Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places.
After unsaddling their horses, most of the men went to the Jugged Hare.
"Lady Kel? Are you coming?" asked Wolset.
"Well I have to report to my lord, but I'll come down after that" she said. The men, agreeing to wait for her at the restaurant, set off, Dom among them. Kel went to go see her old knight-master.
She passed by her room to drop off her (and most of Dom's) clothes. She still had her squire rooms. To her it still felt odd to sleep with someone, knowing that Raoul could totally just walk in. Setting aside the thoughts of Dom and beds and some stuff she shouldn't be thinking about at that moment she went into Raoul study.
Raoul looked up. "Guess what!" he exclaimed.
"What?" she asked rolling her eyes.
"I managed to convince Jon to change a law! It passed three weeks ago!"
"Which is?" she probed when he didn't finish.
"Sergeants, and men who have been in the king's own for over 7 years can marry!" he exclaimed, watching realization, then joy wash across her face.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really!" he assured her.
"That is so good! That means Dom can keep his position! Thank you so much my lord!"
"Go tell the good news!" he told her.
"Don't you want my report?"
"I can wait! But you know what I'll come down to the Jugged Hare with you and we can tell them they have the misfortune of keeping Dom"
"He is not that bad!" she said.
"Let's go! And you can give me the report tomorrow"
With that they set off towards the city. But as they neared the palace entrance they were intercepted by none other than Neal. "Kel!" he yelled and went about to hug her.
"It's so good to see you! We have your wedding all done up!" he informed her.
"Really?" she said.
'Yes!" he said "And I can't wait to see you in that dress!"
She groaned at the thought of the dress Yuki, Lalasaa, Alanna, Thayet, Shinko, Buri and her mother probably had made. Most likely full of ruffles and such.
"Don't worry it's not too bad!" said Yuki, having heard the groan.
"Sure" she said. "Well let's go! Do you guys want to come?" asked Kel.
"Where?" asked Neal.
"We just came back! Where does Third Company goes to when we come back?"
"The Jugged Hare! Let's go!" said Neal.
When they arrived Third Company was in the process of ordering a keg of beer. Kel spotted Dom across the room sitting at a table with Lerant, Wolset and Aiden. He nodded at her and patted the spot next to him. She went and sat beside him. "Ale my lady?" asked Wolset.
"She doesn't drink" said Dom to Wolset. "Lemonade?' he asked her.
"Please" she said, grateful that Dom had remembered that she did not drink.
She bent down and whispered in Dom's ear "I have some very good news for you!" she said.
He smiled his heart-robbing smile and asked what it was.
"You can stay!" she told him in a whisper.
"What do you mean I can stay?" he asked, baffled.
'In the King's Own!" she told him. She saw shock and then sadness in his eyes. She looked at him wondering why he was sad that he could stay in the Own.
"You won't marry me?" he asked sadly. She saw the desperation and upset in his eyes. Realizing that he assumed she wouldn't marry him and that was why he could stay she grinned and said "No! I should have phrased it better! "
Just then Lord Raoul stepped onto a chair. Someone yelled "Watch out My Lord, it my break!"
Lord Raoul glared at the man "Patrick, I may be large but I do not fall off or break chairs!" he replied with as much dignity as he could.
"I'd like to make an announcement!" he said. Everyone listened attentively. Kel saw that Dom was only half listening. Probably also trying to understand what she had meant.
"I got Jon, our wonderful and beloved king, to make some amendments to some law" he said. "Since you are all demoralized and unhappy with bachelorhood, we decided that men with the rank of sergeant or higher may marry. Also if you have been the in King's Own for more than seven years you can also stay and get married! So I'd like to congratulate our wonderful Sergeant Dom for being the first to marry and stay in the Own!"
Cheers erupted from all around. Dom just looked plain shocked. As he looked at Kel the shock was replaced with joy and love. He bent down and kissed her in front of everyone. Another round of cheers went up as they deepened the kiss.
"Get a room!" yelled Neal.
Dom broke the kiss and yelled back "Shut up Meathead!"
Kel smiled at him. "I'm so happy! I don't have to feel guilty because I made you quit!" she said.
"I'm extremely happy!" he said. "Not only am I marrying the woman I love more than anything, but I get to keep my job, stay in the world I lived in for over ten years, keep in touch with my friends and most importantly follow my beautiful wife around the world when she goes on missions to save everyone!"
"Why am I here?" she asked.
"Because we need to make sure the dress fits you!" said Lalasaa.
"But Lalasa, you have all my measurement I'm sure it'll fit like a glove!" she said.
"It's your wedding dress Kel" said the queen "we have to make sure it is perfect"
"It will be!" said Kel "Lalasaa did it!"
"We need to make sure it fits!" said Yuki.
"Now stop complaining and try it on!" said Shinko. Shinko had just announced this morning at their glaive practise that she was pregnant. It was new, no one knew, not even Roald. She wasn't sure how to tell him and had asked for their opinions. She was going to tell him tonight.
Kel went into the dressing room and tried the dress on. She had been right it had fitted like a glove.
She went out of the dressing area and the ladies all stopped talking to look at her. "You really have outdone yourself Lalasa!" exclaimed Daine.
"It's beautiful" said Alanna.
"You look gorgeous!" said Buri.
