Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character or places
"Lass!" someone screamed.
The lioness dropped her weapons and ran into the arms of her husband. George bent her backward and planted a smacking kiss on her lips. After they had exchange a passionate embrace, he turned towards the cheering audience and bowed with the flourish of a player.
Everyone laughed at his antics. He then swept the lioness in his arms, bridal style, and carried her to their room. On the way out of the practice court he could hear the soldier making joke and wolf-whistle.
"Tell me all the news!" she ordered as soon as they were alone.
"What not even a greeting!" he puffed.
She smiled as she rose on her tip-toes to mash her lips against his. After he had, once again, swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed where he had showed her some love, he said "What do you want to know lass?"
"Where's Aly? Is she ok? Did you find her? What happened? Could she come visit me here? How is she doing? Is she..."
He interrupted her little rant "She's fine love! She in the copper island"
"What? Why isn't she home?"
"She wanted to stay there. You would be so proud of her. She finally found her passion and decided what she wanted. I've never seen her with so much fire and passion for a cause" he told her "but that cause is in the Copper island, and she is a spymaster to a rebellion."
"Spy? I told her she shouldn't be a spy! It's dangerous! She's my little girl!" said Alanna
"Sweet, it's what she wants and what she dreams about and she wishes to be there and finish the rebellion. She'll be fine! I'll send agent to look after her"
"I guess that's fine! I just wish I could tell her how much I love her and how much I miss her!"
"She knows you love her and miss her! Don't worry lass she knows!" he assured her.
"I can't help but worry" whispered the lioness.
"I worry about her too, but we have to let her follow her own dreams" said George.
"I know" she said. She was silent for a little while. "What is new with Scaran?" she asked after a long silence.
"Negotiation are on the way as we speak! The war is almost over thanks to Keladry!" he exclaimed.
"Keladry?" she asked, unsure has to why the young Lady Knight was the reason the war was ending.
"Yes, the Lady Knight" he told her "the fight of New Hope was a test against our nation. Maggur sent thousands of young green men, if the outcome would have been a defeat of New Hope, the older most experienced Knight would have stepped in and finished the war. However Keladry defeated the army, and she was extremely outnumbered. The scaran are now scared of her. The soldier are refusing to fight because they are afraid of her."
"They are afraid of her?" she asked
"Extremely, not only did she go into scaran to kill Blayce but she also lead 350 men to victory against an army of 1500. " he informed her
"So Maggur will give up, just like that?"
"Of course not. That's the reason I'm here. Maggur is 'negotiating' for the peace because the people do not want to fight against her. However he is sending assassin to kill her. The moment she is dead the negotiation will come to a stop and the war will continue. I am here to ensure she stays alive"
"I'm so proud of her" whispered Alanna "I couldn't off asked for a better second Lady Knight"
"She's quite something. Corus is now decorated with her colors. The people love her. You are the King's champion but she is the people's champion." He said "What is new with here?"
"Like you don't know!" she replied.
"But I'd still like my lovely wife to inform me of what she had been doing recently." He told her with a grin. He looked into her purple eyes and kissed her nose.
She laughed. "Well we are on a mission to get Keladry and Sergeant Dom together" she told him "You should help us. You are sneakier than anyone else!"
"Sneaky eh? I resent that" he informed her.
"Please" she pleaded with him.
"Fine I'll help" he told her. She thought he was sneaky, well he was going to be sneaky then.
Kel opened the door and looked down the halls, spotting no one she signalled Dom he could leave. They were still trying to fool everyone. It was so funny. They were getting so flustered and annoyed it was ridiculous. Dom stole a kiss before striding down the hall.
When he rounded a corner he came face to face with George. Swallowing loudly he said "My Lord Baron, it's so nice to see you"
"So I see, would you accompany me on a tour of the wall?" he asked politely.
"It would be my pleasure" replied the younger man.
As they walked around the fort George asked "How long have you been with Keladry?"
"I don't know what you mean, sir" he told him.
"I'm the spymaster sergeant, I know what is happening! So how long? "
"A while" he answered evasively.
