A Wedding and a Brother

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Dom had prepared for hours to face Keladry. He had done as much primping as many court ladies, double-checking his hair ten times. Even if he had decided that he must get over this, that he shouldn't reveal to his friend that he was in love with her and dreaming of her in…situations that he shouldn't. A good friend, a comrade, his cousins' best friend, would not dream of seeing her unclothed in his bed. Yet he was, and unlike before he'd spied, now he had no defense against them.

But here he was, determined to treat her like a friend all evening, standing outside her door, hand falling back to his side after he knocked. His weight shuffled from foot to foot. Then the door opened and his face colored a pale red.

"Dom! When did you get sunburn up here? It's supposed to snow!"

The sunburn became brighter. Kel's eyes lost their bright shine and showed confusion. "Oh, not a burn then," she said with a slight smile.

The smile caught his attention, the way it had for ages, and he grinned at her. The grin that had always made her stomach do acrobatics, and made her push down her attraction to him since first she was with Cleon, then was the war….

Standing in the hallway in front of her he thought she was more beautiful than ever. The blues her dress was made of matched his best Own uniform and suited her coloring just fine. It also emphasized her curves, curves that he'd seen just the day before, but were challenging his resolution. He looked back at her face. The dress lit up all the blue flecks in her hazel eyes, making them look a bit stormy behind their long lashes.

Kel swept out of her room locking it after a silent moment. Silently Dom bowed and offered his arm. He didn't trust his voice not to break like a pubescent boy before her, and he couldn't trust his eyes not to stray.

The walk down the hall was silent, Kel feeling like she had somehow made a mistake. She knew she had to ask what was wrong and so she slipped her arm out of his and bent down, knowing, as her escort, that he would stop. The hall was empty and so she looked up at him, pretending to fiddle with her light blue slippers.

"Is something wrong Dom? You haven't spoken a word to me." She kept the 'in nearly a full day' part to herself. No need to prove she was counting the time. Her Yamani mask was not in place, precisely, as she allowed him to see concern but nothing else. She had to be careful around him, he was so easy to be with that she forgot about her mask so often, but with old feelings resurfaced she couldn't.

"I'm fine, Kel," he said without meeting her eyes. "Are you ready, I don't think the bride will appreciate us being late."?

When they arrived everybody was waiting for them. The audience was just finishing getting into seats and Raoul was standing up by the Mithran priest who would conduct the ceremony. The orchestra began to play within a few minutes of their arrival and then Kel and Dom were pushed out, arm in arm, down the aisle up towards the dais.

The room was surprisingly beautiful and Kel was looking around it without appearing to do so. She hadn't imagined that the mess hall could make a decent wedding hall without the tables and with a few ribbons. Sure it wasn't anything amazing, but during war the smallest bit of decoration was very beautiful to war-weary eyes.

Dom was trying not to look at Kel.

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Raoul watched his sergeant with a frown. Domitan was supposed to be treating his former squire to a wonderful time, and just maybe a hug or more. Masbolle was a flirt, yet here he was barely looking at Kel!

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The wedding went well. The bride was beautiful and Raoul grinned ear-to-ear. Keladry smiled but kept her eyes trained on the floor. Dom's eyes were on Kel, but every time he realized it he looked away as if he'd been scalded.

In the audience Conal gripped the glass of wine he'd brought in with him. His sister looked decent up there, but he was not pleased to see her. He did not believe that his sister, a noblewoman, should be fighting among men. It wasn't decent that the little brat he'd known before she went among the Yamanis' had developed ideas that soldiers were her friends. That she could be the same as a male.

By the time the reception began he had drained his glass and was looking for another before he even got in line to congratulate the bride and groom. Not that they really knew him well; Conal was stationed here and was only invited to the wedding by default. He was a little too conservative for Raoul and Buri's tastes.

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Kel and Dom stood with the bride and groom as they accepted wishes for the best. They didn't say much, but conversed with those who waited in line. They didn't converse with each other, despite Dom's eyes straying and Kel's attempts.

When the Own came up they both joked around, and Kel even got a few compliments from the men. Wolset gave her a 'nice dress' before chatting away with milord and Dom. Eventually she saw a familiar face in line and Raoul noted her best Yamani mask come up. Conal was coming forward in the line. There were obvious signs about him that he was drunk. Dom never even noticed.

Owen was in line before Conal though, along with Lord Wyldon. It was Owen who noticed the mask block out all of Kel's emotions, where before he had seen disappointment and growing anger. He rushed to try to cheer her up, stumbling over his foot in his mouth, as usual.

"Wow Kel you sure you look pretty! Isn't this just the jolliest? A wedding! And Lord Raoul you're always so nice to everybody, I know Kel just loved her years with you and the Own. Except for that time after her birds died she was normally so cheery with you guys…."

"Owen," Lord Wyldon warned. He had gotten a lot of attention, all the people nearby in line watching, as well as Dom, and of course Raoul and Buri. Then he continued with his own greeting and congratulations, but was interrupted by Conal.

"Yes Keladry, you do look nice, although I always found you prettier with a look of terror on your face, before you got that damn mask. Not even mother and father wear theirs so much," he hiccupped.

"My Lord Raoul, Buri (who was now, of course, a 'Lady'), Lord Wyldon, Sergeant Domitan please remember my brother, Sir Conal of Mindelan."

Lord Wyldon nodded his head, eyes snapping with anger. Conal had never been the most respectful, but was a fine knight. Only now he was drunk-Wyldon hadn't realized he had a penchant to drinking too much.

"Keladry, Keladry, Keladry. Since when are you proper around me? You ask the rudest questions—"

Her temper snapped and cold fury settled over her face. Dom's actions had pushed her far, and now she was dealing with a drunken brother, a bully. "Pardon me my lords. I believe my brother is not fit for society." She hauled him off, him fighting to get out of her grasp.

She towed him over to a table and pushed him into a chair. "Kel I was only going to tell them about the time I held you over the balcony and you screamed! I am perfectly fit for society."

She turned her back and walked away. The line had broken up seeing the trouble up front, and Raoul and Buri had drifted away. There was always another day for congratulations, since their post was there at Steadfast. Kel headed away from the mess hall, towards the outdoors.

Dom stared after her, watching Conal be joined by some more conservative friends. He'd heard what Conal had said, and his gears were turning away.

Neal had told him Kel had moved to the Yamani Isles when she was 4. Conal had already been in page training…they hadn't seen each other until she was 10. He had held a child out over the edge of a balcony. He looked out after Kel's retreating form, wondering at her strength.