Thank you for all your lovely reviews. This is the penultimate chapter, so enjoy.

Kel opened her eyes. The sun was already climbing high in the sky. Carefully, she eased her aching body into a sitting position. She hated being bed bound. The door opened and her mother entered carrying a tray.

"Good morning, my darling."

"Morning, mama."

"I brought you some porridge and some willow bark tea."

Kel made a face. "Do I have to drink that stuff? It's vile."

"I have it on strict instruction from Sir Nealan."

Kel groaned and took a mouthful. "I'm going to beat Neal until his black and blue when I can fight again for making me drink this."

"That's the spirit," said Ilaine, sitting on the bed as Kel ate. "You must be feeling better."

"I am. Do you think I can try getting up today?"

"I don't know about that."

Kel put on her sweetest smile. "Please, mama."

"Let's see what the healer thinks. I don't want you pushing yourself."

"Would I do such a thing?" Kel asked wickedly.

"That's what got you in this mess in the first place," replied Ilaine.

"No it wasn't. I slipped that's all."

"Kel, Neal told me about the row you had with Dom."

"I'm not just going to beat that man, I'm going to kill him," muttered Kel.

"Don't blame Neal for that. I made him tell me."

Kel rolled her eyes. "I love having diplomats for parents."

"Kel!"

"Sorry mama." Kel looked at her mother. "Look, I don't really want to talk about it. I've already made up my mind what I'm going to do about it."

"About what?" asked Ilaine.

Kel shrugged. "Our relationship, I suppose."

"Keladry, are you going to tell me straight up what is going on or am I going to have to use my finest diplomatic skills to drag it out of you?"

"Fine," replied Kel gruffly as she stared at the wall. "I thought I was in love with him. But there was no point, so I decided to forget about him."

"Why?"

"Even if I really loved him, he's in the King's Own. I can't ask him to give that up for me."

Ilaine studied her daughter. Kel was still examining a paint chip on the wall. "What if he wanted to?" she asked.

"Why would he want to do that? If he has any feelings for me at all they're probably just a passing infatuation. He'll regret it one day"

Ilaine pushed her white hair back from her face. "How do you know?"

Kel shifted to looking out of the window. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'm not in love with him anymore."

"Look at me, Keladry," said Ilaine as she turned her daughters head to look at her. "Now tell me that you don't love him." Kel met her mother's eyes in silence. "There's no shame in falling in love."

Kel bit her lip. "I know, mama."

"So follow your heart and let Dom follow his. If you truly love him, you have to let him make his own decisions." Ilaine smiled gently.

Kel found all the fear she had so carefully suppressed was bubbling back to the surface. "What if he makes the wrong one because of me?" she said.

"Oh my darling, you can't protect everyone." Ilaine took Kel's bowl away and pulled her daughter close to her. "Sometimes you have to let go and just worry about yourself. There's nothing wrong with that." She looked down to see tears begin to roll down Kel's pale cheeks.

"I wish I knew what to do…" Kel mumbled

"You will," replied Ilaine and Kel burst into long hard sobs.

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Once Raoul gave the orders, rounding up the bandits had been straight forward and soon the Third Company was headed back to Corus. After the Scanran war, their numbers were severely depleted. Raoul declared that time in the capital was needed to recruit new men and to allow everyone to have some well earned rest.

Dom was busy unpacking in his room when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called.

Neal pushed open the door.

"Meathead!" cried Dom embracing his cousin.

"Still in one piece I see," replied Neal. "How was the bandit hunting?"

"Dull. Trekking through pine forests is not exactly riveting. What news from Now Hope?"

"New Hope is no more. We finished moving the refugees out last week."

"So does that mean out fair friend the Lady Kel is also in Corus?" asked Dom.

Neal's face fell. "You haven't heard?"

A wave of fear washed over Dom "Heard what?"

"Kel fell off the wall at New Hope."

"Mithros!" exclaimed Dom collapsing into a chair. "She's not?"

"No!" replied Neal hastily. "She only broke her leg, but she had to be sent home to rest."

"What?" Dom eyes were filled with worry. "Why? I thought you could heal broken legs?"

"I can heal a broken leg when the patient is at full fitness. Kel was exhausted. She'd been working too hard and sleeping too little."

"What? Why?"

"Ever since you two fell out…"

Dom swore. "Will she fight again?"

"She should make a complete recovery."

There was a long pause as Dom digested the news. "Does Raoul know?" he asked eventually.

Neal shrugged. "Not unless someone else told him. I haven't seen him yet."

"He'll want to," said Dom, getting to his feet. "He should be in his rooms. Come on."

Dom and Neal hot-footed it down the hall to Raoul's room. Thankfully, the Knight Commander was also still unpacking.

"Mithros!" exclaimed Raoul, after Neal had told him. He looked at Dom. "I was hoping you would be able to help me with interviewing candidates but…"

Dom looked puzzled.

Raoul sighed. "You didn't think any more about that conversation we had then?"

"What conversation?" asked Neal. Dom glared at him. "I'll leave you gentlemen to it shall I?" Neal said and left the room.

"To tell the truth, I couldn't think about much else."

Raoul smiled. "If you want to go and see Kel, I will give you the time off."

Dom thought about it. "Do you really think it would be a good idea?"

"If you know what you want." Raoul met Dom's eyes.

"I think I do." Dom paused. "I love her, Raoul."

Raoul smiled. "Then I think you have some packing to do."

"Thank you, Raoul, you've been a real friend."

"You'll make her a very happy woman, Dom. Good luck."

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