A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are awesome. And it's so weird having all the people whose D/N stories I've read reading this! Oh dear. I'm a D/N TP fanfic groupie! I'm not that happy with this chapter, but I had to actually get them onto land, so hopefully the next one will go better.

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Port Ballyntyne was a blur of early afternoon activity. Daine stood on the ship's deck, waiting to disembark, and watched with unashamed curiosity. Several other ships were docked nearby, the vessels rocking gently from the advancing ripples of water and the sailors moving around them. Directly beyond the piers there appeared to be a small market square, and past that a cluster of neat stone buildings. People called out to one another, and laughed, and clapped each other on the back. Daine watched as women greeted friends and acquaintances with wide smiles and enthusiastic hugs; their little ones hanging onto their breeches or trying to totter away on short, unsteady legs. Many of them carried cloth bags of vegetables and bread, and wore woven bundles around their necks. Watching one young woman gesture and bounce as she chattered to a companion, Daine was surprised but charmed by the sight of a tiny, sleeping face peeking through the folds of the front pack. An oxen-drawn cart clattered past, teetering with sacks of corn and wheat, briefly blocking her view.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Daine turned at the sound of the voice, and found Alanna standing behind her, belongings in hand. The Lioness was gazing beyond the domesticity of Port Ballyntyne to the wild peaks and plains that seemed to stretch endlessly. Alanna rarely expressed sentimentality in public and would be more likely to become emotional over the sight of an army than a landscape, but Daine could understand why she was impressed.

Tortall was beautiful – incredibly so, in parts – and every one of their company was fiercely loyal to their homeland, but Raillenden was...something else. With the amount of traveling Daine had done, it felt as if she'd been to the ends of the earth. Certainly, she'd been beyond the mortal planes, and into the Divine Realms. But she'd never seen a place quite like this. It fair took her breath away.

If she didn't know better, she'd swear the Isles were the illusion of a mage. The sunlight was shimmering off the water, and winking on the hills before them, and the whole island looked like something out of a dream. Shielding her eyes against the glare, Daine peered into the distance, at the forests, and the blue waters, and the mountains lightly shrouded in mist. The day was warm, her skin gently heated, and, raising her head, she could smell salt and flowers and bread. For just a second, the noise from the port seemed to dull and all she could hear were the gentle waves lapping against the shore.

Alanna shifted beside her, adjusting her pack, and Daine blinked, and shook her head. There was a dangerous allure about this land; it was almost drugging.

"Daine? Are you ready?"

Looking over at Alanna, Daine saw that the Lioness' brows were raised inquiringly. A wide wooden plank had been raised to the side of the ship, and its occupants were beginning to file off. She spotted Thayet on the dock, in conversation with two well-dressed Sailan people. The royal had been amongst the first to disembark, and do her diplomatic duty by greeting the Sailan officials. Warning of their impending arrival had been sent ahead several days earlier, by way of messenger bird, and they were expected at the palace.

Daine joined Alanna and Onua as the women prepared to step down onto Sailan territory, and looked around for Numair. They had separated to collect their things an hour earlier, and she hadn't seen him since. She knew it was silly and cowardly, but her stomach was in knots from nerves. She almost never got scared about going to new places, and doing new things, but for some reason she felt apprehensive about this, and she wanted him with her.

She peered amongst the throngs of people, but couldn't see the tall, black- haired figure whose presence she was craving, and couldn't help rolling her eyes in self-mocking. Who would have ever thought she'd feel so darn...needy about someone? Especially a male someone.

Daine remembered seeing Alanna and George together, back when she'd first come to Tortall, and wondering – with curiosity and a little bit of envy – what it would be like to love someone that hard, and that much, but she'd never thought to experience it herself.

She jumped down off the plank after her friends, and almost laughed. How silly to think that she could live around Numair, and travel with, and learn from Numair, and not love him.

'I was fair stupid back then,' she announced in her thoughts.

'Why aren't we rocking anymore?' her thoughts surprised her by answering.

Daine jumped slightly, and then smiled, reaching up to pet Zek. He was curled warmly around her neck, and had been jolted from a sound sleep by her movements.

'We've arrived,' she answered, looking around.

'This is Raillenden?' Zek asked, craning his neck so that Daine could scratch his chin.

'This is Raillenden.'

She followed Alanna and Onua through the crowd, towards Thayet, skirting groups of people and murmuring apologies when she accidentally bumped someone, or they bumped her.

'I don't like it. Too busy. Let's leave.' Zek's tone was matter-of-fact.

