Alanna half enjoyed her breakfast of bread, cheese and fruit as she
watched Daine sulk from across the table. It pained Alanna to see Daine
like this, pain made worse because Alanna knew there was nothing she could
do to fix it. Daine had to figure this out for herself.
"I guess I am kind of hungry" said Daine, fingering an orange. She peeled it for herself and played with the individual pieces before eating them.
"I knew you would be, go ahead, have as much as you want, and don't go taking it to your barnyard friends, neither!" Alanna playfully chastised Daine. Daine smiled at the knight as she fed a palace cat a scrap of cheese under the table, she knew her too well.
Breakfast was finished in a comfortable, understanding silence. Alanna took her leave to fence with some Rider trainees, and Daine was left alone. She left the table and sought solitude in her old home, the loft in the palace stable. The fall wind was blowing at a brisk pace, Daine caught the scent of a squirrel pair preparing their home for the winter, mingled with the distinct fragrance of decaying leaves. She smiled and walked through the stable greeting the Rider's horses before climbing the ladder to her loft.
I guess I might have overreacted, Daine thought. I don't seriously think that Numair doesn't want me anymore. I know he does, it would be fair silly to think that he doesn't love me. He did propose to me several times and it is my fault that we aren't married. If this feeling is anyone's problem, it is my own. But it's not like I don't have reason for feeling the way I feel. I do think there has been some manner of spark that has been lost. He doesn't pay attention to me the way he used to, he almost takes me for granted. Maybe we need some kind of unofficial break. I wouldn't be unhappy living here in the loft again. Goddess, I would miss him though. I just don't want our relationship to become tiring, boring. I hope he doesn't take offense. Oh I don't want to do this. but it would be good. for both of us.
With those thoughts, Daine fell asleep accompanied by two of the palace cats and several bats hanging in the rafters. Daine awoke to the soft snorting of horses and chattering of bats. She glanced outside and saw that it was late afternoon, she instantly felt ashamed that she napped for that long right after midmorning. She sat up, pushing a stubborn kitten off her chest. She straightened out her shirt and ran her fingers through her curls. Her feelings were still fresh on her mind and she thought of what to say to Numair. She heard her ladder creaking. It was Numair. Drat, now I don't even have time to plan this so it sounds at all intelligent, Daine thought. She saw that Numair's brow was furrowed.
"Did I wake you?" he asked quietly. Daine guessed he knew something was up, if it was the Lioness. "Alanna told me I should find you, that you had something to tell me?" Daine's face remained cool, though her stomach lurched; that blasted woman!
"Hullo, ummm." Daine started, did she really want to go on? "I've been thinking, Numair, about. us" it was harder than she thought. Numair looked as if he were going to interrupt her. "No, please, if you just let me talk this will be easier," Numair nodded and fixed concerned eyes on Daine. "I feel like, lately, we've been very casual about our relationship and I personally feel like you are kind of. taking me for grant-- please! I need to be heard, Numair!" she said as Numair was about to protest. "This is hard, you have to understand, for me. I love you Numair, dearly. I couldn't stand it if we grew bored with each other, or if we really did start taking each other for granted! I'm not saying that I'm bored or that I think you are. But I do think that we are real close. We aren't married after all, I do want to be married someday. I'm not sure of a lot of things these days. I want you to know that I really do love you, with all my heart. I want you to know that it's not that I'm unsure about you. I have a lot of issues that I need to sort out for myself, that have all come to my attention kind of jumbled up and all of a sudden. The last thing I want is to hurt you. I hope that you can understand my reasons for wanting to try a break, for a while. I just need some space, and it's just for me really, but I think we could both benefit from some thinking time." Daine finished and the silence hung thick and heavy over their heads. She had been looking down for a while and she noticed that her hands were occupied with a small piece of hay. She looked up and was stunned to notice that Numair had a tear rolling down his cheek. He just sat looking at her sadly.
