Daine looked at Jon. Horror showed in her gaze. He seemed just as panicked.
They were both frozen, not sure of what to do.
"Can I come in?"
He couldn't refuse her, not without a good reason. But he couldn't let her come in, not like this. Not ever.
"I'll transform," she hissed. "I'll escape out of the window. You hide my clothes."
"Who is it?" Jon called to the door. He knew very well, but was buying some time whilst shoving Daine's clothes behind a bookshelf. "See you later," he whispered, and kissed her before she changed. A bird, lithe and small, flew out of his window, just as Thayet opened the door.
"Hello."
"Morning." Her eyes travelled over his sheet-wrapped body, then flicked around the room. Satisfied that there were no other occupants, her gaze returned to him. "Why didn't you come to bed?"
"I didn't want to wake you up. After your long journey," he added quickly.
"Did you sleep alone?" He turned away in disgust. She had to know though, had to ask again. "DID YOU?"
"I found that book," he mumbled, ignoring her question. Pretending it didn't exist, like he pretended she didn't exist when it suited him. "It was right at the back of the nineteenth shelf, would you believe?"
"Did you sleep alone?"
Jon found himself presented with an outraged, upturned face. "No, I didn't. Does that make you happy? I didn't sleep alone!"
"Who - who was it?" she croaked, put off balance by his unexpected admission.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, it matters! Which idiotic blonde did you sleep with?"
"Daine! Does that make you feel better? Daine was helping me find the book, actually!"
She closed her eyes, relieved. He hadn't taken up with somebody else. It was just Daine. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"
Jon looked her over, not sure if she was mocking him or not. "I think it's gone a little too far to be forgiven for."
Thayet narrowed her eyes. "So no forgiveness is wanted?"
"No."
Both had swung into this reversal of roles with ease. "I don't understand. Unless love enters the equation-"
He laughed. Her eyes narrowed - his laugh had changed. So had he. She didn't like him. She wanted her Jon back, the old one. The one she loved. "Love?" he asked, amused. "What would you know about love, my dear wife?"
"Obviously more than you. At least I stick to one person!"
"So you still experience that emotion?"
"Yes." Her eyes widened. He loved those eyes, so gentle, yet untold fierceness lay in them. "Do you not?"
"Maybe."
"Jon, give me a straight answer! Don't I deserve that much?"
He swallowed tightly, wanting to reply honestly, but knowing he couldn't, not after the last few months. Instead, he replied, "Maybe."
"I don't have time for this! I really don't."
"You don't have time for our marriage?"
"ME?! What about YOU?! You never eat with me, you sleep in here with some other girl, and leave me to rule the country!" She was outraged, but even so, tears started to her eyes.
"Is that what you want? Would that make you happy?"
"Yes."
"FINE!" he shouted. "The kingdom is yours!" He slammed the door in one angry movement.
She stood, watching the space where he had been, completely stunned. "That's not what I meant," she whispered. "And you knew it." Tears began to roll, tears with no end.
*
Daine smiled as she entered her room. Swiftly changing back into a human, she had just enough time to crawl back under the covers, before a knock sounded on the door.
"Daine? Are you up?" She began to shiver as she recognised the voice.
"Can I come in?"
He couldn't refuse her, not without a good reason. But he couldn't let her come in, not like this. Not ever.
"I'll transform," she hissed. "I'll escape out of the window. You hide my clothes."
"Who is it?" Jon called to the door. He knew very well, but was buying some time whilst shoving Daine's clothes behind a bookshelf. "See you later," he whispered, and kissed her before she changed. A bird, lithe and small, flew out of his window, just as Thayet opened the door.
"Hello."
"Morning." Her eyes travelled over his sheet-wrapped body, then flicked around the room. Satisfied that there were no other occupants, her gaze returned to him. "Why didn't you come to bed?"
"I didn't want to wake you up. After your long journey," he added quickly.
"Did you sleep alone?" He turned away in disgust. She had to know though, had to ask again. "DID YOU?"
"I found that book," he mumbled, ignoring her question. Pretending it didn't exist, like he pretended she didn't exist when it suited him. "It was right at the back of the nineteenth shelf, would you believe?"
"Did you sleep alone?"
Jon found himself presented with an outraged, upturned face. "No, I didn't. Does that make you happy? I didn't sleep alone!"
"Who - who was it?" she croaked, put off balance by his unexpected admission.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, it matters! Which idiotic blonde did you sleep with?"
"Daine! Does that make you feel better? Daine was helping me find the book, actually!"
She closed her eyes, relieved. He hadn't taken up with somebody else. It was just Daine. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"
Jon looked her over, not sure if she was mocking him or not. "I think it's gone a little too far to be forgiven for."
Thayet narrowed her eyes. "So no forgiveness is wanted?"
"No."
Both had swung into this reversal of roles with ease. "I don't understand. Unless love enters the equation-"
He laughed. Her eyes narrowed - his laugh had changed. So had he. She didn't like him. She wanted her Jon back, the old one. The one she loved. "Love?" he asked, amused. "What would you know about love, my dear wife?"
"Obviously more than you. At least I stick to one person!"
"So you still experience that emotion?"
"Yes." Her eyes widened. He loved those eyes, so gentle, yet untold fierceness lay in them. "Do you not?"
"Maybe."
"Jon, give me a straight answer! Don't I deserve that much?"
He swallowed tightly, wanting to reply honestly, but knowing he couldn't, not after the last few months. Instead, he replied, "Maybe."
"I don't have time for this! I really don't."
"You don't have time for our marriage?"
"ME?! What about YOU?! You never eat with me, you sleep in here with some other girl, and leave me to rule the country!" She was outraged, but even so, tears started to her eyes.
"Is that what you want? Would that make you happy?"
"Yes."
"FINE!" he shouted. "The kingdom is yours!" He slammed the door in one angry movement.
She stood, watching the space where he had been, completely stunned. "That's not what I meant," she whispered. "And you knew it." Tears began to roll, tears with no end.
*
Daine smiled as she entered her room. Swiftly changing back into a human, she had just enough time to crawl back under the covers, before a knock sounded on the door.
"Daine? Are you up?" She began to shiver as she recognised the voice.