Disclaimer: All characters and places recognized belong to Tamora Pierce.
AN: Ok folks, here's the next chapter, just a heads up, it is long, and what makes up most of it's bulk is a really long document. I apologize in advance for any redundancy that you may feel it has, but it is a "military" proclamation, therefore it is wordy and tries to cover as much grounds as possible so there is little left to the imagination. You will know when you begin to read it as the whole thing is italicized and everything that is new to this document is bold italicized.
Dom leaned against the wall, his eyes following his cousin as he paced. Neal's hair was in even more disarray than it normally was. And there it was, his hand running through his hair just to tug it as he reached the ends. Neal turned around to face Dom and the door he stood next to. It had been placed upon Dom to guard the door from Neal.
A harsh cry was heard from within the room beyond and Neal eyed Dom with obvious hatred. Dom just shook his head and stood up straight, not threatening, but just as easily blocking the door from Neal. As another Yamani phrase was spat out in obvious pain, Neal finally snapped.
"Damn it Domitan, I swear to Mithros if you don't move out of my way!" But to Neal's shock Dom just laughed.
"Dear cousin, don't drag the great god into this. Your wife has specifically ordered that you not be allowed into your bedchamber while she's in labor." Dom gave him a bright smile. "Besides, it is often believed to be bad luck for the father to be in the birthing chamber."
"To hell with luck, I'm a healer!" Neal tried to rush the door, but Dom effectively caught him and pulled him from the room.
"Come on Meathead, it's not doing you any good hearing your wife in pain. Let's take a walk and get some fresh air." He quickly pulled his cousin out into the gardens surrounding the palace.
As Neal gulped in fresh air he relaxed, "I guess it's no use stating that you'll be in the same mood when Kel's birthing your babes." He looked at Dom, "After all, you couldn't even get her to accept your proposal five months back."
Dom shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "What can I say, she had her reasons and we're still together."
Neal shook his head, "She's stubborn. You know this. I would have thought you would have persuaded her by now."
Dom gave a sad smile to his cousin, "Meathead, I don't think you know Kel as well as you think on this matter. If I try anymore persuasion I would be watching her walk away from me for good." He kicked at a rock in his frustration sending it crashing into a tree trunk.
"But isn't her strongest argument you leaving the Own? I thought that her taking over for Lord Raoul as Knight Commander would clear that up. You'd still be able to travel with them, with her, and help the Own."
Dom shook his head, "She's still in training for that spot remember, and besides, it would lead her to even more guilt than she needs."
They walked back towards the palace and the suite Neal shared with his wife. As they neared the bed chamber they heard the sound of a baby crying. As they rushed closer to the door it swung open revealing a smiling Kel. She gave Neal a hug and congratulated him on being the father to such a lovely little girl.
Dom gathered her into his arms, placing a kiss on her forehead as he watched Neal meet his new daughter. He followed Kel as she pulled him away to let the happy family settle.
"I'm surprised that you actually managed to keep him out of the birthing room." Kel told him as they walked to what was effectively their suite.
Dom shrugged, "I managed to pull him out to the gardens." He walked closer to Kel who had her back to him as she was stripping off her clothes. He gently kissed her neck his hands moving up her sides. "He once again asked me why I'm not pressuring you into being my betrothed."
Kel turned around in his arms and lifted an eyebrow, "And what did you tell him?"
"The usual, that with you being so stubborn that I would happily settle for just being with you." Dom answered her between placing gentle kisses upon her neck down her shoulders, all the while his hands sought out the necklace she wore that held her anti-pregnancy charm. Finding it in place he gently bore her down to the bed.
Much had occurred since the birth of little Arisu, or Ari as everyone had been calling Neal's and Yuki's daughter. A week after her birth, the family and friends had gathered in one of the small chapels within the palace to watch the blessing and presentation of the godsparents, a duty in which a heavily pregnant Princess and her royal husband shared with Dom and Kel.
Shortly after the ceremony, Raoul told Kel that he thought that it was almost time that she took over as the Knight Commander of the Own. The process he said, would take another month to finalize as they just now needed to discuss all of the rules and regulations within the Own that were not as well known or were to be enforced as she took over.
Three weeks after Ari's birth, Prince Roald and Princess Shinko welcomed their second son, Prince Kazahiko, whom they felt confident enough as the second son to give a traditional Yamani name.
