HELLO!!!! Sorry, kinda hyper right now…so…I spent
hours thinking 'bout the next part…I wanted to thank 'Lanti for all the reviews
and praise that was sent to me…I COULDNA' DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!!!! *smile*
sorry…I'm really acting weird today.
Where were we last time?: "I
am King Jonathan, and you, madam, are creating a stir."
Serena blanched, but managed
to fire, "Then Arram and I leave!" She grabbed Arram and dragged him out of the
room.
There was a silence. Then Jonathan threw up
his hands and called in a falsely cheerful voice, "Let's party!"
Nobody
noticed a slim figure leave – except Alanna.
Okay, so here goes:
Daine hitched up
her skirts and started to run silently after the arguing couple. Her ears had
shifted into a cat's, so she could hear every detail of the conversation
perfectly – from the low, angry tones of Numair and the heavy breathing of the
woman.
Who is she? And
why'd she call Jonathan… Unable to
help herself, Daine giggled. She'd remember that look on Jonathan's face
forever! Daine turned her thoughts to that strange woman – who was she and what
did she want with Numair?
Daine stopped
running when she saw that Numair and the woman had stopped in the library.
Daine entered it silently, ears perked. She hid behind a shelf of books and
listened.
J
Arram faced
Serena, trying to calm his frayed nerves. "Let's start from the beginning,
shall we?" he said in a clipped, strained voice. "What are you doing here?"
Serena raised an
eyebrow. "From the beginning, eh? Very well…when you left Carthak after the
Emperor pressed charges, I returned to the Copper Isles. I finished my
education in a College of Sorcery, and then I went to freshen up my skills as a
princess of the crown. Then my parents arranged for me to be betrothed – I
married a Prince of the Copper Isles. He was my cousin twice removed. Then he died
of some mysterious ailment and I came here, looking for you."
"Why?" Arram
hissed. "Why did you have to look for me?"
"Arram, my sweet,"
Serena purred, running her hand across Arram's face affectionately. "Have you
forgotten what we had in Carthak? Both of us – innocent youngsters – lonely in
the university. We met during a festival and shared one night of hot, undenied
sexual pleasure. One night turned into two, three, four…we lost count after all
those years."
Arram gulped. His
eyes kept on flicking around the dark room, as if he was afraid of someone
overhearing them. Serena ignored his antics, her eyes glued on his face.
"Before you
left…remember that night? You said: don't worry, I'll be back when this
blows over. You never did return…and I got worried. You said that you
wanted this relationship to continue – I assumed that you meant getting
engaged, then married, and raising a family of our own –"
"You assumed
wrongly," Arram yelped. "I'm very sorry, Serena, but what we had is over. It's
been over for ten years. Ten years! Don't tell me you have not found
someone else to pour your affections on!"
"No, I haven't."
Serena paused, then snarled, "Why, have you?"
Arram took a step
back. He was so nervous and guilty that his mind couldn't grasp any thing. He
didn't even remember that Serena was a powerful mage. He couldn't recall any
spells that would aid him. The only thing that reached his frightened conscious
was that he was engaged to another woman.
"Have you?" Serena
pressed, pressing Arram towards a wall.
Arram didn't
reply.
"ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU!"
"Maybe he doesn't
want to," said a new voice, cool and collected. Serena whirled around to face a
young, slim woman. Her tan skin was pale with a hot emotion – anger.
"Who are you?"
Serena asked quietly. The woman ducked her head.
"Daine Sarrasri,
the Wildmage and betrothed to Numair Salmalin."
"Ah…the bastard
who shares her bed with animals," Serena said sharply. Daine frowned, her eyes
glinting.
"Since you know me
so well, may I have the…pleasure…of knowing who you are?" Daine asked.
"I am Her Royal
Highness, Princess Serena of the Copper Isles."
Daine didn't
acknowledge the royalty. Instead, she walked past Serena and took Arram's hand.
"Come with me."
They started to
walk towards the exit but Serena barred their way. She grabbed onto Daine and
shoved her aside.
"Just what do you
think you're doing?" Serena spat.
"I'm taking my
fiancé back where he belongs!" Daine snarled. It took a moment for this to sink
in.
"Your…fiancé?
