Lord Turomot struck his gavel down and attempted, to no avail, to bring the court to silence. Some were outraged; how could the king allow this? The danger of it! Others were relieved; the jury made the right decision, Kel was needed in Tortall.

Kel did not move. She was breathing heavily, her heart beating madly in her chest, her eyes blinking madly to stop the tears of relief from pouring out of them.

She searched with her hands for the chair behind her and sat before her legs buckled underneath her. She felt hands reaching for her from behind, patting her on the back. She ignored them.

Finally, after many moments, Duke Turomot finally brought the court to order. He did not look happy. "As I was saying," he said curtly, "Lady Keladry of Masbolle and Mindelan has been acquitted of all accusations placed upon her. She is a free citizen of Tortall, and is eligible for any posts or positions a woman of her stature may wish to uphold. She will hold no record."

"And," King Jon's voice came from beside Duke Turomot. He rose slowly and spoke in a clear voice. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes, though his face looked strict and serious. "Lady Keladry will be rewarded all of the purses that she is owed from previous… adventures." His smiled slightly at Kel, who did her best to smile back.

Duke Turomot nodded as the king sat again, looking slightly abashed that he nor the rest of the court had had time to rise as the king did. "Court is dismissed." He said clearly, bringing his gavel down weakly onto the desk.

Kel stayed where she was, deep in thought and retrospection. She felt an arm come to rest on her shoulder, and she looked up. Dom was grinning down at her. Kel could see his eyes shining from tears that he didn't allow to arrive.

Kel couldn't help but smile broadly as she saw him. She rose quickly and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

"For what?" Dom asked, hugging her tightly in return.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Just… thanks."

Dom kissed her. She held him tightly still, feeling the warmth radiating from him into her body, still cold from the icy Chamber.

Friends came and congratulated her, knights came and paid there respects to her. Finally, Kel was able to leave the courtroom. But she knew it would not be as easy as that. There would be people who didn't believe her. But there would be people who did. She did her best to shrug it off, and tried to concentrate on her conversation with Dom.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You don't look well."

Kel shook her head and smiled. "I'm just… tired. That was a bit of an ordeal. I just need to have a good practice with my glaive or maybe on Peachblossoms back, and then I need a good night sleep."

Dom wrapped his arms around her. "Are you sure?"

Kel punched him and rolled her eyes. "Sleep, Dom. I'm sure." She took him by the hand. "Come on, I have energy now. Come and practice with me!"

Dom groaned. "But that would hurt!"

Kel laughed. "You sound like Neal."

"Hey!"

Kel looked up to see Neal and Yuki walking down the hall towards them. Neal looked positively insulted, but Yuki was beaming.

"Congratulations, Kel," she said, giving her friend a hug "we knew you could do it. Lalasa said she's sorry she couldn't come see you, but she needed to get back to the store."

Kel nodded. "Thank you, Yuki."

"Yuki!" Dom said, standing up straight, "you will practice with my wife, won't you? I am really not in the mood to have the life beat out of me."

Yuki smiled. "I'm sorry, Dom," she said kindly, with a mocking little bow, "but I am afraid I have a previous engagement."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Yuki turned to him and winked. "Watching Kel beat the life out of Dom."

Kel sighed. "You know what would make this much simpler, and much more entertaining?" She asked. "Dom and Neal attempting to beat the life out of each other. There's some mystery in that one!"

Finally, she and Yuki managed to drag Neal and Dom out to the sodden ground of the practice courts.

"It's barely thawed!" Neal cried.

Kel shrugged. "It's good for you, Neal, and don't exaggerate. Have fun!" She said, leaning against the gate to watch. Three sparrows flew down and landed on her shoulder. She patted them lightly. They had been looking for her. "I'm not going anywhere," she cooed to them.

Before Kel even noticed it, Yuki called out, "loser sleep tonight!"

Kel laughed out loud. "Yuki!" She cried. "That's not like you!"

Yuki shrugged. "Kel, you may have been back for a while, but you were gone for a long time. People change. There's nothing wrong with that."

Kel frowned. "That's not what I meant, Yuki."

