Numair was aghast. He had known that they MUST have had agents is Scanra,
and that at least one operative must have been in the court. The
information that they were getting was too precise for it to have been
otherwise. But that this person had been one that he had know..that he had
at one time loved.
Suddenly he was filled with anger at Jon, and Myles to. How COULD they? He voiced these objections to Adian.
"How COULD they? Send you to Maggar? Surely your talents lie elsewhere! They could have used you commanding troops, or on the battle field." Even as he said these words, he heard how hollow they were. Adian was no commander, he knew that. And to waste the talents of a Shang Dragon on the battlefield like a common foot soldier.it was madness. It was irrational! And yet, it was how he felt.
"Come now brother, you know how ridiculous you're being." Adian snorted. "You learned long ago that I need no cosseting. You also know very well that I was the best person for the job. I was the best spy Myles ever had. My power for disguise, and more importantly my ability to impersonate a noble court flower, has been invaluable. I'm also very sneaky. I can fit into small places, move without being scene. And more than adequately defend myself." She allowed herself a half smile at this. 'More than adequately' did not do a Shang justice. "There was no one else that Myles could possibly have sent. Are you going to let me finish or not?"
"By all means, do go on." Numair said, a bit sarcastically. "Don't let me stop you."
"Thank you." She replied primly. "I will." She settled herself back onto the sofa. "Well, I infiltrated the Scanran court as a lady of noble blood. But not one with much land or power, so as not to draw too much attention. Well, I did not know it then, but Maggar considered the women of his court as his personal concubines. And his tastes..often left scars." She shivered. "He always used a speaking spell to summon the ever so 'lucky' lady to him. That is why you saw me looking like left over porridge when Onua used that speaking spell. A few times...he summoned me." Adian's eyes were hollow, almost dead. "I actually don't remember too much of what happened on those occasions. The healers have told me that it's a common coping method for the mind, to shut away memories that are too painful to be dealt with. Anyway, when I came back to myself on those occasions, after he was finished, he would leave me alone to...recover. It was understood that we were supposed to be gone when he returned. It was then that I recovered the best intelligence." Adian smiled a smile that held no mirth. "I did find it a bit ironic that the worst parts of my mission also yielded the greatest amount of information. And it was vital. I and a few other people know things that won us that war. So it was necessary. But also..terribly painful." She turned eyes that were devoid of any color to rest on Numair. They were haunted eyes, the eyes of one who has seen too much. "I'm not the same person who infiltrated Maggar's court three years ago."
"Oh Adian...' Numair murmured. How much she had given up for Tortall! He held out his arms, and she once more, for the third time that day, hesitantly entered them. She began to sob quietly, then more violently. She cried out three years of torture and pain, three years of danger and intrigue onto Numair's shoulder. Never in those three years had Adian had a confederate that she could trust, let alone a shoulder to cry on. She unleashed her anguish at last, grateful to be finally able to let it go.
They sat there like that for a long time. Finally, Adian stopped her weeping and rested quietly against his shoulder. At long last she sat back and began to dry her eyes.
"Well." She said, still sniffling, but with a trace of her old humor back, "It's been quite some time since I've done that. I'm sorry for getting your shoulder all soggy but..I needed that. Thank you brother." She seemed lighter, and the happiness in her green eyes was now true happiness and not a superficial feeling. "You're the first person I've ever told that to. And the last, I think."
"Yes, I understand. And Adian..." he hesitated. The Shang Dragon was a very private person, who usually shied away from expressing the deeper emotions. If he was not very careful in this situation, he could scare her off completely. She had given him her confidence, and after 10 years, it was not something that Numair wanted to lose. "I am honored by your confidence." He said finally.
She smiled. "Ah yes, well, I don't plan to make a habit of it. Anyway," she said, blatantly changing the subject, "Four years ago I get this missive from Myles, telling me of my mission. Things were beginning to heat up with Scanra, and it looked as though Maggar was going to actually be able to stay King. We knew how important it would be to have an operative inside Scanra. We also knew that I was the only one for the job. But if we knew it, then that would mean that Scanra might also know that a Shang Dragon with friendly ties to Tortall might try to infiltrate. So it was clear to us that I would have to be 'killed' once and for all. I elaborately staged my death, and it was of that which you heard four years ago. To be safe, we waited for a year before 'Desirine' came to the Scanran court. In this was, no one would connect Desirine of Glassy Lake (what an insipid name) to Adian the deceased Shang Dragon. Three years later, Tortallan forces storm the capital and liberated the country from Maggar's tyranny." Her eyes burned brightly with anger, making them a funny orange-ish color. "And I killed that bastard myself." She shook her head and the wild look faded from her eyes. "Anyway, the rest of it was ho- hum, rather routine really." She grinned, know that her word belied her earlier storm of tears. "The war ended, and Jon called me back to Corus. Which reminds me, I was supposed to report to him first thing upon my arrival." She looked at Numair without a trace of guilt. "Oops."
