Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character or places

Kel woke up to see a pair of worried sparkling blue eyes. She tried to say something but only croak came out. Dom then took a water skin and lifted it to her mouth and she drank readily. After having her fair share of water she asked Dom "What happened?"

"Well this assassin tried to kill you... nothing to worry about" he informed her.

She glared at him, of course he would make a joke of the situation. He wouldn't be Dom if he didn't. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Just a week" he told her "you didn't really miss anything," she snorted at that "well apart from Raoul almost strangling the man, then George yelling at him he needed the assassin alive, and well Neal was so furious he was shaking. The lioness also tried to kill the assassin and knocked him unconscious."

"I didn't miss anything?' she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know you look like My Lord when you do that. It's a little weird" he informed her.

She raised her other eyebrow "Now you look like the Meathead"

She pretended to be hurt "Me, like meathead? That is an insult!" she cried.

He chuckled. He then glanced around the infirmary. When he spotted no one, he bent his head toward her and rested his forehead against her "I was afraid I was going to lose you" he whispered as he gently brushed his lips against hers.

"Never scare me that way again" he ordered her.

Just then Neal and Lord Raoul walked in. Neal raced across the infirmary and flung himself on Kel and gave her a hug. "You're Up!" he cried.

She laughed at his antics. Then Lord Raoul moved in and gave her a bear hug. "You scared me there!" he informed her.

"We have splendid news!" cried Neal "The war is OVER!" As he said that, he did a little victory dance. Which looked...ridiculous. Kel laughed at him. She looked over at Lord Raoul asking for more information.

"The Scaran noble demoted Maggur" he informed her.

"How?"

"The usual way" said Dom

"Which is?" she asked.

"By separating head and body" said Neal. Kel gulped. "Oh" she said.

"Don't worry about it Kel, everything is fine!" said Dom "we are no longer at war and... we're going to Corus in a week!"

Just then the sparrows zoomed in and fluttered around Kel's head. "I'm fine" she informed them. Arrow perched on her shoulder and gave her an affectionate peck. She stroked the birds belly, until Jump jumped on the bed. He licked her face with his rough tongue. She laughed and petted his head in return.

She looked up to see Neal, Dom and Lord Raoul watching her with affection. The affection of a brother, a lover and a father. All that was missing was the affection of a son. Which was given to her when Tobe walked in and buried his face in her stomach "I was scared you wasn't gonna come back" he informed her. All the education and grammar she had tried to teach him was gone due to his emotions.

"I'm fine" she told him "Look at me"

When he raised his head and looked her in the eyes she whispered so that only he could hear her "I love you so much, son. I couldn't ask for a better son"

He looked at her "I love you too" he informed her.

She smiled. She then looked up and saw that the man had left her and her son alone. "Tobe?"

"Yes" he replied.

"How is everything going with Daine?"

"Great!" he replied with enthusiast "I can actually talk to the horses now. In sentences. I love them! They tell such interesting stories! Like did you know that Owen actually asked Lady Analynn to marry him?"

"What?" she asked shocked.

"Yeah, he did and they'll announce it when we get to Corus, he proposed in front of Heart, Lord Wyldon's horse" he informed her. "I do not understand why Sir Neal calls Lord Wyldon the Stump, because milord Wyldon is one fine man!"

Kel raised her eyebrow at her son "I mean, I don't understand why anyone would have anything against him. He treats his horses so well." He corrected himself.

Kel laughed.

"Thank you, young Tobe" said Lord Wyldon from the door.

Tobe and Kel looked up. Tobe walked up to him "May I groom Heart?" he asked the lord.

"Say please Tobe" reprimanded Kel.

"Please?" he asked.

"Of course you may" answered Lord Wyldon.

"Thank you milord" he said as he skipped out of the room.

"He's quite devoted to you" said Lord Wyldon.

She smiled. "He means so much to me" she whispered.

"I guess you have heard we are leaving for Corus soon?" he asked her

"Indeed" she replied.

"You should know that you are quite a hero now, and you should be ready for a hero's welcome" he told her.

"And the man who tried to kill you was tried and executed. He was the last attempt of King Maggur."

She smiled "I'm glad the war is over" she said.

"We are going home" he told her with a smile. Kel was shocked. Lord Wyldon, nicknamed the Stump, had smiled.

"You are no doubt wondering what will happen for New Hope?" he asked her.

She smiled sheepishly "Am I that easy to read?" she asked.

"It is apparent you love them. They are now officially a town, under the wing of the headwoman Fanche and her fiancée Seafas" he told her.

