Hem, hem, hem. Ahem. After a question from a reviewer, I reveal that Dom is still in the Own because I hate it when the law is changed for some mysterious reason just so Dom can marry Kel. So, please ignore it.
A/N: I strongly advise you to read SEVERAL DAYS OF AGGRAVATING OCCURRENCES before reading this fic. It provides some background that I think makes this piece more enjoyable.
Several Years after Several Days
This is the sequel to 'Several Days of Aggravating Occurrences'. It occurs many years later when Kel and Dom have been 2 years married.
No matter how many times he told himself that he didn't have to worry about matchmaking mothers anymore, Lord Raoul of Goldenlake still despised parties. There was something about the way the men sneered at each other and the guildwomen looked down their noses at everyone that put him off. Buri was often with him of course, but it didn't change the mood of the party. And it was always worse when she was unable to make it. Like tonight.
His face like stone, Raoul stood next to an old guildwoman, not even pretending to listen to her rantings. He'd tried several times to move away, but the old woman followed him everywhere. It seemed she was trying to tell him something. But he didn't know what it was. Maybe he should try listening. "... but everyone knows that she's just a pompous fathead, so then I said...." Raoul shut his ears again and looked to the ceiling. There would be no salvation.
A hand touched his arm. It was Alanna the Lioness. "Excuse me, may I steal him for a moment? Thank you." She dragged him away, not waiting for an answer from his openmouthed companion.
"You are my saviour!" whispered Raoul.
Alanna smiled. "Don't I know it. I've been hounded for conversation this past hour, and I've had enough of it. Let's go find someone decent to speak with, then Jon can't accuse us of being antisocial." She scanned the room, searching for a suitable subject. "Not Wyldon. Not Lady Emelphia. And Gary's in a foul mood tonight."
Raoul looked about as well until his eyes settled on someone familiar. "Ah, how about Lady Kel? She's got Dom, her husband, with her too."
"Where?"
"Over there."
"That's real helpful, Raoul."
"Over there by the window. Two people trying to appear inconspicuous."
"Ah, yes. I've never met her husband. Let's go."
They made their over, squeezing through the throng of people. When they reached the other side, Kel spotted them and raised her hand in greeting. "I assume you rescued Raoul from a chattering old woman?" she asked.
"Precisely," smiled the Lioness. "We both know he needs looking after."
Raoul shook hands with Dom, smiling with familiarity.
"I don't think we've met," said Alanna, looking at Dom.
"Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle, my lady," he said with a curt nod. There was good humour in his eyes. She liked him immediately.
"He's one of my best men," Raoul stated proudly.
"So you two met in the Own, did you?" Alanna asked innocently, secretly curious.
Dom looked at Kel. "Well, yes. But it was more complicated than that."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Kel and I did meet in the Own, where she developed a very strong crush on me." Wife scowled at husband. "She was only fourteen when we met, I didn't really take much notice of her." The scowl deepened. "But, when she got older, she caught my eye. And that's when she decided to confess her undying love for me."
Kel looked outraged. "That's not how it happened!"
"Oh, you're right, my dear! That must have been someone else!"
Kel swatted at his head. Dom ducked just in time.
"Fine, you tell the story."
"Fine. Yes, I did have a crush on Dom in the Own, but it wasn't that serious and at no point did I confess my 'undying love'." Dom snorted.
"It all started back when I was still stationed at the refugee camp, New Hope. I'd come back to the palace to tie up some payments, and Third Company just happened to be there.
"Anyway, Dom dragged me into a fighting competition with the Own and –"
"Excuse me, I persuaded you to participate."
"You forced me to."
"Forced is such a strong word."
"Moving on," said Kel with feeling. "They all got rowdy and I decided to make my escape."
Dom frowned. "These are interesting words you're using."
"Who's telling the story here?"
"You are, darling,"
Alanna was trying very hard not to laugh, but neither of them seemed to notice. Raoul was smiling and rubbing his chin.
"Shut up. So, I left, and on the way, I passed by the barracks, and there was Dom, and he was dr–"
"Drop dead gorgeous!"
"– drunk!"
"I was so compelling, she couldn't resist."
"He was being a j–"
"Gentleman. I offered her my coat. It was chilly out."
"Stop interrupting!"
"I'm not interrupting! I'm providing my input!"
"I don't want your input!"
"Fine, be that way."
