A/N: Sorry for the delay, here's the next chapter!! :D

Chapter Twenty: A Good Trick of Fate

"One of the sledge guards, a tall, broad-shouldered young man, dismounted from his horse. Bright blue eyes blazed and a broad grin flashed in a face splattered in mud…Kel almost ran to the newcomer as well, remembering just in time that a commander couldn't throw herself at an old friend. She knew Domitan of Masbolle, Neal's cousin and a sergeant in the King's Own, very well indeed…

He turned to Kel and bowed. "Lady knight," he said, and straightened with a wide grin, "You did it. We knew you would." Kel reached out her hand; they clasped forearms, Dom squeezing hers tightly before he let go…"

-Tamora Pierce, Lady Knight

As Dom and his men guided the sledge full of cut trees into the fort, Dom kept glancing up at the second flag on the mast as it flapped in the breeze. She was here. Dom tried not appear so anxious as he rode alongside the slow-moving sledge, but it seemed like it was moving backward, not forward because of how slow it was going. Wasn't there a mage around who could speed the thing up?

Finally making it through the fort's gates, Dom immediately glanced around. Then he spotted her. His face lit up with a smile as his heart pounded faster. Her back was to him as she listened to something Merric was saying. Dom wanted to run over to her and take her in his arms. It had been so long since he had last seen her.

But he didn't. Using all the restraint he could muster, he stayed on his horse and thought of how to make his entrance. Seeing Neal, he found his answer.

The three newly-made knights turned around to face him after he proclaimed his greeting. Neal walked toward him as he dismounted from his horse. Dom embraced his cousin.

After they exchanged a few sarcastic comments, as was typical, Dom turned to look at Kel for the first time. He then bowed and addressed her. When she offered him her hand, he smiled warmly and took her forearm. Dom felt the familiar tingle shoot up his arm, and before he let go, he gave her forearm a tight squeeze. Their gazes and smiles held until his men hurried up to greet her as well. Dom continued to watch her, unable to conceal his smile.

When his men finished with their greetings, Dom then asked her if she liked her flag. The smile she sent him told him her answer. Dom smiled in return and wanted to continue talking to her, but he spotted Captain Elbridge along with the others returning to talk to Kel.

He dismissed himself and his men, with one more smile directed toward her. She already had one waiting for him when their eyes met again. When Dom turned and walked away, a smile still on his face, he was happier than he had been in months…

She couldn't believe that Dom was here.

A part of her was afraid that her feelings for him would disappear, like they had when she had been apart from Neal and Cleon and she had felt only friendship on seeing them again, but she was wrong and felt stupid for even thinking that. With Dom, it was different and always had been.

When she saw him again that day, the same feelings she had for him returned in full force. They hadn't diminished in the least. In fact, upon seeing Dom again, her attraction to him seemed to have increased tenfold since the last time she had seen him over half a year ago. She wasn't quite sure if his presence was a blessing from the gods or one of Sakuyo's tricks. Having him around was already distracting her thoughts- but in a very pleasant way.

"You're quiet, Kel, what are you thinking about?" asked Owen, accentuating her previous thoughts. She and the others were having lunch before going out to get an idea of the surrounding lands.

Neal chuckled, "Do you really have to ask? She's thinking about this fort of course, what else is there to think about?"

A very handsome cousin of yours, she thought silently to herself. She was glad Dom and his squad were out on patrol and couldn't join them for lunch. Otherwise, she would probably be staring at him as well as thinking about him. It might have been a little more obvious to Owen then what was really going through her mind.

Kel wondered if Dom was having the same the problem. Was it just coincidence that his squad was sent here? It was almost like a trick of fate for him to be there. She and Cleon had just broken up, and now, a few weeks later, she arrives at her new post to find Dom here. She felt like the gods took a disturbing amusement in playing with mortal lives. What were the chances that she would finally break it off with Cleon and then Dom and his squad show up about two weeks later at the place where she was to command? Fate definitely had a hand in it, of that she was sure.

But she didn't feel that it was a cruel trick of fate. Instead she felt like this time, the hand of fate was actually doing her some good…

"Thinkin' about yer lady love, Dom?"

Dom rolled his eyes. That annoying question belonged to none other than Wolset. "Actually I'm thinking of punching you in the face right now."

"Then I take that as a yes," said Wolset, grinning.

The sergeant sighed. "Is there any way that I can get you to leave me alone about it?"

"How 'bout a first child?"

"I should demote you…" Dom replied. He was glad that he was leading the patrol. Otherwise, the men might have been able to see his face redden. The thought of he and Kel having a child was actually quite a pleasing thought.

"Besides," Dom continued, trying to wipe away his last thought, "we're not even together."

"Well by the looks between you this morning, I would say it's a safe bet," commented Fulcher, smiling. "All you got to do is find the right time."

"Yeah," agreed the newest man to the squad, "I've never even met her, but it sure seems like she's crazy about you!"

Dom couldn't stop from smiling. The words that she had said to him the day she left for her Ordeal echoed in his mind. 'I like you a lot, too.' That was after she had reached up and kissed him swiftly. Dom had that moment etched in his memory like the Ancient Ones used to carve the most important things in stone. He could recall that moment with little effort; the memory of her soft words and even softer lips imprinted in his mind.

"So why aren't y' together?" asked Wolset, puzzled. "I thought we helped you to that over six months ago."

He shook his head and then answered, "She was seeing someone else."

All the men looked surprised. He could've told them they had confessed their feelings for each other, but he didn't want to divulge everything. Besides, they deserved a little payback for what they had done to him.

"Is she still seeing someone?" asked Lofren.

"I don't know," replied Dom truthfully. "I haven't exactly had time to find out."

"What's the lout's name?" asked Wolset, suddenly defensive. "We'll pay him a little visit if that's what you'd like. I know some good tricks t' scare him away. An' if that doesn't work, my fists can do the talkin'."

Dom grinned. These men really were some of his best friends, despite all the teasing they did to each other. "There's no need for that Wolset, though I admit the offer sounds tempting. I know him, and I hate to admit it, but he's a pretty good guy."

"Not good enough for Lady Kel, though, I'm sure," mumbled Wolset, earning agreements from the other men around him.

Beaming at their loyalty to him, Dom asked them, "So does that mean you're going to stop teasing me about it?"

Wolset scoffed, "Not at all. It's too much fun."

Dom chuckled, "Fine, then, as long as you don't sing any sappy love songs outside my window."

"We would never do that," said Wolset, sounding offended.

"Good," said Dom.

Then Wolset grinned, "Yeah we respect Kel too much for that."

The men laughed as Dom said drily, "Well at you least you respect somebody, then." Then he motioned them to return to the fort. Their patrol was over for the day, and with all the talking they had done, it was probably better they didn't have a longer patrol…

A/N: :D I liked the way his men got on Dom's side like that. It was entertaining to write. I'll update soon so you can see some real Kel/Dom interaction!!