Haha! I see you guys don't like Cleon all that much? I agree, though, that him and Kel weren't very good together and I always thought their relationship was a little one sided with Cleon liking Kel way more than she liked him. As far as their relationship goes in this story: you'll all have to keep reading and find out! Anyone who's read Persuasion, can you guess what part he'll be playing?

Chapter 8: Time

Kel's days at the palace that summer had started to slowly become routine. She had resumed her morning glaive practice with the Queen, the princess, her mother and a few new additions that Kel was not acquainted with. She would eat breakfast in the Rider's mess then spend the rest of the day in training. At night there would be balls, which she absolutely dreaded, or smaller parties that were only slightly better. At least at the small gathering she was able to catch up with old friends. Buri had come to join Raoul at court, although he often spent more time trying to persuade his wife to let him leave.

Dom was often at these small parties although he would arrive late and not stay very long. Whenever he entered a room, Hattie or any other single girl in attendance quickly cornered him. Kel didn't take notice, but Merric and Owen had started to note that Dom looked less interested in Hattie with every encounter. More often, his eyes would glance around the room once before her smiled politely at Hattie and took his leave. He probably just wishes he were doing something useful, Kel thought of the Own captain. At these parties, she often felt that way herself. Kel smiled briefly at the renewed thought of comradeship between herself and Dom, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

At the balls, Kel often felt bad for Thom of Pirate's Swoop. The Lioness' son often watched Hattie with a dreamy look and the poor young man could barely get in a dance at a ball if Dom was anywhere near the palace. More than once, Kel considered hitting Dom over the head with something hard and dragging him into an empty stable to give Thom a chance, but the notion didn't last long. It would most likely cause more harm than it did good, not to mention too much explaining would be required. Thom would have to be on his own.

Talking with Cleon at these balls and parties made Kel feel better than she had in years. They chatted and laughed as if the estrangement between them had never been. The discomfort of the end of their sweetheart faze had seemed to evaporate. They were just two old friends again, fellow knights. At least that was how it felt to Kel, who barely noticed the glances and raised eyebrows her friends cast at each other when Kel and Cleon were ever in conversation.

After a few weeks of her renewed friendship with Cleon, Kel came to the realization that it also made her feel hopeful. If her and Cleon could move past their previous relationship, perhaps there was a chance that the same could be done with Dom. The two were at least on a speaking terms again. They could be in the same room without there being a heavy haze that often lulled conversation. For the most part, however, both found it hard to meet the other's eyes and the words they exchanged rarely went past common greetings.

The biggest roadblock for a renewed friendship with Dom was the fact that, unlike with Cleon, Kel still had feelings for Dom after all these years. They hadn't simply disappeared after a time of being parted. When he smiled at her or even in her general direction, her stomach still exploded into butterflies. If she accidentally slipped up and met his blue eyes, Kel would still feel weak inside. Whenever she watched the court ladies fawn over him, the image of it would leave Kel feeling just as dejected as she had the day she watched Dom slam the door to her room at Northwatch.

Kel received a letter from Neal towards the end of that summer. Yuki was very close to her due date and with Shinko unable to come to Queenscove, Neal's wife had requested that Kel come if she could. Toward the end of the letter, Kel grimaced upon reading that Dom had also been sent an invitation to Dom to come to Queenscove. The plan was forming in her head of how to get out of another visit, but Neal's words quickly put a stop to them:

Don't bother with any escape plans, darling Protector. Yuki won't let you get out of missing yet another visit. She's been excessively moody of late so I wouldn't tempt her to make good on her threats of flaying you alive. Besides, Merric will come along as well to make sure you two play nice.

I tried to change her mind, but Yuki also seemed inclined to extend the invitation to your lovely nieces. Mind you, that was her wording not mine, though, I doubt that either of your bimbo bodyguards will mind. Sir Jolly mentioned in a letter that Merric was quite enamored with your little niece. Better her than Hattie I suppose. Let's try and see if we can convince her to join the temple.

Much love,

Neal

Both girls were thrilled at the invitation and didn't seem to mind missing any of the balls. In their own words, 'there would be far more during midwinter.' Kel hid the disappointment she felt that her two nieces would interrupt Kel's time with her friends, but she smiled and mentally scolded herself for being selfish. Above everything, however, Kel had to wonder about Yuki's motives.

