Daine stumbled away from the door once she had seen who was inside. Jon
placed his hands on her to steady her. The blonde woman fixed the pair with
a glare. "Is there something I could do for you?" she asked frostily.
"Lady Varice Kingsford?" Jon tried, glancing at Daine to see her reaction. Daine appeared to have frozen, however. His answer was a mere nod. "Would it be possible for us to have a bed for the night? Only, we've been on the road for a month or two now."
Varice's eyes lingered over Daine. Then, she curtsied, acknowledging that she knew them at last. "Your Majesty. Of course we will always have room for you." It was clear from her tone that the 'you' only referred to Jonathon, not Daine.
Jon shook his head, indicating for the woman to rise. "I am royalty no longer, but I thank you for your invitation. May we come in?"
Daine smiled stiffly at Varice as the woman stepped back to allow room for them to come in. It was not returned however, but it wasn't every day that you were told the King was no longer a king, and had him turn up on your doorstep.
"Sorry about the mess," Varice apologised. Daine struggled not to roll her eyes - the room was, of course, as immaculate as they come.
"I'm sure we can put up with it," she said lightly.
Jon grinned at her, before taking Varice's hand and kissing it. He noticed a narrow gold band round one slim finger.
"We appreciate your hospitality, Lady Varice."
The blonde smiled in a tight, false way. "I hope you enjoy your stay. Please, feel free to stay as long as you want."
This was code for 'I want you to leave, but I'll be polite about it.' Relaxing, (Jon could take care of this brand of court intrigue nicely) Daine called a mouse into the house, remembering how Varice hated rodents. Blue eyes flashed. They flickered onto Jon for a moment. Jon took the hint and excused himself, saying he needed to tend to the horses. Varice immediately rounded on Daine, the image of the perfect hostess evaporated.
"Don't think I don't know why you're here," Varice hissed. "I know what you've come for. Don't even think of it! And to think, you have the very King himself wrapped up in your affairs. Mithros knows why he's pretending to be a commoner, like yourself. If you so much as look at my husband-"
"Are you quite finished?" Daine interrupted coolly, although it was quite evident that she wasn't. "I have no interest in your petty affairs. Further, I have no interest in your husband. Any man stupid enough to marry you is beyond rational conversation anyway."
Varice's lips curled in distaste. "That's exactly what your lovely Queen said when she found us."
"Thayet?" Jon croaked, having returned to see how Daine was. "Why was she –" He broke off with a wince. "Oh, Mithros damn it. Daine, I need to tell you something. Now."
Daine's brow crinkled. "What is it? And why did Thayet come here?"
"Daine, it's – that is, Varice is married to-"
"Hello, sweet."
Daine whipped around at the new voice. Her face slipped into confusion and wonder. "Numair? But... I thought..." Tears caught in her throat and eyes and made her stop, as Numair pushed past her and stood next to Varice. "What...?"
"Who are these people?" Numair asked, sliding an arm around Varice's shoulders. Daine choked out a sob.
A triumphant look spread across Varice's face. "These are Sir Jonathon of Conté and Veralidaine Sarrasri, the WildMage. This is my husband, Arram Draper."
"Lady Varice Kingsford?" Jon tried, glancing at Daine to see her reaction. Daine appeared to have frozen, however. His answer was a mere nod. "Would it be possible for us to have a bed for the night? Only, we've been on the road for a month or two now."
Varice's eyes lingered over Daine. Then, she curtsied, acknowledging that she knew them at last. "Your Majesty. Of course we will always have room for you." It was clear from her tone that the 'you' only referred to Jonathon, not Daine.
Jon shook his head, indicating for the woman to rise. "I am royalty no longer, but I thank you for your invitation. May we come in?"
Daine smiled stiffly at Varice as the woman stepped back to allow room for them to come in. It was not returned however, but it wasn't every day that you were told the King was no longer a king, and had him turn up on your doorstep.
"Sorry about the mess," Varice apologised. Daine struggled not to roll her eyes - the room was, of course, as immaculate as they come.
"I'm sure we can put up with it," she said lightly.
Jon grinned at her, before taking Varice's hand and kissing it. He noticed a narrow gold band round one slim finger.
"We appreciate your hospitality, Lady Varice."
The blonde smiled in a tight, false way. "I hope you enjoy your stay. Please, feel free to stay as long as you want."
This was code for 'I want you to leave, but I'll be polite about it.' Relaxing, (Jon could take care of this brand of court intrigue nicely) Daine called a mouse into the house, remembering how Varice hated rodents. Blue eyes flashed. They flickered onto Jon for a moment. Jon took the hint and excused himself, saying he needed to tend to the horses. Varice immediately rounded on Daine, the image of the perfect hostess evaporated.
"Don't think I don't know why you're here," Varice hissed. "I know what you've come for. Don't even think of it! And to think, you have the very King himself wrapped up in your affairs. Mithros knows why he's pretending to be a commoner, like yourself. If you so much as look at my husband-"
"Are you quite finished?" Daine interrupted coolly, although it was quite evident that she wasn't. "I have no interest in your petty affairs. Further, I have no interest in your husband. Any man stupid enough to marry you is beyond rational conversation anyway."
Varice's lips curled in distaste. "That's exactly what your lovely Queen said when she found us."
"Thayet?" Jon croaked, having returned to see how Daine was. "Why was she –" He broke off with a wince. "Oh, Mithros damn it. Daine, I need to tell you something. Now."
Daine's brow crinkled. "What is it? And why did Thayet come here?"
"Daine, it's – that is, Varice is married to-"
"Hello, sweet."
Daine whipped around at the new voice. Her face slipped into confusion and wonder. "Numair? But... I thought..." Tears caught in her throat and eyes and made her stop, as Numair pushed past her and stood next to Varice. "What...?"
"Who are these people?" Numair asked, sliding an arm around Varice's shoulders. Daine choked out a sob.
A triumphant look spread across Varice's face. "These are Sir Jonathon of Conté and Veralidaine Sarrasri, the WildMage. This is my husband, Arram Draper."