With thanks to LauraScofield for BetaReading this for me! Cheers Laura.


Chapter Two – Confrontation

I almost gave myself away. What was I thinking? Dannyl sighed, and continued to restlessly pace his quarters. Panic seized him; what if Lorlen had seen Tayend and I? This would be the end of my post of Ambassador and my time with Tayend! Dannyl continued to pace the room, what if—

A sharp knock on the door woke Dannyl out of his revere. He stopped in front of the door, and took a deep breath. It's just Rothen, enquiring after my health and the progress on my experiments. He took another deep breath, and opened the door, and struggled to control his surprise. He bowed low, and ushered the magician in.

"Administrator Lorlen, this is a...surprise to have you here."

Dannyl swallowed audibly, and cleared his Alchemy experiments off a chair so that Lorlen could sit.

He sat on his bed, and tried to ignore the crunch of parchment beneath him. He leaned forward. "What brings you here?"

Lorlen's face became graver still. "I have seen...memories...of you and another man, kissing."

Dannyl choked. He leant back against the wall, and covered his face with his hands so that Lorlen could not see the beginning of tears in his eyes.

"Explain please." The Administrators voice was devoid of emotion.

With his voice muffled by his hands, Dannyl began. "There never was anything between myself and that novice, but I realised that if the way that I felt was disgraceful, then I had better not feel anything at all." The words poured out in a torment. "I began to heal myself, removing any emotion I had. Then, when I went to Armje with...with Tayend, I realised that..." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "There was an...incident, I lost almost all of my power. I had to face the idea of what I was, of the feelings I was repressing and Tayend...helped me and...that was love. I found Tayend, and we didn't care, not for a while. We tried to be careful...but..." He removed his hands from his face.

Lorlen was surprised to see the glint of tears in his eyes.

"It feels right." Dannyl said earnestly, leaning forward. "It doesn't feel perverted or wrong." He leant back wearily. "And yet people think it is."

"So you love him?" Lorlen asked, in spite of himself.

"Yes...yes I do. I love Tayend very much. I really do. Oh...Tayend." His voice turned into a whisper, and a tear dribbled down his cheek.

Heavy silence filled the room.

Then Dannyl whipped the tears off his face, and looked at Lorlen. "So what are you going to do?"

Surprised for a second, Lorlen responded "Do about what?"

"About me!" Dannyl's face was drawn, but defiant and angry. "About what I am. Are you going to strip me of my position, make a laughing stock of me, and leave me to rot in a corner of the Guild?" His voice rose steadily, but when he was done, his energy spent, he leant back and closed his eyes. "That's the first time I've been angry in a long while." He said quietly.

"I'm not going to do anything."

Shocked, Dannyl looked at him.

"Why not?"

"Because...because you seem happy, because you do your position well. Because...your work as Ambassador had been good, and...it should continue." The Administrator swallowed.

Dannyl ran a hand through his hair. He remained where he was as the Administrator stood up and turned to leave. "Please," Dannyl's voice cracked, "Don't tell. I would hate if there was no reason why," He paused again, "Why I lost respect, or my position. I couldn't bear it if it was my fault that I couldn't see Tayend, ever again. If I lost him."

Lorlen left silently, closing the door behind him.

Dannyl remained where he was for a long time, not moving, only remembering.