A week later found Lord Wyldon ,Lord Raoul, Lady Alanna, Neal, Merric, Seaver, Esmond, her brothers, Cleon and third company and many more people on the road towards Corus.

The way to Corus was... eventful. Especially with Third Company, they pranked everyone. Wolset had put worms in Lord Raoul's food. Dom put frogs in Neal's tent. Lord Raoul scared Alanna with the tiniest spider. Merric stole Neal's poem and recited them to everyone. Seaver and Esmond were pushed into a river. Merric had stolen Kel's tent (what no one knew was that Kel never slept under the stars but she slept in Dom's tent) Lord Wyldon was the only one no one pranked.

"We should steal Dom's tent!" exclaimed Neal.

"Why?" asked Conal of Mindelan.

"Because we already stole Kel's and she's been sleeping under the stars, now we should steal Dom's so he can keep her company!" he said while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Might as well steal one of their bedroll. So they are stuck sharing!" said Wolset. They all grinned at that.

"I swear I misheard you!" yelled Dom "But I could have sworn you informed me my tent is missing!"

"Well it is" replied Neal.

"Where am I going to sleep?" he asked.

"Under the stars, like Kel!"

Dom glared at his cousin. He turned on his heels and went to find Kel.

"It appears, my dear, that the tent thief has struck again!" he informed her.

"And who might be the unlucky one?" she asked with an evil glint in her eyes.

Dom sighed dramatically "Me" he said.

She smiled at him. "What are you thinking about Kel?" he asked. She just kept smiling "You'll see"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Kel sat up and grinned. Dom looked over at the tents to see Neal running out of his tent in what appeared to be undergarment.

"Dom!" he screamed. Kel started to laugh as Neal marched toward him. "I didn't do anything" yelled the sergeant. "For once it's ACTUALLY not me!"

Then Neal fell down in what appear to be honey. He then rolled down the small hill to land in... feathers.

Dom, Kel and the whole camp who had been woken up by Neal's scream were rolling from the laughter.

"Chicken!" yelled Wolset which made everyone laugh even harder.

"What did you do to get him out of the tent?" asked Dom everyone was gone back to bed. They were lying side by side under the night sky. Kel was all rolled up in her bedroll and Dom was all rolled up in Neal's. When Dom noticed he also didn't have a bedroll he stole Neal's.

"I asked Daine to ask the rats to crawl in his tent." She answered.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side!" he said back. She laughed. "Well you probably would be able to charm you way to my good grace again" she whispered.

Dom raised himself on his elbows. With a grin he said "I'm just that gorgeous eh?"

She laughed at him. "Of course" she whispered through tears of mirth.

"I knew it! You think I'm handsome!" he said. He was very aware of the hundred people who were listening in on this conversation.

"Don't let it go to your head!' she answered.

"How can I not? Here stands the most gorgeous lady knight and she thinks I'm handsome! Must be my lucky day!" he said.

"I'll tell Alanna you think I'm prettier!" she told him.

Dom glared at her "And I thought you liked me! But no you have to go and get me murdered!"

Kel laughed.

A few days later they arrived in Corus. People stopped what they were doing to cheer for the warriors who came back from the war. Kel was pretty sure she saw Wolset, Fulcher and Lofren wink at some pretty looking girls. She shook her head.

Once she reached the main street where the market place was and where most of the population was, everyone stopped talking. She was very aware of everyone eyes on her. She hid her blush behind her Yamani mask.

A small girl, about eight years old, ran up to Kel's side. Kel was grateful she was riding Hoshi instead of her mean-tempered gelding. Once the little girl reached her she handed Kel flowers. Kel took the flower gently and thanked her.

The small girl looked up at her and smiled. Then someone in the crowd yelled "Long live the Protector of the Small"

Only Neal, Raoul and Dom heard her groan. She hated that name. Why couldn't she have something more... hero-ish. Like the Lioness.

She shook her head as people cheered for her.

It took them the longest time to get to the palace, because everyone wanted a glimpse of her. Once they finally reached the palace ground, she dismounted. Tobe reached for her horse rein and led Peachblossom and Hoshi away, while she went to her rooms.

She quickly changed and headed for a bathhouse. She had been day-dreaming about this bath for a long time now. She sighed happily as the hot water covered her body.

After a while, some servants came in to wash. They nodded toward her and went in the pool and started to gossip.

"Have you seen her?" the blonde one asked.

"No, I was working" replied the redhead disappointed.

"I saw her!" replied the brunette "She was glorious" she continued in awe.

