Aravilui: Beltane seems to be everyone's favourite festival! I'm glad you liked the chapter. Music Nerd: I will try to incorporate more imagery in – you're right, certain scenes do need it. And it is Maude – I was too lazy to look it up! Myrtle Riddle: Thank you. Bitterosemary: Thank you. I wanted to try and capture the atmosphere. This second chapter is a little heavy, as is the beginning of the third, so I knew I would need something light to start with. Feyrey: You're forgiven for any spelling errors. I have a class of 30 7-9 years olds so I can deal with most spelling errors. You really need a day off! Mage's Whisper: I'm sorry you were late for work! I realise that my chapters are quite lengthy too. This fic is probably going to be 120,000 words plus! Keep reading! Jadeviper08: That scene stemmed from my experience, a sofa, old boyfriend, open staircase… Neals Chick: Here's the update! Drop Your Oboe: Thank you – what's your first favourite? Dolphin Dreamer: I wanted to make them seem like animals as they're Daine pack! As usual you pick up on all the little things, thank you! Daine's Daughter: Thank you! You'll find out Thayet's problem here. Jess: Thank you! Be prepared to stay on the edge of your seat! Celuna Cirrus: Thank you. I like writing fluff! Sonnet Lacewing: I have to say that you keep me on the edge of my seat wanting more with your chapters, so consider it REVENGE! Aikia Riyen: I'm fine, I hope you enjoyed your free Friday and it's good to know you've caught up! I'll fix the typo's one day…

Thank you for your reviews, I've passed 200! You guys make me type quicker!

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tamora Pierce, however I take full responsibility for the typo's, of which I am queen.

Beltane Part II

Chapter 2 – Daytime

Daine still held the image of Thayet's tears within her mind as she and Numair collected wild flowers to give to people as they passed their homes, which would most likely be those who lived in the palace. She laughed at Numair as he entangled himself in a bush, trying to reach for a pretty blue flower, which he was assuring her was muscari, before going into further detail about its preferred growing conditions and attractiveness to bees. Before he ran into full flow he had snagged his shirt on a thorn and ended up using his energy on trying to set himself free, while Daine looked on in amusement, much to Numair's growing wrath.

Other couples had begun the trail back to their abodes, walking along serenely in the early morning sunshine. Most would now return to their beds and sleep until late morning, trying to catch up on enough rest to enjoy the rest of the festival. Daine knew that Numair was planning a stop at the kitchens before they returned to their bed at the palace, and then they would sleep, before arising and joining in with the other traditional celebrations.

As they neared the palace, Daine saw the maypole being decorated with clusters of Hawthorne and fresh flowers that someone had just brought in from the fields. The air was filed with the sounds of laughter and chatter, a lighter atmosphere then the previous night, which had been drenched in a wantonness and apprehension that had felt strong and powerful, sweeping people away with its heavy desire. Now there was a playfulness and busy but relaxed feeling about the place, the few who were not suffering with last night's exertions helping to organise the day's events. Daine knew that there would be an archery competition that afternoon, one that she intended to enter and hopefully have a chance at winning. She knew that Numair would take the opportunity to repair the boundaries, but rather than just walking around them, he would study the palace wall with his gift, adding extra warding spells and asking the Goddess for protection. Then, that evening, there would be the feast, a more formal occasion than the previous night, when most of the residents of the palace would be gathered in the celebrations, and some nobles who were visiting also.

Numair swept a thick piece of wood from a nearby pile and went to the fire that had been left flaming. He lit the wood and held it at a distance, so not to burn himself.

"We should go and light the hearth with this before we find some breakfast," he said rather seriously.

"I don't think that cook would like us going into her kitchens with that anyway," Daine agreed, smiling at Numair's tone.

"You could always find someone to bring us some breakfast to our rooms," Numair said, as his most persuasively charming. "I'll go straight up with this, and why don't you see about finding a page or maid to bring us up some hot food."

Daine rolled her eyes to show her agreement, wondering how someone with such a large appetite managed to stay so toned, and left him to hunt out some breakfast.

On her way into the breakfast hall, which was rather emptier than usual given that most people were either asleep after the previous night's exploits or still making their way back, she passed Thayet, looking bleary eyed and utterly miserable. She didn't meet Daine's eyes, merely scuttling past and leaving the room quickly, keeping her head down. Daine spied Onua, for once on her own, a rarity these days, since she and Sarge were together whenever work made it possible, but then again, Daine supposed that she and Numair were the same.

