Disclaimer: It belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Birthday SurprisesThe snow began to melt, turning the courtyard into a sea of slush and mud. On Daine's sixteenth birthday, she stepped outside her ground floor room into a puddle that seemed to go on and on. She slogged her way to the stables feeling decidedly grumpy about her duties that day. It wasn't that she didn't want to work. The truth was that Daine was thankful everyday that she had found a home and work in Tortall. She would not have traded it for anything in the world. But it was days like this one, that had been reserved for special celebrations in her childhood, which made her miss her ma and her grandda more than she could express with one simple emotion.
She probably could have a party if she mentioned the significance of the day to her friends. Certainly in the past two years, they had made an effort. But this year she had not mentioned it at all because the age of sixteen meant something Daine didn't want to face. For nobles, a daughter's sixteenth birthday meant a coming out party. Often those nobles welcomed single men to their home to show off their daughter in finery and try to arrange a marriage. Daine had too many nobles for friends to even contemplate what they might do with that knowledge. For commoners, families started to worry if a match were not already pending by sixteen. She might be considered a spinster if a boy didn't show affections soon. The lowest classes placed sixteen year old girls in circles of thieves or prostitutes. The merchant class gave sixteen year old daughters a party with a displayed dowry to encourage matches, often closing the deal by the end of the evening. The female members of the riders and female servants were exceptions, but Daine fell it to neither category. It seemed that turning sixteen meant only one thing – marriage – and that was the one thing Daine was pretty sure her life would never include. So she kept her mouth shut and hoped the day would slip by unnoticed. She did have to admit though, that a party might have been a little nice.
She began to muck out a stall in silence. Cloud came over and pressed her nose against Daine's shoulder. –Hello Cloud- she said in mindspeak.
-Are you wishing you had told them after all?- Cloud asked.
-Maybe a little. I could spend some time with Numair if he knew.-
-I think all this is silly. You should just tell Storkman that you want him for a mate and we would both be much happier.-
-Why would you be happier?-
-Just like a two-legger to imagine your moods don't affect us. Didn't you notice how we all howled when you thought he was dead? Did you think we did that to entertain you?-
Daine grimaced. –Sorry. I wish I could tell him. But it isn't as simple as all that. Don't you think I'd be fair miserable when he told me no if I got up the nerve to ask?-
-I'm not sure he'd say no. He worries about you too much not to care.-
-Cloud, I worry about you. I care about you. I don't want you for a mate. It's the same thing.-
Cloud chuffed. –Two-leggers! Everything's always complicated. It's much easier to be a horse. Maybe you should switch.- That made Daine laugh and laugh.
"You sound cheerful," Onua said as she walked into the stables. Daine translated what Cloud had said minus Numair's role in the conversation and the fact that it was her birthday. She and Onua had a lot of fun that morning talking about what type of horse they might each be and joking about the way animals looked at things in general. Before she knew it the morning evaporated. After the midday meal was over they did some training with the new ponies and talked more about trying to squeeze in the annual trip to Cria. Daine was so wrapped up in the conversation that she didn't even hear Jon come in. She turned and saw him and he gave her one of his renowned smiles that seemed to be just for her.
Daine could remember that there was a time when a smile like that could melt her heart like butter and she'd do anything for another one. That had changed at some point, and she wasn't exactly sure when it had happened. She wondered idly if he knew he had that effect on women and if he did it on purpose. Then she wondered if he knew it didn't work on her anymore.
"Good afternoon, Daine," he said genially. "I've come to ask you a favor."
"Me?" She looked to Onua, who seemed to be trying not to smile. She shot Onua a questioning look.
"Thayet and I are having a little dinner party tonight and we were wondering if you would attend. We've got a number of very boring guests to entertain and we thought you might be able to liven it up." He stated this with a perfectly straight face but his eyes twinkled."
Now Daine turned and looked at Onua again and glared. "What?" Onua asked, but she was obviously trying not to laugh.
