A/N: We would like to let you all know that we DO NOT dislike Daine and Numair together. We also don't have anything against the age gap. We just have some other ideas in mind. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews- we really appreciate it! Keep reviewing!
Disclaimer (this is for the whole story): Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce- it's not ours.
Daine took out another pile of clothes from her still packed bag from her last excursion. Kitten sat on the floor nearby watching patiently. While she folded clothes and put things away, she thought about her experience observing Jonathan using the Jewel during the Immortals War. We can't let the people find out. There would be chaos if they did. They believe we'll all go hungry without it. I hope we don't have to deal with the Stormwings again. Vergor Thunderstar... I don't think I've ever heard of him. What could he want with the Jewel? Maybe... I wonder what Numair thinks of all this. He's been so distant lately. I don't understand why he acts so awkwardly around me. I still don't know why he can't call me Magelet anymore. That name would always make me feel- Her thoughts were cut off by Kitten's chirps as she played with Daine's hairbrush.
"Kit, let go of that!" She grabbed the brush away from the young dragon and playfully swung it at her. The dragon was faster and moved away while making soft whistling noises to herself. Daine sighed at the dragon's behavior and began tugging the brush through her tangled, smoky brown curls. She turned around from her place in front of the mirror at a knock on the door. "Come in," she called out.
"Hello, Daine," Alanna replied. She surveyed the messy room around her. "Shouldn't you be getting ready, not making a mess like this?"
Daine blushed as she looked around at the mess her room had become as she unpacked. "Ready? Ready for what?" she asked innocently.
"Emperor Kaddar's arrival." She watched as different emotions appeared on the younger girl's face.
"What are you talking about? Emperor Kaddar? Here?"
"Yes of course. He arrived on boat yesterday. He rode in with Commander Keladry's unit. You didn't know?"
"I just got back yesterday. No one told me about this!" Alanna thought for a moment to herself.
"Let's have a look at your closet. You need a dress."
Daine suddenly exclaimed, "A dress! We need to go buy a new dress!"
"We better get moving then. No time to waste," Alanna said catching a dose of Daine's excitement. Daine grabbed her purse and they quickly proceeded into town.
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"But think of what could happen if this isn't resolved soon!"
"Gary, you're taking this too far. It's going to be fine," Raoul replied optimistically. Jon watched the two argue about the missing Jewel. He once again scolded himself mentally for being the cause of the problem. Their voices got louder and louder as they got deeper into the argument. In an attempt to change the subject, Jon asked, "So, Gary, how are the pages doing?"
Gary, knowing what Jon was trying do, replied, "They're coming along well in their training. The pages are more difficult to handle than the squires. The squires still have Wyldon's influence on them." Then, there was silence in the room. The dispute was temporarily over.
"When is Kaddar supposed to arrive?" Raoul questioned the King.
"He should be here anytime now. I can't believe I have to entertain the Emperor throughout all this mess. He couldn't have had worse timing." The two other men in the room noticed how tense the King sounded. They could tell that the King was feeling regret over his terrible mistake. "Perhaps we should make our way to greet him." Gary and Raoul nodded and the three men left the room together.
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"What do you think of this one, Daine?" Alanna asked holding up a pattern.
"Hmm... I like it." The two women were in Lalasa's dress shop desperately searching for an appropriate dress for Daine to wear for Kaddar's arrival. Lalasa walked out from the back of the shop to help them search. Daine and Alanna frequently accompanied Thayet and Kel when they got clothes from Lalasa, so she knew them both. The three women spent half an hour looking for the right dress. Finally, Lalasa cried, "I found it! This one is perfect, Daine."
"Yes! That's it!" Alanna sighed with relief. Daine quickly paid for the dress and then scurried out the door. In her hurry to get out of the store and back to the palace with her new dress, she bumped into a man on her way out.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess I was in a hurry to get back to the palace," Daine apologized.
"It's all right, really."
