Draper Mansion:
Liana led her to a large castle about a mile up the stone road. The walk hadn't been very nice. People stared at her and said she's new as she walked away. She didn't like this place and she wanted Numair. When they reached the castle things only got worse.
The gate had a large plate that said Draper Family on it. It scared Daine. Numair had always told her that his family wasn't that easy to get along with, and that they were all dead. She was about to meet all of them and didn't want to embrace Numair. Plus she wanted them to like her. Numair always said that his father would be proud if he ever found out that Numair had gotten the Head Mage job in Tortall. I'll tell him, she thought, that way his father will be proud of him. She hoped that Numair wouldn't get angry. Or anymore angry than he already was.
Liana talked to the guard who let them in to the mansion. He bowed at Daine as she walked past him. A servant took them to a large library. Diane smiled just a bit.
'What's so funny?' Lily asked.
'Numair, my husband, would try to read every one of these books in one go.' She said.
There were books on magic and law and on the chair next to the bookshelf was a letter. Daine picked it up and sighed. It was from Numair. It just said that he was fine and that was all he could say. Daine tried not to cry and the soft hand writing that her husband always wrote in. Someone suddenly jerked it from her hands. She gasped and looked up to almost an exacted image of her husband.
'This is from my son.' The man said.
'My husband.' She replied. The man looked like he was about to fall over.
'But,' he began, 'you were stabbed to death. And you're with them' he stammered. The girls looked somewhat ashamed.
'Numair didn't kill me.' She whispered figuring that was what he thought.
'So that's what his name is now.' He said sitting back. 'Please sit.'
'Numair Saliman.' She said as she sat across from him.
'Still in to wild magic?' he asked.
'He was my teacher for it.' She said.
'You have wild magic.' He sat up.
'Yes.'
The man nodded and sat back again. Diane let out a small sigh.
'Something wrong.'
'No. It's just that you both are so much alike.' She said.
'Good.' The man said. 'That means he has his head on strait and might get head mage.'
'He already did.'
Numair's father sat up again.
'My boy? The one that spent more time getting ready than his sister?'
Daine nodded. 'He still does that too.' She replied with a giggle. 'I've almost broken him of it.'
'Somebody aught to.' He said. 'What did you say about him books?'
'That he would try to read all of these in one go.' She rolled her eyes. 'I bet he would too.'
Suddenly there was a small burst from down stairs. Daine and Numair's father looked at each other and got up.
'Father!' Came a voice. The one that had slammed the front door.
'Numair.' Daine whispered. She turned and ran out of the library, back to Numair's safe arms.
Liana led her to a large castle about a mile up the stone road. The walk hadn't been very nice. People stared at her and said she's new as she walked away. She didn't like this place and she wanted Numair. When they reached the castle things only got worse.
The gate had a large plate that said Draper Family on it. It scared Daine. Numair had always told her that his family wasn't that easy to get along with, and that they were all dead. She was about to meet all of them and didn't want to embrace Numair. Plus she wanted them to like her. Numair always said that his father would be proud if he ever found out that Numair had gotten the Head Mage job in Tortall. I'll tell him, she thought, that way his father will be proud of him. She hoped that Numair wouldn't get angry. Or anymore angry than he already was.
Liana talked to the guard who let them in to the mansion. He bowed at Daine as she walked past him. A servant took them to a large library. Diane smiled just a bit.
'What's so funny?' Lily asked.
'Numair, my husband, would try to read every one of these books in one go.' She said.
There were books on magic and law and on the chair next to the bookshelf was a letter. Daine picked it up and sighed. It was from Numair. It just said that he was fine and that was all he could say. Daine tried not to cry and the soft hand writing that her husband always wrote in. Someone suddenly jerked it from her hands. She gasped and looked up to almost an exacted image of her husband.
'This is from my son.' The man said.
'My husband.' She replied. The man looked like he was about to fall over.
'But,' he began, 'you were stabbed to death. And you're with them' he stammered. The girls looked somewhat ashamed.
'Numair didn't kill me.' She whispered figuring that was what he thought.
'So that's what his name is now.' He said sitting back. 'Please sit.'
'Numair Saliman.' She said as she sat across from him.
'Still in to wild magic?' he asked.
'He was my teacher for it.' She said.
'You have wild magic.' He sat up.
'Yes.'
The man nodded and sat back again. Diane let out a small sigh.
'Something wrong.'
'No. It's just that you both are so much alike.' She said.
'Good.' The man said. 'That means he has his head on strait and might get head mage.'
'He already did.'
Numair's father sat up again.
'My boy? The one that spent more time getting ready than his sister?'
Daine nodded. 'He still does that too.' She replied with a giggle. 'I've almost broken him of it.'
'Somebody aught to.' He said. 'What did you say about him books?'
'That he would try to read all of these in one go.' She rolled her eyes. 'I bet he would too.'
Suddenly there was a small burst from down stairs. Daine and Numair's father looked at each other and got up.
'Father!' Came a voice. The one that had slammed the front door.
'Numair.' Daine whispered. She turned and ran out of the library, back to Numair's safe arms.