Adian stood up and stretched. "I suppose that I'd best head over to see the old fart or he'll get mad at me." She said irreverently. "I think you can understand that I wished to see you first. Not only to say 'I'm not dead' but also to say..I'm sorry. There were ten years that we could have had together and I botched it. I figured that I would try to make some of that time up by seeing you first. But my now, our oh so protocol based King will have heard of my return."
Numair stood up to see her to the door. "When am I going to see you next?"
"Dinner, most likely. I'll eat in the mess hall. I figure that that way I'll be able to shock the hell out of a few old friends." She grinned wolfishly. Adian turned to exit, and then turned back, remembering something. "Ah yes, Numair?"
"Yes?" He replied, slightly puzzled. Adian had sounded almost.. tentative. This was not a usual emotion for the often-volatile warrior.
"Are you going to tell Daine about." she paused, searching for the proper words. "Us? What we were? She's your life partner, so it's your decision. I just need to know how much she knows."
"Tell Diane?" Of all the things he had thought that she would ask, this was not one of them. "I don't know, I hadn't thought of it before. What do you think?"
"I would say..that is, I would prefer that she didn't know. I.I like Daine very much Numair. Very much indeed. I think that we could become great friends. And I would rather that we don't get off to a rocky start because she's worried about me moving in on you."
Numair stoked his ponytail in thought. "I really don't think that she would react like that. I don't THINK that Diane would ever have any reason to worry about my fidelity. But really, there is no reason for her to know. Since no one here ever knew about our ill-fated 'romance' because we were away when it happened, we don't have to worry about Alanna or someone accidentally putting her foot in it. Yes, I see no reason to bring up finished history."
"My thoughts exactly. I'm glad that you agree. Well, I must away to see King Jon. I'm as excited as a squire about the face the ordeal." She made a face. "Still, it can't be helped. Ah well, if I survive Jon I'll see you at dinner." In a completely unplanned movement, she leaned over and hugged him. "Bye Arram. I'll see you later." Smiling a contented smile, she closed the door softly behind her, leaving Numair with much to think about.
Authors Note: Alright, now you basically know what's been going on with Adian. Now I can stop doing recap and move the plot along! Huzzah! Plus, I can begin incorporating more humorous elements and stop making everything so damn tragic all the time. I did promise in the summary that this would be humorous, did I not? Time to deliver! Warning: There will most likely be more Jon bashing in subsequent chapters. I mean, er, I love King Jon?
Suddenly he was filled with anger at Jon, and Myles to. How COULD they? He voiced these objections to Adian.
"How COULD they? Send you to Maggar? Surely your talents lie elsewhere! They could have used you commanding troops, or on the battle field." Even as he said these words, he heard how hollow they were. Adian was no commander, he knew that. And to waste the talents of a Shang Dragon on the battlefield like a common foot soldier.it was madness. It was irrational! And yet, it was how he felt.
"Come now brother, you know how ridiculous you're being." Adian snorted. "You learned long ago that I need no cosseting. You also know very well that I was the best person for the job. I was the best spy Myles ever had. My power for disguise, and more importantly my ability to impersonate a noble court flower, has been invaluable. I'm also very sneaky. I can fit into small places, move without being scene. And more than adequately defend myself." She allowed herself a half smile at this. 'More than adequately' did not do a Shang justice. "There was no one else that Myles could possibly have sent. Are you going to let me finish or not?"
"By all means, do go on." Numair said, a bit sarcastically. "Don't let me stop you."
"Thank you." She replied primly. "I will." She settled herself back onto the sofa. "Well, I infiltrated the Scanran court as a lady of noble blood. But not one with much land or power, so as not to draw too much attention. Well, I did not know it then, but Maggar considered the women of his court as his personal concubines. And his tastes..often left scars." She shivered. "He always used a speaking spell to summon the ever so 'lucky' lady to him. That is why you saw me looking like left over porridge when Onua used that speaking spell. A few times...he summoned me." Adian's eyes were hollow, almost dead. "I actually don't remember too much of what happened on those occasions. The healers have told me that it's a common coping method for the mind, to shut away memories that are too painful to be dealt with. Anyway, when I came back to myself on those occasions, after he was finished, he would leave me alone to...recover. It was understood that we were supposed to be gone when he returned. It was then that I recovered the best intelligence." Adian smiled a smile that held no mirth. "I did find it a bit ironic that the worst parts of my mission also yielded the greatest amount of information. And it was vital. I and a few other people know things that won us that war. So it was necessary. But also..terribly painful." She turned eyes that were devoid of any color to rest on Numair. They were haunted eyes, the eyes of one who has seen too much. "I'm not the same person who infiltrated Maggar's court three years ago."