"Well, Jon, you know I'd love to and I don't like to turn you down for anything, but I have plans." She looked him squarely in the eye and blinked at him innocently.
"Break them," he directed simply with an authoritative but friendly voice.
"I'm sorry but I can't do that." It was all Daine could do not to giggle at the shocked look Jon gave her. This was not a man accustomed to being told no.
"What could you possibly have planned that is so important as to disappoint your king and queen?" He asked this while employing his most charming smile. Now she knew he did it on purpose.
"It's ummm – personal."
"If it's a date, just bring him along," Jon offered in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'll expect you at half past 7:00." Then he turned and walked toward the door. Daine stood there feeling put-upon.
She saw Onua lean over to whisper something to Jon so she changed her ears to those of a bat to listen in. She heard Onua whisper, "…to be stubborn?"
Jon muttered, "I'll send over someone more persuasive than myself – Thayet."
"I hope it works." She saw Onua glance her direction and she pretended to be studying the supply lists. When Onua came back in she tried to interrogate her, but got no answers. She suspected her friends might have remembered it was her birthday and if so, she wanted a warning if she was being set up for a coming out party. She decided she would get the truth from Thayet no matter what.
But it wasn't Thayet who showed up an hour later, it was Numair. He had been down for two days after the injuries inflicted by his spell. This was the first time she had seen him outside. "Numair!" she shouted and ran to hug him.
"Good afternoon, Magelet." He squeezed her tightly and let her go. "I've been sent to give you a message. Thayet says she sent something for you to wear tonight to your room and that she will hunt you down if you aren't on time."
Daine sighed exasperatedly. "What kind of an event is this, Numair?"
"Dinner for some nobles, as far as I know."
"I don't want to spend the evening at some dull dinner party," she pleaded. "Numair, how do I get out of this?"
"I've no idea. I didn't manage to escape either. I thought it might not be so dreadful if you were there, but well…" He gave her a beseeching look that made her a little weak in the knees. She stared into his large brown eyes and couldn't argue.
"Alright, if you'll be there. But let's find a way to escape early, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed with a smile that made her heart pound.
Another hour later she returned to her room to get cleaned up and dressed. A folded garment lay on her bed, rapped in thin paper. She shook it out and gasped. It was the most frightfully frilly gown she had ever seen. And it was pink. Daine decided there was no way she was going to wear that piece of gaudy fluff. If that meant skipping the dinner, then so be it. She heard a knock and opened the door to find Onua there. "I thought you might like some help with your hair," she said. Onua was dressed in a yellow gown. Clearly she was going too.
"Have you seen this?" Daine demanded, pointing to the gown. The look on Onua's face answered the question. "There is no way I'll wear that – that – I'd rather go in feathers." Onua roared with laughter.
When she finally quit choking, Onua said, "Daine, I'm afraid you have to go and you have to wear something. I assume this is the latest fashion and it's a gift from Thayet. You – I'm sorry, but you should really put it on."
Daine glared. "Can't I say it accidentally fell in a stall?" This sent Onua into another fit of giggles so bad that she never really answered. She just shook her head.
Half an hour later Daine stood in her room, wearing the hideous dress. She wasn't sure whether pink just wasn't her color or whether she hated it so much that her skin refused to cooperate. Either way, she looked and felt like a lacy piglet. The oversized sleeves looked like she had a big bell on each shoulder and the waistline dropped so low, she looked almost rectangular. She had never before imagined that a dress could make one's breasts disappear altogether. She was still contemplating turning into a cheetah and heading for the hills when there came another knock at the door. Onua opened it for her and there stood Numair. He looked very handsome in a white silk shirt and black tunic and breeches. She stared for a long time and said finally, "I look horrible. This is the worst dress I've ever seen. I cannot go. I'm sorry."
He smiled at her and said, "Magelet, you'd look beautiful in a tarp. Don't fret so."
She heard Onua say something, but she was so entranced by Numair that she couldn't make sense of it. She blushed slightly. "That's the sweetest thing you've said in a long time, but it's still an ugly dress."
