Author's Note: Good news! While dizziness is still a problem, I haven't fainted for a really long time. So my life is really good! Plus, I got all As for first semester, which was a real relief. The bad news: I got Adventure Ed for PE this quarter. Adventure Ed consists mostly of climbing up the rock wall at our school. I know that hundreds of kids would kill for Ad. Ed, but I am terrified of heights. I got halfway up and froze. The worst part is when they tell you to let go of the wall so they can bring you down. Ah well, so it goes.
Jamie lynn: thanks for the feedback! It makes me feel loved…
Lady Damyria: I appreciate you telling me what mistakes I make, so that I can avoid making the same typos over and over again. Thanks for reviewing (twice!)
Laurashrub: I'm glad you liked Kaddar! Personally, he was really fun to write.
Fell4adeadguy: Have I ever mentioned how much I like your name? Tickles me every time…And I love people who review!
Kit49: Thanks for giving me positive feedback! It really gives me a confidence boost. ;)
Tortalls Resident Wildchild: I'm glad that you're impressed, but I don't think that I did THAT good of a job. But if I can fool other people… (Grins evilly and starts making plots to take over the world (of fanfiction))
Heather-marie: You are my most prompt reviewer! Thanks for your concern.
CHAPTER 9
Daine entered her room with a sigh. Moseying over to her trunk, she pulled a few dresses out and away from the tissue paper that kept them from wrinkling. She frowned. They were all nice, and all complemented her looks well, but she felt the urge to look extra special this night. "Kit!" she called.
A chirp answered her from the wardrobe, and the dragonet's head poked out to look at her questioningly. "I need help," she said desperately. "I have no idea which one to wear."
Kitten hopped onto the bed and looked over the choices, studying them all closely. After nearly five minutes of contemplation, she chose a midnight blue dress. It was tight on top, but the skirt billowed out into a round, but not obnoxiously large, tiered skirt. Where each layer connected with the next, there were silver beads worked into the seams. "Are you sure?" Daine asked skeptically.
Kitten trilled in the affirmative and looked insulted that Daine would dare challenge her good judgment. Daine laughed and sighed, then went to struggle into her dress. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to get into. It had been well designed, and there were only a few laces. The wildmage sighed with relief when she realized that the dress had been lined with comfortable satin. Her other dresses had all itched horribly. She came out from behind her dressing screen and asked, "Well? What do you think?"
Zek, who'd emerged from his hiding spot while she was changing, looked her up and down. 'You're kind of poofy' his voice said in her mind. 'But you look better than some two-legger females I've seen. But you need some of those sparkly dangly things that two-legger females always wear to these things you call formal dinners.'
Daine looked into his mind curiously and saw an image of her dangling sapphire eardrops, as well as a silver chain that would complement the dress nicely. She smiled and replied aloud, "Of course, Zek. Would you mind getting them out for me?"
'Not at all' he replied, and went to rummage through her jewelry box.
Kitten trilled for her attention. Daine turned to look and see what was troubling her, and saw Kitten crouched on the floor holding, or attempting to hold, several containers of face paint. "Oh no. There's no way I'm wearing all-"
Daine was cut off by a crisp nock on the door. She swore lightly under her breath-somehow, she'd lost track of time. She heaved a frustrated sigh and went to answer the door. "Come in," she said in an annoyed tone, and jerked Numair in by his hand. Pulling him all the way into her room, she gestured at a chair and said simply, "Sit." Seeing the look on her face, he obeyed without comment.
Daine rounded on Kitten. "There is absolutely no way I'm wearing all of that goop. I don't even know how it all works!"
Kitten whistled stubbornly, and began dropping the items into Daine's hands. "No! Kitten, this is not a good idea. You know how I hate it when women completely paint their faces."
At the disappointed look on Kitten's face, Daine sighed. "Alright. I'll put on a few of these things, and you can do my hair. Unless you do something totally outrageous, in which case I'll do it myself."
Kitten whistled happily. Daine rolled her eyes good naturedly, and pulled out some lip-rouge, blush, and blue eyeliner from the pile of cosmetics that Kitten had rustled up. Sitting down at the vanity, Daine began to apply the various items she'd chosen to her face.
"I'd no idea it was such a challenge for you to get dressed." Numair said teasingly.
"Gods! Numair, I'd forgotten that you were here!" Daine said, clutching her chair arms. "You are so lucky that I wasn't putting on any face-paint, or it'd have smeared and I'd have been forced to kill you."
"Nonsense, Magelet. I know that you couldn't possibly bear to dispose of someone of my grace, my good looks, my intelligence, my-"
"Self centeredness, big ego, forgetfulness…Need I continue?" Daine grinned at the look on Numair's face. Laughing under her breath, she finished putting on her face-paint and stood. "How do I look?" she asked, turning to Numair and smiling.
Numair groaned inwardly at the sight of the female vision before his eyes. Forcing himself to smile, he said in a slightly strained voice, "You look beautiful."
Daine smiled and replied, "Thanks!" But she wondered inwardly why his praise made her feel so warm…Shaking it off, she added, "Now all that's left is my hair."
