Description: Lindhall has a serious talk with Daine and reveals a few secrets about Numair she may not be aware of.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.

Author's Note: I really wanted another perspective when Daine and Numair tell Lindhall so I borrowed him briefly. This is mostly because I wanted to extend the scene with Daine and Lindhall but, as I said, I am not writing for her when she's still a teenager.

I promised I would finally explain about the flowers. You will have noticed me playing with this over the last four books. It was just expanding on the concept that he is very sweet but adding in that shyness we know he still possess. A flower is very rarely just a flower.

This also contains my next attempt at mature content so feedback definitely welcome!

Chapter 11

Lindhall Reed's classes had finished for the day when his former student and Daine Sarrasri entered his rooms holding hands. Arram – Numair – looked extremely nervous as the pair approached his desk. The older mage smiled warmly at them guessing why they were here, having heard the gossip yesterday.

The young man licked his lips nervously. "You may have heard the news that – Daine and I –"

"Are living together," Lindhall finished for him. "Yes, I heard and also guessed when you asked me to help setup the walkway for Zek and the other marmosets."

Numair blushed and looked at his feet. "I had meant to tell you."

The older mage waved him off smiling happily. "Not to worry. And I am very pleased for you both."

The obvious relief on the younger man's face was almost painful. "Thank you."

"You don't sound surprised." Daine frowned in confusion.

"Numair told me how he felt about you in Carthak," Lindhall explained. "I suspected it would only be a matter of time before he told you himself. I confess, I had not expected it to take you quite this long, my boy."

The younger mage blushed again looking sheepish. "I didn't believe she would return my affections."

"What I don't understand is how no one else realised it was you courting Daine," the older mage chuckled.

"What do you mean?" the Wildmage asked curiously.

"I thought he was rather obvious about courting you," Lindhall said. "When he was a boy, Arram would give flowers and jewellery to the women he admired," he said to the young woman before turning to his former student again. "I saw the sapphire earrings and bracelet you made for Daine during the midwinter celebrations."

She gasped turning on Numair. "Made? You never told me you made them!"

The younger mage smiled bashfully, shifting uncomfortably under her scrutiny. Lindhall smiled at them knowing his former student had always retained a certain amount of vulnerability he never quite managed to hide however much court training he had received.

"I did think you over-played your hand with the flowers, though," the older mage raised his eyebrows as his young friend smiled.

"I don't understand." Daine looked between the two men.

"Well, my dear, orchids are quite rare, exotic and extremely difficult to acquire," Lindhall explained wondering if there was some form of double meaning in his former student's choice of flower. "It would have cost a small fortune for someone in Tortall to import them. May I?" he asked indicating the flower in her hair.

The young woman very carefully removed the orchid and handed it to the older mage who examined it carefully. "Your illusions are far more superior these days, my boy. You used to conjure flowers for Varice as I recall. What were they?" he asked innocently noticing the jealous look the Wildmage shot at Numair.

"They were roses. Lavender roses at first and then later, orange." the younger mage said quietly.

"Ah yes, you were never able to reproduce the scent correctly, were you? There was a significance to their colour, why was that?" Lindhall pressed wondering how much the young man had revealed to his new lover.

Numair blushed and cleared his throat. "The lavender rose signified love at first sight and the orange rose – for desire and enthusiasm."

"Ah yes, of course," he returned the orchid to Daine who held it looking slightly annoyed. Lindhall decided he would need to speak with her privately. "I always hoped you would settle down one day, my boy. I often worried you would lose yourself to your studies like the rest of us. I'm glad to be proved wrong."

The younger mage smiled. "Thank you. We should leave you to your work."

Lindhall smiled warmly at him and turned to the Wildmage. "Daine, a moment of your time if I may?"

"Sure," she agreed easily.

Numair squeezed her hand frowning in concern at the older mage. Lindhall smiled reassuringly and waved him away waiting until the younger mage had shut the door behind him.

