Chapter 2
They got to the palace thankfully without seeing anyone they knew. But when they got in the palace, they spotted Onua.
"Oh no!" Numair whispered despairingly. "I can't let her see me like this! She'll tell everyone!"
"Numair, your embarrassment is making you lose your mind! Is Onua the kind of person to go around blabbing to everyone and much less, talking at all?" Daine whispered back.
"Well, she'll tell Raoul, and who knows who he'll tell? Or maybe she'll tell Stephen! But I suppose that I will not have to worry about him telling anyone except the horses."
"Yes, he never talks to anyone. Except…"
"Except who! Daine, come on, this is not at all amusing! The world's greatest mage falls in a mud puddle and… ohhhh."
Daine started cracking up. "Ohhhh what?"
"Umm, nothing, magelet."
Then he whispered a word under his breath, his face red, and his clothes magically were cleaned in a split second.
"Um, Numair, please don't get mad at me, but did you just realize that you are the greatest mage in the world?" she asked, clearly fighting to not burst out laughing.
"Well, as a matter of fact, yes I just did," he said with as much dignity as he could muster. "Just because I am a great mage does not necessarily mean that I am not occasionally preoccupied."
"Whatever!" she laughed, shaking her head.
They walked into their chambers and started getting ready for their wedding. Numair would be wearing a black tuxedo-like suit, and Daine would be wearing a pure white wedding dress. But when Daine opened their closet doors to get out their special clothes, they weren't there!
"Umm, Numair, did you happen to, by any chance, move our clothes?" she asked nervously.
"I do not believe that I did. Why?" he replied.
"Well, just the small problem of the fact that they're not here anymore!" she said.
"Oh, well, then- that would be a hindrance," he said calmly. "I would not worry about it too much, magelet."
"Numair!" she admonished. "Our wedding is in about one hour and we're supposed to be getting ready!" She was very worried.
"It is not a problem, dearest," he quietly told her. "You see, I was fearful that someone would in fact appropriate them; consequently, I took the liberty of persuading Buri to guard them for us."
"Whew. I thought they were really gone," she sighed. "I'll be right back."
Numair watched her run down the long hallway. "Most unladylike," he noted to himself, smiling. Then he turned around to ready himself for the long ceremony that would take place shortly.