Once again, Kel found herself part of the blessing and presentation of the godsparents ceremony, only this time she was sharing the duty of being godsparents with Yuki, Neal and Faleron of King's Reach.
A week later found Kel taking command of the King's Own. There was first a private meeting between King Jonathan, Lord Raoul and Kel. The meeting lasted a few hours. The next step was a formal ceremony that took place before all Own members. This ceremony was highly formal with all Own members in their highly polished ceremony garb.
After a short speech given by King Jonathan in which he encouraged the men to continue to not only serve him, but also the kingdom even with all the changes being made to the Own. Most of the men, who knew nothing of such changes, frowned, but not wanting to be disrespectful of the king remained silent.
The silence was broken when Raoul stood in front of the men who whistled, clapped or stomped their feet. Raoul chuckled at his men's antics, "I'll be glad to hand over the reins of you lot to my successor. That will mean, for me and my wife a quiet life without constantly being call out, or on the lookout for pranks." A cry from the men made Raoul laugh as they swore they would still try.
They quieted when he held up his hand, "Well, why would you lads be after me when you have a new commander?" He laughed as he saw a shiver run through the men of Third as they recalled their last prank war with the new commander. There was another call of, "Are ye outta yer mind my lord?" Once again Raoul had to hold up his hands for quiet.
"Now, when I first told our esteemed Majesty whom I wished to replace me, he was hesitant for the conservatives already dislike her, and once again she is going against tradition. But it is a tradition that has, in Tortall's history, been changed before. In the days of old when lady knights roamed this land unquestioned regarding their morals or their desires in life, it was not unheard of for a lady knight to lead a company of men in the king's service, wither it be a company of knights or, in all fact, a royal guard."
The men were listening to Raoul, most in amazement at the history that he gave them, but all because it was easily turning into the longest speech he had ever given to the men.
"Now, Lady Knight Keladry has been a true trail blazer. She was the first female to openly step forward and ask to be granted knighthood. She did not let closed minded boys drive her out. She even shocked her teachers with her dedication and determination to complete her training, even if it meant repeating years for events out of her control.
"I had been interested and drawn to this young lady to see how she measured up to my good friend the Lioness. There is no comparison for their personalities. However, I did see the same determination in them both, a drive to make the world a different place.
"Most of the men of the Own called me a cracknob when I decided to take Lady Keladry under my wing and be her knight master. She once again proved to all her worth to Third company, she was a true fighter, she did not hold the men back, and when she took a sweetheart, we could all see she was in fact a young lady, but one who did not allow her emotions to control her. There was no dramatic mooning for her laddy love, as it was; I believe she tried the impossible, hiding that romance from the men of the Own." There were a few chuckles from the men who remembered that time in Kel's life.
"As a knight, she once again proved to be a strong and dedicated citizen of the kingdom of Tortall. She followed her beliefs and orders, with one great exception, and helped to save the lives of not only the people under her command, but those who fought in the Scanran War. She is a hero of Tortall, the people all know of her and her regard to those of common decent.
"It is my honor to present the duty of being the Knight Commander of the Kings Own to Keladry, Lady Knight of the realm." Raoul stood aside and clapped as Kel stood. He surprised her when he pulled her into a giant hug instead of just shaking her hand.
Kel stared out over the sea of men who stood before her who were once again sending up cheers, applause and stomps, the loudest of which came from the men of Third Company. She nodded her head and the men quieted faster than they had with Raoul.
"I don't really like to give speeches, but it is a hazard of command. I will most likely make mistakes and ultimately make a fool of myself, just ask the men of Third and I'm sure they can enlighten you to some of my folly as a squire." Third roared with laughter and cries of "Tis true" and "Come to us lads, we'll tell ye the truth" were shouted.
Kel shook her head. "My Lord Raoul has been in command of the Own for years, he is the one who shaped it into the fighting force that this kingdom relies on to help rebuild and enforce the law. I will not change that, and I hope that under my guidance, the Own will only grow." A light patter of applause erupted at Kel's words, but she just continued. "Raoul had always ridden with Third, therefore, and effectively making old Captain Flynn his second in command. When he left, Domitan of Masbolle effectively took the role as captain and second in command. While I trust my lord's judgment, I am temporarily removing Domitan's status of second in command." There were sharp calls of outrage among those who served under Dom but Kel held up her hand for silence which fell immediately.
