Always And Forever
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: T.P. owns all characters.)
Daine sighed, knowing she would have to give an explanation. She didn't want to; she didn't even know why Derwood was here. Numair cleared his throat and she began. "He's a friend of mine from Penscott. That's where I was for that year. But I don't know why he's here, so don't ask."
Numair didn't seem quite all right with her going to see some strange person he didn't know, so she brought him with her. It was probably best that she bring him anyway. Derwood had had some kind of crush on her when she'd been living in his estates and had never understood why it was unreciprocated. Now he would know.
They reached the council meeting room and Daine opened the door tentatively. A young man, few years older than her with blonde hair and striking blue eyes was sitting waiting. When he saw them he stood up and bowed slightly. Being polite Daine made the introductions and was nearly crushed by the tension in the room.
Derwood looked at her and asked cautiously, "Would you mind if I talked to you alone?"
Daine turned to Numair, a pleading look in her eyes. He submitted and left the room with a small grunt, making his dissatisfaction known. Daine rolled her eyes and returned her focus to Derwood. "Why are you here?" She asked.
He stood and walked to her, stopping mere inches away. She resisted the urge to take a step back in fear of being rude. "Rumor has it, you're going to stay here," he said. She thought she may have heard slight hurt in the tone of his voice, and could understand why.
She knew she had to tell him the truth no matter how much it might hurt him. "Yes, I'm staying here." This time she saw the hurt cross his face and started explaining. "I'm sorry, but there's some things here I just can't leave. You wondered why I couldn't love you," she paused. "I couldn't because I love Numair Salmalin. I came to Penscott trying to deny that and never could. He and this place saved me, and I could never leave that."
Without even looking at her, he walked to the door. Before exiting he turned around. "I will arrange for your things to be sent here. I leave you with my love Veralidaine."
As he left Daine was consumed with a wave of guilt. She slumped down in one of the chairs, head in her hands. Within moments Numair was behind her, rubbing her back. She lifted her head and looked at him. She knew he wanted to know why she seemed so upset. "I feel like I used him," She whispered. "He loved me. He gave me everything: a place to stay, money, anything I needed and he knew I didn't love him. Now I've just left him with no real kind of explanation."
"He's not the only one who's lost himself to you. I don't think I could even count the many stupid things I've done on your account." He continued at her puzzled look. "I think nearly hitting the Emperor of Carthak could be considered stupid, just to name one example."
Daine got out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Numair, holding onto him as tight as she could without seeming scared. He stroked her back, crooning softly. "I don't want to ever think about that place again," she mumbled into his shirt, nearly inaudibly. "I almost thought I would have to go home without you."
She nearly screamed as he swept her up and started walking. Instead she just laughed and held him tighter, enjoying the ride. "I would never be anywhere without you on my own account," he whispered in her ear. She cringed as his lips grazed her skin; his breath played on her neck.
I wonder how I ever could have, she thought. A slight pulse of guilt rippled through her body, but faded quickly. There was no use brooding over it. Everything was right now. Everything was as it should be.
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The lights were out and Daine was lying sleeplessly beside Numair. There was something she just couldn't stop thinking about. It had been haunting her ever second since she'd arrived. She knew all about the war in Scanra. Apparently it was serious, and yet, the kingdom's two greatest tools weren't doing anything. Well, they were doing something, but it wasn't productive to Tortall.
She tried to forget it and go to sleep, but just kept tossing and turning. Eventually Numair woke up and asked her what in Mithros she was doing. "I can't sleep," she whispered.
"Do you need some help?" He asked groggily. She nodded. He kissed her lightly. "Tell me what's bothering you."
"Well, it's just about this--" she was interrupted as Numair's lips touched hers again. As quickly as they had come they were gone and he asked her to continue. And so she tried to, but before she could make any kind of point he would do it again.
"It's just, I think we should be--" she started again, but was interrupted. His lips lingered longer this time, barely grazing hers. She lifted her face, searching for more. But as soon as she found it, he slipped away again, begging her to finish her story.
She sighed and tried to finish, not really expecting to. "The war needs u--" and he did it again. Frustrated, she sat up, covers flying. "Numair! This is serious. Something is happening out there and we're just sitting around! We need to do something about it!" She knew how much of an asset to Tortall she was and she wasn't being used. She could turn this entire thing around if someone would just tell her to!
Numair sat up too, though not so violently. Gently he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, and stroked her cheek with a soft finger. "Daine, if the King wanted our help he would tell us. Right now, we're not what Tortall needs and things ARE being taken care of. You need not worry love."
"But Numair, I could take this whole war into my grasp in one breath! They're wasting so much time and energy that they don't need to. I can't just sit here and feel right about it." How could she make him understand? There was no way she could just leave this in the hands of other people. She was trying to return to the true reality of her life and no one would let her. In Penscott she'd been selfish and irresponsible, she needed to take up the responsibilities of her gift once more.
Softly, Numair laid her back down, holding her against him. "Relax for now," he whispered. "The country is in very good hands; hands chosen by the Chamber itself. You know her and need to trust her now."
She thought about his words for a moment. Surely it wasn't Alanna because she was here. But there was only one other "her" that she could think of. "Surely you can't mean Keladry of Mindelan?"
(A/N: Well here's a very late chapter six. I'm sorry I've been in and out of town, not to mention relationships and just haven't had any time to myself. Just to clear something up, Daine was not crying at the table, just thinking. Please review, I know this chapter is boring and not as good, but still tell me what you think. Thanks, Peach ^_^)
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: T.P. owns all characters.)
