Ace Ryn Knight: Thank you. It's nice to know my writing can do some good. This chapter is a little darker, but it will have a happy ending. Music Nerd: I would like to see your poem if you want to email to me. Love is weird, that's' the best I can do! Myrtle Riddle: Thank you! Bitterosemary: I'm going for Lammas for two reasons; one its easier to spell (!) and two, Lughnasadh is a celtic festival and I though for ease I'd stick with the saxon version. Sarralyn Numairsri: Thank you – your comment bodes well for my own stories. Feyrey: Thank you. I enjoyed writing that one very much, it was nice to have some peace. Lammas will not be peaceful, but in a different way to the others. I think in this you will see my true writing style a little more, particularly in chapter 3 (yes, it's already partly written!). Aravilui: I am going to do DN's wedding in Mabon as I will be jumping a few years into the future. I did their first Mabon together at the end of A Stepping State, so this one will be a little different. However, we have Lammas to go through before that! Daine's Daughter: Thank you! Celuna Cirrus: Thank you – I like writing fluff too, I must admit. Silverlake: Thank you – I liked Bradia very much and she's a character that may one day find herself in another story. I read on your profile page that you're writing your own book – what's it about? I understand if you're not sharing details! Goldeneyedwildmage: I saw something on a site somewhere that said Alanna had another set of twins after Aly and Alan. I would like to know if anyone else knows anything of this. I try to stick to cannon, else I would have had her pregnant by now. Thank you for your review as always! Poodle14: I am going to do a DN wedding, but as they don't get married until after Lady Knight I'm going to be jumping into the future with Mabon. Thank you for reviewing. Dolphin Dreamer: Thank you! Your reviews are always helpful, whether long or as long as a book! Sonnet Lacewing: I think he was amazingly patient. I imagine he just gave up in the end. Oh well. I liked this story too, it was by far the most enjoyable to write.

Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and places belong to TP.

Lammas Part I

Chapter 1 – Preparations for a Guest

Daine looked out of the large window, wistfully gazing down the pathway to see if anyone was heading towards the palace. The day was typical of the summer they were having; too hot and humid, with little let up from the heat, even at night. The past two nights neither she nor Numair had slept well, waking up too hot, even though the windows were wide open, or the sounds of someone moving around the palace as they were too hot had disturbed them. The mage was currently lecturing a group of young men and women who were being trained in the gift, and Daine, having done what duties she needed to for that day, and having no emergencies arise, was now left to sit and brood over the coming situation. They were expecting a guest to arrive either today or tomorrow; a guest Daine was a little apprehensive to meet. Even Numair was a touch nervous and it was his mother.

She slid off the window seat and began to walk down the corridor toward the rooms belonging to the queen, wanting to talk this over a little. She found Thayet sprawled out next to a wide open window, patiently embroidering what looked like a gown for her youngest daughter Lianne. Thayet smiled as she came in, a needle in her mouth as she hunted around for a different colour of thread.

"Just pass me that green from over there," she pointed to Daine, who fetched the desired object. "Have a seat. It's so warm – I was going to do this outside, but I think I would've melted!"

Daine smiled, almost collapsing with the heat in the room, although it was still cooler than outdoors. "Numair's mother hasn't arrived yet," Daine said, a little dully. "She's due today or tomorrow, we've not heard exactly."

Thayet looked up and smiled, the needle now threaded with the green cotton. "I'm sure you'll get along just fine together. She knows all about you. I read one of Numair's letters to her once and it was really just about you. She knows that he adores you and that you adore him – that's all she'll be troubled with, whether you're making him happy or not."

Daine smiled, although she was still not consoled. "I worry about the age difference and the fact that I have my mother's name…"

"Stop there, Veralidaine Sarrasri!" Thayet ordered. "You also know, as does she, that you are a daughter of a god. Besides, from what Numair has said in the past I don't think she'll be bothered about that. She's not a noble, remember."

Daine nodded, admiring Thayet's handiwork. The room was not like you would expect for a queen. Although it was furnished to a high quality, and decorated tastefully, toys still lay about, a book had been placed on the floor, bending its spine, a pile of clothes rested on the arm of one of the chairs, waiting for someone to put them away and Thayet sat there, like an ordinary woman, making clothes for her children.

"You would never think that this room belong to the king and queen of Tortall," Daine announced, glad to think of something else for a while.

