The look on his face told Kel everything. "They want you to leave the Own," she whispered, shock coursing through her veins.

Eyes downcast, Dom nodded his consent. Looking up, he pushed the gold band toward Kel as he said, "I would do anything for you, I hope you know that."

Her lowing lip trembling, Kel slowly ran the wedding ring through her fingers. "I can't ask you to give up everything you've ever worked for, just so I can gain." She shook her head, "I can't do that to you."

Dom pulled Kel into his lap, "A life in the Own is worth nothing compared to a life with you." Gently he stroked her hair, "Not being with you is what hurts me more than anything."

"Raoul said that I'll be honorably discharged, so it's really not that big of a deal," Dom said, trying to downplay the seriousness of the overwhelming news he was laying upon Kel.

Her breath caught in her throat, "Not that big of a deal?" Turning her body, Kel grabbed Dom by his shoulders and shook him a little, giving emphasis to her next question, "How can you say that?"

His eyes fell again, "I can't, not in honesty, you're right." Dom reached up and placed his hand over Kel's, "But it's something I'm willing to do, for me and for you."

The pain filling Kel's eyes increased, "Dom, you can't throw everything away, not for me. I'm not worth it." She paused, trying to form her thoughts into something cohesive, "I love you, but… I don't know if I'm ready."

"You're worth it to me," he wrapped Kel in a tight hug. "All I ask is that you think about it."

Gratefully, Kel leaned against him, "I will."

"That's one of the reasons I love you so much." After stealing one more passionate kiss from her lips and saying, "I'm going to go talk with Neal if you want me," Dom took his leave of Kel, letting her thoughts be the ones to keep her company.

Kel stood as Dom left her, her hand clasped over the lump forming in her throat, but when he shut the door she reclaimed a seat on her bed. Slowly Kel lowered her head into her hands as a headache began to throb within it.

Her voice was so quite Kel didn't even realized she was speaking aloud, "How can I ask him to give up his entire life for me?" As her headache grew, Kel buried her face in the pillow, "I can't, no matter how much I want to."

A sly voice slowly burrowed its way into her mind and began to chant, "He didn't ask you to. He offered to do it himself." The monotonous drone continued, filling every nook and cranny of Kel's brain and shoving everything else aside.

Even though she tried to ignore the voice, it persisted until Kel finally gave in. Replying to it she said, "But he won't do it unless I tell him yes."

As though she was upsetting it with her lack of sense, her inner voice asked, "Don't you think that proves how much he wants you too?"

OOO

"He actually gave you this?" Thayet asked, tension lining every muscle in her body as she reread the sheet of paper stretched between her hands, "When?"

"Last night, after we left Dom and I had escorted you to headquarters." The lord of Golden Lake and Malorie's Peak looked very uncomfortable, "I though our problems with Solan ended when he told me why he saved Kel and Dom, but now it's looking more and more like that's really where they began."

Although Thayet believed her friend, she told him something different, "When they started doesn't matter. What we do to fix them does."

Decisively, Raoul agreed with her, "Right. So, what are we going to do?"

Thayet paused, unsure of what to say. Finally, "I don't know," was all that came out.

Raoul laughed, and although it sounded a bit forced some of the tension that had been filling both of them eased, "Thanks Thayet, that was helpful."

With a grim smile she stood. Shaking out her skirts she replied, "Yeah, we have to figure out something, before it's too late."

An involuntary shiver tingled throughout Raoul's body and it chilled him to the bone, "I fear what 'too late' might bring."

As she was heading out the door and into the early morning sunlight, Thayet stopped to turn back and face Raoul, "So do I."

Starting to walk towards the sun, Thayet shot back over her shoulder, "I think right now the best thing we can do is go talk with him." When Raoul didn't catch up with her, Thayet stopped and began to tap her foot in the dirt, "Are you coming?"

"Your Majesty, I don't know if it's wise for you to see him." Raoul looked genuinely worried, "He may be unstable."

A no-nonsense look flitted across Thayet's face, "Don't start pulling that 'Your Majesty' crap with me, Sir Raoul. This could threaten my entire kingdom, and you expect me to sit back and let someone else take care of it for me?" The pace of her tapping foot increased, "Don't be stupid. Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Raoul said as he caught up with Thayet and ducked the small swipe she threw at him.

"Let's go talk with Solan."

OOO

Hearing the knock on his door, Neal heaved himself out of his chair so he could answer it. Reaching the portal he opened it to admit Dom.

"Domitian!" Neal almost jumped out of his skin at the prospect of finally getting some answers, "What in the name of Mithros was up with last night?"

With a gentle push, Dom got Neal out of his face. "Listen Neal, you and I, we need to talk." Dragging his feet like something was weighing him down, Dom made his way into the small kitchen.

From her seat at the table, Yuki saw Dom enter and immediately noticed that he seemed to be in no mood for small talk. She rose to made him a small cup of Yamani tea, adding to it some of the same calming powder she had given Kel not all that long ago.

Placing the beaker in front of the solider, Yuki left him with a silent squeeze of his shoulder in response to the small smile of gratitude he had given her.

Neal passed his wife in the doorway. As she walked by him Neal whispered into her ear, "Thank you for helping." All she did was give him a quiet smile in return before leaving the men to their conversation.

Laying claim to the seat across from Dom, Neal eased himself into it. "What's wrong?"

Dom cupped his chin in one hand and took a sip of his tea with the other, "I think I should tell you about what happened."

Neal was happy to get answers, but now he wasn't all together sure if he wanted them. Tentatively the healer picked up his own mug before saying, "Alright."

So Dom told him about everything that had happened the night before. "Raoul told me that Solan had told him a lot of things, and that because this information was so dangerous, he had to tell Queen Thayet."

He took another drag on his tea. Dom's muscles slowly began to ease up as Yuki's herbs were evidently beginning to take effect, "The only way he could explain it to her properly was to tell her about what had happened between Solan, Kel, and I in the forest. So, she found out."

"About what you told me when I was healing you?" Neal lifted his tankard to his mouth for another drink.

Dom nodded his head.

"They aren't kicking you out, are they?" Neal asked, outraged. "There is no rule saying that a man in the own can't have a lady, all it says it that he can't be married!"

Dom stifled a bleak chuckle, "No, it was the exact opposite of that."

"What then?" Neal questioned, longing for answers.

"Queen Thayet said that she would allow me to leave if I wanted, and Raoul told me that I would receive HDP if I did." Dom shrugged, his shirt rippling over the muscles in his chest, "They said I had years of loyal service to the crown under my belt, and that they would be willing to do it all for me if Kel and I wanted to be together."

"Honorable discharge with a pension…" Neal let out a small whistle in admiration, "That's some pretty significant stuff right there, and it's really hard to get."

"I know." Dom's voice seemed hollow as he continued, "I'd do anything to be with Kel. Anything."

"What's the problem then?" Realization slowly dawned over Neal, "Oh… Kel doesn't want you to give up your life for her, does she? She thinks she's not worth it."

"Exactly."

"So what're you going to do?"

"Wait on her answer," was the only reply Neal got.

I'm beginning to lay the plot lines straight! Yay for straight plot lines! I hope I'm started to un-confuse you guys. Well anyway, you know, RandR please!

Sull89