"Anyway, Dom was drunk, and he acted very inappropriately, so I decided to avoid him for the next couple days while I sorted things out. I –"
"Not just avoided, my dear! I thought you'd left the country! Put passage to the Copper Isles! I couldn't find you anywhere!"
"Yes, well –"
"Do you understand how long I looked for you? I spent an entire THREE DAYS –"
"Dom, I'm telling the story."
"Well, I don't like how you're telling it. I sound like an idiot the way you're going on –"
"Because you were acting like one!"
"I was not!"
"You were too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too!"
"Was not!"
"You know what, Dom, I'm not going to get into this with you. I'm going to finish telling the story, and you will not provide any input! Do you get me?"
"Oh, I get you. No one appreciates me."
Alanna sat down heavily on the window seat, holding her sides.
"As I was saying QUITE A WHILE AGO, I didn't feel comfortable around Dom anymore. I avoided him. In frustration, he finally broke into my rooms –"
Dom gave an angered cry.
"– and waited for me to get back. He was very sneaky about it. I was ambushed."
"Your words are hurtful."
"I'll bet. Anyway, that was when he ....." Kel cast a sidelong glance at Dom, then plunged into the tale. "... he snatched the letter opener from the desk and brought it to his chest! He couldn't live another minute without me! He —"
"That's not how it happened!"
"Getting a taste of your own medicine now, aren't you!"
"Oh, we're back to this again, are we? Well I have something to say to you –"
Alanna and Raoul exited the scene quietly, not wanting to disrupt the quarrelling couple.
"I enjoyed that," smiled the Lioness. Raoul nodded his agreement, chuckling. They went to see if Gary had improved.
Dom stopped in mid-sentence to watch them disappear into the crowd. "Hey, they left us! Now we have to hide again!"
"And after all that work we went through to entertain them with the story of our love."
"Honestly, some people,"
"Forget it. We'll just have to provide our own entertainment."
Dom's blue eyes sparkled. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Kel looked him over, lowering her eyelids flirtatiously. "I don't know. Let's find out."
She walked slowly and deliberately toward the door, her skirts swishing. Dom eyed her receding figure for a moment, letting her get a head start, then set down his drink and followed. He smiled in anticipation. Let the games begin.
A/N: I loved writing that. This will be followed by another fic about Kel and Dom called MY WIFE THE LADY KNIGHT. Or something else.
A/N: I strongly advise you to read SEVERAL DAYS OF AGGRAVATING OCCURRENCES before reading this fic. It provides some background that I think makes this piece more enjoyable.
Several Years after Several Days
This is the sequel to 'Several Days of Aggravating Occurrences'. It occurs many years later when Kel and Dom have been 2 years married.
No matter how many times he told himself that he didn't have to worry about matchmaking mothers anymore, Lord Raoul of Goldenlake still despised parties. There was something about the way the men sneered at each other and the guildwomen looked down their noses at everyone that put him off. Buri was often with him of course, but it didn't change the mood of the party. And it was always worse when she was unable to make it. Like tonight.
His face like stone, Raoul stood next to an old guildwoman, not even pretending to listen to her rantings. He'd tried several times to move away, but the old woman followed him everywhere. It seemed she was trying to tell him something. But he didn't know what it was. Maybe he should try listening. "... but everyone knows that she's just a pompous fathead, so then I said...." Raoul shut his ears again and looked to the ceiling. There would be no salvation.
A hand touched his arm. It was Alanna the Lioness. "Excuse me, may I steal him for a moment? Thank you." She dragged him away, not waiting for an answer from his openmouthed companion.
"You are my saviour!" whispered Raoul.
Alanna smiled. "Don't I know it. I've been hounded for conversation this past hour, and I've had enough of it. Let's go find someone decent to speak with, then Jon can't accuse us of being antisocial." She scanned the room, searching for a suitable subject. "Not Wyldon. Not Lady Emelphia. And Gary's in a foul mood tonight."
Raoul looked about as well until his eyes settled on someone familiar. "Ah, how about Lady Kel? She's got Dom, her husband, with her too."
"Where?"
"Over there."
"That's real helpful, Raoul."
"Over there by the window. Two people trying to appear inconspicuous."
"Ah, yes. I've never met her husband. Let's go."
They made their over, squeezing through the throng of people. When they reached the other side, Kel spotted them and raised her hand in greeting. "I assume you rescued Raoul from a chattering old woman?" she asked.
"Precisely," smiled the Lioness. "We both know he needs looking after."
