Chapter 15: The Ball Part I
Daine and Numair strode down the hall, Daine taking two steps for Numair's one. So, continuing to Jon's study in this manner, Daine was quite out of breath. Quickly greeting the king and apologizing for their tardiness, they stood behind two chairs. Jon was on the other side of his desk and he looked as if he wanted to say something before they sat down.
"Well, to begin, I would just like to say that at the ball tomorrow, I will be saying a few words of thanks. Most likely, the whole kingdom will have heard of your mishap, Daine, and will be curious. Is there anything that you would like to say, or would like me to say?"
"I wouldn't very much like to be described as 'back from the dead', so if you could avoid that at all means possible, I would be grateful," she said with a smile.
"Of course I will avoid that. Now, to the more serious matters." The laughter in his eyes faded. "I was wondering if you two might do some field work for me – " He didn't finish as he saw Daine's eyes grow wide as she started to back up.
Daine was scooting back and she looked as if she was in danger of a venomous beast. Both Numair and Jon's brows furrowed into concern.
"No, no, no," Daine just kept repeating these words and shaking her head. There was a note of fear in her voice. "No, no, Jon, don't make me go! Numair, don't let him make me go! I can't go, I can't – " She had reached the wall and looked as if she were trying to burrow into it.
"Daine, what are you doing? What's the matter?" Numair asked and started towards her. Jon was still puzzled. Reaching her, Numair tipped her chin up.
"No, don't make me go! It's just like in my dream! I'm on an assignment, and then I'm there, and, and," she looked completely terrified now as she continued this.
"Daine, honey, you're not making any sense," Numair told her soothingly. He listened to her words again (she was repeating them). "Daine, is this what was in your dream last night? Did something bad happen?"
Daine started to get hysterical. "No, no, I can't go, Numair! Please, don't make me go!" He let go of her as she was wriggling in his hold. She sank to the floor and hugged her knees. Numair saw that Jon gave him a questioning look before he crouched down beside Daine.
"Daine, will you please tell me what happened last night?"
"No, I won't go, Numair. I was there, I saw me, I was, I was, I won't go. Don't make me go, please?" She looked into his eyes. He saw that there was terrible fear within them and tears on the surface. Numair stood and offered a hand to Daine. Jon didn't know how Numair could be so calm about this. Daine was talking nonsense.
She placed her small shaking hand in his large tender one and he pulled her up. She immediately buried her face in his chest and began muttering. Numair took her up into his arms and sat in one of the chairs.
Numair waited until Daine had calmed down until he began talking.
"Daine, will you please tell me what you dreamed last night?
Her chin began to quiver. Shaking her head, Daine touched his temples with her two first fingers.
Numair sat still although he had no clue what she was doing. Then, suddenly, a mental image flashed through his head: it was Daine in a pool of blood. He jerked his head, trying to get the image out of his mind. Somehow he knew that this was what was scaring her.
"Daine, honey, don't worry. He won't make you go. Shhh." She was shaking uncontrollably. He sat there and held her while Jon went to get her some water. As he stroked her hair, she fell asleep.
"I'll just put her in bed," Daine faintly heard Numair say. She felt herself being lifted and carried. Wherever they were going, she didn't mind. Numair had her, and she was safe. Sleep took her again.
"Alanna will sit with her until I come back. Daine had a rough night last night." With that Numair exited through the door Jon held open for him.
Numair laid her gently on top of the comforter and pulled off her boots. Alanna would check in on her every quarter hour or so. "Sleep well, Magelet," he kissed her forehead.
When Diane woke, Numair wasn't there. She didn't know where he might be, but she decided that she should go and apologize to Jon and explain her actions. It might not be the easiest thing to do but now that she was calm it would be tolerable.
After slipping out bed and pulling her boots on, Daine walked down the hall. She stopped short outside Jonathan's study; voices emitted from the crack in the door.
" – Going to propose? I think it would be nice," came Jon's voice, and Daine had a pretty good idea of what proposal he was talking about. There was a few moments silence before anyone spoke again.
"No. I – well, I have to think about it. I don't think so." The world closed itself off form Daine's ears and all she could hear was her heart beating rapidly, with a queer roaring then replacing her heart.
He didn't want to propose! That meant he didn't love her, didn't it?
With heavy feet Daine managed to trudge to the front doors, managed to wrench them open, and finally managed to get into the horse pasture. Thanking the gods that no one was around to see, she buried her face into Cloud's mane and told her the story.
"I don't know what to do, Cloud," Daine confessed minutes later. "It feels like he loves me, like the warmth that shows in his eyes and the way he always manages to catch my hand and at the same time catch the breath in my throat. He's magnificent. I just wish he felt the same about me."