***
ONE WEEK EARLIER
"Put me down!" Kim said half-heartedly, laughing as Mairelon swung her in a circle. Little magic balls of light popped into existence in a ring around them as Mairelon showed off his recently reacquired magic. Mairelon set Kim down in front of him, slightly out of breath and grinning from ear to ear. Kim smiled back, relieved and happy that everything had gone well. The balls of light remained, bobbing up and down as though they were floating on the surface of a lake.
A shiver ran through Kim as Mairelon continued to hold her gaze. His smile had faded and his expression was serious, but she could see the happiness in his eyes. Kim's heart swelled as she realized he was moving closer. When Mairelon's lips met hers, she found herself clutching his sides and holding him near. The kiss swept her away; kissing Mairelon was still a new experience and one she knew she'd never grow tired of. He drew away, and Kim found his arms were around her as well. She stood, content in the circle of his arms and said rather belatedly, "I'm glad you got your magic back."
"I am too," he answered, tightening his arms around her. Voices drifted up to them as a door was opened downstairs, and Mairelon's arms fell away as they moved apart. Kim realized the magic lights were gone as well. With a glance downstairs, Mairelon said, "I believe it's supper time... shall we?"
Kim took Mairelon's arm and they went down the stairs together.
***
The next day, Kim and Mairelon visited the Royal College to see if there'd been any progress in the attempts to return the street magicians' magic to them. Kim knew two of them personally, but they didn't recognize her. The Kim they knew was a grubby boy, a petty thief who'd disappeared a year ago and who looked nothing like the fine young lady she appeared as now.
Kim couldn't drag her eyes away from the faces of the men she'd known as frogmakers all her life. They were still sane, but looked as though they hadn't slept in weeks, and Wags was feverish, barely holding together under the strain of so many weeks under the spell. Kim stood silently and watched them as Mairelon spoke with the wizards in charge of their treatment.
Kim stepped back into the bright morning sun and shivered. She couldn't shake the memory of Ma Yanger's broken form and how close she'd come to losing Mairelon to the same insanity. Mairelon too was quiet, and they barely exchanged a few words during the long ride back to the house.
Kim became concerned when Mairelon barely answered the questions she put to him about the treatment of the street magicians. He seemed distracted by something, and she couldn't imagine what. Kim frowned. Had something happened that she'd missed?
If he didn't feel the need to confide in her, then she wasn't going to pry, but she longed to ask him what was wrong. Kim silently reprimanded herself for worrying. When had she become so overly protective of Mairelon? She knew the answer, and the memory of that night in the library tugged at her heart. For the weeks he'd lived without even enough magic to light a candle, Mairelon had been obsessed with finding a remedy for his condition. Before the dire consequences of his innocent scrying spell, Kim would never have believed the unflappable Mairelon could look vulnerable. But the lost look in his eyes the night she'd discovered him drinking in the library had felt like a hand squeezing her heart.
As they exited the carriage, a quick glance only revealed that Mairelon's face was unreadable. Wondering if she'd been over-analyzing Mairelon's silence, Kim followed him into the house, thinking rapidly in the effort to find some excuse to stay in his presence longer. Barely was she in the house before Mairelon's Aunt Agatha found her, exclaiming, "Why, there you are! We've an appointment at the dress-maker's shortly; I was afraid we would be late!"
"The dress-maker's?" Kim echoed tonelessly. 'Surely they've gotten that dress to fit me by now!' she thought forlornly. Mairelon had turned to glance at her at the sound of her voice, frowning ever so slightly at her lack of enthusiasm. But surely he knew her attitude was aimed at the trip to the dress-maker's, not at the wedding itself.
It was then that Kim realized that wasn't entirely true. She truly wasn't enthused about the wedding. Marrying Mairelon yes, but the wedding itself she dreaded. Being the center of attention of so many toffs made her nervous down to the core. It was a feeling she knew she'd never be rid of. Too distracted by her sudden revelation, Kim found herself being ushered towards a waiting coach by Aunt Agatha. Mairelon was nowhere to be seen, and she'd not even said goodbye.
What seemed like endless hours of turning this way and that in front of Aunt Agatha and the dress-maker gave Kim too much time to worry about the wedding. It occurred to her that the wedding was only the beginning. She would be a lady of the ton, expected to take on the myriad of social responsibilities she'd barely just learned about.
Kim felt singularly unprepared for another aspect of married life she'd hardly ever thought of. Her relationship with Mairelon was about to become intimate. She desperately wanted to make Mairelon happy in that regard too, but despite the fact that she'd known what the stews were by age seven, she'd had very little education on the subject of intimacy. And what if there were children? Kim felt incapable of living her own life, much less bringing new lives into the world.
By the time Kim was allowed to return home, she was in quite a state. Lady Wendall took one look at her and sent her to her rooms to rest. Distantly, Kim was aware she was overreacting and managed to calm herself enough to fall into a fitful sleep.
