A/N: So I'm a bit inspired and more so by the responses I've received in the last day since I posted. So I give you all chapter 2!

Dom tucked himself back against the niche in the palace wall he had been waiting near. Kel had informed him the night before that she and Kas had planned to meet at the seventh bell. He hadn't intended to use that information at all other than to inquire after the dinner the next day but curiosity had gotten the better of him.

From where he stood he could see Kas waiting in what was likely the best clothing he owned. His hair was still slightly damp and his skin was pink, marking he had likely scrubbed hard to get the soot from his work off of his arms and face. He shifted his weight from leg to leg, a sign of nerves likely. Kas kept glancing at the opening to the palace gates and the stairs down beyond them that led into Corus.

Dom had been impressed that Kas had asked to meet her at the gate itself. The traditional meeting place from those coming down from the palace was at the bottom of the steps at the statue of King Jasson. It might have been an oversight of his that he would remedy in the future or it could have been meant as a sweet gesture of not wanting let her walk yet another few hundred feet without him. Dom chose to believe the latter after all of the time Kas had waited for Kel.

While watching the slightly younger man shift his weight again, Dom recalled their first meeting. It had been a few weeks after they had returned from Progress for Midwinter in the middle of Progress. He had gone out with a few men to a tavern to relax for the evening and they had just ordered drinks when a large, muscular, young man had sat down at their table and had offered to buy their round of drinks. Suspicious, Dom and his men had cajoled the man until he had explained himself.

"My name is Kasen Lander, I'm a blacksmith up at Raven Armory," he had paused there and had shifted in his chair marking his nerves. "There is a young woman that I saw return with the Progress and was speaking with you when she was riding back," he had looked to Dom. "A week ago I saw her again at the Armory with another man. I wasn't sure where to track him down nor did I think it would be acceptable to ask what I wanted."

"And what was it you wanted to ask?" Dom had questioned the man. By this point had been fairly certain about the identity of the young woman. Only Kel had been near enough to him on the ride into Corus as they had returned. And it had seemed likely that Kel had visited the Raven Armory with a friend.

"What's her name?" Kasen had asked, leaning over his drink.

"I'm thinking you're asking about Kel, Lady Squire Keladry of Mindelan," Dom had pressed her title hoping that alone would make the man think twice about his further questions.

"The Girl?" Kasen had asked incredulously, his eyes wide. Dom had felt his men tense, preparing the fight. Then Kasen had settled back into his seat and explained, "I had never considered she'd be so beautiful."

Dom had been struck by the honest way those words had come out of Kasen's mouth. Kel certainly had been attractive as a sixteen year old in her own right but Dom and his men had not been allowed to think of her that way. She was a squire, their Knight Commander's squire, and off limits. And had been hard to think of her in that light during bandit hunts or rebuilding towns when they were coated in sweat and grime. He had been sure even then that Kel hadn't thought of the men in the Own that way either.

"Does she have a sweetheart?" Kasen had asked.

"Yes," one of Dom's men had answered for him. "A newly made knight. He's likely the one you saw her in the Armory with."

Dom had grimaced at the mention of Cleon of Kennan and even the memory made his still grimace. The only reason that man had been allowed to live for touching Kel that way had been that she had seemed to like it.

"Do you think her courtship with him will last?" Kasen had asked. Dom had almost answered that he hoped it wouldn't but one of his men had cut across him.

"Sir Cleon of Kennan is betrothed to another woman. I doubt he would dishonorably break his betrothal even for Kel," the man had answered. Dom had turned on him. He hadn't heard this information before. "My home is in the same district as Kennan. Everyone expects the marriage eventually," he had shrugged.

"Does Kel know?" Dom had asked.

"I'm sure she does," the man had turned back to Kasen. "Tell us more about you."

By the time they had left on Progress again, Dom and all of his men were well aware of Kasen Lander and his attraction to Kel. They had hunted the man down in a way that would have made any spymaster proud. The twenty-one year old man hadn't stood a chance in concealing anything.

