A/N: Well I know that I really should be updating my other story, but I
decided to add another story to my list. This is just a one shot fic, just
some fun stuff. Of course if involves our 2 favorite characters...Daine
and Numair. Um this is during EM. I'll probably end up doing a lot of one
shot fics just because there is lots of stuff in the books that I could
play with (*completely screw up*), so that is that, and now onto the story.
Random added scene in Carthak
Daine easily walked among the rich buildings of the palace in Carthak, feeling the mystery emerging from the creeping darkness. The setting sun with its majestic reds, purples, and pinks led her into a whole new self; a calm more at ease Daine. She no longer had to impress nobles, fake polite for the sake of fishing rights, or dismiss the charm many Carthaki young men had turned on for her. With the dusk she let go of all fears and could breath without having to watch herself.
As the sun melted into the mountains, the full moon set its own clear presence, shading the ground with patches of light. Daine headed toward the guest quarters after a long day spent on a tour of the city with the royal heir, Prince Kaddar. She never felt the need to impress in his company, never had to hold her tongue for the good of all Tortall. She merely felt the pang of honest yearning to understand his life and how he could stand to live it.
Numair watched them closely, and they both knew it, or rather felt it. The night previous at the banquet, Daine and Kaddar had sat at the far end of the table laughing with each other and learning more about foreign customs. Although Numair was almost at the opposite end of the long table, he had noticed the joy they seemed to find in each other.
Daine relaxed her face into a slight smile as she felt a sort of appreciative understanding for what Numair was doing. She knew he was playing the overprotective teacher, but she found herself not minding, and almost glad that he was. It proved to her that as long as he was around, she had no reason to worry about anything crucially important. She was perfectly fine with him.
A woman's flirtatious laugh echoed through the garden interrupting Daine's thoughts. She started slightly but continued walking on the path that led to her rooms. Just as she was going to break through the cluster of trees that opened to a smaller garden, which was more noble friendly, with the benches and all, she again heard the laugh from right in front of her. Daine peered through the branches and saw Varice sitting with her right side to Daine, her left side crushed against Numair.
Daine raised her eyebrows in slight shock as she realized that not only did she not want to witness this, but Numair probably wouldn't want her to either. Daine looked for a way around them but could find none, so decided to sit and wait fro them to leave. She leaned her back on a tree and closed her eyes, relaxing and imagining herself being back in Tortall with only lessons to worry about. She started to drift off when she heard Varice speak.
"Why did you leave without saying goodbye, or even telling me you were going? One day I woke up expecting to see you and I found nothing. I was so worried, I was sure that Ozorne had done something."
Numair's smooth voice replied. "I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. If someone discovered you had the information, everything could have gone wrong. It had to be done that way."
"As long as you're safe."
There was a pause which caused Daine to tense. The more she tried not to listen to the conversation, the more involved she became. Suddenly she was anxious to know what they were doing. Half of her wanted to look, the other half wanted run back the way she had come. Quietly she rose up and peered through to the clearing, to see them both staring off in different directions. It seemed as though the conversation had come to a stand still. Daine curiously felt relief wash through her as she sat back down against the tree.
-What's so nerve racking about him having a relationship with Varice? He's a grown mad, he can care for himself-
Daine fought herself internally as she struggled to find a reason for her suddenly being so concerned over Numair. Slowly she nodded off to sleep.
"Numair it's getting late and I have a long day tomorrow, preparing for the royal feast aboard the boat. I'll see you then." Varice leaned over to Numair and lightly kissed his cheek. "Good night."
Numair merely nodded as Varice walked off. -Funny, years ago, even simple contact like that kiss from her would have sent me reeling. Now it does nothing for me, I thought I loved her-
Numair groaned as he stretched his lanky form and stood. He started to head back toward his rooms, but heard a low mumble from the trees. As he cautiously walked over to them, a faint black mage light grew around his hands. He remembered all too well where he was and who he was in the company of.
He prepared for attack as he reached the trees; none came so he slowly peaked through.
"Daine?" His mage light disappeared as he recognized his student by the full moonlight.
