I would just like to thank everyone who reviews each chapter. I know it can be really hard to find things to say sometimes, so thank you so much. I value all the reviews and I'm also obsessed with stats I keep checking that counter…. (sad)

Silverlake: I sometimes can't suss Numair out. In PotS he's seen as a bit aloof, in The Immortals he's lovely and sweet sometimes – he's such a fun character to write and try and develop as he's multi-faceted, probably more so than any other character. I'm glad his sweetness didn't seem ooc. Bitterosemary: I have too much of a desire to write and I do like the immediate feedback, so no need for begging! I feel that my control of plot and its intricacies has improved since I started writing. I never thought I could do it before, so thank you. I'm glad I'm pulling on many leads, rather than just one. Celuna Cirrus: There's a part in this chapter that brought tears to my eyes, whether because it was emotional of corny, I can't work out! Dolphindreamer: Thank you – as I've said before about your review! I hope you like this chapter. Jess: Flattery will get you everywhere! Here it is, enjoy and review! Daine's Daughter: Thank you, here is the standalone. Lime63: Thank you, I don't think I was particularly conscious of doing that, it kind of flowed. Jade-Viper08: Thank you! I like cats too. I had four, but I left them with my mum when I moved out, as it would have been cruel to separate them from her. Fluff is good – this chapter has plenty of it! Goldeneyedwildmage: You were very astute to work out who he was. I was glad you did because I thought it would be believable if you were realising already, so thank you! And I'm very proud to have your longest review ever! Sonnet Lacewing: Thank you. I enjoyed writing this festival more so than Midwinter. The part about the builder wasn't considered too much, but I think I was having an image of Henry VIII when I wrote it – even though his wives were at different times…

A/N: This is a standalone chapter, so it's not absorbed into a festival. Daine was meant to have been conceived at Beltane, which would put her birthday roughly at Imbolc, or just after if Sarra went full-term. This has made me very enthusiastic about doing another long story once this has finished, based on some of the things mentioned here, so in that sense it's an important chapter for me. However, it was also an excuse to write fluff! Enjoy and let me know what you think. Reviews mean quicker updates….

Disclaimer: You know what's Tammy's. I ain't profiting from this!

Seventeen

The first trickle of spring-like sun peeped in through the wide window and brightened up the room and causing a myriad or colour to spray against the wall as it woke a crystal that was hanging from the pole that the curtains fell from.

Daine sat up in bed and pulled the covers up around her tightly, for although the sun was sharing its light, it certainly wasn't divulging any heat. She put her feet on the long man that lay next to her and pulled a snoozing dragonet beside her, managing to wake both in the process. Kitten had only just gotten back from Dragonlands, where she had spent the last fortnight being taught by her relatives and apparently picking up bad habits from her young cousins, judging by the mess she had made already in the rooms where she lived with Daine and Numair.

She felt Numair's arm go around her and his lips kiss the skin of her hip. "Happy birthday, Magelet," he whispered sleepily, drawing closer to her and ignoring the cold of her feet.

Kitten crawled closer to Daine so that she was half over her lap and chirruped something that sounded like happy birthday. She petted the dragonet for a few minutes, before lying back down, snuggling next to her lover, who always managed to be much warmer that her.

Daine dozed off back to sleep, still tired after the journey back from the Tower where she and Numair lived when they weren't required at the palace, which wasn't often enough in her view. They had been intending to stay longer, and have Diamondflame bring Kit back to the Tower instead, but an urgent message from the king had brought them back sooner, and Daine felt rather aggrieved about it.

"It can't be helped," Numair had consoled when she complained about wanting time to settle in her home. "We are employed by him, so we really have to do what he says. Besides, you are hardly likely to let something desperately go wrong if you could have stopped it, are you?"

She had pulled a face at mage that did not become her almost seventeen years and proceeded to tickle him mercilessly, which had then lead to a tickling of a different kind and less time to pack, thus Daine forgetting to bring back a package of presents for Kitten that she had bought while Kitten had been away.