Arram is your fiancé?" Serena gasped. "That's the stupidest thing
I've ever heard!" She collapsed into a burst of wild laughter. Daine narrowed
her eyes.
"Numair is
my fiancé. I don't know about Arram…I think that person is in the
dustbin in Carthak. You might want to check there."
That did it.
Serena paled and clenched her fists in anger. "How dare you! Arram – or Numair
– is mine! He always was and always will be mine!"
Daine snorted. "Oh
yes. Varice Kingsford, Milaina of Coldhill. Natasha of Four Roads. Myrtle,
Melanie, Melody, and Menna – the four daughters of Lord Davide. Yenna, the
Prostitute of Corus – yes, I'm sure Numair belongs to you and only
you." She shook her head. "Times have changed, your highness."
By this time
Numair was a bright pink color, but when the two women began shouting he turned
a strange purple.
"He's mine!"
Serena shouted.
"NO, he isn't!"
"YES, he is!"
"He is MINE!"
Daine yelled.
"Ladies, I'm not a
toy," Numair cut in mildly. Serena and Daine glared at him and said in a single
voice,
"SHUT UP!"
Numair gulped and
obeyed, looking like a chagrined little boy.
"Now, your
ladyship, you are to march that little butt of yours out of this room and
you'll never approach my fiancé again!" Daine snapped.
"Never!" shrieked
Serena like a cat.
Daine's eyes
flared with uncontained rage. With a snarl of pure animal, she jumped on top of
Serena. Serena stepped back just in time to gesture and with the light of a
pink Gift, Daine was sent flying to a wall, where she collided with a sickening
thud.
That was enough to
unfreeze Numair from his shocked position. He ran to the limp figure on the
floor and gathered her in his arms.
"Daine. Daine,
wake up," he said harshly, rocking her slightly. "Wake up!"
"She's not going
to," Serena snickered; Numair turned and saw the woman smiling insanely.
"What do you
mean?" Numair whispered.
"I added enough
Gift to stun her into a deep, deep sleep. Coma is more like it."
Numair's temper
rose and he jumped up (A/N and, I might add mildly, dropping Daine heavily on
the floor in the process!) and approached Serena, his outstretched hand glowing
with his Gift.
He made the
throwing motion; the black Gift sped towards Serena, but was intervened by a
violet flame. Numair growled with wrath when Alanna stood in front of Serena, a
wall of protection between them.
"Alanna, if you
want to keep your health, move out of the way," Numair said in a dangerously
soft voice.
"Numair, think!"
Alanna snapped. "Are you trying to create a war? 'Cause that's what's gonna
happen if you kill this little wench!"
Serena glared and
pointed a finger enveloped in pink flames at Alanna, who gestured. The flame
disappeared and Alanna turned to Serena.
"You, madam, are
to return to whatever godforsaken place whence you came."
"But – no – Alanna
– Daine," Numair stuttered, looking like a lost little…kitten. Alanna
sighed and added in a silky voice to Serena,
"If she dies, you
die too. Got it? Now scat!"
With a sniff and
her chin high in the air, Serena swept out of the library. Alanna muttered
something under her breath then walked placidly to the figure that was Daine.
Quickly, the
Lioness checked the Wildmage's breathing and pulse and swore softly. Numair,
like a frantic mother hen dotting over her chicks, hovered over her.
"What's wrong?
She's not going to die? She's not going to lose a limb, is she? 'Cause if she
is, if she dies-"
"Hush, Numair.
Daine's not going to die…she just has a…" the rest was lost under Alanna's
breath. Numair had to lean in to hear her finish: "…very bad concussion."
With a grunt,
Alanna lifted Daine and slung her over her shoulder, ignoring the muttering
mage. She took the woman to the healers, where Duke Baird proceeded to clear
away the line of blood that had trickled down from Daine's head.
Alanna had to hold
Numair with her magic to prevent him from breaking down the door that separated
him from his fiancé…
J
Everything was
fuzzy…Daine moaned softly as she opened her eyes.
Since when have
I been on a ship?, she thought
distractedly. Only ships make your vision sway like this…
"Ah, you're up!" a
gruff voice cut through the air. Daine smiled weakly at Alanna.
