"Come in," she called, voice quavering with apprehension. The Lioness
pushed the door open, and walked in.
Her purple eyes glittered with anger. "I thought you'd have spent the night with Jon."
"Maybe," Daine said evasively.
"Thayet knows he's having an affair. She's gone to confront him. I came to see if he was in here, to warn him."
Daine shook her head vehemently, hating these people who lied to get what they wanted, who made her lie too. "No, you didn't."
Alanna eyed Daine carefully before speaking. "Then what did I come for?"
"To warn me to keep away from him," the brunette replied simply.
A reddish eyebrow soared. "If you're that quick on the uptake, why haven't you left him?"
"I've tried to! Mithros knows, I've tried!"
"Then why are you still together?"
"He laughs, then ignores anything else I say. Not that I can think of anything else." Daine flushed slightly, not having meant to say the last bit allowed. Alanna's lip curled in disdain.
"I find 'no' works quite well."
Daine's eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't you try it with him?" she retorted.
Alanna chose to ignore this. "He belongs to Thayet!"
"Don't you think I know that?" she asked coldly, hugging herself tightly. If Alanna told her she belonged to Numair, she was going to be scratched, or perhaps pecked to death, it depended what animal came to mind first.
"He'd go back to her if you asked him to."
"I have!" Daine snarled. "It's not that easy."
"Daine, this isn't some street game! You're juggling the fate of Tortall in your decision!"
"When you were with him, was that all you thought about? Being Queen? I won't be Queen!"
"If you're not Queen, then he won't be King! Foolish girl, do you know what waters you're swimming in now?"
"No, but I'm guessing deep and dangerous!" Daine taunted, unable to resist. Her temper was rising.
"Don't be cocky! Leave Jon, and I'll spare you!"
"Is that a threat?"
"Do you want it to be one?"
The brunette narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't touch me," she said confidently
"Wouldn't I?"
"Three reasons; Jon, Numair and the animals." Her voice broke slightly on the second reason, but she tightened her mouth.
"Why don't you leave Jon?"
"Why don't you stop sticking your nose into my business? Leave me alone!"
"VERALIDAINE SARRASRI, LISTEN TO ME!" the Lioness roared.
Daine stood, sheet clutched round her body. She just managed to keep hold of that; her temper spiralled out of control. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Daine, I-"
"Have been told what to do! Leave, now!"
Alanna's mouth tightened in fury, but knew if she didn't obey, Jon would come to see what the matter was. "I hope you'll think about what I've said."
"What, the threat, the telling off? The shouting? Because I'm a stupid, good-for-nothing slut, you know, and I have a very limited memory. I only remember... certain things. Things I want to remember," she sneered.
The Lioness raised an eyebrow slightly, but knew that words right now were as stupid as Daine was pretending to be. She closed the door behind her, sighed, and then walked off.
Her purple eyes glittered with anger. "I thought you'd have spent the night with Jon."
"Maybe," Daine said evasively.
"Thayet knows he's having an affair. She's gone to confront him. I came to see if he was in here, to warn him."
Daine shook her head vehemently, hating these people who lied to get what they wanted, who made her lie too. "No, you didn't."
Alanna eyed Daine carefully before speaking. "Then what did I come for?"
"To warn me to keep away from him," the brunette replied simply.
A reddish eyebrow soared. "If you're that quick on the uptake, why haven't you left him?"
"I've tried to! Mithros knows, I've tried!"
"Then why are you still together?"
"He laughs, then ignores anything else I say. Not that I can think of anything else." Daine flushed slightly, not having meant to say the last bit allowed. Alanna's lip curled in disdain.
"I find 'no' works quite well."
Daine's eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't you try it with him?" she retorted.
Alanna chose to ignore this. "He belongs to Thayet!"
"Don't you think I know that?" she asked coldly, hugging herself tightly. If Alanna told her she belonged to Numair, she was going to be scratched, or perhaps pecked to death, it depended what animal came to mind first.
"He'd go back to her if you asked him to."
"I have!" Daine snarled. "It's not that easy."
"Daine, this isn't some street game! You're juggling the fate of Tortall in your decision!"
"When you were with him, was that all you thought about? Being Queen? I won't be Queen!"
"If you're not Queen, then he won't be King! Foolish girl, do you know what waters you're swimming in now?"
"No, but I'm guessing deep and dangerous!" Daine taunted, unable to resist. Her temper was rising.
"Don't be cocky! Leave Jon, and I'll spare you!"
"Is that a threat?"
"Do you want it to be one?"
The brunette narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't touch me," she said confidently
"Wouldn't I?"
"Three reasons; Jon, Numair and the animals." Her voice broke slightly on the second reason, but she tightened her mouth.
"Why don't you leave Jon?"
"Why don't you stop sticking your nose into my business? Leave me alone!"
"VERALIDAINE SARRASRI, LISTEN TO ME!" the Lioness roared.
Daine stood, sheet clutched round her body. She just managed to keep hold of that; her temper spiralled out of control. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Daine, I-"
"Have been told what to do! Leave, now!"
Alanna's mouth tightened in fury, but knew if she didn't obey, Jon would come to see what the matter was. "I hope you'll think about what I've said."
"What, the threat, the telling off? The shouting? Because I'm a stupid, good-for-nothing slut, you know, and I have a very limited memory. I only remember... certain things. Things I want to remember," she sneered.
The Lioness raised an eyebrow slightly, but knew that words right now were as stupid as Daine was pretending to be. She closed the door behind her, sighed, and then walked off.