She sat down next to the horse mistress, letting Numair wait awhile longer for his breakfast. Onua gave her a look that suggested that she knew what Daine was thinking.

"Did Thayet pass you in the forest last night?" She asked quietly, making sure that none of the few who were eating would over hear the conversation.

Daine nodded. "She seemed fair upset. Do you know what happened?"

Onua shook her head. "Her and Jon had started to walk toward the trees. They spend the night in the woods every year, it's a tradition that they have always kept. Sarge and I were slightly behind them, but intending to take a different route, obviously," Onua paused for a second. "They were in front of us by quite a bit, but the air was fairly still, and I just heard Jonathan something about Thayet needing to give him room to think, and then I heard her shout back, but I couldn't tell what she actually said."

Daine felt a little worried. She hadn't known the king and queen to have a quarrel before; they had always seemed so fixed and stable, that she doubted that they ever had. But she knew that the queen was stubborn and Jonathan could be very assured of himself and occasionally arrogant according to Alanna.

"We heard her apologising and saying that they should talk," Daine confessed, knowing Onua would tell this no further. "She seemed very upset."

Onua drank the rest of the orange juice and regarded the younger girl seriously. "I know I have no need to say it, but we should keep this to ourselves. I know that they must fight – everyone has arguments, we wouldn't be human or happy if we didn't – but I've never known Jonathan walk off like that."

"Any idea what it may have been about?" Daine asked with a worried curiosity.

Onua shrugged. "I know that Thayet mentioned that she wanted another baby. It may have stemmed from that. But that was awhile ago, so it could have been anything."

The two women looked serious as they stood, Onua to return her plates and Daine to seek out a plateful each for her and Numair. The pleasant smells had made her hungry now also.

"Are you going to say anything to her?" Daine asked Onua as they made their way to the serving hatch.

Onua shook her head. "No, and whatever you do, don't mention this to Alanna else she will end up castrating Jonathan, or something equally unpleasant. She regards her duty to serve him very seriously, but underneath all of that he and Thayet are her friends. She will get involved without thinking and that may do more harm than good."

"It still seems strange sometimes that she and Jon have a history, and that they still are the way they are," Daine said quietly.

"It was laid to rest a long time ago. But Alanna knows better than anyone that he can be arrogant and a little closed minded sometimes. She thought he and Thayet were suited because she had the born ability to stand up to him. If she thought he was being unreasonable, she would interfere, and like I said, I'm not sure if that will do any good," Onua replied, thanking the cook for her meal. "Anyway, chances are this will all pass over. It's Beltane, so they will both have many other things to think about, and they'll have to be the loving couple at tonight's ball, so I imagine it'll all be rectified by the end of the day."

"I hope so," Daine uttered. "Are you entering the archery competition?" She asked, changing the subject as she collected ham, eggs and fried bread and tomatoes for Numair, and everything else barring the ham for her.

"Is there any point if you're entering?" Onua asked wryly.

Daine laughed, holding both plates tightly. It would be quicker just to carry the food up herself rather than find someone to do it for her. Too many years of being waited on had left Numair incapable sometimes of doing the simplest things for himself. "You would give me a run for my money," she assured the horse mistress.

Onua laughed. "Maybe on a good day. But today I think I'll just be watching."

They parted and Onua made her way back to the rooms she shared with Sarge who was sleeping soundly in their bed and Daine quickly walked to her and Numair's home at the palace. The mage was lying stretched out in the bed, wearing just a loin cloth, his clothes from the previous night now piled next to the laundry basket. She briefly wondered if that would be what their first row would be about. He was half asleep, drowsily looking up at her as she entered the bed chamber, coming to at the smell of the food. He sat up and took the plate she offered him, smiling at the the contents of breakfast.

"You were awhile," he said as he began to slice the generous portion of ham.

"Onua was in the breakfast hall, so I spoke to her for awhile," she answered, passing him a cloth to wipe his chin. Numair's beautiful table manners were often lost when he was sleepy. He raised his eyebrows. "What about?"

"She heard Thayet and Jon's argument start, although she's no idea what it was about any more than we have," Daine replied, demolishing the fried bread.

Numair made a sound to say that he had heard what she had said but his mouth was too full to reply. When eventually he swallowed he looked up and regarded his lover, his eyes filled with softness as he spoke.

"I wonder what we'll argue about first." He asked her, echoing her thoughts.

