Disclaimer: Everything recognizable rightfully belongs to Tamora Pierce.

Supper:

When suppertime came, Kel sat down with a sigh of relief. Two more days until the dancing lessons ended, two more days until the ball, two more days until the torture ends. She hummed a little to her self as she looked for her friends. When she found them she talked over to them and sat besides Dom and Yuki.

"Well someone's chipper this fine evening," Dom commented, " Usually you're grumpy and scowling."

"Use your head Dom," Neal scoffed, "And for once think about it, why is Kel so happy? Isn't she supposed to be the Stump's replacement and be even more emotionless than he is?" Neal ended with a sarcastic comparison and a dramatic show of rolling his eyes.

"What Neal is trying to say is that the winter ball is in two days time, and Kel is very happy about that fact," Yuki said as she then proceeded to give Neal a blow to the head with her fan.

"Thank you Yuki, I see that you have the ability to answer to one's comments without the sarcasm that seems to threaten Neal's speech," Dom said dryly.

"Or you could've wait for me to speak and tell you why," Kel commented with a point of her fork in his direction, "Unlike Neal my speech is perfectly fine."

"Of course Protector-"

"Don't call me Protector," Kel chided.

"-but you know how our Meathead always like to talk first and never seems to stop when he starts," Dom went on as if he hadn't heard her and winked at her when he finished.

"Hey don-" Neal was interrupted by Yuki who tugged impatiently at his sleeve.

"Neal you might want to hurry up if you want to get fitted for your robes," Yuki said, "Buri will be very displeased if she found out you missed your only fitting."

"Wait! Neal only has one fitting?" Kel asked with curiosity.

"Yes, of course, why?" Yuki answered.

"Then how come I have so many?" Kel complained.

"Umm……ask Buri," Yuki shifted nervously on her spot as she answered and then dragged Neal out of the mess hall.

"What was that about?" Alanna questioned as she took Yuki's now vacant seat.

"That was about why I have a dozen fittings for a dress that could have been taken care of in one fitting," Kel shot back with an emphasis on that.

Alanna choked on her drink when Kel answered and answered, "Ask Buri." And left in the same fashion as Yuki had with the exception of Neal.

"You know from the way they left I think they're scared," Dom remarked as the mess hall door slammed behind Alanna.

"I think they should be," Neal answered as Kel dumped her tray after Alanna and exited the mess with a scowl on her face and you could practically see the fire in her eyes.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

The door of Buri's room banged against the wall as it barely mange to stay hinged. But that did nothing to prepare for a sight that came a second later. Kel was staring at the door glaring at her with her arms crossed.

"Yes?" Buri looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Don't 'yes' me," Kel retorted.

"Then why are you here?"

"No you tell me, why was I here all those mornings for fittings?"

"Because you needed a dress for the wedding."

"That would've only taken one fitting!" Kel exploded.

Buri shifted nervously in her place as she took in Kel's appearance.

"Maybe you should ask Lalasa why because she was the one in charge of your fitting."

"Maybe you should stop avoiding the question," Kel replied.

"I'm not and it's not my fault that I don't know why you have so many fittings."

"Fine, I'll ask Lalasa but if it has anything to do with you-"

"Just go."

"Fine," Kel huffed out as she exited Buri's room.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

"Lalasa, wait up," Kel said as she ran to catch up with Lalasa who had just exited the laundry room.

'Yes milady?"

"What were all those fittings for?"

"What are you talking about milady?"

"The fact that I could've finished it in one fitting instead of all those mornings spent in Buri's rooms."

"I think you should ask Buri that," Lalasa replied looking nervously around them.

"I did and she said to ask you," Kel said.

"How about this milady, we'll talk about it after supper in Buri's room with Buri, Alanna and Yuki?" Lalasa proposed.

"Fine, but all of you will be there.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

After supper, Kel, Lalasa, Buri , Alanna, and Yuki met at Buri's room as promised. The latter three sat on the bed looking at everything but Kel.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Buri met her eye with a nervous twitch.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Alanna met her glance this time.

"You're not making this any easier!"

"Well milady," Lalasa visibly paled as Kel glare turned on her, "Yuki and Buri thought that it might be better if I made more than one dress."

"Why?" Kel threw her arms up.

"Well, Kel, you might need more dresses for up coming events, you never know," Yuki put in with a blank face even though she had, like Lalasa, looked a lot more pale when Kel looked at her.

"And where will I get to wear dresses to events in a fort in middle of no where and war?" Kel asked looking a lot more calmer than she felt.

"Well, you know how the Meathead is marrying Yuki? Well we thought that you would appreciated if you didn't have to get fitted for it," Alanna said.

"That would make two fittings," Kel voice cut through.

"Well there are probably going to be more social events later on, you never know," Buri said reasonably.

"How do you know?"

"Maybe you should ask Raoul, he had said some thing about sending the young knights back to Corus for the remainder of the winter to see their families," Buri let out uncomfortably.

