Sunlight filtered in through the window and flitted across Daine's face. It slowed woke her up but at the same time lulled her into a state of lethargy. Daine turned to try and go back to sleep but saw a face right next to her own. Startled so much by that face she was looking at, Daine fell out of Numair's lap and onto the floor with a crash that woke up the sleeping man.

Daine tried to remember the events of the previous night but could not recall anything but her frightening memory-dream. "Umm… What happened last night?"

A smile danced upon Numair's face as he yawned and stretched with the grace of a cat. "Nothing to worry about. We just sat and talked," was his reply. He offered Daine a hand, which she accepted, and pulled her up to sit next to him on the couch. Suddenly the air was full of tension and Daine noticed that his dark eyes became very serious.

"I meant what I said last night. I will make it up to you and I will always be there for you and Teresa," Numair said taking Daine's hands into his own. Energy pulsated where there hands touched and Daine was becoming very warm on the inside which made Daine very uncomfortable. "Even though you left me, albeit for very good reasons, and you took my only child away from me and concealed her from me, also for very good reasons, I still love you as my first wife. And although I haven't known Teresa for very long, she has captured my heart and has me wrapped around her finger, and I love her deeply as well."

"But I also have a commitment to Varice seeing as how she is my present wife," Numair continued. "So I think that it is best if we all move back to the palace so that you and Teresa can have your space Varice, but I can still see Teresa and you every day. Is that alright?"

Daine smiled gratefully for his consideration of her desperate need for space from Varice. "Of course it's okay," Daine said. "But do you think that everyone will accept me back? I think that they'll still hate me. And then there's the fact that…"

"They will accept you back with open arms," Numair interjected. "You are the world's most powerful mage with the ability of wild magic and before you became so powerful you were their friend. You will definitely be able to support yourself and Teresa for the rest of your life with what you will earn and they will pay you enough to make sure that you won't leave again."

"Numair there is something that I have to tell you about my life back in Galla. I left because of the revolution; that country was no place fit to raise my child seeing as how there were thousands of public executions and riots in the street all the time and people barricading themselves in alleys to fight to the army and they got s-slaughtered…," Daine was starting to get flustering by reliving all the violence and horrors she had seen in that country.

"It was fair impossible to travel in the city to get anything and there wasn't any food. No ordinary person would have been able to get out of that city but I was able to because I was…"

"Numair!" a little five year old voice cried out. Numair faced sported a wide smiled and held his arms out to try and catch the stampeding child that was Teresa.

"Hi sweetie," Numair told her. Teresa just beamed back and tried as hard as she could to wrap her five year old arms around Numair's giant shoulders. When she let go she announced, "I'm hungry!"

"Then I'll just have to make you breakfast!" Numair exclaimed while starting to tickle the little girl that was now shrieking with laughter. "What do you want to eat?" he asked.

"Crêpes!"

Numair's face drooped into a comically overdramatic frown. "But I don't know how to make crêpes!"

Teresa frowned. "I'll make them for you honey," Daine said who had been watching their exchange with a smile on her face. "Run off to the kitchen and we'll be there in one minute."

"Okay!" and the five year old sped off to the kitchen.

"Daine, is it alright if I test Teresa and see how much gift she has? And to see what kind of training she has and needs?" Numair asked.

"She's your child too, Numair," Daine replied seriously but with a twinkle of laughter in her eyes. "And do you think that I would risk insulting and incurring the wrath of the great mage Numair Salmalin by having his daughter taught the gift by anyone but him?"

Numair tweaked Daine's nose and a sense of nostalgia flooded over her reminding her of when he had done that so many times as her teacher. "Stop teasing me. I wouldn't have minding if someone else did her preliminary training. I just would have wanted to make sure that after she's taught control of her Gift I would've taken over her lessons. I guess it's hard for me to get used to the fact that I'm a father… her father..."

"Numair, I didn't get to finish what I was saying earlier. I was able to get out of Galla because I was allied with the rebels. They snuck me and Teresa out in the middle of the night. And they did it because I promised to carry dispatches to Jonathan asking for help. And I have information that is vital for the safety of Tortall."

Numair gripped Daine's arm. "You cut a deal with those traitors, Daine?"