"I said I am temporarily removing his title, we have discussed this point in depth and agreed that while Raoul had him as his second, it would be wise for me to make my own decisions as to who will be permanently filling that role. This is a decision that is not to be treated lightly. Therefore, before I make my selection Raoul has graciously decided that he will fill in the spot." The men cheered as they found that they were not truly losing their beloved commander just yet.
"In order to determine who will be chosen as my second, I shall ride with each company for four months, during that time, I shall evaluate each of the captains on points that have been determined by King Jonathan, Raoul and I. In the end, I will have to defend why each and every captain has met or not met these targets. I will also be using those four months with the companies to evaluate not just the captain, but also the men who form it. I will spend two weeks working exclusively with the captain and a week with a single squad. During that last and final month, if I feel there are changes that need to be made among any rank, captain included, I will make it." Kel took the time to meet every captain's eyes; she rested a little longer on Dom before she continued.
"I will start with First, four months from tomorrow, I will move to Second, and lastly, as I am already familiar with Third, I will evaluate them last. This does not mean that you can slack off until I come to review your company or you can slack off once I am finished."
She met the stares of the men as she scanned the crowd to see their reaction. "Now, with my taking over the Own, these are not the only things that will be changing." A loud cry rose from the men and only settled down again when Jonathan stood and looked them over.
"As the Lady Knight has said, there will be changes made within the Own. As of now these are the rules for members of the Own, and must be followed by the members within the Own, and any who wish to join in the future. If you feel that you are unable to follow these rules, or they stand against your personal beliefs and morals that will hinder your performance in the Own, you may submit your resignation to your captain and new knight commander once we are finished here."
King Jonathan looked over the men before he unrolled a piece of parchment. He began to read.
"As of this date, March 17th, 465 HE as directed by King Jonathan IV and Queen Thayet of Conte of the kingdom of Tortall and their council, the men of the Kings Own will follow the rules given below:
"The structure of the Kings Own is as follows from highest rank to lowest:
"Knight Commander:
"The Kings Own shall always be under the command of a knight, that knight may be male or female as approved by the king and his/her predecessor along with a majority of the king's council. It is the duty of the knight commander to head the Kings Own and insure the companies are performing to the best of their abilities and direct where each company would be of the most use to the kingdom of Tortall. They are responsible for reviewing supply lists needed for the Kings Own. They are also charged with reviewing and bringing to attention all important matters to the king and others who it concerns. They must also attend official meetings and any events as dictated by the royal family. If riding with a company, they may deal out punishment, or direction.
"All other ranks to follow are to be comprised solely of males.
"Second in Command:
"The second in command shall be chosen from one of the 3 captains. It is the duty of the second in command to gather all reports from the companies and take those of greater importance to the knight commander for proper attention. In the event that the knight commander is unable to perform their duties, it is the responsibility of the second in command to temporarily run the Kings Own.
"Captains:
"Captains of the Kings Own, of which there shall be 3, will each be in command of a company comprised of 100 men. It is the duty of all captains to gather all reports from the sergeants and organize it into a singular report to be given to the second in command. All captains are responsible for the training of their company (see below "In Regards to Training"). They are to follow the knight commander's orders of where to go and of the tasks they must perform and submit a supply list which is to be approved by the knight commander. It is up to the captain to decide how to best utilize his squads. It is also up to the captain to enforce punishment work. If there is trouble within the company under their command, they must bring it to the attention of the knight commander (or second in command).
"Each company will be further broken down into 10 parts (squads), each holding 10 men.
"Sergeants:
"In charge of these squads will be a sergeant (10 per company). It is the duty of all sergeants to create a report of all their squad's part in a mission, if they are separated or are given a specific task. This report may be written or given orally to the captain at their preference. They are responsible for the training of their squads (see below "In Regards of Training") and during solo missions submitting a supply list to be approved by the captain. A sergeant may distribute punishment work if they are assigned to a task outside of the captain's command, but must inform the captain of any punishment work assigned.
"Corporals:
"Under these sergeants will be no more or less than 2 corporals (20 per company). It is the duty of all corporals to report of any problems they find among the squad to the sergeant. They are not allowed to assign punishment work. They are to take control of the squad should the sergeant be unable to do so, and there is not a captain or other higher ranking commander there such as a knight. The corporal with more seniority shall be the one to take charge in such a case as mentioned above.
"Standard Members of the Kings Own:
"The remaining men shall be composed of men of whom have either not been seen fit to promote to corporal at the time of a vacancy, or new recruits (70 per company). The standard members of the Kings Own must follow the orders given to them by the sergeants and captains of their company.
