A/N: Here's chapter 11. Thanks to Kate of Carlay and KrisEleven for all their help! If you haven't already, go check out my new oneshot called Replacing the Rogue. Thanks.

Chapter 11

When she had calmed down, Talia looked up at him. Briar was glad to see that the haunted emptiness in her eyes was gone, and they were twinkling again. "What chores do I need to do today?" she asked. "Weeding?"

Briar's brow furrowed as he frowned. "You're not doing anything today," he said.

"Briar, there are things that need to be done in the garden, and I still have lessons," she reminded him.

"Not today," Briar insisted. "Today you rest."

"It will help keep my mind off things," Talia said quietly, looking up at him through her lashes. She didn't want to manipulate him like this, but she knew that he would keep her in bed all day if he could, and she didn't ever want to be bored again.

She heard his sigh and knew she had won. "There's always weeding to do," he conceded.

Talia smiled and threw the covers back. "I'll go change and be right down," she told him, and kissed his cheek. She stood and experienced a slight wave of dizziness.

"Are you okay?" Briar asked, reaching out to steady her. "I think you should lie back down."

"No. I'm getting up and performing my duties," Talia said resolutely, and gently took her arm out of his grasp. "I'll meet you in the garden."

She walked slowly out of Briar's room, aware that he was watching her every move. The second she got into the hallway, she saw Sandry coming toward her. "Talia! You're up!"

"You sound surprised," Talia said, leaning against the wall for momentary support.

"Only because I thought Briar would keep you in bed all day." She frowned. "I didn't mean that the way it came out."

Talia smiled. "I know what you meant. He tried, but I know I have chores to do. I'm still a student, after all."

"Maybe you should stay in bed, just for today. Get your strength back," Sandry suggested.

"Sandry, think of what you'd do in her situation," Daja said, coming down the stairs. "You wouldn't want to be holed up in bed, either."

Sandry made a face. "That's true, I suppose." She turned back to Talia. "Just go easy for today, please?"

Talia nodded. "I have the feeling Briar will be watching me closely." She turned to go up the steps and leaned on the railing for support. Her knees still seemed weak, but at least that was the most serious of her worries.

She dragged herself up the steps and saw Tris waiting at the top. "Good morning," Tris said.

"Good morning," Talia replied as she heaved herself up the last few steps. She let herself sit on the top step for a second.

"Legs a little weak?" Tris asked, coming to sit next to Talia.

"A little," Talia replied truthfully.

"Do you want a little help getting to your room and getting changed? Going down stairs is always easier than going up."

"Yes, please." Tris stood up and pulled Talia up after her, a surprisingly easy feat. Tris supported the younger woman all the way into her room. The little redhead helped her friend change into an old dress she used for working in the garden, and then helped her out to the stairs.

"I think I have it from here," Talia said. She looked at the ground as she said, "Thank you, Tris."

"For?"

"For not making a big deal out of me being out of bed."

Tris shrugged. "I'd have done the same thing," she said, and went up the stairs to her own room.

Talia sighed and started the slow descent of the stairs. Tris was right, down was easier than up. She finally made it down in one piece, and let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

She made her way back to the garden and went outside through the kitchen, leaving the door open. Briar was standing there, waiting for her with his arms crossed. "Meditation first," he said, and disappeared into the workshop.

He was mad. She could tell. Mad at whom, though, she didn't know. It was probably her for wanting to get out of bed.

She sat to one side of the inside of the ward and waited for Briar to close it. He stepped inside and called up the ward, and then sat down across from her. "Today I want you to work on putting all your magic into something small. Taking the fullness of it and pulling it in. The first time I did it, I imagined a many-petaled rose."

While Talia breathed in for seven counts, held it for seven, and then released the breath for seven counts according to Briar's direction, she thought of what she could envision to fit her magic into, and she didn't notice when Briar stopped counting.

Eventually, she imagined folding her magic in on itself, forming the shape of a thorn. She managed to keep all of her magic inside, and it stayed there, to her pleasure and relief. When Briar told her she could open her eyes, she did, and instantly felt the pains in her body, like she was all scrunched up for hours on end.

Briar took the ward down and then helped Talia up. She glanced around the room and then left, going out into the garden. She sank down to her knees and began pulling weeds. She sighed happily once her hands got a bit dirty. This was what she needed, not a day in bed.

"Are you all right?" Briar asked her as he knelt next to her to start pulling weeds.

"Fine. I'm feeling much better. Although I feel a little achy from the lesson."

"So did we," Briar replied.