Now they were back at their home in the palace, surrounded much to Daine's surprise by many of her friends who she thought would have been away on various quests for the king. She had lifted her eyes to Numair the evening before while they were having dinner and asked as innocently as possible if some sort of party had been planned that she hadn't been informed about.

Numair had smiled at her question. "No, Daine, well, maybe something has been mentioned and I think some people do want to celebrate with you in the evening, but Thayet hasn't planned anything elaborate," he had reassured, Daine giving a sigh of relief.

Numair woke properly, kissing her once more then leaping out of bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he called to her, quickly pulling on a shirt and breeches before leaving her deep under the covers.

Kitten had used Daine's best loved spell to light the fire so it roared away in the hearth, warming the room up nicely. Numair arrived back with one of the servants who worked in the kitchens, between them armed with two plates of steaming hot breakfast food, hot tea and juice and on the tray that Numair carried was a single flower that Daine did not recognise.

He put the tray on her lap and eyed Kitten, who was looking jealously at their plates.

"Don't worry, Kitten," he murmured to the dragon. "Torin here will bring up some for you in a minute or two," he cosseted her with his tone.

Daine smiled at him incredulously. "I've never had a breakfast in bed before," she said shyly. "Birthdays have always been another normal day. Ma and Grandda used to make me presents and we would have a lot of fun, but there were still jobs to be done."

Numair sat down next to her and began to eat his own breakfast hungrily. Daine had been amazed at his morning appetite since she had moved in with him. While they had travelled together he had never yearned for food, eating solely to give him strength. Now they had been stationed in one place for awhile his appetite had settled and in the mornings he was usually ravenous.

"I have to bring you breakfast in bed on your birthday," he told her between mouthfuls. "It's your day to take it easy and be waited upon."

Daine smiled at his earnestness, swatting the dragonet's hand as she sneakily tried to pinch Daine's bacon, another trick she had learnt from her rather more mischievous cousins.

"We do have work to do for Jonathan, remember," she informed him quietly.

Numair shook his head, swallowing a piece of fried bread. "Jon says we can start tomorrow. If there are black opal mines around here I will be surprised, but we need to find out one way or another before anyone else does. Today, Magelet , is for us to spend as we please."

Daine looked at him, taking in his dark brown skin and black hair, the long nose that he pulled on when he was thinking and the deep, chocolate brown eyes that she melted into every time she looked at him.

"We could just stay here," she said, watching Kitten bolt out of the door to go and see her favourite friend in the kitchens. "It's been awhile since we've had a day in bed."

Numair took both of their trays and placed them on the dresser in their chamber room, lying on top of the sheets beside her.

"We can certainly start off here," he muttered, kissing her lips after each word. "But don't you want your birthday presents first?"

"I think I'm already having it!" Daine whispered in his ear, making Numair shiver agreeably.

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Numair had somewhere he wanted to take Daine that morning, somewhere he was sure that she hadn't been before; in fact not many people had been there before. Once they were ready, bundled up in clothes warm enough to stave of the still chilly air, he began to lead Daine and the now fully fed Kitten through he fields that were surprisingly unbog like given the amount of rain they had had. The landscape was filled with the slight beginnings of spring; buds were beginning to form on the trees, crocuses and snowdrops were proudly saluting the new sun and the tips of daffodil and tulip heads were starting to emerge from their winter slumbers.

They walked for about an hour, heading towards a natural inland cove, the path taking them upwards gently and then changing to a steeper slope that anyone less fit than Daine and Numair would have found exhausting. Kitten was in a sling around Numair so she could see what was coming in front of her. She had managed to walk across the fields but had begun to slow down and become tired when the incline had developed. Now she was fascinated by the views, desolate landscape, so far removed from the city of Corus and the palace. Trees could be sighted at the top of the tall hills, scattered lonesomely across the landscape, their bare branches still waiting for the kiss of spring. Underfoot the soil was dark, and added to the darkened scene. Daine could see peregrine falcons dancing about the sky as they climbed higher. In summer the place would be full of nesting swallows, swifts and sand martens as they migrated here for the summer. But for now they would be in a warmer climate, somewhere south of Carthak.