Thus, Dom knew Kas had received his credentials as a journeyman blacksmith at the age of seventeen with a specialty in weapons, especially swords, and had worked at a lesser armory until less than a month before he had approached Dom. His work until that point had been clean, consistent, and very well crafted. His former employer had only had nice things to say about him. His landlord that he had rented his flat from had said he always paid on time, he was quiet, and was courteous to his neighbors. When asked about him bringing women home or of former lovers to any of the people they spoke to, it had been only noted that he hadn't had a current sweetheart and hadn't had one for over a year. Any love interests had ended mutually. There had really been nothing to mark him as someone to be discouraged.

When they had returned at the end of the Grand Progress, Kel had been seventeen and Kas had hunted Dom down once again. Yes, Kel had still been with Cleon at that point but Cleon was on the Scanran border and had no sign of returning anytime soon. Dom had intended to set up a meeting between the smith and his friend but Raoul had kept Kel running and then they were leaving for the border themselves.

When Dom had returned after the war had ended, it had taken Kas only a week to find him at the tavern to ask about Kel. Dom hadn't let the meeting come easily. It had been four years since he had looked into the type of man Kas was and he had wanted to make sure that had stayed consistent.

Kas had moved since the last time they had checked him over. His flat was closer to the Raven Armory. His coworkers had only good things to say about him including he worked so hard to fulfill orders that he often didn't get a chance to work towards his master piece for his mastery. And while he had pursued other women in the last four years, none of them had become more than passing flings. That Kas had pursued other women hadn't bothered Dom in the slightest. Kel had been attached to Cleon until she had gotten to the border after being knighted and then she had been at war. He had expected Kas to continue looking for someone to court in that time.

It had taken a few more weeks after clearing Kas to instill the idea in Neal's head that going out into the city might have proved more fun than being at the palace. Once Neal had been on board it had taken little to get his friends involved and then, eventually, the ever practical Kel. It hadn't taken much to send a note to Kas suggesting which night he might want to visit the taverns either. He had not told Kas who would be at the tavern but he wasn't surprised that Kas' eyes had followed Kel from the moment she had stepped into the tavern.

It had been a surprise when Dom had witnessed Kas pull Kel's chair towards him at the end of the night to kiss her so thoroughly. It had been more of a surprise to see the healthy flush that had filled Kel's cheeks when he had released her. It had nearly killed Dom to hear Kel so confused about Kas' attraction to her because she truly was an exceptional woman but he could only blame her friends and the entirety of court that she saw so little of herself.

Dom was drawn back to the present by Kel appearing at Kas' side and the way both of them seemed to smile brightly at the sight of each other. Kel was wearing another gown and Dom knew it had been a point of contention for her during the day.

Neal had sought him out after midday to voice his concerns over Kel meeting this random man. It was from Neal that Dom had heard one of her friends had suggested that Kas had only been interested in her because she had worn a dress and had painted herself up. They had suggested that if she decided to wear breeches for the evening Kas would likely lose interest. Dom knew they were wrong.

That Kel had decided on yet another if Lalasa's gorgeous creations to wear told Dom she had either decided she'd rather keep impressing Kas or that she didn't believe she needed to prove a point with breeches. And Kas seemed very much impressed as he looked Kel over, his eyes conveying his surprise.

When Kas and Kel turned to leave, Dom slipped from his hiding place and turned to walk back into the palace grounds. Kel didn't need a chaperone following her from place to place while a perfectly decent man showed her how a woman was supposed to be treated.

"Well?" Neal demanded when Dom returned to his room in the Own's barracks.

"Well what?" Dom asked looking to his cousin who seemed to have picked or magicked the lock to let himself in before Dom had even entered the barracks.

"Did he run from her the moment he saw her in breeches?" Neal demanded.

