Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places.
The villagers were very happy to have the King's Own to help them repair the town. The town had been totally destroyed. They started by tearing down any remaining building. The town had been set afire and all the current buildings were not safe.
Kel was trying to get an indignant Peachblossom to tear down a wall when Dom found her. "It's supper time sweet. And we need to organize something for the town people. They do not have homes anymore. And we may need more supplies."
She groaned as she followed him to the fire where meat was being cooked. Dom looked at her sideway and grinned. He then grabbed her hand. "I'm happy I can finally hold your hand in public places and not have to hide anything." He whispered in her ear.
She looked up at him. "I still have to appear professional!" she said with a grin.
He smiled back and said "Did My Lord look professional when he had us gallop to Corus to see Buri?"
"Well not really" she replied laughing. She remembered that moment too well. He had been separated from his lovely Buri and had raced back to Corus and forced poor Third Company to do it at full speed.
They reached the fire a few moments later. Wolset grinned and nodded at their linked hands. "That will take some getting use to" he said. Eveyrone turned toward the couple and grinned.
A rather red Kel took her food from Aiden, who winked at her and wiggled his eyebrows at Dom. Embarassed she stalked over to Hoshi and took some paper out. She then sat on a log. She was barely sat when Dom hauled her up and sat where she had been sitting.
She glared at him. He grinned and patted his knee, indicating she should sit on his lap. "It'll be more comfortable!"
She muttered about insubordinate sergeant as she sat on his lap. He bent his head and whispered in her ear "What are you doing?"
"Oh, a list of supply we need, I'll send in to the palace so they can supply us. And I'm making a small report about the state of the town so that Raoul is updated"
Dom just nodded and started to eat while she wrote supplies. The men of the King's Own were looking at them and snickering. She could hear them whispering and betting. She shook her head and kept writing.
Dom pointed over her shoulder at her paper "You should ask for more food than that. Unless you want to ask for more in few days. And you should also report that the pirates left some valuables, meaning they will come back. Also, you should add some fabric on the list of supplies"
"Fabric?" she asked "Why?"
"Well, most of the houses burned down, and with it, most people's possession. These people do not own anything except the clothes on their back. Women do not have the strength to rebuilt stuff yet, so we should bring in fabric so they can start making new clothes"
She looked at him and whispered "I'm glad you are here" It meant so much to her that he was helping her like this.
He smiled at her "Anything for you love"
Wolset snickered as he watched his sergeant and Lady Kel. She was currently sitting on Dom's lap and they were whispering together. They looked amazing together. Then he saw his sergeant look at the Lady Knight. That is when he saw it.
It was not a fling to him. Not at all. Never before had he seen Dom look at someone or something this way. It was love. His sergeant was in love.
He then thought of Lady Kel. She was one very special lady. At first everyone in the King's Own had been sceptical when Lord Raoul had chosen 'The Girl' as his squire. But she had shown them, time and again, that she could not only keep up with them, but she could lead them.
Lady Kel was a great fighter and an amazing commander. Very few people could make that claim. But what amazed him and everyone in Third Company was her love. She loved everyone. She cared about everyone. She did not discriminate and she showed love to all.
Despite all their qualm about her at first, they had come to love her. She was their Lady. She was one of them. If anyone said so much as a insult about her, they would fight. Just like all her year-mates and the Lioness and the Yamani ladies, and pretty much everyone she knew. But now, very few people insulted the Lady Knight. She had become respected. Only the few conservative still objected to her. But they couldn't help but agree, she had turned the war in their favour, more than once.
If anyone deserved love, it was the Lady Knight. As he glanced at the two of them again, he saw that she had the love she deserved.
Then Lady Kel raised her head up to kiss Dom on the lips. Of course he loved her like a big brother and Dom was the best sergeant he could hope for, he couldn't resist. "Get a room you two!"
Dom looked at him and smiled "There is no need to be rude just because you don't have such a lovely Lady"
Fulcher laughed "Well, Sergeant, I think he is pretty jealous!"
"I am NOT!" replied Wolset hotly. "No offence Lady Kel" he finished hastily.
The lady knight, thankfully, just laughed.
They had settled all the villager in tents and ruins. After Kel had put her tent up, she looked over to see Dom with a sheepish look on his face. As he walked over to her he said "Umm... I may... I mean... maybe... I forgot my... tent... sort off..."
She laughed "Was that on purpose or not?"
He looked at her "Well it depends how you look at it..."
"Come in sergeant" she said as she held the flap to her tent up so he could walk in. "Take your boots off"
He obliged. She turned her back to him as she snuffed out the candle. She then felt his strong arm snake around her waist. He bent his head down and kissed her soft spot, right below her ear.
He then whispered in her ear. "Mithros Kel, I love you so much" She smiled as she turned in his arms.
"I love you too"
Then unable to resist his lips anymore she kissed him.
"Dom?"
"Yeah?"
"Where did you sleep last night?"
"Where do you think?"
'Did you sleep with Lady Kel?"
Wolset, Dom's squad, Aiden's squad, Volorin's squad and Quasim's quad were waiting for his answer.
"Yes" he replied.
"Isn't it a bit... you know... soon? I mean she's not a court lady! She's Lady Kel!" exclaimed Lofren.
