Kel sat in her room and stared at her hands. What was going on? When she'd left New Hope, she'd been excited about seeing Dom and being able to talk without the distractions that had been around them previously. Yet something was still preventing them from doing so. She and Dom were good friends—it had been like that since her first day with the King's Own, so why was it so difficult for her to be around him? Before, when she'd had a crush on him, she'd still been able to talk to him without feeling self-conscious and nervous. And, besides, her feelings for him had gone when she and Cleon had started courting.
So what had changed?
She barely heard someone knock on her door. Se opened it to see an elderly man in handsome attire. She'd bet four silver nobles that he was another conservative.
She was right. "I want satisfaction from you," he said frankly. She could have mistaken it for a suggestion, but his eyes showed no humor, only disgust.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Kel said steadily. She wasn't some servant wench. He would ask nicely.
"Trollop," he spat. "You killed a knight! And you showed no mercy to the buffoon. You obviously cannot understand the code of chivalry."
"And would he have done had I shown him mercy?" she sighed. She knew the answer before he said it.
"Better you than him!" he hissed. "I want vengeance, girl. I want it before the court," he said.
She sized him up—sure, he was older, but his loose, elegant shirt could not disguise the respectable muscles on his arms. However, he seemed to have focused mainly on training them, and not so much his legs. She'd have to rely on her legs to beat him. Kel nodded curtly. "You'll have your duel. When?"
"Tomorrow at sunrise," he said. "I expect to have a good fight, Lady Keladry." He turned to leave.
She caught his arm. "Lady Knight Keladry. It's what I am, according to the King and the Chamber of the Ordeal. Respect it, " she said curtly.
He looked at her critically for a few moments before yanking his arm from her hold and stalking away. She watched him leave with an annoyed expression. She didn't care all that much that some people didn't respect her as long as she had her shield, but she didn't like it either. The man hadn't even told her his name.
Someone tapped her on her shoulder. It was Yuki. Kel welcomed her into her room. Yuki's expression was worried—she'd gotten better at not using her mask.
"Was he another Conservative?" Yuki asked in Common. She had decided to speak only in the language that her betrothed spoke, as long as he made an effort to learn Yamani.
"He challenged me to another duel," Kel replied, nodding. Yuki sat on the bed next to her.
"You must kill?" Yuki asked.
"Not this time. I suppose that's good. It's just that—I'm so sick of them. I wish they'd respect me! Is it really so much to ask?" Kel whined. She caught herself and blushed. "I'm sorry Yuki. I didn't mean to pity myself, or be so… emotional."
"That's fine Kel. It is interesting." Yuki crinkled her eyes in amusement. "A mockingbird must listen to a nightingale to know how it sings."
Kel smiled at the metaphor. It was one of her favorite Yamani proverbs. "I remember when you were falling in love with Neal."
"Did you realize? I did not," Yuki let a soft laugh escape.
Kel remembered this and grinned. "It was obvious. You were always so concerned about him!"
Yuki nodded with a smile. "He is like a mule. As stubborn as a horse and as stupid as a donkey," she said quietly.
"Here we don't say 'as stubborn as a horse'! We say 'as stubborn as a mule'," Kel corrected her with humor.
"But then the saying wouldn't work," Yuki pointed out. "Sometimes, we must make exceptions."
Had she made an exception for Dom when she'd let him get away with how he'd acted at the rehearsal dinner? But the dance had been really wonderful. It really had made up for it… Was she some silly, lovesick girl to let simple charm get him out of an apology? But this was Dom she was talking about! What he'd said had been abnormal—but she was his friend. She could let little things like that slide once in a while. And why was that? It had been a little slip-up, so why was everyone –including her—so concerned about it? Besides, he'd been right. He and Kel were just friends…
"Would you like to get some lunch?" We can sit with that sergeant you're in love with!" Yuki said.
"What? What are you talking about?!" Kel exclaimed.
"That handsome man—Neal's cousin. You two are in love, no?" Yuki said, a delicate mask on her face once more.
"Dom? Mithros, no!" Kel laughed. They weren't in love—it was possible that she was affected by his looks and charm, but she didn't love him. Right? But, then, why couldn't she get him out of her head? Why couldn't she talk to him without being acutely aware of their nearness, of the blueness of his eyes, of her own female parts? She didn't know the answer, so she pushed it out of her mind.
"Nevertheless, you seem to enjoy his company, as do I. Wouldn't it be nice to join him and the others of the King's Own?" Yuki asked.
Kel could see a mischievous twinkle in her friend's eye and decided that it was best to do as she suggested. "It would be nice," she finally admitted. Wolset and the others would be there. It would be like before. Maybe she would finally be able to talk to Dom the way she'd been wanting to.
Kel and Yuki sat across from Dom and Wolset, surrounded by laughing and chattering men. She noticed that many of them were stealing glances at Yuki. She, herself, constantly felt Dom's eyes on her.