Thayet laughed, cutting the thread. "That's why we only allow certain people to come in here. Otherwise our status would be destroyed!" She smiled, selecting another colour from the wicker basket. "I spent a good part of this morning cleaning up after Jon. I know we have maids to do that, but I still think we need to have some dignity. However, by the way Jon left the chamber room this morning I don't think he agrees!"

Daine joined in her laughter, watching Thayet's deft fingers as they made the pretty emblems in the silk dress. "Is that for Lammas?" She asked the queen, referring to the festival that would begin tomorrow.

Thayet nodded, her eyes remaining on the small piece of material. "I'm a bit late in finishing them," she confessed. "Although this is the last one. Kuri's helped me with a few of the larger gowns, like for you and Alanna, but I've done all the children's – even Kalasin's, although you can hardly consider her to be a child still." Thayet said, a little sadly.

"She's still not quite grown up yet," Daine assured her warmly. Kally had been in the habit of finding her out, usually when she was in the stables and asking for her advice or just generally talking to her about having to one day leave the realm and marry the emperor of Carthak. That would not happen for at least another two years, and neither Thayet nor Jonathan was inclined for those years to go quickly.

Thayet's smile was a little happier this time as she thought of her eldest daughter. "She seems so childlike some days and others she immensely grown up. I imagine I was the same at that age as well."

"I certainly was. I remember on the journey to Corus after I had first met Onua how childish I could be. I stormed off once when Numair said something about things burning easily back home. I was ashamed over that," Daine smiled at the memory.

"I think Numair should have watched his words a little more, although he would never mean any harm by that. You had to grow up a little too quickly, Daine, after everything that happened. Luckily, you've become an amazing woman through it, but I don't want Kally to have to bear too many responsibilities too soon," Thayet studied the younger woman's face, still lost in thought. "Don't worry over Numair's mother coming to see you. The chances are she'll be more nervous than you are. She's not seen Numair for several years; she'll be worried about how he's going to react toward her and whether you'll like her or not."

Daine nodded a little. "I think Numair's fair nervous about her visit as well," Daine said in a quiet voice. "He won't really talk about it, just says that she already likes me as he's told her so much about me already. But other than that, he just changes the subject when ever I mention her."

"He's more than likely worried about her visit. She's bringing the man she now lives with, isn't she? That's probably throwing him, as well. He'll be wondering how to react to her as he's not seen her for what – nearly ten years now?" Thayet soothed, making her mind up to have a word with Numair at the first chance she got.

"I've thought that. I felt fair strange after seeing my Ma after just three years. I'd changed, and she'd become a goddess. Luckily we both managed with those changes. Numair will be a completely different person to what he was ten years ago, and so will she," Daine said, remembering the story he had told about how his mother had asked him to take his father back to Tortall. She could understand what Numair was thinking, but she wished he would share it with her, rather than bottle it all up.

"I know everything will be fine, Daine," Thayet reassured some more. "You need to cheer up and look forward to Lammas. It's one of the nicest of the sabbats here as it's such a peaceful one. Very few of the nobles travel here to celebrate with us, so it will quite a cosy affair!"

"Just a hundred or so guests then, Thayet?" Daine joked.

Thayet laughed. "Hopefully about thirty, which is a nice small number for a change!" Daine and Numair had spent the last sabbat, Midsummer, at the Tower with George and Alanna, missing the celebrations at the palace which had ended in Thayet and Jonathan feigning sickness the last day as they were so frustrated with the constant stream of interruptions and niceties that they had to indulge in with people they barely knew or liked. Thayet had said afterwards that they knew it was part of being the monarchs, but it seemed that this year every person they had invited had decided to accept, so next year there would be fewer invitations sent out.

They wandered downstairs together, aiming for the outdoors where the temperature seemed to be dropping as a cooling breeze had started up. Daine looked toward the large university where Numair would be, inducting his students on the properties of some magical gem or telling them of an arcane gem, and she wondered just what it would take to actually get him to speak with her about his feelings on his mother's journey. Daine sighed, causing Thayet to glance at her with concern. Thayet hadn't had to deal with Jonathan's mother, but she could understand Daine's anxiety quite clearly, still feeling as though Duke Gareth the Elder was judging her even after many years of being married to his nephew. Thayet and Daine sat down and lazed in the sun, the breeze now making in bearable to sit in. They were joined by some others; Buri and Sarge, when they had both finished torturing the trainees for the afternoon, and Raoul of Goldenlake, Thayet noticing that he chose to sit next to Buri when there were plenty other spaces available. However, that thought she pushed to the back of her mind.

