A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews.

Sunkissed guacamole: I think you'll survive. But here you go. (Geez, some people are vultures.) Just kidding! Please R&R! elemental-girl: I like to think that something in Neal's Ordeal made him realize that he loved Kel. Thanks for reading! Nutz Nina: Well I didn't want to do a very long out take from the book. But now that I really think (something I find difficult) about it, you're probably right. Thanks for R and Ring. I appreciate when people tell me what they truly think. And I won't chain you up. pinky: Yeah, Neal is great. Please keep reading. x17SkmBrdchiczxx: Yay fluff! Keep reading please! thingy of um thingyness: Here you go! Thanks for reviewing. nativewildmage: Happy dances are always good. Thanx for reading. The Hobbit Lass: I'm glad that it's original. It's hard to read the same story over and over again. Keep reading! limegirl62: Are you dead? I sure hope not. (I'd like another review!) Um, I mean, your health is very important. Here's the next chapter. Justcallmebubba: Yeah, it was kind of fast, but the chapter spanned 2 years. queen-of-sapphires: Thanks! Please keep reading. ratherbswimmin: Thank you for reading and reviewing.

To All: IRRELEVANT TO THIS PARTICULAR FIC (Just pretend like this paragraph is a billboard.): My sister and I have just published our first chapter of our first story together, under the pen name "LADIESofQUEENSCOVEandJESSLAW. And my sister (trollseatfish) uploaded her first story. We'd love it if you'd R and R.

To All: VERY RELEVANT TO THIS FIC: This is the last full chapter of this story. All that's left now is an epilogue, which will be up shortly. I have another story in the works, and that will also start soon. Thank you for reading. –LOB

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Terms of Devotion
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Chapter Five
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Midwinter
461
Corus
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Nearly two years after her Ordeal, Kel rode back into Corus. She had completed her mission: the nothing man was dead. The road had been long and weary, but at last Kel was coming home. It was odd that the palace seemed like home.

But Kel had spent the better part of her life there, with her friends. And Neal.

Now their wedding was upon them. Through letters, Neal's mother, and Lalasa, her former maid, Kel had managed to plan the wedding between her duties at New Hope. When she would collapse at night out of weariness, Neal took over for her.

Lalasa, of course, had designed a dress for Kel, asking over and over again for her measurements, although they did not change.

Kel was ready to settle down for awhile. War was not what she had dreamed of. She had seen more kraken then she ever wanted to see in ten lifetimes, much less two years. And Neal had healed more refugees than he had formerly believed was humanly possible.

As they rode into the palace that they had missed so greatly, Neal and Kel smiled at each other.

…..

Neal's arm was around Kel's waist, his other hand holding hers. But she didn't feel the least bit romantic. In preparation of the wedding, Kel had to learn something she hadn't ever thought would be useful- dance.

Owen held Kel's glaive. With the base of it he tapped a rhythm of a waltz on the floor.

"One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three," he bellowed. "Back straight, two, three, eyes forward, two, three, spin, two, three!" Kel stepped on Neal's toes for the thousandth time.

Her hands went up to her face in frustration, and she turned away, breaking free of Neal's grip.

"That's it! I will never learn to dance!"

"You know the men's part just fine," Owen said.

"Because that's what pages are taught. Lord Wyldon didn't think give me special instruction in that area," Kel said ruefully.

"Owen's right, Kel. You can be taught; you learned to lead just fine," Neal said.

"Then you take the ladies' part at the wedding," Kel said stubbornly, sitting down with a cup full of cool water. She didn't think that she would ever work up a sweat on the dance floor. Feet appeared in her view.

"Stand up," a voice commanded. Kel looked up into the face of the Lioness.

"You'd do well to obey," Neal mumbled from across the room. He was well acquainted with Lady Alanna's wrath.

