"And then I said..." Daine continued to nod and smile, but her eyes and
mind hung on the King. She caught a smile from lighting up her face as she
found his sapphire gaze. She couldn't guess where his mind was, though it
seemed far away. He was agreeing with his companion, who was getting
agitated because Jonathon obviously wasn't listening. Suddenly snapping to
attention, his eyes widened, and he beckoned Daine over.
"Could you hold that thought?" Daine broke from the lady, and walked towards Jon. "What's wrong?"
The messenger seemed to be equally puzzled, apparently not having expected the WildMage of all people to have been called over. "What will be His Majesty's return message?"
"Tell Thayet I'm looking forward to seeing her tomorrow. Tell her it's an unexpected surprise." The King laid emphasis on certain words, to make his meaning clear to Daine.
"Oh, they're back tomorrow? Where'd she go anyway?" Daine felt guilty that she hadn't checked before, but a certain sense of relief flew over her. Thayet's return meant she could end this with Jon. Besides, it was just silliness.
"Out with the training Riders."
Daine's face creased into a frown. "She's not allowed out with the training Riders, though. Not since my first year here, 'n the attack."
Suddenly, Jon realised Daine was right. "Where could she be?"
"Probably having an affair." Alanna had come up behind them; it was her joking tone that had spoken. Jon attempted a weak smile; Daine couldn't even manage that much. The Lioness' purple stare narrowed speculatively.
"Why did she tell you she was with the Riders, though?" asked Daine, attempting to return the conversation to less uncomfortable grounds.
"Does it matter that much? Now, Jon, I wanted to know if you're free-"
"No," he interrupted, shaking his head, still frowning over Thayet. "I need to write and send that letter to Carthak."
"Daine, you're free, aren't you?"
The brunette shook her head. "I have to translate his letter into Carthaki. Sorry." The two walked off, leaving Alanna stunned.
"But the Carthaki speak Common. She doesn't even know Carthaki."
*
The two she was puzzled about at that moment were locking themselves into Jon's study.
"What if she wants to help, and comes into the room?"
"I can transform, and you were having a nice sleep...bare. She might like that." Daine laughed into his mouth. Suddenly, her laughter died. "Thayet's back. We need to end this."
"No, we don't. You know it as well as I do."
"I think we should end this before one of us gets hurt. It'll most likely be me."
"Why?" he reasoned, sitting down on the couch. "We can carry on as we are. We're fine."
"Yes, but wait until Thayet comes back." Daine swallowed tightly, turning away from him to face the books. "You'll look at her, then at me, then you'll turn back to her."
"Are you saying you don't want to continue? Is that it?" She didn't know what to say to that. She loved being flattered, loved spending time with him, loved the comforting embrace and the empty gap he filled, but she hated lying to everyone, hated betraying those who had offered her so much.
"Promise me you'll go back to Thayet when we've finished?"
"Promise." It was an odd promise to make, but if it kept her satisfied, it was worth it.
Daine laughed shortly, wrapping her arms around herself. The lack of humour in it was chilling. "We're just filling in for those we've lost."
"No, we're not." He crossed the room and kissed her softly, and she closed her eyes in bliss.
"I get the right side of the bed this time."
"We'll see," he chuckled.
"Could you hold that thought?" Daine broke from the lady, and walked towards Jon. "What's wrong?"
The messenger seemed to be equally puzzled, apparently not having expected the WildMage of all people to have been called over. "What will be His Majesty's return message?"
"Tell Thayet I'm looking forward to seeing her tomorrow. Tell her it's an unexpected surprise." The King laid emphasis on certain words, to make his meaning clear to Daine.
"Oh, they're back tomorrow? Where'd she go anyway?" Daine felt guilty that she hadn't checked before, but a certain sense of relief flew over her. Thayet's return meant she could end this with Jon. Besides, it was just silliness.
"Out with the training Riders."
Daine's face creased into a frown. "She's not allowed out with the training Riders, though. Not since my first year here, 'n the attack."
Suddenly, Jon realised Daine was right. "Where could she be?"
"Probably having an affair." Alanna had come up behind them; it was her joking tone that had spoken. Jon attempted a weak smile; Daine couldn't even manage that much. The Lioness' purple stare narrowed speculatively.
"Why did she tell you she was with the Riders, though?" asked Daine, attempting to return the conversation to less uncomfortable grounds.
"Does it matter that much? Now, Jon, I wanted to know if you're free-"
"No," he interrupted, shaking his head, still frowning over Thayet. "I need to write and send that letter to Carthak."
"Daine, you're free, aren't you?"
The brunette shook her head. "I have to translate his letter into Carthaki. Sorry." The two walked off, leaving Alanna stunned.
"But the Carthaki speak Common. She doesn't even know Carthaki."
*
The two she was puzzled about at that moment were locking themselves into Jon's study.
"What if she wants to help, and comes into the room?"
"I can transform, and you were having a nice sleep...bare. She might like that." Daine laughed into his mouth. Suddenly, her laughter died. "Thayet's back. We need to end this."
"No, we don't. You know it as well as I do."
"I think we should end this before one of us gets hurt. It'll most likely be me."
"Why?" he reasoned, sitting down on the couch. "We can carry on as we are. We're fine."
"Yes, but wait until Thayet comes back." Daine swallowed tightly, turning away from him to face the books. "You'll look at her, then at me, then you'll turn back to her."
"Are you saying you don't want to continue? Is that it?" She didn't know what to say to that. She loved being flattered, loved spending time with him, loved the comforting embrace and the empty gap he filled, but she hated lying to everyone, hated betraying those who had offered her so much.
"Promise me you'll go back to Thayet when we've finished?"
"Promise." It was an odd promise to make, but if it kept her satisfied, it was worth it.
Daine laughed shortly, wrapping her arms around herself. The lack of humour in it was chilling. "We're just filling in for those we've lost."
"No, we're not." He crossed the room and kissed her softly, and she closed her eyes in bliss.
"I get the right side of the bed this time."
"We'll see," he chuckled.