Kel was wondering about that on her last night in the Palace before leaving for Queenscove. She was at a small gathering held in Raoul's rooms and was standing near the hearth with Roald, Merric, and Cleon. The three were all talking about something or other, but Kel was only half paying attention. Her mind was trying to work out why Yuki would feel the need to invite Lorraine and Hattie to Queenscove. Of course, it was kind of Yuki to think of Kel's relations, but her Yamani friend must have known it wasn't necessary.

The puzzle was far from worked out when Kel's thoughts were interrupted as she felt an addition to their group. Kel, who had been staring absently into the empty fireplace, looked up to feel a jolt as her eyes met very blue ones.

"Hello, Dom!" Merric said cheerfully. Dom broke his eye contact with Kel to smile at Merric, give a quick bow to Roald, and nod his head to the other two. For a second, Kel could have sworn she caught Cleon give Dom a half glare, but all her attention soon turned to Dom as he addressed.

The lopsided smile on his face made Kel's heart flutter. "Suppose you got a letter from Meathead as well?" Kel answered with a nod, half wondering why he was here. It was unusual to see him anywhere where Hattie wasn't. "You, too, Merric?"

"Sir Nealan was very persistent," Merric responded, rolling his eyes as Dom laughed quietly. "Goddess help us if his spawn takes after him."

They all laughed, even Cleon, as they imagined a miniature Neal. They talked for another few minutes, reminiscing about Neal, making jokes about the time he nearly got himself killed in front of Yuki, predicting and hoping that their child would end up more like his or her mother.

"Would you like a drink, Kel?" She looked over, raised an eyebrow at Cleon before nodding with a quick thanks. As Cleon moved away from the group, Kel wondered about the look that the red head gave Dom as he pushed past him. Was she just imagining things again? It was when Kel met Merric's eyes and saw Roald's raised brows that she knew the answer was no.

Dom kept his eyes on Cleon, watching him cross the room. Once he was out of earshot, he said softly without looking at Kel, "I don't think your sweetheart likes me very much."

Mouth falling open, Kel could only stare at him for a few seconds before she stumbled, "What? Cleon—Me—we aren't—"

Before Kel could even manage a coherent sentence, Dom cut her off as he turned back to her and Merric, still not meeting her eyes, "So when did you two want to set out tomorrow?"

Dom and Merric sorted out times and plans while Kel stood on the sidelines still staring at Dom, the only thing covering her shock was her default Yamani mask. It wasn't long before he had left the room, nodding at Merric and Roald, and giving Cleon a strangely friendly smile as Dom passed the taller man on his way to the door. Cleon had a confused and suspicious look in his eyes as he came back, handing Kel her cup of cider.

"What was that about?"

His face was suspicious as he eyed Cleon, Merric said slyly, "Good question, Cleon."

Merric soon took his own leave not long later as he went off in search of Lorraine. A few minutes later, Roald took his leave, in a hurry to get back to his wife and children. Kel wished they wouldn't have gone. After what Dom had said, she felt lost. Is that what he thought of her and Cleon? Kel chewed on her lip as she only half listened to what Cleon was saying to her. Is that what Cleon thought as well? Now that she thought about it, the look Cleon had given Dom was slightly familiar. It reminded her of her days as a squire when Cleon, at the time her sweetheart, had gotten defensive of the Dom 'flirting' with her.

"Are you alright Kel?"

It was hard to even manage a nod, but she rubbed her eyes with her hand and did her best to fake a yawn. "I am just pretty tired, is all. I should probably go to bed. Have to get up early tomorrow, you know." She couldn't tell whether she'd been convincing or not. Cleon simply looked at her with a worried expression.

"Alright, let me walk you to your rooms?"

Tempted to refuse his offer, Kel soon decided it would probably be too rude. Instead she nodded her head once more. After telling Raoul and Buri goodnight, trying to ignore the suggestive glance Buri gave Cleon, Kel started out into the hallway, closely followed by Cleon. They walked in silence for the short walk. It wasn't until they were outside of Kel's door, that Kel turned to Cleon, keeping her eyes purposefully on his shoulder. Was it just her, or was he a little too close for comfort?

"Well, goodnight Cle—"

To Kel's horror, the long gone familiar feeling of Cleon's lips on hers cut her off. Many women would have relished in the feeling, kissed the big, handsome knight back. But Kel was not one of them. Her first thought as Cleon suddenly had his arms around her waist was, Goddess, what did I do to deserve this? When at one point many years ago she would have felt sparks or warmth, she only felt discomfort.