"I've known that young man for a good many years," he said wistfully. "I still remember the day when I first met the isolated boy with the extraordinary Gift. He was always very shy and unsure of himself. Miss Kingsford would often drag him from his studies and remind him to live his life occasionally, but she would take him to parties and banquets which weren't entirely to his liking. Although I believe he has learned how to appreciate them over the years. You, however, share his love of the natural world and animals. I confess, I was surprised when he declared his feelings for you last year. I could see the two of you were close, but it is highly inappropriate for a teacher to have intimate relations with his student. It wasn't until moving here that I saw it wasn't the relationship the two of you had. You are friends and equals who enjoy learning together. Numair had said as much to me in his letters over the years. I have watched him this past year torture himself with his love for you. I do hope that you return those feelings."

Daine met his blue eyes sincerely. "Yes, sir. Very much."

"I'm glad. I do not wish to see that boy hurt. He has suffered enough over the years. I would like to see him happy, and I believe he could be with you."

"Did you think he would have been happy with Varice?" she asked unhappily.

Lindhall smiled at the young woman thoughtfully. "Miss Kingsford accepted a part of him – and he craves that acceptance. While I believe Numair did love her once, even had he stayed in Carthak, I don't think she would have made him truly happy. But you do accept him for everything he is. That is very special indeed."

"Not so special when he's done this sort of thing before," she said dismissively looking at the orchid. "Conjuring flowers for beautiful women." There was that jealousy he should really tackle before he released her back to his friend.

"I don't remember Arram ever waking before dawn each morning to place a flower anyone's door. He usually conjured flowers by way of apology for becoming too engrossed in his studies." Would she realise that, in his own way, the young mage was telling her she was his first thought of the day? "Did he tell you about the orchid?" Daine shook her head. "In his boyhood, Arram was never good at putting his feelings into words. I remember him finding a book on the language of flowers which he studied intensely. Every flower has a specific meaning, you see, and for Arram – Numair – it was easier to offer a flower than to say the words. It would have been very effective except for the fact he is the only one who understands the language. A young lady just sees a pretty flower and doesn't understand there is meaning behind the gift."

"So, what does the orchid mean?" Daine asked curiously.

"It represents love in the same way a rose does, that I do know. Numair can confirm this, but I think an orchid represents a lasting love. You see, a cut rose out of water will lose its lustre and will wilt after eight hours whereas an orchid can last for up to two days without water. Did you know that if you place the flowers in a bowl of sweetened water, they can last up to three weeks? I'm afraid I don't know the meaning of the daisies he produced for you in Carthak. I never studied the book myself, and he only told me snippets."

"Numair said the daisies were to remind me of home."

"I very much doubt that is their true meaning. I know that young man has a reputation for flirting and performing well in court, but he always used to struggle when the feelings were real," Lindhall said gently.

"Why are you telling me this?" the Wildmage frowned.

"I watched you summon an army of undead creatures and cripple Carthak's infrastructure when you thought him dead. That, my dear, is not something I nor Numair have ever encountered before. He was willing to sacrifice everything for you and no one, including me, could talk him out of it. I have never seen him this way with anyone else – not even Varice. I wanted to reassure you that I believe he truly loves you – in case he had not made that clear."

Daine smiled gratefully. "I should probably go find him before he gets caught up in his work again."

Lindhall nodded and smiled as he watched her go. He may not have approved of this a year ago, but he acknowledged how well they worked together. The teacher-student relationship had ended long before he'd arrived. Any misgivings he'd had about propriety had dissolved as the older mage had observed the pair in the months following the events at Carthak. Lindhall truly hoped things would work out between them, especially for the sake of his young friend.

Numair lay back in one of his large armchairs trying to take in the events of the day. While their relationship had been discovered yesterday, today had been infinitely more exhausting having to confront everyone he cared about and graciously accept their approval. The mage had been the most nervous about telling his former teacher who he viewed more like a father figure. Numair was now very worried what Lindhall might be saying to Daine in private.

After about ten minutes the young woman walked through the door with a thoughtful expression on her face. The mage sat straighter in his chair feeling trepidation twist in his gut.

"Lindhall wasn't too hard on you?" he asked.

She smiled softly at him, walking over to the chair and straddled his lap. Numair swallowed and shifted slightly knowing exactly what she did to him in this position. Her eyes were level with his as she held up the orchid.

"What does this mean?" she asked.

The mage frowned slightly. "It's a token of my love and affection."

"But what does it mean – in flower language?"

He blushed, "Lindhall told you about that."

The young woman nodded seriously as she twirled the flower between her forefinger and thumb. "Well?"