***
ONE WEEK EARLIER
"Put me down!" Kim said half-heartedly, laughing as Mairelon swung her in a circle. Little magic balls of light popped into existence in a ring around them as Mairelon showed off his recently reacquired magic. Mairelon set Kim down in front of him, slightly out of breath and grinning from ear to ear. Kim smiled back, relieved and happy that everything had gone well. The balls of light remained, bobbing up and down as though they were floating on the surface of a lake.
A shiver ran through Kim as Mairelon continued to hold her gaze. His smile had faded and his expression was serious, but she could see the happiness in his eyes. Kim's heart swelled as she realized he was moving closer. When Mairelon's lips met hers, she found herself clutching his sides and holding him near. The kiss swept her away; kissing Mairelon was still a new experience and one she knew she'd never grow tired of. He drew away, and Kim found his arms were around her as well. She stood, content in the circle of his arms and said rather belatedly, "I'm glad you got your magic back."
"I am too," he answered, tightening his arms around her. Voices drifted up to them as a door was opened downstairs, and Mairelon's arms fell away as they moved apart. Kim realized the magic lights were gone as well. With a glance downstairs, Mairelon said, "I believe it's supper time... shall we?"
Kim took Mairelon's arm and they went down the stairs together.
***
The next day, Kim and Mairelon visited the Royal College to see if there'd been any progress in the attempts to return the street magicians' magic to them. Kim knew two of them personally, but they didn't recognize her. The Kim they knew was a grubby boy, a petty thief who'd disappeared a year ago and who looked nothing like the fine young lady she appeared as now.
Kim couldn't drag her eyes away from the faces of the men she'd known as frogmakers all her life. They were still sane, but looked as though they hadn't slept in weeks, and Wags was feverish, barely holding together under the strain of so many weeks under the spell. Kim stood silently and watched them as Mairelon spoke with the wizards in charge of their treatment.
Kim stepped back into the bright morning sun and shivered. She couldn't shake the memory of Ma Yanger's broken form and how close she'd come to losing Mairelon to the same insanity. Mairelon too was quiet, and they barely exchanged a few words during the long ride back to the house.
Kim became concerned when Mairelon barely answered the questions she put to him about the treatment of the street magicians. He seemed distracted by something, and she couldn't imagine what. Kim frowned. Had something happened that she'd missed?
If he didn't feel the need to confide in her, then she wasn't going to pry, but she longed to ask him what was wrong. Kim silently reprimanded herself for worrying. When had she become so overly protective of Mairelon? She knew the answer, and the memory of that night in the library tugged at her heart. For the weeks he'd lived without even enough magic to light a candle, Mairelon had been obsessed with finding a remedy for his condition. Before the dire consequences of his innocent scrying spell, Kim would never have believed the unflappable Mairelon could look vulnerable. But the lost look in his eyes the night she'd discovered him drinking in the library had felt like a hand squeezing her heart.
As they exited the carriage, a quick glance only revealed that Mairelon's face was unreadable. Wondering if she'd been over-analyzing Mairelon's silence, Kim followed him into the house, thinking rapidly in the effort to find some excuse to stay in his presence longer. Barely was she in the house before Mairelon's Aunt Agatha found her, exclaiming, "Why, there you are! We've an appointment at the dress-maker's shortly; I was afraid we would be late!"
"The dress-maker's?" Kim echoed tonelessly. 'Surely they've gotten that dress to fit me by now!' she thought forlornly. Mairelon had turned to glance at her at the sound of her voice, frowning ever so slightly at her lack of enthusiasm. But surely he knew her attitude was aimed at the trip to the dress-maker's, not at the wedding itself.
It was then that Kim realized that wasn't entirely true. She truly wasn't enthused about the wedding. Marrying Mairelon yes, but the wedding itself she dreaded. Being the center of attention of so many toffs made her nervous down to the core. It was a feeling she knew she'd never be rid of. Too distracted by her sudden revelation, Kim found herself being ushered towards a waiting coach by Aunt Agatha. Mairelon was nowhere to be seen, and she'd not even said goodbye.
What seemed like endless hours of turning this way and that in front of Aunt Agatha and the dress-maker gave Kim too much time to worry about the wedding. It occurred to her that the wedding was only the beginning. She would be a lady of the ton, expected to take on the myriad of social responsibilities she'd barely just learned about.
Kim felt singularly unprepared for another aspect of married life she'd hardly ever thought of. Her relationship with Mairelon was about to become intimate. She desperately wanted to make Mairelon happy in that regard too, but despite the fact that she'd known what the stews were by age seven, she'd had very little education on the subject of intimacy. And what if there were children? Kim felt incapable of living her own life, much less bringing new lives into the world.
By the time Kim was allowed to return home, she was in quite a state. Lady Wendall took one look at her and sent her to her rooms to rest. Distantly, Kim was aware she was overreacting and managed to calm herself enough to fall into a fitful sleep.
***