Kitten chirped from under Numair's chair and darted out, delighted at her chance to shine. She studied Daine for a moment, and then let out a low, musical whistle. Daine's hair began to move and shift and twist, and then the protein sprouting out of her head ceased movement in a loose bun on top of her head. A few errant curls hung down to frame her face, but the effect was rather sweet. "Well, Numair? Does Kitten have any future as a hairdresser?" Daine asked seriously.
Numair, however, wasn't paying the slightest attention to anything Daine was saying. Oh, he was watching her mouth alright, but not to understand her speech. His attention was jerked from her mouth to her neck, which had been revealed when Daine's curls had lifted away from it. Pale and graceful and smooth, it caused a vision to fly into Numair's head unbidden-pale skin against dark, chocolate brown curls splayed out over a crisp white pillow, mixing with coal black locks.
Daine's voice jerked him out of his reverie. "Numair? Numair? Does my hair look alright?"
Numair forced his gaze onto her hair, and envisioned his hands laced into her curls. He smiled gently. "It looks fine. Very sweet, like you…" his voice trailed off when he realized what he was saying.
Daine flushed pink. Before she could reply, the clock in Daine's room chimed the half hour. "It's nearly time to go," she said softly.
He nodded, and could barely find his voice to reply, "We should go meet the others."
With that, they walked into their common room.
When their group entered the dining hall, Varice seated Numair with Daine and Kaddar without even asking if they wished it so. Not speaking to any of them, she left them alone, and went to go wait on various Lords and other nobles.
"I'm sorry," Daine said sympathetically to Numair.
"Whatever for?" Numair asked, surprised.
"Varice. It doesn't look like you two are in good shape."
Numair shrugged indifferently. "I've found that I don't feel the same way for Varice as I used to. She just seems like she hasn't changed at all, and I'm so different from the way I was when we were involved…We just don't fit together. I'm looking for something a little more serious right now, someone I can commit to…"
Daine nodded. "I've never been one for flings, either. Those idiots at the palace in Tortall just don't seem to understand that."
All through dinner, the three of them chatted comfortably. And after the slaves cleared away the plates and cutlery, music began to play from somewhere. Seeing the longing look that Numair was giving Daine while she wasn't looking, and realizing that he wasn't going to do anything, Kaddar asked quickly, "Daine, where's Zek? Normally he's bounding around on the table…"
Daine looked around quickly. "He's right there, Kaddar." She said back, giving him a strange look.
"Right." Kaddar said, flushing. But he knew that he had to try again. "Daine, I think that Kitten wants something."
When Daine looked down at Kitten, who was exploring under the table, Kaddar quickly mouthed to Numair, "Dance with her!" Numair gave him a questioning look. "Dance-with-her!" he mouthed, forming every syllable as clearly as humanly possible.
Numair gave him a confused look, but said hesitantly, "Daine? Would you care to dance with me?"
Daine blushed again. "Of course, Numair."
Numair grinned, and as he led Daine to the dance floor, he shot Kaddar a grateful, but questioning look. Kaddar grinned and gave a wave of his hand, signaling Numair to begin paying attention to Daine. Watching the two of them spin gracefully over the floor, conversing softly, Kaddar felt rather proud of himself, and thought that if being Emperor didn't work out for him, he could always take up a job as Court Matchmaker.
Daine and Numair returned to the table flushed and happy. After a few more dances, the three of them departed to Numair's room. "Daine, would you like to change into something a little more comfortable?" Kaddar asked politely.
Daine looked at him gratefully and nodded, and picked up a dress from a pile of her clothes on the corner of Numair's floor. She then departed into the lavatory to change.
Kaddar waited until the door was shut, and then said quietly to Numair. "I think we have about ten minutes before she struggles out of that dress and into her new one. I needed to get her out of the room for a moment."
"Why?" Numair frowned.
"Because I need to ask you something. Are you in love with Daine?"
Numair looked taken aback. "Why do you ask such a-"
"Because I've seen how you look at her and how you act whenever you're around her, and I thought I should tell you that she feels exactly the same way."
Numair growled, "I swear, imperial heir or not, if you are playing with me, I will rip your guts-"
"Shut up. I'm not joking. But you never know what the next day will bring, and wouldn't you feel guilty if something were to happen and you never saw her again, and she never knew how you felt?"
"Are you suggesting that's she's in danger?" Numair asked in a worried tone. "Do you know something-"
"If I did, I wouldn't be telling you in such a roundabout way." Kaddar interrupted him, yet again. "All I'm saying is that you should be honest with her."
Numair sighed and looked at him anxiously. "You're sure that she reciprocates my feelings?"
Kaddar nodded. "There's not a doubt in my mind."
Numair nodded and sat down on the sofa, running his hands through his hair, thoroughly rumpling it. Shortly after that, Daine emerged from the lavatory, dumping her fine gown on the floor in the corner and exclaiming, "That feels so much-"
She was cut off by Numair jumping up and pulling her into his arms, gently pressing his warm mouth over hers. He pulled back to study her face hopefully, and laughed into her mouth when she jerked him down for another kiss. They sat down on the couch, knowing that although there were so many problems facing them, they could work them out together. Kaddar grinned and left them alone, and the two of them spent the longest time talking and kissing, before they fell asleep on the couch, happy in the knowledge that they would always have each other.
Epilogue coming out, probably, unless people think that was sufficient. Please, please, please! Let me know.
