Disclaimer: The unrecognisable characters and plot belong to me, but the known characters belong to the talented Tamora Pierce. I'm just borrowing them for a little while!

A/N: I know it's been too long for some of you… thanks to all those who have reviewed: Martini, Spice, Wolbane, Jossie, Veralidaine Sarrasi, Daine, Vulpes Lapis, Raashna, Dark Angel, Dracos Myth. Lioness-07863. Especially Martini because of her constant reviews and now her emails! Special thanks also goes to my beta, Jossie, for editing as usual. The nest chapter is coming your way soon Jos. Thanks for everyone for being so patient.


CHAPTER 8: IS IT LOVE OR LUST?

He closed the door and walked through the sitting room to where she was standing by the bed. He came up to stand face to face with her. Bending forward he kissed her lips gently. He stepped back and looked at her, making sure that this was what she wanted. He could wait until she was ready as he was in no hurry. He simply wanted to be with her and whether or not they slept together tonight was another matter all together. But seeing her smile at him, he was reassured when she held out her hands for him to take. He reached around her and undid half of the fastenings on her gown. He pushed the sleeve away from her shoulder and kissed the now bare skin, moving on up towards her neck. She closed her eyes and allowed him to continue on with his desire. His lips were gentle on her soft skin and she could feel his warm breath on her. It made her giddy. The sleeve slipped further down her arm to expose more bare skin underneath. Numair kissed her lips once again, placing one hand on the other side of her neck while his other hand began to run down her neck while his other hand began to run down her bare back.

Daine pulled away from the kiss and looked Numair in the eyes. She smiled as her shaky fingers undid the buttons on his silk shirt. Sliding her hands under his shirt but over his shoulders, the shirt fell to the floor. She kissed him firmly, reassuring him yet again that she was okay. He fumbled at the last of the fastenings on Daine's gown before he let it slip to the floor where it made a soft shushing sound. Picking her up in his arms, he walked around to the side of the bed and laid Daine down on it where they resumed kissing. Their hands and fingers pressed readily against each other's flesh in an attempt to be more intimate. Daine could feel his hands exploring her body, tracing lines over her shoulders, breasts and down her trim stomach to her hips and thighs.

A few hours later, Daine lay enveloped in Numair's arms as he slept beside her. She smiled and wriggled back underneath the bed covers. She lay there deliriously happy, content that she knew where she was meant to be. The wildmage whispered the words "I love you" just as she was closing her eyes and Numair was opening his. He smiled down at her. She looked serene lying encircled in his arms and knew that he would wait forever for Daine to personally tell him that she loved him.

Signs of the sun's rays were streaming through the curtains and splashing over everything it fell upon in the chambers. Daine's eyes flickered open from what she presumed was a dream. A wonderful dream, where she and Numair had spent the night together and they had been totally happy. Remembering the dream she smiled. It was such a blissful dream with Numair sweeping her off her feet. Showering her with affection, love and being attentive to her needs, not to mention the kisses! She could still feel his lips on hers. They were soft, warm and inviting.

She heard a noise coming from the left of her. Coming out of her daydream, she focused her attentions towards the door, which was open. It was the door to the bathroom and privy. She sat up, resting her weight on her elbows and realised that she was lying in bed naked. Before she could do anything of her own will, Numair appeared in the doorframe.

"You're awake," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

She looked at him briefly as the memory of what happened the night before came flooding back to her. She then realised that she had not been dreaming and glanced at Numair, discovering that he was standing there fully naked. She blushed a deep red colour. Her eyes widened as she let out a hasty "Oh my" and sank back down into the bed. She heard him chuckle and pulled the blankets up over her head in an attempt to try to hide her burning face.

"Magelet my sweet, I didn't mean to embarrass you. But it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" He walked around to the other side of the bed and slipped underneath the covers. "After last night, after what we did, it hardly seems fetching that you can't look at me." He slowly tugged the blanket away from her beet red face.

"I didn't really notice that until just now, that's all. It makes everything much more real. I thought I was dreaming Numair."