"In Regards to New Recruits:
"Males whom wish to apply for a position within the ranks of the Kings Own will submit a written request to be considered as a candidate. Only Males who are of the age of 16 may submit a request. The applicant can be of any class as long as they follow the below stated.
"A male wishing to submit an application does not need to be proficient in combat, but must be a passable horseman who shall be tested for their skills before being fully accepted.
"It is the duty of the male (or his family) to provide for him 2 mounts of good quality. If a mount is killed, becomes lame, or becomes too old for active duty, it will be replaced by the crown.
"The crown shall also provide the male with the proper training attire, uniforms and weapons to be used if they do not have such equipment, or their gear is found to not fulfill the requirements that are set by the commander.
"Males who are selected for duty within the ranks of the Kings Own will have 2 weeks to report to the Kings Owns' headquarters at the palace and to the commander in charge. There they will be filled in by the commander on what is expected of each man of the Kings Own and shown where their lodgings, the stores belonging to the Kings Own, and training yards are located.
"Training shall begin with an evaluation of the male's skills to determine which training group they shall be placed in with regards to swordsmanship, archery, pole arms, and hand-to-hand techniques prior to assignment to a company and a squad.
"Some of the activities above, specifically a tour of the facilities may be delayed if permission to fill the ranks off of palace soil is granted to a company by the knight commander. If a company is recruiting away from Kings Owns' headquarters, they must still follow protocol regarding a written request and training assessment.
"In Regards to Training:
"Each and every man within the Kings Own must undergo training at the discretion of both their sergeants and captains wishes. While at the palace, each squad is to train a minimum of three times a week, not including company training (see below). During training, all men must attend, unless otherwise granted permission due to illness or injury at the recommendation of a healer. Sergeants must keep track of their men's training and insure their own fitness.
"Captains of the Kings Own must oversee all training events of the squads. If they feel that a squad is not performing up to standard, they must help to schedule a time in which more training shall be done by the squad.
"Once weekly, the company as a whole must gather and perform a company training session in which the squads must prove to the captain their ability to work together as a larger unit.
"The only time group training will not be enforced is while out on missions. During a mission, it is up to the men to find their own time to train if at all possible. Training is expected to return to normal if the company is to be stationed within a fort or other area for a long period of time, as that of war.
"The knight commander is to occasionally watch the training of all companies when given the chance. It is his/her responsibility to insure all companies are in good fighting order.
"In Regards to Promotion:
"A male who is entering into the Kings Own shall do so with no rank. They must be within the Kings Own for 1 month and have seen active duty, either a bandit hunt, environmental emergency, war, or any other service needed to be performed or supervised by the Kings Own before they may be considered for a position of Corporal in the event of a vacancy. The advancement up to the spot of corporal shall be determined and agreed upon by the sergeant in charge of the squad and ultimately by the captain.
"A male who is already titled a corporal may be promoted to the spot of Sergeant. The position of sergeant may not be under the corporal's current squad if it is believed they would be better placed in the promotion over those who are in the squad with the vacancy. The promotion of sergeant will be determined by (if possible) the proceeding sergeant and the captain. All spots of sergeant must be run past the knight commander within 3 months of the promotion, or the promotion will be forfeited.
"A male who is already titled a sergeant maybe promoted to the spot of captain. In a rare case will a sergeant outside the company in question be promoted to captain of the company in need. Such an event would be if a suitable sergeant in the company in need of a captain cannot be found, then a sergeant of another company may be offered the spot as captain. The title of captain will only be appointed by the knight commander (or second in command) with approval by the king. The knight commander will select a captain based upon the recommendation (if available) of the proceeding captain and his/her own observations.
"In Regards to Payment:
"Standard Member of the Kings Own:
"A new recruit upon their entrance of the Kings Own shall receive 5 silver nobles monthly. After 5 years of services to the crown with no promotion, they shall receive 10 silver nobles monthly. After 10 years of services to the crown with no promotion, they shall receive 15 silver nobles monthly, and so forth for as long as they so choose to be in the Kings Own. In recognition for performing a noble deed above and beyond the call of duty for the kingdom of Tortall, they shall be rewarded in however way the crown sees fit for their actions. If injured and a leave of absence is needed for recovery, he shall be paid his current wages for up to 3 months unless granted permission for longer leave by a healer and the knight commander (up to 6 months).
