The Chronicling of a Relationship

Midwinter was coming, and Daine had moved into Numair's suite of rooms.

Daine opened an eye, to find a cat like eye looking back at her. She yelped, "Kitten, don't scare me like that!"

Numair, not even bothering to open his eyes, muttered from the depths of the blanket next to Daine, "What did she do this time?"

Daine sighed, "I don't know. I'll go check…" A long arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back.

"Kitten," Numair mumbled, "Go clean it up." To Daine he said, "It's too early to be up. Go back to sleep. Besides, I'm perfectly happy like this."

"Kitten, listen to Numair. I know you can clean up any mess you make. Now go." Daine's sternness was sure to make the dragon listen.

Grumbling loudly, the now grey dragon left the room. After a moment, Daine turned to Numair, and sighed to find that he had gone back to sleep. She lay down next to him, admiring his face in the early morning light. The door creaked open, and a now normal colored Kitten entered the room. She hopped up onto the bed, and waved a letter under Daine's nose.

Daine sat up, took the letter from Kit, and proceeded to read it. To Kitten she ruefully commented, "Now I really have to get Numair up." Looking at him, she let her eyes linger on each of his features. Daine reached over and caressed his long black hair. It had popped out of its tie, again.

Tuning under the warm comforter, she bent down to kiss his lips. He responded with passion. "What is it, my love?" he questioned.

"Alanna's back!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Jon's holding a special Ball, by invitation only. I'm not sure why, but the letter said we'd find out once we got there. Jon wants to talk to you, and Alanna requested that I go see her at the Dancing Dove at the same time. She said she'd be picking me up."

"I suppose you'll be doing girl stuff all day?" Numair grinned at her, his dark eyes dancing.

"I guess. For know, I'm going to go see Cloud, and take Kitten to Tkaa for her lesson."

"What are they covering today?"

"I don't know… I think Tkaa just shows her things, and Kit picks them up. She's learned how to open more locks, clean up messes… those sorts of things."

"So she can do more than that neaten up trick she was using in Carthak?"

"Yeah, she's added on to that. Now… are you ever going to get up?"

Numair moaned. "Daine," he questioned pitifully, "are you always like this?"

Matter of factly, she replied, "Yes. Now get used to it. Get up, or no more kisses." Numair faked a pout. "Come on. Up and out!" Daine leaned down and gave Numair a quick kiss, before getting up to start the day.

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A messenger announced Numair's presence to Jon.

"Call him in please. Then you are dismissed." From behind the desk in his office, Jon fluttered one hand in the general direction of the messenger, without even looking up from the papers he was studying. Numair entered the room, and sat down when Jon motioned at a chair near his desk.

"As you probably know," the King began, "I have invited you and Daine to the ball tonight." After a second, he added, "It is for several important couples in the realm."

"Couples?" Numair questioned.

"I had assumed that you and Daine would accompany one another. That is why I extended the invitation to both of you."

Seeing the frown on Numair's face, Jon burst out, "Numair! I think everyone but the two of you realize that you're in love! She lives with you, for god's sake!"

"So?"

Completely exasperated, Jon replied, "Numair. You are going to the Ball. You will go to the Ball with Daine. You will dance with Daine, and you will have fun."

"But…" Numair began.

The King cut him off. "My command. Alanna and Thayet will be taking care of Daine. I believe you can take care of yourself. Am I correct?" Numair nodded. "Good. I suppose you'll want to be readying yourself?"

Knowing a dismissal when he heard it, however thinly veiled, Numair got up and left the room in silence.

There is the next chapter! I have most of the next part with Alanna and Daine written down. However, for some reason, I didn't write anything on the Ball. And I really can't remeber what I was going to have. Arg... I was thinking that Numair might ask Daine to marry him, but she turns him away again... but I'm not sure if that's really right. I need something that fits with the flow of the story. Any suggestions would be VERY welcome.

Please review? I know you can. If you want, just drop a line and say you are reading this! Kennedy