She stirred, then opened her eyes to behold a bewildered Numair. "I didn't know you were a sleep walker."
Daine rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"I'm not, or haven't been so far in my life. Things change though."
"Yes, and is this a new change? You sleeping outside?"
Daine looked at him curiously. "What are you getting at?"
"Is it treason for me to merely wonder why my student is sleeping among the trees when she has a room to sleep in, is apparently not a sleep walker, and is still in her day clothing?"
Daine stood and mock glared at him. "Yes it is." She walked through the trees and headed toward her room when Numair stopped her with a gentle hand.
"Daine please tell me why you were out here like this. Considering the time and place we are in, I can never be to careful."
Daine sighed as she realized there was no way around it. She turned to face him and met his eyes. She saw an emotion there but couldn't read it. Their eyes locked and neither could pull away until finally Daine closed her eyes and turned to sit on a bench.
"I was out on a tour of the city with Prince Kaddar." Daine could almost feel Numair's jaw clamp at the mention of the Princes name. Daine wondered at this, though only briefly as she continued her story. "We got back late so I was walking through the gardens when I heard laughter."
Numair sat down next to Daine. "I kept walking and then when I was just outside this yard I heard it again. I noticed it was you and Varice sitting here. I tried to find a way around you to get to my rooms. When I noticed there was none, I sat down and fell asleep."
Numair ran fingers through his hair. "I see."
"I'm sorry Numair. I really didn't want for me to end up where I did when I did, but....I did."
Silence.
"Notice the sky tonight?"
Daine creased her eyebrows as she glanced over to Numair who was staring at the heavens. Daine followed his gaze.
"It's....um....no." Daine smiled apologetically. "Should I have noticed something in particular about it?"
Numair tore his gaze away and looked to her eyes reflecting the stars. "Just beautiful, that's all."
Daine nodded her head with a grin as she looked at Numair. "Seems no different tonight than any other night."
"No, it's not. But good company in bad times can change the heavens."
Daine frowned with concern and looked intently at Numair. "Bad times? Is it Ozorne?"
"It's this place. It feels wrong. It feels like treason and hate and..." Numair hesitated before truly stating what had been bothering him. "Lust."
Daine raised a questioning eyebrow. "Lust? How so?"
Numair tugged his nose as he searched for the simplest way to express his thoughts.
"Daine, when Ozorne wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it. He doesn't care if you're even a close friend of his and he causes you to go into hiding in a foreign country, juggling and doing magic tricks for a living. If he wants what a person has, whether it be magic, power," Numair looked down to cover the unease in his face, "or the person themselves, they're in danger." Numair leaned his elbows on his knees and carefully looked straight forward away from Daine. "I fear that, whatever his reasoning, he lusts for you and your power. Daine, he wants you to stay here and learn at the university, he told me so."
Daine sat looking at Numair shocked. "Wants me to stay? My home is in Tortall, of course I won't stay. I'm still going to learn with you."
Numair straightened and looked deep into Daine's eyes while taking one of her delicate hands in his two large ones. "I know, I just don't want you to get hurt. He really is interested in you. You're young, attractive, and powerful. He wants you, and not only that, but he knows he can get those in the Tortallan delegation, particularly me, through you. He's not done with me. Just, I know I've told you many times, but please be careful."
"I will be. But what do you think he's planning? How is he not done with you?"
"Revenge is sweet in the eyes of a ruler like him. I had something he wanted, I escaped, and still have it."
"What is it?"
Numair scratched his head. "It's you."
"Me? I didn't even know you when you left, how could it be me?"
"He's always had more riches and glory than I, but even when we were younger boys, I had the ability to respect, and be respected. Then soon with my powers growing more and more, he became unhealthily jealous, so decided to get rid of me. Now he sees that I have you as my student and dearest friend. He doesn't understand it, but he wants what we have. No matter what happens, he'll never get it. Our own bond is unique to ourselves, never can it be replaced."
Daine looked past Numair in deep concentration, trying to figure everything out.
