A/n: Okay, since it's summer and I have naught to do, I'm updating. Again. Um, if the charries were ooc last chapter then I'm sorry but I refuse to go back and change it. I liked the last chapter. And for those of you that aren't sure or are confused, yes, this is a Dom/Kel story. There's just going to be others along the way. This chapter might not be the best, sorry!
Kel woke with the sun again and went through her regular routine in a daze. Did her pattern dance and then went to go eat her breakfast. All in a dazed, unattached manner.
She ate without tasting. He mind was blank and she was staring at nothing. She felt someone plop down next to her but she didn't care. Why should she?
"Where'd you go last night? You never came back after you left, and neither did Dom. Don't tell me you guys…" Neal trailed off after he saw the pained expression that had crossed his best friend's face. "Kel? What happened?"
"Nothing." She resumed eating her food. Neal glared at her.
"What do you mean 'nothing'? Something obviously did happen for you to be so quiet-"
"I'm always quiet." Neal began to eat a roll and some fruit as he sat in silence while thinking, What in Mithros's name was going on? She finally got up to give her dirty plates to the servants, Neal following.
"Kel, you and I both know that something happened last night and if you don't tell me, I'll ask Dom." Kel looked worse for wear. She stopped and looked at him with pleading eyes, practically begging as she said,
"Please. Neal, please don't ask him."
"Tell me then. What happened?" Neal hid his alarm at her obvious discomfort. It wouldn't do to scare her out of telling him.
"He just snapped at me. Started asking why I cared about others, why I put others before myself. Neal, he was yelling at me and I couldn't take it. I walked away." She left out what happened when she had gotten to her rooms, but she didn't need to say. He already knew from what he had gleaned that she liked-if not loved-Dom. That he would hurt her like this was unbelievable! It was also a bad sign that she was actually sharing this information with him. Sure, he appreciated that she was telling him, but usually she kept things that bothered her to herself.
They were heading towards the Own's practice courts when they heard shouts and saw a circle of the Own's men. They looked to each other before rushing over. Kel saw Wolset right off and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Wolset, what's going on here? Who's fighting who?"
"Milady, it's Dom. Dom's fighting Dafarr. They're evenly matched." He went back into the fray as her eyes narrowed. What did Dom want with Dafarr? She shoved her way forward, and once the men saw who it was, they moved willingly out of her way. They greeted her but their overall attention was on the fight. Neal was close behind.
…
The crowd was parting, but Dom didn't have time to see for who. He had to beat this man.
Dafarr feigned a thrust to the gut before quickly doing a slash from the shoulder to the hip. Dom barely blocked that and the crowd booed. What was he going to do? After being on defense alone, he did a quick move of disarming the knight and stood there, his sword point to the other man's neck.
"I surrender," Dafarr said with a mocking smile. His eyes flashed to the side then back to Dom's face. Dom looked to see what would distract his opponent and took a deep breath. Kel stood there looking at him with hurt eyes. He instantly remembered what had happened last night. He had gone to his room with a female companion to try and distract himself. It had worked but now it all came rushing back.
"Kel I'm-" He began, but he couldn't finish his sentence because she looked at him, shook her head slightly and motioned for Dafarr to follow her away to the mess. The man did so willingly, managing to pause to quickly say, "A month," before running to catch up with Kel.
Of course Dom knew he had hell to pay when he saw his cousin standing there, green eyes as hard as emeralds. "Dom, I need to talk to you. In private," He added as the men made no sign of moving. They grumbled but left slowly. When they were all gone Neal pulled Dom to a nearby wall and put the wall to good use by slamming him into it.
"What do you think you're doing, hurting Kel like that?" He demanded, hissing at Dom.
"I-I tried to apologize but she just kept walking away."
"You didn't try hard enough Dom." Neal grabbed his cousin by the lapels. "She is in pain because of you. I saw it flash across her face whenever I mentioned your name. She loves you. How do you repay her love but by yelling at her about her nature? About how she helps people? You're a disgrace. I am ashamed to call you my cousin." Neal looked disgusted before thrusting his fist into Dom's gut and walking away. As Dom fell to the ground in pain, Neal had enhanced the punch with some magic which made it ten times worse, he couldn't help but think about three words he had said.
'She loves you' went through his mind again and again and again. He felt disgusting, as if he needed a bath to wash this feeling away. She loved him, and he threw it away by yelling at her. She probably thinks I hate her, he thought to himself in despair. I finally get told that she loves me and I take that away because I was in one of my rages. He felt like crying. That was how Raoul found him. On the ground looking at nothing with wide eyes and holding his stomach as if in pain.
"What happened?" Raoul said kind as always.
"She loved me," Dom whispered. "Oh gods. She loved me, and-and," Dom shook his head and looked to Raoul. "I ruined it Sir. I ruined it. She could have been mine but she hates me. I yelled at her and she hates me."
When Raoul finally heard the whole story, he tried to comfort Dom by saying, "She doesn't hate you," But he secretly agreed with the distraught young man. She would hate him for what he had done to her. She had to hate him. But Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak vowed to try and get them to get on better terms. He would need help though. Lots of it.
…
"So what were you two fighting about?" Kel coughed lightly into her hand and her brows furrowed. Was she getting sick?
"Oh, well we were fighting about who would have the honor of courting you." He ate some porridge and watched her closely.
"No, really why were you fighting?" She was surprised that he could say that even though it was a joke and looked into his watching eyes.
"We were just warming up. I'm embarrassed to say that I was beat by someone who isn't a knight though." He looked smiled at her and his eyebrows went up; he looked apologetic. Her heart melted. Since Dom didn't like her would Dafarr be able to? Would it be possible? She smiled determinedly. She didn't care if it wasn't. It gave her something to do besides wallow in self pity.
"Oh, don't worry about it. Dom's sneaky when it comes to fighting."
"Really? So he cheats then?"
"No he doesn't cheat but he just pulls a wool over peoples eyes. Does things that you don't expect." She smiled and he grinned. They were going to get along.
…
Yuki, Neal, Buri, Raoul, Merric, Owen, Seaver, and Esmond gathered in Raoul's rooms and looked towards the Knight Commander for an explanation as to why they had been gathered.
"We have a problem. Dom and Kel got in a fight and we need a plan to at least get them to apologize to each other. I need volunteers as to who will stay with me and help me to try and get this thing done." All the hands rose and Raoul allowed himself to have a smile.
"Let's start brainstorming."