"Oh Adian...' Numair murmured. How much she had given up for Tortall! He held out his arms, and she once more, for the third time that day, hesitantly entered them. She began to sob quietly, then more violently. She cried out three years of torture and pain, three years of danger and intrigue onto Numair's shoulder. Never in those three years had Adian had a confederate that she could trust, let alone a shoulder to cry on. She unleashed her anguish at last, grateful to be finally able to let it go.
They sat there like that for a long time. Finally, Adian stopped her weeping and rested quietly against his shoulder. At long last she sat back and began to dry her eyes.
"Well." She said, still sniffling, but with a trace of her old humor back, "It's been quite some time since I've done that. I'm sorry for getting your shoulder all soggy but..I needed that. Thank you brother." She seemed lighter, and the happiness in her green eyes was now true happiness and not a superficial feeling. "You're the first person I've ever told that to. And the last, I think."
"Yes, I understand. And Adian..." he hesitated. The Shang Dragon was a very private person, who usually shied away from expressing the deeper emotions. If he was not very careful in this situation, he could scare her off completely. She had given him her confidence, and after 10 years, it was not something that Numair wanted to lose. "I am honored by your confidence." He said finally.
She smiled. "Ah yes, well, I don't plan to make a habit of it. Anyway," she said, blatantly changing the subject, "Four years ago I get this missive from Myles, telling me of my mission. Things were beginning to heat up with Scanra, and it looked as though Maggar was going to actually be able to stay King. We knew how important it would be to have an operative inside Scanra. We also knew that I was the only one for the job. But if we knew it, then that would mean that Scanra might also know that a Shang Dragon with friendly ties to Tortall might try to infiltrate. So it was clear to us that I would have to be 'killed' once and for all. I elaborately staged my death, and it was of that which you heard four years ago. To be safe, we waited for a year before 'Desirine' came to the Scanran court. In this was, no one would connect Desirine of Glassy Lake (what an insipid name) to Adian the deceased Shang Dragon. Three years later, Tortallan forces storm the capital and liberated the country from Maggar's tyranny." Her eyes burned brightly with anger, making them a funny orange-ish color. "And I killed that bastard myself." She shook her head and the wild look faded from her eyes. "Anyway, the rest of it was ho- hum, rather routine really." She grinned, know that her word belied her earlier storm of tears. "The war ended, and Jon called me back to Corus. Which reminds me, I was supposed to report to him first thing upon my arrival." She looked at Numair without a trace of guilt. "Oops."
Adian stood up and stretched. "I suppose that I'd best head over to see the old fart or he'll get mad at me." She said irreverently. "I think you can understand that I wished to see you first. Not only to say 'I'm not dead' but also to say..I'm sorry. There were ten years that we could have had together and I botched it. I figured that I would try to make some of that time up by seeing you first. But my now, our oh so protocol based King will have heard of my return."
Numair stood up to see her to the door. "When am I going to see you next?"
"Dinner, most likely. I'll eat in the mess hall. I figure that that way I'll be able to shock the hell out of a few old friends." She grinned wolfishly. Adian turned to exit, and then turned back, remembering something. "Ah yes, Numair?"
"Yes?" He replied, slightly puzzled. Adian had sounded almost.. tentative. This was not a usual emotion for the often-volatile warrior.
"Are you going to tell Daine about." she paused, searching for the proper words. "Us? What we were? She's your life partner, so it's your decision. I just need to know how much she knows."
"Tell Diane?" Of all the things he had thought that she would ask, this was not one of them. "I don't know, I hadn't thought of it before. What do you think?"
"I would say..that is, I would prefer that she didn't know. I.I like Daine very much Numair. Very much indeed. I think that we could become great friends. And I would rather that we don't get off to a rocky start because she's worried about me moving in on you."
Numair stoked his ponytail in thought. "I really don't think that she would react like that. I don't THINK that Diane would ever have any reason to worry about my fidelity. But really, there is no reason for her to know. Since no one here ever knew about our ill-fated 'romance' because we were away when it happened, we don't have to worry about Alanna or someone accidentally putting her foot in it. Yes, I see no reason to bring up finished history."
"My thoughts exactly. I'm glad that you agree. Well, I must away to see King Jon. I'm as excited as a squire about the face the ordeal." She made a face. "Still, it can't be helped. Ah well, if I survive Jon I'll see you at dinner." In a completely unplanned movement, she leaned over and hugged him. "Bye Arram. I'll see you later." Smiling a contented smile, she closed the door softly behind her, leaving Numair with much to think about.
Authors Note: Alright, now you basically know what's been going on with Adian. Now I can stop doing recap and move the plot along! Huzzah! Plus, I can begin incorporating more humorous elements and stop making everything so damn tragic all the time. I did promise in the summary that this would be humorous, did I not? Time to deliver! Warning: There will most likely be more Jon bashing in subsequent chapters. I mean, er, I love King Jon?