"So you're saying that he was jealous of you when you lived here. He hunted you down but you escaped. Now that you're back, he sees us together and wants revenge on you by winning over me?" She looked back to Numair with this last question.
"He would want you even if I weren't in the picture, you have struck his fancy and as an Emperor that's all he needs to get you. Revenge just makes you more appealing to him."
"Oh, well then I best watch myself."
Numair leaned closer to Daine and gave her the 'serious' look. "Daine please, just...it would....I need...." -Mithros, how do I explain to her that if ever I lost her...- Numair's eyes sharpened with a sudden realization that he had not yet dared to understand. He took in Daine's beauty without really seeing her, just feeling her presence. -Mithros, Mynos, and Shakith, I'm in love with her- Numair's breath caught in his chest and his eyes again began to focus.
"Numair? Numair are you all right? You just stopped in the middle of what you were saying and just stared off." She put her hand on his shoulder in comfort and question.
Numair looked at Daine with a new light. Every thing that had happened in the past month finally made sense to him. His heart had fallen in love with his student before his mind was ready to understand it.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Where was I?"
"You were just mumbling about how you need something."
"Oh, well I've forgotten."
Daine looked closely at him and noticed something amiss in his eyes. They held a certain brightness of a secret understanding that he had not yet shared. "What is it? What is troubling you?"
"It's nothing of relevance. No need for you to bother yourself with it."
Daine tilted her head to the side in reasoning. "I know you better than that."
Numair nodded as Daine yawned.
"It's late, you should get to sleep."
Daine exasperated, "Same to you. You coming?"
"No I'm going to sit out here a bit longer, the fresh air does me good and I need to think."
"Alright but don't hesitate to take your own advice. Be careful. Good night." With slight hesitation she leaned over and pulled him into an embrace, then lightly kissed him on the cheek in a friendly manner before walking off to retire.
Numair's cheek buzzed from the contact with Daine. His heart felt lighter than it had on the whole gods cursed trip. Numair realized with slight shock the differences in his reactions to Varice's kiss and Daine's kiss. Varice's was meant to mean more, but Daine's was the one that kept him hoping and lively. He shook his head to try and rid it of these thoughts, but couldn't accomplish. -Why must life be so complicated?-
Random added scene in Carthak
Daine easily walked among the rich buildings of the palace in Carthak, feeling the mystery emerging from the creeping darkness. The setting sun with its majestic reds, purples, and pinks led her into a whole new self; a calm more at ease Daine. She no longer had to impress nobles, fake polite for the sake of fishing rights, or dismiss the charm many Carthaki young men had turned on for her. With the dusk she let go of all fears and could breath without having to watch herself.
As the sun melted into the mountains, the full moon set its own clear presence, shading the ground with patches of light. Daine headed toward the guest quarters after a long day spent on a tour of the city with the royal heir, Prince Kaddar. She never felt the need to impress in his company, never had to hold her tongue for the good of all Tortall. She merely felt the pang of honest yearning to understand his life and how he could stand to live it.
Numair watched them closely, and they both knew it, or rather felt it. The night previous at the banquet, Daine and Kaddar had sat at the far end of the table laughing with each other and learning more about foreign customs. Although Numair was almost at the opposite end of the long table, he had noticed the joy they seemed to find in each other.
Daine relaxed her face into a slight smile as she felt a sort of appreciative understanding for what Numair was doing. She knew he was playing the overprotective teacher, but she found herself not minding, and almost glad that he was. It proved to her that as long as he was around, she had no reason to worry about anything crucially important. She was perfectly fine with him.
A woman's flirtatious laugh echoed through the garden interrupting Daine's thoughts. She started slightly but continued walking on the path that led to her rooms. Just as she was going to break through the cluster of trees that opened to a smaller garden, which was more noble friendly, with the benches and all, she again heard the laugh from right in front of her. Daine peered through the branches and saw Varice sitting with her right side to Daine, her left side crushed against Numair.