"She was wearing a gown, not breeches, and he certainly didn't run," Dom informed his cousin. "If you will excuse me, I have work to do."

"Why aren't you worried about this man? You hated Cleon, why not this man too?" Neal whined throwing himself down on Dom's bed.

"Did you miss how utterly happy Kel was with that kiss last night?" Dom turned to glance back at his cousin. "Would you deny her happiness because you are uncomfortable with her being courted? Or perhaps you're uncomfortable with her being courted by a commoner?"

"I am NOT!" Neal pushed himself up to glare of Dom. "And I'm not denying her happiness. I simply want her to be practical like she normally is."

"Alright," Dom turned fully to Neal. "Let's talk about how practical Kel is being. You, her best male friend, is married to one of her only female friends. Her other female friend is married to the Crowned Prince who is also a friend of hers. The majority of her friends are openly looking for a courting partner or are already betrothed. She's been without a romantic partner since a year and half before she was knighted. Most male company around her are friends that are not interested in her as a woman or fail to acknowledge she is one properly, or are accusing her of being a whore. So tell me how it's impractical that she wants to spend time with a man that finds her attractive and wants to spend time with her?" Dom watched Neal's eyes narrow as he spoke. It was a sign Neal knew he was losing the argument before he even had a chance to make his counter arguments.

"Her friends properly acknowledge she is a woman," Neal murmured after a moment.

"Oh? Then why did she feel the need to thank me for not treating her like being a woman is something to be ashamed of?" Dom watched Neal's lips open and close as he tried to come up with an answer. After another moment of only silence from Neal, Dom turned back to his desk and the papers on top of it. "I've watched your friends and I've read stories you've written to me in the past about Kel and her interactions with your friends. The only time they acknowledge Kel is a woman is when they are jabbing at each other or apologizing for they themselves treating her like one."

"I acknowledge she's a woman," Neal tried.

"I'm sure you do when you aren't with your friends or when Yuki is about," Dom assured him.

"What do you want me to do? Flirt with her?" Neal demanded.

"No, not at all," Dom sighed. "But don't let your friends shame each other for acknowledging she's a woman."

"Alright, fine," Neal sighed. "But I want you to know that this Kasen being a commoner doesn't bother me. I just always thought Kel deserved someone that could afford to treat her properly. A blacksmith at the Raven Armory pays well but does it pay well enough to entertain a noble woman?"

"Do you really feel that Kel has that expensive of tastes?" Dom demanded.

"No. But that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve someone that will shower her with gifts and take her out to wonderful dinners nightly," Neal sighed again.

"When is the last time you brought Yuki a gift that wasn't a poem you wrote? When is the last time you took her to a dinner that wasn't at the palace and paid for by the Crown rather than out of your own pocket?" Dom turned on his cousin once more.

"Ouch, you're vicious tonight," Neal rose from the bed. "Point taken but tell me why you aren't worried."

"Because I checked into Kas several times before I set that meeting up last night," Dom admitted. He heard Neal shift and then he moved towards the door.

"If that's true then I won't question him anymore. I trust your judgment though I doubt I should after all of our time together. But I know I can trust you when it comes to her. Thanks, Dom." Then Neal left.

Dom set his papers down and stared at his desk. Neal had raised a point that Dom hadn't thought of in all of his careful thinking this all through. He knew Kas' finances likely weren't that great. Being a journeyman swordsmith didn't pay all of that well even if Raven Armory did pay the best of all of the armories in Tortall. The flat near the armory had to cost at least half of his monthly pay and the other half was likely divided between basic necessities, food, and supplies towards his master piece.

How often would Kas be able to treat Kel to dinner or an evening together? Likely not often without the rest of his life being diminished in some way. It was likely Kas would cut back on building up supplies towards earning his mastery though he deserved his mastery for his fine work.

