Redemption

Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all of PotS. Everything you recognize is hers; everything you don't recognize is mine.

A/N: Okay, this chapter originally was part of the previous chapter, so for those of you who wondered about the "generous portion of fluff," just read these two chapters together and you'll get your fluff. Sometimes I write too much and then I have to break up the chapter. Also, I forgot to change my author note. Sorry for the confusion. I think I should learn how to write short drabbles next. ;D

Happy Couple

Kel had thought she had no more tears to cry after the long, long day, but she was wrong. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks as she looked into Joren's concerned eyes. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I don't want to be alone anymore, Joren." Kel placed her hand on Joren's solid chest. "Can you just ... hold me? This time ... I'll know it's you." "Joren ... I need you to help me forget Dom so I can be happy again. I want to be happy again."

Mighty Mithros looked over at the Great Goddess and gave her an I-told-you-so look of cocky smugness. "It's all working out just fine. I'm going to get my warriors now. The girl married the boy and they're sharing the same bed and, most importantly, they're willing to love my little warriors into life. Why, then, are you frowning?"

The Goddess looked at her partner and shook her head. "The boy certainly has fulfilled two of the conditions for his continued life, but the love they have right now is very one-sided. Yes, they're married. And yes, they're sharing the same bed - but it has not yet become a true marriage bed. Those mortals are merely sleeping together - period. The boy now loves the girl, but she's not quite ready to allow herself to love him back. What was Yama thinking when she saved that other boy? And why is everyone interfering with my work? First, Kyprioth and now Yama - and she's not even a trickster! I wouldn't be surprised if Sakuyo's fingers are involved, too. This is a ... a disaster-in-the-making!"

"Pardon me, love, but what are you talking about?" Mithros asked. "Here I am amazed at the progress the boy has made and you sound as though all is about to be lost. What have I missed?"

"Only that the girl still thinks she's unworthy of love because the other boy didn't choose her," fumed the Goddess.

Mithros tried to soothe her, "That's ridiculous! When Yama saved the other boy from the troubled waters, he thought he would never see the girl again, so he chose to build a new life with a new girl. By the time he realized he could have returned to the girl, it was too late. That boy made a good choice - now there will be another group of strong warriors for me over there in those islands. Don't be so hard on Yama; there was no way for her to know that we had assigned to our boy the task of building a life with the girl - and she certainly didn't know about the connections the girl had with both boys."

"That's all well and good," The Goddess replied. "But now the girl's perspective and self-esteem are so messed up it could take years for her to get over it. She's not ready to completely love 'our boy' as you called him because she's still thinking about the other boy. It's not a good situation. Anyway, I distinctly remember at the beginning of all this, you were thinking our boy would return to the Chamber and go with the Dark God at the end of his year."

"You know I changed my mind after we saw the potential for my warriors to come into existence." Mithros protested. "And look how far the boy has come - he really took his lessons from the Chamber to heart."

"Yes, well he's supposed to take the girl's love to heart, too." The Goddess reminded him. "It won't count if the love is only one-sided. Think of it this way: as it is now, you will get those two new warriors and no more. However, if she returns his love, there will be several others."

Mithros considered what the Goddess said. "You make a good point. You know as well as I do that those mortals are going to need all the warriors they can make in the days to come. So ... how can I help you?"

The Goddess smiled. "I have a plan that just might work if the mortals already present in the girl's life will play their necessary roles. They just need a few pushes in the right direction. That's how you can help - by providing the pushes."

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

The night sky over Corus was clear and the stars sparkled in the darkness. People dreamed their peaceful dreams that night and most of them were unaware of the coming turbulence. One couple in particular, a newly married couple of knights sleeping together for the first time as husband and wife, dreamed of nothing at all.

Joren lazily opened his eyes to see the midday sun peaking through the window curtains. He was glad that they had slept soundly through the night and well into the next day. They both really needed the extra sleep after the previous day's activities. Sometime during the night, he and Kel had shifted around in their sleep and now they both were on their sides, nestled together like spoons. Joren's arm still was wrapped protectively around Kel's body and she continued to sleep peacefully in front of him. Joren had a lovely view of the back of Kel's head and he smiled when he breathed in the scent of her hair. He knew they would need to get up soon to start dealing with their new life together, but for now it felt nice to be lying here, next to his ... wife.