He laughed engagingly. "I know you hate pink. What color do you wish it was?"
"You know I hate pink?"
"You told me in Dunlath."
"Daine, we should get going or we'll be late," Onua said. Daine started. She had nearly forgotten Onua was there.
"You never answered my question," Numair said. "What color do you wish it was?"
"Blue," she answered. He made a gesture with his hand as if to say 'can you be more specific?' so she clarified, "Blue like Kit," as she pointed to the dragon. She saw black fire surround her and she felt the crackle of static and then her dress changed color. Kit whistled her approval. Daine turned to look at the mirror. It was an improvement. "I don't suppose you can do anything about the ruffles?" she muttered.
Numair looked at her and tugged his nose. "I could resize it but it might not make you any happier. Honestly Daine, I'm no designer. I still think you look beautiful."
"If you could make the sleeves smaller, it might help," Onua joined in now. "They'd be less puffy." More black fire swirled around her and the sleeves shortened and tightened. "Better," Onua said. "Can you shorten the bodice?" Numair's large vocabulary apparently didn't extend to women's clothing. He looked at her blankly. Onua indicated the portion on her own gown and then more black fire surrounded Daine and put the waist where it belonged. Now the skirt was a bit too short. So he fixed that too. By the time he was done, it no longer resembled the grotesque gown it had once been. Daine looked in the mirror and realized that now she most obviously had breasts. It might be a little too form-fitting, but she was afraid to mess with it further.
Numair offered her an arm and led her out the door. She was surprised to discover that mud no longer lead up to her threshhold. She could see a clear, dry path all the way to the castle. She looked at him and said, "My you've been a busy mage tonight." He laughed and Onua joined in behind them.
Once they reached the banquet hall, there was no more question that her friends had remembered her birthday. A big sign above the door said, "Happy Birthday, Daine." She looked up at Numair apprehensively, but he pulled his arm out from under hers and wrapped it around her shoulder so she couldn't turn and run. "Sorry for the subterfuge," he said. "But we wanted to surprise you. It won't be as bad as you think, I promise."
Looking around the room she saw nearly every human she cared about in the world -- Jon, Thayet, Prince Roald and Princess Kalasin, Buri, Sarge, Raoul, Gareth the Elder and his wife, Gareth the Younger and his family, Harailt, Lindhall, Elyra and her children, Duke Baird, his wife and son Neal, Kuri Taylor, Sir Myles and Eleni, Evin and Miri and a dozen more riders. Even Alanna and George had managed to make it, along with their children. And it was all rounded out by Numair, Onua and Kit beside her. She had not realized that tears fell until Numair handed her a hankerchief. One by one friends came up to greet her with hugs and well wishes. The hideous dress was all but forgotten until Thayet reached her and asked, "What happened to your new dress?"
"This is the new dress," Daine answered trying not laugh.
"It's a bit revealing, don't you think?" Thayet whispered. Daine looked down again and Numair, still at her side, did too. She was showing quite a lot of cleavage. He blushed deeply and a little more magic gave her some breathing room. Thayet stared at him and he tried to look occupied. Thayet just burst into laughter. "Don't let Jon catch you wasting magic like that," she whispered.
"It's her birthday. She was unhappy," he defended quietly to Thayet. Daine saw the two share a look that made Numair stare at the floor. He looked at Daine and added, "I should let you enjoy your night." He turned as if to walk away.
She grabbed his hand. "I couldn't possibly have any fun without my best friend," she replied. He stared into her eyes until she felt her palms sweat. She grabbed at the first funny thing she could think of, "Besides, my dress might need more alterations." Numair, Daine and Thayet all laughed together.
The banquet featured a menu she could actually eat. There was a beautiful cake that followed it, complete with sixteen delicate candles. Musicians came out and servants cleared the floor for dancing. Daine particularly liked this because she was already feeling like it was too much for someone of her rank, and if Jon had tried to move them to the ball room, she might have fled. This way she could dance without feeling too fancy. And dance she did, first with Jon, then Roald, then George. She even danced with Nealan of Queenscove, Raoul (who actually stayed for the whole party), Lindhall, and Evin (Miri looked put-upon but agreed in the end). But just when she thought Numair might never ask her, he appeared behind her and led her back to the floor.
