A/N: Thanks for the last reviews! Here's the next chapter, as promised! Dom gets a little jealous...

Chapter Five: Falling

'"I'm not ready," she whispered. "I have no dowry, I want my shield-"

Cleon turned her into his arms and kissed her long and sweetly, not caring who saw them…"

-Tamora Pierce, Squire

"How's your hand?"

By the way Kel quickly looked over at him, he could tell he had startled her. Third Company was on the road, the Progress not far ahead of them now.

Kel smiled, "Like new. Thanks again, Dom."

He waved her thanks off. "No need to thank me, I just wanted to make sure it was okay." Besides, the smile she had given him said enough. She had a lovely smile.

For a while they rode along in silence, content in each other's company. Spring had finally come, bringing with it fair weather for traveling. It was much easier for all the people on Progress as well.

"I'm sure glad I chose knighthood," commented Kel, out-of-the-blue.

Dom looked over at her and chuckled, "Where did that come from?"

She shrugged and smiled, "I was just thinking about the Progress and all the gatherings and things court ladies have to do."

"Not cut out for convent life?" Dom joked.

Kel shook her head emphatically. "Far from it. I would fit in there as much as Raoul fits in at a party."

Dom laughed out loud.

Raoul, glancing at the two riding behind him, asked, "What's all the commotion about back there?"

"We're just having a few laughs at your expense, milord," answered Dom, grinning.

"Oh really? I think I feel some demotions coming on- and I hear of a conservative knight that is looking for a squire," he joked.

"Very funny, milord," said Kel.

"I'm glad you thought so too," laughed Raoul. "And better yet, I could punish the whole Company and put us a few days behind the Progress again. I think I rather like that option…" He scratched his chin in thought.

Kel and Dom laughed. "And then His Majesty would demote you," said Dom good-naturedly.

"I'll take it if it means getting off Progress duty."

The three of them were laughing when one of their scouts appeared. He informed Raoul that the Progress was just ahead of them.

Raoul groaned. "You were supposed to give me good news, lad," he told the scout, "like their majesties had decided to go back to Corus."

It didn't matter to Dom either way, but he did prefer to be doing something other than First Company's job. Glancing over at Kel though, he knew she felt differently. Although she was good at hiding it, Dom could still sense her excitement- and it wasn't for the tournaments or feasts.

He suddenly found himself hating the Progress as much as his commander.

"Well, here we go lads," Raoul announced loudly, "Day one of captivity."

And torment, Dom thought surprisingly to himself. He usually found the idea of the Progress exciting…

He still couldn't get used to seeing them together.

The first night Third Company had joined up with the Progress, he and Neal had been walking to Dom's tent to resume their chess tournament when Neal decided that they should pester Kel instead. Walking toward her tent, they had spotted an unfamiliar horse out in front of it.

"It seems as though our friend already has another visitor," remarked Neal suggestively.

"Whose horse is that?" Dom had asked, already guessing at the answer.

Neal had given him a pointed look, "Who do you think?"

He didn't even have to say it. He already knew.

"Well, I guess its back to our previous plans," Dom had then told Neal, steering him back toward his tent. "I am determined to win that money back."

They had then started joking about each other's chess skills, but Dom's mind was elsewhere. He had glanced back at Kel's tent once to see Raoul and Buri standing outside it, looking curiously at the unknown horse. He was suddenly extremely glad Raoul's tent was next to Kel's.

Another time Dom had again been with Neal and some of the others at a small gathering when Kel and Cleon had joined them. Everything was fine until Kel suddenly had to 'get some air' and Cleon used the same weak excuse to follow her. Dom had a very good imagination, and he imagined that 'getting some air' was one of the last things on their minds.

Consequently, Dom found himself joining Neal and his friends less and less. Kel and Cleon were either always with them, or when they weren't, Dom found himself wondering where they were. It was tiring. And he didn't know why it bothered him so much.

It's because you and Kel are friends, he reminded himself. You're just looking out for her like you would for Meathead.

But you wouldn't feel the urge to pound Meathead's sweetheart into the ground every time they went missing, a wicked part of his mind reminded him.

So he had decided to stay away from them and hang out with men from the Own some more.

One night, after the Progress had moved on and had settled in a different town, Dom and other men from the Own decided to visit one of the local taverns.

They were laughing and joking with each other as usual, and as they wandered through the town, they passed the area where the challenge boards for jousting were posted. Dom, laughing at something Aiden had said to him, just happened to glance over-

And it was just long enough to see Cleon pull Kel into his arms and kiss her.

Dom stopped dead in his tracks. As many times as he had seen them together, he had never seen them kiss before. He was torn between looking away and pummeling Kennan to a pulp, but he seemed to be glued to the spot.

When they finally- finally! - broke apart, Dom looked away. That was also when Qasim noticed the sergeant's absence.

"Dom! Are you coming?"

Realizing that his friends were far ahead of him, he hurried up to join them, cursing red-headed knights along the way.

Then he soon realized how foolish he was for thinking that. He knew Cleon was a good guy and he would never hurt Kel, but he still couldn't help but think Cleon wasn't the right guy for her. He wasn't sure who was, but he was quite sure Cleon wasn't him.

Maybe you are, he thought suddenly. He tried to dismiss that thought quickly- but this wasn't the first time that thought had occurred to him.

What was wrong with him? Flirting with Kel, thinking of Kel, thinking of him and Kel…

He had a feeling he was falling for someone who had already fallen for someone else.

A/N: Ah! Dom admits he's falling for Kel! Hurray! Now, what is he going to do about it? The next chapter will be up soon!