Description: The morning after. The mage's amorous behaviour starts to get them into trouble.

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

Author's Note: At this point I can only think of the line from Lady Knight when Kel mentions that Numair and Daine aren't seen for the rest of the day. That just gives me the impression that these two are extremely frisky.

Chapter 19

Numair woke the next morning sighing appreciatively feeling Daine's fingers gently stroking over his neck and chest.

"Morning," she whispered placing a kiss at the base of his throat.

The mage cracked his eyes open to be greeted by the most beautiful sight of his lover's face smiling radiantly at him. It was one of those rare occasions when he would have preferred not to have animals sharing their bed.

"Good morning," he mumbled groggily.

Daine smiled happily pressing herself against him as she kissed his lips softly. Numair responded instantly burying a hand into her curls so he could deepen the kiss. Things started to heat up between the pair and the mage severely regretted that they weren't alone.

Breaking the kiss, he smiled adoringly at the Wildmage. "How do you feel?"

Daine rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. You don't need to keep worrying."

Numair caressed her cheek tenderly. "How did you find your first experience?" He cringed the moment the words were out of his mouth.

"It wasn't what I expected."

"Was it better or worse than you thought?" This was getting horribly close to asking about his performance.

"Just – different." Daine smiled seeing Numair's worried expression. "Is it one of those things that gets better with practice?"

That question alone meant that the mage had not impressed his lover sufficiently last night. He offered her a small smile he hoped was reassuring. "It does – in my experience."

"When can we try again?" she asked hopefully.

The mage's eye widened in surprise. "That really depends on you and when you're ready to try again."

"Now?"

Numair's jaw dropped as he stared at his lover and began to laugh. That was not the response he'd expected. "You're certain?"

Daine hummed happily moving in for a kiss. Her lips had barely brushed against his when she flinched and pulled away. "What? No!"

For a moment the mage thought she was talking to him until he noticed her glare was directed at one of their bedmates.

"I'm not finding another mate, thank you!" Numair tried to reconcile the fact she would accept him as a mate but not as a husband. "Two-leggers don't mate just to have babies," she said loftily to one of the cats. "Because it feels good," Daine blushed deeply, her eyes flicking to an otter before turning to listen to a hare. "Not always…" she muttered rebelliously.

"Do I take it you are trying to explain the sexual habits of two-leggers to your mammalian friends?" the mage guessed, using the Wildmage's term for humans.

"Not very well," she muttered darkly.

"They will most likely not comprehend two-legger behaviour in mating for pleasure," he supplied helpfully. "I believe only pigs and one species of ape share the practice. All other animals only mate for procreation. Most bird species are monogamous and will return to the same mate every year to copulate because both parents are required to raise the chicks. They will prefer a mate that has already proved themselves when raising their young. Birds also have very elaborate mating rituals which, if they had to repeat it every year in order to attract a mate, they would be unlikely to find one in time before the mating season ended. Very few mammalian species remain together for anything longer than the act of copulation. The one's we are aware of are wolves, beavers, skinks, seahorses, gibbons and I believe you mentioned Zek having a mate."

Daine smiled at receiving an unintended lecture before turning to scowl at another cat. "I am not taking another man to my bed. I don't want to be a mother yet!"

Numair suspected and didn't appreciate the subject of his virility being questioned by the Wildmage's friends.

The young woman looked up at a magpie who was perched on the top of the canopy bed. "Yes – sort of." Before turning to grin at a barn owl. "It wouldn't have quite the same effect, but he does give me lots of gifts." The mage raised questioning eyebrow really wishing he could hear more than one side of these conversations. "Sparkle, the magpie, was just saying how her mate brings her shiny things and Ghostwing, the barn owl, said her mate would bring her dead mice," the Wildmage explained. "You know, you are more like a bird in some ways," she grinned up at him mischievously. "Onua's always likened you to a peacock and Cloud used to call you stork-man. It's like you've been courting me for years, bringing me gifts, like the jewellery, to get me to come to your nest."

Numair blushed deeply feeling mildly offended at the comparison. He'd never been fond of the nickname Cloud had branded him with. "And what creature do you take after, pray tell?"

The young woman shrugged. "I never thought about it before."