Daine stroked his head sympathetically. 'We're going to the palace soon. It won't be so crowded there. I hope.'

A man, laded with baskets of fish, stumbled against her, almost knocking her to the ground. He was immediately contrite, but before he could reach out to steady her, a strong arm caught Daine about the waist, and pulled her against a familiar body.

"Magelet? Are you hurt?" Numair asked in concern, looking down into her lovely, flushed face.

Daine shook her head 'no', and smiled at the hovering fisherman, waving away his apologies.

"I'm fine. Too distracted with thoughts of you," she teased Numair, grinning wickedly.

It was true, but he didn't need to know that.

Numair tightened his grip on her, shielding her from the jostling mass as they walked.

"I knew you'd fall for one of these Sailan swains," he jested, sighing theatrically.

Daine giggled. "Very funny. No. He wasn't tall enough for me, I'm sorry."

"Tall, hmm?" Numair raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Mmm. I'd miss getting a crick in my neck from kissing," she said, with airy amusement.

Coming to a halt, Numair tilted his head to the side.

"Even so, I can fix that," he said decisively.

Before Daine could question what he meant, Numair wrapped his other arm around her, lifted her off her feet until they were eye-to-eye, and planted a loving kiss on her mouth.

Two seconds later, she was back on the ground and he was towing her sedately in the direction of their Queen once more.

"Oh, good, there you are," Thayet greeted them, and her companions turned in the direction of the smugly smiling mage, and befuddled looking wild mage.

Alanna exchanged glances with Onua, and hid a smile. Numair was hardly able to take his eyes from Daine to acknowledge the Sailan officials, and Daine was – for once – speechless, one hand clutched in Numair's and the other unconsciously straying to her lips. She should really talk to them about their habit of kissing in public – not that it would do any good. And she didn't really mind. It was wonderful to see them both so obviously happy.

Catching Alanna's eye, Daine reddened and quickly dropped her hand from her mouth.

"Sir Tremain, Sir Renwald, I'd like you to meet Numair Salmalin, our black robe mage, and Veralidaine Sarrasri, our wild mage. Numair, Daine, this is Sir Tremain Balharran, the King's Champion, and Sir Renwald Verran, Captain of the Queen's Guard."

A smile lurked in the Queen's words. She knew the mages well. Kissing in public again, obviously.

Daine bowed her head politely, and greeted the two men, watching Numair do the same from the corner of her eye. She looked at them curiously, as Numair took her hand back in his and entwined their fingers. Sir Tremain, now in earnest conversation with Alanna, was a man of medium height but strongly muscled and squarely built. Curly brown hair was cut neatly away from a face dominated by large brown eyes and a trimmed beard. She liked him instinctively, responding to the humour and kindness in his face.

Unlike Sir Tremain, whose laugh lines betrayed his sense of humour, Sir Renwald appeared to be carved of stone. He stood respectfully before the visiting queen, but did not offer any semblance of a smile. His face, below slick black hair, was curiously blank and smooth – there were no lines, or wrinkles, or anything to suggest that he ever changed expression at all. Daine guessed that the King's Champion would be around middle-thirties, but couldn't imagine how old the Captain might be. His outer appearance gave away nothing – not his age, or his character, and certainly not what he was thinking. She didn't trust him.

"We have horses prepared for you, Your Majesty," he said politely - but tonelessly – to Thayet. "Our lieges' royal palace is not an hour's ride from Port Ballyntyne. Whenever you are ready to depart, we will be honoured to accompany you."

"We thank you, Sir Renwald," Thayet replied. "I very much look forward to meeting King Benjamin and Queen Lijana. I believe that we are ready now?"

She finished with a query, looking at Alanna for confirmation.

"Everyone has disembarked, Your Majesty," Alanna nodded, addressing Thayet more formally in the presence of strangers.

"Excellent," Sir Tremain said cheerfully, "Then shall we progress? The royal family is very excited about meeting you all. We're fascinated to hear more about Tortall and your neighbours. It seems unbelievable that so many kingdoms exist, and so close by, that we had no knowledge about. And we have someone who is going to be very excited to make your acquaintance, Mistress Sarrasri." He unexpectedly addressed Daine, startling her.

"Me?" she asked automatically, surprised. It was hardly a very courtly reply, but she hadn't been aware that anyone on the Sailan Isles would know of her existence.

"Oh, yes," Sir Renwald agreed, not very pleasantly, "I'm sure you're going to create quite a sensation."

Daine didn't think she liked the sound of that.