They reached the top of the cove roughly two hours after they had left the palace grounds. For a few minutes they paused, looking down over the giant ridge into the valley, Daine noticing the river that seemingly trickled out of nowhere.

"This used to be a giant waterfall millions of years ago," Numair told her in his gentle voice. "All of this would have been carved out by glacier meltwaters and erosion… but this is not a lesson, Magelet, another time perhaps."

He guided them on further, slightly more uphill and the steepest part of their climb so far. Drifts of snow lingered, and would do until the spring kicked in fully. Daine felt rather cold as they trudged through the snow, and wondered why Numair had not suggested that they wear clothing that was warmer.

He looked at her, smiling slightly as she shivered. "You'll start to warm up shortly," he told her as they came to a cluster of large stones.

Using his magic he moved one of the stones away, exposing a tunnel. Daine looked, slightly puzzled.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Daine asked, a little concerned at their apparent trip underground.

Numair looked at her, his eyes slightly misted as he readied himself to drop down the large entrance. "I haven't said? And you've followed anyway?" He grinned obnoxiously. "Would you follow me anywhere, Magelet?"

Daine threw him a warning glare. "You said that we were going to see something special. You didn't say it involved small spaces."

"It is special. Trust me, Daine, you'll like it," his tone changed to one of softened persuasion and she followed him as he dropped down several feet into a darkened tunnel that began to descend gently into a blackened maze. At first the entrance was cold, but began to warm up as they moved deeper in. Numair used his gift to create a large fire ball that showered their path with light. At first the path stayed narrow, then as they continued down and their route became rather winding, the path broadened out and Daine found herself travelling through a series of natural rooms, each decorated by various sizes of stalagmites and stalactites. She looked around in amazement as they ventured down into a smaller room, where the rock formations shone with different colours. She could see what seemed like a collection of gemstones still encapsulated in the rocks.

Numair noticed what had captured her attention. "They are quartz, different types too. There's smoky quartz over there," he informed her. "The different minerals in the rocks are what gives them their different colours."

"Why haven't they been mined?" She asked, recognising some types of quartz to be expensive and sought after gems.

"Jon keeps them here by way of insurance. He technically owns these caves and their contents, but mining here would reduce a place of outstanding beauty and interest. It's also by way of insurance, like a massive saving of money for the country." Numair explained.

"Why haven't other people tried to get in here in secret?" Daine asked curiously as she admired the rocks. She also noticed a strange hanging of something white-like and shiny falling from the ceiling.

"It's not well known, and there is enough folklore about this hill to keep most people away permanently. The stone I moved to get in is charmed so that only certain people can move it. It was one of the first things Jon had me do when he employed me," Numair informed her, noticing her gaze latching onto something quite remarkable. "That's called a 'snotty"," he said, seeing Daine's face light up with amusement at the name.

"Are there any living beings in here that I wouldn't be able to sense? I have heard the bats already, although they are in having their big sleep. It feels a little like the divine realms, that my senses have been numbed," she asked, sliding her finger against the cave wall, feeling its roughened texture that was also patterned in an odd way.

"Yes, there are extremophiles, creatures that are able to live in extreme places. A lot of the colours you'll see as we continue are actually microbes. Some look like they are giving off white light. You'll see those further on. As far as caves go, these are easy for us to access. For others we would need to find ways to transport oxygen with us to explore," he replied.

"You can use your gift to that, can't you?" She asked, worriedly.

Numair nodded. "That's how we've explored several of the caves in Tortall. When I first began to work at the palace I was asked to examine the sights where caves were rumoured to be. They wanted a mage to do it as people have always thought that the caves would be enchanted."

"Were they?" she said, focused on Numair.

"Some were places that seemed to hold magic. You know that certain stones are used to amplify magic, so a place where several different stones are held en masse could amplify a great deal of magic, hence the suspicions," he became engrossed in a structure that looked as if it should have been sculpted by some great artist.

