Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, own the Tortallan realm or any of the creatures or people in it. They belong solely to the incredible mind of one of my favorite childhood authors, Tamora Pierce.

"…."-Talking

"…."-Flashbacks

"..."-Thoughts

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Shinzoku-kai

Streams of iridescent moonbeams and soft winds of cool autumn night air flowed in through the open window of Kel's room. The lady knight in question sat alone in her chambers, a pot of freshly heated water at her desk beside her and a cup of warm green tea nestled in the strong yet gentle grip of her hands.

She sat comfortably in the chair that she had used two nights ago when Dom had been in her room. She stared blankly off into space, her fingers lightly tracing over the intricate lines of the fine painting of the cup she held. Her expression was relaxed and void of any emotion as was her norm now that she had grown accustomed to the complete upheaval of her previous little world.

Her mind, however, was in an uproar. She continually repeated Dom's confession to her and her family and her actions in response to it. In the safety of her room, she didn't even bother to hide the blush that dusted over her cheeks as she thought about the little moment they shared when she gave him her fan. She was still reeling from the fact that Dom would want her of all people as his wife and she had a hard time believing that as of just a few hours ago, she was no longer single, but betrothed to the man she had loved from afar for so long.

She chuckled slightly and shook her head at her own ridiculousness. She brought the cup of tea to her lips and took a long and grateful sip of the green concoction. She turned to look out the open window, allowing her mind to finally left go of any and all thought as she stared at the moon bathed land outside; hazel eyes trailing over familiar fields, fire crowned trees, and flora galore.

She reached over to the box of Yamani sweets she still possessed and carefully bit into a random treat. Not a sound was made afterward as she fell under the spell of the soft song of the breeze with the ruffling leaves of nearby trees and the almost inaudible sighs that come from her furry companion at the base of her bed.

She forced herself to finish off the rest of her cooled drink and delicious sweet. She stood from her chair. Making sure to cleanse her used items, dry them, and carefully store them back in their proper places. As she made to blow on the only lit candle in the room, a soft knock disturbed the harmonious peace.

Kel's brows came together in a small frown, wondering who would come to her door at this late hour. Grabbing the closest shukusen from her growing collection, she made her way to the door. The cotton of her sleeping yukata made barely a sound as she unlocked the door and prepared herself for whatever may be on the other side of the wooden barrier.

She pulled it open, she came face to face with smiling blue eyes that sparkled with the dancing light that lit the darkness of the hall. "Dom?" She asked, slightly startled that he was standing there in front of her and not in bed in his own quarters. He flashed her a small smile. "May I come in?" Kel nodded, moving out of the way and further pulling the door open.

The older male stepped in, very much aware of the strong woman behind him who watched him as she shut the entrance. "Is everything alright?" She asked quietly, coming up behind him and placing a hand on the strong muscle of his bicep. Dom turned to her, grabbing her hand from where it rested on his arm and brought the callused tips to his lips.

"Everything's fine, Kel, I just couldn't sleep. I can't stop thinking about earlier." He told her gently, the heat of his body enclosing her as he brought her into the safety of his arms. Kel chuckled slightly. "I know. Neither could I." He pulled back slightly and reached to his left hip where her token from earlier still hung at his side. "Are you sure about this, Kel? I told you I would wait. I didn't mean to put you on the spot in front of your family."

Kel pressed the pads of her fingers to his lips, silencing him. "You didn't do anything Dom and you don't have to wait. I don't want you to and honestly, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't ready. I love you Dom and there is no one I would much rather be with then you." She felt his lips stretch under the hardened tips of her fingers and an increase in pressure as he pressed sensual flesh to them. His hand, much bigger than that of her own, came up and closed around the one that touched his mouth.

He laced his fingers with hers as he brought her hand down, simultaneously pulling her in closer for a tender kiss. "You don't know how happy that makes me Lady Knight." He said after he pulled away, a grin barely noticeable on her lips. Kel chuckled softly and tightened her grip on his, she moved around him and pulled her toward her bed. "Come Dom, let's get to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and I have a feeling that I'm going to need every ounce of patience in me to get through it."

Dom threw his head back and laughed, remembering to keep it quiet so as not to wake Tobe next door or the animals that shared Kel's room. Without further discussion, he discarded his boots and tunic, arranging them neatly at the foot of the bed. Gently removing the fan from his hip, he placed it carefully on the night stand next to the bed. Waiting for Kel to slip in first, he followed after her, curling around her body and pulling her close.

As sleep claimed him, he relished in the fact that this incredible woman who was larger than life was his at last, and once they were tied before Mithros and the Goddess as well as the laws of men, she would be his forever.

KDKDKDKDKD

Had Kel known just how true her statement from that night would have been, she would have considered sleeping in and disappearing for the majority of that day until well before the beginning of the ceremony. The day had begun as it always had with Kel rising just before the sun and being out on the training grounds with Dom and Tobe in tow just as it peaked over the horizon.

Seiji and Saranai joined them shortly afterward and together the quartet began their patterned dances with the fluid grace that years of practice gave them. It ended in a rush of thrill as she and Seiji partnered up once again and sparred until they had nothing left to give. By the time they were done, the sun had colored the heavens in its fiery glow and the pages were filing in for their field training.

The group of five left the grounds in a good moods. Light conversation, soft laughs, and smiles ranging from barely noticeable to full blown grins brightening the atmosphere around them. It wasn't until they reached the front of the palace that the mood changed. Standing at the foot of the stairs that led into the great castle of Tortall's monarchy were the King and his queen. To Jonathan's left was Alanna in all her scowling glory, an amused Raoul standing beside her.

