everything she needed. She had to pay for her cloth and her gear, her animals and just about everything else.

Dom had still not been willing to leave her side. The only time he had left her alone for more time than it took her to use the toilet, she was with her mother. The danger of Rhian was still present, even if Rhian herself was not.

Kel tried to tell herself that the danger was not real. She tried to tell herself that Rhian did not have the power to hurt her, but she knew it was not true. One day, she would come. Kel knew that much.

But what did she want? No one could think of what she would want with Kel, and if she wanted information about the kingdom, why would she focus on Kel? Why would she not just attack the king? She obviously had the power.

She liked to spend time in her room. Her friends were now very obviously worried about it, though they tried to hide it, and Kel did not want them to worry about her. Her parents went home after three weeks to Mindelan, worried about the planting season in Mindelan tat they were missing, the work that was to be done, peasants that were to be supervised, every reason they could possibly give to go home. Kel knew they missed Mindelan. She did too.

She sat in her room, seemingly alone, looking out the window. She sat on the wide sill looking out the small paned windows, memorizing the look of every tree, every leaf in the courtyard outside. She was sitting there one day, curled up with her hands clasped under her knees, pulled up to her chest, comfortable and warm, when Dom approached her.

Dom had willingly left her alone, staying quietly apart from her most of the time. It was difficult, and Kel knew that. She was not surprised when he spoke.

"Kel, you cannot do this forever."

Kel smiled weakly. "I won't have to." She said. "Rhian should be here soon."

Dom frowned. "That's not funny, Kel. You know better than to toy with things like that."

Kel put her head back against the wall. "What do you want, Dom?"

He uncrossed his arms and paced back and forth, not looking at Kel. She waited patiently for him to finish. "Maybe this is what she meant!" He said quickly. "You are destroying yourself, Kel! You don't practice, you don't socialize with your friends, I don't even think you would eat if I didn't bring you food!"

Kel gave him a look. "You're being a bit rash, Dom. It's not that bad. I'm fine, I just need some time alone."

Dom shook his head angrily. "Absolutely not, Kel! You shouldn't be alone, we can't let our guard down, just because it has been a little while!" He was almost shouting now. "The king asked me to watch you all the time, and watch you I will do! You need to get over this, Kel, and go on with your life with me and whoever else there!" He opened his mouth to continue when Kel stood up.

"What did you say?" She asked angrily, trying to control herself, setting her face in stone.

Dom sighed in relief. "You need to get out. Just like you are doing." He said, glad to get Kel up.

She shook her head. "Before that, Dom. The part where you told me you were here because the king assigned you to watch me." She narrowed her eyes. "You are disgusting." She said quietly. "Get out."

Dom went ashen. "Kel, please, you know-" He tried to speak, but Kel would not let him.

"Get out of my room, Dom. Go tell the king that he needs a new guard, someone who can be honest about what he's doing, and won't take advantage of the woman he is supposed to be sheltering."

Dom ran his hands through his hair, looking nervous. "Come now, Kel..." He said, stepping forward.

Before he could do anything, Kel had drawn back and punched him. He did not expect it – Kel did not even expect it herself. But she was not sorry. Dom fell backwards, clutching his eye, looking shocked. "Kel..." He said, confused.

Kel looked down at him, unmoving. "Get out, Dom."

Slowly, looking shocked and confused, Dom stood up and walked out of the room, clutching his face.

As soon as the door clicked closed, Kel fell onto her bed in tears. She cried at everything – what had just happened, but also her entire adventure, however horrible and glorious it had been, her entire time with Dom.

How could he have done this? How could he have lied to her like that, pretended to love her in order to look over her?

How had she, Keladry, not noticed that he had not spoken at all of bedding her, even jokingly, until the time that she was not to be left alone?

All she knew was that she would be alone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know about all of you, but I really liked the way that chapter worked out. I really liked that tension at the end (though it was a titch out of character for Kel, it was still nice and dramatic) and I am really excited for where this story is heading. I just spent five minutes listening to the ideas spinning around my head.

Wake-Robin: yay fluff...but wait! No more, I think, for a little while... sad!

Anonymous: what? Why would it mean that I would take longer? I am taking longer, because I'm busy, though... and I thought they did get married...oh well. I'll check it out...it's going to be a while, I think...

Laelai: oops! So much for that!

Alannalovingwriter: yay fluff indeed...but no more...

Mage Light: thanks!

Lady of Masbolle: eh, I never really thought about that...so no, Daine was not really involved at all. Rhian just had control over the immortals because she is hella mage. Glad you liked it! That is one thing that bothers me about a lot of fanfictions (not just TP) that I notice I forget about myself. I am glad I go it right!

Alenor: whatever, glad you liked it!

PsychoLioness13: didn't you already give this review? Or have I just not updated in a REALLY long time? Anyway, it's because I am on this kick where I write like that... I am trying to get away from it. (I'm trying to get rid of the ... as well...it is driving me crazy, and I can't stop doing it!)

Macko: Thank you so much! I don't believe in flames myself, because I think anyone is capable of writing a good story, with a little help. I have nothing against being a little harsh, though, which sometimes can be even worse. You know, "your writing needs a lot of improvement because your writing style is infantile" or something of the such is a lot worse than "your writing really sucks." But, unlike the latter, it will hopefully help. I take things that my teachers say to me and try to apply them here... I'm sure that if I did an outline with my entire story before so that I get all the continuity right, it would all be so kickass!

ShadowPirate: Thank you so much! I am so proud of my reviews... I am going for 300 right now, because that would be sweet, especially since I have so much energy for this story, and I want to inevitably get up to 500.

PsychoLioness13: so true... I don't even like writing fluff!

Well, that is it for today. I hope I do not lose any loyal fans because of this (it could end up being fairly serious...it will certainly last a while, at least) and I hope you will all continue to enjoy this story. I just wanted to get away from the Kel/Dom thing without ruining a perfectly good story idea. Please tell me what you think of it (after the next chapter of course) and please review this chapter!

Review! Yay button! Wahoo!

"I bet one legend that keeps recurring throughout history, in every culture, is the story of Popeye."

Did I use this already? I can't remember...oh well, here's another!

"When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges."

-unolimbo

music that is happy: Cake: Wheels. Wheels is the best song ever. Listen to it.