His studying was broken by an impatient chirrup from Kitten and he began to lead them on, deeper into the depths of the earth, whizzing through caves that became more and more elaborate with their furnishings as they moved further in. Stalactites that had taken thousands of years to form seemed to have been lacquered in strange colours and something that Numair had told were called halite flowers became more common. The caves were damp and walls were covered in a wet film. Although the walls looked smooth, they were not. As they progressed further they seemed to be walking in a slight stream of water and Numair sent word to be careful, as the floor became slippier.

He came to an abrupt stop just as the cave floor began to level off.

"This is why I brought you here," he told her, his voice echoing around the small room. He led them through a small opening and the noise of falling water grew louder. The mage created another ball of light and the large chamber they had entered was illuminated. Daine opened her eyes to the largest waterfall she had ever seen.

They were stood on a wide ledge that was about half way up the total height of the water's drop. Looking down she saw a pool of water that grew into a river which flowed out to what Daine guessed must be the water that was outside at the bottom of the cove.

"Where does the water come from?" She asked amazed at the sheer force of the liquid as it fell.

"An underground river that leads from the mountains, collecting melted snow and precipitation as it moves slowly downwards, culminating in this," he gestured to illustrate to her the vastness of the chamber that they were now in. At the far end a large stalactite dropped, as thick as an old tree trunk that Numair explained had taken hundreds of thousands of years to form. The walls glistened with the same gems Daine had noticed on their descent.

For several minutes she stood with Numair's arms wrapped around her from behind, Kitten sat at their feet, watching the results of nature's magic.

"How did you decide to bring me here?" She asked the mage quietly, just so he could hear over the volume of the water.

"You're the tenth person in living memory to come here. I thought it was apt to take you somewhere you'd never seen on your birthday," he answered. "Do you like it?" He asked shyly.

"It's amazing," she replied. "I thought places like this would only exist in stories."

She felt Numair shake his head. "No, they truly are real." She felt Numair turn her round so she was facing him, no longer the teacher, now her lover.

"Happy birthday, Daine," he whispered, handing her a parcel, neatly wrapped as usual.

She opened it carefully, the sound of the water dropping and echoing in the chamber providing background music. Inside she found a slim, silver bangle, centred with a black jewel that she recognised to be an opal.

She looked at him aghast, knowing how expensive they were and yet thrilled at the gift. He seemed to have begun a tradition of buying her jewellery, and this was the latest piece and probably the most amazing.

"I can afford it, Daine," he smiled, knowing what she was thinking. "Do you like it?"

She nodded, not quite sure what to say. "I can't use it for magic, though?" She said, still half shocked by the gift.

Numair shook his head. "I'm sure it will have its uses and we'll discover them. It's laden with the usual protection and anti poison spells as well, which…" Daine cut off the beginning of his lengthy explanation by kissing him thoroughly, the sound of the torrenting water fading into the background such was the ferocity of the kiss. He responded eagerly, any sense of worry that she mightn't like his gift submerged by their desire.

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It was mid-afternoon by the time they returned to the palace, the place still swarming with people. Daine was exhausted and hungry by the amount of walking and difficult walking in places. On their way back to their rooms they stopped at the kitchens and Numair, at his most persuasive, managed to convince the cook to make some lunch up for them and have it delivered to their rooms.

Daine felt alive again once she had eaten and bathed in a tub of hot water, Numair's gift secured around her wrist. It still surprised her when she noticed that she had jewellery, associating it with monied people and nobles. The people in Snowsdale would have been astonished had they seen the possessions she now had and the company that she kept, although she still had doubts as to whether they would find Numair respectable.

Kitten had wandered off to see Tkaa, her energy quashed for a very short period of time before she became bored and needed more stimulation than Numair and Daine could provide while they looked like they were about to have an indolent afternoon. With Kitten away, Numair took advantage of the situation and dived in the bath with Daine, causing a tsunami of water to flood over the side.

They spent the time until evening making love in the large bed, relishing the time with no interruptions or duties to attend to, only each other. Daine realised again as she lay back down on the crumpled sheets, her hair wild and her heart pounding, that she was meant to be with this man, and that fate had planned this to happen, as she was sure that there would be no body else with whom she could fit so perfectly.