"Dom will sure love this!" said Shinko.
"Me and beautiful don't go in the same sentence" said Kel.
Lalasaa was now turning around Kel tucking and probing. Thayet took hold of Kel's hand and turned her around to let her face the mirror.
It was truly one of Lalasa's best. It was beautiful, she had to agree. It was a white gown. It fitted her torso, and actually lifted her breast, giving the illusion of beautiful curve. The dress then became smaller to hug her smaller waist. It dipped to her hip and flared out. Her shoulders were hidden from view into delicate small sleeves. A ribbon was tied around her stomach, the ends of it trailing down after her in a train. The top layer of the skirt had embroidery in it. She was small diamonds sewn into it that gave made it look like it was glittering.
It made her look feminine and pretty, something she only felt when Dom looked at her with that adoring look. Lalasa kept making small adjustements to the dress. Then Yuki, Shinko, Adalia and Uline were also in their bridesmaid dresses. Their dresses were blue and quite simple. But the simplicity had a beauty to it and they all looked gorgeous.
They didn't notice that the time was flying by and were startled when the door opened.
"Lalasaa?" called Neal. All the ladies looked horrified.
They heard the men approach the room they were in. "STAY!" yelled Lalasaa. The ladies listened as the men stopped in their track.
"Is something wrong?" asked Merric.
"No! Just stay there!" she yelled back. She was then set on ushering Kel into the dressing room to change while sewing a piece on the dress.
"What is going on?" asked Dom.
"Just wait like ten minutes!" screamed Alanna.
"Alanna?" asked Neal. "what are you doing here?"
'Being fitted to a dress" she replied.
"Neal, just stay there, or I'll whack you with my fan" yelled Yuki.
"My Yamani blossom! I thought you were suppose to be at the restaurant now! Didn't you have a fitting with Kel this morning?" he asked.
"Well yes" she said "but we just finished" she said "and Dom can't come here!" she said.
"Why not?" asked Neal.
"Because Kel's here!" replied Daine.
"What does that have to do with anything?" he replied confused.
"Dom? Can you hit him please?" asked Alanna.
Dom lightly punched Neal on the shoulder. "OW!" he yelled.
"I don't get it!" said Neal.
"Meathead? Did you see Yuki's dress before the wedding?" asked Merric.
"Well no" he said.
"Why do you think you never saw it?" asked Tobe.
"Ohhh" he said. "I get it!"
"About time!" yelled Kel.
"I am simply misunderstood!" he yelled back. Then the ladies all came out. Yuki went to Neal shaking her head and kissed him softly. "I left Kely with the nursemaid if you want to see her" said Neal.
Kel smiled at Dom and gave him a hug. "why are you here?" she asked.
"To be fitted My outfit!" he told her.
"Oh well have fun I'll see you tonight! See you Tobe, my Lord, Merric, Meathead!" she said as she left with all the ladies except Lalasaa who ushered them in and gave them all an outfit to try on.
"Kel!" yelled a small red headed woman.
"What is it?" she asked. She had been going towards the mess hall to eat a late dinner after a rather long practice and was hungry.
"I'm taking a new squire on!" she said.
"Who?" she asked slightly intrigued.
"Her name is Fiolana!"
"HER? You mean a girl squire?" she yelled, happy.
"Yes!" she yelled back! "Girls keep coming forwards now! And Jon said I could have a girl squire! And Raoul is taking on my son Alan! She's probably better than Neal!"
Kel laughed at that. "Well at least she got to be with her childhood hero!" said Kel to Alanna.
"Still bitter I couldn't take you on?" asked Alanna.
"Slightly, but then again, I love my lord. It's just I had looked up to you for so long. It was always my dream. Being the Lioness squire. But it turned out well."
"Well" said Alanna "She's not with her favourite childhood hero, but with her childhood hero's hero" she said.
"What?" asked Kel. Alanna just looked at her "You mean I'm her hero?"
"Yes" said Alanna.
"I'm not ready to take a squire and I have the company and..."
"It's ok Kel. I might ride with third company from time to time. How does that sound? Then she'll meet the Lady Knight she loves!"
"Sounds perfect" said Kel. "Me?" she still whispered shocked.
"Yes You!" said Alanna laughing. "I'm the goddess chosen, I have powerful magic, I'm surreal. But you, you have no magic, just determination. It makes you real. And now you have proven that it's doable the girls aren't scared to come forward anymore."
"Thanks"
"Let's go eat!" said Alanna.
The next few weeks were full of plans and decorations and dresses. Servants and people from the city were already starting to prepare the meadow for the wedding. Cakes, ribbons, flowers, doves. Everything was starting to fall into place.
A week before the wedding Yuki, Shinko, Uline, Orannie, Adalia, Daine, the queen, her mother, Buri, Daine and Alanna came to Kel's room, to find her lying on the couch reading with her head cradled on Dom's lap. They took hold of Dom's arm and threw him out the room. He protested until Neal and Raoul dragged him away. Before being out of earshot he heard Alanna yell "Bachelorette Party!"
He turned around to see Third Company and most of Kel's friend. "Bachelor Party" said Neal.
Thank you for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter! So this story is looking out to be longer than expected! ahh! I mean there is still a lot of stuff that might happen! It's not going to be over after the wedding! eheh!