A/n: I want to thank Lady Knight Jocelyn, inktounge58, rurounivampire81, jayley for being the first to ever review my story, and Aly-Of-Tortall13. Now, here's the next chapter!
Despite his humor and wits, Kel was starting to get annoyed. Dafarr hadn't let her go out of his sight since he had introduced himself. At first she was flattered but now she was plain annoyed. It didn't help that when she looked over his shoulder she could see court ladies, all beautiful and young, glare at her and whisper heatedly behind their hands to each other.
"So was it hard getting your shield Keladry?" He was looking at her in interest and even though she had repeatedly told him to call her Kel, he for some reason refused.
"Yes, but it helped."
"How so?"
Kel didn't have a response. She just smiled and let his imagination do the rest. Perhaps he would think she meant men wise, she thought as she grimaced. That hadn't been part of her plan. She had just wanted to escape as his mind took him places with what she had said.
"Kel, I was wondering where you had gotten off to! We have to go back to the party, the others are beginning to wonder if you left them for good," Merric said as he bowed his head politely to Dafarr and lightly grabbed Kel's hand. "If you would excuse us?" Merric pulled Kel away and she was stunned. She understood that he was just pretending to be courting her, but did he want everyone to misinterpret this gesture?
"Sorry for doing that. I had looked out the door and saw that you had been cornered by that man. Was he a conservative?" Her friends knew how she got when she was forced to keep company with conservatives. All they did was banter at her of how it was improper of her to be a knight. How she should give up her shield.
As if she would give it up now.
"No. He was a fellow knight. You know, the one who's getting all the attention from the eligible noble women?"
"Oh. Dafarr of Kittyman?"
Kel let a peal of laughter escape her before they entered the room. Merric grinned at her and they turned to look at the occupants of the room. It was silent and all eyes were focused on what was between the two who had just entered the room. Their clasped hands.
Merric quickly dropped Kel's hand and Kel tried to explain.
"Merric saw that I was cornered by a man so he came to my rescue and pretended that we were sort of together. We forgot that…" She trailed off and looked to Merric's blushing face. Everyone began to snicker quietly except Neal. He looked thoughtful as he watched Kel and Merric.
Was it possible that the big red headed Merric liked Kel? It would explain why he was blushing as he was. And where would that put Dom? Neal knew that Dom and Kel liked each other, but they were just too hard headed to do anything about it. Well besides what happened last night, he thought cynically, that didn't count though because she was drunk.
And what were Kel's feelings towards Merric? Did she have any besides just a friend? From the look on her face she didn't, but sometimes it was hard to tell when she had something that she really wanted to hide from others.
Neal sighed. Why did everything pertaining to his young Mother have to be so difficult? Why couldn't she just get with his cousin and live a happy life? Why could they not just get together for gods' sake? He watched her as she smiled and joked. Her smile was brilliant and her eyes danced. He smiled as he thought that her Yamani ways were slipping. Her emotions were easier to see.
…
"Might I ask who you are? I noticed that you were watching Lady Keladry and me quite openly," Dafarr had snuck up on Dom, something he seemed to have a knack for. Dom turned and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Domitan of Masbolle." He didn't bow or even smile. He just watched, gauging Dafarr and seeing if he had any chances with Kel.
"Ah. Nealan of Queenscove's cousin correct? You hear a lot when surrounded by eager ladies trying to impress you," He explained when he saw that Dom's eyes went on alert.
"Yes. What can I do for you?" Dom had no intention of doing anything for the man, he was just curious as to what he would say.
"You can stop watching us. I have no doubt that I will soon be courting the intriguing Lady Knight before the month is up," Dafarr said around a pleasant smile and vicious eyes. Dom stiffened. "And yes, I believe I can accomplish what you have failed to do for-how long was it?-oh, yes six years in the space of a month. It isn't my fault that you are completely hopeless."
Oh how Dom wished to punch his lights out. But of course, he couldn't since he was a noble and they were in the company of the King and Queen. He would challenge him on the practice courts.
"Meet me on the Own's practice courts tomorrow morning. We'll see who is better than the other," Dom hissed, anger twisting his features into an ugly mask. A part of himself was surprised at the change. Usually he could mask his emotions behind a cheerful demeanor, but not this time. Not when it pertained to his Lady Knight.
"Ah, a challenge. I accept." Was there malice in his voice or was it Dom's imagining?
"Good because I wouldn't have let you refuse." Dom looked the man who was about his age down before walking off towards the room where Kel and Raoul were.
…
Neal looked up to see his cousin enter the room silently, unobserved by almost everyone except Neal, Raoul, and Kel. Of course Kel shot him a smile which he returned quickly before heading over to Neal.
"What's wrong Meathead?" Neal asked. He noticed that Dom looked, well, pissed.
"That's my insult for you, not yours for me. Now, you know Dafarr of Kitamyn? Well he just told me that he would soon be courting Kel and that there was nothing I could do about it. Now, I want you to watch her carefully, because I don't know what kind of prank he's trying to pull but he's one of a kind, and not in a good way." Before he could continue Neal interrupted him.
"Dom, calm down. Are you sure you just aren't insulted?" Dom glared at him and Neal's eyebrows furrowed.
"Neal, I'm completely serious. Don't let her talk to him."
"Dom, you look shaken. Are you sure that you aren't sick? Because I can check-"
"I'm not sick! Just listen to me!" He shouted. Everything in the room stopped and Dom looked around with feverish eyes before stomping out of the room. Kel looked to Neal, then excused herself from her talk with Raoul and Buri before following after Dom.
…
She found him in the Royal Gardens sitting on a bench. She stood before him and said, "May I sit here?"
Dom nodded and she sat then angled her body towards him.
"Dom, what's wrong? You usually don't raise your voice unless you need your orders to be heard." He didn't answer, just shook his head.
"Why can't you tell me? What happened?" She said, persisting because she hated to see him sad, or mad, although he usually wasn't. It was a rare thing to see Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle mad in Kel's presence. "I can help," she added in, "Tell me and I'll try to help-"
"Why can't you just leave me alone? Why can't you just drop it? Why do you always have to put others before yourself? Why do you care so much?" Dom's voice had risen with each question until he was yelling at her. It wasn't loud enough to be heard by the party goers, but it was loud for Kel.
Kel wanted to yell, Because I love you! Why can't you see that I love you? Why do you insist to overlook me as if I wasn't important? Why can't you love me back? Instead she just sat there quietly, tears welling in her eyes. It wasn't her time of the month, so she didn't see why she was getting so moody. She stood and began to walk away.
"Wait. Kel, please wait. I didn't mean it," He called after her, but she ignored him. He had made her feel insignificant.
Unloved. She finally realized that her love wasn't returned. No one could love her, a big girl, a knight. Someone who doesn't need protecting. Someone who seemed so distant.
She went to her room and for once in those long years of being badgered, she cried. Cried long and hard.
For her unrequited love.