Disclaimer: the characters and places in the following story belong to
Tamora Pierce and not to me.
Authors note: I couldn't care less if you don't like my writing but please review! You don't even have to tell me what you don't like about it. I'll be happy with a simple "I don't like it"!!! SO REVIEW!!!!! Also I started writing this before I read tricksters choice so it's a bit contradictory of that book but I'm going to continue writing it any way because I think it's a good idea. Sorry this authors note is so long they won't all be this length!
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The ride north was a long one for the tortallan party on their way home. The nobles who usually stayed at the palace had to stop more often and didn't ride as fast as the knights and those who spent a lot of time on the road. Their speed was also slowed due to the time of the year. They were nearing winter and the travelling party was burdened with early frost and snow. For one particular young lady the set pace was far too slow and her dragon, curled up in a saddlebag voiced her displeasure in soft but sharp whistles and chirps. Daine wanted to get home where a hot bath and the comfort of her own belongings awaited her! She lightened up a little bit when the palace nobles decided that they should move faster in order to get to corus before the mountain passes were closed for the winter.
Even with the increased pace it was two weeks before the party arrived at the gate to the capital city and home. When Daine and Numair reached their rooms they fell back on the bed that they shared with a heartfelt sigh. Daine looked over at her lover, "It's so good to be home!" she remarked softly. "Of course it is." Numair replied, sounding as if she had asked a foolish question, "It would have to be after all that happened to you in Carthak!" Daine winced; she desperately didn't want to remember what had happened during their stay in Carthak. It was too painful and she didn't want to risk another fight like the one they had experienced there! "Can we not talk about that? PLEASE?" she whispered to him. Numair looked surprised, "Of course." He said. Daine was so happy to be home at last that she got up and changed before she returned to the bed for a nap. "Oh no you don't," Numair said when he realised what she had in mind, "we have to go and greet our friends before you can rest." Daine made a face at him and changed again, this time putting on a clean pair of breeches and a loose blue shirt. When she was ready the couple left their rooms leaving in the direction of the royal wing of the palace there they greeted the king and assured him that they were both reasonably alive before setting off for the Queens Rider mess where the found Onua, the woman responsible for Daine's residence in Tortall. Once they were finished there they went back to their rooms where both changed into nightclothes and sat in comfortable chairs by the hearth fire. Once they were settled with hot mugs of cider Numair said, "Daine, there's something that has been bothering me since we left the Carthaki palace," Daine looked at him surprised by the tone in his voice, if she didn't know better, she could swear that he sounded accusing. "What is it?" she asked not at all comfortable with that tone. "Well," he began seeming to be searching for the right words, "Daine, did you enjoy it when Kaddar kissed you?" Daine stared at him: stunned. How could he ask such a stupid question? "What?" she asked, still too stunned by the question to answer properly. Numair regarded her for a moment before saying, "I said, did you enjoy it when Kaddar kissed you in Carthak?" Daine looked at him waiting to catch his eye. When his eyes found hers she realised that he was asking because he wanted to know not because he wanted to hurt her with the memory. "No." she answered firmly, "I didn't kiss him back did I? And I said yes when you asked me to marry you didn't I? Would I have done those things if I enjoyed it?" Numair said nothing for a moment before sighing and commenting, "I don't know. It's just that since then when we've been alone together I've noticed that you have been hesitant to kiss me when I kiss you." Daine was shocked to hear the words but she was even more shocked to realise that the words were true no matter how horrible they were. "Well, what about you?" she asked remembering something that happened in Carthak. "Don't think I didn't notice that everything in Alannas' room in Carthak smelt of Varice! Don't try to tell me she wasn't there, Numair, I may be young but I'm not stupid!" Numair looked as if he was going to argue but he thought better of it when he saw the look in Daines' eyes "Is that the end then?" he asked when he could make his voice work once more. Daine glanced in his direction "No, not if you don't want it to be. Because I certainly don't wish to loose you."
Numair stood up out of his chair and went to her. He stopped two steps in front of his loves' chair and searched her face; seeing that she was serious he took the remaining two steps and sat on the arm of her chair. "Well I'd have to be crazy to want to loose you." he remarked so that only she could hear and before she could reply he kissed her forehead, her cheeks and her eye lids before his lips found her mouth and stayed there. Daine kissed him long and hard with all the passion and love she possessed. When Numair broke the kiss he laughed and stood gathering Daine in his arms and running into the bedroom before dumping Daine on the bed.
*****
When Daine woke up three weeks after arriving home she threw herself out of bed and ran for the privy where she threw up everything she had eaten the night before. She couldn't even ask Numair to get her some water. He had been called away to handle some renegade ogres in Port Leagan. Daine had been vomiting every morning since Numair left two weeks ago! When she finished Daine went to the kitchen and got a pitcher of water. By the time she got back to her room she needed to vomit again. But she couldn't work out why she was retching; it wasn't a tummy bug because the cook had said that no one else was sick, she was fairly sure that it wasn't anything to do with her magic and she had been craving avocado since her arrival back in Tortall. Then enlightenment struck her like a ton of bricks, making her half whisper half wail, "Oh no." before throwing herself out of her room and flying through the palace to Alannas' suite, situated on the floor beneath Daine and Numairs'.
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Author's note: ok it's really short although that seems a good place to end the chapter. Sorry but there's more on the way!