"Well, you may think it's too soon, because you learnt yesterday that we were together, while in fact we have been together for ten months now."
They grumbled for a little and then Quasim spoke up "Don't you hurt her"
"I would never" he said, all the while thinking here it starts. He knew perfectly well that he was a dead man if her ever hurt Kel. He'd have several people going after him and he knew he'd get a few threats. After all, she was loved by many including, everyone in Third Company, Lord Raoul the Lioness, Meathead, all her year mates, the Yamani Ladies, everyone at New Hope, Lalassa, the Wildmage, Buri and even Lord Wyldon and their Majesties.
A few days passed without any notable incident. Well except the prank that they all pulled on her, where they had fed her worms in her porridge. She had then, in a very unladylike fashion, spat everything out.
They had managed to rebuilt a inn that now served as a mess hall. The women had sewn several clothes for the people. They were now in the process of building some home for the people of Blue Harbor when the horn sounded. The pirates had come back.
"Arm up boys!" she yelled
They all reached for their weapons while she did some quick thinking. "I want half the company on the wall as archer. Light the arrows afire and try to hit the sails. The other half will be on the beach, trying to stop the pirates from coming ashore."
"Where will you be?" asked Captain Witheford.
"I'll be on the beach! Take care of the wall! If there is anything flammable, alcohol, lard anything try to catapult them onto the ship"
"Yes Miladay!"
She turned around and saw five squads waiting for her. Dom's among them. She donned her helmet and a chain mail and mounted Peachblossom, whom Lerant had saddled for her.
They reached the beach as the arrows started flying. She saw one arrow strike the sails of one ship. That ship was soon afire, it's occupant jumping in the water.
She lined her squads up so that the beach was fully covered. She saw Dom give her a look that clearly said "Don't do anything restless". She then looked at him with a look that she hoped look like "don't you dare get hurt".
They turned to face the water and they saw barges of pirates coming and landing on the beach. They met them face on, while their ships started to catch afire.
Kel fought alongside her men. Wielding her glaive she cut down anyone who came too close. The pirates were clearly outnumbered. They soon surrounded them. They took them as prisoner to be tried. Kel shuddered as she thought of the hanging that would be coming.
Thankfully, one man died in the fight, from Quasim's squad, and only seven men got hurt.
She made sure to visit them and tell them that they had fought bravely.
Dom found her later that night looking over the harbour. He gently held her against his chest. "You did wonderful!" he informed her,
"Thanks" she whispered.
"I always knew you'd be good!"
"You have no idea how much it means to me" she told him "you always believed in me and you always backed me up. It helped me a lot"
"That's why you love me!" he told her teasingly.
She swatted at his shoulder. "You tease too much!"
"That's another reason!" he informed her.
"You're right! You can always cheer me up, and I love you for it!"
He then became very serious and told her. "You mean so much to me Kel, I can't even explain it properly! I'd do anything to see you smile! There is no one else for me. You are my life now!" (A/N Disclaimer: This line belongs to Stephanie Meyer from Twilight)
She smiled as she kissed him, showing him just how much he meant to her.
"LOVER BOY!!" yelled Lerant, interrupting the moment.
"Lover boy?" she asked.
"My new nickname" whispered Dom, rolling his eyes.
"There you are, you have sentry duty now" said Lerant.
Dom nodded at him, kissed Kel and left for sentry duty.
Lerant then settled himself beside Kel. "I'm happy for you"
She looked up. They never had a very loving relationship. He had disliked her for becoming Lord Raoul squire and had tried to make her life miserable. It hadn't helped that she had witnessed him being humiliated during progress and worst yet, had interfered.
"Thanks" she said.
He looked at her. "I don't hate you" he said "I was just jealous. But now I've come to term with it, I'll serve under you proudly and gladly. I'll be a good standard bearer for you"
She looked at him "Well, I think that is a waste". He looked at her shocked.
"I just said I'd proudly serve you and you say that is a waste?"
"Not that, I mean the standard bearer part. You are as good as a soldier. Might as well make you one. Quasim lost a man. I don't have the time to recruit properly. I figured you'd do a fine private. Report to Quasim in two hours"
The look of gratefulness from his eyes and face was so profound she blushed.
He rose and hugged her "Thank you" he whispered. He had never been given a good chance. He knew deep down that he would always be grateful to her and to Lord Raoul. Raoul for taking him in; Lady Kel for giving him this chance.
When he reached the campfire he saw Quasim give him a smile. "Welcome to the squad Private Lerant"
He grinned. "Thank you sergeant"
"The Lady did a good choice. You'll pull more than your weight. I'm glad you finally got promoted."
They stayed in Blue Harbour for slightly over a month. The villagers were sad to see them leave. They had all taken a liking to Lady Kel. When they left it wasn't all play. As usual they encountered many immortals, bandits and brigands. They even saw a winged horse.
Kel then received a message from the King. They were going to come back to the Palace. They had to come back for Midwinter, which was a few weeks away, to attend the princess and the prince wedding. Kel had been chosen as one of Princess Shinkokami bridesmaid.
Thank you for all the reviews. And i'm sorry it took so long to update! I hope you like this chapter! :) Let me know how to inprove! Love you all!