Yuki smiled warmly. "I understand, Kel. You've just got some catching up to do. You have been here almost a year, but that was different. You weren't you, people acted differently towards you." She nodded towards the two men, fighting in the middle of the ring. "Dom changed more than you could know. He's matured. He doesn't crack the jokes he used to, and he certainly doesn't flirt."

Kel smiled, thinking back to before she had left for Chatra. "He still flirted, even when he married me."

Yuki nodded. "But after you left, he barely even spoke to women other than Fhire and myself, unless he had to. Unless they were close friends of his, he deemed it inappropriate. He was determined to show that he wouldn't betray you." She looked at Kel warmly. "You did the same for him?"

Kel smiled. "Wouldn't dream of anything else." She shrugged. "I was never much of a flirt, anyway. Didn't suit me."

"Oy! Are you two going to pay any attention?" Neal called out to them, spreading his arms towards them, before Dom quickly hit him in the back of the knees, knocking him over.

-----

"What a day." Dom said after he came out of his bath, wrapping his arms around Kel from behind.

"You're wet." Kel said, curling into his embrace.

"Mmhmm." Dom said. "Hey, I won, do I get the prize?"

Kel smiled. "I never agreed to that."

"So no?" Dom asked. "That hardly seems fair."

Kel kissed him. "I told you, I wanted a good night's rest tonight." She kissed him again. "Though, I don't see why I couldn't go to bed early."

Dom chuckled, and Kel felt his warm breath on her face, felt the soft push from his chest as he expelled the air. She relished the soft hum she felt when he spoke, and wondered whether Yuki was right.

"Dom, have you changed?" She asked, looking up at him.

"What?"

"Have you changed so much since I left?"

"I thought you'd be able to see already."

Kel shook her head. "I don't know. I was so content just to look at you when I was hidden, and so happy to just be with you when you wanted to be with me."

Dom sighed. "I don't know, Kel. You know be better than I know myself."

"And you me."

"Exactly," Dom said, "so tell me, Keladry, have I changed?"

Kel touched his face. "It's hard to tell. You have more lines than you used to…" she smiled. "I'm just kidding, Dom. You're as beautiful as you ever were."

Dom raised an eyebrow. "That's not usually what a man wants to hear, but I shall be humbled and accept it as a compliment."

Kel kissed him. "I love you."

Dom held her tightly, pulling her even closer toward him. "It's good to hear that at least something hasn't changed."

With a sigh, Kel pulled away from him. "Come on, Dom, we should go to dinner. I don't feel like I should miss it tonight."

Don sighed exasperatedly. "Do we have to?"

Kel smiled. "Of course."

-----

Kel was correct when she said that missing dinner would be a bad idea. Raoul threatened both Dom's job and Kel's life when he told them to come to his rooms after dinner.

"But we have plans!" Dom moaned.

Kel punched him. "We'll be there, Raoul. You can just ignore him."

Raoul smiled. "Don't worry, I was planning on it."

As Kel tried to decide whether she was to change into a dress or stay in her tunic and breeches, Dom stood up. "I've got to go talk to Neal for a minute. I'll meet you there, alright?"

Kel nodded. "You have to tell me what to wear first."

Dom kissed her. "You're always gorgeous, love." He said, quickly stepping out of the room.

A few moments later, Kel knocked on the door to Raouls room. "Come on in, the doors open." Raouls muffled voice came through the door.

Kel opened the door and jumped. "Goddess, what in bloody hell are you people doing?"

Raoul shrugged. "Well, we thought it made sense to celebrate, you know, the fact that you're not leaving again…"

Kel frowned. "I don't want you making a big deal about me."

Dom stepped forward and took Kel's hands, pulling her gently into the room. "It's sort of too late for that, Kel. And you know that's not true. How lousy would you feel if no one cared that you were still among us?"

"You're making it sound like she almost died!" Neal wailed.

Kel frowned. "I thought I did."

Neal opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again. "Right." He said. "Well, we're happy that you didn't die. Isn't that good enough? I think you not being dead is good grounds for a party!"

Kel sighed. "Fine. We'll have a party, if we must."

Neal punched the air. "Finally!" He cried.