"What?!?" Kel turned to her in confusion.

"Well, it seems that he got an order from the king that he should send some of the companies back to the castle because it seems that Maggur has surrendered," Buri muttered.

"You're choosing now to drop this on me, why?" Kel replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Because chances are you're not going to be as mad as you were for the fittings we made you go through if we gave you something to think about after you leave us," Alanna remarked.

"Funny," Kel bit out.

"I try," Alanna smiled dryly, "Especially when a knight looks like they're going to kill me because of dress fittings."

"Where is Raoul?" Kel questioned.

"If you want to see him, then do it tomorrow morning because he's busy with reports right now," Buri reprimand.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

Kel knocked on the door of Raoul's rooms the next morning.

"Come in," Raoul's voice boomed from inside the room.

"My lord?" Kel's head peaked in.

"Kel! Come in," He said when he saw Kel, 'Sit down. So what do want to talk to me about?"

"Well, Buri has let slip that I might be going back to the castle for the rest of the winter," Kel raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Well, I didn't want to tell before I was sure, but yes, you probably are going back to the castle," Raoul said with an grimace.

"Why??! I thought the passes were covered in snow? And what about New Hope?" Kel fired questions at him like a cannon.

"Well they were the king's orders, and the passes have cleared up," Raoul offered, "And Merric's fine on his own for the winter."

"But he still needs help," Kel's voice sounded exasperated.

"He can take care of himself, he's a big boy," Raoul retorted.

"But-"

"No buts Kel, If Merric needs help we have two or more companies to spare," Raoul injected.

"There cou-"

"Kel, I mean it,"

"Fine," Kel turn on her heel and left in a huff.

Raoul shook his head chuckling.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

Kel made her way to the mess hall with a scowl on her face. She sat down next to Yuki and proceeded to slam her tray down.

"So I take it that you're going for sure then?" Yuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Kel muttered between mouthfuls, "Apparently the passes have cleared up."

"Do you know who else is going?" Dom inquired.

Kel looked up at him surprised. He shrugged and pointed his head at Alanna and said, "She told us."

Kel shook her head.

"What? Sorry I got lost," Dom admitted when Kel looked surprised.

"I don't know who Raoul is sending back," Kel pronounced each of her words slowly as if she were talking to a child when she turned to Dom.

Neal laughed and covered it up by coughing very violently. Unfortunately he ended up choking himself and then started to genuinely coughing and then pounded at his chest. Finally the piece of bread came flying out and hit ………Alanna's forehead.

"You know if Neal weren't so stupid, I think Alanna might have spared him," Kel remarked at Neal who jumped up and made a run for it when Alanna stood up slowly and glared at Neal who had just ran passed the doorway of the mess hall. Alanna then proceeded to unsheathe her sword and follow Neal calmly out the door.

Raoul came through the doorway of the mess hall with a curious expression on his face.

"What did Neal do this time?" Raoul asked as he slid his tray onto the table.

"Be himself," Kel answered.

"That usually does the trick," Dom commented.

Snickers filled the table, while Raoul grinned.

"Nealan aside, does anyone know where Buri is?" Raoul tried to sound as uninterested as he could.

"You're getting as bad as Neal, my lord," Dom stated with a look of horror.

Raoul answered by doing an imitation of Neal dramatic sighing by first putting his elbow on the table and pretended to swoon on the spot.

"There you have my bucks, Neal's condition is contagious," Wolset nodding knowingly.

"I…I h-heard th…that," Neal was huffing and puffing and kept looking around.

"How'd you lose Alanna?" Raoul seemed genuinely curious.

"I-I-I do…don't know," Neal huffed out.

"What do you mean lose me? I'm right here," Alanna said innocently and grabbed the back of Neal's neck.

"Hi Alanna," Neal manage to squeak out before Alanna dragged him away from the table. When she reached the doorway, she turned around to wave goodbye and disappeared around the corner dragging Neal behind her.

"She's fast," Owen breathed out looking awed.

"You should watch when she's really mad," Raoul chuckled, "Then she's even faster."

"And a lot more aggressive," Wolset nodded.

"And her face turns a funny shade of red," Dom added.

"That's all you noticed?" Raoul seemed amused.

"Well my lord, unlike you I'm just a spectator," Dom said with a lopsided smile.

"Because you're afraid of her," Raoul shot back with a good nature grin.

"Well I have an idea from watching it to happen to you, of course, that the punishment hurts more than it looks like and it also lasts for at least a week," Dom informed everyone.

"Impressive," Kel noted.

"Me? Or Alanna?" Dom asked with a smile.

"You guess," Kel said with a snort and rolled her eyes.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

Hope u guys liked it. I know it wuz a long time but im really srry

My parents dragged me on a week trip

And my account wouldn't let me in 4 some odd reason

(and I think im running out of excuses)

KiriXD