Takes place after Wild Magic but before Emporer Mage.
Theme 11: Gardenia
Daine strolled through the gardens humming to herself, softly. She stopped occasionally to observe the flowers or to converse briefly with a bird, hoping to look as though she was simply taking an innocent walk with no ulterior motives. Finally she reached her true destination. She felt herself blush as she turned to look away, pretending to walk by.
"Hello." A familiar voice said and she turned towards to door to the kitchens.
"Hello Philip." She said, blushing again as she walked towards him. He was an assistant in the kitchens who was about a year older than her. They had met by chance when she had run into him while using the path as a shortcut to get to a lesson with Numair she was late for. Since then she had made a point of walking down the same path at the same time every day that she could and he always seemed to be waiting for her. So far they had only had short conversations but she found herself really liking the boy and she thought that maybe he might return the feelings.
"How are you today?" He asked lightly, leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm fair, and you?" She walked closer to him, stopping when she was standing directly in front of him.
"Doing much better now." He said with a smile, glancing behind him. She raised an eyebrow at him and he offered a sheepish smile. "Just making sure no one realized that I'm not working."
"Well then, maybe I should leave you to your work. We wouldn't want you to get in trouble." She said coyly, taking a step backwards but he reached out to grasp her arm, pulling her back to him.
"No, no not at all. I'd much rather be here with you." He smiled down at her again and she felt her stomach do a flip. She stared up at him in silence for a moment before she even realized that he was about to kiss her. The next thing she knew his lips were gently covering her own and her stomach was fluttering and her head was spinning. Vaguely, somewhere in the background she heard herself gasp and felt him smile against her lips. He pulled back, chuckling, and she looked up at him, a smile plastered over her face.
"Lady Daine, was that your first kiss?" He asked, teasing and she blushed, looking down.
"Don't call me lady." She mumbled and he laughed again, putting his hand under her chin and making her look up at him. He leant down once more and her head became fuzzy again. Just before his lips met hers once again a voice rang out causing them to jump apart.
"Boy, you'd better be getting back to working!" One of the kitchen mistresses shouted, flour covered hands on her hips. She gave Philip a stern look before turning to look at Daine; immediately she started and her eyes filled with an emotion that Daine had become more than familiar with since the siege at Pirates Swoop. It was the look of contempt and fear and she steeled herself for what was coming next. "You there, girl! We don't need the likes of you around her now scram! And you boy, you should know better than to consort with the likes of her. That's the wildmage that is, she'll raise demons against you and yours should you anger her." With one last reproachful glare the mistress turned and strode away.
Daine, ears burning, turned back to Philip and felt her stomach drop at the expression on his face; the same one that had been on the woman's only moments ago. He backed away, stuttering slightly.
"You're the wildmage?" She felt herself recoil at the intonation of the name, shaking her head.
"I thought you knew who I was." She said softly, feeling her eyes sting, but he continued.
"Pirate's Swoop and the-" He trailed off, backing up.
"That wasn't what-" She started but he cut her off.
"You know, I've got to get back to work." He said quickly before spinning on his heel and disappearing into the kitchens. Eyes stinging she turned and walked back towards her rooms, willing herself not to cry.
Numair strode through the rider's barracks unable to help the worry that had settled over him. He and Daine were supposed to have met for a lesson that morning but she had never shown, something that was very unlike her. He had waited until the noon bell before finally deciding to go and look for her. Reaching her door he knocked and waited, hearing noise from within. The door opened a crack and Daine peered through.
"Numair?" She asked, opening the door wider and he finally got a good look at her. She looked pale and like she might have been crying.
"Are you alright? We were supposed to have a lesson." He said slowly, unsure of how to deal with her in this unknown state. Here eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'oh' shape as she looked up at him, sheepish.
"Oh I'm so sorry Numair, I-" She paused, struggling with something. "I wasn't feeling very well and it just slipped my mind." He could tell she was lying but he didn't press matters, worried.
"Are you feeling better? We could do the lesson now." He asked, motioning for her to leave the room. She paused for a moment, eyes leaving his, before forcing a smile and nodding.