"Corporal:
"A man who is being promoted to corporal shall receive 5 silver nobles monthly in addition to their basic company wages. As before, they shall still receive and extra 5 silver nobles monthly for every 5 years of service to the crown. In recognition for performing a noble deed above and beyond the call of duty for the kingdom of Tortall, they shall be rewarded in however way the crown sees fit for their actions. If injured and a leave of absence is needed for recovery, he shall be paid his current wages for up to 6 months unless granted permission for longer leave by a healer and the knight commander (up to 9 months).
"Sergeant:
"A man who is being promoted to sergeant shall receive 10 silver nobles monthly in addition to their basic company wages. As before, they shall still receive an extra 5 silver nobles monthly for every 5 years of service to the crown. In recognition for performing a noble deed above and beyond the call of duty for the kingdom of Tortall, they shall be rewarded in however way the crown sees fit for their actions. If injured and a leave of absence is needed for recovery, he shall be paid his current wages for up to 9 months unless granted permission for longer leave by a healer and the knight commander (up to 12 months).
"Captain:
"A man who is being promoted to captain shall receive 15 silver nobles monthly in addition to their basic company wages. As before, they shall still receive an extra 5 silver nobles monthly for every 5 years of service to the crown. In recognition for performing a noble deed above and beyond the call of duty for the kingdom of Tortall, they shall be rewarded in however way the crown sees fit for their actions. If injured and a leave of absence is needed for recovery, he shall be paid his current wages for up to 12 months unless granted permission for longer leave by a healer and the knight commander (up to 15 months).
"Second in Command:
"The second in command shall receive an extra 5 silver nobles monthly on top of his captain's wage for the duties he performs. It shall be raised to 10 silver nobles monthly if they must take over for the knight commander as acting commander. There is no change in paid leave granted if injured than that of a captain.
"Knight Commander:
"The knight commander shall receive 70 silver nobles monthly on top of their knight's wages. There will be a 10 silver noble monthly increase of pay after every 5 years of service to the crown. In recognition for performing a noble deed above and beyond the call of duty for the kingdom of Tortall, they shall be rewarded in however way the crown sees fit for their actions. If injured and a leave of absence is needed for recovery, they shall be paid their current wages for up to 18 months with no possible leave to be granted by the king.
"In Regards to Free Time:
"Free time is given freely and often to members of the Kings Own. Free time is considered to be any moment in which a member of the Kings Own is not training, maintaining gear or equipment, or on any and all official business. It is each man's responsibility to use their free time wisely and accordingly. During any moment of free time the men of the Kings Own are expected to be held responsible for their actions and any law breaking will not be tolerated.
"The use of free time to manage mischief or foolery may result in punishment as seen fit by the captain and the knight commander. Free time does not count as leave, and every member of the Kings Own is expected to present themselves at a moment's notice in good working order, no matter what they are doing with their free time.
"In Regards to Leave:
"All leave must be approved by the knight commander. Leave granted due to injury will not be deducted from paid leave. However if too much leave is granted, the Kings Own member may be forced to resign. The following restrictions apply:
"New Recruits:
"A new recruit cannot take time for leave until after their first year within the Kings Own. If a problem arises within their first year in which they must take leave, such as a family emergency, they must get the approval of their captain and the knight commander. Leave granted before the end of the recruit's first year will be without pay unless otherwise stated by the commander. The amount of leave granted to the new recruit will be determined by the knight commander.
"Standard Members of the Kings Own:
"After a member's first year within the Kings Own they can ask to be granted up to 18 months of paid leave over a 5 year period. All available paid leave cannot be used at one time and unused paid leave does not roll over to the next 5 year period. If more time for leave is required due to a family emergency, it must be approved by their captain and the knight commander and will be granted without pay.
"Corporal:
"A corporal can ask to be granted up to 15 months of paid leave over a 5 year period. All available paid leave cannot be used at once and all unused paid leave does not roll over to the next 5 year period. If more time for leave is required due to a family emergency, it must be approved by their captain and the knight commander and will be granted without pay.
"Sergeant:
"A sergeant can ask to be granted up to 12 months of paid leave over a 5 year period. All available paid leave cannot be used at once and all unused paid leave does not roll over to the next 5 year period. If more time for leave is required due to a family emergency, it must be approved by their captain and the knight commander and will be granted without pay.
