************************
Numair paused for a second and contemplated her request. He looked deep into her sad eyes and seen the torment within them. 'It's the least I could do for her. Besides it's only a kiss.' Numair thought with a mental shrug.
"Only if it will help put some of your pains to rest." Numair finally said in a soft voice. Daine starred great fully into his bottomless brown ones.
"Thank you." Daine whispered as stood up from her prone position on the sofa. The stood with only inches between them for a few breathless moments then Daine placed her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him.
"A kiss has never felt so awkward before." Numair joked, but wished he could have taken it back once he saw the pools of hurt swirl in her blue depths.
"We don't have to... It's a silly thing..." Daine said turning her gaze from him. Numair put his hand under her chin and forced her gaze upwards.
"It's okay, really it is. I'll grant your request and you can move on... Find someone else." Numair said soothingly. Daine nodded and forced a smile on her lips. Ever so slowly Numair brought his head down til they were nose to nose.
"Ready?" He asked awkwardly.
"Yeah." Daine replied as a single tear ran down her cheek. Then, in a breathless instant, Daine brought her lips to Numair's. Daine's stomach turned when she realized that it wasn't as she remembered. There was no heat, emotion or passion to this kiss. As suddenly as it had begun, they broke away and Daine felt his eyes beating down on her. "Thank you." Daine blurted out before she left. 'I'm fair stupid' She thought as disappointment flooded her being. 'Thinking that a kiss would bring him back.' She thought as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her body was simply following her feet and her feet were following an unknown path as she fled from Numair's room. Within minutes she found herself in the palace garden where she let out a pain filled shriek and collapsed to the snow covered ground crying.
*****************************************
Numair stood in his rooms frozen in shock. He didn't know what he expected from her, but he hadn't wanted her to run off in misery. 'I just wish I knew how I could help her." Numair thought. 'I can't imagine what she's going through... She's lost her entire life.' He thought as he turned to look out his window. He stared up at the clear night sky. After a few moments he turned, but as he did he heard a shriek come from the direction of the gardens.
"Daine!" He gasped. "Goddess, what if she's hurt herself?" Numair thought desperately as he remembered how distressed she was. Numair made up his mind to shape shift and go find her. It would be the first shift since his ordeal. Numair quickly morphed into his familiar hawk form and flew out the window leaving his clothes in a heap behind him. He flew out towards the palace grounds, but suddenly a memory flashed before him. He was in hawk form, but it was right after the last think he could remember. He seen himself being attacked by stormwings and falling to the ground and finding a log to hide in. Then he heard a voice, a soft comforting voice trying to coax him out of the log.
He flying became erratic as memories continued to flash before him. Now he was at pirate's swoop and looking on in fear as Daine confronted a dragon.
He nearly flew into a wall as he tried to navigate while all he could see were memories he thought he had lost forever. Now he was face to face with Tristan. Numair tried to shake the memories so he could fly correctly, but it was a losing battle as a memory of Carthak flashed before him. Numair seen Daine crumpled on the floor, naked, and surrounded by hyenas. He watched as he spelled his robe to fly over and cover her.
Ducking below a tree limb, Daine was just feet in front of him. He could see her figure on the ground. It looked as if she was weeping, but he couldn't get there before another memory hit him. He was in the Devine realms trying to catch his breath as he blasted the last spidren away. Fear had overtaken his body, but was flooded by relief when he saw that Daine was okay. Then the memory flashed forward and his lips were on hers for the first time. Another flash forward, this time to him hiding his exhausted body behind a thicket after a mage's duel. He heard her call his name, he watched himself propose to her, but the memory faded when Numair felt himself slam into the frozen snow-covered ground. He felt himself shift back as he looked up to see where he was.
"Numair!" He heard her voice from somewhere to his left. He turned his head to see her rushing forward and pulling off her long cloak. As she got to him, she flung it over his naked shivering body. "What happened?" She asked bewildered, but Numair could still see the tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry for what I've done to you." Numair said as pain flooded his heart. Daine misinterpreted his meaning.
"It's okay, I've made up my mind to move on..." Daine said as a tear fell down her cheek. Numair shook his head as she moved to get up.
"Magelet?" He whispered and her gaze shot back to him.
"What... What did you call me?" Daine asked breathlessly.
"Magelet, I'm back. Please don't leave me." Numair pleaded with her.
"When?" Daine asked as joy and disbelief overtook her.
"Just now, when I took hawk form." Numair informed her as a smile leapt onto both their faces. Daine bent down and put her arms around him. She lifted him so that she cradled his upper body in her arms. Numair threw his arms around her to help support himself as she buried her face into his neck. "I love you magelet, please forgive me." Numair pleaded as she moved her face to look him in the eye.