"Well it's no dream magelet. I'm real, you're real and I love you." He placed his palm on the side of her face and made her turn to look at him. "I love you Daine. I love you and I don't want to do anything to harm the relationship that we have. All I can do now is make sure that you are ok and ask the questions I should have asked before I let this happen. Should we have waited?" Concern strained through his facial expression as he waited for her to respond. Daine looked away from him as she considered. The moment seemed to stretch on forever but finally Daine came to her senses and looked back up at him.

"No," she whispered. "No. I wouldn't take back what I gave you. I gave you me, my heart, my soul, my body." She removed his hand from her face and took hold of it. "I should have said this to you a long time ago Numair. I love you too. I think I always have but could never bring myself to believe it to be true. I didn't want to say it to you until I was sure of what I was feeling for you. Numair I-"

But she was cut of as he swept her up in his arms and kissed her deeply. The kiss was broken a few moments later and they both lay back to rest their heads on the pillows. Daine twisted around to gaze at Numair. She was the first to speak.

"Numair, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

Turning to look at her, Numair answered, "We'll do whatever we want. Although I think it might be wise to keep this to ourselves for a little while, don't you?"

"Yes. The gossips would have a field day if they knew." She heard Numair groan and knew what he was thinking. My reputation she thought. They'll have had us in bed together, secretly albeit, since I began as his student. She knew of how often Numair had lost his temper over her virtue or had tried to convince an untried mage to a trial by combat. But someone had always stepped in to persuade him otherwise. Many courtiers had suggested that she must have slept with many a knight or mage, even the King himself, for her to be so highly regarded above any one else. She knew it was all donkey dung and so did Numair for that matter, but it still didn't mean that they both took it to heart when the subject was raised over and over again.

"Numair we'll think of something, I know we will."

"Of course we will. We'll talk more about this later, but right now I just want to snuggled up to you and sleep." He pulled her closer towards his body and wrapped his arms round her small frame, brushing his lips against her hair. Sighing Daine too snuggled in close. She felt comfortable, like she was in the right place. That being here with Numair was the right thing for her, for both of them. That this was were she was meant to be, here, lying in the arms of her beloved.

The sound of someone knocking on the door woke Daine with a start. It seemed to be late morning. There was movement beside her and she turned to see Numair getting out of their nice warm bed. He began dragging on breeches, as there was a second knock on the door. She was about to tell him not to bother answering the door when he tripped over in his rush to put his pants on before he reached the door. He heard her giggle and swung around to look at her.

"You had better stop that or you'll be sorry," he scowled at her. "I'll come over there and make you pay for laughing at me!"

She laughed even more and blew him a kiss. She heard Numair swing the door open and curse.

"Who's at the door Numair?" Daine called from the bedroom. She heard Numair mumble something under his breath but couldn't quite make it out. It wasn't until she heard a second male voice that she too swore, suddenly remembering that she had promised to show Eden the menagerie this morning. "Numair, show Eden into the sitting room. I'll be out in a minute."

Daine wrapped herself up in the white linen sheets from Numair's bed and rushed into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, Daine dropped the sheets from her hold and quickly washed herself from last night's makeup, which was partially still on her face. She was trying to put on the gown from last night when Numair tapped on the bathroom door.

"I've got one of your spares out of my travelling pack, here."

He thrust the garments through the door, where Daine took them with humble thanks. She had forgotten that they had a spare set of clothes in each others travelling packs. Dressed in clean clothes of tan breeches and white shirt she hastily finger combed her hair, tying it back with a band of Numair's.

When Daine came out into the bedroom Numair was putting his shirt back on with fingers that trembled. He looked up and stared at her, willing her to say something. Instead, she dumped the sheets back onto the bed and walked over to where he was standing. She brushed his fingers aside and did the buttons up for him.

"What's he doing here magelet?"

"I promised him yesterday that I would show him the menagerie."

"That doesn't tell me why he's lounging round in my sitting room."