"It appears so,"
she replied softly. When she tried to sit up, a jolt of pain ran down her neck
until it reached her backbone and she stifled a yelp of pain. But Daine's face
obviously didn't fool Alanna, because the knight pushed her down gently.
"I guess I'd
better not move, eh?" Daine asked quietly.
Alanna nodded
grimly. "You shouldn't even be talking, youngling. That blow's given you a bad
concussion – don't be surprised if the room starts to sway when I let you
walk."
Daine nodded.
Suddenly, everything came back to her. "Serena – engaged – where's Numair?"
Daine asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "I have a few words to say to him…and
none of them are 'Goddess bless'."
Alanna, after
giving her a strange look, went to the door and said, "You can release him." To
answer Daine's inquiring glance, she said, "The man was so worried that we had
to restrain him."
Daine chuckled,
but silenced herself when Numair entered the room, looking drawn and worried.
She avoided his eyes when he bent down and hugged her tightly…but bit her lip
hard when the movement jolted her sore bones.
Luckily, Alanna
saw everything. She roughly pushed the mage away, with a hiss.
"She's hurting,
can't you see?"
Numair looked
down, for all the world a lost puppy. (A/N I seem to like comparing him with
cute, pathetic things: a kitten, a little boy, and a puppy!)
Alanna left the
room and Numair started his flow of talk.
"Magelet, how're
you feeling? I was afraid you weren't going to wake up, as you were sleeping
for five days straight! I'm so angry…I could strangle Serena but I don't know
where she is! For that matter, I don't know why she came! She was my girlfriend
a decade ago…I don't know where she got the idea that we were
still a couple! Magelet, how're you feeling? I was afraid you weren't going to
wake up, as you were sleeping for five days –"
"Numair, enough!
You're repeating yourself! And I'm getting a migraine," Daine exclaimed,
pressing a hand over Numair's mouth. The man silenced with an embarrassed look
and gave her a kiss. Daine almost melted but stopped herself before turning
into a pool of honey. She shoved him away.
"When were you
going to tell me about that one, Numair?" she demanded harshly. Numair
blushed and stayed quiet. "Were you never going to tell me? Or were you just
waiting until our wedding to tell me?"
"Daine…it was over
with her way before I met you! How was I supposed to know she was coming
for me! I thought she was married – and she was – but her husband's dead."
"Yes, I'm sure she
killed him," Daine muttered dryly. "The way she struck me, I'm surprised I'm
not in the Black God's realm."
"She wouldn't dare
kill you," Numair said softly. "She knows how over protective I get over
my…girlfriends –"
"Is that
what I am to you? A simple girlfriend?" Daine cried in anger. "No longer your
student, love, and fiancé? But your girlfriend?"
Numair pleaded,
"No, I didn't mean it like that! It's just a broad enough word! Would you like
it if I said ' my women'?"
"No," Daine
replied. "I'm sorry."
"Humph…I hope you
are," Numair said. Daine frowned.
"What more do you
want! I'm sorry, Master Salmalin, that I insulted you with my petty apologies!
I – wait, why the hell am I apologizing to you? You should be
apologizing to me!" Daine sat back on her pillows, her arms crossed over
her chest and her eyebrows raised.
Numair sighed.
"Daine, I'm very sorry that I hurt you. I promise that I'll never keep such a
thing from you again." He leaned forward and gave her a deep kiss. When Daine
had her arms wrapped around him, he lifted her off the bed and walked out of
the room.
"Is that good
enough for you?" he murmured. "Or do I need to go further?"
"No," Daine
whispered. "It's just fine." Daine pressed her lips back to her fiancé's and
kept them there as he took her back to her room.
J
NO, DON'T GO AWAY!!!!!! IT'S NOT FINISHED!!!!!!
Yes, now that I've got your attention: the story's only halfway done! Serena's still
out there, planning her revenge. Now, just for curiosity's sake, have any of
ya'll noticed the resemblance between Daine and Serena? Brown hair (I never
said Serena's wasn't wavy) and blue eyes (okay, fine. Daine's are a light
blue-gray color and Serena's are a vivid blue – almost purple.) *HINT* *HINT*
Not saying nothin'…
See the box below? Yes, the B*L*U*E B*O*X…. review, please please please!!!
Until next time!
~ Giovanna
ps: was this a cliffhanger? I dunno…