"I could never be mad at you." Daine whispered as she watched him start to shake violently. "Goddess! You're going to catch a dreadful cold if you stay out here like this!" Numair smiled at her comment.
"I'll fly back." He said as he placed a hand on her cheek. "Will you meet me there?" Numair asked breathlessly. Daine smiled.
"Of course, love." She said as she kissed him on his lips once more and felt the familiar heat, emotion and passion run through her body as it warmed both of them.
"I'll be waiting." He whispered as the kiss broke and he transformed into his hawk form. Daine watched for a moment as he flew through the air towards his chamber window. She shook herself from her trance and ran to his room. Once there she ran inside without knocking. She found him clothed and anticipating her presence.
"Numair!" Daine said as she jumped into his waiting arms. "I'd thought I'd lost you forever!" She said as tears streamed down her face.
"It's alright, Magelet." Numair comforted her. "I'm back and I'm never going to leave you." He said warmly as he wrapped his arms around her even tighter. Daine tilted her chin up to capture his mouth. Daine sighed contentedly as she felt a familiar warmth and giddiness rush through her at Numair's touch. Numair broke away as a thought occurred to him and he looked into Daine's eyes.
"What?" Daine asked worried.
"Do you still want to marry me?" Numair asked with fear in his eyes.
"Of course you dolt!" Daine said, scolding him playfully. Then daine remembered that the winter solstice stated in a few hours and that her parents would be there. "Numair, tomorrow's the winter solstice... My parents will be here..."
"And then they won't be here again till the spring equinox." Numair said finishing her sentence. "Are you saying you want to get married tomorrow?" Numair asked.
"I don't want to have to wait another three months to be your wife." Daine said as she looked up into Numair's eyes. "It doesn't have to be a big wedding like we had planned.... It'll be small." Daine said pleadingly. Numair smiled full heartedly as he looked down at her.
"And it will be so my sweet." Numair said as he captured her lips again.
"We have to tell the others." Daine said as the parted. "The night isn't too old, we could still do it now." Daine said urgently and Numair smiled.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Numair said as he turned quickly and raced towards the door. "Last one to Alanna's is a rotten egg!"
"Numair! I'm going to send you to the Scanrans!" Diane threatened playfully as she raced after him. She had never been so over joyed in her life as she played the childish game with her fiancé. Numair's long legs carried him the fastest as the ran to Alanna's rooms. Once there Numair knocked hastily on her door. Alanna opened it a second later to see a panting Numair and Daine.
"What in the name of the black god is going on?" Alanna asked bewildered.
"We're getting married." Numair said as he caught his breath.
"What?" Alanna asked shocked.
"Oh come on, Alanna! You're acting like you did when we couldn't get through Tristan's barriers." Numair said with a huge grin. Alanna froze and looked at him.
"Goddess!" Alanna said as she flung her arms around him. Then she pulled away to look him in the face again. "When?" She demanded.
"It happened when I shifted into hawk form." Numair explained.
"That makes perfect sense! Mythros! Why didn't I think of it before?" Alanna cursed, but turned her attention back to her friends. "So when is the new date?" She asked Daine excitedly .
"Tomorrow." Daine stated with a smile.
"What!" Alanna said and Daine nodded. "We've got to get things ready!"
"Relax, it's just gonna be small. Our close friends." Diane said and Alanna calmed down a little.
"Does Jon or Thayet know?" Alanna asked quickly. Numair and Daine shook their heads. "Well come on! We've got loads of work to do!" Alanna said hastily as she pushed her way forward.
***************************************
NEXT DAY
Things had happened so fast. Once the King and Queen found that Numair's memory was back and that he and Daine wished to get married the following day they ordered all their servants and maids to prepare an alter in the palace ball room. Everything was perfect, right down to the last white rose. All of Daine and Numair's close relatives were there.
Numair looked out from where he was standing to see his best friends in attendance, but the next image took his breath away. Daine came out in the most stunning dress he had ever seen. It was an A-line strapless that had pearls beaded onto it in wondrous patterns along with prismatic glass beads that caught the light and glimmered in a breathtaking array of colors. It was also a beautiful pure white that made the fresh snow fall look dull. Her father was there to escort her down the aisle and Numair swore he seen her father wink at him when he gave her away at the alter. The rest was a breathless blur for Numair as he serenely realized he was saying 'I do' and as he watched Daine say 'I do' as if in a dream. Then he heard someone pronounce them husband and wife as his lips met Daine's in the most memorable kiss the two had yet shared.
"Love you." Daine whispered as the parted.
"Love you." Numair whispered back.
"Nothing will ever come between us." Daine said as she looked up into his sparkling eyes.
"No my sweet, this is happily ever after."
****************************************
FINISHED! WOW! I never thought I'd get here! Look for the first chapter of 'Love thy enemy' mid-week! Byes til then!
AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!
Numair paused for a second and contemplated her request. He looked deep into her sad eyes and seen the torment within them. 'It's the least I could do for her. Besides it's only a kiss.' Numair thought with a mental shrug.
"Only if it will help put some of your pains to rest." Numair finally said in a soft voice. Daine starred great fully into his bottomless brown ones.
"Thank you." Daine whispered as stood up from her prone position on the sofa. The stood with only inches between them for a few breathless moments then Daine placed her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him.
"A kiss has never felt so awkward before." Numair joked, but wished he could have taken it back once he saw the pools of hurt swirl in her blue depths.
"We don't have to... It's a silly thing..." Daine said turning her gaze from him. Numair put his hand under her chin and forced her gaze upwards.
"It's okay, really it is. I'll grant your request and you can move on... Find someone else." Numair said soothingly. Daine nodded and forced a smile on her lips. Ever so slowly Numair brought his head down til they were nose to nose.
"Ready?" He asked awkwardly.
"Yeah." Daine replied as a single tear ran down her cheek. Then, in a breathless instant, Daine brought her lips to Numair's. Daine's stomach turned when she realized that it wasn't as she remembered. There was no heat, emotion or passion to this kiss. As suddenly as it had begun, they broke away and Daine felt his eyes beating down on her. "Thank you." Daine blurted out before she left. 'I'm fair stupid' She thought as disappointment flooded her being. 'Thinking that a kiss would bring him back.' She thought as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her body was simply following her feet and her feet were following an unknown path as she fled from Numair's room. Within minutes she found herself in the palace garden where she let out a pain filled shriek and collapsed to the snow covered ground crying.
*****************************************
Numair stood in his rooms frozen in shock. He didn't know what he expected from her, but he hadn't wanted her to run off in misery. 'I just wish I knew how I could help her." Numair thought. 'I can't imagine what she's going through... She's lost her entire life.' He thought as he turned to look out his window. He stared up at the clear night sky. After a few moments he turned, but as he did he heard a shriek come from the direction of the gardens.
"Daine!" He gasped. "Goddess, what if she's hurt herself?" Numair thought desperately as he remembered how distressed she was. Numair made up his mind to shape shift and go find her. It would be the first shift since his ordeal. Numair quickly morphed into his familiar hawk form and flew out the window leaving his clothes in a heap behind him. He flew out towards the palace grounds, but suddenly a memory flashed before him. He was in hawk form, but it was right after the last think he could remember. He seen himself being attacked by stormwings and falling to the ground and finding a log to hide in. Then he heard a voice, a soft comforting voice trying to coax him out of the log.
He flying became erratic as memories continued to flash before him. Now he was at pirate's swoop and looking on in fear as Daine confronted a dragon.
He nearly flew into a wall as he tried to navigate while all he could see were memories he thought he had lost forever. Now he was face to face with Tristan. Numair tried to shake the memories so he could fly correctly, but it was a losing battle as a memory of Carthak flashed before him. Numair seen Daine crumpled on the floor, naked, and surrounded by hyenas. He watched as he spelled his robe to fly over and cover her.
Ducking below a tree limb, Daine was just feet in front of him. He could see her figure on the ground. It looked as if she was weeping, but he couldn't get there before another memory hit him. He was in the Devine realms trying to catch his breath as he blasted the last spidren away. Fear had overtaken his body, but was flooded by relief when he saw that Daine was okay. Then the memory flashed forward and his lips were on hers for the first time. Another flash forward, this time to him hiding his exhausted body behind a thicket after a mage's duel. He heard her call his name, he watched himself propose to her, but the memory faded when Numair felt himself slam into the frozen snow-covered ground. He felt himself shift back as he looked up to see where he was.
"Numair!" He heard her voice from somewhere to his left. He turned his head to see her rushing forward and pulling off her long cloak. As she got to him, she flung it over his naked shivering body. "What happened?" She asked bewildered, but Numair could still see the tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry for what I've done to you." Numair said as pain flooded his heart. Daine misinterpreted his meaning.
"It's okay, I've made up my mind to move on..." Daine said as a tear fell down her cheek. Numair shook his head as she moved to get up.
"Magelet?" He whispered and her gaze shot back to him.
"What... What did you call me?" Daine asked breathlessly.
"Magelet, I'm back. Please don't leave me." Numair pleaded with her.
"When?" Daine asked as joy and disbelief overtook her.
"Just now, when I took hawk form." Numair informed her as a smile leapt onto both their faces. Daine bent down and put her arms around him. She lifted him so that she cradled his upper body in her arms. Numair threw his arms around her to help support himself as she buried her face into his neck. "I love you magelet, please forgive me." Numair pleaded as she moved her face to look him in the eye.