"He probably came looking for me when I didn't show up." She looked up at him and sighed when she saw that his eyes didn't seem to be as happy as when she had last saw them. She whispered his name and placed her hands on his face. She had never seen these emotions played across his face like this before. It scared her to see that so much had changed between them in the last few hours. That she was standing here, in his bedroom, holding him. If she knew yesterday what she would be doing today, she would have thought she was going mad again, that one of the great gods where playing a trick on her. She let go of Numair saying, "He's waiting, I have to go."

"No. Wait. How long will you be?" He whispered as he gently stroked her hair with one hand and held her with the other.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully only a few hours because I still need to pack for our journey and I need to ready Cloud and I wouldn't mind some archery practice before we go and…" she trailed off.

"Ok, ok, I get what you mean." Numair laughed. "Considering that we've missed breakfast, how's about we meet for lunch in two hours time?" He looked at her and added, "Please say you will Magelet." He could see that she was having difficulty deciding, knowing that she didn't want to cut short her promises to Eden but neither wanting to miss out of being with him. Hoping to persuade her otherwise, Numair leaned in closer and kissed her. When they came up for air a few moments later he saw her grinning.

"Two hours time, the back table in the corner of the mess hall. Don't be late."

They had reached the huge wrought iron gates to that of the menagerie. The guard on duty popped his head out of the tiny office beside the entrance to see who was there.

"Lady Daine! How nice it is to see you again."

"Sergeant Thomas, you know I am no lady, just Daine."

"Then you must also know that I have asked you not to call me Sergeant Thomas, but to call me Tom?"

"Yes, yes, fine. Now, if you please, will you open the gates? My good friend here doesn't want to be standing around here all day listening to us banter."

"Ok, ok, hold your horses. Calm down Daine, which side of the bed did you wake up on this morning? You're a little testy, everything ok?" He pulled a key from round his neck and unlocked the door. As it was swung open, Daine could have sworn that she heard Eden say, "More like the wrong bed" under his breath but when she twisted round to look at him, he was all smiles. It was as if she had imagined it. Or had she?

They walked through the gate, with thanks to Tom. She had become familiar with a few of the guards posted on gate duty due to having to heal and nurse a few of the animals back to full health at all hours of the day and night. Daine watched as Eden went from each enclosure to the next with fascination. He watched Daine converse with each of the animals held within before she could attend to the next. She answered questions that were put to her from Eden. Most were about where the animal originated from and what kind of food they fed each animal. But when Daine asked him something of an animal from his country, his answers were short and abrupt. She knew that something was wrong and stopped to apologise for not meeting him where she said she would for the one-hundredth time.

"Eden, I told you I was sorry. I didn't mean to forget about meeting you. It just happened. I was… distracted."

"I know you were distracted, but how could you lie to me like that? I thought we were friends."

"What do you mean I lied to you?" Daine asked.

"You lied to me yesterday when I asked you about your relationship with your teacher, Master Salmalin. You lied to me when you said that it was only a student/teacher relationship and nothing more. You lied to me Daine and I won't tolerate it. Now tell me the truth."

"I… I… didn't realise that I had to explain myself to you. True, I should have said that were was something small going on between us, but not only was it none of your business, but at the time there wasn't really much going on."

"Wasn't much going on?" he repeated her words, sounding every bit like a jealous lover.

"We were just flirting. Well that was until last night that is…" Daine trailed off as a smile grew upon her face. She remembered the touch of Numair's fingertips on the curves of her bare skin and the way she enticed him even more throughout the night with her alluring blue grey eyes and pouting lips. She didn't know that all she had to do was flutter her eyelashes at him, making him respond spontaneously.

"…just flirting." She heard Eden say as she focused on the present moment.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you were doing. Ha!" He turned from her as he began to pace back and forth. Stopping he looked at her directly and said, "How can you be 'just flirting' when I saw you and him kissing in the corridor?"

Daine's head shot up as though she had been slapped. Bewilderment and shock flowed upon her face, drawing her brows to knit closer together.

"You what?" she whispered angrily.