Raoul shook hands with Dom, smiling with familiarity.
"I don't think we've met," said Alanna, looking at Dom.
"Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle, my lady," he said with a curt nod. There was good humour in his eyes. She liked him immediately.
"He's one of my best men," Raoul stated proudly.
"So you two met in the Own, did you?" Alanna asked innocently, secretly curious.
Dom looked at Kel. "Well, yes. But it was more complicated than that."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Kel and I did meet in the Own, where she developed a very strong crush on me." Wife scowled at husband. "She was only fourteen when we met, I didn't really take much notice of her." The scowl deepened. "But, when she got older, she caught my eye. And that's when she decided to confess her undying love for me."
Kel looked outraged. "That's not how it happened!"
"Oh, you're right, my dear! That must have been someone else!"
Kel swatted at his head. Dom ducked just in time.
"Fine, you tell the story."
"Fine. Yes, I did have a crush on Dom in the Own, but it wasn't that serious and at no point did I confess my 'undying love'." Dom snorted.
"It all started back when I was still stationed at the refugee camp, New Hope. I'd come back to the palace to tie up some payments, and Third Company just happened to be there.
"Anyway, Dom dragged me into a fighting competition with the Own and –"
"Excuse me, I persuaded you to participate."
"You forced me to."
"Forced is such a strong word."
"Moving on," said Kel with feeling. "They all got rowdy and I decided to make my escape."
Dom frowned. "These are interesting words you're using."
"Who's telling the story here?"
"You are, darling,"
Alanna was trying very hard not to laugh, but neither of them seemed to notice. Raoul was smiling and rubbing his chin.
"Shut up. So, I left, and on the way, I passed by the barracks, and there was Dom, and he was dr–"
"Drop dead gorgeous!"
"– drunk!"
"I was so compelling, she couldn't resist."
"He was being a j–"
"Gentleman. I offered her my coat. It was chilly out."
"Stop interrupting!"
"I'm not interrupting! I'm providing my input!"
"I don't want your input!"
"Fine, be that way."
"Anyway, Dom was drunk, and he acted very inappropriately, so I decided to avoid him for the next couple days while I sorted things out. I –"
"Not just avoided, my dear! I thought you'd left the country! Put passage to the Copper Isles! I couldn't find you anywhere!"
"Yes, well –"
"Do you understand how long I looked for you? I spent an entire THREE DAYS –"
"Dom, I'm telling the story."
"Well, I don't like how you're telling it. I sound like an idiot the way you're going on –"
"Because you were acting like one!"
"I was not!"
"You were too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too!"
"Was not!"
"You know what, Dom, I'm not going to get into this with you. I'm going to finish telling the story, and you will not provide any input! Do you get me?"
"Oh, I get you. No one appreciates me."
Alanna sat down heavily on the window seat, holding her sides.
"As I was saying QUITE A WHILE AGO, I didn't feel comfortable around Dom anymore. I avoided him. In frustration, he finally broke into my rooms –"
Dom gave an angered cry.
"– and waited for me to get back. He was very sneaky about it. I was ambushed."
"Your words are hurtful."
"I'll bet. Anyway, that was when he ....." Kel cast a sidelong glance at Dom, then plunged into the tale. "... he snatched the letter opener from the desk and brought it to his chest! He couldn't live another minute without me! He —"
"That's not how it happened!"
"Getting a taste of your own medicine now, aren't you!"
"Oh, we're back to this again, are we? Well I have something to say to you –"
Alanna and Raoul exited the scene quietly, not wanting to disrupt the quarrelling couple.
"I enjoyed that," smiled the Lioness. Raoul nodded his agreement, chuckling. They went to see if Gary had improved.
Dom stopped in mid-sentence to watch them disappear into the crowd. "Hey, they left us! Now we have to hide again!"
"And after all that work we went through to entertain them with the story of our love."
"Honestly, some people,"
"Forget it. We'll just have to provide our own entertainment."
Dom's blue eyes sparkled. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Kel looked him over, lowering her eyelids flirtatiously. "I don't know. Let's find out."
She walked slowly and deliberately toward the door, her skirts swishing. Dom eyed her receding figure for a moment, letting her get a head start, then set down his drink and followed. He smiled in anticipation. Let the games begin.
A/N: I loved writing that. This will be followed by another fic about Kel and Dom called MY WIFE THE LADY KNIGHT. Or something else.