Daine laughed, taking his empty plate and placing it on the dresser, and then clambered onto the bed next to him, pulling off her shirt and breeches.

"I think our first row will be about you needing training on how to put dirty clothes in the wash basket," she glared at the pile he had left.

Numair laughed lightly, his hands reaching for her.

"No!" Daine said, her manner playful. "Not until you put those clothes in the wash basket."

Numair huffed mockingly as he stood up and Daine watched his lithe body slink across the room and complete the task.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She teased, her hands now reaching for him, wrapping herself around his chest.

He gave a slight laugh and then pulled her down onto the bed. "Is the door locked?" He muttered. "I would quite like to not be disturbed this time."

Daine sounded a reply, her attention elsewhere.

-------------------

Onua had felt quite perturbed by her conversation with Daine, so once she had found Sarge still asleep, she had left her rooms and gone to seek out Thayet, to find out if her friend was alright.

First she had gone to Thayet's rooms, imagining that she would have returned to them once she had left the breakfast hall. However, they were either empty or someone didn't want to answer. Onua had left with the assumption that Thayet would have gone to the stables, and would either be grooming her horse or out riding. She set off to the stables, walking quite quickly and bumping into Jonathan as she turned down the corridor.

"Have you seen Thayet?" She asked the dark haired, blue-eyed man.

"No, I haven't," his answer seemed a little short, or maybe she was just imagining things.

She reached the stables quickly, knowing the palace well-enough to be able to take short cuts that would have gotten anyone else lost. Creaking open the stable door, she saw the black mane of hair next to one of the horses, the owner of the hair grooming the horse steadily.

Onua crouched down next to the queen, knowing that Thayet was aware that she was there and wouldn't be startled. The black eyes met hers and Onua saw the pain that was in them, the depth of which she hadn't viewed before in the woman.

"Want to tell me what's going on?" She said simply in a soothing tone.

Thayet looked away, not wanting Onua to see the tears that had been easily called.

"Thayet," Onua put a gentle hand on her friend's arm. "Don't bottle this up. You know that this will go no further, and there is no one around to over hear. It's better out than in."

Thayet forced a weak smile and the tears that had been threatening began to pour down her cheeks silently.

Onua gave her a minute, letting the woman cry herself out. Eventually, Thayet pulled herself together, not wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks as it would upset her skin even more.

"Now look at me," she said, biting her lips together. "Jon would certainly have something to say if he saw me in a state like this a few hours before a ball."

Onua shook her head and gripped her friend's arm tightly. "What is going on?"

Thayet shook her head. "It's not a good story, Onua." She said, biting back more tears.

"You need to tell me anyway," Onua insisted. "I haven't seen you like this before."

"I fell pregnant a few weeks ago, you knew I wanted another child, but Jon wasn't so keen," Onua shook her head, the former information being new. "Well," Thayet continued, working hard to keep her sobs under control. "I lost the baby a fortnight ago. When Jon found out he… he didn't seem bothered at all. Last night I asked him about it; why he hadn't reacted as I had. He seemed numb, or just not concerned. I pushed him. I kept baiting him for an answer and eventually he said that he hadn't wanted another child, so he hadn't become attached like I had."

"That wasn't a nice thing to say, Thayet. Don't you just think that he's having trouble dealing with it himself?"

Thayet shrugged, two tears escaping and cascading down her face. "He was strange since I told him about the pregnancy. We had decided to have one last chance at trying for a baby, and he was a little reluctant. But when I found out that I was pregnant, he withdrew from me completely, wouldn't touch me, and barely spoke."

"He's not seemed like that when you've been with us," Onua said, not doubting what Thayet said, but stating what she had seen.

Thayet nodded her head. "He will be his normal self when we're in public," she explained. "And in front of the children, although I think that Kally is aware of what's been going on. But as soon as we're in private, he goes cold with me. And I really don't know what I've done," Thayet's words became immersed in sobs. "Now he's saying that maybe we should have separate rooms."

Onua pulled Thayet into a hug and held her while she cried, saying nothing, as at this moment words would have no effect on the abandonment that she was feeling. Onua knew that she feared for the very life of her marriage, for although she knew that Jonathan would never separate himself from his wife, he would distance himself from her if he felt that their relationship had died. Onua couldn't understand why Jonathan was acting like this. He had always openly adored his wife, and doted on their children. His behaviour was strange to say the least.

She let the woman cry some more and then moved her away slightly so that Thayet was forced to look at her. "You have to stop crying," Onua said, gently, but with enough firmness in her voice that Thayet obeyed. "You can't let other people see you like this; else they will know something is amiss."

