Telling and Teasing:
Daine watched Numair out of the corner of her eye. He talked to Carthaki ministers and other scholars. She watched as Varice tried as hard as she good to get his full attention. She hugged his arms, told him how strong and smart he was, and attempting to pull him away from the rest of the crowd. Daine watched in despair. She walked over to Alanna who was standing talking to Duke Garth.
'Alanna.' she said quietly.
'You want me to tell him.' She said before Diane could finish.
'Will you?' Daine asked.
'Of course.' Replied the knight.
Daine watched as Alanna walked right up to Numair and pulled him out of Varice's grip. The knight pulled the mage over to the Swoop's wall. Daine was glad she had a friend like Alanna who wasn't afraid to do things that she was.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Numair Saliman,' Alanna began, 'How could you? Are you so into your studies that you are going to completely-'
'Alanna what are you talking about? Who are you talking about?' the man asked stoping her.
'The Daine and your son!' she cried.
'what about them?' he asked, suddenly concerned. 'Where is my son?' he added looking around.
'With Maude. You know about him?' she asked surprised.
'Daine told me she was pregnant how long ago.' He said giving her a weird look.
'Yes but. why did you turn away from her earlier?' she asked.
'Garth gave me one of his stop-flirting-and-pay-attention looks.' He sighed 'Why?'
'Because Daine thinks you don't care about him.' She said.
'I couldn't think of any thing to write to her. I was too happy to even think strait.' He said. 'What's his name anyway?'
'Go ask the mother.' Alanna grumbled walking away.
Numair shook his head as she walked away. He hoped Daine really didn't think that he doesn't care. He smiled when she walked up to him. He gently put his plam against her cheek; Daine smiled back timidly.
'What's his name?' he asked.
'Alanna didn't tell you?' she was surprised.
'I think she was to mad at me for knowing before now.' He said.
'You read the letter!' she said. He sprits were lifted.
'Of course I did.' He said innocently.
'Oh, really.' She said knowing he was up to something.
'After I burned it because I refused to be the one that was wrong.' He said looking past her at the sea.
'About what?' she asked.
Numair looked down at her. He saw it was a hint.
'I have no idea.' He said with a bright smile. 'What do you say we sneak away and go get-' Numair stopped and realized he still didn't know his son's name.
'Arram.' Daine said, 'Our son's name is Arram.'
'Lets go get Arram then.' He said holding out his arm to her.
'Lets.' She said taking his arm. She giggled as Numair led her off toward the nursery.
When the couple got to the nursery there was a cord of people there. Muri, Evin, Thom, Maude and kit were all standing around a cradle. Daine smiled up at a surprised Numair. She pulled the man over to the cradle and looked down. There was a very small baby boy fast asleep. Daine felt Numair let out a small inner sigh. She smiled and picked up the baby. Maude smiled and nodded to her. Muri looked over her shoulder one last time as Evin nodded to her. Thom tried to follow them but Maude held both him and kit back.
Daine and Numair walked back to their rooms in silence so they wouldn't wake Arram up. Daine attempted to pull his cradle into the library but failed. Numair kiss her cheek and carried the cradle into the library that he and Linhall shared. Daine tucked Arram into the crib as Numair laid down on the couch. She plopped down on top of him. Numair let out a small grunt as she landed on him.
'Sorry.' She giggled. Numair kissed her.
The mage pulled the cradle over to the couch so they could watch Arram sleep as they lay there. Daine put her forehead against Nuamir's neck with a sigh. Numair pulled her close and when he looked down at her she was already asleep. Numair magiced a book over to read as both his lover and son slept.
He didn't know how long it was but he began to hear voices. The banquet must be over. He heard Lindhall talking to someone who he found out was Kaddar, Alanna, and Varice when they walked into the library.
'Well look who we finally found.' Alanna teased.
'Shush, you'll wake them up.' He replied.
'Are they both asleep?' Alanna asked. There was a sweetness in her voice people barely ever heard. Numair nodded.
'Oh,' Varice whispered. 'Is that her child?' she indicated to Arram.
'Our's' Numair corrected. He saw both Varice's and Kaddar's face fall. He didn't know why, and he didn't want to know why.
'Get them both to bed.' Alanna told him. 'Be careful not to wake Arram. Daine's going to kill you if you do.'
'I won't.' he said. 'I could use some sleep, too.'
'Good night.' Every one said as they walked out. Numair watched as Kaddar gave him one last how-dare-you glare.