As much as Kel didn't want to be fussed over, she had a wonderful evening. Everyone she could ever want at a party was shoved into Raouls cramped rooms, including Neal and Yuki's daughter Andrea.

Kel was sitting contently in a chair by the fire, chatting with Alanna and Buri, when Andrea leapt up onto Buri's lap. "Well, hello." Buri said. "How are you doing, Andrea?"

Andrea grinned at her. "Very good, thank you!"

Buri grinned back. "You know, you really are too old to sit on my lap."

"I'm only nine!" Andrea protested.

"Ah," Alanna added, "but you will be a page next year. Let me tell you, you won't be able to sit on Buri's lap when she's training you at school!"

With a dramatic sigh, Andrea leapt off of Buri's lap and dragged another chair up to them. "How about this?" She asked.

Buri nodded. "That seems acceptable, what do you think, Kel?"

Kel nodded seriously. "Very knightly, I should think."

Slowly, Kel's friends dispersed from the room. Neal and Yuki left to put Andrea to bed, Lalasa left as she had to walk back to her home in the town, but many stayed late into the night. Everyone who supported Kel had tried to come into the city to see her trial, all of them afraid it would be the last time they say their friend.

Finally, at three o'clock in the morning, Kel dragged Dom back to their room, pleading insanity.

"That was a lovely party," Dom said as he undressed.

Kel nodded, stifling a yawn. "Wonderful," she said.

Dom grabbed her from behind again and kissed her. "I think this still counts as early."

Kel smiled. "I'm not too sure of that, Dom." She said.

He fell over onto the bed, dragging Kel on top of him. "Well look at that," he said, "we're ready."

Kel kissed him. "You are determined to make me sleep deprived, aren't you."

Dom nodded. "For evermore."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that, and I'm sorry it took so long!

HeartKel: teasing is mean. sniff see, I told you it would be happy!

Gray Eyed Fighter: I find it really interesting that you thought it seemed forced. I was trying to make it flow, but I think I went at it the wrong way. I think I also didn't know enough about the scenario, which would tell you why I didn't make it short enough… whatever.

Annmarie Aspasia: Dude, I know what you mean.

GrapeStarburst: Aw, thank you! (Wait, what's Mary Sue, again? I never remember what any of these things are….)

Smiles28: Thanks!

Rowenhood: See, the funny thing is, I still didn't tell you what the decision was. I'm a tricky one!

Wake-Robin: thanks! Ooh, spontaneous? Combustion? Spontaneous combustion? All at once? Yay!

Soccerchicj-08: yay for tension! And see, that was a tricky one. I quite enjoyed it. The Chamber said they would survive, right? And Kel staying means they will. But it seemed like they'd survive without her… ooh, tricky!

Mage Light: Should she stay or should she go…. Heehee. That reminded me of a Clash song.

Warrior of Destiny: I love making people cry. It means it worked. And I'm glad you liked it!

Jennyvre Moss: thanks!

Heartdamoose: thanks

Lady Crystaline of Jewel Cove: heehee, I'm just kidding, don't worry.

AJ 4EVA: thanks!

Allimba: Oops. Sorry. Glad you like it!

Sarah: thanks!

Jj: thank you very much for pointing that out. I was actually thinking of not killing him off because I knew that would happen. What with me having 6 Tamora Pierce fictions, I was so sure I was going to mix them up and think I had killed a character in one and it be the wrong one (I was convinced for a long time that I had killed Peachblossom in one of my stories, and it drove me INSANE trying to find it before I realized that it was an idea that never materialized). I will be sure to fix it. So yes, he is definitely dead. And pray tell, what is OOC? People tell me all the time, and I always forget. Or maybe no one has told me. Who knows. But I keep hearing it and OC, and I'm like OC? OOC? The shit? So yeah. And since I got an extra long review, you get an extra long response!

Alannalovingwriter: hehe… oops.

Well, I hope you enjoyed it… it was a little weak, but it gave some necessary information. I should have the next one up in this lifetime.

"I wish a robot would get elected president. That way, when he came to town, we could all take a shot at him and not feel too bad."

-unolimbo