Disclaimer: This work is based on the literary genius of Tamora Pierce. If you recognize it, it's probably hers.

A/N: I feel it only fair to warn you that this story does not have the typical "happy ending". Usually an epilogue ties up loose ends. This time it will leave them. Those will have to be fixed in "Maelstrom" and "Taken". Those are my next fics. Maelstrom deals with the time between this and RotG and Taken will be RotG from Numair's POV.

Nativewildmage: Don't feel bad about not realizing they were together. It never actually says as much, although I always saw them as belonging. I was actually really happy when I saw them together in TC because I thought they should be a couple. I'm glad you've liked this fic.

Ethalas Tuath'an: Elyra had just arrived back in Corus. It's reasonable to say that she met with Jon first and probably attended the banquet. But she wanted to see Lindhall, so she went to find him. When Numair hears her ask if anyone can play, that's when she just walked in the door. I hope what Daine feels for Numair isn't unclear. She loves him and it says as much several times throughout the story. To her it isn't as complicated as it is to Numair, and since she's more practical and he's more political, that's how it should be.

Lady Araceli: It really was only two months. I like how Lindhall had to be pushed into action – always a gentleman. There was a lot of kissing in that chapter. My favorite kiss though was between Sarge and Onua. Everything about that was him letting her know that he would never be the way her husband was. Very sigh worthy!

Kit49: The "fool for you" line might be a bit cliché now, but in the time frame, it would have been an unbelievable statement. He was letting her know that she would never again be beaten, never again be considered property, and would be loved forever, and he was willing to do it from a distance if that's what she wanted. I loved putting it that way because that is how she needed it to be. I love Onua.

Purple Eyed Cat: It's funny how many people want me to rush Daine and Numair's relationship. It won't happen in this story. But the long awaited chapter where Numair looks at his feelings is below.

Epilogue – Love

The Winter Solstice dawned clear and cool with a bright sunrise filled with almost magical colors. Those who did not possess magic and were awake for the display were awed and were sure it was a gift from the gods. Those who did possess magic – Gift, Immortal, and Wild – labored to hear something that was not a sound. Numair sat up in his bed pouring sweat and breathing hard, hair plastered to his head. Though he could not see them, he knew what all the other mages in the city and palace were doing. The king, awake and working in his study, knocked his chair over when he jumped to his feet. Harailt of Aili, the dean of the royal university, flailed in bed and fell out with a thud. Lindhall Reed and Elyra Kelton, who were sharing an early morning tea, each dropped their cups, which shattered on the floor. Gareth the Elder of Naxen pressed a hand to his laboring heart. Kuri Taylor swayed on her feet, half fainting. Even those with wild magic registered on his senses. Onua jumped out of her dawn bath, shrieking a K'miri War Cry. Stephan Groomsman fell out of his loft, landing safely on several bales of hay, while the horses that loved him whickered with concern.

And Daine sat up in her bed nest of cats, dragon, marmosets, martens and dogs, eyes wide in the gloom, soft pink lips parted. Kit trilled without stopping, her voice spreading in a series of rippling pools, soon to reach and fill the palace itself.

"Kit, hush," Numair heard Daine say, though she did not try to enforce the directive. "Numair, what is it?"

He did not question her knowing that he knew what she had said, in spite of hundreds of yards and numerous buildings between them, any more than she questioned it. In that moment, as the sun climbed over the horizon, any wall seemed vague and ghostly. "It's the barrier," he answered softly. "The barrier between the realms. It's – gone, evaporated."

He could feel her blink, as if those long dark lashes of hers touched his cheek. He reached for the point of contact with the young woman he was in love with. But it was not real. The woman he was in love with? Suddenly he learned something he'd never considered before. This feeling he had fought for months – this truth he had both searched for and shied away from -- he had fallen in love with Daine.

He struggled to breathe as the fresh knowledge erased even his sense of magical cataclysm. He could see it all now – the eager touches, jealousy, adoration, dreams, private jokes, and protectiveness. He had fallen very deeply in love with his student. He had poured his emotions into those songs, ignoring their meaning because he could close the cover when the song was put to paper. He had pushed aside the desperation to be near her and disregarded his moments of envy in an unconscious effort to insulate himself from a reality he wasn't ready to face.

Her next words broke through his thoughts. "The immortals – they'll be on us like a ton of bricks," she said in her most practical voice. "I'd best get up."