"Captain:
"A captain can ask to be granted up to 9 months of paid leave over a 5 year period. All available paid leave cannot be used at once and all unused paid leave does not roll over to the next 5 year period. If more time for leave is required due to a family emergency, it must be approved by the knight commander and will be granted without pay.
"Second in Command:
"The second in command will be granted 2 extra months of paid leave over a 5 year period on top of their leave granted to a captain. They are unable to ask for more unpaid leave, even to be granted from their status as a captain. Any leave must be approved by the knight commander.
"Knight Commander:
"The knight commander will be granted up to 6 months of paid leave over a 5 year period. All available paid leave cannot be used at once and all unused paid leave does not roll over to the next 5 year period. No additional unpaid leave will be granted with the exception noted below. Leave must be approved by the king, and the second in command given advanced notice.
"In the event that a female knight commander finds herself with child, she may continue to work in the field for as long as her healer allows. She may then work from headquarters until she is eight months with child, at that point, the second in command will take over command of the Kings Own. The knight commander may take up to 18 months of paid leave to remain with her new born child before being required to return to active duty.
"In Regards to Relationships and Marriage:
"Members of the Kings Own are not discouraged from having relationships while serving in the Kings Own. However, they must be prepared to take responsibility of their actions in the event of a pregnancy, and do so honorably.
"Standard Members of the Kings Own:
"A man of the Kings Own who has no rank may be in a long term relationship if they so choose, however upon betrothal, they must submit a written resignation to both the captain of their company and the knight commander.
"Corporal:
"A man holding the position of a corporal may remain within the ranks of the Kings Own while being betrothed. Upon marriage, they must submit a written resignation to both the captain of their company and the knight commander.
"Sergeant:
"A man holding the position of a sergeant may remain within the ranks of the Kings Own while being married. Upon the birth of their first child, they must submit a written resignation to both the captain of their company and the knight commander.
"Captain:
"A man holding the position of a captain may remain within the ranks of the Own while being married and through the birth of their children if they so choose.
"In Regards to Injury and Death:
"Any male who submits an application for the Kings Own should do so with the acknowledgement that they may find themselves in a situation where a severe injury or their death may occur.
"In the event that a severe injury the above and below mentioned shall apply (see "In Regards to Payment" and "In Regards to Resignation"). Upon the death of a member of the Kings Own, the family of the deceased member will be notified and all personal effects shall be returned. The family shall also receive 3 months of wages. If the deceased does not have any family, or a will has been submitted to the knight commander, it shall be followed as requested.
"In Regards to Resignation:
"If at any time a member of the Kings Own so chooses, they may file a form of resignation to their captain and the knight commander. If a member of the Kings Own is injured and the recovery time is longer than that granted by their rank, they must either petition for additional recovery time, or submit their resignation.
"All members of the Kings Own should be advised that it may take a day or two before their resignation is fully recognized.
"Standard Members of the Kings Own:
"A standard Kings Own member may usually leave as soon as their resignation is acknowledged.
"Corporals and Sergeants:
"The ranks of corporals and sergeants may take a day up to a week after their resignation is acknowledged to leave as to find a suitable replacement. A sergeant is expected to submit a replacement recommendation form with their resignation.
"Captain:
"The rank of captain may take a week up to a month after their resignation is acknowledged to leave as to find a suitable replacement. A captain is required to submit a replacement recommendation form with their resignation.
"Second in Command:
"The second in command is expected to submit their resignation as second in command 2 months prior to his formal submission of resignation as a captain to allow for the other 2 captains to be evaluated for placement as the new second in command by the knight commander.
"Knight Commander:
"The knight commander is expected to submit their resignation to the king at least 6 months in advance so that a suitable replacement can be found. They are required to submit a replacement recommendation form with their resignation to the king.
"If a resignation is acknowledged and the member wishes to rejoin the Kings Own, they must reapply and undergo the application process with no exception. They will also lose all past wages and rank. No more than 2 resignations may be submitted by a male who wishes to serve in the Kings Own. After their second resignation they will be unable to reapply.
"If a call to duty is received after the submission of resignation, the member is still required to accompany the mission until the resignation is acknowledged.
"Any member of the Kings Own who is turning in their resignation honorable shall receive their current wage for no more than 3 months after their resignation has been approved."
A hush had descended upon the members of the Own as the king had been reading the long document. The quiet continued as the king sat back down and Kel went to stand before the men once again.