"I know, I know Numair," Daine replied. "But it's complicated. The things that were going on... Those were being taxed to death and their king was spending it lavishly on himself, his court, and his palace. I had to get me and Teresa out of there. If I didn't, I fear the new leader would have used Teresa as leverage to get me to do whatever he wanted. I just hope that his spies don't know where we have disappeared to…"

Daine's eyes went wide with astonishment and surprise. "I've led to you! They'll know we're here and they'll try and hurt you. They'll destroy you and Varice to get me and Teresa and it will be all my fault! I should have never come here…" Tears started to fall down Daine's cheeks.

Numair pulled Daine into a tight hug and whispered into her ear, "This is the only place that I want you and Teresa to be so that I can protect. Let them come here so that I can destroy them so you won't have to worry about them. I will protect you and Teresa to the death."

Daine nuzzled Numair's chest. "Thank you," she murmured. "We should probably set out for Corus after you check Teresa." Numair nodded.

"Am I ever going to get crêpes or what?" a little voice demanded.

Numair let go of Daine and they both proceeded to follow Teresa into the kitchen. "So where is Varice?" Daine asked. "Shouldn't she be up by now?"

Numair rolled his eyes and said, "Varice insists on not disrupting her beauty sleep until after the eleventh morning bell."

Daine snorted with laughter. "I doubt any amount of sleep will make her look beautiful," she muttered underneath her breath.

Teresa was sitting on the kitchen table while Daine was making crêpes and Numair was testing Teresa.

"So what are you going to do?" Teresa asked for the fourth time. Numair smiled and replied, "I am going to test you for the Gift. It won't hurt, I promise."

"You promise?" Teresa demanded.

"I promise," the mage replied and began his tests. Teresa began to squeal with laughter. "It tickles!" she shouted.

Numair smiled. "Just try to sit still," he commanded. After ten minutes Daine walked over to the table with a steaming plate of fresh crêpes and two bowls, one filled with assorted cut-up fruits and the other filled with various meats and cheeses. "All done!" Numair announced and Teresa jumped off the table and sat down at a chair.

Numair followed Daine to help her get plates, utensils, and cups and whispered in Daine's ear, "She has a powerful Gift. I think that one day she will be as strong as me, if not stronger. She would make a good battle mage." Daine frowned.

"I don't like the idea of my daughter going out and fighting like that!" Daine exclaimed.

"But you have to let her. You got so upset at me when I didn't want you to fight. But I had to let you go because you have to right to defend your home and those you love. You'll have to let her go one day."

"But…," Daine trailed off. "But what?" Numair asked.

"Nothing…" Daine replied.

"Oh Numair, you are such a doll for making me breakfast. It seems just divine!" Varice's voice floated into the kitchen from the hall and made Daine grimace. Varice walked into the kitchen and the smile on her place was replaced with a frown upon seeing Daine and Teresa. "Oh…," she said pouting. "Well, I guess I'll just leave this picture perfect family to eat breakfast in peace."

Numair walked over to Varice. "No, honey. Join us for breakfast. We're going to leave for Corus in an hour and a half."

Varice's pout was instantly replaced with a smile. "I guess then I'll just have to pack! See you later!" Numair shook his head as Varice headed to her room to pack. "I don't get it! She has so many clothes at the palace!"

"Are we going to the palace?" inquired Teresa. Numair nodded and Teresa's face lit up with excitement. "Can I pretend to be a princess?" she asked Numair.

Numair strode over to Teresa, picked up the little girl, and spun her around. "Darling, you're my princess every day." Daine smiled and looked away her eyes brimming with tears.

All those old emotions and feelings were welling up in her again. All the pain that she had holed up in a place deep down in her core was breaking loose as she realized that the man that she had fallen in love with was back again. Back was the knowledge that this man would have made a perfect father. She knew now that he had truly changed and that he wasn't hers. He would never be hers again.

Daine pushed all her feelings back down into her core and took a deep breath "You should probably start gathering up all of your stuff, Teresa."

Numair set Teresa down and whispered something in her ear. She ran out of the kitchen and could be heard thumping up the stairs. Daine turned her back on Numair so he wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned Daine to face him. He face was full of concern as he wiped away her tears.

"Don't worry, Magelet," Numair said, using his pet name for her that he had not used in eight years. "You'll have your job and your friends back. And I'll be there to help with Teresa and be her father. She'll have a family."

Daine nodded and smiled at Numair. If only that was really the problem. "I'd better go get all my stuff."