"Have you heard?"
"About that mage and his student?!?!?!?!"
" Have they.?"
"I don't know, but I hear tell she wears a pregnancy charm now!"
"Do you know how they are? I simply MUST know!"
"Yes! Daine Sarrasri and Numair Salmalin!"
Alanna of Trebond, Olau, and Pirate's Swoop stopped in her tracks when she heard the two Ladies of the Court gossiping. Daine and Numair? she thought together? Thinking this, she strode quickly to the two gaudily clad women.
"I really hope you have your facts straight because you are speaking of two of my dearest friends! The Lioness said, trying to hide the tremor in her voice with the anger that came so easily to her. The women looked at her in surprise.
"Of course M'lady! We heard it straight from the mage's servant!"
"He walked in on them kissing just last night M'lady!" the ladies tittered.
Alanna stared at them in disbelief. How could this be true!
"Thank you ladies" Alanna said softly and walked away, much on her mind.
*
*
*
Daine Sarrasri sat perched on a chair in front of a mirror. She saw the outline of her face reflected back at her, curly hair astray, eyes dancing excitedly. She reached slowly, almost hesitantly for her hairbrush, and slowly began to arrange the curls into a "proper" hair do. Numair. she thought recalling the bliss of yesterday evening. He had taken her by the hand after the evening meal to one of the castle gardens. They had sat there for at least an hour, maybe more, in silence. They didn't need words anymore. But then there was that servant. Daine recalled. When darkness had began to fall, they had returned slowly, reluctantly, to the castle. She had walked with Numair to his room. They had been exchanging a last kiss when Numair's manservant had walked in on them. Daine had fled to her chamber, cheeks burning with embarrassment. The whole castle knows by now. She thought. It had been Numair's idea to keep their blossoming love private, to protect her from the idle suspicions that had been flying around for a long time that Numair took advantage of his student. So now were both in for it. She thought, but it isn't like that! Not at all.
A sharp knock at the door broke Daine's thoughts. She rose and went to the door.
"Alanna!" She said, smiling at her friend. Alanna grinned back, although her smile seemed tired, and almost worried. "come in!
"Thank you Daine, I don't need but a minute." Alanna sat on Daine's bed and looked up at the girl. "Daine, I don't shilly-shally. I never have. I'll get right to the point. Have you been. seeing. Numair?" Daine looked at her friend. She was tired. She couldn't deal with this now. She would tell the truth, Alanna was a friend and always had been. She might understand.
"Yes, Alanna. I have" Daine looked her friend in the eye, and saw shocked astonishment. Alanna said quietly,
"Have you."
"It's not like that Alanna! I wear this charm as a symbol. Nothing else! Not yet anyway." She spoke briefly.
"When did this start?"
"During the Immortals War. 2 years ago."
"Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me!"
"Alanna we told no one because these things get out of hand! We didn't want to have to deal with stupid rumors about Numair taking advantage of me. But I guess we'll have to now."
"You're right." The Lioness said, "the word is out. Better go into hiding. Better shut off the rest of the world!"
"Alanna! Why are you saying these things! What is wrong with you? Can't you understand that when you're in love you do things even though they don't make sense to everyone else!"
*
*
*
"About that mage and his student?!?!?!?!"
" Have they.?"
"I don't know, but I hear tell she wears a pregnancy charm now!"
"Do you know how they are? I simply MUST know!"
"Yes! Daine Sarrasri and Numair Salmalin!"
Alanna of Trebond, Olau, and Pirate's Swoop stopped in her tracks when she heard the two Ladies of the Court gossiping. Daine and Numair? she thought together? Thinking this, she strode quickly to the two gaudily clad women.
"I really hope you have your facts straight because you are speaking of two of my dearest friends! The Lioness said, trying to hide the tremor in her voice with the anger that came so easily to her. The women looked at her in surprise.
"Of course M'lady! We heard it straight from the mage's servant!"
"He walked in on them kissing just last night M'lady!" the ladies tittered.
Alanna stared at them in disbelief. How could this be true!
"Thank you ladies" Alanna said softly and walked away, much on her mind.
*
*
*
Daine Sarrasri sat perched on a chair in front of a mirror. She saw the outline of her face reflected back at her, curly hair astray, eyes dancing excitedly. She reached slowly, almost hesitantly for her hairbrush, and slowly began to arrange the curls into a "proper" hair do. Numair. she thought recalling the bliss of yesterday evening. He had taken her by the hand after the evening meal to one of the castle gardens. They had sat there for at least an hour, maybe more, in silence. They didn't need words anymore. But then there was that servant. Daine recalled. When darkness had began to fall, they had returned slowly, reluctantly, to the castle. She had walked with Numair to his room. They had been exchanging a last kiss when Numair's manservant had walked in on them. Daine had fled to her chamber, cheeks burning with embarrassment. The whole castle knows by now. She thought. It had been Numair's idea to keep their blossoming love private, to protect her from the idle suspicions that had been flying around for a long time that Numair took advantage of his student. So now were both in for it. She thought, but it isn't like that! Not at all.
A sharp knock at the door broke Daine's thoughts. She rose and went to the door.
"Alanna!" She said, smiling at her friend. Alanna grinned back, although her smile seemed tired, and almost worried. "come in!
"Thank you Daine, I don't need but a minute." Alanna sat on Daine's bed and looked up at the girl. "Daine, I don't shilly-shally. I never have. I'll get right to the point. Have you been. seeing. Numair?" Daine looked at her friend. She was tired. She couldn't deal with this now. She would tell the truth, Alanna was a friend and always had been. She might understand.
"Yes, Alanna. I have" Daine looked her friend in the eye, and saw shocked astonishment. Alanna said quietly,
"Have you."
"It's not like that Alanna! I wear this charm as a symbol. Nothing else! Not yet anyway." She spoke briefly.
"When did this start?"
"During the Immortals War. 2 years ago."
"Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me!"
"Alanna we told no one because these things get out of hand! We didn't want to have to deal with stupid rumors about Numair taking advantage of me. But I guess we'll have to now."
"You're right." The Lioness said, "the word is out. Better go into hiding. Better shut off the rest of the world!"
"Alanna! Why are you saying these things! What is wrong with you? Can't you understand that when you're in love you do things even though they don't make sense to everyone else!"
*
*
*