Numair sighed as he gave up and shut the book sharply. He she had barely been paying attention in the first place, staring off into the distance, and he had lost her attention completely some moments ago. He finally gave up on his speech on anatomy having briefly considered giving a description of his conquests with Lady Morrigan the night before to test her attention span but had decided against it, thinking that it would probably be at exactly that moment that she would snap out of her reverie. He was officially worried now, shirking off her lessons wasn't like her at all and she was always excited to learn. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it, knowing that if she hadn't already told him of her own will that asking once more would do nothing. He thought quietly for another moment before standing up quickly and reaching a hand down to help her out.
"Come Magelet; let's go into town. We both need a break." She looked up at him, surprised from her thoughts, and took his hand as she rose.
"Do you need new boots?" Numair asked, stopping at a tanners window. Daine shook her head, not being able to help the small smile that spread over her lips. She knew that he had noticed something was wrong and was doing his best to cheer her up. They had stopped for lunch and she had thought about telling him what had happened that morning but she was too embarrassed to. Luckily she felt herself cheering up as they browsed the shops (Numair trying to buy her things at almost every stop) and talked lightly. As it neared dusk Daine had all but forgotten that morning and Philip and Numair was looking for a place to eat dinner.
"Why don't we eat outside? It's still nice out." He asked and she nodded in agreement, following him to an outside market area that was set up for meals. As they neared the area Numair began to mumble about what they could have to eat and Daine glanced away briefly and felt herself go numb. Philip was exiting a bakers shop a ways up the street, talking to someone inside the shop.
Panic set over her and she turned around quickly and near ran back the way that they had come, ducking into a vendors stall. She had heard Numair calling after her but hadn't stopped, now that he had caught up with her however she knew that she owed him an explanation.
"Daine, what in gods names are you doing?" He asked, coming up close to her to cup her cheek in his hand. She sighed, glancing to the side to see Philip walking in their direction. She turned quickly so that he wouldn't see her but Numair had seen where she had been looking.
"Who's that?" He asked and Daine felt her self blush, ashamed.
"It's no one, just someone I know." She whispered and Numair forced her to look up at him.
"Daine, did he hurt you?" There was a dangerous glint in his eye now and she started.
"No, he didn't. Well, not like you're implying anyway." She trailed off but Numair continued to stare at her. Sighing she dropped her eyes and told him what had happened that morning, feeling tears sting her eyes once more. She felt Numair tense and he abruptly turned towards the boy but she pulled him back. "No, please Numair. Don't make this into anything more." She pleaded and he sighed, looking at the retreating figure of the boy. Numair looked back at her and sighed again.
"Very well then Magelet." He slung an arm over her shoulders and began to walk her back towards the market place. After a moment of silence his arm tightened and he spoke. "I wish that I could tell you that this wouldn't happen again but I can't because it will. When people are as powerful as say you and I are others will inevitably be afraid of them. It's something we can't avoid. On the other side we also have to keep guard against those who only want us for our power. It's not an easy position to be in." He said softly and she nodded.
"I just, I thought he liked me." She said softly and he turned to give her a swift hug.
"I know sweetling." He said softly and she murmured something that he didn't hear. "What was that?" He asked, backing up.
"He was my first kiss." She mumbled again, looking down and cheeks burning. He chuckled, stroking the hair from her face.
"Well I can promise you it won't be your last. Don't fret; you've plenty of time. You just have to find someone who will accept you as you are. It takes time but I know you will." He said and they began to walk again. She smiled up again, thankful.
"So people are afraid of you too?" She asked him and he laughed, throwing his head back.
"Oh yes magelet, many many people." His tone was light but she saw the sadness in his eyes. She reached over to give his hand a quick squeeze.
"I've never been afraid of you." She said and he smiled, squeezing back.
"Thank you magelet."
I took the theme pretty lightly this time...Gardenia...basically the first scene was in the garden..and that's where they met...heh....oh well, it works :) Review please!