The mage fell silent worrying if Daine would take after the People or her human side when it came to taking a mate. Would the idea of monogamy be unappealing to her like so many of her friends? She had taken a wolf as her first shape but there wasn't one dominant form the Wildmage took when shapeshifting. She thought in a more practical sense of what would best fit the situation then took that shape.

"I think I like being a two-legger just now," the young woman smiled seductively her hand drifting down his body.

Numair smiled and brushed his lips over hers. "Would you be willing to let me convince you that the two-legger thinking in regard to sex is far superior to the People's way of doing things?"

Daine grinned up at him as the animals started to leave the bedchamber. "You're welcome to convince me as often as you feel is necessary."

The mage spent the rest of the morning grinning like a complete idiot. The Wildmage had let him persuade her to stay in bed for several extremely pleasurable hours before she went to the stables. He had been more certain of his lover's enjoyment this morning rather than last night, but Numair was still keen to impress her. Yes, he'd certainly been with more experienced lovers, but the quality of the sex hadn't in any way diminished the intensity of it. Everything just felt so much more intimate with Daine in a way the mage had never experienced before. For a while, he was determined to take sex very gently with his Wildmage, as the midwife had suggested, before he allowed himself to really lose himself with her.

Numair requested for last night's meal and the table and chairs to be removed from his rooms while he went to his study to mark some papers. Most of the teaching masters preferred to do their marking at the end of the day, but his evenings were better spent with his lover and dragon-daughter. He tended to do his marking in the mornings before classes began. Sometimes it gave him a better impression of how well the lesson had been received and if he needed to reiterate or further explain any of the concepts. The mage had been rather spoiled over the last few years in having Daine as his student. She was extremely intelligent and had never needed a lesson explaining more than once.

Zek kept Numair company while he worked and occasionally shared a piece of fruit with the mage. He'd just finished his marking in time for the midday meal when the Wildmage stormed in red-faced.

"I thought the midwife said there was no way to tell when you'd canoodled for the first time?" she blushed furiously.

"I beg your pardon?" Numair frowned getting to his feet.

"Have I got a sign round my neck or something? Because when I arrived at the stables, Onua took one look at me and just knew! She's spent the whole morning making me redder'n a rooster's face!" the Wildmage complained.

"Caruncles," the mage corrected earning himself a glare from the young woman. He cleared his throat and carefully approached his lover placing his hands on her shoulders. "It may have something to do with the fact you were rather late this morning after you let me convince you to stay in bed."

Daine's lips twitched in a smile as she relaxed into him. "Just promise me there's no magic way people can tell. I don't want people talking about it during lunch."

Numair tried to supress a blush as he wrapped his arms around his lover. "I doubt anyone would be that crude." He prayed their friends would behave! "So long as you told Onua to keep it to herself –" The young woman's head shot up with a worried expression and the mage sighed. "Then I suppose everyone will know."

The Wildmage looked mortified. "What do you mean?"

Numair brushed a hand through her curls. "I learned long ago that women talk amongst themselves, especially when it comes to sexual partners." He cringed realising they were likely to have words with him at some point.

"Why?" Daine looked appalled. "I don't want to talk to anyone about it. It's private!"

The mage grinned and kissed the top of her head. "That is one of the many reasons I love you. I'm afraid I have no idea why women feel the need to discuss sex, I just know that they do."

"Men don't?" the young woman asked curiously.

"Not in my experience," he admitted. Numair wasn't sure if that was true for all men, but he had certainly never felt the need to discuss his intimate relations with anyone except his lover.

"I'm not sure I want to go downstairs and face everyone just yet," she buried her face into his chest. "Do you think we can hide up here between lessons?"

The mage grinned broadly. "I think that's an excellent suggestion."

Kitten might be cross with the pair for not coming down for the midday meal but hopefully she would come and join them. Numair wondered if the dragonet might like to accompany them for this afternoon's lesson so she could be admired by the pages.

The last few weeks of April seemed to disappear in a blur. The mages could barely keep their hands off each other, which meant Daine was late most mornings and the pair were even late to a few lessons. The Wildmage had become extremely amorous, and Numair was more than happy to accommodate his lover's every desire. Their lovemaking was becoming easier with practice and almost addictive in nature.

