Woop! I was so happy when I looked in my inbox to discover people had put my story on alert. Thank you! And I got two reviews too! So I would like to give a special thank you to Clouds of Sapphire for your advice- I will definitely take it on board! I'm just used to my English teacher screaming at me for skipping lines in dialogue, so I'll break that habit! And also a thank you to BrokenFaerie16- your review made me smile! I will definitely keep writing! Nothing annoys me more when I'm reading a fic and it's just been left with no ending. So enjoy for now!

*********************************************************

"They're late" Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle muttered, leaning against the front parapet of Fort Steadfast. Kel and Sir Meathead were supposed to have arrived at the fort sometime in the early evening yesterday, and there was still no sign of either of them early this morning.

"Fretting for the Lady Knight again, Dom?" asked Wolset slyly, peering at his superior through the corner of his eye. Dom elbowed his insubordinate corporal and growled something which sounded terrifyingly like "latrine duty for a month". He was exhausted from taking the evening watch with an overly awake Wolset, and was willing the bell to chime for the start of the day and the end of his shift. Not that he would actually go to bed until the Lady Knight arrived of course, but it would be good to change into fresh clothes and eat something before she arrived.

Yes, he had to admit that his thoughts these days had been wandering more and more often towards a certain Keladry of Mindelan, a woman who had won the respect and love of so many people since she became the first recognised Lady page for over a century. He had admired her even before he had met her- she was someone who had fought against the will, prejudices and not to mention fists of many a conservative through her page training and he had found he had correctly bestowed his admiration on her when he saw her in the field during her squire years.

But it was during her knighthood that Dom's feelings of respect and esteem had evolved into something more. Not love exactly- for it was too early for love, but an attraction that grew and grew as he had travelled alongside her on her quest for her precious refugees in Scanra. It was a feeling so different to anything he had experienced before, and, now that the war was coming to an end, he wanted to take advantage of their time together and get to know her off the battlefield too.

****************************************************

"Eight o'clock and all is well!" came the cry of the bell tower, knocking Dom out of his reverie. Wolset shot him another knowing glance and started to descend the stairs. Dom grimaced and followed suit. He had hoped that what was going on in his head and his heart wasn't so obvious to his peers, but obviously not.

"Damn, if even Wolset has suspicions the whole fort, if not the whole district knows" Dom growled to himself as he reached the corridor Third Company resided.

"Who knows what now?" a booming cheerful voice enquired from behind him. Dom jumped a foot in the air, he's eyes identifying the man as Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, Commander of the King's Own.

"Sir, as an enforcer of the laws of the realm you should know it's illegal to be so cheerful at this hour in the morning", Dom groaned, hoping to steer the conversation away from what would be a very awkward topic. He was too exhausted to fabricate a random lie. To his elation, Raoul laughed merrily. "well done Dom" mentally sighing with relief, Dom leaned against the stone wall.

"What's there not to be cheerful about? The war is coming to an end, the king wants Third Company to stay in the field instead of going back to the capital and I'm getting married next week to the woman I love" Raoul literally sang the last part.

"No cold feet for you then Milord?" Dom wanted to know

"Oh I'm sure the panic will set in the night before" Raoul chuckled amiably. "Anyway you are just the man I wanted to see! No sign of Kel yet?"

"No" replied Dom, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. "Lerant and one of the army fellows just took over the watch though"

"I think We'll give it a couple of hours before we send out a search party," Raoul said jokingly, though it was apparent he was slightly apprehensive too- the last time Kel hadn't arrived to her appointed destination on time, she had ended up behind enemy lines with nought but her glaive and animals to protect her. "She'll turn up eventually- she's just probably disposing of young Queenscove's body before she gets here!"

Dom laughed at the thought of Kel finally snapping and murdering his cousin. This laughter was short-lived however, when Raoul handed him a stack of papers and reports to write before making a swift exit. "Oh well, at least I'll have something to take my mind off the waiting" Dom thought as he unlocked his door and unceremoniously dumped his sword belt on the floor and sank onto his soft bed with a grateful sigh.

*******************************************************

Dom had bathed, eaten and then promptly fallen asleep over his reports when he was awoken by the trumpets calling out the correct note sequence for "friend". He bolted to the door and slammed it open, before realising he should behave like a member of the respected King's Own, not a lovesick teenager. It still took all his self-control not to pelt down the corridor and into the keep to meet his cousin and potential love interest. He stopped just before the corner to calm himself and gazed into a nearby water bucket to make sure he didn't have ink splattered on his face from his unsuccessful report writing session. "All right" he murmured and stepped into the keep.

He smiled. There she was.

*********************************************************

A/N ack sorry this is shorter then the first chapter, but that seemed like a good place to end it and I wanted the next scene (which I already have plotted out in my head) to be in Kel's POV. You are getting this chapter early (my original plan was to get a chapter out every Friday until it was finished) because I have a MAHOOSIVE lab report in for Friday and just got given another equally MAHOOSIVE (god I'm so northern lol) research paper for the Friday after that, so it's best to update now and I'll try for another over the weekend, whilst I'm procrastinating over that!

Please review! You have no how idea of how happy they make me!

Takara