"Orchids symbolize love, beauty and strength, but like the flowers themselves, they represent a lasting love rather than a fleeting one." He decided not to mention that they also represented virility. Numair didn't think Daine would appreciate knowing he desired a family with her one day when she wasn't even comfortable with the idea of marriage.

A slow smile spread over her beautiful face. "And what about the daisies you've been giving me this past year?"

The mage fidgeted uncomfortably feeling thoroughly trapped by her eyes and the compromising position she had him in. "Daisies represent innocence, loyal love – and a secret – 'I'll never tell'."

Daine frowned in thought for a few moments. "Do you have a copy of that book?"

He smiled fondly at her, loving her curious mind. "I don't own it in my collection, no, but I did see a copy of it in the library once."

"I'll have to borrow it. It's no good if you start sending me secret messages in a language only one of us understands," she stated practically. "Things would of been much simpler if I'd known you were telling me you loved me."

Numair could feel himself turning crimson. "You weren't supposed to know…" he mumbled.

"So, I was just a stupid girl accepting a pretty flower?" the young woman glared at him.

"Daine –" She covered his mouth quickly with her hand before he could start his outraged tirade.

"I know you've some daft idea that I wouldn't have loved you or you'd of tricked me into loving you – but we could've had this a lot sooner if you'd said something. Telling me you love me in languages I don't know isn't fair!"

He sat back in the chair deflated as she removed her hand. She was right of course. "I learned long ago that a flower was just a flower to everyone else. The messages started becoming more for myself than for the woman I gave the flower to. In your case, it was to remind me that I couldn't tell you how I felt."

Daine rolled her eyes at him. "It's a good job I fell off that cliff or I might never of known."

"I would have preferred a less terrifying experience," the mage muttered.

"You'd of just kept giving me flowers and not saying anything though," the young woman argued.

"Your parents and the badger insinuated you might have felt something more for me – and you were sending some confusing signals," Numair admitted cautiously. "I might have said something in a few years had things continued to develop between us."

"Years?" she asked in disbelief. "And what signals?"

"Specifically, rubbing your face against my chest." He tapped the spot in the V of his shirt. "You did it on more than one occasion and that can hardly be considered a friendly gesture."

Daine blushed. "You smell good – and I like the feel of the hair."

Numair couldn't help the pleased grin that spread over his face. He'd been far too embarrassed to ask her if she found him attractive. Daine had called him handsome once, but over the last few months he'd become ridiculously self-conscious about his appearance, especially about the white hairs and the age lines.

"You had also started touching me and kissing my cheek more often too. Those could have been considered merely friendly gestures but combined with the fact you liked to sit close –" He ducked his head and smiled "I wasn't sure what to make of it. I had been trying so valiantly not to keep touching you and to put some boundaries between us I almost missed it. Before I kissed you, I had been considering whether to encourage more of the affectionate touches to see if you would object."

"You'd of had us moving even slower than we are now," the young woman complained.

Numair smiled stroking his fingers over her cheeks to tangle in her curls. "I wanted to be certain you had any feelings for me first."

"I would never have rejected your touch," she whispered shifting closer so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

"I noticed," he replied huskily as he ran his fingers over her shoulders and down her sides making her shiver, stopping to hold her waist firmly.

Daine pressed herself against him capturing his lips in a heated kiss. Numair's hands started to roam as they kissed. At first, he kept politely to her sides and back, but when the kiss deepened, becoming almost desperate, his hands moved to her thighs caressing them with his palms. Daine whimpered softly as he broke the kiss and began to trail delicate kisses along her jaw and down her throat. Numair grinned as he focussed his attention on her sensitive neck, sliding his hands under her shirt to stroke the soft skin of her lower back. She was clinging to him, her breathing coming in ragged gasps as he exploited every spot on her neck that he knew drove her wild.

"Numair…" Daine whimpered knowing this was the point when he would usually draw away.

The mage smirked finding the spot that had made her legs go weak and sucked gently as she arched and squirmed on his lap. If he hadn't been certain she loved him, he never would have consciously pushed her to this point. The young woman's fingers dug into his shoulders as her body trembled against him.

Numair removed his mouth and sat back to look at her. Daine's cheeks were flushed, and her lips were already swollen from kissing. She opened her blue-grey eyes slowly, silently begging him not to stop. Removing his hands from under her shirt, the mage cupped her cheek caressing it gently with his thumb.