"This is what you want magelet?" said Numair, the crack in his voice hardly noticeable. Daine threw herself into his arms, she hugged him hard and he hugged back. She was crying now, and kissed his cheek before she fled down the ladder and out of the stables.
"I guess I am kind of hungry" said Daine, fingering an orange. She peeled it for herself and played with the individual pieces before eating them.
"I knew you would be, go ahead, have as much as you want, and don't go taking it to your barnyard friends, neither!" Alanna playfully chastised Daine. Daine smiled at the knight as she fed a palace cat a scrap of cheese under the table, she knew her too well.
Breakfast was finished in a comfortable, understanding silence. Alanna took her leave to fence with some Rider trainees, and Daine was left alone. She left the table and sought solitude in her old home, the loft in the palace stable. The fall wind was blowing at a brisk pace, Daine caught the scent of a squirrel pair preparing their home for the winter, mingled with the distinct fragrance of decaying leaves. She smiled and walked through the stable greeting the Rider's horses before climbing the ladder to her loft.
I guess I might have overreacted, Daine thought. I don't seriously think that Numair doesn't want me anymore. I know he does, it would be fair silly to think that he doesn't love me. He did propose to me several times and it is my fault that we aren't married. If this feeling is anyone's problem, it is my own. But it's not like I don't have reason for feeling the way I feel. I do think there has been some manner of spark that has been lost. He doesn't pay attention to me the way he used to, he almost takes me for granted. Maybe we need some kind of unofficial break. I wouldn't be unhappy living here in the loft again. Goddess, I would miss him though. I just don't want our relationship to become tiring, boring. I hope he doesn't take offense. Oh I don't want to do this. but it would be good. for both of us.
With those thoughts, Daine fell asleep accompanied by two of the palace cats and several bats hanging in the rafters. Daine awoke to the soft snorting of horses and chattering of bats. She glanced outside and saw that it was late afternoon, she instantly felt ashamed that she napped for that long right after midmorning. She sat up, pushing a stubborn kitten off her chest. She straightened out her shirt and ran her fingers through her curls. Her feelings were still fresh on her mind and she thought of what to say to Numair. She heard her ladder creaking. It was Numair. Drat, now I don't even have time to plan this so it sounds at all intelligent, Daine thought. She saw that Numair's brow was furrowed.
"Did I wake you?" he asked quietly. Daine guessed he knew something was up, if it was the Lioness. "Alanna told me I should find you, that you had something to tell me?" Daine's face remained cool, though her stomach lurched; that blasted woman!
"Hullo, ummm." Daine started, did she really want to go on? "I've been thinking, Numair, about. us" it was harder than she thought. Numair looked as if he were going to interrupt her. "No, please, if you just let me talk this will be easier," Numair nodded and fixed concerned eyes on Daine. "I feel like, lately, we've been very casual about our relationship and I personally feel like you are kind of. taking me for grant-- please! I need to be heard, Numair!" she said as Numair was about to protest. "This is hard, you have to understand, for me. I love you Numair, dearly. I couldn't stand it if we grew bored with each other, or if we really did start taking each other for granted! I'm not saying that I'm bored or that I think you are. But I do think that we are real close. We aren't married after all, I do want to be married someday. I'm not sure of a lot of things these days. I want you to know that I really do love you, with all my heart. I want you to know that it's not that I'm unsure about you. I have a lot of issues that I need to sort out for myself, that have all come to my attention kind of jumbled up and all of a sudden. The last thing I want is to hurt you. I hope that you can understand my reasons for wanting to try a break, for a while. I just need some space, and it's just for me really, but I think we could both benefit from some thinking time." Daine finished and the silence hung thick and heavy over their heads. She had been looking down for a while and she noticed that her hands were occupied with a small piece of hay. She looked up and was stunned to notice that Numair had a tear rolling down his cheek. He just sat looking at her sadly.
"This is what you want magelet?" said Numair, the crack in his voice hardly noticeable. Daine threw herself into his arms, she hugged him hard and he hugged back. She was crying now, and kissed his cheek before she fled down the ladder and out of the stables.