Disclaimer: I don't own Tamora Pierce's stuff

Chapter 7 The Green Lady

She had been in the menagerie when she had gotten the summons. They were to go to the horse market to get Daine her own horse to travel on. Daine was dreading this. She didn't want to go. All the horses would only remind her of what she had lost. It would just confirm the fact that she would never see her beloved Cloud again. Cloud was her very best friend in the whole world. Cloud was the one that had brought her back when she had gone to all fours and ran with the wolves. Cloud was the one that was always giving her good horse sense. There was no way that any horse at that market could possibly match up to Cloud.

She didn't know what she would do. She was sure she would make Ozorne upset when she couldn't pick one. While she was pondering her problems, she was getting ready. She was being really slow about it. Daine was sure that Ozorne was getting mad at her. However, she thought getting in trouble for taking too much time to get ready would be less than what she would get for making him stand out in the sun because she couldn't make a decision.

"Josephine! Josephine, hurry up!" Ozorne's voice could be heard saying with impatience on the other side of her door.

"Daine, I know that you are thinking of your pony, but you must not anger the Emperor by being late. You know what will happen if you do," Her new friend, Messa said.

"I know, I know. I just don't think I could easily pick a horse and that will anger him far more then my being a little late," Daine replied.

"Josephine!!!! I'm heading to the entrance. You will meet me there in five minutes."

"You'd better hurry," Stated Messa, putting the final touches on Daines outfit. Daine said her thanks as she rushed out the door.

Ozorne just gave her a look of annoyance when she finally made it to him. "Where were you?" he asked in what he obviously thought was a sweet voice but was more than a little forced.

"I was in the menagerie when the messenger told me that you wanted me to accompany you to the horse market to find me a horse. I assume you didn't want me going with animal spoils on me," She replied politely as they walked together as a "couple."

He sighed, a warning sign that his patience was thinning even more, "And that is what took you nearly an hour, my dear Josephine?"

"Yes, it is."

"Well then, let get going," he said after giving her a look that said don't do it again.


They had been at the horse market surrounded by the unappeasing, at least to Ozorne, smells in the day time heat for hours and still she hadn't found horse or pony she like. No, it wasn't that she didn't like them. They were perfectly nice horses in their own right. It was just that none of them were her. She couldn't help but compare them to Cloud constantly. Cloud had been her constant companion for so long and she missed her.

She could tell that Ozorne was getting more upset by the minute. As much as she like to do that, she knew that once he reached a certain point that he would make her pay. Of course, in her opinion he was already punishing her by making her stay her with him, but she knew that he could and would make it worse. Diane was just thankful to the amulet that kept her from becoming pregnant so that it prevented what he wanted to happen. She would never have his children, no matter how many times he 'punished' her.

Just after finishing with the last horse in the fifth stable they had entered, a lady in all green, including her veil, approached the two of them. "Excuse me, my lord, but did I hear you were in search of a horse?"

Ozorne gave her a look of disgust and asked icily, "And if I was?"

"I have one that you may be interested in" she said in a voice that seemed so familiar to Daine, but she was having trouble placing.

"I doubt it"

"Please my lord just look at her; you or your lady may be interested in her." As she finished speaking a familiar hairy face appeared from around shoulder. Daine was in shock; it just couldn't be.

'Cloud?' she said in her mind, now ignoring what was being said between the green lady and the Emperor.

'Daine!!' the mare came rushing over to smell her and check her over, 'I was so worried about you. Don't you ever leave the country without me again, okay? I mean, see what happens when I'm not around?'

'Okay Cloud,' she acquiesced with pleasure, hugging the animal, 'I missed you.'

'I missed you, too'

'How are you here, though? How'd you get here?'

'Don't you recognize the woman?'

'No' Daine answered truthfully.

'hmph, it is your dame so you ought to.'

'You mean that's my...'

"Right Josephine?" came a male voice.

'Mother'

"Josephine?!" came the voice again stronger.

"Huh? What?" Josephine asked distractedly.

"You really should pay attention," Ozorne chided, "As I said, we don't want this animal right?"

"Actually, this is the one I want."

"But there are so many better ones. So many nobler ones." He replied turning toward her.

Daine gave him a stubborn look and said determinedly, 'This is the one I want"

"Are you sure?" he asked. When she nodded, he turned back around, "how much do you...want? Where is she? Where did she go?" He spent another half hour looking for the green lady before giving up and deciding to go back to the palace. Once there, he informed Josephine that he would be showing her to her cottage the next day.

A/N: Thanks to Queen-Cocaine for her review.