Summary: leaves off right at end of Lady knight, lets just say kel finally gets together with someone we all know and love ;-)

Disclaimer: its all tamora pierce's creation but if it were up to me it wouldn't all be hers. I guess you can't always get what you want (has any1 seen that new coke commercial?)

Chapter 1

They had been riding for quite some time and it was clear that Neal was very anxious to be with his betrothed. They had left New Hope early that morning and ever since Neal had been going through fits of silence, one minute he would be talkative and anxious and the next he would be shifting around in his saddle silent as the grave but looking as if he had something he needed to say. Kel saw this all as normal behavior and nothing out of the ordinary however she was deathly wrong.

'I need to tell,' Neal thought to himself. 'I can tell she knows something is wrong, she always has. Curse all my attempts at a conversation it just makes me look like some babbling idiot'

She was reluctant to show her emotions due to her time spent in the Yamini islands as a child, however she was currently losing the battle of suppress a grin at her own thoughts. Like it had been recently her mind was on Domitan of Masbolle and how much she was looking forward to seeing him.

As a squire she had developed a desperate situation, she had a crush on this man, Neal's cousin. They had become friends of a sort that had done nothing to help her, as time wore on however she found that when she looked into his beautiful blue eyes that she had gone past the thought of her stomach lurching. She cared for him.

At first these new thoughts had confused and made her think herself fickle, her mind could never make up its mind about whom it really liked. But she had assessed the situation and realized that even with her dreamer's hazel eyes she couldn't win over a man. Especially not one that could have any woman at court, it would be friendship and only that.

Finally she woke from her thoughts realizing that Neal was trying to talk to her again, "Kel, am I really to be married so soon?"

"You really are a Meathead, of course you are to be married why else could Yuki have come all the way up north with the escort of Commander Buri. What are you rambling on about anyways?" Kel asked with a look of confusion on her face.

"Well I was very excited to marry her at first because I thought I loved her. Well then I thought about it and I realized that I don't love her I just really don't think I do."

"Neal! I think you're mistaken, it must be pre-marriage jitters or something along those lines. Do you feel quite well?"

"No, no you should remember I am a healer I think I would be aware if I were sick. I have thought about this a lot and at first I thought just like you that I was nervous but the more I think about it the calmer I feel. I love her just in a different way like a friend or a sister. What do I do?"

Kel was shocked and it was moments before she realized Neal was sobbing, for a man who loved to play the heartless noble this was truly odd. What could she do for her friend, it had never even occurred to her that maybe Neal didn't love Yuki. However she had rarely seen the two together and was very surprised to find out their engagement after such a short time.

"Neal, I think you have to tell her the truth. There is nothing better you can do for her it would only hurt her more to find out after you are married."

They rode in silence for quite some time, Neal pondering how he would break Yuki the terrible news and Kel awaiting the sight of Fort Steadfast.

Silently Neal began to cry again and hardly noticed Kel's reassuring hand around his shoulders. All he wanted was for life to have handed him an easier card. However he hadn't told Kel everything, it would have been too much. He hadn't told much he loved her and how looking into her eyes made everything else disappear, no he would save that for another time.

It was quite some time before they heard the call from Steadfast, they had been sighted from the fort's walls. Tobe riding Hoshi called a reply signaling that they were friends. Quickly the gate was opened and what looked to be a squad of the King's Own rushed out.

They looked like a picture painted onto a tapestry, a handsome tall man with brown hair and beautiful eyes to match the equally fine-bred horse he was riding. He led ten other men, all wearing the Own's colors of blue and silver outside of Steadfast with its two large walls with many flags of Tortall flying above.

Kel had never been so grateful to have company, her ride had been very silent since her talk with Neal. She embraced Dom as soon as they had both dismounted it was a long and passionate hug. Neal had a jealous gleam in his eyes but if anyone had noticed they had decided not to mention.

"Kel, its great to see you! I see my cousin, Meathead, left some of you for the rest of us. We were afraid he would run away with you and we would have to come rescue you once more," Dom said in a joking manner.

"Mirthos, you just love that nickname don't you. You don't even take a spare second to greet your favorite cousin do you? Its always straight to the lady, you never do change. But you do seem particularly keen on some ladies, am I right," Neal replied curtly.

With this Dom and Kel both blushed, and Neal grinned widely knowing he had hit head on. Dom was the first to recover from his comment and said, "So what if I happen to have an infatuation with her, what is there not to like."

Kel's eyes went wide at this statement and she looked up into his eyes, they told her that he was not lying at all. He bent his head and pressed his lips against hers, to his surprise she kissed him. Soon they were passionately locked together, niether of them able to be pulled apart from the loving grasp they held on eachother. Neal and the other men were soon to recover from these turn of events and left towards the fort on their horses, all keen on giving the two some privacy. Neal was disgusted that all of this was his doing.

'This feels really nice,' Kel thought as Dom had his arms wrapped around her waist and his lips searching hers. 'Why did I never think that he would love me back?'


It was some time before the two of them realized what was going on, the sun was going down below the highest of the surrounding pines. Birds were singing, flying overhead to return home. Their horses stood chewing at the grass patiently waiting for something to happen.

"Kel," Dom said in deep rough voice, "I'm sorry if you didn't want that. I like you and all but what just happened."

"All I know is that should have happened a long time ago," Kel responded as she gently kissed him on his soft lips.

Dom laughed at her, this couldn't be more perfect, "I'm glad you think so because I doubt I would have taken no for an answer. It's just to hard to keep away from someone so powerful as the Protector of the Small."

'How did this happen to me? How did I get her? The way her hair just barely rests on her shoulders and her powerful arms rest next to her sword. Her hazel eyes dreaming away on her constantly calm face.' Dom thought, he was quite convinced he was dreaming by this point.

"Maybe Neal is right, you like your nicknames a little too much. I'll race you to the gates!" and with that they jumped onto the horses and road off towards the Fort smiling with the sun setting behind them. Both hoping that wasn't just a lapse of judgement.

Ok what do you think????????? Review it and tell me. You see the thing is that you've already took time to read my story so I think that now you should take the extra minute to tell me what you thought of it.....i would really appreciate it so so much!

ya i kno towards the end there it kinda went bad but it will get better promise!