Suddenly, Joren became very aware of their bodies pressed so close together. It hadn't been a problem before because his most pressing need at that time had been for sleep. Right now, sleep definitely was not his body's most pressing need. Joren was determined not to pressure Kel or make her do anything with which she was uncomfortable. He truly was willing to wait until she desired him in the same way that he desired her. He also wanted the 'ghost' of Dom to be a distant memory for Kel. Joren slowly lifted his arm so that he could try to slip out of the bed without disturbing Kel's sleep.

Kel slowly opened her eyes and discovered that Joren's whole body was pressed up behind the entire length of her whole body. His bare, muscular arm was wrapped around her middle and she imagined she was in a safe little nest. She sensed him stirring behind her and her entire being felt like it went up in flames. Everywhere Joren's body touched hers was tingling. A memory of being together with him in the wagon flashed through her mind. She knew what would happen if they stayed like this much longer. Joren had been so sweet and so considerate of her needs last night, but Kel was honest enough with herself to admit that being with her ...husband ... this morning might not be so bad after all.

Through the years, Kel had listened to her sisters and sisters-in-law giggling about their wedding nights. She had not given it much thought until now, but they had discussed all sorts of 'marriage things' in front of her and she rarely paid attention. Now Kel wished she had listened to those conversations more closely. One of the things she remembered was that, legally, Joren could have demanded his rights as a husband last night. And even though she probably could have fought him off, she knew her duty as a noble-born wife. There were several wedding night traditions that Kel supposed were the norm for everyone else. Suddenly, she understood that she would have only the one wedding night to remember and it was already morning. Kel thought about all these things and when she sensed Joren moving his arm away from her body, she decided it was time to let him know that she was ready to begin their married life together ... right now.

"Joren, please stay with me." Kel whispered, "I really like being here with you ... like this." "It's so much nicer than I thought it would be."

"Good morning, Kel. I didn't realize that you were awake." Joren said and tried to keep his voice from wavering as Kel snuggled closer to him. "We have a lot of things to do before we go to your parents' house for dinner. So ... we probably should get up and try to prepare for ... whatever is going to happen next." "For gods' sakes, Kel, stop wiggling! I'm having difficulty controlling myself enough as it is."

"Hmm ... whatever is going to happen next?" Kel asked and she placed her hand on top of Joren's hand, pressing it to her belly. "What will happen next if we just stay ... here for a while longer?" "I think it's time for me to decide to be happy without Dom. I'm with you Joren, now and forever it seems. And I can tell you really want to be with me, so ..."

"Kel ... I don't want you to feel ..." Joren struggled to find the right way to say what he needed to say." I don't want you to feel obligated to ... to love me like this." "Kel ... please ... don't do this because of some kind of misplaced sense of duty!"

"Joren ... I think I do ... love you," Kel spoke softly as she took hold of Joren's hand and guided it up to where she wanted it to be. "And now that we're married, isn't this what happens next?" "Joren, I'm going to be happy now and I think this will make you happy, too. We can be happy together, at least for a little while."

"Maybe we should wait until ..." Joren's voice sounded strained. He was trembling with his efforts to control himself, but Joren knew he was about to lose this battle. "Kel ... really ... we don't have to do anything until you're ready." "Until you know for certain that you truly love me."

"Joren, we're both very, very ready. You know it and I know it." Kel slowly moved Joren's hand away from her, wriggled out of her sleeping clothes and turned to face him. "Thank you for letting me sleep; it was very nice of you to do that for me. You knew how tired I was last night ... but ... this can be our wedding 'night' now. You're my husband, Joren, and I'm ready to be your wife." "Please stop talking and help me to be happy again. You have to help me forget Dom."

Joren gave in. A low groan escaped from his throat as he wrapped himself around Kel and kissed her over and over. Joren's overwhelming desire for Kel pushed all other thoughts aside and he decided not to dwell on his notion that they still had a 'ghost' in the bed with them. Kel had offered herself to him without hesitation. It was a better start to their married life than he had expected. Joren had heard wedding night horror stories from the male point of view and so he knew that what he had right now was quite out of the ordinary. He simply didn't have the willpower to wait for Kel to love him the way he really wanted her to love him.

