"Mama!" Thayet smiled as Jasson ran up to hug her.
"I've missed you." She lifted him into a tight embrace.
"Hello." Roald followed Jasson, then Kally, then Lianne and Liam. She hugged each of them, then looked behind for her husband. He wasn't there. Her brows knitted together – she was sure she'd sent the messenger. Oh, well, he was probably doing some paper work, she mused.
"Thayet!" The redheaded Lioness grinned widely at her friend. "Have a nice holiday?"
Thayet sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Not exactly. Do you know where Jon's got to?"
"He's been locked up in his study for ages. Some letter to Carthak, apparently. Who'd be a king, eh?"
"Hello, Thayet! Jon's just coming. Jon, she's back!"
"Daine was with him?" Alanna nodded, watching Thayet's face carefully. "Well, at least he wasn't with some hussy." Again, Alanna nodded, wondering why Daine was suddenly calling Jon by his nickname.
Jon was down the stairs in a flash. "Where did you go?"
She smiled, assuming it was one of his jokes. "With the training Riders."
"Two faults. One, you're not allowed with the trainers. Two, they haven't returned yet."
She gulped. What was wrong with him? Usually, he'd grin, make some joke, and hug her. Today, he acted as though she was the bringer of death. "Jon?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Why did you lie to me?"
Alanna's sharp eyes caught Daine trying to leave. The royal children had already fled, except for Roald. She gave him an encouraging smile. "Daine! Care to visit my room?"
Her mind screamed for her to refuse. However, her voice had different ideas. "Of course." Privately, Daine cursed her voice.
*
Alanna shut the door. "What's going on between Thayet and Jonathon?"
"He's upset because she lied to him," Daine said flatly, examining the shutters carefully. Something had changed about her. A month back, Alanna would have said anything would have been better than the morose WildMage, waiting for a lost love, but this Daine was worse. This Daine made Alanna's temper rise.
"Yes, she lied! Lied to protect you!" Alanna closed her mouth quickly, but it was too late.
Daine glanced up sharply. "Protect me from what?"
Hastily, Alanna attempted to undo the damage. "Nothing." But it had already been done.
Anger flared up in Daine's own eyes. "Protect me from what? ANSWER ME!"
Alanna didn't like having to submit to an inferior's command, but reminded herself not to be so snobbish. It had been her own fault, after all. "Numair. She went to find Numair."
The Gallan was out the door in an instant.
*
"Where is he?"
Thayet took her eyes off her husband, placing them on Daine. "What?" she asked distractedly, wanting to sort out everything with Jon before she concentrated on anything else.
"Numair. Where is he?" Daine repeated tersely.
"Is that where you were?" Jon asked, shooting Daine an unreadable look.
"Yes, that is where I was," she snapped, temper beginning to fray. "I was trying to find Numair for Daine."
"And did you?" Daine struggled to keep her voice even, determinedly not looking at either of her monarchs.
Thayet hesitated before replying. "Yes."
"Is he alive? Where is he? Is he ill? Can I see him?"
"He's alive and well." Those were the only two questions Thayet could answer.
Hope faded out of blue-grey eyes as realisation sunk in. "I can't see him, can I?"
"No." Thayet hesitated, needing to be short, but not finding the right words. "He's...married."
Daine bowed her head and closed her eyes, fighting tears. "What does she look like?"
"She's... blonde. Daine, he's lost his memory. He didn't recognise me. He didn't recognise any of us."
"So you couldn't have brought him back at all?"
"He know he's got magic. Mithros, I wasn't about to argue!" Now Daine's eyes filled with the repressed tears, and she ran off. Jon watched where she went.
"Are you feeling well?"
"Yes, thank you," she said. "Jon, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just... you couldn't have comforted her properly knowing what I was doing. And you never know who's listening."
Jon's face remained stern, although she watched it desperately for a trace of understanding. "Do we know who he's married to?"
"A lady Varice. Apparently she was his old sweetheart back in Carthak, you know, before Daine, before us, even. She took advantage of the situation straight away. Conniving, manipulative-"
"Should I go after her?"
"VARICE?" Thayet calmed down when she realised who he'd been talking about. "Oh, yes. It's probably best if you do it. I'll see you at supper?" She didn't receive a reply.
*
"Daine?" The brunette quickly wiped her tears.
"I'm here," she called from the window seat. He sat next to her, and pulled her onto his lap. She rested her head against his chest. "I can't believe he's married," she sobbed.
"But not by choice."
She sniffed. "Probably some idiot, like Varice. He used to go for that type." She shifted, looking up at him. "If I had been more like that, do you think he'dve stayed?"
"No. He would have left you after the first night. They were just trophies. You're more than that, you know that. You're special."
"Were," she corrected.
"Are."
"Flatterer." She smiled weakly. "Do you treat Thayet like this?" He kissed her, stopping her worries and her questions. Or so he thought. "It doesn't work like that."
"What doesn't?"
"The world. You can't give someone a compliment, then kiss them, and have everything be perfect."
Her words scared him. "What are you suggesting?"
"That you back out of things. Coward."
He touched her cheek, relieved it hadn't been another attempt to break them up. "We'll fix that. We can fix anything."
"Yes. Tomorrow we'll rule the world!"
He grinned at her sarcasm. "What's wrong with tonight?"
"Last minute engagement." She tucked her head into his arm. Neither spoke, until Daine broke the silence. "Thayet'll be wondering where you are."
"She knows I'm just making sure you're happy."
She got off his lap. "I'm ecstatic," she said dryly. "Now go."
*
Please bear in mind this is a fanfiction, and not intended to fit in with canon events at all. I realise it is impossible and silly for Daine and Jon to fall for each other, but it's fanfiction. It's fun. Thank you all for reviewing.