"Well then, I have a few things to say. First can I help you?" said the spymaster
"With what?" he asked
"Fooling them. It's obvious that you guys are trying to confuse them and show them you aren't together. But that last attempt almost worked. "
Dom remembered how he had been told Kel had been missing by Daine. Dom didn't know that Daine was trying to hook him and Kel up, so he had searched the forest around the Fort for hours. The men had also looked for her. His squad had decided to split off in team of two to look for the Lady Knight. Wolset had been paired with him. Wolset had needed to relieve himself so he had told Dom to go on without him for a little while. Of course he had stumbled across Kel when he was alone. He had almost swept her up in his arms and kissed her. He also noticed that she had been about to jump in his arms. They had refrained once they saw in the corner of their eyes that Neal was in the tree spying.
He had later learned that Numair had told Kel Dom was missing. So now Kel and Dom didn't trust anyone. They were all against them.
"You want to help us?" he asked baffled
"Yes, it will be so entertaining."
"Of course you can help, we need all the help we can get." Said Dom
Dom then nodded his head to him and yawned. "If you'll excuse me" he said hoping to have a good night rest.
"Hold up! There is something else the matter" said George
Dom turned toward the older man. "What is it?"
"I need your help to protect the Lady Knight"
"She can protect herself fine! She is the greatest warrior" he informed George.
"I know that! But how would she fare against assassins? Maggur sent a few after her." George then explained the situation to Dom.
"Of course, I'll watch her back" said Dom.
"Everyone, welcome to the third GKDT meeting. We'd like to welcome our newest recruit, Baron George, Tobe, a couple randoms who thought they look good together and My Yamani blossom" said Neal.
Yuki took her fan out and whacked him with it.
"The next plan was to get them to go scouting together" said Lord Raoul.
"That won't be doable" said George.
"Why not?" asked Neal.
"Due to a recent situation the Lady Knight cannot leave the Fort without a full armed escort. She just received orders from the King. "
"Fine that plan won't work then" said Lady Alanna "What shall we do?"
"Well, Kel also got orders to write a report to the King. That report was to include the news from New Hope, Giantkiller, where her men are posted, a detailed report of her supplies and a lot more thing I don't know the use of." Said George.
"That'll take her DAYS to do" said Lord Raoul.
"He also asked her to have someone second everything she report, therefore someone needs to be with her and help her with the report." Said George "and technically Raoul should be the one to validate her report... However, the King wants a full report on Third Company and how Kel's doing has their commander. So I think that Raoul should dump the validation of Kel's report on a certain sergeant!"
"I'm all for getting Kel and Dom together, but I resent having to write those report" said Lord Raoul. He heard someone say "Suck it up" but choose the ignore that.
"I married the smartest man here!" cried the Lioness
"I resent that remark!" said Neal.
"Dom" said Lord Raoul has they watched the Lioness truly pound her old squire with her sword.
"Yes My Lord?"
"The king had ordered me to validate Kel's report, but I won't be able to do so because I have to write my own report on Third Company, so would you please stand in my place?" asked Lord Raoul.
"Validate her report?" he asked
"Just make sure she includes everything and so on, nothing to worry about"
"I guess I could spend a few hours helping her, but you owe me" he answered with a grin.
Raoul grinned back "More like a week"
'What?"
"To late you agreed! See you!" he said has he walked away.
Dom turned around to see several things at once, his squad snickering at him, Neal being chased around the practice court by Alanna, Kel's wink and George thumbs up.
He shook his head and resigned himself to several hours of writing report. He normally wouldn't have minded doing all the work with Kel, but they were definitely going to spy on them. So he couldn't even touch her. It was going to be a long week.
Later that night he found himself lying on his back with Kel partially lying on his chest. "I'm going to be helping you with your reports" he informed her.
"I know! Raoul told me! That means we won't be able to kiss or do anything interesting" she told him with a pout.
"It's going to be an interesting week" Dom told her.
Just then someone knocked on Kel's door. This, having occurred several times in the past few weeks, initiated immediate reaction from the two room occupants. Kel immediately pulled her clothes on and yelled "Just a second" while Dom scooped his clothes up and hid in her wardrobe. When Kel opened the door, she was completely clothed and her room looked completely empty.