Daine raised her eyebrows in slight shock as she realized that not only did she not want to witness this, but Numair probably wouldn't want her to either. Daine looked for a way around them but could find none, so decided to sit and wait fro them to leave. She leaned her back on a tree and closed her eyes, relaxing and imagining herself being back in Tortall with only lessons to worry about. She started to drift off when she heard Varice speak.
"Why did you leave without saying goodbye, or even telling me you were going? One day I woke up expecting to see you and I found nothing. I was so worried, I was sure that Ozorne had done something."
Numair's smooth voice replied. "I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. If someone discovered you had the information, everything could have gone wrong. It had to be done that way."
"As long as you're safe."
There was a pause which caused Daine to tense. The more she tried not to listen to the conversation, the more involved she became. Suddenly she was anxious to know what they were doing. Half of her wanted to look, the other half wanted run back the way she had come. Quietly she rose up and peered through to the clearing, to see them both staring off in different directions. It seemed as though the conversation had come to a stand still. Daine curiously felt relief wash through her as she sat back down against the tree.
-What's so nerve racking about him having a relationship with Varice? He's a grown mad, he can care for himself-
Daine fought herself internally as she struggled to find a reason for her suddenly being so concerned over Numair. Slowly she nodded off to sleep.
"Numair it's getting late and I have a long day tomorrow, preparing for the royal feast aboard the boat. I'll see you then." Varice leaned over to Numair and lightly kissed his cheek. "Good night."
Numair merely nodded as Varice walked off. -Funny, years ago, even simple contact like that kiss from her would have sent me reeling. Now it does nothing for me, I thought I loved her-
Numair groaned as he stretched his lanky form and stood. He started to head back toward his rooms, but heard a low mumble from the trees. As he cautiously walked over to them, a faint black mage light grew around his hands. He remembered all too well where he was and who he was in the company of.
He prepared for attack as he reached the trees; none came so he slowly peaked through.
"Daine?" His mage light disappeared as he recognized his student by the full moonlight.
She stirred, then opened her eyes to behold a bewildered Numair. "I didn't know you were a sleep walker."
Daine rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"I'm not, or haven't been so far in my life. Things change though."
"Yes, and is this a new change? You sleeping outside?"
Daine looked at him curiously. "What are you getting at?"
"Is it treason for me to merely wonder why my student is sleeping among the trees when she has a room to sleep in, is apparently not a sleep walker, and is still in her day clothing?"
Daine stood and mock glared at him. "Yes it is." She walked through the trees and headed toward her room when Numair stopped her with a gentle hand.
"Daine please tell me why you were out here like this. Considering the time and place we are in, I can never be to careful."
Daine sighed as she realized there was no way around it. She turned to face him and met his eyes. She saw an emotion there but couldn't read it. Their eyes locked and neither could pull away until finally Daine closed her eyes and turned to sit on a bench.
"I was out on a tour of the city with Prince Kaddar." Daine could almost feel Numair's jaw clamp at the mention of the Princes name. Daine wondered at this, though only briefly as she continued her story. "We got back late so I was walking through the gardens when I heard laughter."
Numair sat down next to Daine. "I kept walking and then when I was just outside this yard I heard it again. I noticed it was you and Varice sitting here. I tried to find a way around you to get to my rooms. When I noticed there was none, I sat down and fell asleep."
Numair ran fingers through his hair. "I see."
"I'm sorry Numair. I really didn't want for me to end up where I did when I did, but....I did."
Silence.
"Notice the sky tonight?"
Daine creased her eyebrows as she glanced over to Numair who was staring at the heavens. Daine followed his gaze.
"It's....um....no." Daine smiled apologetically. "Should I have noticed something in particular about it?"
Numair tore his gaze away and looked to her eyes reflecting the stars. "Just beautiful, that's all."
Daine nodded her head with a grin as she looked at Numair. "Seems no different tonight than any other night."
"No, it's not. But good company in bad times can change the heavens."
Daine frowned with concern and looked intently at Numair. "Bad times? Is it Ozorne?"
"It's this place. It feels wrong. It feels like treason and hate and..." Numair hesitated before truly stating what had been bothering him. "Lust."
