A/N: Hello, everyone. I'm really sorry about this, but this might be it for a while. This summer I'm working at a summer camp and living in a Tepee so I won't have access to hot water, let alone the internet. I swear I will finish this thing when I get back, there's no way I'd leave you guys hanging. So please enjoy and I'll update whenever I get the chance, but it will be somewhat sporadic at best for the next two months. Please bear with me. Now on withthe story.

Chapter Ten

"See you later." Kel bent to kiss Raoul before she swept out of the room. The storm had ended and to celebrate Kel and Dom were going out for a ride. Good for them. Raoul would stay inside and do some very important... something. It didn't take long for Raoul to rediscover an inescapable fact: winter was boring.

Before he really realised what he was doing Raoul was outside, atop one of his horses and plowing through the quiet snow drifts. Everything was muffled in the special way that only happened after a heavy snow fall. Raoul rode through the grounds of Goldenlake, looking for familiar landmarks and finding ones he didn't remember. Had it really been so long since he had been home? At least the old pond was still there, completely frozen. A few children from the village were skating on its glossy surface and a youth was racing around the edge. When Raoul got closer he realized it was Dom.

Great, just as he had gotten the boisterous sergeant out of his head, here he was again. As he watched Kel tottered cautiously onto the ice. Raoul watched her appreciatively. She was competent, but not daring. Her innate grace showed in her movements; it was so subtle that one could easily miss it or mistake it for fear.

Dom came up behind her, apparently intent on surprising her but he tripped on a rough patch of ice and went sprawling headlong into Kel, taking her down with him and they both went hurtling into a snowbank on the edge of the ice.

Raoul turned around, not waiting to see more. Instead he circled Goldenlake once more before returning. It was getting dark, and with it came a bitter, cold wind. When he arrived back at the castle supper was just starting. He slid into his seat beside Kel, hurriedly shaking snow off of his cloak and draping it over the back of his chair.

"Where were you?" Kel asked quietly so she wouldn't catch the attention of Raoul's mother, who was engaged in an in depth debate with his father.

"I decided to go out for a ride as well."

"Oh?" She asked, picking up her fork and spearing a carrot. "Where did you go?"

"Everywhere." Raoul shrugged. "Things have changed since I was here last."

"Oh."

When Kel didn't speak for several minutes Raoul touched her waist and asked "Is there anything wrong?"

"What? No, of course not." A smile immediately plastered itself over her face. "Why would there be?"

"I don't know. You just went all quiet there for a second."

Shrugging, she said "I was just thinking. I didn't see you when you went out, but if you went everywhere you were bound to run into us."

"Where were you?"

"We- Dom and I- found this pond and he insisted on skating. We spend most of the afternoon there."

"Oh," Raoul waved his hand in what he hoped was a dismissive manner. "I went by there and I thought I saw you two, but I didn't want to interrupt."

"Thanks." Kel said, then took a mouthful of meat.

She didn't say much for the rest of the meal, or later that evening in their chambers.

When they had settled themselves in bed Raoul kissed Kel gently on the mouth and drew away, propping himself on his elbow. He could only just see her in the dim light cast by the embers in the fireplace. "Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Raoul rubbed her arm.

At first Kel didn't reply, but then slowly she began to speak. "When you went to the skating pond how much did you see?" She asked.

"Nothing, really. Dom was racing around and knocked you over."

"Then what?"

"Nothing." More confused than other Raoul tried to see her face, but it was too dark. "I left after that."

Kel sighed. "I... I'm glad you didn't stay."

"Why?"

"Because," Kel pulled away from Raoul, sitting up and holding the blankets tight against her chest. "He kissed me." She whispered, hanging her head. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what he was doing and then I was so surprised, and by the time I came to my senses he had stopped..." She trailed off, looking as if she wanted to go on, but she didn't.

An oppressive silence fell over the room. Raoul opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Finally, swallowing dryly he asked, "Why did you have to tell me?"

"What?"

"Why," He repeated, "Did you have to tell me? You should never have told me. I could have gone on happily not knowing that, but now every time you're with him I'm going wonder."

"I'm sorry. I... I thought you'd want to know."

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked harshly.

"No! I yelled at him and told him never to do that again. I guess you didn't notice that he wasn't there at supper."

"Did he leave?"

"No. He just took it in the kitchen."

Raoul flopped against the pillows, glaring at the ceiling. He'd known Dom was up to no good. He'd ignored his instincts for fear of appearing jealous. Well, he was, and look what trying to hide it had done. He was going to kill Dom.

"Raoul?" Kel said quietly, cautiously. "Please say something."

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course I do," She turned, looking him straight in the eye.

"Say it," Raoul said, his voice harsh. "I need to hear you say it."

"I... I love you." She took his hand and Raoul closed his eyes, grimacing as if in pain.