The newlyweds spent the rest of the morning enjoying their wedding 'night' and making each other quite happy.

When Joren and Kel finally came downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat, Aron was already sitting at the wooden table, having a late afternoon snack of sliced apples, bread and cheese. He offered some to them and Kel tore into the food with a look of sheer bliss. Obviously, neither she nor Joren had eaten anything during the day. Both men watched Kel eat and laughed at the look on her face when she realized that she had devoured most of what was on the plate in only a few minutes.

Then Aron smirked at Joren and said "You know, as a healer, I would advise you to make sure that this expectant mother gets to the dining room in time for all her meals. As a friend, I would advise you to keep a tray of food in the room with you." And he winked at them.

Joren laughed out loud at Aron's playful humor. He was beginning to see the healer/knight as a true friend, which is something Joren never really had before. Vinson and Garvey had been his page and squire cronies, but their friendships had been based on a mutual desire to hurt and degrade other people. Zahir had distanced himself from Joren during their squire years. Joren felt a pang of regret when he realized that, other than Kel, Aron was the only friend he had. And he knew that they all had forged this strange new friendship only last night.

When Kel and Joren came out of the Chapel of the Chamber of the Ordeal the previous night and told Aron that Kel was pregnant, the healer/knight merely bent down, quickly examined her abdomen by using his Gift and nodded his head. He told them that the tiny twins seemed to be in good health and progressing normally - and he didn't lecture or pry for details. Aron had agreed to be the official witness at their elopement without comment and had helped them in more ways than they could count. Joren knew the future was not going to be easy, but both he and Kel had at least one real friend on which they could depend - even if he already knew enough about them that he could joke around about their intimate life.

While the men laughed, Kel turned a bright pink from head to toe. It also had occurred to Kel that Aron was too familiar with her intimate life, but then she got over it quickly because he really was a good healer and a good friend. She knew that if Neal had been her healer, she already would have died of shame and embarrassment and Neal really might have killed Joren. Thinking of Neal made Kel think of Dom again and she wondered if she would ever be free of him. A shadow passed over her face.

Aron noticed Kel's expression and asked playfully, "What's the matter, Kel?" Then the healer reached over and felt her forehead. "You still feel a bit warm, but I suppose that's to be expected. Don't worry about the food, there's plenty more in the cupboard. Just ... don't forget to take a tray up with you tonight."

Kel nodded, but she punched Aron's arm because of his joke about the tray of food. "I feel like I'm hungry almost all of the time." "Well, hungrier than I usually am."

"You should eat regularly - but don't wolf down your food like you usually do. If you eat too fast or eat too much, you'll probably throw up." Aron smiled and poked his finger at her shoulder. "Just remember, I'll be waiting for you in the practice yard to help you get back in shape after the babes are born. My sister was with the Queen's Riders until she married and she told me a story about the ancient raka warrior women in the Copper Isles who would fight, deliver their babes and go right back to the battlefield. I don't know if that's really true, but you should try to stay fit for as long as you can. You can do your Yamani exercises and stretches for quite a while and I think they'll actually be good for you. Fight only if it's absolutely necessary, but don't even think about sparring or tilting."

Kel blinked. She had not yet started to think about what being pregnant would mean in her normal daily life. She barely had begun to think about what being married meant this morning. Everything would change. Everything had changed already. There was no turning back from the course she and Joren now were on. Kel thought about the fact that there was so much to do and she didn't quite know what to do first. Her suddenly queasy stomach decided for her. First, she had to find the privy - and fast.

When Kel returned to the kitchen, Aron quipped, "That's to be expected, too. Eat slower next time - no matter how hungry you are."

Joren slowly walked up behind Kel and circled her with his arms in a protective sort of way. Kel thought it was very sweet of him to do that and she leaned back into him, enjoying the feeling of being safe because of someone else's protection and not just because she knew how to fight for herself. She had seen Baron George hold Alanna in much the same way. She decided then to write to the Lioness and ask to talk privately with her as soon as possible. Kel hated the thought of having to admit to her hero that she was pregnant, but she also knew that Alanna was the only other person in the realm who had experience with the whole knight/wife/mother path that Kel was on now.