Daine watched Numair out of the corner of her eye. He talked to Carthaki ministers and other scholars. She watched as Varice tried as hard as she good to get his full attention. She hugged his arms, told him how strong and smart he was, and attempting to pull him away from the rest of the crowd. Daine watched in despair. She walked over to Alanna who was standing talking to Duke Garth.
'Alanna.' she said quietly.
'You want me to tell him.' She said before Diane could finish.
'Will you?' Daine asked.
'Of course.' Replied the knight.
Daine watched as Alanna walked right up to Numair and pulled him out of Varice's grip. The knight pulled the mage over to the Swoop's wall. Daine was glad she had a friend like Alanna who wasn't afraid to do things that she was.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Numair Saliman,' Alanna began, 'How could you? Are you so into your studies that you are going to completely-'
'Alanna what are you talking about? Who are you talking about?' the man asked stoping her.
'The Daine and your son!' she cried.
'what about them?' he asked, suddenly concerned. 'Where is my son?' he added looking around.
'With Maude. You know about him?' she asked surprised.
'Daine told me she was pregnant how long ago.' He said giving her a weird look.
'Yes but. why did you turn away from her earlier?' she asked.
'Garth gave me one of his stop-flirting-and-pay-attention looks.' He sighed 'Why?'
'Because Daine thinks you don't care about him.' She said.
'I couldn't think of any thing to write to her. I was too happy to even think strait.' He said. 'What's his name anyway?'
'Go ask the mother.' Alanna grumbled walking away.
Numair shook his head as she walked away. He hoped Daine really didn't think that he doesn't care. He smiled when she walked up to him. He gently put his plam against her cheek; Daine smiled back timidly.
'What's his name?' he asked.
'Alanna didn't tell you?' she was surprised.
'I think she was to mad at me for knowing before now.' He said.
'You read the letter!' she said. He sprits were lifted.
'Of course I did.' He said innocently.
'Oh, really.' She said knowing he was up to something.
'After I burned it because I refused to be the one that was wrong.' He said looking past her at the sea.
'About what?' she asked.
Numair looked down at her. He saw it was a hint.
'I have no idea.' He said with a bright smile. 'What do you say we sneak away and go get-' Numair stopped and realized he still didn't know his son's name.
'Arram.' Daine said, 'Our son's name is Arram.'
'Lets go get Arram then.' He said holding out his arm to her.
'Lets.' She said taking his arm. She giggled as Numair led her off toward the nursery.
When the couple got to the nursery there was a cord of people there. Muri, Evin, Thom, Maude and kit were all standing around a cradle. Daine smiled up at a surprised Numair. She pulled the man over to the cradle and looked down. There was a very small baby boy fast asleep. Daine felt Numair let out a small inner sigh. She smiled and picked up the baby. Maude smiled and nodded to her. Muri looked over her shoulder one last time as Evin nodded to her. Thom tried to follow them but Maude held both him and kit back.
Daine and Numair walked back to their rooms in silence so they wouldn't wake Arram up. Daine attempted to pull his cradle into the library but failed. Numair kiss her cheek and carried the cradle into the library that he and Linhall shared. Daine tucked Arram into the crib as Numair laid down on the couch. She plopped down on top of him. Numair let out a small grunt as she landed on him.
'Sorry.' She giggled. Numair kissed her.
The mage pulled the cradle over to the couch so they could watch Arram sleep as they lay there. Daine put her forehead against Nuamir's neck with a sigh. Numair pulled her close and when he looked down at her she was already asleep. Numair magiced a book over to read as both his lover and son slept.
He didn't know how long it was but he began to hear voices. The banquet must be over. He heard Lindhall talking to someone who he found out was Kaddar, Alanna, and Varice when they walked into the library.
'Well look who we finally found.' Alanna teased.
'Shush, you'll wake them up.' He replied.
'Are they both asleep?' Alanna asked. There was a sweetness in her voice people barely ever heard. Numair nodded.
'Oh,' Varice whispered. 'Is that her child?' she indicated to Arram.
'Our's' Numair corrected. He saw both Varice's and Kaddar's face fall. He didn't know why, and he didn't want to know why.
'Get them both to bed.' Alanna told him. 'Be careful not to wake Arram. Daine's going to kill you if you do.'
'I won't.' he said. 'I could use some sleep, too.'
'Good night.' Every one said as they walked out. Numair watched as Kaddar gave him one last how-dare-you glare.