"Daine?" Numair entered their rooms carefully. It wouldn't be the first time that he had walked in and found numerous, large, dangerous animals sleeping on his lounge or desk. For once though, he heard and saw, nothing.
"Daine?" he repeated, slowly opening the door to their bedchamber. He saw her then, curled up under the covers, shoulders shaking with sobs. He crossed to her immediately, putting a gentle hand on her light brown curls. She jumped as if she had been burnt and wiped the tears of her cheeks furiously.
"Numair" she said, smiling slightly, "you're back early."
"Yes." He said quietly, "only this was not quite the reaction I had hoped for. What is wrong my love?"
"It – it is, nothing."
"Obviously not. You are certainly not one for weeping unnecessarily, one of your more redeeming qualities I might add."
She smiled grimly. "Would you care for a walk? I need to breathe a little."
"Of course." He helped her off the bed before realising that she remained in her bedclothes.
"My dear" he said gently, have you been abed all day?"
Daine nodded at her thin feet. Numair gripped her chin gently, lifting her face to his. "You will tell me what is wrong. You are too important to me. I will not ignore this, but for now, you need to dress." He pulled thin cotton breaches out of a small cupboard and tugged a shirt out of a draw. He left her to run cool water over a small cloth, returning to find her struggling with the ties on her shirt. He brushed her hands away before cupping her face in his hand and wiping it gently with the cool cloth. She sagged into him slightly and he felt her harsh breathing slow slightly before he kissed her lips.
Pulling away gently, he fiddled with the ties on her shirt, doing them up quickly, with obvious experience. He gripped her hand tightly and together they walked out into the palace gardens, finding a small incline to lie on as they watched the sky turn from a bright blue, to the husky tones of dusk.
Numair played with her curls gently, twining them around his fingers as the woman he had sworn to love eternally starred into the distance.
"Will you tell me? I cannot bear to see you this way." He said gently, his head resting on his arm as he turned to her.
"I am not sure how to tell you. I do not know how you will feel." She paused and he watched the tears return to her eyes. "I'm scared." She whispered.
"Of what?" he leaned over to brush a tear that had escaped from her tightly closed eyes.
For minutes there was silence. Finally she opened her eyes. "I am…with child…our child…" Unconsciously she touched her flat stomach.
Numair sprang into a sitting position. "You mean…you're saying… we're going to have a baby?"
Daine nodded, the tears beginning to flow freely again. Numair looked at her in confusion. "But, my love, why are you crying? Is this not a joyous occasion? Should we not be celebrating?"
"I don't know." Daine sobbed. "I'm so afraid."
"What is there to be afraid of? Is this not something that we have wanted?"
Daine looked at him wiping the tears of her face with the palms of her hands. "We have never spoken of it." She whispered her voice hoarse with tears.
"But, we love each-other." He looked at her in confusion before it dawned on him. "Do you think I will leave you?" he asked gently, pulling her up to sit on his lap.
"Are you saying you won't?" she asked turning to him.
"Of course not! Daine, I love you, I love that we will have children. Imagine…a little Daine, all sweet and curly haired." He grinned in spite of himself but stopped when he saw her serious expression.
"Daine, my sweet, you are all that I need in this world. Surly you know that? I would never leave you, I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He kissed her gently, brushing a hand over her cheeks and hair. "I could never be happier than I am right now. How could you not be happy? This is all I've ever wanted. Is it not the same for you?" he tilted her chin up to see her expression and saw that her eyes were clouded with fear.
"Please." She whispered. "Don't leave me. I could not bear it."
"Then do not think of it. I will be by your side for all of time, and beyond, and as soon as you are willing, we will be married. I would not want it any other way."
"I love you" Daine whispered, tucking herself into his lap, on hand firmly pressed around his wrist.
"I love you too, magelet." Numair kissed her brow, shivering in the delight of his true love, and his child.