Chapter Seven

Starlight Discoveries

She sat and thought. Her mind wandered through the recent past, the current moment, and most of all, the future. Mostly, she was once again considering where she was headed now that she no longer had her goal to find and kill Blyce. Kel had not truly thought about what it meant to be done with the nothing man till now. She just realized that her mission to eliminate this threat had given her focus, something to work towards. Her first task was handed to her with her shield.

Of course she knew she was still a knight, and had sworn to forever protect the realm. With the end of the war in sight, what was Kel to do then, stay here at New Hope? While she had come to call this place home, and cared deeply for those who lived here, Kel knew that she could not stay. No matter how much she might wish she could.

'It does no good to dwell on these things with the war still on' she reminded herself for the umpteenth time. Kel finally reasoned with herself, pushing the things she did not wish to consider to the back of her mind, 'I will consider my next steps when I am no longer needed where I am.'

Turning to look at the outline of New Hope, Kel was pulled from her reverie as she saw a figure approaching her. She watched the person getting closer for a few moments before she recognized the slow purposeful gait.

Kel called out to the figure, "Did you tire of the party already Dom? I would have thought you'd take advantage of the party and get your fill of sir Meathead and his wondrous dancing skills." She heard his charming laugh in response and could not help but smile.

As he reached Kel and sat down beside her, Dom replied, "After you left, he and his dear, 'Yamani flower', shared one dance, that is he tripped over his own feet repeatedly, then seemed to have disappeared. As I was approaching the gates I believe I saw his 'delicate rose' asking one of the soldiers assist her in carrying him to his bed. It seems our dear Meathead cannot handle his ale as well as he used to." Kel, who was no drinker herself, answered back saying,

"At least he has his famous headache cure. He will certainly need it tomorrow morning."

They laughed together, both considering how much grumpier he will be than usual and how to best tease him about the events of the previous night.

The two sat in silence for a while. Each wondering what the meaning and source of the strange comfort they felt whenever in the other's company. At the same moment, they both turned to say something to the other. Neither had anything important to say, both planning nothing more than trivial banter about the weather. However, when their eyes met, both were completely silent. Mouths hanging open with unsaid words, both became trapped in the moment.

The pair seemed to be caught in a wordless exchange of emotion. Kel realized that those moments of tension she had been trying to ignore the past few days were not manifestations of her imagination but indeed feelings between the two of them.

Dom realized that his heart could indeed jump up into his throat and cause him both great pain and great joy. It made it both very difficult to breathe and proved that what he felt was like nothing he had ever experienced in the past.

Neither of the two knew how or why but after a few moments the space between their bodies seemed to have gone. Kel's face was now mere inches from Dom's.

He decided to stop thinking and gave himself over to his wants. He saw himself raising his hand, reaching up to touch her, to feel her and know that she was not another dream, but real. Without a word Dom lifted his hand and gently grazed her cheek with light fingers. Not able use a clear head, Kel let her heart rule her for the first time in a very long while. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Reaching up she put her hand over his, letting her fingers entwine with his.

Dom could have sworn his heart stopped when she covered his hand with hers.

Kel could feel her heart begin to race as if she were ridding into a fierce battle. With the next moment, as Dom closed the little distance between them, Kel realized it was too late, she had already lost.

With their first kiss, Kel knew that she was without out a doubt in love with him.

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Kel was afraid to open her eyes. How many times had she previously done so only to realize it was all a dream? Kel did not want to give up this clarity, this knowing feeling that she truly loved Dom and that he felt something for her in return. She refused to give herself back to reality. This world she kept herself in now was all she wanted at the moment. The only thing that could possibly take this dream from her would be-

"Kel?" she opened her eyes and looked into the twin oceans that were her dream come to life. "Kel, I apologize. I shouldn't have. I know that, I just don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry." Kel was suddenly overcome with the urge to punch this man.

She just came to the conclusion that she was in love with him, and Dom had the nerve to apologize for kissing her. Well she would show him. Kel did something she would have never thought herself capable of, she reached out, taking Dom's face in both of her hands and kissed him.

Unlike their first, this kiss was far from tender and delicate. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she was in a dress that made her feel more confident as a woman or the fact that she knew she was in love, but Kel felt bold.

Dom was nearly shocked out of his wits. When she finally pulled back she said three words that sent his pulse pounding in his ears, "I'm not sorry." Then she leaned back in.

It took him all of a millisecond to reach for her, pull her against him and kiss her back with equal force.

When they both ran out air they surfaced together to find many laces loosened and a whole shirt nearly gone.

They both realized where they had been headed. As the sat holding each other, their breathing quite labored, they finally gave notice to where they were. The moon was well overhead now, giving a soft light to Kel's face and illuminating her amazing hazel eyes as Dom looked at her once more and said "We should probably…uh…"

"Yes, you're right." Kel replied, with a tight smile.

Dom stood then reached down for Kel's hands. He pulled her up to face him, taking a step towards her once she was up.

They straightened each other's appearance, retying laces, smoothing mussed hair, and tucking in shirts. Finishing up, Dom tucked some hair behind a pin in Kel's hair. He let his hands drop to her shoulders, then slowly run down the length of her arms stopping when he reached her wrists, and only so he could take her hands with his. Kel shivered under his touch and felt goose flesh surface where he had grazed her skin.

Taking one of her hands in his two, he brought it to his mouth and gently pressed his lips to her palm. Pulling away, he bent her fingers to her palm, closing them into a fist. Dom then slowly guided her closed hand to rest against her chest over her heart. He then took her other hand, and they began a slow walk back to the walls of New Hope.