Aron smiled up at the seemingly happy couple and then he became the serious healer again. "Your queasiness probably will last only a few months, but Kel, you should see a midwife while you're here in Corus. Obviously, I do not have much personal advice to give you. I think the reason both Martin and I misdiagnosed your fever is that most of our patients are soldiers - male soldiers. After you told me that you were pregnant, all of your symptoms made sense. Neither of us thought to check for that."

Kel nodded, "Thank you, Aron, for all you've done for us. You are such a good friend and we are forever in your debt."

"And I am especially grateful that you didn't try to kill me last night," Joren quipped. "There are many others who would not have been so ... understanding. I might have to wear my armor all the time once word gets out that the beloved 'Protector of the Small' has eloped with me."

"You'll be alright." Aron laughed and said, "People will gossip, but your true friends will support you. Trust me, I know. Here's something else I know: our mountain villagers will be overjoyed to hear of your elopement - the common folk always thought the two of you should be together anyway. You remember how they love their songs and legends ... silver and stone and all that? Well, many of them are convinced that your union will bring even more prosperity to the mountains. They've been talking about it for months."

"Aron, how do you know all of this?" Kel asked. "Do people tell you these things when I'm not around?"

Aron chuckled and then his smoky-gray gaze turned thoughtful. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "My ... partner is a merchant. He's a very quiet and observant person, so he's basically my eyes and ears outside of the fort. Perhaps I can convince him to meet you soon. We generally prefer to keep to ourselves and travel to places where no one will bother us, but neither of us has ever thought about moving to someplace where we could be accepted openly. The mountains are our home. You can avoid a lot of trouble if you stay in the mountains. Anyway, he hears a lot of things that you and I would never hear."

Kel was amazed. This was the most about his personal life that Aron had ever shared with her. The fact that he would be so open with both her and Joren signified to Kel that Aron trusted them now as much as they trusted him. They all had their secrets to keep for each other and that knowledge gave their friendship a different quality than any of her previous friendships. Kel thought about how strange her life had become since she moved to Fort Stonebridge. Maybe there really was something different about all that mountain air. Perhaps she and Joren should stay in the mountains and avoid a lot of trouble the way Aron and his partner did. Kel shook her head to clear her thoughts and realized that Aron was still talking.

"... and I think I should head back to the fort tomorrow, Kel. There's nothing going on that I can't handle. Everyone is looking forward to the Midsummer's festival at Stone Mountain next week, so I'll bet the barracks are fairly tame right now. Besides, General Vanget already expects you to be on leave for several more days. You can spend some time with your parents here before you bring them up to Stonebridge for their visit. They seem to be very perceptive people and I look forward to becoming more acquainted with them. I must say Kel, you look ... happier here today than I've seen you look in a long time, and so, as your healer, I think it will be good for you to stay in Corus and enjoy your privacy."

"Ah ... speaking of your parents, Kel," Joren considered the time of the day. "We really should go out and get them something now so that we won't show up for dinner empty-handed." "Given our past history, it's impossible for me to make a good first impression, so I've got to start fresh with them just like I did with you. I know they were being polite for your sake last night, but I'm in big trouble - trouble you don't even know about yet."

Kel slumped against Joren at the thought of being out and about where people would see them together. If it had been winter instead of summer, they would have been able to skulk around in hooded cloaks. As it was nearly midsummer, there would be lots of daylight and no place to hide.

"Yes, you're right, Joren." Kel agreed. "It's time for us to go out and face the world." "And it's time to face the music with my parents. This is not going to be a nice, relaxing evening."

"I don't want you to think that I'm abandoning you two, but I think I'll head out in the morning," Aron's tone was playful again. "I won't be offended if you don't emerge from your room to bid me farewell. I'm certain that you'll be busy keeping in shape with all those exercises, so I'll just let myself out."

Kel would have punched Aron in the arm again for his suggestive comment but Joren held her back in his strong arms. She decided to relax and enjoy this moment of calm before the storm. Aron mentioned privacy, but Kel wasn't too sure about that. There was no telling what would happen after word of her elopement got out. So for now, standing in the privacy of their warm kitchen, Kel was simply a wife in the arms of her husband and they were a happy couple.

A/N: I hope you liked this second half of the previous chapter. I meant to post it right after I put up the first part, but I decided to rework a few paragraphs and set up some more plot points. I look forward to hearing what you think about the character development so far. Thanks!