Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 1

Daine looked up from the marmot she was petting.

"Oh, it's only you." She teased as her teacher, Numair Salmalin, sat down beside her. He smiled.

"What do you mean 'it's only you'? You made it sound as if you were expecting someone important!" He raised his eyebrows and she blushed. She had been waiting for months for Emperor Kaddar to come to Tortall. When she had left Carthak 6 months ago, he promised to come and visit once his country was in order. She couldn't wait to see him, but not for the reason Numair was suggesting. She wanted to talk to him about his views on slavery. Daine disagreed with his ideas, and she couldn't wait to discuss it with him. She thought back to her trip to Carthak where she had met him. She got flustered and blushed just at the memory. When everyone had thought Ozorne had executed Numair and told her, she had tore the palace down and wreaked havoc on ex emperor Ozorne's soldiers.

"What are you blushing at? Did something happen between you and Kaddar that you didn't tell me about?" Numair asked suspiciously, noticing her blush.

"No, no, nothing happened, it's just, you know, it's partly my fault Kaddar isn't here yet." She replied. "I thought you were dead, so I tore up the palace. But now Kaddar has to rebuild and repair it all, when it was Ozorne's provoking and my doing." Daine confided to him. She told him almost everything. He was just so easy to trust. And he listened so well. The only thing she would never tell him about is her feeling for him. She had realized in Carthak that their teacher-student relationship might have more behind it, on Daine's side anyway. Numair was . . . different. No one else she had known gave her a tingling feeling down her spine that she got when he smiled at her. Or the pleasant fizzing in her cheeks whenever he said something just to her, or when he laughs at something she said. He had hugged her only four times, but it had seemed so . . . right. Like when he was with her, nothing bad could ever happen. She didn't know what exactly she felt, or if he felt the same way, but if he did he was concealing it well. Numair's voice broke into her thoughts.

"It's also partly my fault too, Magelet. And the Graveyard Hag's mostly. Don't feel so bad. I'm sure anyone else would have done the same." Daine was skeptical.

"How was it partly your fault? You were dead! Well, assumed dead."

"Yes," was Numair's reply, "I was assumed dead. However, I didn't tell you what I was planning. I kept you in the dark. Of course, it was for your own safety, but still." She thought about what he had said.

"No matter if you told me or not, the Graveyard Hag would have found some way to make me that mad at Ozorne." She said, then added as an afterthought."For my own safety, eh? That's not what you said in Carthak! You said you forgot!" Numair blushed.

"Well, I couldn't say that there! That would seem too . . . well, I don't know, but I just couldn't say that!" Aha! Daine thought. So he was lying in Carthak. I guess it took him six months to finally tell me the truth. Either that orfor there to be no one else around to overhear and think he's too protective of me. Which he is!

"Seem too . . . protective?" She threw out questioningly.

"Never you mind!" he replied and blushed again. I wonder why he's so flustered? She pondered. Oh well. I'll get it out of him later.

"Anyway," she remarked, changing the subject, "why did you come out here?" He grinned.

"Alanna! She wanted me to help her conduct this new experiment she thought of when she was half-asleep. Something about healing a mage that is more powerful than her. Which, of course would be me, seeing as I am the best black robe mage in Tortall." She shoved him gently.

"You dolt! You're the only black robe mage in Tortall! And I thought you would love experimenting new theories, no matter how dangerous they are!" He sighed.

"Yes, I would. But I would rather spend time with my wonderful student than even that." He sighed again. Daine grinned wickedly.

"So I'm the only reason you came out then, eh? Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with Lady Camaline over there does it?" She gestured to a group of maids clustered around a beautiful woman sitting by a fountain. He blushed.

"No!" She grinned.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Then he was serious. "Daine, would you mind if I got married?" Silence greeted his words. Inside Daine's head a battle was being fought. Yes, say yes! You would mind! No! He's your friend. Say no! Say yes! What would happen to you if he got married? Besides being heartbroken, you would be nowhere! He only teaches you because he has nothing else to do! No that's true! Her other self argued. He has plenty to do! My teacher, Numair Salmalin, left an experiment to spend time with me! Or to look at Lady Camaline? A tiny voice said inside of her. She pushed that voice aside and looked up. Numair had been peering at her with concern. Now he said hurriedly "Never mind! I didn't think that . . . well, I didn't think at all. I'm sorry Magelet." He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Without thinking, she snuggled up to his chest and sighed happily. He tensed, then relaxed and leaned back against the tree they were under.

Do you like it? Should I keep going? To answer me, you have to click on that loverly button down there and tell me!

twig