"Oh, hello Lerant. How are you?" Alanna asked him. She knew Lerant from working with the King's Own.
"I'm fine, thank you." Alanna thought to herself, What is he doing here? I thought Lalasa only made clothes for women. But she only lingered on that thought for a moment as Daine dragged her away to the palace.
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Kaddar observed the glorious land of Tortall as he rode through it. He smiled as he glanced over at his friend, Timon, who was flirting with the commander of the unit of the King's Own they rode with. He knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Timon while he flirted, so he rode closer to his best friend. "What do think of Tortall?" Teron's eye's widened as he observed the land they rode through. The myriad of colors in his eyes was evident when he did this.
"It's a nice change to see such a peaceful land. We still have so much to restore back in Carthak. And no slaves. I still don't like slaves."
"I know, I know. It will take a very long time to completely abolish slavery. I'm doing my best."
"Of course you are- with my help," Dermid added from behind his two friends. As an afterthought he said, "It's an insult to have a female commander as our escort."
"I'm sure Commander Keladry is a very capable person. She did earn her shield after years of training. She was Sir Raoul of Malorie's Peak and Golden Lake's squire."
"Still idolizing him, Ragnal?" Dermid asked the tall man who was usually very quiet. When he spoke, he was usually saying something nice about someone or speaking about his idol: Sir Raoul.
"I hope Daine will be there when we arrive. I haven't seen her in so long..." Kaddar said more to himself than to his friends accompanying him to Tortall. As he mentioned Daine for not the first time since they planned their trip to Tortall, Dermid and Teron winked at each other. They had a sense that Kaddar's feelings for Daine were more than he implied. Kaddar didn't notice their exchange.
"We're nearing the palace," Keladry called out to Kaddar and his five friends. The emperor nodded in response.
"I've heard miraculous things about the library of the Tortallian palace," Hugo said. This was one of his first comments throughout the duration of the ride. He didn't like horses very much and he preferred to remain indoors.
"Of course, you're still thinking about books even on the other side of the ocean. I think all you need is a little fun. This is the perfect opportunity," Dermid informed his shorter, intelligent friend.
"They're having a banquet for our arrival tonight," Timon said as he rode over to the group. He looked back at Kel and winked. She blushed and looked away. As the palace grew nearer, they continued to guess at what there stay in Tortall would be like. They each had their own expectations and hopes.
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Daine hid a yawn as she sat through the introductions. She observed that the effects of being the emperor had changed Kaddar. She wondered if he would even want talk to her while he was visiting. He might have become too noble for the likes of her. The introductions were very long and dull as the herald called out names and titles.
Kaddar hid a yawn as he walked forward when the herald called his name. He was tired after riding all day and feeling rather anxious. He hoped Daine would still be the same person he remembered. He could talk to her for hours as she watched him with those big eyes. He wished he could sit down. As the next names were called and he stepped aside, he scanned the room to catch a glimpse of Daine.
Daine saw Kaddar scan the crowd until his eyes stayed on her. She quickly looked away, although she wasn't sure why. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him frown slightly as she looked away.
"The Wildmage of Tortall, Veralidaine Sarrasri, shall now show you to your rooms," Jonathan, called out to the guests. Daine looked up, surprised. He didn't tell me that I am supposed to be their tour-guide. She stood up with Kitten in her arms as the six men walked towards her. She avoided conversation and tried not to make eye-contact with them as they joked and talked amongst themselves.
Kaddar stayed right behind Daine as he half-listened to his friends' voices. She wore her hair plainly, her thick curls cascading down her back. Her dress was a midnight-blue that shimmered. It had a square neckline with a form-fitting bodice. The sleeves were tight until her elbows where they flared. A few inches below her waistline the dress flared out as well. He listened to the noise the fabric made as she walked.
One by one, the men separated to their own rooms. Kaddar's was the last. In front of his door, they stopped walking. For the first time since Kaddar's arrival, the two made eye-contact.