Daine sighed, knowing she would have to give an explanation. She didn't want to; she didn't even know why Derwood was here. Numair cleared his throat and she began. "He's a friend of mine from Penscott. That's where I was for that year. But I don't know why he's here, so don't ask."
Numair didn't seem quite all right with her going to see some strange person he didn't know, so she brought him with her. It was probably best that she bring him anyway. Derwood had had some kind of crush on her when she'd been living in his estates and had never understood why it was unreciprocated. Now he would know.
They reached the council meeting room and Daine opened the door tentatively. A young man, few years older than her with blonde hair and striking blue eyes was sitting waiting. When he saw them he stood up and bowed slightly. Being polite Daine made the introductions and was nearly crushed by the tension in the room.
Derwood looked at her and asked cautiously, "Would you mind if I talked to you alone?"
Daine turned to Numair, a pleading look in her eyes. He submitted and left the room with a small grunt, making his dissatisfaction known. Daine rolled her eyes and returned her focus to Derwood. "Why are you here?" She asked.
He stood and walked to her, stopping mere inches away. She resisted the urge to take a step back in fear of being rude. "Rumor has it, you're going to stay here," he said. She thought she may have heard slight hurt in the tone of his voice, and could understand why.
She knew she had to tell him the truth no matter how much it might hurt him. "Yes, I'm staying here." This time she saw the hurt cross his face and started explaining. "I'm sorry, but there's some things here I just can't leave. You wondered why I couldn't love you," she paused. "I couldn't because I love Numair Salmalin. I came to Penscott trying to deny that and never could. He and this place saved me, and I could never leave that."
Without even looking at her, he walked to the door. Before exiting he turned around. "I will arrange for your things to be sent here. I leave you with my love Veralidaine."
As he left Daine was consumed with a wave of guilt. She slumped down in one of the chairs, head in her hands. Within moments Numair was behind her, rubbing her back. She lifted her head and looked at him. She knew he wanted to know why she seemed so upset. "I feel like I used him," She whispered. "He loved me. He gave me everything: a place to stay, money, anything I needed and he knew I didn't love him. Now I've just left him with no real kind of explanation."
"He's not the only one who's lost himself to you. I don't think I could even count the many stupid things I've done on your account." He continued at her puzzled look. "I think nearly hitting the Emperor of Carthak could be considered stupid, just to name one example."
Daine got out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Numair, holding onto him as tight as she could without seeming scared. He stroked her back, crooning softly. "I don't want to ever think about that place again," she mumbled into his shirt, nearly inaudibly. "I almost thought I would have to go home without you."
She nearly screamed as he swept her up and started walking. Instead she just laughed and held him tighter, enjoying the ride. "I would never be anywhere without you on my own account," he whispered in her ear. She cringed as his lips grazed her skin; his breath played on her neck.
I wonder how I ever could have, she thought. A slight pulse of guilt rippled through her body, but faded quickly. There was no use brooding over it. Everything was right now. Everything was as it should be.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
The lights were out and Daine was lying sleeplessly beside Numair. There was something she just couldn't stop thinking about. It had been haunting her ever second since she'd arrived. She knew all about the war in Scanra. Apparently it was serious, and yet, the kingdom's two greatest tools weren't doing anything. Well, they were doing something, but it wasn't productive to Tortall.
She tried to forget it and go to sleep, but just kept tossing and turning. Eventually Numair woke up and asked her what in Mithros she was doing. "I can't sleep," she whispered.
"Do you need some help?" He asked groggily. She nodded. He kissed her lightly. "Tell me what's bothering you."
"Well, it's just about this--" she was interrupted as Numair's lips touched hers again. As quickly as they had come they were gone and he asked her to continue. And so she tried to, but before she could make any kind of point he would do it again.
"It's just, I think we should be--" she started again, but was interrupted. His lips lingered longer this time, barely grazing hers. She lifted her face, searching for more. But as soon as she found it, he slipped away again, begging her to finish her story.
She sighed and tried to finish, not really expecting to. "The war needs u--" and he did it again. Frustrated, she sat up, covers flying. "Numair! This is serious. Something is happening out there and we're just sitting around! We need to do something about it!" She knew how much of an asset to Tortall she was and she wasn't being used. She could turn this entire thing around if someone would just tell her to!
Numair sat up too, though not so violently. Gently he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, and stroked her cheek with a soft finger. "Daine, if the King wanted our help he would tell us. Right now, we're not what Tortall needs and things ARE being taken care of. You need not worry love."
"But Numair, I could take this whole war into my grasp in one breath! They're wasting so much time and energy that they don't need to. I can't just sit here and feel right about it." How could she make him understand? There was no way she could just leave this in the hands of other people. She was trying to return to the true reality of her life and no one would let her. In Penscott she'd been selfish and irresponsible, she needed to take up the responsibilities of her gift once more.
Softly, Numair laid her back down, holding her against him. "Relax for now," he whispered. "The country is in very good hands; hands chosen by the Chamber itself. You know her and need to trust her now."
She thought about his words for a moment. Surely it wasn't Alanna because she was here. But there was only one other "her" that she could think of. "Surely you can't mean Keladry of Mindelan?"
(A/N: Well here's a very late chapter six. I'm sorry I've been in and out of town, not to mention relationships and just haven't had any time to myself. Just to clear something up, Daine was not crying at the table, just thinking. Please review, I know this chapter is boring and not as good, but still tell me what you think. Thanks, Peach ^_^)