But Kel would know Kas was spending too much on her when he did. It was likely she would be aware of it and she would fight him on it. Dom knew it wouldn't matter to Kel if she was treated to dinner at the best eating houses in Corus or if Kas produced half burnt potatoes for her at his flat but it was likely Kas would be ashamed of that. There was a point of pride for men to be able to provide for a woman whether they had picked a woman above their station or not.

Perhaps it was worth checking in with Kas to see if there was any way to assist with getting him closer to his mastery. A master at the Raven Armory could collect larger portions of the coin earned from the commissions the armory received and they could take personal commissions as well. Journeymen were only paid a weekly wage for the hours they worked or collected a small amount of coin from commissions the masters of the forge felt they deserved for work.

If Dom could ease the costs of material and forge time towards creating Kas' master piece for submission to the Blacksmiths' Guild then it would free Kas up some. Likely it would cost a nice amount of gold but it would be worth it if Kel truly liked this man. Dom would do anything to make sure Kel was happy.

But he was getting ahead of himself. A few kisses the night before and an invitation to dinner didn't mean they were going to go further than dinner. He had hope that Kas was the type of man to show Kel exactly what she needed but he would need to wait and speak with Kel in the morning to find out how the outing had gone. Until then he planned to do some paperwork, maybe some sword practice, and then visit the baths before heading to bed.

Dom was just about to head to the baths when a tentative knock on the door made him set his things back down. There on the other side of the door was Kel still in her gown, her eyes bright, and a brilliant smile on her face. She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck. The only thing Dom could do was embrace her back.

"Thank you," she murmured in his ear. "I know you arranged me meeting him last night."

"I simply informed him it would be a good night to go out. He did all of the rest of the arranging," Dom told her.

"All the same," she murmured.

"You called it a night early then?" He asked. It had only been a couple of hours since they had left.

"We had dinner and then we called it a night because I wasn't feeling up to going to the tavern so he walked me back and we said good night," she shrugged.

"Plans for future outings?" Dom asked as he let Kel step back from him. The creation she had chosen of Lalasa's was a vibrant green that accented the green in her hazel eyes and the curve of her body just right. He had no doubts that Kas was probably sure he was a lucky man when he had walked her home.

"Dinner, again, in three days," Kel admitted.

"Did he at least spend a few minutes kissing you goodbye so you wouldn't forget about him in those three days?" Dom demanded.

"As if my memory were that short," Kel blushed openly. "Are you as concerned about him touching me as Neal or any of the others are?"

"I'd be concerned if he didn't attempt to kiss you," Dom admitted. "As many men as you let abuse your body by giving you bruises with training, it would be nice to see one not want to pound you into the ground."

"You don't pound me into the ground," Kel reminded him. "Last I recalled, you didn't want to lose your reputation by losing to a girl."

"You must have heard that from Wolset," Dom grinned at her. Never once had he told her that he was afraid of losing to a woman. He knew plenty of women in the Queen's Riders that could and often did out shoot, out ride, and out track him. The fact that he had strength to back up his sword kept most of the women at bay in that area but Kel was different. The only reason he had never challenged her was she had had enough challengers from friendly matches to men trying to test her strength. "I'll feel I should challenge you for believing that slander against my character," he teased.

"You're on. Tomorrow on the practice courts," Kel beamed up at him. "I choose swords."

"Third bell of the morning, the Own's practice courts," Dom told her as she walked out of the door. He was insanely grateful she hadn't picked polearms or tilting as her form of challenge. He knew she excelled in both of those areas and while he was adequate with a polearm, he wasn't as good as she was with her glaive. And as far as tilting, he wasn't sure she wasn't insane for letting Lord Raoul consistently shove her from her horse with a small tree during her squiredom.

He was insanely happy that Kel had decided to come and tell him how her outing had gone. She had thanked him and it made him wonder how much Kas had revealed about his involvement. He'd have to ask Kas when he went to check with him about his mastery sometime the next day, provided he wasn't in the infirmary from Kel proving she was also amazingly talented with a sword.