"Daine, I want to touch you. Would that be alright?"

Her sharp intake of breath and dilating pupils told him more than enough, but Numair waited until she nodded. Settling himself comfortably in the chair, the mage smiled gently as he trailed his fingers over the arch of her eyebrows, her cheekbones and along her jaw. Running his thumb along her sensual lower lip, it took a lot of self-control not to give in and kiss her again. Numair's eyes flicked up to gaze into her gorgeous blue-grey eyes which were more intensely blue than normal and held such a deep sense of trust but there was also a flicker of fear there too. Daine parted her lips slightly as she let out a shaky breath.

The mage kept his eyes on her face as his fingers travelled down her neck smiling when her eyes closed as she licked her lips. His fingers caressed her there for a few moments before sliding across her shoulders. Very slowly Numair caressed along her arms up to where her hands rested at his shoulders. Daine's eyes opened again to watch him when he moved away from her neck. The mage smiled tenderly as he gently caressed her hands and back up her arms watching for any reaction. Tracing along her collarbone, he moved one hand down between her breasts smiling when he found the badger's claw and pregnancy charm hanging there. Looking into her eyes, Numair waited silently for permission before he cupped her breasts through the material. Small, firm and a perfect fit in his large hands. Daine closed her eyes arching into his touch, gasping softly as the mage gently caressed her, enjoying the reactions.

Sliding his fingers over her ribs to her slender waist, the young woman flinched slightly biting her lip to stifle a giggle. Interesting he thought, filing that bit of information away for another time. His hands slipped under her shirt finding warm, soft skin. Careful not to tickle her this time, the mage caressed her stomach and waist before travelling up to her breasts again. Daine's eyes fluttered closed, her breathing coming in short, fast gasps.

"Can I remove your breastband?" he asked softly.

"Yes," the young woman's voice came out as a low whisper.

Tracing his fingers over the cloth, Numair found the end and slowly began to unravel the breastband while Daine's eyes met his with a deep intensity.

"I will stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable," he said seriously.

"Don't you dare stop!" she hissed as he finished removing the breastband.

The mage very deliberately placed the material beside him on the chair before slowly replacing his hands on her skin. He explored her bare back smiling as she arched and sighed in pleasure. Daine acted just like a cat as Numair stroked up and down her spine wondering if she would start purring. Caressing over her sides, he rested his hands beneath her breasts using only his thumbs to very gently stroke the undersides. Daine's eyes focussed on his again so full of desire and need. He cupped her breasts watching as her eyes glazed while she pressed herself against him. His thumbs drew slow circles around her nipples feeling them harden.

The young woman's hips began to shift with his continued ministrations, and he had a very good idea what this was doing to her. She was panting softly and completely lost in what he was doing to her. After several very erotic minutes, Numair removed his hands eliciting a whimper of protest from her parted lips.

"Daine…" the mage waited until she could focus on him again. "Stand up for me."

The pained expression on her face when she thought he was going to stop was heart-breaking, so Numair pulled her in for a soft seductive kiss.

"I can't remove your breeches while you're sat on my lap, sweet," he whispered against her lips.

The young woman leaned back and met his heated gaze before carefully climbing off his lap. Numair batted away her hands when she tried to take them off herself.

"Let me," his voice was rough with arousal.

Taking his time, the mage untied her breeches and slowly dragged them over her hips and down her long legs. The young woman hurriedly intervened removing her boots, socks and breeches leaving her standing in just a shirt and loincloth. Daine licked her lips nervously as Numair held her hips, raking his eyes over her body. Slender and muscular, she wasn't like any woman he'd ever been with before. He guided her back onto his lap as his hands began to caress her thighs. As he held her gaze, Numair saw more nerves in her face and allowed his hands to wander over her body once again, relaxing and arousing her once more.

It was a torment not to kiss her, but he didn't want to miss a single reaction of what his touch did to her. Returning to her thighs, the mage stroked along the contours of the muscles imagining what else those strong legs could do in this position. Dismissing his own fantasies quickly, Numair's thumbs brushed against her inner thighs feeling Daine shiver pleasurably. Resting his hands near her hips, his thumbs caressed her gently.

"Are you sure you want me to touch you?" the mage couldn't keep the seductive lilt from his voice.