"I could never be mad at you." Daine whispered as she watched him start to shake violently. "Goddess! You're going to catch a dreadful cold if you stay out here like this!" Numair smiled at her comment.
"I'll fly back." He said as he placed a hand on her cheek. "Will you meet me there?" Numair asked breathlessly. Daine smiled.
"Of course, love." She said as she kissed him on his lips once more and felt the familiar heat, emotion and passion run through her body as it warmed both of them.
"I'll be waiting." He whispered as the kiss broke and he transformed into his hawk form. Daine watched for a moment as he flew through the air towards his chamber window. She shook herself from her trance and ran to his room. Once there she ran inside without knocking. She found him clothed and anticipating her presence.
"Numair!" Daine said as she jumped into his waiting arms. "I'd thought I'd lost you forever!" She said as tears streamed down her face.
"It's alright, Magelet." Numair comforted her. "I'm back and I'm never going to leave you." He said warmly as he wrapped his arms around her even tighter. Daine tilted her chin up to capture his mouth. Daine sighed contentedly as she felt a familiar warmth and giddiness rush through her at Numair's touch. Numair broke away as a thought occurred to him and he looked into Daine's eyes.
"What?" Daine asked worried.
"Do you still want to marry me?" Numair asked with fear in his eyes.
"Of course you dolt!" Daine said, scolding him playfully. Then daine remembered that the winter solstice stated in a few hours and that her parents would be there. "Numair, tomorrow's the winter solstice... My parents will be here..."
"And then they won't be here again till the spring equinox." Numair said finishing her sentence. "Are you saying you want to get married tomorrow?" Numair asked.
"I don't want to have to wait another three months to be your wife." Daine said as she looked up into Numair's eyes. "It doesn't have to be a big wedding like we had planned.... It'll be small." Daine said pleadingly. Numair smiled full heartedly as he looked down at her.
"And it will be so my sweet." Numair said as he captured her lips again.
"We have to tell the others." Daine said as the parted. "The night isn't too old, we could still do it now." Daine said urgently and Numair smiled.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Numair said as he turned quickly and raced towards the door. "Last one to Alanna's is a rotten egg!"
"Numair! I'm going to send you to the Scanrans!" Diane threatened playfully as she raced after him. She had never been so over joyed in her life as she played the childish game with her fiancé. Numair's long legs carried him the fastest as the ran to Alanna's rooms. Once there Numair knocked hastily on her door. Alanna opened it a second later to see a panting Numair and Daine.
"What in the name of the black god is going on?" Alanna asked bewildered.
"We're getting married." Numair said as he caught his breath.
"What?" Alanna asked shocked.
"Oh come on, Alanna! You're acting like you did when we couldn't get through Tristan's barriers." Numair said with a huge grin. Alanna froze and looked at him.
"Goddess!" Alanna said as she flung her arms around him. Then she pulled away to look him in the face again. "When?" She demanded.
"It happened when I shifted into hawk form." Numair explained.
"That makes perfect sense! Mythros! Why didn't I think of it before?" Alanna cursed, but turned her attention back to her friends. "So when is the new date?" She asked Daine excitedly .
"Tomorrow." Daine stated with a smile.
"What!" Alanna said and Daine nodded. "We've got to get things ready!"
"Relax, it's just gonna be small. Our close friends." Diane said and Alanna calmed down a little.
"Does Jon or Thayet know?" Alanna asked quickly. Numair and Daine shook their heads. "Well come on! We've got loads of work to do!" Alanna said hastily as she pushed her way forward.
***************************************
NEXT DAY
Things had happened so fast. Once the King and Queen found that Numair's memory was back and that he and Daine wished to get married the following day they ordered all their servants and maids to prepare an alter in the palace ball room. Everything was perfect, right down to the last white rose. All of Daine and Numair's close relatives were there.
Numair looked out from where he was standing to see his best friends in attendance, but the next image took his breath away. Daine came out in the most stunning dress he had ever seen. It was an A-line strapless that had pearls beaded onto it in wondrous patterns along with prismatic glass beads that caught the light and glimmered in a breathtaking array of colors. It was also a beautiful pure white that made the fresh snow fall look dull. Her father was there to escort her down the aisle and Numair swore he seen her father wink at him when he gave her away at the alter. The rest was a breathless blur for Numair as he serenely realized he was saying 'I do' and as he watched Daine say 'I do' as if in a dream. Then he heard someone pronounce them husband and wife as his lips met Daine's in the most memorable kiss the two had yet shared.
"Love you." Daine whispered as the parted.
"Love you." Numair whispered back.
"Nothing will ever come between us." Daine said as she looked up into his sparkling eyes.
"No my sweet, this is happily ever after."
****************************************
FINISHED! WOW! I never thought I'd get here! Look for the first chapter of 'Love thy enemy' mid-week! Byes til then!
AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!