"What were you like as students?" Talia wondered aloud, and Briar laughed.

"Oh, we were horrible. Good students, but horrible. At first we didn't like each other because we were from all different backgrounds. But then we got used to each other, and the earthquake happened, and we were connected." He told Talia stories from his student years, including how he got his shakkan.

"So you stole it from a greenhouse?" Talia asked, turning to look at him with surprise.

Briar nodded and laughed. "And when Dedicate Crane chased me, Sandry got in his face and got all on her nobleness and he eventually went away." He paused in his weed-pulling. "Are you ready to meet Duke Vedris tomorrow?"

Talia took a breath and sat back on her heels. "I still don't think I should meet him. I mean, he's the ruler of this kingdom. I'm just…I don't even know what I am."

"A student," Briar suggested. "A woman?"

"A commoner," Talia said finally. "It's just strange, is all."

"You'll like him, I think. We all do, and it's difficult to find someone that we all like." He smiled then, thinking of her. They all liked her.

What's not to like? Sandry asked in his mind, having heard his question.

It's difficult to not like someone who makes themselves so likeable, Daja intoned.

Tris didn't respond for a moment. It seemed like she was thinking. It's hard not to like someone who Briar likes so much, and who likes him so much, she finally said.

Sandry and Daja agreed with that sentiment. Briar smiled. Don't get all weepy on me, Coppercurls.

Who says I'm weepy? I'm only telling the truth, is all. She gave a mental shrug. We want you to be happy, so what makes you happy makes us happy.

Sandry and Daja agreed with that, too. Briar didn't quite know what to say to that. Don't say anything, Tris advised dryly. You'd probably ruin the moment.

xXx

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Briar expected Talia to stay up in her room that night. Expected it, but didn't like it. He would far rather her be in his room so he could take care of her.

When night fell, Briar and Talia were still in the garden weeding. They'd only taken breaks for meals and a drink or two when it got hot. They were sweating from being in the sun all day, but being around the plants had kept them happy and relatively sane.

They stood up and brushed off their clothes, and then looked at each other. It seemed like neither knew what to say to the other for the first time since they'd met.

They both looked up, relieved, when Sandry called out Talia's name. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Can I speak with you a moment?" she asked.

Talia sent a glance at Briar and then went. Sandry led her upstairs to Talia's own room. "I made you a new dress for tomorrow," she said on the way. "To meet my uncle." She looked down and sighed. "I know you said that you didn't like dresses, but I thought that, for meeting him…" She let her thought trail off when they entered Talia's room.

The dress was laying on the bed. It was a pretty pale blue color that went well with Talia's fair skin and hair. "It's spelled like your other things against dirt and tears and everything," Sandry said.

"Thank you so much, my lady," Talia said, looking up finally from the dress. "It's beautiful. I love it." Her voice was sincere, and Sandry knew she was telling the truth.

"Please, call me Sandry," she said, laying a hand on Talia's arm.

"Okay. Thank you, Sandry."

"It was my pleasure. My uncle is very much looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, Talia. He's interested to see the woman who captured Briar's interest."

Talia blushed and looked down at the floor. Sandry smiled. "I'll see you in the morning, Talia." She left the room quietly.

Talia smoothed a hand over the dress and sighed softly. It was the prettiest dress she'd ever owned. She carefully hung it in the wardrobe and went downstairs to Briar's room. The door was closed, so she knocked, not wanting to interrupt him if he was doing something.

"Who is it?" his voice called out.

"Talia," she replied. The door was wrenched open immediately.

Briar stood aside for her to enter the room. "I thought you would stay in your own room tonight," he said softly.

Talia frowned. "Why?"

Briar looked down at the floor. "I didn't think you'd want…I thought you would want to sleep alone."

Talia was still frowning at him when he glanced up. "Because of what happened yesterday," he elaborated.

"Oh. Briar, I still want to be with you even if we don't…" Her voice trailed off as a flush crossed her cheekbones. "Besides, I'm a little afraid of the nightmares."

Briar reached out to brush her cheek with his knuckles. "I'll be here if you have one," he murmured softly. He knew the power of nightmares. He'd suffered from them for a long time, after seeing things in war that he never wanted to see again. It had taken him a long time to get over them, and they were still a problem sometimes, when he was particularly unsettled. He wanted to be there for Talia, to soothe her pain and keep the nightmares from plaguing her the way he'd been plagued.

A/N: Sneak peek for reviewers, and please go check out my new oneshot! Thanks bunches and much love, Sarah