dear all my amazing readers! Chapter 9is FINALLY here! I'm so sorry it has taken me sooooo long. School has been crazy and hectic. I hope I can put chapters out a little more regularly but I'm not sure. Thanks also to everyone who has given me such lovely comments, they've really kept me going.

lots of love

izzy

Chapter 9

Announcements and Confessions

It had been about a month and a half since midwinter and Kel was taking some of her morning to visit Irnai at the temple of the Great Mother. The head priestess had said that her skills had gotten stronger but that she'd also gotten stronger. The girl herself seemed happier; she claimed that it was because the priestesses and mages who spoke to her were more accepting of her abilities and didn't shy away whenever she had a vision. Kel was thrilled to see that Irnai, who was only 7 years old, was really coming into her own.

Xxxxx Dom pov xxxxxxxxx

Dom sat in his cousin's room, fiddling uncomfortable with the hem of his tunic; whatever Neal had summoned him to the Queenscove townhouse for could not be good. Neal was pacing back and forth in his sitting room, raking his fingers through his dark hair. Dom's own hair was plastered to the sides of his face, courtesy of the heavy rain which could be heard battering the roof and sides of the building.

Neal turned to face him, and Dom could see dark circles under his eyes; clearly Neal was so worried about, he had been up all night thinking about it.

'Neal,' Dom addressed his cousin, 'sit down and speak!'

Neal stopped mid step and collapsed in the chair that was conveniently placed beside him. 'Dom, I don't know what to do! In six months, I'm going to be a father! How will I cope? I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing!'

Dom sighed but let his cousin continue to rattle off questions for a while. Only when Neal finally paused for breath did Dom interject, 'Meathead, calm down! You will be fine. When the time comes you will figure out what to do,' Dom saw Neal prepare to speak again but continued, anticipating the next question, 'if you ask me how I know I will punch you,' Neal exhaled, abandoning the question. 'If you don't want to take my word for it, ask your father! Or Kel's if you think that's easier! Or maybe you Raoul and Roald should start the expectant fathers club! Your wives have!'

Neal hesitated before speaking, 'Thanks, blockhead.'

'Blockhead? That's a new one.' Dom chuckled slightly, 'And must I remind you that it's now Captain Blockhead!'

Neal snorted, 'When you start remembering that I'm now Sir meathead then I'll call you captain.'

Dom responded dramatically, 'ah, my dear Sir Meathead, you wound me so!'

Neal rolled his eyes, but snickered nonetheless, echoed by two other people. Kel and Yuki had just come through the door to the sitting room. Dom blushed slightly as they giggled slightly.

'Dom,' Kel said, 'Never before have I seen you act so like your cousin!'

Dom's blush deepened slightly, but before the conversation could continue Yuki spoke, 'don't worry, we'll be out of your hair shortly. We were just dropping off some stuff. We are going up to the palace to see the princess for tea. Behave yourselves while we're gone!'

As the pair walked back towards the main door, Dom heard Kel say 'I doubt behaving themselves is on the agenda,' to which Yuki replied, 'it never is but I live in hope.'

Neal eyed his cousin suspiciously as the ladies left, 'is there something you want to tell me?'

Dom had hoped his blush had gone down enough that his negative response was convincing but this was not the case.

Neal simply raised an eyebrow before saying, 'I may be a meathead to you but I'm no idiot. I know there's something on your mind that you're not telling me.'

Dom try to say there wasn't but the words just wouldn't come out so he was forced to resort to merely shaking his head.

Neal continued to scrutinize him, enquiring about seemingly mundane aspects of his role. Dom was beginning to feel comfortable when this cousin finally said, 'you'll tell me about the workings of the Own and your role as captain so why won't you admit that you have feelings for my best friend?'

Dom accidentally tilted his chair back too far and jolted forward to avoid crashing down to the floor, shocked by the question. How was he supposed to respond? He spluttered briefly, before asking quietly, 'is it that obvious?'

Neal shook his head, 'you're my cousin, so I know you better than most people. I don't think anyone else is quite as aware. You might want to tone it down when you're with the men though, they might catch on soon.'

Xxxxx Kel pov xxxxxxxxx

Kel was enjoying tea with the ladies, a group which had expanded to now include Kel's mother, lady Haname and Queen Thayet when she could spare the time.

The current topic under discussion was the due dates of all the babies: Buri was due in three months, Shinko in four and a half and Yuki in five and half. Kel couldn't believe that in less than six months there would be three tiny babies crawling around the palace.

The topic quickly changed to stories of the war, then to news of Tusaine rebels in the valley, then finally to Merric's approaching wedding to Arina.

Thayet also enquired of Kel whether she had met the two female pages who were now in their third year. Kel responded that she had met both and tried to give them some useful advice.

Xxxxx Raoul pov xxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Raoul was sitting in the king's study, chatting to Jon and Alanna, who was in the city for a week before returning home. He had been fidgety for the last half an hour or so, debating how to talk to Jon about his plan.

Alanna paused and looked at her big friend, 'is something wrong, Raoul?' She enquired.

He shook his head and she raised her copper brow. 'Actually, there is something I've been meaning to talk about.'

'What is it, Raoul?' Asked the king.

Raoul responded, 'I've been thinking, Jon, about the next few months. With Buri due in three months, I've decided that it's about time I settle down with her to raise our family. I've been doing this job for twenty years and I think it's reached that point when I'm ready to return to Goldenlake and look after my people. I guess what I'm saying is that I think I'm ready to retire.'