Disclaimer: These are Tamora Pierce's characters, not mine. This explains why they appear to have lost all their sanity. (And obviously mine too)

The Empire

Arram gently swung open his bedroom door. He had wanted to take her somewhere else, like a room of her own, but there was nothing close. The only other available place he could think of was his quarters. While he thought it somewhat improper she did not even bat an eyelash at his suggestion. He shrugged his shoulders and let her pass.

Daine stepped quickly into the small room. It was dark with a few lamps scattered randomly around the bookshelves that lined the walls. Clothes were piled in a heap by the foot of his bed. The sheets looked like they had been hurriedly thrown to cover the bed, but it had in no way been made. Books and papers littered the floor and ink stains spotted the carpets and the sparse furniture. She smiled slightly. He does not change too much, does he?

"Uhm, it's not exactly prepared for guests," he said somewhat contritely. She turned around to assure him that it was fine with her, she had definitely seen worse, but then she caught sight of the handkerchief on the floor by the pillow. On one creamy white corner the letter V was stitched in the palest pink. Her lips pursed and she bent and picked it up. The scent was different, but she had definitely seen one almost exactly like it before in the same man's rooms. It bothered her even though she knew that Numair had slept with Varice, and even thought he loved her, it was much harder to accept when it was currently going on.

He must have caught the expression on her face as she turned around because he took a step backward and flushed dark red when he saw what she had in her hand. He stated after taking a deep breath, "That is my girlfriend's. I did not know that she left it here."

"Apparently not," Daine spat out almost viciously.

He smiled slightly and took the small cloth from her fingers. "Thank you," was his only reply. He was laughing to himself, she looked so upset! For some reason the look she wore made him irrationally happy. He brushed a curl away from his face and smiled down at her. She was so small and wild looking. She was definitely not his usual type, and she even had an air about her that made him want to be afraid of her. However, she seemed honest and straightforward; she had earned his trust even though he could not think of what she had done to make him regard her so highly. She was a confusing girl.

Later Daine leaned against the cool wall and stared blindly at the brilliant red sunset tracing fiery fingers across the tortured sky. She shook her head slowly, almost imperceptibly, but Arram noticed. It was understandable, her being upset; she was so far from home and left in a country completely different from her own. Even the trees and sounds were strange. What he did not understand was that she truly was not distressed by her surroundings, but the continual evidence that she had been sent back in time stunned her. She had gone back eleven years to be exact because Arram had just celebrated his nineteenth birthday. So technically she was still in Snowsdale with Ma and Grandda. Her mother was still alive! These thoughts left her strangely exhausted; her concept on life and the world had suddenly been thrown into chaos. She neglected to take into consideration the fact that she had not eaten in about two days and that she had been bedridden for almost a week. The exhaustion was not completely from forcing world views to change.

Suddenly a knock in a perfectly sequenced pattern crashed upon her tired ears. She recoiled slightly at the sound and Arram touched her shoulder gently as he passed to open the door. "It's a friend of mine. Don't worry."

He swung open the door and faced the shorter, brown haired youth. They stared at each other for a few moments before Arram moved aside enough to permit the stranger to pass. The boy was dressed in rich silks and velvets in soft black and blood red. His eyes burned into hers for a moment as he settled himself in the back of the room. Her skin crawled at his gaze and she even forgot to note the color of his eyes. Without noticing she shrank closer to Arram's solid presence. The stranger raised a regal eyebrow as he scanned her with an appreciative gaze. She did not like the way he looked at her; the way he moved irritated her. Why was he so familiar?

"Arram, I don't have long. You will have to make this quick," he said in an elegant, imperial tone.

"We, Sarra and I," he elaborated with a gesture at Daine and rested his hand on her shoulder, "have a small problem."

"You want me to remove Varice? Honestly, Arram, you have never had the problem with leaving girls before," he almost sneered.

Daine could almost feel the heat radiating from Arram in his embarrassment as he replied, "That is not what I meant, Ozorne!" Here he cleared his throat and proceeded, "Sarra is form Galla, and, well, she found herself here outside the university with no idea how she got there. I think there must have been a great magical working that twisted the space through continuum to form a passageway, a-a-a portal. So a great mage must be behind this; probably a black robe. That narrows the amount of suspects to about, well six. That's where we need your help; you are the only one with the authority to talk, interrogate them. You –"

"I think you're being too smart." At their blank looks she explained, "What I mean is, I think you're missing the simple things. After all, what makes you so certain it was some sort of magic that dropped me here? It could have been some sort of bandit."

Arram stuttered for a brief moment, then smiled slightly. It wasn't so bad, being reprimanded by her. She was so innocent and confused. Then again, she was also smiling at him in a smugly proud way with a look in her eyes that he did not think was innocent at all.

Ozorne watched them for a few moments. Arram had never liked being told that he was thinking to hard. It was a favorite pastime of his. However, he did not seem to mind this girl correcting him. That in itself was astounding; Arram was a free spirit. He would not even listen to Varice and they had been together for about two years. This girl, Sarra, would make a valuable accomplice.

Marginally, Ozorne steered the conversation back around to Arram's theory. He wanted his friend to leave him completely in charge of the situation and therefore not think about it too much more. After all, he was Arram's best and truest friend. During his remaining time away from his throne, he bent to the task of getting to know the girl. He flirted and commanded. He questioned and sympathized until he was satisfied that she was hiding something with her very life. She had a weak spot.

Ozorne left the room with a smile for his friend and an elegant bow for Daine. After the door shut behind his retreating shadow, Arram said as if into the darkness, "He is the Emperor, you know. He was crowned about a year ago. This country hold so much promise with him on the throne. He was always capable and determined. He could think through any situation even as a child diplomatically and calmly. Carthak shall flourish."

"I take it that you two are friends," she replied dryly without turning around.

"Yes, since we started at the University together. He has always been better than me, though. It seems no matter what I do."

He sounded dreamy at the thought of being the one and only Emperor Mage's better. Daine had not known that piece of his history and said before thinking, "Really? I thought you were the more powerful!"

He grinned at her honestly shocked expression and replied, "Thank you! No one has ever thought of me as being that capable." He looked at the ground quickly and slowly raised his head a moment later to say, "It's getting late now, Sarra, and you look exhausted. Let me find you a room of your own."

(AN: Alright, I cannot remember what Ozorne looks like, but that is only my small problem. I know you want Daine/Arram stuff, at least I do, but I can't figure out how to fit it in. I mean he is with Varice (damn her anyway) and I don't want him to end up hurting Daine because he is somewhat of an idiot to still be with a woman who is obviously going to end up senile in her old age. And another thing is, what about Numair? Wouldn't she feel like she's cheating on him? Too many questions!!!!

As you can see, these characters control my life.)