Daine raised a questioning eyebrow. "Lust? How so?"
Numair tugged his nose as he searched for the simplest way to express his thoughts.
"Daine, when Ozorne wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it. He doesn't care if you're even a close friend of his and he causes you to go into hiding in a foreign country, juggling and doing magic tricks for a living. If he wants what a person has, whether it be magic, power," Numair looked down to cover the unease in his face, "or the person themselves, they're in danger." Numair leaned his elbows on his knees and carefully looked straight forward away from Daine. "I fear that, whatever his reasoning, he lusts for you and your power. Daine, he wants you to stay here and learn at the university, he told me so."
Daine sat looking at Numair shocked. "Wants me to stay? My home is in Tortall, of course I won't stay. I'm still going to learn with you."
Numair straightened and looked deep into Daine's eyes while taking one of her delicate hands in his two large ones. "I know, I just don't want you to get hurt. He really is interested in you. You're young, attractive, and powerful. He wants you, and not only that, but he knows he can get those in the Tortallan delegation, particularly me, through you. He's not done with me. Just, I know I've told you many times, but please be careful."
"I will be. But what do you think he's planning? How is he not done with you?"
"Revenge is sweet in the eyes of a ruler like him. I had something he wanted, I escaped, and still have it."
"What is it?"
Numair scratched his head. "It's you."
"Me? I didn't even know you when you left, how could it be me?"
"He's always had more riches and glory than I, but even when we were younger boys, I had the ability to respect, and be respected. Then soon with my powers growing more and more, he became unhealthily jealous, so decided to get rid of me. Now he sees that I have you as my student and dearest friend. He doesn't understand it, but he wants what we have. No matter what happens, he'll never get it. Our own bond is unique to ourselves, never can it be replaced."
Daine looked past Numair in deep concentration, trying to figure everything out.
"So you're saying that he was jealous of you when you lived here. He hunted you down but you escaped. Now that you're back, he sees us together and wants revenge on you by winning over me?" She looked back to Numair with this last question.
"He would want you even if I weren't in the picture, you have struck his fancy and as an Emperor that's all he needs to get you. Revenge just makes you more appealing to him."
"Oh, well then I best watch myself."
Numair leaned closer to Daine and gave her the 'serious' look. "Daine please, just...it would....I need...." -Mithros, how do I explain to her that if ever I lost her...- Numair's eyes sharpened with a sudden realization that he had not yet dared to understand. He took in Daine's beauty without really seeing her, just feeling her presence. -Mithros, Mynos, and Shakith, I'm in love with her- Numair's breath caught in his chest and his eyes again began to focus.
"Numair? Numair are you all right? You just stopped in the middle of what you were saying and just stared off." She put her hand on his shoulder in comfort and question.
Numair looked at Daine with a new light. Every thing that had happened in the past month finally made sense to him. His heart had fallen in love with his student before his mind was ready to understand it.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Where was I?"
"You were just mumbling about how you need something."
"Oh, well I've forgotten."
Daine looked closely at him and noticed something amiss in his eyes. They held a certain brightness of a secret understanding that he had not yet shared. "What is it? What is troubling you?"
"It's nothing of relevance. No need for you to bother yourself with it."
Daine tilted her head to the side in reasoning. "I know you better than that."
Numair nodded as Daine yawned.
"It's late, you should get to sleep."
Daine exasperated, "Same to you. You coming?"
"No I'm going to sit out here a bit longer, the fresh air does me good and I need to think."
"Alright but don't hesitate to take your own advice. Be careful. Good night." With slight hesitation she leaned over and pulled him into an embrace, then lightly kissed him on the cheek in a friendly manner before walking off to retire.
Numair's cheek buzzed from the contact with Daine. His heart felt lighter than it had on the whole gods cursed trip. Numair realized with slight shock the differences in his reactions to Varice's kiss and Daine's kiss. Varice's was meant to mean more, but Daine's was the one that kept him hoping and lively. He shook his head to try and rid it of these thoughts, but couldn't accomplish. -Why must life be so complicated?-