Chapter 1

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me. It all belongs to Tamora Pierce so there. Please don't sue me.

Domitan of Masbolle stared out the window as unnoble thoughts swirled around in his head. Kel. Keladry of Mindelan. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Why had she rejected him after three months of courting? His thoughts roamed to an event that haad happened almost two months ago. Things had gone much further on that day.

Flashback

Dom walked up to Kel's door. Knocking he realised that she must have gone out. It was the night of the summer solstice. A night for lovers. Slowly the door opened.

"Dom?" came her voice.

"I'm sorry Kel. I know it's late but I wanted to talk to you."

"Of course Dom. Come in!" She ushered him inside.

Once he was inside and the door closed he spun Kel around and kissed her on the lips. Kel not expecting this gasped slightly but returned the kiss with passion.

"Kel." Dom's voice was ragged, "Are you okay with this? I've wanted to do this for a long time."

Kel looked into his eyes and kissed him saying yes without uttering one word. Dom's vision spun as she ran her hands through his hair.

Dom moaned slightly and drew Kel to her bed. No more was said that night.

End of Flashback

Dom was shaking. He was longing to touch her again. Suddenly he stopped. What was he thinking? Kel said she never wanted to see him again. She seemed to angry. He had talked to Neal, his cousin and Kel's best friend about the night. At first she had seemed content to be with him but it was three months after the night and the rejection resounded in his ears.

Dom walked out of his rooms and walked in the direction of Neal's rooms without even realising he had moved. Knocking on the door he realised that Neal probably wouldn't be awake yet as it was only very early in the morning.

The door opened showing a sleep ruffled Yamani girl.

"Dom?" Yuki inquired. "What are you doing here at this hour?" Seeing the blue eyed Sergeant's blank stare she guessed he was still in shock about Kel. She knew that he needed to talk to her husband now or else he would start to cry in the middle of the hall.

"Yuki, I need to talk to Neal. Please," he said remembering some manners.

"Of course." She walked into the rooms and walked over to the sleeping lump in the bed that was Nealan of Queencove.

"Neal," she said shaking him gently. "Wake up please."

"What is it Yuki? I'm tired and I have a busy day in the infirmary."

"It's Dom, Neal. He's in massive shock still and needs to talk to you."

Neal sat up swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he massaged his skull. "Where is he?"

"Waiting outside the door."

Once Neal had gotten dressed he walked outside to talk to his cousin.

Keladry of Mindelan paced her chambers. She missed Dom terribly. She felt so ashamed. Why had she forgotten to replace her charm against pregnancy before she had gone to bed with Dom? Here she was a young twenty-year-old knight pregnant like some scullery wench.

How could this happen? She loved Dom so much and it hurt her to have to let him go. She needed to confide her feelings to someone. The only person she wanted to talk to right now was Yuki. She didn't want to face Neal. Yet. She would tell Yuki first.

She walked up to Yuki and Neal's chambers hoping Neal was already gone to the infirmary for the day. Yuki opened the door on her first knock.

"Kel! I'm glad to see you!" the little Yamani said. "Are you here to see Neal? He left an hour ago."

"No. I'm here to see you. I need to talk to you."

"Okay Kel. Just let me put on a fresh pair of breeches and we can go to the gardens."

The air was warm for late fall. Kel and Yuki swiftly made their way to the gardens and chose an isolated bench in the middle of a thick hedge fence to sit and talk.

"What did you want to talk to me about Kel?" Yuki inquired softly.

"I have a problem." Kel started then changed her mind.

Seeing her friend was having a hard time she asked, "Is it about Dom?

Kel nodded. "Yuki. I'm with child."

Dom and Neal walked for a long time talking about many things until Neal finally got his cousin to talk about what he had dragged him out of bed for at such an ungodly hour.

"So, Dom. Have you talked to Kel recently?"

Dom's face had a pained look. "I haven't talked to her since she broke up with me."

"Really? I would have thought you and our dear Kel would have patched it up by now."

"I don't even know what I did! She never told me! She just came up to me and said, 'I'm sorry Dom but I can't be with you anymore' and ran off!"

"She didn't give you an explanation?" Neal inquired.

"No! Did she tell you anything?"

"No. I've only talked to her a couple times since Yuki and I got back. It's been really backed up at the infirmary."

Dom nodded understanding the stress his younger cousin was under. Neal shook his head.

"Kel's been avoiding the healers. I've noticed that she's taken to not talking to any of them anymore. But then again she doesn't talk to anyone anymore." Neal's voice became slightly dry as he said the last sentence.

"Kel wont talk to anyone?" Dom looked up sharply. This was not like Kel at all.

"Well she's taken to barricading herself into her rooms for hours and as far as I know she only talks to Lalasa."

"Lalasa? Why only Lalasa?"

"Kel fetches her once a week and they go riding. It's been like that for several years now." Neal looked curiously at his cousin amused at his baffled expression. Plainly he had not known.

"I'm not certain but I think she enjoys her company." Neal chuckled inwardly at that. Dom was ignorant.

"So, what did you do to Kel? It must be something big. She's never been like this before." Neal was trying very hard to make his cousin comfortable hopping that he would say more if he were feeling less trapped.

"I don't think I did anything. I mean, everything was going really well and then all of the sudden Kel came up and dumped me. No explanation. No hints before hand to even give me an idea that anything was different." Dom sat down and buried his face in his hands.

"That's not like her at all." Neal muttered. He looked at his cousin with some concern. He had never seen him like this before. He knew that Dom had been rejected before and he now believed that his cousin really loved his best friend.

"Are you going to try to get her back?" Neal asked.

Dom looked at him startled. "Of course! But I'm not even sure she even wants me anymore and I'm wondering if it's worth my while."

"Worth your while? Do you love her or not! Worth your while are you insane!" Neal was ranting while Dom stared.

"I guess you think it's a good idea to go after her don't you?"

Neal started fuming and marched Dom back to his rooms.

A/N: I don't know if I should keep going with this idea or send it to the glue factory. I'm also not sure of the characters. I needs some input and some help with the future story line.

Gwen Lyon