There had been too long of a pause, too much hesitation. Damn, damn, damn! Why would she marry him, why would she say all those things if she didn't even want him anymore?

"Raoul, I do love you." This time she said it more firmly. "It will never happen again, ever. I swear. It should never have happened in the first place. Please," She begged laying down beside him. "Please forgive me."

"You know I would give you anything." Raoul said, sighing heavily. "Including forgiveness." He rolled over, his back to her.

Kel huddled against him, her arm around his waist. "I do love you." She whispered.

When Raoul awoke the next morning he found himself with his arm around Kel, her head resting on his shoulder.

Must be habit, he thought bitterly. He slowly pulled away, but something on her arm caught his attention. There was a small, pale bruise that he didn't remember being there before. He touched it gently, anger boiling inside of him. She'd probably gotten it when Dom knocked her over. How dare he hurt her! Raoul thought furiously to himself, ignoring the fact that he had given her hundreds of huge, painful bruises in the past.

Kel stirred and he pulled away. He didn't want to be there when she woke up.

For the first time since he had arrived at Goldenlake Raoul was early for breakfast. He was just settling down when Raoul saw Dom furtively sit in the back corner of the hall with a steaming bowl of porridge.

Before Raoul had time to even think about what he was doing he found himself standing in front of Dom.

"I didn't think you would be up yet." Dom said, setting his bowl aside. "How are you this morning?"

"Just splendid. May I talk to you outside?" Raoul demanded.

Dom warily got to his feet and followed Raoul out into a lesser-used hallway. "What's this about?"

"You know damn well what this is about." Raoul growled. "I'll give you five seconds to explain yourself."

"I'll be out of here in less than an hour." Dom said. "If it's all right with you I'd like to finish my breakfast first." He turned to leave before Raoul could say anything.

"If you even think about touching her again I'll see you in the jousting courts." Raoul warned. He wanted nothing more than the beat the living daylights out of Dom right then and there, but it wasn't honourable. Besides, Kel probably wouldn't appreciate it at all.

Dom paused at the end of the hallway. Though his voice was quiet it carried easily through the air. "She'll leave you eventually, you know. She's going to want someone her own age."

Honour or no, Dom was going down. Now. Raoul approached, slowly, deliberately, but when he had almost reached Dom Kel came around the corner.

Raoul saw her taking stock of the situation, her commander's mind deciding what to do next.

"I think you should leave." She told Dom, her voice cold.

He made his escape and Kel approached the fuming Raoul. She opened her mouth to speak, but a servant came rushing down the hallway.

"Lord Raoul, do you know where his Lordship is?" He asked hurriedly, referring to Raoul's father.

"I haven't seen him." Raoul struggled to regain his calm. "Why?"

"The storm, sir." The servant said. "Last night- didn't you hear the wind? It snowed again and most of the doors outside are jammed tight, but I managed to get out and the stable's collapsed."

"Check in his quarters. I'll be out in a second." Raoul grimly headed towards the door, his anger at Dom temporarily forgotten.

Kel hurried after him. "We should get cloaks," She said. "We don't want to freeze."

She was right, of course, so they hurried to their room, bundled up in record time and got back downstairs within minutes. The door outside from the kitchens was the only one that could be opened. People scurried in and out, fetching shovels.

Outside it was complete chaos. A few people worked to dig out the other doors while most were concerned with the stable. There were few sounds other than shouted orders, though when the wrecked stable shifted there were a few equine screams.

Raoul and Kel immediately threw themselves into the frenzy. Clearing snow off of the building, then carefully removing pieces of wood until there was a space large enough for a horse to come through.

As soon as the way was clear Peachblossom, his hindquarters smeared with blood, came thundering out. Behind him the horses struggled to get out of the narrow space. Hostlers darted in and out, avoiding flying hooves until all of the surviving horses were freed from the wreck. There were only eight in all, including Peachblossom. They all had injuries of some sort, but they were mostly just scratches and shallow surface cuts. Hoshi and Raoul's horses hadn't made it.

"You're so brave," Kel said quietly, stroking Peachblossom. "You helped keep all the horses still, didn't you?"

"Kel," Raoul said, tiredly. "We're not done yet. There might be some healthy horses still trapped in there."

"Be good," She told Peachblossom, leaving him with the rest of the horses who were under the watchful eye of a stable boy.

The remainder of the day was spent clearing away the wrecked stable and tearing down any walls that were still standing. Only one other horse was found alive, the rest had been crushed or so badly hurt they had to be killed.

At supper Raoul sat silently, completely numb. He was still enraged with Dom, but the horses had been a terrible loss. Drum had been a good horse, one of the best he'd had, and now he was dead because of a blasted storm. And, of course, Dom couldn't be expected to make the journey to Corus in this weather. His horse had probably been killed anyway.

Nobody said much that evening and when Raoul went to sleep it was with Kel in his arms. The events of the afternoon had shown him there were more important things in life than stolen kisses.