"You heard. I followed you and Master Salmalin the other night, after you both left the group in the delegation quarters. I followed you and I saw you two kissing. I couldn't believe that you would lie to me. Now I find out that there's more to it!" he bellowed at her.

"What does it matter to you if there's more to it?" she demanded. "As far as I am concerned it's none of your business what happens in my personal life. What is it to you? Huh, tell me that."

"What is it to me?" Again he echoed her words. "It's everything Daine, everything. You, sweet one, are everything to me. From the moment that I knew you existed I've made it my business to know everything about you. Why do you think I became a mage and not a knight? Because there is such a thing as wild magic and I want to know everything about that particular magic. From the moment I saw you, from the moment I heard about you, I knew there was something special about you. All I want to do is spend more time with you, to get to know you better." He stopped his pacing and moved closer to her. "Daine, I… I think I'm falling for you. You have such beautiful hair and the most gorgeous eyes. I want to know one thing though.

"What's that?" Daine asked quietly.

"This…" he said and moved in and placed his lips on hers, passionately kissing her.

Daine pulled back, away from Eden and stared at him. He had taken her by surprise and she didn't like the fact that he had unwillingly kissed her. Tears formed in her eyes and started to roll down her cheeks. Before she knew it, she had told him to find his own way back to his room for he shouldn't have kissed her. She promptly walked away from him, leaving Eden to stand there. When Daine reached the gates, she told Tom to make sure that the student mage was safely returned to the delegation quarters and swiftly left.

Daine had never felt so confused and angry in her life until now. She couldn't believe that Eden had done that. Also that he has feelings for her was a complete surprise. How could I have known? Daine was somewhat oblivious to this sort of thing and it was Numair who had made her aware of these types of feelings. Daine wiped away tears and continued walking hastily along to her room. Not stopping to explain herself to those walking past and observing her current state of appearance. Why should I? She thought.

"Thankyou, I'll be able to get back from here." Nodding his thanks to the guard, Eden continued to walk along the hall towards the delegation's quarters, his mind racing at full speed. Instead of walking through the door to his allocated room, he turned and went through a small brick archway, that lead towards an indoor courtyard. He had been in here the other night and liked it because it was quiet and it would allow him to think. He thought it was one of the most beautiful gardens he had ever seen. Fallen trees covered with vines and leaves. Giant willow and oak trees towered above, while smaller saplings sheltered below. The foliage ranged in various shades of greens. Eden reached out and touched the dark emerald coloured leaves as he walked past on the trodden in path to further inspect the courtyard.

There was a tiny brook glistening along the tops of pebbles in between the tall trunks of the trees, creating the delicate sound of trickling water. Where it came from and where it went he could not see.

On the other side of the brook, after crossing the wooden footbridge, there was a small clearing in which stood a white clay bench seat. Situated around it was a petite flowering garden bed of wild flowers and shrubs ranging in an array of shades of purples, light blues, deep pinks and sunny yellows. The whole atmosphere of the garden was serene like. Never before having experienced anything like it at all, Eden sat down silently and gently. As he did, he noticed that creeping up the legs of the bench was a soft bright coloured moss that covered the intricate pattern of the bench's carvings.

I was here that Eden pondered thought that went speeding through his mind. Thoughts especially of Daine and of the conversation where he told her how he felt about her. Never in his wild imaginings did he think that she would react this way. But then again, he had imagined that he would have told her so soon. All his careful planning had just gone out the window. He had wanted to allow Daine to get to know him better. So that in turn she would grow to love him like he loved her.

Eden sighed heavily. 'Now I'll have to alter my plans,' he thought. He loved her, wanted her and desperately needed her. How he had survived this long in life without her had been somewhat of a mystery to him. Eden wanted her for himself, that much was for sure, and he would not let anything 'or anyone' he thought, stop him from getting what he desired.

Rising from the bench and clenching his fists, he said softly, "Daine you will be mine."


A/N: So! How did you like that one, ay? Big smug looking grin Well now I only hope that you enjoyed my chapter and that you'll review it for me. Thanks a bunch! – N –