Authors note: I couldn't care less if you don't like my writing but please review! You don't even have to tell me what you don't like about it. I'll be happy with a simple "I don't like it"!!! SO REVIEW!!!!! Also I started writing this before I read tricksters choice so it's a bit contradictory of that book but I'm going to continue writing it any way because I think it's a good idea. Sorry this authors note is so long they won't all be this length!
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The ride north was a long one for the tortallan party on their way home. The nobles who usually stayed at the palace had to stop more often and didn't ride as fast as the knights and those who spent a lot of time on the road. Their speed was also slowed due to the time of the year. They were nearing winter and the travelling party was burdened with early frost and snow. For one particular young lady the set pace was far too slow and her dragon, curled up in a saddlebag voiced her displeasure in soft but sharp whistles and chirps. Daine wanted to get home where a hot bath and the comfort of her own belongings awaited her! She lightened up a little bit when the palace nobles decided that they should move faster in order to get to corus before the mountain passes were closed for the winter.
Even with the increased pace it was two weeks before the party arrived at the gate to the capital city and home. When Daine and Numair reached their rooms they fell back on the bed that they shared with a heartfelt sigh. Daine looked over at her lover, "It's so good to be home!" she remarked softly. "Of course it is." Numair replied, sounding as if she had asked a foolish question, "It would have to be after all that happened to you in Carthak!" Daine winced; she desperately didn't want to remember what had happened during their stay in Carthak. It was too painful and she didn't want to risk another fight like the one they had experienced there! "Can we not talk about that? PLEASE?" she whispered to him. Numair looked surprised, "Of course." He said. Daine was so happy to be home at last that she got up and changed before she returned to the bed for a nap. "Oh no you don't," Numair said when he realised what she had in mind, "we have to go and greet our friends before you can rest." Daine made a face at him and changed again, this time putting on a clean pair of breeches and a loose blue shirt. When she was ready the couple left their rooms leaving in the direction of the royal wing of the palace there they greeted the king and assured him that they were both reasonably alive before setting off for the Queens Rider mess where the found Onua, the woman responsible for Daine's residence in Tortall. Once they were finished there they went back to their rooms where both changed into nightclothes and sat in comfortable chairs by the hearth fire. Once they were settled with hot mugs of cider Numair said, "Daine, there's something that has been bothering me since we left the Carthaki palace," Daine looked at him surprised by the tone in his voice, if she didn't know better, she could swear that he sounded accusing. "What is it?" she asked not at all comfortable with that tone. "Well," he began seeming to be searching for the right words, "Daine, did you enjoy it when Kaddar kissed you?" Daine stared at him: stunned. How could he ask such a stupid question? "What?" she asked, still too stunned by the question to answer properly. Numair regarded her for a moment before saying, "I said, did you enjoy it when Kaddar kissed you in Carthak?" Daine looked at him waiting to catch his eye. When his eyes found hers she realised that he was asking because he wanted to know not because he wanted to hurt her with the memory. "No." she answered firmly, "I didn't kiss him back did I? And I said yes when you asked me to marry you didn't I? Would I have done those things if I enjoyed it?" Numair said nothing for a moment before sighing and commenting, "I don't know. It's just that since then when we've been alone together I've noticed that you have been hesitant to kiss me when I kiss you." Daine was shocked to hear the words but she was even more shocked to realise that the words were true no matter how horrible they were. "Well, what about you?" she asked remembering something that happened in Carthak. "Don't think I didn't notice that everything in Alannas' room in Carthak smelt of Varice! Don't try to tell me she wasn't there, Numair, I may be young but I'm not stupid!" Numair looked as if he was going to argue but he thought better of it when he saw the look in Daines' eyes "Is that the end then?" he asked when he could make his voice work once more. Daine glanced in his direction "No, not if you don't want it to be. Because I certainly don't wish to loose you."
Numair stood up out of his chair and went to her. He stopped two steps in front of his loves' chair and searched her face; seeing that she was serious he took the remaining two steps and sat on the arm of her chair. "Well I'd have to be crazy to want to loose you." he remarked so that only she could hear and before she could reply he kissed her forehead, her cheeks and her eye lids before his lips found her mouth and stayed there. Daine kissed him long and hard with all the passion and love she possessed. When Numair broke the kiss he laughed and stood gathering Daine in his arms and running into the bedroom before dumping Daine on the bed.
*****
When Daine woke up three weeks after arriving home she threw herself out of bed and ran for the privy where she threw up everything she had eaten the night before. She couldn't even ask Numair to get her some water. He had been called away to handle some renegade ogres in Port Leagan. Daine had been vomiting every morning since Numair left two weeks ago! When she finished Daine went to the kitchen and got a pitcher of water. By the time she got back to her room she needed to vomit again. But she couldn't work out why she was retching; it wasn't a tummy bug because the cook had said that no one else was sick, she was fairly sure that it wasn't anything to do with her magic and she had been craving avocado since her arrival back in Tortall. Then enlightenment struck her like a ton of bricks, making her half whisper half wail, "Oh no." before throwing herself out of her room and flying through the palace to Alannas' suite, situated on the floor beneath Daine and Numairs'.
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Author's note: ok it's really short although that seems a good place to end the chapter. Sorry but there's more on the way!