"Hi My Lord Baron" she said when she saw who was standing outside her door.
"May I come in?" he asked.
She nodded and he went into her room. He sat in her chair. "You know the wardrobe is the first place people would think to hide" he told her.
"Well he doesn't fit... I mean I don't know what you are talking about" she recovered.
"Don't worry lass, I know you and Dom are together. And I'm willing to help you. You know the report? I have this charm that will let any mage who try to scry an image of you and Dom doing the work peacefully while you can do... something else" he told her.
"Oh thanks" she whispered.
"Did Dom mention the assassins?" he asked "Oh, and Dom you CAN get out of the wardrobe"
Dom walked out with a shirt on and some breeches. "Thanks, my lord" he told the Baron.
"No problem, both of you, please call me George"
"Yes George" they said together.
"Yes, Dom mentioned the assassins" she said.
"Then you are warned, now I'm sure you'll want to get back to your... previous activities" He said with a chucke as he rose to leave. "Oh, and the King and Queen are betting on you two"
"What? Who else?" they asked
"Do you really want the whole list?"
'Sure!" said Dom.
"Neal, Lord Raoul, Buri, Yuki, Alanna, Daine, Numair, Owen, Esmond, Seaver, Cleon, Conal, Innesse, Merric, Lord Wyldon, that one is weird, the entire third company, Prince Roald, Princess Shinkokami, Lady Hamane, Lady Iliane, Baron Piers, Sir Anders, Duke Baird, Fanche, Seafas, Loey, Gydo, Meech and all the children, Lalasa, the Lady Melody, Lady Analyne, Sir Myles, Sir Daniel the younger, Lady Danielle, Lady Dominic and Lord Daniel" While he said those last four her looked over at Dom.
"What? My parents and siblings are betting on me getting with Kel?" he said astounded.
"Indeed. Kel has become quite popular. She is loved everywhere. She is even more famous than my own lovely wife. The men are now dreaming of sweeping the Lady Knight away, the young woman of becoming sister with her while the mothers are hoping to have to Lady Knight grace their home and bear their names. You better watch out with matchmaking mothers my dear Kel"
"Thanks for the warning" she answered grumpily.
"What does that have to do with my family?" asked Dom, confused.
"Well your mother would love to be able to say 'My daughter in law Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle' and your sister would love to be able to say 'my sister is the Lady Knight'"
"Why aren't they kissing yet?" whined Neal.
Kel and Dom had been sitting in Kel's room for hours now. They were working diligently on the report. They were clearly flirting.
"ARGGG!"
"This is pointless, they'll never admit they love each other! And now all the money of the biggest bet in Tortall history is going to have to be returned" he kept saying.
"Neal!" yelled Yuki.
Neal turned to his wife and said "I know I'm being melodramatic" he sighed waiting for the shukusen to make contact with his head.
Which... never came. He glanced at Yuki. She was clutching her belly.
"We're having a baby!" he screamed.
Yuki glared at him "No, I'm having the baby, you don't get those painful contractions" she snarled.
He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm so proud of you!" he whispered. He then picked her up and rushed to the infirmary where a long labour happened.
Several hours later Neal was holding his baby girl. There was a crowd outside the infirmary that was waiting to lay eye on the little beauty. "What shall we call her?" he asked his wife.
"Well, I had an idea but I don't know what you'll think..."
"Shoot"
"Keladry?" she said timidly. Neal looked at his wife. "I like it! Kel will be so shocked!"
"Who shall we name godparents?" she asked.
"Kel?" he said.
"Good idea, and Dom? What about Shinko and Roald?" she asked.
"I like it!" He then started cooing at his little baby. "You're so beautiful! Just like your mom! I'm so lucky! You will be so spoiled little Kel!"
He then gave his daughter to Yuki to go open the door to his friends and family. Everyone loved the little girl instantly. He even caught Dom saying "I have no idea how Neal produced you! I mean look at you! I'll tell you a secret, you take after your mom!" Neal had rolled his eyes.