Within the next few seconds, Kel called Dom a million kinds of bastard in her head. Even as another man was kissing her, when she closed her eyes, he was all that she saw.

"Cleon—" Kel tried to say as he pulled back for air, but he wasn't giving up that easily. His lips crushed against hers once more and Kel couldn't help but roll her eyes. She knew a number of ways to get him off of her, but he was still a friend and it didn't seem very polite to shove her fingernail into his pressure points. Gouging her thumbs into his eyes didn't seem much better. It took all of her arm strength, but finally she managed to maneuver her hands onto his chest and push him away. "What was that for?"

Cleon looked out of breath and confused as he stared at Kel dumbly. "You mean—Kel, what did you—"

Kel had heard enough. Shaking her head, she opened her door, uttered a quick but stern, "Good night, Cleon" and shut the door in his face. Perhaps eye gouging would have been more direct and too the point, she decided as she leaned against her door, pressing her fingers to her lips. Even after a moment like that, all she could think was how Dom's lips had been much softer and gentler than Cleon's.

While Kel had been dreading the trip to Queenscove, she could have not been in more of a rush to get out of the palace that next morning. Everyone except for Hattie seemed to take notice, but no one said anything as they set out on the road. It took nearly a day less than it usually would have. Hattie had complained and grumbled the entire way, but Kel refused to let up on their ride. Everyone else, not remembering when they had seen the lady knight in such a mood, kept their mouths shut and kept riding.

The only person Kel had told about the kiss with Cleon to was Yuki when they finally arrived at Queenscove. Neal had gone to the village to take care of a child who'd broken their leg. He'd left strict instructions that Yuki was not to leave the castle, but as soon as he'd ridden through the gate, Yuki was calling everyone to come for a walk with her in the gardens. Kel, Merric, and Dom all glanced at each other, but deciding they feared the now very pregnant Yuki more than Neal, they gave in.

"I love him, Kel, but some days I just want to strangle him."

It was hard for Kel not to smile as her and Yuki walked arm in arm through the paths of the garden. Lorraine and Merric were close together in conversation and Hattie and Dom were not very far ahead of them, but far enough out of earshot that the two women had a chance for a private conversation.

"He's just worried for you, Yuki." The plump Yamani snorted, her hand gently running over her belly. "I bet he'll calm down during your next pregnancy."

"If he lives until then."

Kel openly laughed at that, and patted her friend's arm gently. It was nice to have Yuki to talk to, but Kel hadn't yet been able to work up the nerve to ask her friend's advice on the Cleon situation. Yuki, sensing something was up, glanced at her friend with dark eyes.

"Spit it out, Kel." Yuki had lost nearly all her Yamani tactfulness, at least with her close friends. Kel remarked to herself what an influence Neal had had on her, but decided against voicing that particular thought as she stated just as bluntly:

"Cleon kissed me the night before we left."

"WHAT?" Yuki stopped mid step to stare at Kel with round eyes. She wasn't the only one. All of their companions had turned to see what was wrong with Yuki. Dom and Merric both seemed worried as they looked from Kel to Yuki. Kel waved them off and they looked relieved that Yuki hadn't gone into labor. Kel waited until they'd all turned back around to glare over at Yuki.

"You heard what I said, Yuki. You didn't have to shout."

"I thought he was married!" Yuki hissed, gripping Kel's arm in a grip as strong as a hawk.

"He was!" Kel insisted, offended at what Yuki had insinuated. Of course Kel wouldn't have let a married man kiss her! Yuki didn't look completely convinced. "His wife died two years ago. It's not like I wanted him to kiss me, Yuki!"

Again, Yuki looked at her with suspicion, but her eyes quickly softened as she watched Kel glance ahead at Dom and Hattie. It wasn't long before Yuki was gently patting her friend's arm in comfort.

"You still love him?"

The question was addressed in Yamani. Yuki's eyes were caring and concerned as Kel nodded slowly. The two were silently lost in thought for a second before Yuki said softly, "Kel?"

"I'm fine, Yuki. Really."

"No, Kel…"

"Honestly, don't worry about me."

"I won't, but Kel…" Kel finally turned to her friend to see her hand gently grasping the fabric around her stomach and Kel's mouth turned into a small 'oh'.

"It's time?"

"It's time."

"Dom!"