He stood, shaking, and walked to his work room. He used several gems to draw the magic in the air away, afraid someone would hear his thinking. He sat back on his bed and placed his face in his hands. He was fourteen years her senior – fourteen years! He was already studying magic in Carthak for four years before she was born. While she was learning to walk, he was probably taking his apprentice tests and – oh Gods – the first time he slept with a woman Daine was only four! He could remember when he was sixteen actually referring to a thirty year old as an old man. He wondered if that's what she thought when she looked at him.

He wasn't exactly certain when this became love, but he was aware it had been so for a while. Looking back he could see how the seed was planted as far back as when they first met. She saved his life. He had admired her greatly for her strength. He could remember spending the trip back with Daine and Onua, laughing and joking like he rarely did. So often Numair would get wrapped up in one kind of magical working or another and forget important little things like eating, let alone attending to such things as maintaining friendships. This was not so where Daine was concerned and it had never been. He could remember being so scared when she healed the dragon and fainted that he forgot to hold off the dampeners in Pirate's Swoop.

Other memories flooded his mind. He replayed moments in Dunlath when they had been separated for so long and he was so terrified that he would find her dead. He had flown to her despite knowing that he would need his magic. Seeing her lying on the floor unconscious had nearly ripped him apart and he had held his breath until he found a pulse. He had denied to himself for so long the reason he had used a word of power on Tristan Staghorn when he had always been so careful, always reminding himself that such things had consequences. He had done it to protect Daine. Tristan targeted her and Numair wouldn't let her be killed.

He drew his hands slowly down his face, stretching the flesh as he did so. His mind drifted to Carthak – the dreams, hitting Ozorne, hunting for Daine desperately. It was all there and so completely obvious. He would have done anything to protect her, including acting like a fool to warn a swain not to toy with her emotions.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the Copper Isles Peace Accord should have clued him in. Everyone was buzzing about how beautiful Elyra Kelton was. All he could see was Daine. Daine, Daine, Daine, Daine! Don't people always think of those they love when they die? He certainly had. He saw Daine in his mind's eye after he sent Michael to Alanna. There were no thoughts of his mother or any other family. There were no memories of any other friends. It was all her.

Then he thought about Cearl de Romondo and the word of power that could have destroyed his whole world. He nearly failed. Feeling her there that day – that's what had reminded him of what he was fighting for. He was not sure if he had drawn power from her or simply resolve.

Every time he had lost control of his magic in the last few months was a moment when she was threatened. When he thought she might not forgive him for their fight, he had actually entertained the darkest thoughts. He could even see moments when his need to touch her had put them in highly inappropriate positions – positions that could trick a young girl into a relationship that she didn't want. His chest began to ache, a hollow feeling which he was certain was the reason people had decided to call it heart-ache when love was unrequited. She couldn't love him. She shouldn't love him. She was everything that was wonderful and open and he was everything that was depressing and droll – even his magic was black.

The desperate part of his mind began to argue. She has never pushed me away. But then Daine had suffered so much in her life that perhaps she was incapable of causing him pain. How could love really harm her though? She could be drawn into something she didn't want, his realistic self argued, and then she might miss the person she would really want to be with. Who? Perin Porter? That clerk couldn't be her someone, he's too --common. Numair shook his head at his own pathetic musings. He knew better than this. Daine didn't see any class of people as better than anyone else and it was only his desperation to be worthy of her that made him think things like that.

He realized he should probably get dressed to meet with Jon. The king would want to discuss the barrier and plan for the inevitable attacks of the immortals. Daine will fight and could be killed if I'm not there. That was rubbish as well. She was quite capable of taking care of herself. He was looking for an excuse to be near her and he didn't have that right. He felt threatening tears gathering in his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stubbornly refused to let them fall. He hated to cry.

He washed up, combed his hair, and cleaned his teeth. He began to get dressed numbly, trying not to allow the feelings to run away with him. That small part of him that still wanted hope tried to argue again. Fourteen year old girls are betrothed to nobles your age all the time. That's a bigger age difference with a younger bride. It was true. Marriages like that were arranged quite often, but the girls were usually unhappy and am I really thinking of marriage? The realization stunned him. He had avoided the topic for so long. He knew he had toyed with the emotions of many ladies of court. He almost always attended the first night of the mid-winter celebration when the eligible ladies were presented at court. He had slept with far too many to be considered a reputable man. He never once considered actually marrying them. But he would marry Daine if that were somehow an option. He could picture loving her for the rest of his life – which would inevitably be a shorter stretch than she had left. He was arguing in circles.