"I know," Thayet said, her sobs subsiding. "I just don't want my marriage to end. I love Jon, like I never thought I could. Him acting like this is so painful." She bit her lip to stop the tears.

"Come back to my rooms. If Sarge is awake I'll boot him out. You can have a bath and wash your face and I'll see if I can find a discreet healer to soothe your eyes after all that crying. You shouldn't be on your own, and I need to keep away from Jonathan else I'll end up shaking him," Onua struggled to keep the annoyance from her voice as she said the king's name.

Thayet stood up, her face looking like she had lost everything that she had in the world. Quickly, they walked to Onua's home. Luck was on their side as they managed not to pass anyone else, disappearing into Onua's rooms unseen.

Sarge was awake and reading a book when they entered. He took one look at Thayet and stood up, striding to her in a couple of paces and putting an arm around her. "I'll leave you to it," he said. "I'm going to practice for the archery competition."

Onua looked at him puzzled, knowing that he wouldn't be entering the tournament. "George made some of that ale again and he's set the barrels up near where the archery is taking place," he explained.

"Is that wise? I would have though that someone would be liable to have themselves impaled if they were too close to the arrows?" Onua said, knowing the normal potency of George's home brew.

Sarge laughed, kissing the top of her head lightly and gently touching Thayet's shoulder before tactfully leaving the room.

Onua sorted a hot bath out for her friend, knowing that the tears would have made her weary and fraught, and that she needed to try and relax before the evening's formalities. She left Thayet to it, sitting down on a chair in the corner of the sitting room, half reading a book and half thinking about what had happened. It seemed clear that someone would need to speak to Jonathan. Although Onua was loath to interfere, she knew that his side needed to be sought; clearly he and Thayet were just going to tie themselves in knots if no body did say anything. She watched as Thayet came from the bath chamber, looking a little more like the queen of Tortall, and settled down on the bed, worn out with tears and emotions that she never thought she would have to deal with.

Onua watched her for a while as Thayet settled down, her head on the pillow. Thayet pulled a light blanket over her and closed her eyes, exhausted by the outpouring of feeling she had gone through. Onua wanted to find Numair and have him speak with Jon; find out what his side of the story was. Usually she would have gone to George, as the two men were quite close, but that would have meant Alanna finding out, and Onua, as she had said to Daine, didn't think that that was such a good idea. Numair was quite sensitive and a close friend of both the monarchs, and although he wasn't as experienced as George in dealing with issues like this, Onua knew that she should give him more credit than just being an academic with his nose stuck in a book. Since his relationship with Daine his ability to deal with people had improved.

But for now she didn't want to leave Thayet, knowing that her friend would want someone with her when she awoke, otherwise she would feel completely alone. Onua knew that waking up alone after years of having someone next to you was one of the hardest things when something went wrong with a relationship, even in a relationship that was not all it should be. And for Thayet after fifteen years of marriage, or so, it would be especially difficult to wake up uncertain about whether she would find herself in bed with her husband again.

Onua sighed, putting her book down. There was no use reading, she had too many thoughts bubbling round her mind. She gazed out of the window at the morning sunshine; she could see Sarge in the distance setting up the targets for the archery tournament and the maypole, now beautifully decorated with the flowers that had been brought by couples coming back from the words. More flowers would later be collected, as people went 'a-Maying', and took picnics out into the fields or back into the forest. Beltane was one of Onua's favourite festivals; although all of them in Tortall had been spent as a single woman, she had still enjoyed the hauntingly captivating atmosphere of the eve, and the relaxed, merry ambience of the day, when everyone seemed a little bit freer than usual. And this year she had Sarge. She looked at him again, noticing that he was laughing at something that George was doing, his tall, broad figure that trainees could find so intimidating, now open and welcoming – to her anyway; she still doubted that any of the trainees would ever see Sarge as anything more than the bane of their lives. Her eyes fell back to the queen, sleeping soundly on her bed. Onua figured that she probably had an hour or so in which to find Numair and a healer who could do something for her puffy eyes and reddened face. She stood up and quickly left the room.

