'Lover's Quarrel'
By the Other Jennifer
Kel stormed into the room, threw her papers down on the table and sank into a large armchair of Raoul's. He just looked at her, puzzled at her out of control behaviour. Raoul had never seen her this troubled except when the word about Lalasa's kidnapper had surfaced. Her face was red with fury, and her breathing came in short pants of uncontrolled loathing.
"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" she yelled to no one in particular. Raoul sighed. Another fight with Dom. He hadn't been there for Kel's last little breakdown, but his wife Buri had. Buri had told Kel without hesitation that she shouldn't get herself worked up over Dom, as all men were neolithic slobs who don't deserve to be loved. Buri had had the sense not to tell Raoul this, but he had found out anyway, from Alanna who had also been there helping Kel out.
Now it was his turn to face the lady knight's temper though. Everyone thought it was Alanna with the worst temper, but nobody would be able to recognize Kel when she got in a mood.
"What did he do wrong this time?" Raoul said as he came to kneel beside the armchair. Kel just shook her head, tears running down her face. Raoul put a hand on her back, and rubbed it up and down her spine. They sat like that for awhile. Raoul just sitting there, waiting for Kel to speak, and Kel shaking with sobs that tore through her body like a vicious storm. A knock at the door startled Raoul from his reverie. There in the doorway stood a very sheepish looking Domitan. When the blue eyed sergeant saw Kel though, his face turned remorseful and repentive. Kel continued to sob, not acknowledging his presence.
"Um, sir," Dom said. "Could we have some privacy?" Raoul studied him for a minute, and finally nodded. When Raoul had left the room, Domitan strode purposefully over to Kel.
Placing a hand in her hair, he knelt next to her. "Kel, I'm sorry." He said. When she didn't answer, he engulfed her in a hug. "I didn't mean to give you such a shock," he continued, even though his voice was muffled now by her hair. "I just wanted to propose the idea to you so the option was open. I never meant to hurt you." Kel pulled away from the hug to look him in the eye. Her eyes were red and swollen with tears.
"Were you serious when you said you wanted to marry me?" she asked with a trembling voice. Domitan nodded, his eyes showing the kindness and love he felt for her. Kel just crushed herself up against him and started to cry again. Dom sighed in exasperation.
"You know Kel, most girls would be thrilled with a marriage offer." He said with a little bit of conviction. "But then, you're not most girls are you?" he said. She shook her head and took a few deep breaths to calm herself again.
"It's not the proposal I'm upset about. It's the consequences of us being married." Dom frowned; he hadn't prepared himself for this. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Kel said, drying her eyes. She looked down. "Have you ever thought about how we would make a living. If you got married, you certainly couldn't continue with the Own. And if I got married, it's not like I'd have the freedom I have now. I wouldn't be able to fight nearly as much, and eventually I'd be expected to bear your children, and that's even less freedom..." she trailed off. "It's not the marriage I'm worried about at all. It's just the strings attached."
Dom placed fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "Kel, whatever obstacles are in our way, we'll make it through them, I know we will." With that he seized her lips in a soft kiss, one meant to reassure her as much as get her heart racing. When they broke the kiss off, they walked hand in hand out of Raoul's office, walking off into the sunset.
The End
Kel stormed into the room, threw her papers down on the table and sank into a large armchair of Raoul's. He just looked at her, puzzled at her out of control behaviour. Raoul had never seen her this troubled except when the word about Lalasa's kidnapper had surfaced. Her face was red with fury, and her breathing came in short pants of uncontrolled loathing.
"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" she yelled to no one in particular. Raoul sighed. Another fight with Dom. He hadn't been there for Kel's last little breakdown, but his wife Buri had. Buri had told Kel without hesitation that she shouldn't get herself worked up over Dom, as all men were neolithic slobs who don't deserve to be loved. Buri had had the sense not to tell Raoul this, but he had found out anyway, from Alanna who had also been there helping Kel out.
Now it was his turn to face the lady knight's temper though. Everyone thought it was Alanna with the worst temper, but nobody would be able to recognize Kel when she got in a mood.
"What did he do wrong this time?" Raoul said as he came to kneel beside the armchair. Kel just shook her head, tears running down her face. Raoul put a hand on her back, and rubbed it up and down her spine. They sat like that for awhile. Raoul just sitting there, waiting for Kel to speak, and Kel shaking with sobs that tore through her body like a vicious storm. A knock at the door startled Raoul from his reverie. There in the doorway stood a very sheepish looking Domitan. When the blue eyed sergeant saw Kel though, his face turned remorseful and repentive. Kel continued to sob, not acknowledging his presence.
"Um, sir," Dom said. "Could we have some privacy?" Raoul studied him for a minute, and finally nodded. When Raoul had left the room, Domitan strode purposefully over to Kel.
Placing a hand in her hair, he knelt next to her. "Kel, I'm sorry." He said. When she didn't answer, he engulfed her in a hug. "I didn't mean to give you such a shock," he continued, even though his voice was muffled now by her hair. "I just wanted to propose the idea to you so the option was open. I never meant to hurt you." Kel pulled away from the hug to look him in the eye. Her eyes were red and swollen with tears.
"Were you serious when you said you wanted to marry me?" she asked with a trembling voice. Domitan nodded, his eyes showing the kindness and love he felt for her. Kel just crushed herself up against him and started to cry again. Dom sighed in exasperation.
"You know Kel, most girls would be thrilled with a marriage offer." He said with a little bit of conviction. "But then, you're not most girls are you?" he said. She shook her head and took a few deep breaths to calm herself again.
"It's not the proposal I'm upset about. It's the consequences of us being married." Dom frowned; he hadn't prepared himself for this. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Kel said, drying her eyes. She looked down. "Have you ever thought about how we would make a living. If you got married, you certainly couldn't continue with the Own. And if I got married, it's not like I'd have the freedom I have now. I wouldn't be able to fight nearly as much, and eventually I'd be expected to bear your children, and that's even less freedom..." she trailed off. "It's not the marriage I'm worried about at all. It's just the strings attached."
Dom placed fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "Kel, whatever obstacles are in our way, we'll make it through them, I know we will." With that he seized her lips in a soft kiss, one meant to reassure her as much as get her heart racing. When they broke the kiss off, they walked hand in hand out of Raoul's office, walking off into the sunset.
The End