She could remember another time when she had danced with him and felt this strange sense of belonging. Somehow she fit into his arms like she was made to go there. The height difference didn't seem to matter as he gracefully steered her around the floor. And his eyes never strayed from hers until the point when she was sure he would see her feelings scribbled in cursive across her nose. She grabbed for another joke. "We're dancing together again. How many hurroks do you think we'll draw this time?"
He chuckled softly and said, "If that happens again, we'll have to try something new at next year's party – swimming or maybe jousting."
She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding. It seemed to be hammering in her chest. And somehow, as they glided across the floor, the distance between them seemed to decrease until she could feel her chest pressed against him. She looked up into his eyes and saw a passion there that frightened her. She knew that couldn't be for her. She became aware that the music had stopped and couples around them were applauding the musicians. She joined in and pulled her gaze to the floor, gasping as if she had been running instead of waltzing. And when she looked up again, the fire she thought she'd seen was gone and had been replaced with a closed expression she couldn't read. He looked, if anything, a little sad, but she couldn't imagine why. She gave him a big grin. "Are you tired at all? I know this was your first day out and about."
"Don't worry about me, he answered. I'm just fine. Are you having a good time, birthday girl?" She knew him well enough to know that wasn't the complete truth, but she figured he wouldn't let her see exhaustion if it set in.
"Why don't we go sit for a while. I've barely seen Alanna tonight and she's over there with Thom." She pointed. Numair nodded agreement and walked with her to where Alanna was seated. She pulled two chairs over by the redhead and sat. Kitten left the corner where she had been playing with the smaller children and climbed onto Daine's lap. "Want some company?" she asked as an afterthought.
Alanna giggled at her. "Of course. I've been dying to get you alone anyway. Thayet's going on and on about Numair ruining your dress." Numair turned crimson.
"You should have seen it before," Daine said, "Pink, fluffy, and hideous. It looked like a flamingo threw up on me." Alanna, Thom and Numair all snorted.
Alanna continued to giggle behind her hand until tears ran out of the corners of her eyes. When she could finally breathe she said, "Thayet gave me one of those once too." Then she turned back to Numair and said, "If you ever want to give up being a war mage, there's probably a career for you in dress altering."
"No thanks," he answered. "I'd rather go back to juggling."
Before the evening ended, Daine opened several gifts. Thayet redeemed her taste with a beautiful, lavender silk blouse and breeches set that was a gift from herself and Jon. Alanna and George gave her a recurved bow which went nicely with fine weapons polish from Buri and new archery wrist and arm guards from Raoul. She received a beautiful book on rare animals of the southern continent from Lindhall, a tome on the history of wild magic from Myles (it looked ancient and very valuable) and a scroll on immortals from Harailt. Kuri Taylor gave her a hand-beaded quiver and Evin and Miri gave her a new wool saddle blanket. She also unwrapped a handsome new saddle pack from Onua and Sarge and healing balm from Duke Baird. There was a nice smelling perfume from Gareth the Elder and his wife and some lovely hair combs from Gary and his family.
Numair kept his gift back until the crowd had thinned out. It was a long tubular package and when she opened it, she found a leather bound map making kit with spelled ink in several colors and metal tipped implements designed for details. The large parchment sheets that rolled into the set were big enough for creating the kind of maps that Jon usually used. "The blue ink for bodies of water should be used in the direction of current," he said, "and it will appear to flow."
"Wow!" she uttered with a little awe.
"We can practice tomorrow night if you like. There are some other special inks in the set that will fascinate you. But I'm working with Harailt, Alanna and Lindhall tomorrow to try to figure out what happened with the Tharsen Window. So we'll have to wait until after that."
"Alright," she agreed with a smile.
"Happy Birthday, Magelet."
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