I hope they are not talking about me thought Kel.

"I don't see what is so special about her!" replied the other blond "I mean she's the Lady knight all right, but the Lioness is more famous, she's the King's Champion"

Yep, definitely talking about me thought Kel blushing slightly.

"Maybe the lioness is the King's Champion, but the Lady Keladry cares about us!" replied the redhead "Or didn't you hear about all the stories? How she went into Scaran and risked being declared a traitor to save her people?"

"Or how she risked redoing four years as a page to help her maid?" that was the brunette

"She asked the King to change a law so we had more right" said the first blonde

"You know Lalasaa?" asked the redhead

The second blonde looked startled "The dressmaker? Of course I know her, she is the one who is teaching us how to defend ourselves"

Kel smiled. She was so proud of Lalasaa.

"She was Lady Keladry's maid. It's the Lady Knight who taught her all the defence moves she is teaching us. And it's Lady Keladry who gave her the money to be successful"

"I didn't know" replied the second blond.

"And she is the one who ended the war! Didn't you see the new painting?"

"That was her? Wow, she must be quite something" she replied convinced.

"And have you heard? Apparently she is single and all her friend are trying to hook her up with a sergeant in the King's Own" At that they all laughed.

"She deserves a good husband!"

Kel thought that the way they looked up to her was ridiculous.

Then the brunette looked at Kel "Hi, I'm sorry we are so rude to you! I don't recall seeing around! What is your name?"

Kel blushed at that "Kel" she replied.

The redhead looked at the pile of clothes beside Kel and saw the owl and the glaives. "Of Mindelan?" she asked incredulous. The three other woman stared at Kel openly now.

"Well, yes" she replied shyly.

The four servant came over to her quickly. They took in her appearance and her dirty hair (she hadn't gotten around to washing it yet). The red head took the shampoo and moved behind Kel and started to wash her hair.

"Thanks, but I can wash my own hair" said Kel baffled.

"No, no! We'll do it for you" Then the other three servant started to help her get clean and scrub her back.

"Er... Thanks" she whispered shyly.

"Not use to being treated this way?" asked one of the blonde.

"No, not at all. I usually bath alone or in a river" she replied.

"Tell us about the New Hope Fight please!" begged one of the servant. "Oh, I'm Maria, this is Lucy" she said pointing at the first blonde "this is Leia" she pointed at the other blond "and this is Alice" she finally pointed at the redhead.

"Nice to meet you all" she told them. She then proceeded in recounting the story of her fight at New Hope.

"So you didn't actually defeat a giant on foot, with only a dagger?" asked Alice.

"No that was exaggerated!" replied Kel laughing.

"Will you come back here tomorrow?" asked Leia.

"Yes"

"We'll see you then!" replied Lucy

"See you" she said as she headed to her rooms.

Later that night she was cuddling with Dom in her bed.

"How was your day?" she asked him.

"It was pretty good, me and Third company went to the Jugged Hare"

"Why?"

"We always do, whenever we come back to Corus we treat ourselves with a good meal" he told her.

"Anything interesting happened?"

"Well, the people asked us if we knew who 'sergeant Domitan of Masbolle' was. Then all the men pointed at me. I asked them what they wanted but they told me they didn't need anything so I shrugged it off. But they watched me the whole time. It's later that night that I...euh...overheard..."

"You eavesdrop" she put in

"As I was saying, I overheard them talking to Wolset and asking if I was worthy of the Lady Knight"

Kel blushed. "How do they know we're together? And why do they care?"

"They want to protect you love, and they don't know we're together, they just heard about the bet"

She frowned. "Don't worry about it, they all love you" he said as he kissed her. She forgot what she was about to say to him when he slipped his hand under her shirt. She lost all train of thought when he removed her shirt and then his.

"KEL" someone screamed as the knocking on her door grew louder. She opened her eyes to see Dom peacefully sleeping. Then someone knocked again. She grabbed Dom and his clothes and shoved him in her privy. She put on a nightdress and opened the door. "Neal" she said.

He looked at her. "There's a ball tonight and you have to go!" he told her right away. She sighed. "Couldn't it have waited until I was awake?" she asked.

"Well I guess" he said "But Kely woke me up and Yuki wanted me to tell you she is expecting you at noon! And that you have the remaining five hours to find a date. We would suggest Dom! See you!" he waved as he left.

Thank you for all the amazing reviews!! :) I find that this chapter is not as good as I would like, but I decided to post it anyways! So please tell me what you think and what I should do to improve! I love critism! (I also love loving reviews eheh!)