Thankfully, when Daine's parents visited for Beltane neither god said anything about the relationship, although Sarra did make one shrewd comment about her charm working. Numair chose to ignore that remark and instead enjoy his time with his family. Daine refused to jump the embers with him, but they enjoyed the rest of the festivities. The mage even shared a dance with Sarra much to everyone's surprise.

In the weeks that followed the mages continued to be late for lessons and even missed a few entirely until Lindhall took the pair aside for an extremely embarrassing talk about decorum. Mollified, Daine and Numair managed not to skip any more classes after that. The only break in their activities came when the Wildmage suffered with her monthly cycle. The first few days were always the worst but at least Numair could now take care of the young woman, as much as she would allow him to. For years the most he'd been able to offer was a soothing tea, but since Daine had started living with him, she enjoyed curling up against the mage so he could rub her stomach and read to her.

It was the third week in May when Numair was bullied out of bed by his lover one morning and ordered to make himself presentable. When the mage exited the bathroom, he found Daine had picked out a white silk shirt and black breeches for him to wear. While he found this new display of dominance very arousing it was also quite perplexing.

"Might I enquire as to why I am to wear those specific clothes today?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Because I want you to look nice," she replied perching on the bed so she could watch him.

Kitten, who had come to join her mother in their room, chirped in agreement.

The mage frowned in concern. "Is there an important occasion I am unaware of?"

"Can't I just want you to look good?" the young woman said innocently.

"Sweetling, you rarely take a particular interest as to how I dress. What's going on?" Numair asked as he pulled on his breeches.

"Just finish getting ready," the Wildmage ordered folding her arms indignantly.

He smiled but did as he was bidden, donning his shirt while Daine watched him intently.

"Do I meet with your approval?" he asked holding out his arms for inspection once he'd finished dressing.

She actually walked around him like she was assessing one of the horses before grinning up at him. "You'll do."

The dragonet also trilled her own approval making the mage worry he had forgotten some significant event.

"Now, am I to know what this is all about?" he asked the pair.

"Not yet. Come with me." Daine took his hand and dragged him out the door.

The Wildmage led Numair through the palace with Kitten in tow until they walked down a quiet corridor the mage recognised well. He frowned in confusion as the young woman knocked on the door and waited until a familiar artist poked his head out.

"Ah, Miss Sarrasri, you brought him on time I see," Volney Rain smirked up at the mage.

"It took a fair amount of convincing," she replied dragging her lover through the door.

Kitten was the first to race inside and immediately began to examine the pots of paint and brushes. Numair looked around frowning, seeing the area was already setup with the artist's easel and a stool in the centre of the room.

"Take a seat if you please, Master Salmalín," Volney said pointing to the stool. "It is a great pleasure to see you again, Skysong." The artist smiled down at the dragonet with a hungry gleam in his eyes.

Kitten trilled happily and twirled in a slow circle enjoying the attention.

"Daine, what is this about?" the mage asked quietly.

"You're having your portrait done," the Wildmage grinned at her lover as she forced him onto the stool.

"For what reason?" he enquired as the young woman fussed with his shirt and checked his hair.

"You have a picture of me. It seems only fair you give me one in return," Daine patted his cheek and stepped back to admire him.

He could hardly argue with that logic even if he felt incredibly self-conscious.

Volney Rain approached the mage and walked around him in much the same way Daine had earlier.

"Look left, Master Salmalín." Numair sighed but complied with the request. "Now to the right." He grimaced but acquiesced. "Tilt your head slightly. No, the other way!"

Daine was covering her mouth with her hand trying not to laugh as the mage shot her an irritated glare.

"Very good. Keep still." The artist returned to his canvas and began to sketch in chalk.

Numair kept still for about fifteen minutes until he realised the Wildmage wasn't leaving. "Something amusing you?"

She shook her head, biting on her lower lip to keep from laughing. "You could try a smile at least."

The mage raised an eyebrow and turned to face his lover, ignoring Volney's protests. "Where are you planning to hang this portrait might I ask?" he asked blandly.

While Numair was a vain man, he wasn't sure he wanted a picture of himself hanging in his rooms. Perhaps he could have understood a portrait of the three of them, although something so formal didn't quite fit with his family.

"It's not for the wall," Daine said shaking her head. "It's for my locket."

The mage's breath caught as he gazed at his lover in shock before his face melted into an adoring smile.

"That's perfect. Don't move!" Master Rain cried.