"I've missed you." She lifted him into a tight embrace.
"Hello." Roald followed Jasson, then Kally, then Lianne and Liam. She hugged each of them, then looked behind for her husband. He wasn't there. Her brows knitted together – she was sure she'd sent the messenger. Oh, well, he was probably doing some paper work, she mused.
"Thayet!" The redheaded Lioness grinned widely at her friend. "Have a nice holiday?"
Thayet sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Not exactly. Do you know where Jon's got to?"
"He's been locked up in his study for ages. Some letter to Carthak, apparently. Who'd be a king, eh?"
"Hello, Thayet! Jon's just coming. Jon, she's back!"
"Daine was with him?" Alanna nodded, watching Thayet's face carefully. "Well, at least he wasn't with some hussy." Again, Alanna nodded, wondering why Daine was suddenly calling Jon by his nickname.
Jon was down the stairs in a flash. "Where did you go?"
She smiled, assuming it was one of his jokes. "With the training Riders."
"Two faults. One, you're not allowed with the trainers. Two, they haven't returned yet."
She gulped. What was wrong with him? Usually, he'd grin, make some joke, and hug her. Today, he acted as though she was the bringer of death. "Jon?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Why did you lie to me?"
Alanna's sharp eyes caught Daine trying to leave. The royal children had already fled, except for Roald. She gave him an encouraging smile. "Daine! Care to visit my room?"
Her mind screamed for her to refuse. However, her voice had different ideas. "Of course." Privately, Daine cursed her voice.
*
Alanna shut the door. "What's going on between Thayet and Jonathon?"
"He's upset because she lied to him," Daine said flatly, examining the shutters carefully. Something had changed about her. A month back, Alanna would have said anything would have been better than the morose WildMage, waiting for a lost love, but this Daine was worse. This Daine made Alanna's temper rise.
"Yes, she lied! Lied to protect you!" Alanna closed her mouth quickly, but it was too late.
Daine glanced up sharply. "Protect me from what?"
Hastily, Alanna attempted to undo the damage. "Nothing." But it had already been done.
Anger flared up in Daine's own eyes. "Protect me from what? ANSWER ME!"
Alanna didn't like having to submit to an inferior's command, but reminded herself not to be so snobbish. It had been her own fault, after all. "Numair. She went to find Numair."
The Gallan was out the door in an instant.
*
"Where is he?"
Thayet took her eyes off her husband, placing them on Daine. "What?" she asked distractedly, wanting to sort out everything with Jon before she concentrated on anything else.
"Numair. Where is he?" Daine repeated tersely.
"Is that where you were?" Jon asked, shooting Daine an unreadable look.
"Yes, that is where I was," she snapped, temper beginning to fray. "I was trying to find Numair for Daine."
"And did you?" Daine struggled to keep her voice even, determinedly not looking at either of her monarchs.
Thayet hesitated before replying. "Yes."
"Is he alive? Where is he? Is he ill? Can I see him?"
"He's alive and well." Those were the only two questions Thayet could answer.
Hope faded out of blue-grey eyes as realisation sunk in. "I can't see him, can I?"
"No." Thayet hesitated, needing to be short, but not finding the right words. "He's...married."
Daine bowed her head and closed her eyes, fighting tears. "What does she look like?"
"She's... blonde. Daine, he's lost his memory. He didn't recognise me. He didn't recognise any of us."
"So you couldn't have brought him back at all?"
"He know he's got magic. Mithros, I wasn't about to argue!" Now Daine's eyes filled with the repressed tears, and she ran off. Jon watched where she went.
"Are you feeling well?"
"Yes, thank you," she said. "Jon, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just... you couldn't have comforted her properly knowing what I was doing. And you never know who's listening."
Jon's face remained stern, although she watched it desperately for a trace of understanding. "Do we know who he's married to?"
"A lady Varice. Apparently she was his old sweetheart back in Carthak, you know, before Daine, before us, even. She took advantage of the situation straight away. Conniving, manipulative-"
"Should I go after her?"
"VARICE?" Thayet calmed down when she realised who he'd been talking about. "Oh, yes. It's probably best if you do it. I'll see you at supper?" She didn't receive a reply.
*
"Daine?" The brunette quickly wiped her tears.
"I'm here," she called from the window seat. He sat next to her, and pulled her onto his lap. She rested her head against his chest. "I can't believe he's married," she sobbed.
"But not by choice."
She sniffed. "Probably some idiot, like Varice. He used to go for that type." She shifted, looking up at him. "If I had been more like that, do you think he'dve stayed?"
"No. He would have left you after the first night. They were just trophies. You're more than that, you know that. You're special."
"Were," she corrected.
"Are."
"Flatterer." She smiled weakly. "Do you treat Thayet like this?" He kissed her, stopping her worries and her questions. Or so he thought. "It doesn't work like that."
"What doesn't?"
"The world. You can't give someone a compliment, then kiss them, and have everything be perfect."
Her words scared him. "What are you suggesting?"
"That you back out of things. Coward."
He touched her cheek, relieved it hadn't been another attempt to break them up. "We'll fix that. We can fix anything."
"Yes. Tomorrow we'll rule the world!"
He grinned at her sarcasm. "What's wrong with tonight?"
"Last minute engagement." She tucked her head into his arm. Neither spoke, until Daine broke the silence. "Thayet'll be wondering where you are."
"She knows I'm just making sure you're happy."
She got off his lap. "I'm ecstatic," she said dryly. "Now go."
*
Please bear in mind this is a fanfiction, and not intended to fit in with canon events at all. I realise it is impossible and silly for Daine and Jon to fall for each other, but it's fanfiction. It's fun. Thank you all for reviewing.