Daine woke early, as usual, in the morning and crawled quietly out of bed. She absolutely yearned for someone to confide in; anyone at all that she could spill to. She dressed quickly and walked with a purpose to the practice courts.

Alanna was up, as Daine suspected, fencing against a wooden dummy. She walked over towards Alanna and sat on a rail to watch. Alanna saw Daine and stopped to take a break.

"Imagine a full grown knight like you picking on a defenseless piece of wood. What did it ever do to you?" said Daine innocently.

"Ha ha, you are a funny one," said Alanna with a sarcastic tint in her voice. "What brings you here so early in the morning?" Daine slid off the rail and leaned with her back against the fence post, running a hand through her disheveled hair. She crossed her arms and looked at the lady knight.

"I need to talk to someone, are you free?" asked Daine. Alanna tossed her sword over by the dummy.

"I am now, shoot." said Alanna. Daine didn't know exactly how to begin, so she decided to go with current events first.

"Well, you know that lad Erik from the Gallan party?" asked Daine. "Yes, well he was insulting what he called 'professor types' and it was directed at Numair so I kind of yelled at him I guess."

"Well you should have, if he was insulting Numair like that. It is fair rude for guests to be talking ill of their hosts."

"Yes I know. Well anyway, I kinda, sorta, told him that Numair and I were… engaged." said Daine.

"Oh…" mused Alanna, "engaged eh? Well you practically already are I mean there are only the formal details of a wedding date to be discussed you know. Numair is badly wanting to marry you."

"Is he? Do you think so Alanna? Because sometimes I wonder. You know, I don't think he really believes that I'm old enough for him. He always--"

"Woah! Daine are you crazy?! What in Mithros' name are you talking about? Numair loves you. I know that for a solid fact. Numair wants to marry you remember? He has proposed several times and if I remember right it was you who was doing the declining. Daine, you mustn't ever doubt that he loves you - ever. He has risked his own life countless times--"

"Yes yes! Goddess Alanna! Don't you think that I think of these things? I know he loves me and I know that he's risked his life for me countless times. I have just lately been having these feelings that he doesn't love me passionately, like a husband loves a wife. I am ready to become a wife, I think, but I think our 'fling' was more an experiment than anything else." Daine slid down to the ground and sat with a soft thud. Alanna noticed that she did indeed look very distressed, a distress that must've developed when Daine was talking to Alanna. Daine's words were sinking into Daine's own mind, she had thought those thoughts many times before but hadn't really believed them until now.

"Well Daine, I don't know what to say. I was under the impression that you and Numair had the most perfect relationship that I've ever seen. You both loved each other, cared for one another, you even finish each other's sentences for crying out loud! To hear this, from you of all people… it troubles me, troubles me deeply, Daine."

"I still love him more than life itself, do you understand? I just think our love is more like student and teacher or even best friends than lovers. Do you know--, Alanna do you know how much I--," Daine buried her face in her knees and began to cry. Alanna moved closer to her, squatted down, and put her arm around the troubled girl. It seemed that all the lady knight could do to comfort Daine was to coo softly to her with faint mutterings of 'shh' and 'there, there, I'm sure everything will turn out fine'.

"Do you know how much I wanted it to be different? Do you have any idea of how much I wanted him to want me?" asked Daine, her distress showing in her words now more than ever.

"He respects you, Daine. He doesn't want you to feel pressured by him to do anything you don't want to." said Alanna quietly.

"And I respect him, more than anything I respect him. I couldn't have imagined a better man, Alanna. Can you imagine how much it hurts to realize that?"

Alanna eased Daine up on to her feet.

"You won't tell Numair what I said, will you?" said Daine hopefully to Alanna.

"No, of course not. But you should, soon."

"Yes, of course. I will… soon." said Daine.

"Are you hungry?" asked Alanna.

"No, not really."

"I didn't guess so, but I am. Will you watch me eat?" said Alanna, in an attempt to cheer up Daine.

"Yeah, alright." agreed Daine, with a weak smile. Alanna walked with Daine out of the practice courts, through the stables, and towards the Great Hall for breakfast.