----------------------------

Daine drew back the bow and prepared to aim at the target in front of her, all her attention focused on hitting the centre and putting the other man out of the competition. The crowd were bawdy with their support, encouragement arising for both her and Adsel, one of the Own who was known for his skill with a bow. Between them they had already seen off the rest of the competitors, and the tournament was now down to them. She drew back the bow and let the arrow fly, knowing that if she hit the centre of the distant target she would have won. It seemed to take an age before the arrow came to a halt, and than she heard the crowd shouting and felt Alanna's hands grab her shoulders. Daine grinned; that would teach Adsel from betting a large wager that he would win. She looked around for Numair and found him talking worriedly to Onua. He caught her eye and headed over to her, Onua scuttling back towards the palace entrance.

"I need to find Jon," he said in a low tone, above the noise of the crowd.

"Is this about Thayet?" Daine asked with the same level of quiet.

He nodded his response. "I will tell you later. Just try and make sure that no one else finds out about this." He kissed her, as he always did before he left, and then went towards the palace, knowing that Jon would likely be in his study seeing as he wasn't outside in the glorious May sunshine.

Daine watched him go, a look of apprehension on her face. She had persuaded herself that the row between Jon and Thayet had been simply caused by too much wine and wasn't anything to be concerned about, but given the look of worry on Numair's face it appeared otherwise. She felt a tug at her sleeve and saw Kitten looking up at her. She bent down and picked up the small dragon, who was pointing happily at the maypole, where some of the palace's residents, including Raoul, were readying themselves to dance round it.

"You want to watch?" Daine asked the dragonet. Kitten nodded and whistled a pleasing note. Daine carried her over to the crown that surrounded it, managing to find a space where she and the dragon could see.

The pole was made out of a fir tree, stripped bare of its branches. At the top a wreath had been placed that had been made that morning from some of the flowers gathered and brought back by the couples who had been seeing in the may. Eight long lengths of ribbon dropped from the top of the pole, each held by someone that Daine knew. The men each held a red ribbon, representing the sun god, the women all held a white one, representing the Goddess. Music was played by the usual group of men and women who would play at formal occasions, but this time the tune was jolly, keeping time for the people who danced round the maypole, the men weaving in and out of the women until the pole was completely wrapped in ribbons. Once the ribbons had been tied, the wreath was dropped, slipping down the may pole as a symbol of the Lord and Lady Greenwood – the Goddess and the sun god - and a large cheer went through the crowd before the people returned to their drink and conversations. Some stayed back; Eleni, Myles' wife and George's mother, began to say a few tradition words, blessing the maypole and the realm, asking for protection, fertility and healing. She had been out early that morning to consecrate the maypole as it had been erected, as well as having spent most of the night outside also. She now looked weary, and Daine imagined that she would shortly be returning to her rooms and catching up on sleep before the evening's formalities.

People were milling all over the place; children were chasing each other, playing games, listening to stories and generally being caught up in the magic of the day. Daine noticed George being swamped by his youngest two children, Alianne draping herself over him as if she had not seen him for a week. Daine saw that she was pointing her father in the direction of a stall selling sweet breads and laughed when George gave in without a struggle, buying a large cake for each of the twins.

Daine wound herself out of the crowd, heading toward an old bench that was vacant. Kitten had disappeared to find George, knowing that she was more likely to get a food treat from George than Daine, as Numair was nowhere around. Daine had no worries about Kitten wandering around the palace grounds on a day like today; the people around would keep an eye on her, and she would be happier playing with the children than sitting with Daine.

Everywhere bustled; stalls had been set up to sell food, wine and ale and some crafts as well. Groups of people stood talking to each other, their conversations loud and merry, gentle teasing and gossip being passed. Daine ached a little for Numair, wanting to be with him and share their first Beltane together, but she knew that this dispute between Thayet and Jon obviously needed some help in being smoothed over.

------------------

Numair found Jon in his study, as he had predicted, a pile of papers in front of him on his desk, and his head buried deep in them. Numair sat in the chair opposite and waited until the king gave him his full attention. Usually Jon would be outside, patrolling about the activities and joining in. Onua had highlighted Jon and Thayet's absence from the festivities, which was strange; in fact, in all the years he had been living in Tortall he had never known them miss events like these.

"Is everything all right outside?" Jonathan asked, barely looking up.

"It is, Jonathan, apart from the fact that neither you nor Thayet are gracing us with your presence," Numair replied clearly. Jonathan stayed silent.

"I'm going to check the boundaries of the palace grounds. Why don't you join me?" Numair offered, standing up abruptly.

Jonathan signed, putting down his pen. "You'll not let me rest until I do, will you?" He muttered, standing up also and following Numair out of the door.