"What did you name her?" asked Alanna
Neal looked into Kel's hazel eyes "This is Keladry of Queenscove"
The shock on Kel's face was so profound everyone laughed at her. She then grinned when he announced that her, Dom, Shinko and Roald were her godsparents. She then picked up little Kel and whispered "I'm totally going to spoil you!" then Dom walked over and whispered to the sleeping baby "And I'll show you how to annoy your daddy!"
The next day Yuki and Neal just beamed at everyone and kept grinning down at their little bundle of joy. Finding that having to 'Kel' was annoying and hard they had dub the little one Kely.
However the birth of his daughter did not stop Neal in his quest to get Dom and Kel together. They still spied as they worked diligently on the report.
Daine had been missing for the last spying session. She had been in her room speaking to Kel's sparrows. Apparently, what was being seen in the magic mirror was not what was truly happening. The sparrows had told her that 'the nice one' was mating with the 'blue eyed one'.
She rose to go tell Neal and all of them of this new development, when George knocked on her door. He smiled gently at her. "I know you know!" he told her.
"You know?" she asked.
"Yes I know, and they know I know, but they don't know that you know."
"They didn't know the birds know?" she asked
"No, I know that Tobe knows, now you know"
"No one knows that I know? Then how did you know?" she asked
"No one know except you, me and Tobe, and the bird. Now that you know, we need to know that you won't say what you know. Please don't tell that you know" he told her
"Ok I'm getting confused. Can we just not use the word 'know'?" she asked.
George laughed. "Of course. Dom and Kel are trying to fool everyone into thinking they don't like each other. I also think they would rather enjoy themselves without everyone commenting on their relationship. I'm just helping them along, please don't tell anyone and help use out" he finished.
An evil glint came into her eyes "I'm totally going to help you out!" she said as she laughed evilly "Oh I can't wait to see their faces! Numair and Alanna are going to be so mad!"
"How long have they been together?" she asked.
"Want to know if you'll win the bet?" he asked with a grin.
"You caught me" she said.
"You didn't win" he informed her.
"Who did?" she asked
"Lord Wyldon!"
"That long?" she asked. "But it was said he had a lover at New Hope!"
George just raised his eyebrow and left her there.
This is going to be entertaining, she thought to herself.
George had left them a message saying that Daine knew and that she was going to help them. Since no one else but Daine could talk to animal it helped them a great deal. Sometimes Daine would say she had her animals 'spying' and report that nothing was happening. The frustration of everyone in the camp kept building has the week kept going. Everyone was hoping for at least one kiss between the two. But the mirror kept showing a platonic relationship.
Of course Daine knew that for most of the time Kel was sitting on Dom's lap while they worked. And their work kept being interrupted by kisses. More often than not their kisses would also lead to more.
"Welcome to the fourth GDKT meeting! Now we have to do something drastic because the two idiots cannot admit they are in love!" said Neal.
"We should embarrass them publicly. Or do a feet of magic that would leave them stuck to one another for a whole day. That would have to lead to something!" said Wolset.
Tobe and George exchanged a look with her. This was going to be fun!
After Numair had fallen asleep she snuck out of her room has a cat and asked the sparrows to come find her if he woke up. She made her way to Kel's room. She scratched the door with her paw. Dom opened the door to let her in. She saw that George was already there. Dom picked her up and scratched her behind her ears. "There he said as he set her in Kel's privy with a pair of breeches and a shirt"
She changed back to a human form. She put on the clothes and realized that Kel was much bigger than her. She had to tie the belt around her waist twice and the shirt was very baggy.
When she came back in the room Tobe had joined them. She had noticed before that Tobe had wild-magic but she had never been really close to the young man. She now realized he had a lot of potential. She'd have to talk to Kel about maybe training him.
Tobe, George and herself set out to explain the next outrageous plans to them. They all had quite a laugh at the crazy ideas of Neal. Even with a baby in tow he couldn't help to be extravagant.
Daine also noticed something she hadn't expected. Dom and Kel had shared he smile and a look. It was brief but in that short time there was something she had seen. Dom looked at Kel the way Numair looked at Daine, or the king looked at the queen, George looked at Alanna, Raoul at buri, Neal at Yuki. It was a look that showed love and affection. She then realized that it wasn't just a fling for him. It was love.