If he were to try to propose to her, she would surely laugh at him. If she didn't, would such a match ever be accepted? He thought to the jokes George had made as Daine tried to care for him. "When a pretty girl is willin' ta let ye' lay in her lap, I say go with it." Maybe George would accept them. Would Alanna? And then he wondered about Onua, Jon and Thayet. Jon probably wouldn't. Jon had once ordered him to look after Daine like she was his own child. Jon definitely would not like the age difference. And Lindhall, the teacher he so greatly admired, would surely not like this situation. I'm her teacher. It would be taking advantage of a relationship that is never meant to be like this. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about all of this anyway. It could never happen.

Then that small part of him asked, What if she already loves you? If that were true then he could – it would make this alright. But she mustn't be fooled or coerced. He couldn't let this show at all. She would have to let him know somehow and until that time he would have to keep it all locked inside. Of course, he knew that she would never show him any such affection. How could she? If somehow she had fallen in love with him, she wouldn't want to say anything. It wasn't an accepted practice for the woman to take the lead in love. Daine was an exceptional woman, but was still very bound by her upbringing. If there were such feelings she would never let him know. But he needed some kind of hope to cling to and it was all he had.

He walked to his credenza and picked up the gifts that he had purchased for Daine. Though they were packaged, he could picture each one. He had purchased a crossbow for her from the Raven Armory. The Raven Armory was widely regarded as the best weapon maker in the country. Everything they sold was expensive and to warriors, knights and pages, it was coveted goods. There was a small package – a sapphire drop necklace to match the earrings he had given her last year. The third package was a book. The expensive tome was a rare edition on birds of the world. Even the number of gifts was unusual. He should probably save at least one of these gifts for later, but he couldn't bare the thought of not giving them to her. He had wrapped gifts for his other friends as well, but only one gift for each. He had to give her the crossbow. He had all but told her about it. He supposed he should hide the others – stuff them in the same safe where he would have to seal his feelings away. If he told her he loved her she would feel obligated to return the sentiment. So that would never be said out loud. It was a secret that he could not even tell a mouse because Daine would eventually find out.

A knock at his door rescued him from dark thoughts. When he opened it, she stood there, as beautiful as ever, smiling in spite of the events of the morning. She carried her bow and a crate of wrapped gifts with one arm and balanced Kit on her hip with the other. "Happy Mid-Winter!" she said enthusiastically. "Though I'm not sure -- should say 'happy'?" An ironic smile danced on her lips.

"Hello." It's all he could say. He tried not to stare.

"Are you alright?" she asked, eyes filled with concern.

"Worried," he answered. It wasn't an outright lie. Thankfully, Kit no longer sparkled when someone fibbed.

"It's alright, Numair. We can handle anything as long as we face it together."

The words stung his already aching heart and still he thought, It is no wonder that I've fallen in love with you. He said nothing.

"Jon wants us to meet in his study. He will probably dispatch us in a hundred directions so I brought you your mid-winter gifts now." She handed him two packages and he smiled slightly. It would be alright if he gave her two as well. He would send the sapphire anonymously, although she might think it was from Perin. He kept the frown internal.

"Happy mid-winter, Magelet," he responded. They were empty words. He handed her the wrapped book and crossbow and gave Kit a small package too which the dragon immediately ripped into. Daine helped her put the chain around her neck and she trilled making the crystal light up. Meanwhile, Numair packed gifts for other friends in a crate and asked, "Is it alright if I open these at the meeting or did you want me to do it now?"

"Now," she answered with a warm smile that nearly brought him to his knees.

He sat and quietly opened the packages. The first was a book on ancient magic that looked very old. The second was a rolled piece of parchment. When he stretched it out it was a constellation map for the winter solstice. "Magelet, these must have cost a fortune. I can't – you can't spend this much on me." The guilt that had plagued him all morning rose to a crescendo and he hated himself for every affectionate hug and touch that had encouraged her to buy such extravagant gifts.

"Don't be a dolt. I barely spend money on anything all year. Onua takes good care of me. And you haven't forgotten that I got a purse for my role in ridding Carthak of Ozorne. The king was very generous. And I expect you to point all those constellations out for me, if not tonight, then someday."

He couldn't help but smile. "I love them. Thank you."

She ripped into her own packages, oohing with delight at the Raven Armory box and handling the book with reverent silence as she examined it. Her face spoke volumes. She looked at him like he was the most precious man in the world. It left him feeling both elated and pained. When she stood and walked to him, he didn't know what to do. "Thank you," she said very sincerely and kissed his cheek. Their eyes met and he pushed the desire to pull her into his arms away with regret. This was the most he could allow himself. He didn't even dare kiss her cheek in return for fear he would not stop there.

"We need to go," he said softly. "I'm sure there is much work to do."

"I'm sure you're right," she answered.

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THE END