A/n: I'm sorry for taking so long posting this chappie. I've had so much going on that I really didn't have much of a chance to write. But now that my JV softball season is over (last game was Thursday and I got a double with 1 RBI, for anyone who cares), I will (hopefully) have tons of more writing time.
Protecting the Head – Chapter 6
Kel was taken aback by Neal's suggestion. Stay with Dom! She was going to ask him to help anyway. Him and his squad were off from duty for a month or so more because the war was pretty much over with (and the King gave them all pardons from cleanup duty for a while for being such big heroes), and they had so much history together that they probably wouldn't be able NOT to (at least Dom and a couple of the men that didn't have family right there in Corus).
Neal barreled on. "If you think about it Kel, it makes perfect sense. My cousin is unmarried. He is well off. He's probably bored to tears. He is good-tempered. His family is filthy rich. Plus, you'd be able to wrap him around your little finger easily."
"I cannot wrap- Wait, he's rich!"
Neal looked at her strangely. "Are you daft! His family is in the book of gold. Of course he's rich!"
"Then that means that you are too," Kel said indignantly.
"Yeah, but my father won't let me have a copper of it. 'Make your own way, Nealan,' he says. 'Have your own hardships and troubles, and learn from the world.' I only asked if he'd help pay for Yuki and my own's wedding. Dom's 'daddy-dearest' on the other hand, hands money out as if there is no tomorrow."
"Don't worry mage-man," Arthur spoke up. "We know what it feels like to have our inheritance squandered by some half-twitted fool."
"Yeah," Eric said. "Who's Dom, and why can the Lady Knight wrap him around her finger?"
"See!" Kel said. "Now you should feel ashamed of yourself, because here you are whining about your father not giving you money, while theirs is dead."
"I guess you're right, Kel," Neal mumbled.
"Who is Dom?" Eric repeated himself.
"Now before we get into anything else," Kel said, "we should start our trek over to Dom's rooms, before it gets too late."
"But who IN MITHROS'S NAME IS DOM!" Eric shouted.
Neal rolled his eyes at the boy in glasses. "Domitan of Masbolle is my cousin who is a sergeant in the King's Own. Kel had traveled with him some when she was Lord Raoul's squire, and he was one of the men who accompanied myself on helping Kel out last year when she defeated Blayce." He grinned over at Kel, then said, "She can wrap him around her finger because he's got a thing for her. And don't look at me like that because I can tell these things, you know?"
"Neal, Dom does NOT have a thing for me."
"Then why are you two always laughing together!"
"It's usually about your most recent stunt, MEATHEAD!"
And, at the famed nickname the three boys in the room cracked up laughing at the stupid mage man's pet name.
Domitan of Masbolle was just settling down under his blankets when he heard his door knocker bang three times.
'Now who could POSSIBLY be calling at this hour?' he thought, for there was only perhaps half of an hour until the midnight bell.
Hastily, he arose up out of his covers, and stumbled his way through his suite to open the door.
In front of him were three smiling boys (all of who had been told to be on their best behavior or they'd be hung from their shins in the middle of the whole town), his favorite cousin, and... "Kel!" He quickly ran his hands through his hair, to fight some of the unruly tangles that had already formed.
Kel fought down a blush as she replied, "Hi, Dom. Uh, may we come in for a bit?"
Dom hesitated as he looked at her escorts, thinking that it probably wasn't a social call (at least not at this time of night and with them). Then with a big goofy grin he said, "Come in, come in! I'm always pleased to see friends."
The five quickly went inside and shut the door behind them, while the boys of Emtuem made a beeline for the couch that was placed in the middle of the living room. The three (a/n: cough, cough) adults took this opportunity to talk.
"Who are they?" Dom whispered, still smiling.
"How lovely it is to see you again cousin!" Neal shouted. "Have you done something to your hair? I really must see that hairdresser of yours. It's fabulous."
"Shut it, Meathead." Dom said. "Now, who are they?"
"And how's the bonny lass of yours?" Neal asked. "Still kickin' I hope!"
"Neal!" Kel and Dom shouted at the same time. "WHO ARE THEY!" Dom repeated.
Neal looked over at the three boys wriggling on the couch and asked, "Don't you just love it when things are done in threes?"
"Neal," Kel said. "I have half of a mind to just force them to stay with you, since you seem to like them so much."
"NO!" the males (other than Dom) shouted.
"O.k. I'm breaking the three thing," Dom said. "Who are they!"
"You're not like mage man," Arthur commented. "You're stiff."
Dom lifted a finger into the air. "Well, then I'll give you a better question. Who is 'mage man'?"
Kel contained a laugh as she whispered to Dom, "Mage man is what they call Neal. They haven't realized that the farthest extent of his power is healing, and we don't want to break it to them because it kind of keeps us even."
Dom blinked twice. " 'Keeps you even'?" he whispered. "They are boys."
"Actually," Kel said. "Dom this is the Head. Arthur, Eric, and Tomas," she said, as each boy gave some gesture of acknowledgement as she said each respective name.
Dom looked suspiciously around at the room. "Am I supposed to know who the Head are?"
Kel smacked her forehead. "OH, silly me! You see they need help. Something about a warlock named Ian, being uber powerful and threatening to harm all that is well and beautiful in their world. They'll tell you the whole thing when you say yes."
"You need my service? Sure. No problem, Lady Knight. When are we leaving?"
Kel smiled a beautiful whopper at the sergeant. "Actually..."
"Tell me why again you are doing this?" Dom asked Kel as the others had gone to fetch some blankets and pillows and food from housekeeping.
Kel sighed and then replied, "They are only boys. They've been kicked out of their home. I guess it's my instinct that tells me to help them. And it's not like we're doing anything useful here at the palace, looking pretty."
"And tell me again why I'M doing this?"
Kel sheepishly smiled, "Because you are my friend. If they are caught in my rooms, you know the kind of rumors that will fly around the castle. And if they stayed with Neal, I know that one of them will be dead by the end of the night. And I would kind of prefer them to stay living."
The sergeant inhaled largely then replied, "Okay Kel. I'll do it, if not to keep Meathead alive, then for you."
"Thanks, Dom!" Kel said, and then she leapt up and inconspicuously kissed him on the cheek. Then she ran out the door, as Neal, Tomas, Eric, and Arthur came in with armfuls of bedding and food. "I'll be around after the 2nd bell in the morning to check up on you all. Have a good night! And, boys: BEHAVE YOURSELVES!" And with that, the Lady Knight was gone.
"Did she just KISS you!" Eric asked.
A/n: viola! Another chapter of your favorite arguments! Now if you want me to post FASTER tell me. And while you are at it, also tell me what you think of the story.