"If you wish for a copy of these changed rules and regulations in regards to the Kings Own, you may ask your sergeants who shall be receiving them from the captains after the conclusion of this ceremony." Kel let her gaze flow over the stunned men of the Own. "Except for those who have been assigned duties for after this ceremony, all men are to be granted free time to join us within the mess in a proper sendoff of Lord Raoul. I will be riding out with First company come the day after tomorrow, therefore if after reviewing these new rules and regulations you wish to submit your resignation, I would suggest you have them on my desk by tomorrow morning."
Kel gave a curt nod and before the men could react, she, Lord Raoul, and King Jonathan withdrew from the stage.
There was a flurry of activity as the sergeants rushed over to their captains to obtain the promised documents and then proceed to hand them to the men of their squads.
As they had expected, the first to arrive in the mess were the captains as they had already been made aware of the changes in the Kings Own a week prior to the ceremony. They all clasped Raoul on the back; Dom was the first to speak. "Well Raoul, it looks like you're stuck with us for another year." He leaned in with a twinkle in his eye, "I knew you couldn't just leave us men."
Raoul laughed and slung his arm around Dom's and Kel's shoulders, "Well, I couldn't very well leave the Own without a second in command while Keladry decided on whom to choose. Besides she'll be busy with the companies during that time." He lowered his voice as if letting them all in on a secret, "Besides, even though I tried to train her to be me, we all know I'm the better commander."
Kel forgetting her old shyness and awe of Raoul slapped the back of his head at his comment, "You are a bad man my Lord. I've not been in command for an hour and you doubt my ability." She raised her eyebrow in the way Dom once said reminded him of Raoul.
They all broke into laughter. Before they could continue their conversation men began to trickle into the mess, all coming over to talk to Raoul and Kel.
A few hours later found a much smaller party being held within Dom's captain's quarters that he had hardly used as he and Kel spent their nights within her rooms as it offered more privacy.
Looking around, Dom noticed that at some point Buri had joined them. The room wasn't overly crowded, but he wasn't surprised to notice that most of the men were from Third.
"So sir, which of us sorry companies get yer company o' riding with our company?" A slightly drunk Wolset asked. The men snickered at his wording.
"I thought that I would stick with Third," he told them as the men cheered. "Lady Keladry," he nodded towards her, "will be with you lads last and we all know it's unwise to leave the children unattended."
Dom scoffed, "I can look out for the men."
Raoul laughed, "My dear Domitan, I would more easily believe you of leading the mischief than stopping it." He help up his hand before he could protest, "However, we both know that you are a good judge as to when to play and when it's time to work."
"Here, Here!" Wolset called as he grabbed another drink and Kel who was walking past. "What do ye think commanderness? Our Dom knows when to work and when to play?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively causing Kel to blush slightly.
Kel was hiccupping and giggling at the same time. Dom suspected that Wolset had somehow managed to slip something to her even with them on the lookout. Granted he was feeling a little fuzzy himself.
"What we humble lads don't understand yer commanderness," Wolset was slurring having had too much to drink as well, "is why yer turned our poor captain down." Wolset clumsily tried to throw his arm around Dom's shoulder and managed to fall off his chair causing the few people left to laugh. The room had cleared significantly as the hours had passed.
Kel frowned looking perplexed. "I didn't turn him down, we are a couple," she turned bleary eyes up to Dom; "we haven't split."
Another man Dom had trouble identifying at the moment snorted, "No commanderness, why did you break the poor lad's heart and refuse his marriage proposal. You knew that the law was changing surely." Qasim, that was who was speaking Dom realized.
"But I didn't know!" Kel was trying to stand and failing miserably. Dom got up on his own wobbly legs to try to help her. "In the gardens of Masbolle, when he asked and I said yes, I didn't know the laws were changing." Kel covered her mouth.
Dom laughed at the shocked expressions all around, he took Kel's face in his hands as she began to babble, "Oh, I'm sorry Dom, I didn't mean to tell, we promised in your hidden garden that it would be our secret."
"And it is love," Dom whispered back to her playfully, "we just decided to expand our secret with all our friends." Dom took his hands away from Kel's face to put his arms around Wolset's and Qasim's head. He planted a kiss on each of their heads before he fell to the floor laughing.
Kel ended up toppling on top of Dom, pulling Wolset down with her. She whispered in his ear, "At least I didn't tell you that we already married!"