They headed to the stables and tacked up and mounted their horses. No one was around; they were all in the fields, watching the end of the archery tournament and the dancing around the maypole that would follow. Numair wondered briefly how Daine had fared and wished that he could be with her now. However, from what Onua had said, this needed some help in being remedied. Jonathan was clearly in some pain, and Numair knew without having to think too much that it had something to do with last night. On horseback they began to head toward the perimeter of the palace grounds. This was a journey that Numair knew from experience would take at least two hours and he had planned on doing it with Daine, before heading off for a picnic with her in the woods. He knew she would understand, but he would have to find some way to make it up to her.

For a while they trotted in silence, Numair trying to enjoy the serenity of the day, but finding that his thoughts were consumed with the conversation that he was going to have to broach. He and Jon had been good friends since he had become known by the palace. Their relationship was built more on friendship than work and Numair had always found in the past that he could speak his mind with the king, on a personal as well as a professional level. He brought Spots to a halt and began to test the protective magical boundary that he had set up some time ago, shortly after Karrum Makheen's arrest, checking to see that no stronger magic had breeched it.

It was there merely to hinder any mage attacks that might occur. No ordinary person would notice; it didn't affect any animals or humans passing through, and no one would particularly perceive it unless they searched with a powerful gift. Numair said a few words in Old Thak and felt some of his gift leave him, strengthening the barrier.

He was aware of Jon watching him and saw the king reinforce some of the barrier with his own blue gift, almost marking his territory. Numair relaxed the spell and turn to Jonathan.

"Want to talk?" He asked, a little unsure of how to start this conversation.

Jonathan laughed wryly. "About Thayet?" The question didn't need answering.

"We saw her run past us in the forest last night," Numair explained. "She was upset."

Jonathan did not respond, he merely avoided eye contact with the mage.

"What's going on?" Numair said, an undemanding tone in his voice. He hadn't seen Jon like this before.

"I don't know," the king finally responded. "I don't know what's happened, as it's all happened so quickly. She said she wanted another baby. I didn't," Jonathan sighed. Numair realised how difficult the king was finding this, but that he also needed to speak about it. "We have five children and they're all growing up. The time will come when they have married and we can finally have some time together just us. It's never been that. We had Raoul nine months after we were married, then she fell pregnant with Kally almost immediately after. I love my children, Numair, but I want some time with my wife."

Numair looked at Jon's face, creased with an emotion that he hadn't seen before. He didn't say anything, not quite knowing what needed to be said.

"She makes me feel that I am not enough for her. She did fall pregnant and she was ecstatic. Then two weeks ago she miscarried. I felt it was my fault for not really wanting it, and Thayet kept crying and nothing I could do could make her feel any better, and to be fair I was too wrapped up in my own guilt to even offer to help her," Jonathan looked at the younger man, his eyes filled with pain.

"Last night we rowed about the whole thing. She said if she didn't know me so well she would assume I was bedding someone else and accused me of being cold over the loss of our baby. It ended when I told her that I thought we should have separate rooms," Jon confessed.

"That's like telling her your marriage is over," Numair said quietly. "But that's not what you want, is it?"

Jon shook his head. "No, but we seem to have talked and ignored ourselves into a place that we can't get out of. I am sorry she lost the child – our child. But I wish she just wanted me sometimes. It feels like she wants another baby so then it will never just be me and her."

"That's not the reason she wanted another child, you know that," Numair felt a little frustrated. Part of him couldn't wait for the day when Daine told him that she wanted to have his child. "You need to tell her how you feel, then she can reassure you and you can do the same by her. Onua found her in the stables this morning, completely devastated. Thayet's now asleep in Onua's rooms. She was shattered by what you said and couldn't understand why you had said it," Numair looked directly at the king.

"When do I speak with her? We have this ridiculously formal meal tonight, for which we need to look as if we are the same as usual when we're both enduring mental torture. I didn't mean this to happen, we just forgot…"

"To talk," Numair ended for him. "You can be late, or just not turn up. The palace nobles will be there in full force and they'll have Alanna to keep them occupied. You know how they like to disapprove. Find Thayet and sort things out first. That's far more important than some dinner."

Jon laughed slightly, nodding. "What do I say?"

"Can't you just put your arms around her to start with?" Numair offered, knowing that if Daine was upset that always seemed to help better than trying to come up with perfect solutions.

"That would be easy, as long as I wasn't scared she'll try and beat me to death," Jon said, almost humorously.

Numair laughed. "I think you will have to take that chance."

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