"I had the same problem after eight years of pretending to be a boy, and who knows how many years after that with no practice." Kel reluctantly stood. She didn't want to step on the feet of the realm's greatest knight. The Lioness gripped her and nodded to Owen, who began to tap the glaive again.

"Now Kel. 'Tis not that difficult. One, two, three," Alanna said. Kel felt her toes under her own. She started to pull back, but Alanna's grip was like iron. "Keep going. George walks all over my feet when we dance; my toes are steel." Thinking of the Lioness and her husband dancing at a formal event, Kel once again moved forward when she should have taken a step back. "Stop watching your feet.," Alanna chided. "That's your problem. Shut your eyes. Feel the beat of the music."

Kel closed her eyes and pulled the rhythm and the order of the dance steps into her head. She counted silently with Owen until the beat of the glaive stopped.

"Open your eyes, you've done it," Neal said. Kel obeyed, and looked up to see his grin. Alanna stepped away, giving Kel's hand to her former squire. She tilted her head to them both and left.

Kel smiled to herself as Neal led her through the dance steps once more. But the lesson did not last long. Only days were left until the wedding, and Kel was surprised to feel nervous tension building up inside her.

…..

"Do you, Keladry of Mindelan, take this man, Nealan of Queenscove, to be your husband? Do you swear to love, honor, and obey him until death?"

"I so swear." Kel answered the priest quietly. Neal's eyes sung as he stepped towards Kel and gently brushed her lips with his own. The cheers of Merric and Owen rang out above the others in the crowd. Kel broke away, blushing behind her grin.

Many of Kel's friends were present, Prince Roald, Shinkokami, his betrothed Yamani princess, Iden, Warrick, and Lalasa among them. Raoul and Buri and the Lioness and her husband patted Kel and Neal on the back. Anders skirted the crowd, avoiding Kel. Neal's parents glowed with joy, their hope of an heir for their son restored.

After the banquet, Raoul, Owen, and others who had had too much ale began to call for a dance. Kel grinned as Neal walked around her chair to help her to her feet. Yards and yards of white, shimmering fabric were made into her skirts, and she had trouble managing them.

Neal knew this. He smiled at Kel as he led her onto the dance floor. Visions of her in breeches and tunic, running across New Hope played in his head. He could hardly believe that this delicate lady, flowers in hair, could ride the meanest horse in Tortall and twirl a heavy Yamani glaive as if it were a toothpick.

But onlookers couldn't tell. To them, Keladry of Queenscove was the perfect wife. If only she'd give up her crazy escapade of knighthood.

Kel smiled at Neal, blocking out all the people around her. Kel was happy. Neal would let her be her own person. And he had sworn to Kel that Mindelan would be safe. She felt like the luckiest bride, getting the best of both worlds. But as she pondered the turn of events she realized that, in a weird way, none of this would have happened without her brother.

After the first song, Neal asked his sister for a spot on her dance-card, and Kel went to find Anders. He was sitting with Conal and Inness and Kel's sister-in-laws. She smiled warmly and thanked them for their congratulations. Then she turned to her oldest brother.

"Since I have been robbed of my father, will you give me the honor of a dance?" Kel asked. Anders stood and smiled.

"Of course, Keladry." They danced in silence. When the waltz was nearly done, Kel looked up into her brother's eyes.

"After our parents died, and you arranged this marriage, I was very angry. I treated you like an enemy. I'm sorry. It was wrong of me," she said quietly.

"So you'll be happy then?" Anders asked.

"Yes," Kel said, glancing across the room. Neal was dancing with his sister's six-year-old daughter, Willa.

"Well, now that I'm sure of that, I should attend to my wife," Anders said, bowing. He stepped forward and kissed Kel's hand. Then he turned and walked away.

"Anders?" Kel called behind him. He stopped and looked back at her. Kel glanced once more at Neal, who had lifted little Willa into the air for a spin. He felt Kel gaze and locked eyes with her. Kel grinned and returned her eyes to her brother. "Thank you."