Court Rivalries - Chapter 13

A Proposal

Summary: A brother of a certian sergeant goes to court with fancies of catching a lady knight. Dom follows his brother to the escapades of court, hoping to win over his friend before his brother snatches her away, out of his grasp forever.

Disclaimer: ... do not own ... do not own ... do not own ... whacks robotic drone

The King's Own (or rather those that had not been given leave, or had chosen to stay at the palace) lay around lazily on their bunks, absently whittling at one thing or another, and shouting bawdy comments at the men closest to them (or in the case of Wolset, the man across the room).

When Dom moped in, seemingly dragging his limbs along the floor, and dropped onto his bunk at the far end of the room, only the men lying by the door noticed. One of the men happened to be Wolset, who just stared at the moody Dom as he slumped down onto his bed. Something, he decided, had to be done.

Motioning for a few of the men near him to follow, Wolset left the room.

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Kel played absently with the folds of her forest green dress, feigning an interested look in Thads direction. She was there, as he had not so kindly requested, in the Water Nymph Courtyard, and so far it seemed that all he had wanted to yatter on about to her was his own achievements.

She had learned far more than she wanted to know about the uses of purple twine. Why anyone would study such a subject was beyond her. It turned out that he didn't have anything interesting to say. How surprising, she thought disdainfully, flicking a stray piece of dirt of her gown.

Looking up at the sun she observed that almost half a candle mark had passed since she had sat down, and she restrained a sigh.

"Lady Keladry," Thad said to her softly, moving onto the dirt ground (very carefully of course, she observed, he obviously didn't want to get his trousers dirty) to look up at her earnestly. "I know that we only met each other 6 days ago, but I feel as if I have known you a lot longer than that."

Thad rifled through his pockets, his eyes not leaving her face. Kel restrained herself from rolling her eyes, barely, she listened half heartedly as he continued on.

"You are an extraordinary woman, Keladry of Mindelan, and any man with eyes can see that, so I shall not muck about, or I fear that you may be stolen from my grasp. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan (finally, he acknowledges that I'm a knight!), would you do me the honour of becoming Lady Keladry of Masbolle."

He asked it more as a statement then a question, as if he assumed that after knowing him for only six days that she would want to bind herself to him in marriage. Kel gasped, hands flying to her mouth in surprise at both the proposal, and also the ring. It was a think gold band, dotted in swirls made of minature sapphires that reflected in the noon light beautifully.

Kel knew a moment of panic. She had not expected him to propose! And not so soon anyhow! Would he think that she had led him on by not point blank refusing him? She had to give him a passable excuse as to why she wouldn't. Think, think! Kel commanded her brain uselessly.

Drawing her hands slowly out of Thad's hands, Kel looked at him morosely.

"Sir Thaddeus, I am so surprised! I never expected this sort of honour," Kel said carefully.

Time was running out, and to wait any longer with a reply would be offensive. Kel drew a large breath. There was no time, she would have to tell him the truth.

"But, kind sir, I am afraid that I shall have to decline. You see," Kel paused.

"I'm in love with your brother." Kel turned her eyes away from him, missing the fury that burned in Thad's eyes.

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Neal stared, not able to help himself. Well that was unexpected. Good news, but unexpected.

Shifting his weight slightly, into a more comfortable position, Neal continued to peer out of the bush the he was hiding behind, through the leaves, and at his best friend, who was looking at her lap, and his cousin, who was hastily making excuses to leave the courtyard.

He rolled back on his legs, and tried to extract his clothes from the thorns of the rose bushes, using his Gift to heal all of the scratches that covered his arms. He knew that he shouldn't have been spying on Kel, and she would have his head if she knew, but he could not say that he regretted it, or the fact that he was there to witness the look on Thad's face when Kel rejected him.

He'd have to tell Dom, maybe this news would get him off his bunk, and out of his sour mood.

Neal carefully got up, making sure that neither of the courtyards inhabitants saw him as he left.

Unfortunately, although they didn't notice him leaving, he did not notice all the scratches on his face from the rose bush.

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"Dooommmmy," Neal chirruped as he bounced on the end of Dom's bottom bunk. His black haired cousin was doing his best to ignore him, instead glaring vicously at his pillow, as if it had done something to offend him.

After a few minutes had passed, Neal got bored. Glaring at his cousin's unmoving lump of a body, Neal snarled. "Oi you! I have some very interesting news to tell you."

There was no response. "It's about Kel."

Immediately Dom's head shot up, instantaneously paying attention.

Neal was not to happy about this, and grumbled something along the lines of 'oh, now you listen'.

Dragging Neal out of the barrack's sleeping quarters, Dom urgently asked what Neal wanted to him.

"Well, I was minding my own business when I saw darling Kel and your brother talking."

Dom snorted. "Sure you were, and that is how you got all those scratches on your face."

Neal looked shocked, and then annoyed as he lifted a hand to his face and felt the cuts.

"Okay, so I was spying on them. Got a problem with that? Good. Anyway as I was saying, they were talking. Then suddenly Thad kneels down in front of Kel," Neal paused, most likely for dramatic effect, continuing when he saw Dom's murderous expression. "And Thad asked Kel to marry him."

If Dom hadn't sat down in one of the chairs that sat in the corridor he was sure that he would have collapsed in shock. His shock didn't last long however, before it turned into utter horror, and he sunk down lower in the chair and buried his head in his hands, groaning.

Neal ignored his cousin's upset mumbles and despair. "And she said no," Neal finally finished, sending Dom into shock once more.

He looked elated, much to Neal's disgust, immediately bounding up and giving Neal a hug.

Interrupting Dom's cries of joy Neal decided to share his most exciting piece of news.

"Don't you want to know why?" Neal waited for Dom to listen before he continued. "Because 'I'm in love with your brother,'" Neal ended, mimicking Kel's voice (badly).

Neal looked down in pity at his pathetic cousin, who had actually fainted. Rolling his eyes Neal slumped into Dom's vacated chair, and waited for sleeping 'beauty' to awaken.

dun dun dun ... I am afraid that currently, I am only planning to write until just after Kel and Dom get together, so there will be only one or two more chapters. ): May write a sequel, but not before i finish writing all of my other stories. Thanks to my beta and all my reviewers.