Daine bit her lip but nodded quickly. His eyes never leaving hers, Numair slid his right hand over the loincloth to stroke her. She gasped loudly and shuddered as he caressed her through the material. Her hips began to rock subtly against his hand as her breathing sped up. He moved his hand up to the top of her loincloth and waited for her nod before sliding his hand inside.

She was so hot and damp as his fingers stroked through her curls. Daine gasped and threw her head back when he cupped her and started to stroke. Pushing up on those strong legs, her hips were rocking against his hand in earnest now as he very carefully dipped the tip of his finger inside her to wet it slightly. She gasped again then bit down hard on her lower lip, squeezing her eyes shut, as his finger moved up and began to draw slow circles.

Daine had no concept of just how aroused Numair was watching her reactions. He'd been with vocal women before and didn't particularly enjoy the ones that provided a diatribe whilst having sex. But this? Trying to silence any sounds of pleasure or enjoyment. It was the most erotic image the mage had ever seen. Did she have any idea the challenge she was setting for him to see what it took to make her moan or cry out?

Numair repeated the motion over and over, dipping only the tip of his finger inside her to keep it wet while drawing those slow circles as he built the tension inside of her. With a loud gasp, Daine's back arched as her muscles tensed, her fingers digging painfully into his shoulders, until her body shuddered violently with her release. Numair continued to stroke her gently drawing out the orgasm until she collapsed against his chest trembling. Removing his hand, he wrapped his arms around her rubbing her back until the shudders subsided.

"I love you," she whispered nuzzling her nose into his neck.

The mage grinned trying to ignore the spike of pleasure that shot straight to his groin. "I love you too, sweetling."

Daine rarely said the words, but it made his heart swell on those rare occasions when she did. She wasn't one for spoken affection or terms of endearment, that was more his thing. It didn't entirely help his insecurities as to whether she loved him or not, but Numair was beginning to understand her way of showing she loved him.

She stayed in his arms for several minutes, clinging to him until her breathing returned to normal. Sitting up slowly, Daine met his eyes and blushed shyly. It was the look of a woman who had just been touched by a man for the first time. The mage swallowed trying not to think how young she looked in that moment. He was much more familiar with the satisfied grin most women gave him.

"You didn't stop," she whispered.

"Did you want me to?" Numair asked a little worried.

Daine shook her head emphatically. "I just – you always stop. What made you – keep going?"

He smiled tenderly. "You agreed to move in with me."

"What?"

The mage caressed her cheek. "I told you I wanted some form of commitment. When you agreed to move in with me, I realised you were offering me a compromise. It seemed only fair that I meet you halfway."

"If that's all it took I would of moved in months ago!" Daine exclaimed.

Numair chuckled and brushed his lips against hers. "Thank you."

She moved in kissing him passionately. "Please tell me you'll do that again."

"Now?" he asked a little surprised.

Daine blushed crimson "I – I didn't mean – I –"

The mage chuckled huskily and kissed her again seductively as the door to the main room swung open. The pair froze as Numair pulled away to see Kitten trot towards them. The Wildmage squeaked and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Hello, sweetheart," the mage tried to sound casual while holding the young woman's semi-naked body on his lap.

Kitten looked between the pair then chattered and squawked angrily.

"You're right, we are late for dinner," he agreed. "Why don't you join Tkaa downstairs, and we'll be along in a moment."

The dragonet grumbled unhappily and skulked out of the room.

Using his Gift, Numair closed the door behind her before bursting out laughing.

Daine's head shot up as she thumped him. "It's not funny!"

"It's certainly different," he said. "I've never had to contend with children of any kind interrupting an intimate moment before."

The young woman blushed and scrambled off his lap to grab her breeches from the floor. Numair stood, tilting her chin to kiss her softly.

"It's something we're going to have to take into consideration. I'll give you a minute to get dressed in private," The mage needed his own private moment in the bathroom before he could be seen in public. "After dinner, and once Kitten is asleep, we'll see if you're still interested in a repeat performance."

Daine gaped at him, standing there holding her breeches while the mage retreated to take care of his own arousal.

That night, Numair carried the young woman into his bedchamber and proceeded to make a very long and thorough examination of his lover, learning exactly where and how she liked to be touched, and just what it took to make her moan.