Daine struggled to wrap her mind around the thought of Dom being in love. She didn't know him very well personally but she knew of him. She had even made goo eyes at him before she had found love with Numair. He was certainly handsome and all the ladies at court knew that. Heck he couldn't be seen in Corus without a train of giggling ladies. He was the court most eligible bachelor. Yet there he sat with his arms wrapped protectively around Kel, looking as if he'd do anything she asked.
She also noticed the way Kel looked at her lover. It wasn't one sided it seemed. So it was love.
She asked Kel if she could train Tobe in wild-Magic and she had agreed. She was going to teach him tomorrow after his glaive practice with Kel. She wished the two lovebirds good night and went back to bed. Once she slipped in between the sheet she gently shook Numair awake.
He woke up with a start. He then looked into her eyes. She bent her head down to touch his lips with her own "I love you" she told him. He smiled at her. "I love you too" he said has he flipped her on her back. Daine just hoped that Sarra wouldn't wake up crying anytime soon.
The next day Kel woke up to feel something heavy across her waist. Wow I seriously thought that they would wait a few days, she thought to herself. She open her eyes to see her old knight master grinning at her. "Comfortable?" he asked.
"Mmhm" she groaned.
She wasn't going to admit it to Raoul, and it turned out Neal, Alanna, Yuki, Wolset and pretty much everyone else, that she was very confortable with Dom's arm wrapped around her. "What are you all doing in my room?" she asked.
"In your room?" asked Wolset "But Lady Kel you are in the mess hall!"
"What!!" she screamed as she jumped out of bed. Of course Dom fell out of bed and took her down with him with a loud THUD. She knew that Dom's arm was magicked and was stuck around her waist. "Ouch!" he yelled. Then he looked around "What in Mithros name is happening here?" he asked.
"Nothing" said Neal, while holding Kely.
"Uh" replied Dom intelligently.
"Dom get your arm off me" Kel yelled.
"I CAN'T" he yelled back "look I'm stuck" to demonstrate this he started pulling his arm away from her. She couldn't help it but followed his arm and fell backward.
She then glared at everyone "You will all pay for this once you remove this spell"
"No I think it's quite funny to watch this!" said Buri.
"I have to agree with that!" said Numair.
Lord Wyldon was standing to the side shaking his head. He couldn't help but notice how Dom and Kel were good actors. But it was obvioius that they were acting. Well to him anyway. He thought, once again, how everyone in the fort was blind. How could no one notice how Dom hand was lovingly cradling her waist?
He shook his head as he left the mess hall.
Neal was walking with Alanna and George when he spotted Kel. He went to wave at her when he realized what was wrong. "Where's Dom?" he yelled at her. Of course the baby in Alanna's arms started to cry. "I'll tell Yuki to hit you" said the lioness has Dom walked out. She was also baffled by the fact that they were separated.
"How did you two get separated?" Neal asked them.
Raoul, Wolset and Buri were watching intently to see why the newest plan had, like all the others, failed.
Dom raised his arm where Kel's shirt was hanging from. "Well we realized that it was Kel's shirt that was stuck to me"
Neal groaned. He seriously had thought they wouldn't figure it out. He grumbled has Kel smiled at him. "I think I need a jousting partner Neal" she informed him.
He quickly grabbed Kely from Alanna's arms and said "Can't, I have to watch your namesake"
Kel rolled her eyes has she walked away. "I'm not done with you!" she told him.
Then all of the sudden Dom jumped forwards and pushed a man backward. Everyone turned toward him has he started wrestling the man on the floor.
The man than whipped out a knife and threw it in Kel's direction. Thankfully Kel jumped out of the path. Unfortunately not fast enough. The knife buried itself in her arm. If she hadn't moved it would've hit her in the heart. Then Raoul snapped to attention and helped Dom hold the man down has Alanna rushed to Kel's side. She quickly pulled the knife out of Kel's arm and stopped the bleeding. Kel sat down on the ground hard.
"Go to sleep we'll take care of everything" said Alanna as the lady knight closed her eyes.
I hope you guys like it! Thank you for all the reviews! please give me feedback!