Disclaimer: I do not own what came from Tamora Pierce's head

Chapter 18 The Others' reaction

The others' weren't as lucky as Daine in being able to get away from the feast. They were forced to endure it to its end and keep their emotions from showing. However, the second they were in the common area of their rooms, Numair threw up a barrier. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! ALL THIS TIME, ALL THIS TIME SHE WAS WITH HIM!"

"Maybe it wasn't how it looked. Maybe we're wrong and it isn't really her," Onua suggested, albeit in a tone that said she didn't even believe those possibilities.

"OH, IT WAS HER. SHE FLED WHEN SHE CAUGHT SIGHT OF US."

"Be that as it may," Alanna said tersely, "Could you please stop yelling? I have enough of a headache already."

"I'm sorry, it's just…how could she do that to us?" Numair asked, quietly.

Thayet took his hand, "Power and wealth can be intoxicating to anyone. Maybe she was just seduced by them."

"But…she had everything she ever wanted back with us. SHE told me so. Why would she fake her death to marry HIM?"

"We may never know, Numair. We do, however, have to stay through this wedding and pretend that nothing is wrong. We will all act like we don't know who she is and continue on until we leave. Politics demands it," Jonathon stated.

"No wonder my spies couldn't find out what had happened to the people who had killed her," George stated with a wry laugh.

"Some friends you are," came Messa's voice from the back of the room. Everyone spun around, not realizing anyone else was around. "And to think, I told her that you didn't hate her."

"What are you talking about?" Numair demanded.

"Daine, you know, the girl that you are in here discussing?"

"She betrayed us. Why wouldn't we talk about her?" Numair said viciously.

Messa just walked up to him calmly and slapped him. "DO NOT talk about her that way," she said dangerously while he was stunned by being slapped by a slave. "You have no idea how far from the truth you are about her. It is because she is so loyal to all of you that she is in this mess in the first place."

George, curious, asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if she doesn't marry him or tries to get away or anything he doesn't like, he threatened to launch a surprise attack on Tortall"

"So, it's because of us that she has to marry him?"

"Yes, why else would she marry someone else so obviously evil? You, as the friends she has told me so much about, should have known that something was up. She didn't even know you were coming. This is all Ozorne's idea of torture for all of you. She to think that you hate her, and you to think that she betrayed you."

"But…how? I examined the body myself. And what would be powerful enough to keep her here? If she escaped, she would be able to get to us before Ozorne," Numair said, finally speaking up after having been slapped.

Messa sighed, "She'll have to tell you all the particulars. I'm just here to take you to her. That is, if you're willing to see her, you know, since she betrayed you and all."

"We will go see her," Jonathon said, "Hearing her explanation is the least we can if what you told us is true."

"What I told you is true. Why won't you believe me? She was your friend for how long? How can you doubt her?"

"Jon, what the girl here said is true. I saw nothing to indicate she was lying, keeping stuff from us, but not lying," Onua said, taking her hand out of the powder that allowed her to tell when people were lying. "What are you holding back?"

"What is hers for the telling."

"Well? Take us to her," Numair demanded, impatiently.

"Fine, but you are to do nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, to hurt her. She has been hurt enough over the past two years," Messa said before turning to leave. "Umm, can you bring the shield down?" When Numair did, she added as they started walking, "I hope you're prepared to walk a ways."

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