A/N: Okay, okay, here's the chapter you've been waiting for (as have I! lol)! No more putting off! So without further ado…Chapter twenty-two! (That rhymed lol).

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Promise Made, A Promise Kept

Two whole days passed and nothing had happened between the two. Everyone in the fort was working hard those two days after Kel had arrived. Wyldon and Captain Elbridge had left a day ago, and already the refugees and soldiers were learning that Kel was not like Elbridge. She worked and toiled with them, doing every task they did. She even sat with them in the mess hall. She was already earning the respect of many, though there would always be doubters until she proved herself in battle.

Dom observed this from where he and his squad worked alongside the others as well. She really was an amazing young woman.

That third morning, Dom watched on from his post as Sergeant Gavrain approached Kel. He was one of the first ones to ask for his assignments these days. Dom grinned as the sergeant then hurried to his new task. When Dom looked back at Kel, their eyes happened to meet from across the fort. They exchanged a smile and then Kel returned to her task at hand, which was carpentry. Dom imagined her hands were bloody already.

Continuing to watch her, Dom couldn't figure it out. The looks and smiles they had exchanged since she had arrived spoke of the feelings they had revealed for each other over six months ago, yet the only conversations they had had were ones typical of a commander to a sergeant or a friend to a friend. She definitely hadn't tried to kiss him again. In fact, they hadn't even touched since they clasped forearms the day she had arrived. In Dom's mind, that only left one explanation.

She and Cleon were still together. That was the only reason why he and Kel weren't, right?

Looking back at Kel, he caught her looking his way. The tenderness in her eyes and soft smile on her lips was enough to drive him up the wall. Right then and there he made up his mind. He had to find out if she and Cleon were still together; otherwise he might go crazy wondering.

Dom decided to seek out Neal later in the day. Once you got Neal started, he would tell you everything plus the weather patterns of the Realm in summer. His cousin was known to ramble…

That night at dinner, Dom made sure to sit next to his cousin. Kel had been sitting at a different table each evening, and again she had done so. It was good for Dom, for it would allow him to get the information he needed. Of course, it would take some time to get Neal around to the subject. He was busy complaining about his healing duties.

"You would think these people have never seen a healer before!" he told Dom, "Lice, pox, colds. They're like a healer's nightmare!"

Luckily the mess hall was so loud that no one could hear Neal unless they really listened. Dom was having a hard time listening himself.

"Meathead, they're refugees. They lost their homes. Their priorities are not to seek out a healer for things like lice and colds. They have more important things on their mind, like finding shelter," Dom explained.

Neal mumbled an agreement. Finding it a good time to change the subject, Dom said, "Let's talk about something else. Disease puts a curb to my appetite. You haven't told me about your past Midwinter experience…"

"Yeah, and now you're going to ruin my appetite," replied Neal, "The Ordeal doesn't exactly bring about pleasant memories."

Dom chuckled, "I don't mean just your Ordeal. What about being knighted? What about becoming betrothed to a certain Yamani young lady…?" He grinned when he saw Neal's face redden.

"There's not much to tell," he replied casually.

Raising his eyebrows, Dom looked at him. "You mean you don't want to tell me how beautiful she is or how her long dark hair reminds you of silk?"

His face reddened some more.

"Wow, Neal," said Dom, putting a hand on his cousin's shoulder, "You really must love this girl."

"I would suppose that's what is implied when you become betrothed to someone," Neal replied drily.

Dom laughed. He enjoyed having his cousin around. Trying to sound casual, he then asked, "Speaking of sweethearts…was Cleon there for Kel's Ordeal?"

He held his breath until his cousin replied, "No. He didn't make it."

Damn, Dom thought, That means they're still togeth-

His thoughts were interrupted when Neal added, "But we did run into him on our way up here."

Dom looked at his cousin with surprise. "You did?"

Neal nodded, "He was heading back home to his fief. Seems they've hit rough times with the flooding there…" Then he added, "He and Kel are no longer together."

Dom snapped his head around to look at Neal, stunned by what he had just said.

"They broke up right after he arrived," Neal answered to his cousin's unspoken question, "He's agreed to marry Ermelian of Aminar to save his fief. I could tell right away that something was up, and I think Kel did too."

"How did she do?" Dom asked concernedly, his mind racing.

"Truthfully, she did quite well. I went to see her to make sure she was alright, and she was." Then Neal leaned toward his cousin and told him quietly, "To be honest with you, I thought the feelings in their relationship was always a little one-sided. Of course Kel liked Cleon, but it wasn't in the same way he liked her. I could tell she thought of him as a friend- not a lover anymore. For some reason, I think she has her feelings set on someone else…" he shook his head to indicate he didn't know who.

Dom took this all in silently. Kel and Cleon were no longer together. Neal thought she had feelings for someone else…

He turned to look at the table where Kel was sitting. She was talking with the people around her, comfortable and relaxed. Why hadn't she told him? Had she just not gotten around to it, or was there another reason?

His mind started to whirl with other possible explanations. Did she not want to start another relationship right now? Did she not know how to approach him?

…Did she no longer return his feelings?

That thought made up his mind. He was going to torture himself by wondering any longer. He had to confront her about it.

Tonight.

When Kel returned to her room later that night, she only found her sparrows waiting for her, already asleep on her window sill. Ever since they had arrived, Tobe had been staying late in the stables, tending to all the horses and helping the few hostlers the fort had. Jump undoubtedly had tagged along again. He liked being around the people and all the action. He was a very social canine.