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Numair had told her that Thayet had arranged a meal for friends in one of the smaller halls, so Daine pulled on a pretty dress in a deep purple with thin straps, that fitted in all the right places. She added a little paint to her face and tamed her curls so they didn't give away how she had spent the afternoon, although her flushed cheeks certainly told stories.

She waited for Numair to finish his own dressing, as usual, on the last minute, although she had to admit that he had let her use the bath chamber first and waited for her to get ready before starting his own preparations.

They made their way through the corridors and hallways of the palace to the large room where there were to be celebrations for her birthday. Thayet generally jumped on any excuse to have some form of formalised dinner and birthdays were generally a good enough justification. The room was filled with people that she knew, including Evin, her friend from when she had first arrived in Tortall, and other people from the rider group that he commanded. Alanna and George were there which was a bit of a surprise as she had thought they were remaining at Pirate's Swoop for a while longer, as were Onua and Sarge. Buri was in a corner, catching up with Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, her words seeming to come at a rapid rate as she described some run in she had recently had. For a brief moment Daine wondered if there could ever be anything between Buri and Raoul; both were single with similar interests, both had similar sense of humour and fun and they always seemed very keen to talk to each other when they met. Daine sighed. It appeared she was turning into Thayet.

The first hour or so of the gathering was spent informally, people chatting away and bringing gifts to Daine which she received with the vague feeling that it should be someone else taking the gifts, as peasant girls from Snowsdale didn't get such tokens.

Numair watched her out of the corner of his eye, smiling at the pleasure and surprise on her face as she unwrapped various trinkets, which included lots of items that would help to pretty up the Tower. He knew that one of the reasons he loved her so was because of the accepting charm she had about her; she didn't expect any of this, unlike some of the noble ladies he had been involved with. He recalled a birthday spent with one lady in particular. It had been Avia's twenty fifth birthday, and he had been courting her for about five weeks, during which time he was working hard on a new spell. He couldn't remember exactly which spell, as there had been a few going on at the time, but he knew he had been totally immersed in his work at the time. He had remembered to wish her all the best, but the notion of actually buying her a present had been lost completely. She had not been happy, having expected – as she vented in front of everyone, including her parents – an expensive token of his feelings. Numair, faced with the stress of a rather complicated experiment and the wrath of a woman he did not particularly care about said a few rather choice words and stormed off. The letter he received from Avia a few days later was immediately put on the fire, rather than adding fuel to his. He had no time for demanding females who expected far too much. But Daine was different. Small things brought her genuine pleasure. Purely just being with certain people was enough for her and she never expected any grand gestures, and that made him want to give her presents and spoil her all the more, because it would never become something she took for granted.

Jonathan was trying to get people to take their seats at the table that had been laid out for them, decorated with purple candles that had already been lit. Daine sat next to Numair rather shyly as they had been sat where Thayet and Jonathan would usually be; the king and queen sat to Daine's left.

"There won't be any speeches, will there?" Daine muttered under her breath as she sat, gathering her skirts neatly as Thayet had taught her to.

Numair laughed quietly. "You have Jon, Thayet and George in a room with none of the elder members of court present, and there is Alanna who seems to have discovered her tongue recently at occasions like this, and you are hoping that there won't be any speeches?" Her eyes opened widely at him. "Sorry, Magelet, but that just won't happen. I, for one, have every intention of having my say." He looked straight ahead, refusing to meet her gaze.

The meal began and Daine noticed that Thayet had not left anything out. By the end of the feast she doubted that she would need feeding again that week and wondered if her skirts were full enough to hide the bulge in her stomach. She eyed Numair and saw him trying to loosen his breeches discreetly, to give his expanding stomach some room.

"You're going to have to be careful, you know," she whispered evilly. "If you carry on eating at this rate your admirers will stop sneaking glances at those stomach muscles."

He looked at her, half concerned for a split second and then mustered his look into an amused glare. "Very funny, Magelet."