"Would you call our dogs off of my friend?" Kel demanded. Really, she wanted him to stop, too—but when she looked up, he was glaring at his stew as he shoveled it into his mouth.
"Don't deny a man his freedom!" Dom protested. Dom smiled when he saw her chuckle. Her eyes were so beautiful when she laughed. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it before.
"I can't let them feed on her presence. They might not eat their vegetables!" Kel smiled.
Yuki elbowed her and shielded he face with her shurikan. She was embarrassed.
"So sorry, Mother!" Wolset guffawed. "We'll try to resist."
Kel frowned at him. "Please respect a lady and her personal space," she said sternly, but there was laughter in her eyes. It was all fun, anyway. They weren't serious.
She smiled with satisfaction when she saw many of them avert their gaze.
"Dom, I'm dueling again tomorrow," she said suddenly, buttering a roll. What did she hope to achieve by telling him? For him to be afraid for her? For him to understand like he had before? For him to care?
"Are you going to do this everyday?" he demanded furiously, putting his knife and fork down. "You know better than me that you shouldn't fight so often. Sure, on the battlefield it's inevitable but it makes you that much more vulnerable—"
"Dom, I'll be okay. It's not a fight to the death like last time. I'll be okay," she said with a frown, popping the roll into her mouth. He seemed scared—she'd never seen him scared, not even when a ten-foot metallic monster advanced on him.
"Kel… I just don't want you to get too involved with these conservatives. They'll keep coming, and one day they'll kill you," he said quietly, his eyes bright. He didn't want to say it, but Kel had to know what he thought.
"Dom, I'm not going to get myself killed," she said steadily, although looking into his eyes made her giddy all over.
"You would've charged into Scanra all on your lonesome if Raoul hadn't sent us," Dom pointed out. "If it's about something dear to you, Kel, you won't be careful. I know you won't, and the conservatives probably do too," he said, trying to calm himself down. He just wanted her to listen to him!
"That's why I have friends like you. To make sure that I don't do anything stupid, or at least that I don't do it alone," she said practically, though her words sounded reckless in her own ears. He was right, of course. But this was how she was—he'd have to accept that, though she'd thought he already had.
"Please just be careful, Kel," Dom said, frowning. He turned back to his now cold stew.
"He's right, milady. We don't want you to get killed. Raoul would behead us if your friends didn't pick out our eyes," Wolset said sternly, nodding at Kel's sparrow, Nari, who rested on her shoulder.
Kel grinned at the jest. Dom tried not to feel sorry that it hadn't been him to make her smile, but the one that had made her frown. He produced a small laugh. "I doubt he'd go that far, but I certainly don't want to be demoted."
"I'm at least worth losing your job!" Kel guffawed. She missed this.
"Oh, Kel," Wolset suddenly sobered. "We almost forgot to tell you—we're setting out the day after tomorrow."
"You're leaving? Where to?" she asked with surprise.
"The eastern border with Tusaine. There have been some raids amongst the seasonal flooding and they're asking for relief. Third Company's riding out," Dom said. She thought she could detect a little bit of sadness in him. Truth to tell, she was too—she missed riding with Third Company, and she would miss Dom.
"Is my Lord going too?" Kel asked.
"Sort of. Buri's riding along with her group and, once we're done there, she and he are riding on to Pearlmouth for their honeymoon whilst we return to the Palace," Dom explained.
"Will you be able to find your way back without milord's help?" she joked. He grinned.
"Kel—can I see you later on?" someone asked. Kel turned to find Raoul looming over her. "I thought your tilting skills might be a little rusty," he said, a twinkle in his eye.
"My Lord, I am no longer your student. I reserve the right to refuse tilting with you," she protested.
"Don't you miss it? I think you look rather drab nowadays. I liked it better when you were blue and pink all over. Don't you agree, Dom?" Raoul cackled.
"Kel glared at Dom warningly, although she had to admit that she rather missed flying lessons—just not so much that she wanted to risk her life in having them again.
"Yes—much more interesting that way. She was like a work of art, with her mix of pinks and yellows and blues and purples… Like the most elaborate and beautiful of sunsets," Dom said with bravado, sighing heavily at the finish and gazing into the distance dreamily.
Kel resolved to put something soft and squishy in his bed very soon. "Fine, sir. I will participate in your 'tilting lesson'. Just try not to break me," Kel sighed.
Raoul winked and went to sit with Buri at another table.
A/N: This is version 2 of Chapter 6… previously, I wrote a chapter 6 that I wasn't satisfied with and it seemed many readers weren't as well, so I decided to completely rewrite it, with a whole different thing going on. It took me a long time to get it up—I don't really have my own computer anymore. But don't hate me for taking a month to write each chapter! I'm trying to work on that!!
Also, check out my newest story, "Broken," which is for the January 2010 JoGeNuDoNaRo Challenge (something you can find in the Men of Tortall forum)! It's a tragedy about Kel trying to comfort Neal over his recent losses.
As always, please review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!