Chapter 1
Back at the palace everyone was gathered for the midsummer festivity. Pages and squires were rushing around with finger bowls as the feast began. After five courses of salad, soup, fish, meat, and fruit there was dancing.
Numair got up and walked over to where Daine was seated talking to Alanna the King's Champion and Onua the horse mistress. Excusing himself he politely asked Daine for a dance. Accepting the offer Daine smiled and followed Numair to the middle of the dance floor. There he gracefully whirled her around the dance floor to the careful one, two, three beat of the waltz. As the waltz ended Numair brushed a stray brown curl off her face and behind her ear. She giggled and stepped ever closer to her love. Carefully he brushed his lips over hers. He took her hand and led her out of the door to their rooms in the palace.
Numair and Daine lay cuddled in their bed starring into each other's eyes. They shared a deep kiss the warmth and sweetness from Numair's mouth overwhelming Daine that cool night.
"I love you" Daine told her love snuggling even closer to lay her head on the base of his neck.
"I love you, too sweetling." Numair replied his mouth brushing over her forehead eyes and finding her lips. The fact that there was a fourteen year age difference between the two didn't bother them. "And in a few weeks we'll be married." Daine just smiled and ran her fingers up and through his hair.
Hours before dawn, Numair suddenly sat up in bed sweating and trembling feeling something wasn't right.
"Hmm? Numair, what's wrong?" Daine asked quietly sitting up next to him.
"There's something-, " he stopped not wanting Daine to be troubled with things that could not be real, "Nothing, sweet, go back to sleep" Numair lay back down, but didn't fall asleep wary that something wrong was beginning.
* * * Daine woke up at a little after dawn as a force of habit. Numair was still asleep, so she changed into a simple white shirt and breeches, and let him sleep. By midday Numair still hadn't woken up, so Daine went to wake him for lunch. The door creaked as she opened it.
"Numair, up yet?" when no one answered she peeked in and her heart skipped a beat Numair was gone. She would have known if he'd woken up, but she looked everywhere; he was gone!!
Back at the palace everyone was gathered for the midsummer festivity. Pages and squires were rushing around with finger bowls as the feast began. After five courses of salad, soup, fish, meat, and fruit there was dancing.
Numair got up and walked over to where Daine was seated talking to Alanna the King's Champion and Onua the horse mistress. Excusing himself he politely asked Daine for a dance. Accepting the offer Daine smiled and followed Numair to the middle of the dance floor. There he gracefully whirled her around the dance floor to the careful one, two, three beat of the waltz. As the waltz ended Numair brushed a stray brown curl off her face and behind her ear. She giggled and stepped ever closer to her love. Carefully he brushed his lips over hers. He took her hand and led her out of the door to their rooms in the palace.
Numair and Daine lay cuddled in their bed starring into each other's eyes. They shared a deep kiss the warmth and sweetness from Numair's mouth overwhelming Daine that cool night.
"I love you" Daine told her love snuggling even closer to lay her head on the base of his neck.
"I love you, too sweetling." Numair replied his mouth brushing over her forehead eyes and finding her lips. The fact that there was a fourteen year age difference between the two didn't bother them. "And in a few weeks we'll be married." Daine just smiled and ran her fingers up and through his hair.
Hours before dawn, Numair suddenly sat up in bed sweating and trembling feeling something wasn't right.
"Hmm? Numair, what's wrong?" Daine asked quietly sitting up next to him.
"There's something-, " he stopped not wanting Daine to be troubled with things that could not be real, "Nothing, sweet, go back to sleep" Numair lay back down, but didn't fall asleep wary that something wrong was beginning.
* * * Daine woke up at a little after dawn as a force of habit. Numair was still asleep, so she changed into a simple white shirt and breeches, and let him sleep. By midday Numair still hadn't woken up, so Daine went to wake him for lunch. The door creaked as she opened it.
"Numair, up yet?" when no one answered she peeked in and her heart skipped a beat Numair was gone. She would have known if he'd woken up, but she looked everywhere; he was gone!!