Numair chuckled at the artist's enthusiasm but continued to smile at Daine feeling an overwhelming sense of love for his Wildmage. She returned the smile as the mage sat patiently for an hour before he was allowed to move again. Volney insisted that Numair return in a week for a second sitting before releasing him. The mage was concerned at how much Daine was spending on this portrait until the young woman turned to Kitten.

"Now, Master Rain wants several sketches of you. Is that still alright, Kit?"

The dragonet chirped and chattered before climbing onto the stool Numair had vacated and began to pose for the artist.

"Excellent," Volney clapped his hands grabbing a clean roll of paper, attaching it to his easel. "I am most grateful for this opportunity, Miss Sarrasri."

"Thank Kit. She's the one that agreed to it," Daine shrugged and smiled at the dragonet in gratitude.

The mages left the artist in a sketching frenzy as they entered the hallway. Numair grabbed his lover roughly and pushed her against the wall capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

"I want you," he whispered huskily, too overcome with emotion to say anything more eloquent.

"And here I thought you'd be cross with me," she giggled.

The mage captured her lips again pinning her hands against the wall as he made his intentions very clear. Daine's eyes were dark with desire when he broke the kiss. They practically ran back to their rooms where Numair spent the rest of the day making love to her until they were both too exhausted to move.

It was two weeks later when the portrait was finally finished. Daine had collected it from the artist earlier that afternoon as she stood by the dresser in the bedchamber that evening carefully inserting the miniature portrait into the other side of her locket. The mage walked up behind his lover wrapping his arms around her waist to kiss her shoulder.

"It's a good likeness I suppose," he said, casting a critical eye over the picture. "I would rather he hadn't included the white hairs."

Daine giggled and elbowed him gently. "I think it's perfect."

Numair frowned at the image of himself with the white strands in his black mane and the age lines around his eyes and mouth. He was pleased that Daine approved of it, but the mage wasn't sure he liked the reminder of how old he was starting to look. At least the artist had managed to capture the adoring look he'd given his lover at the time, almost as if he were gazing out of the painting to look at her. Numair touched the matching locket at his wrist reverently.

"I always imagined I would hate whoever took the place in the other side of your locket," he whispered, tightening his arms around her waist.

"Whatever for?" she twisted trying to look into his eyes.

"I never believed it would be my portrait that would reside there," the mage admitted relaxing his grip so Daine could face him.

"That's because you're fair foolish," the young woman smirked up at him closing the locket and placing it on the dresser behind her.

The mage chuckled and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Come with me to the tower."

"Where else did you think I was going to spend my summer?" she demanded.

"I wasn't sure if you intended to go with the Rider's to their summer camp this year and help Onua with the ponies." Numair stroked a hand through her curls unable to believe Daine had been in a relationship with him for almost a year.

"I think I learned my lesson already." The Wildmage grabbed a fistful of his shirt in each hand. "I'm not spending my entire summer apart from you."

The mage bent down to kiss her lovingly. "I would have gone with you if it's what you had wanted."

"Really?"

Numair nodded in resignation knowing that he would have been disappointed not to go home for the summer, but he had no intention of being separated from Daine for that long. He would even have endured months of being woken at dawn by Musenda's bellow and sleeping in a tent if it meant being near his lover.

"That's fair sweet of you but Onua'll do fine without me," the young woman smiled up at him through her lashes. "Besides, I'd like some time alone with you."

"You mean as much time alone as we get with a young dragon," the mage laughed. "Will Zek be joining us?" Numair had become quite fond of the tiny monkey who kept him company even when Daine wasn't around. There were very few of her friends who would willingly approach or tolerate him if she wasn't close by.

The Wildmage tilted her head listening. "He says he'd rather stay behind with Lindhall and the other marmosets. He doesn't want to be near that much water."

"Zek does know that he can stay in the tower or on the cliff and doesn't need to go near the ocean if he'd prefer?" the mage pointed out.

Daine giggled and kissed his chest. "I think he'd rather stay at the palace with his friends."

Numair sighed happily tightening his arms around her waist once again. "The pages have finished their lessons until September and the Riders leave in a few days," he murmured. "What would I have to do to convince you to leave with me tomorrow?"

Daine grinned up at him, her blue-grey eyes dancing with mirth. "I'd suggest we pack first before we get too distracted."