Roald and Shinkokami stood to Thayet's right; the Tortallan heir tall and confident between his strong parents and beauty of a Yamani wife. Kel's parents stood beside Shinko, their faces schooled into the blank slates they had been forced to perfect while under Yamani hospitality. None of those gathered noticed the approaching group, their eyes fixated on the road ahead where a mixed assortment of King's Own soldiers and, oddly enough, Yamani samurai made their way to the palace.

Kel and her companions stopped as they watched the progression come closer. Two carriages, their windows covered over so that none could see in, were being pulled along by two sets of fine, black horse flesh while the men encircled them. Dom and Tobe had no problem showing their confusion, while Kel, Seiji, and Saranai hid it behind barriers of icy indifference.

It wasn't until they pulled to a stop before the Royal progression that Kel caught the tell-tale sign of Seiji's displeasure through his perfect mask, his golden eyes burned with an intensity that scortched her flesh and sent shivers down her straight spine. She fought not to frown at this rare display of minimal emotion. She stood straighter beside her Yamani father and watched with the sharo eyes of a hunter as the door to the first carriage opened.

She mentally prepared herself for whatever was to come because deep down she knew that anything that made Seiji crack from his usual resemblance of a void porcelain statue was bound to be unpleasant. Hazel eyes critically examined the geta clogs that adorned stockinged feet soon covered by long, multiple layers of colored silk. Long hair the color of dark honey was pulled up in one of the many styles worn by married women on the island.

Her heart shaped face was covered in the white rice powder that Yamani ladies wore, but what captured her attention most were the hazel eyes so like her own that she would never be able to forget them even if she wanted to. Patricine placed a small delicate hand into the much larger one of who she assumed was her husband, Toshuro; one of the many samurai that guarded the two carriages.

Three more brightly colored women followed after her. Each one giving their hands to three dismounted samurai who by all appearances were Yamani but for the darker skin tone that hours in the sun had nothing to do with. While she wasn't entirely surprised that her sister had come such a long way to witness the ceremony, she was family after all, the darkening of Seiji's golden eyes upon seeing the other couples gave her pause.

She didn't know any of the woman so she could only assume that the men were what caught the attention of the stoic Seiji and ,after a glance at Saranai, his fiery wife. They were a little taller than most Yamani men, something that wasn't rare but was fairly uncommon. They were all very similar to one another but for the difference in their age, two to three years at most. All three had long, ink black hair that was tied up and away from their unbelievably handsome faces.

They had the same body build despite each varying in muscle mass and they held themselves with such a strong air of confidence she could almost feel it. She quickly took in their style of dress and the swords strapped to their sides. Finally, she paused to examine the armor they wore and found it curious that they wore a style that Seiji himself favored; clever hazel eyes sharpened in suspicion. She zeroed in on the eyes on each individuals handsome face and felt the corners of her mouth tilt upwards slightly.

There, confirming her suspicions, were three magnificent pairs of intense gold, dark brown, and burnt amber. Kel was floored with the changes that the years had wrought on the intense boys that she had grown up with on the isles and who she had considered her brothers throughout her childhood. Letting her eyes drink them in, she couldn't help the sudden swell of pride in her chest at the sight they made. So much like their father on the outside with the passions of both their parents on the inside.

That was the way that she remembered them and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that despite the passing of long years and the hardships that those years brought with them, they were still the same as they were then. She was about to turn her attention elsewhere when the door to the second carriage swung open. Her attention swiftly snapped over to the door; distinctly aware of the fact that the others did so as well.

The shadows from within the carriage kept the figure inside from her vision, but as polished leather boots stepped out onto the first step, she knew by the size alone that the person was male. Large, weathered hands grabbed hold of the frame and a lithe figure stepped out into the morning light. Kel locked her jaws in order to stifle the gasp that threatened to spill past her lips. She was acutely aware of Seiji's stiff body next to her.

They watched from their positions away from the eyes of those present as King Jonathan and his group of assembled nobility bowed to the older man and spoke in hushed voices. Her eyes greedily drank in the image of the man that she had seen only a handful of times in her relatively short life. Long hair, once the color of the darkest ink, was now snow white in its purity and tied up in a high ponytail.

He was dressed in the finest of silks, black in color. The sleeves of his haori bore the mark of his clan, the jade and silver dragon that Seiji had drawn on her tea set. The jade green collar of his nagagi could easily be seen from where she stood. The lower portion of his body where covered in the Karusan-bakama or Sashinuki style of hakama; a style worn only by warriors and noblemen. Holding the silken clothes in place was a plain silver obi.

She came to when she felt Seiji move away from her, followed closely by an expressionless Saranai. She waited a few steps before she followed after them, making sure to keep her proper distance from the prince and his wife. "Kōei no chichi." Seiji's cold voice rang out in the slight silence of their surroundings. He came to a complete stop just feet from the man and bowed.

Dark eyes the color of black opals turned to watch the bowed figures of the great warrior and his wife. A tanned face, barely marred with age lines despite the many years under his belt, was smooth and devoid of any feeling, as was customary with the Yamani. He turned his body away from the King or Tortall and bowed slightly to the younger man. "Seiji." Called the enchanting voice of the Yamani Emperor himself.

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A/N: I apologize for the extremely long disappearance. I've had my hands full for the past few months and have just been able to post something up. I had every intention to make this the last chapter, but somehow it doesn't feel right just throwing it all together. I feel as if its rushed. So I've decided to make multiple chapters of his final segment. My guess is two or maybe three.

Thanking all of my reviewers and those who have chose to favorite me or my story. I greatly appreciate your patience. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.

Translations:

Shinzoku-kai- Family Reunion

Kōei no chichi- Honored Father

Karusan-bakama or Sashinuki Hakama- Hakama worn during the Sengoku period had the hems made narrower than the body in imitation of the ballooning trousers worn by the Portuguese.