Lighting the oil lamps on her desk and around her room, Kel sat herself at her desk and started to go through her lists, accounts, and reports of the fort. She was halfway through rechecking her new supplies list when there was a soft knock on her door.

She called out for the person to come in, not bothering to turn around. Assuming it was Tobe, she smiled and said, "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"Excuse me?"

Kel immediately stopped writing at the familiar voice- the very familiar voice that did not belong to young Tobe.

Standing up, she turned to look at her visitor. "I'm sorry, I thought you were Tobe."

She reddened when he didn't say anything but just looked at her. Why did it have to be Dom she had accidentally said that to?

"Usually he comes in so late from the stables. He has a knack with horses," she explained further. Feeling uneasy by the way Dom was watching her, she turned back to her desk. "Look at all these piles," she said, absentmindedly straightening her papers, "A commander's desk shouldn't look like this. If someone would come in here and see-"

"Why didn't you tell me about you and Cleon?" Dom interrupted her quietly.

She stopped shuffling her papers. "What do you mean?" she asked him, her back still to him.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were no longer together?" His voice was in a neutral tone Kel had never heard before. Finally turning around to look at him, she saw his face looked the same- devoid of any emotion.

She didn't bother to ask him how he had found out. Neal was her best bet.

Kel looked down at the floor, away from his steady blue-eyed gaze. Was he angry…or hurt? Kel cursed herself for her spinelessness. Why hadn't she just told him already of her foolish reservations? That she was afraid he wouldn't care? Now he thought she didn't.

Still not meeting his eyes, Kel stumbled, "I-I feared that maybe…that maybe you…that maybe you would no longer care…"

Immediately the light in his eyes changed, but Kel was still looking down, unable to notice. He took a step toward her. "Maybe that Ordeal messed with your head."

Her brow furrowed, she finally jerked her head up to look at him. "What are you talking about?"

Dom took another step toward her. A soft smile graced his lips as he told her gently, "Why would you ever think I would ever stop caring for you?"

She now felt even more foolish than she had before. She looked away from him again, embarrassedly. She put her hands around her back, leaning on the desk behind her. She felt so childish that she almost started to scuff her foot on the floor.

"I don't know," she finally told him truthfully, again looking down at the floor. "I guess I was basing you off of my own experiences. On the few crushes I've had, after being apart from them for awhile, I would return to find that my feelings for them had vanished, with only friendship left in its place. But it's always been different with you, Dom. At first I had feared the same, but when I saw you here a couple of days ago, I felt the same way I had when I left you for my Ordeal. And more. It scared me when I started to wonder how to tell you. What if you only saw me as a friend now? What if you had found someone else? What if-"

She was cut off as Dom, closing the space between them in one stride, took her by the shoulders and covered her mouth with his.

Surprised, Kel gasped, causing Dom to pull back.

"Too soon?" he asked her softly, concern showing in his eyes.

Her lips still parted slightly and tingling, Kel looked up at him. Then she shook her head slowly. "No," she said just as quietly, her eyes running from his eyes to his lips and back, "Just perfect."

She watched as the left side of his mouth turned up slowly into a grin- the most attractive, heart stopping grin she had ever seen. Then he leaned back toward her with that grin still on his face and said roughly, his lips almost brushing hers as he spoke, "Then that means I have a promise to keep…"

And oh, did he!

His one hand moved up to cradle her head and his other wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him, as he kissed her with the longest, most wonderful kiss she could ever imagine. Her arms were circled around his neck as she responded readily, doing her best to match his fervor.

Apparently she was succeeding, for he soon deepened the kiss and she felt him hold her even more tightly to him, his mouth continuing to move over hers welcomingly. Kel felt like she was just about melting in his arms…

Finally they were forced to break apart from lack of air. Kel's head was spinning as she leaned back against her desk. So this is the kind of kissing my sisters always blather on about, she thought dazedly. No wonder they wanted to be court ladies…

Then again, she was certain none of her sisters' husbands or courtiers kissed like Dom. If they had, they all probably would have eloped.

Opening her eyes slowly, she was met by Dom's warm blue ones. Then he said to her, his voice rough and his breathing still slightly ragged, "I also promised to myself that the next time I kissed you, it would be as your sweetheart…" He left the statement hanging, waiting for her reply. Did she want a sweetheart right now? He had already waited a long time, so he could wait some more if she didn't, right?

Looking at her, he knew he was wrong. After that last kiss, in which she responded just as eagerly as he, he knew there was no turning back. Hell, he was having a hard enough time not kissing her again right now!

Warmth coursed through Dom as she smiled tenderly and reached her arms back around his neck. Then she said softly, her eyes shining, "Then consider your promise kept. I will be happy to be your sweetheart, Dom." Then she grinned and added, "That is, as long as you promise to kiss me like that many times more…"

She smiled as he once again slowly wrapped his arms around her. Seeing the huge smile on his face, she knew he was going to keep that promise. She waited with anticipation.

Tilting his head toward her and lifting her chin up with his knuckle, he replied softly, "With pleasure…" Then he brought his lips down on hers again as he embraced her tightly…

A/N: EEEE! They're finally together! Sigh. So…was that enough fluff for you? If not, there is sure to be more to come! :D