Daine wiped her tearstained face on her sleeve as she walked quickly
to Alanna's room. She knocked once and opened the door, she found Alanna
reading a scroll. She judged correctly that Alanna knew exactly what had
passed. Daine didn't know exactly what she was feeling, but it flooded out
of her in a mixture of misguided anger and extreme sorrow. Alanna caught
her before she hit the ground. When Daine looked up, it was full dark
outside, she had been sobbing to Alanna for some time.
"If you feel it's what you need, then it is what you need. You shouldn't second-guess yourself on matters of the heart, they don't follow reason. Don't worry, this isn't irreversible, if this proves too painful, I swear on pain of death that Numair will still love you." said Alanna.
"Oh Alanna, I knew it would hurt. I couldn't have guessed this though, so I guess that proves something right?" Daine looked at the Lioness hopefully. She smiled back at Daine.
"It's your decision to make, and it's about time. You let him make too many anyhow, maybe he is getting too big for his breeches." Alanna removed Daine's head from her lap and got up to stand by the window. "I've got business with the king and some of the Gallan company tonight, strictly boring diplomatic hoo-ha. I'm afraid I have to leave you now." Daine looked at the floor. "But you listen to me, sweetling. I want you to come disturb me anytime during the night or tomorrow if you want to talk some more. You know that my door is always open, especially to you. Promise me."
"I promise" said Daine with a half-smile.
"Good, now what should I wear?" Alanna tried to smile at Daine.
~*~
Numair sat at a table in the royal library, his fist clenched around a small gold object. His posture was poor as he stared at the wall under lowered brows as if it would offer him some comfort. He felt a hand on his shoulder as a form sat next to him. He looked up to find King Jonathan.
"Numair." began Jon, his longtime friend and often confidant. Numair looked at him quizzically, how did he know? He then remembered the speed of news around the palace and turned back to the wall. Jon didn't know what to say to the mage, but rather seemed to wait for him to open up. Numair bowed his head and sighed heavily, the gold object now disappeared into his fist.
"Ah my king, I suppose you are studying up upon current events" Numair said ironically. Jon half-smiled at him; Numair put his face in his hands. "I just don't understand why. why? I thought we were fine, I sensed nothing wrong, out of the ordinary, what would make her say this?"
"If I have learned one thing out of my experiences with women, my friend, it is that you cannot understand them. So don't try." Jon saw that his levity was not helping his friend. "Numair," he said in a more serious, gentle tone, "I don't know what to tell you my friend, I would just wait this out and let Daine have her space. It sounds to me like the girl needs to think, you of all people should know the value of sorting out one's thoughts."
Numair stood abruptly and slammed his fist palm down on the table.
"WHY?! Why does everyone around here seem to know Daine better than me?! Do her actions actually seem logical to you? Why couldn't she come to me with her problems this time, when she's never had a problem with that before?" Numair's hands glowed black fire for a brief second, he flashed Jon a look of pain and fear and stormed off. Jon paused for a minute, he looked at the table. Numair had left the gold object he was clutching on the table. Jon picked it up, it was a gold bracelet with a locket. Inside the locket was a lock of smoky brown hair and a portrait of Daine. Jon looked from the locket to the empty doorway, sighed, put the bracelet in his pocket and made for the ambassador's meeting.
"If you feel it's what you need, then it is what you need. You shouldn't second-guess yourself on matters of the heart, they don't follow reason. Don't worry, this isn't irreversible, if this proves too painful, I swear on pain of death that Numair will still love you." said Alanna.
"Oh Alanna, I knew it would hurt. I couldn't have guessed this though, so I guess that proves something right?" Daine looked at the Lioness hopefully. She smiled back at Daine.
"It's your decision to make, and it's about time. You let him make too many anyhow, maybe he is getting too big for his breeches." Alanna removed Daine's head from her lap and got up to stand by the window. "I've got business with the king and some of the Gallan company tonight, strictly boring diplomatic hoo-ha. I'm afraid I have to leave you now." Daine looked at the floor. "But you listen to me, sweetling. I want you to come disturb me anytime during the night or tomorrow if you want to talk some more. You know that my door is always open, especially to you. Promise me."
"I promise" said Daine with a half-smile.
"Good, now what should I wear?" Alanna tried to smile at Daine.
~*~
Numair sat at a table in the royal library, his fist clenched around a small gold object. His posture was poor as he stared at the wall under lowered brows as if it would offer him some comfort. He felt a hand on his shoulder as a form sat next to him. He looked up to find King Jonathan.
"Numair." began Jon, his longtime friend and often confidant. Numair looked at him quizzically, how did he know? He then remembered the speed of news around the palace and turned back to the wall. Jon didn't know what to say to the mage, but rather seemed to wait for him to open up. Numair bowed his head and sighed heavily, the gold object now disappeared into his fist.
"Ah my king, I suppose you are studying up upon current events" Numair said ironically. Jon half-smiled at him; Numair put his face in his hands. "I just don't understand why. why? I thought we were fine, I sensed nothing wrong, out of the ordinary, what would make her say this?"
"If I have learned one thing out of my experiences with women, my friend, it is that you cannot understand them. So don't try." Jon saw that his levity was not helping his friend. "Numair," he said in a more serious, gentle tone, "I don't know what to tell you my friend, I would just wait this out and let Daine have her space. It sounds to me like the girl needs to think, you of all people should know the value of sorting out one's thoughts."
Numair stood abruptly and slammed his fist palm down on the table.
"WHY?! Why does everyone around here seem to know Daine better than me?! Do her actions actually seem logical to you? Why couldn't she come to me with her problems this time, when she's never had a problem with that before?" Numair's hands glowed black fire for a brief second, he flashed Jon a look of pain and fear and stormed off. Jon paused for a minute, he looked at the table. Numair had left the gold object he was clutching on the table. Jon picked it up, it was a gold bracelet with a locket. Inside the locket was a lock of smoky brown hair and a portrait of Daine. Jon looked from the locket to the empty doorway, sighed, put the bracelet in his pocket and made for the ambassador's meeting.