Glasses were being refilled, and Daine could sense that she wasn't going to get away unscathed from this birthday. Previously, she had been away from the palace when it was her birthday, hence she had never been given a celebration in her honour before, and she was overwhelmed all ready. She saw Jonathan stand up, an empty glass and silver spoon in hand, tapping the glass gently to silence people. This time he actually managed not to break the glass.

His speech was kept short, mainly focusing on the great deeds she had done for the country since she had been there, and her part in the defeat against Ozorne and Uusoae. Daine blushed and wished for the earth to swallow her up as he referred to her as brave and courageous and one of Tortall's heroines, although she saw Numair grinning with pride beside her.

Jon stopped his speech and Daine thought thankfully that that would be the end and people would be able to carry on with their own conversations and remove their attention from her.

Then she saw Thayet stand and thought a curse that she would never say out loud. She saw Numair's face tighten slightly, knowing that there would be no way that Thayet would leave him out of her speech.

She didn't, describing Daine's growing confidence since arriving in Tortall, her presence in the palace and the change she had brought to Numair's life, first as his student and now as his lover. She described a man who was somewhat lost within his life; having no family and likened Daine to the same, carrying on to describe the chemistry that everyone but them had noticed develop after they had returned from Carthak, and gradually realising it for themselves.

Daine noticed Numair's embarrassed expression as Thayet continued and she knew hers was the same.

"I think Jon needs to put a bit more romance into Thayet's life," he whispered to Daine at the height of the speech. "Then she might focus less on other people."

"Or it could be that she has too much," Daine argued back. "And she wants everyone to be just as happy."

She felt Numair grab her hand under the table and hold it tightly, smiling at her inanely.

"She is right in what she says, though," he admitted, reddening somewhat, and then he kissed her tenderly. Unfortunately, Thayet had decided to end her speech at that moment, so all eyes were diverted back to the couple in question and the sight of them punctuating her speech in such a manner caused a round of applause to erupt from those present.

Numair stood up, a little red in the cheeks but his eyes were shining. Daine felt herself cringe slightly; she had every suspicion that Numair's speech would overtake Thayet's. She had never been made a fuss over, and particularly not in situations like this. Kalasin caught her eye from across the table and Daine sat up a little straighter. She had caught Kally's meaning, she would have speeches like this made over her every week once she married Kaddar. Daine had to go through once a year at the most.

Numair coughed, clearing his throat. Daine braced herself. She eyed a piece of paper being passed around Evin's Rider Company and realised that someone had opened a book on how long the speech would last. She prayed it would be quick.

"Veralidaine began as my student and my friend and ended up as much more, as most of you are aware. On countless occasions she has aided and saved Tortall and its residents, most of which events have now gone down as legends as famous as those told about the Lioness. Without looking at her, I know that she has begun to blush at this statement of her success and popularity, because that is the type of person she is. She is intelligent, courageous and more besides, but she is also modest and unassuming and kind. She became my hero a long time ago, and I can only hope to be hers," he ended, looking down at Daine whose eyes had now filled with happy tears. He pulled her up to him and unabashedly kissed her in front of their audience. Daine relaxed in his hold and momentarily forgot where they were, returning the kiss with fervour. She could hear applause and a wolf-whistle from George in the background, but it was lost on her as she drank in Numair's words, realising that she was the love of this man's life, almost unconditionally. The kiss finally ended, by which time most people were on their feet anyway. George leapt onto his chair to gain some height, holding his tankard high into the air.

"Daine Sarrasri!" He toasted, his voice booming to all corners of the room. The toast was echoed and Daine fell into a pool of laughter, thankful that the speeches were over, but most of all, captivated by the man that stood next to her who would not let go of her hand. She glanced up at him as he lead her to the area that had been cleared for them to dance in, seeing what he felt for her painted on his face in colours that would never wash off and knowing that the image was reflected on hers.

As the music started she leant into him, barely moving even though the dance was a quick one, just wanting to be as close to him as she possibly could and to keep on seeing that look he had in his eyes forever.

"Happy, Magelet?" He asked her softly.

"More that I ever thought I would be," she replied, as the rest of their day began.

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