Chapter 5

By: LadyIsabelle

*~*Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Oh, and the names Cailet and Lenfell belong to Melanie Rawn (brilliant author). And I'm as broke as broke can be, so you wouldn't get much if you sued anyways.

Thayet woke on the floor, cold, and her face hurt. That bastard. He will never, ever come near me again. And if he ever does, I'll bloody him so badly that he can't move. Just like he did me. I really am pathetic, sitting here on the floor, waiting for someone to come in. I really shouldn't. She sighed and stood up, wincing as her stiff legs protested her moving. She walked her way over to the mirror and examined her face. She had a fat lip, and her right side of her face was purple and blue. Pretty colors. She wiped up some of the blood and stared down at her dress, it was stained with a lot of blood. Her blood. Damn that man to the pit of doom. She sighed and changed into breeches and a shirt. She strode out of the room without putting any face paint on, and ignored the shocked gasps of breath of the nobles and servants alike. She went to the stables and saddled her horse, Nightfire, and rode into the forests.

Daine Salmalin, the Wildmage, watched Thayet go, and tried to catch up to her, but found she couldn't. She was shocked at the bruises and cuts that still bled sluggishly on Thayet's face, but she didn't want to believe where they had come from. She stared at the horse and sent it a message as she left. Don't take her too far. And if she tries anything drastic, stop her. The horse agreed and kept riding. Daine went in search of her husband. She wanted to know exactly what was going on. She headed for his workroom and pushed open the door. "Numair?"

"Yes?" came the answer from inside the study.

"Can I talk to you?"

Numair came out of the study immediately. "Is something wrong magelet?"

"Its Thayet." She frowned and motioned for him to sit down, and she grabbed a chair. "I'm worried about her." As an afterthought she added, "and Jonathan.

He looked puzzled. "Why?"

"Because, well, I just saw Thayet almost running out of the palace to the stables. She was all bruised and cut up. It looks like someone was beating her."

His eyes widened. "Someone should tell Jonathan. He will kill anyone who hurts his wife."

"Numy, honey, think about what you just said. Who do you honestly believe it is?"

He swallowed. "Its treason to say it. But if it is, we have to get her out of here."

"I know," she said softly. "But where could we take her?"

"I don't know."

"I do." A small figure moved out of the shadow in the wall. Kalasin, oldest princess and daughter of Thayet and Jonathan stepped into the light. "You know, she won't want to leave. She'll protest to the very end that it is Jonathan beating her up."

Daine arched an eyebrow. "Since when do you call Jon, Jon? Last I heard you were calling him Da and asking him for money."

Kally nodded. "I've been calling him that in private since I was eleven. Ever since he forbade me to become a Knight. And it never fails to tick him off."

Numair grinned slightly. "I see. Where do you suppose we bring her? It can't be in Tortall. Can it?"

"In Tortall. Right under his very nose. Right in this very palace to be precise."

Numair's jaw dropped open. "Are you mad? Don't you think he will search the palace from top to bottom?"

"Of course he will," Kalasin's eyes twinkled. "And she'll be right there. He won't know. We'll disguise her as a Rider trainee. A perfect guise for the founder of the Riders, no?"

Daine shook her head. "Honey, I know this is going to sound a little strange, but how in the world do we disguise your mother? She is, after all, quite recognizable."

Kalasin grinned gleefully. "Its perfect. With the scar that's going to be left on Thayet's face, and the clothes we are going to dress her in, and the face paint and hair dye, she won't look anything like the Queen. She can be Cailet, a powerful young woman, from a northernmost fief, Lenfell. They come to the Capital every hundred years or so, so it won't be contested that she is Cailet of Lenfell."

"You know, Daine, it might work. And with Midwinter coming up, and everyone coming in for the sign-ups in three days, it just might work."

Daine glanced at Kally and then back at Numair again. "But what if it doesn't? He might even go so far as to kill her or something?"

Kally looked at Daine with her eyes full of pain, "What other choice does she have?"

A/N I know, a long time between chapters. And I feel awful. Awful for not updating all break. I know, it's pathetic. I had two weeks off and I did nothing. Well, I was productive in doing my schoolwork. HaHAHAHA!! That's funny. I didn't study at all and I have finals next week. That I'm going to fail. Miserably. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it. Please R/R!!!! And next chapter will be the finding of Thayet in the forest…. I'm thinking Kalasin. Any preferences? And I promise to work more of Jon being evil in..Muhahaha!! I love making him evil! Well, thanks a billion to all my readers and my reviewers!!! I love you all! Please read and review again!! Luvs,

Lady Isabelle