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Maura of Dunlath looked around the room that she had been told was hers for as long as she wished to stay at the palace. It was simply, but beautifully, furnished; she could tell that the queen had had some say over how this room had been decorated. The drapes over the bed were a pristine white, with white bed sheets and white curtains to match. There was a deep red carpet adorning the floor that made Maura feel as if she was walking on a cloud, it was that plump and cushioned. The walls had been painted an ivory colour, warming the room without being too much of a contrast against the white.

She had arrived the previous evening after what had seemed a terribly long journey from Dunlath. Thayet had offered her an invitation to the palace shortly after Daine had arrived back from celebrating Ostara at Dunlath with Maura. Maura had gratefully accepted, longing for some company of her own age and a place that was busier than the rather too peaceful place in which she lived.

She had unpacked herself rather than have a maid do it, not being one to care too much about being fawned over and had then taken a cool bath and changed into a clean dress to revive her after the heat and dust of the journey.

It was now hovering toward evening, although the sun didn't seem to think so with the amount of heat it was still generating, and Maura, after tidying herself up since a day spent with Kalasin in the fields with the horses had done nothing for her attire, had decided to explore the palace more thoroughly. It was the first time she had been here and was desperate to get to know the place inside and out before she left to go back to Dunlath, although that wouldn't be for some time. She had wanted to spend some of this time with Daine, but the wild mage had seemed preoccupied with something and not at her most patient, so she decided to go alone, and see what she could find herself.

She left her room and headed downstairs toward the maze of corridors that legend said could wrap around the whole of Corus twice if there were laid out one after another. Some of the corridors seemed a little darker and mysterious than the others, not so draped with tapestries or portraits and the bare walls gave an almost eerie feel as her feet echoed down the hallway. She found herself at the end of a route, blocked off by an old wooden door that looked remarkably heavy. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled on the handle with all her might, which, much to her embarrassment she didn't need, as the door opened easily and she ended up almost falling with the force she needlessly exerted.

The room was dark and had a musty smell as if it had not been used for a few years, which looking round by using a little of her gift to make a light, she saw that it probably hadn't. Two old suits of armour had been piled on the floor in one corner, a bundle of old robes had been abandoned on an old rickety table that had one leg shorter than the other three, and an odd bookcase, still piled with dusty tomes had been placed in the middle of the floor for any body to fall over it. She headed a bit further into the large room, half expecting at any second to walk into the wall at the other side, but surprisingly it didn't happen. Instead she passed more items and oddities that had been put there unwanted by their owners. Maura felt a bit stupid for doing so, but she felt a little sorry for the things that had just been left there, forgotten. She wondered if they reminded her of herself somewhat. Brightening her light she unearthed an old chair, elegantly adorned with red material embroidered with gold thread. The work was well done, Maura could tell as she moved her light closer to study it. She wondered if Thayet would think it terribly bad mannered if she asked to have it in her room while she stayed there; the red material would match the carpet extremely well, and she would be quite prepared to clean the chair up herself.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a loud bang echoing through the room. Maura froze. Her imagination began to run wild, thinking of spirits and demons that might lurk in corners such as these and prey on girls that entered the bowels of the palace alone and unprotected.

Maura was quite disappointed when she heard the bellow of a voice calling a name.

"Briac! Briac! Are you in here? Wyldon is looking for you!"

Feeling rather perturbed, she debated whether to shout back. Obviously the owner of the voice knew that somebody was in the large room, and she didn't want him to waste his time calling for someone who didn't seem to be there. Maura controlled the flustered feeling inside her chest and made herself be brave. She hoped she wouldn't be in trouble for being down there.

"Hello!" She called, thankfully keeping her voice steady. "I think there's only me down here!"

A lantern began to light up near where she stood and she saw a tall boy, maybe two or three years older than she was. He had dark brown hair and a friendly face, with a pair of hazel eyes that Maura felt would stand out anywhere. He smiled at her when he saw her and offered out his hand.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he smiled, and Maura felt an unfamiliar feeling wash over her and making her nervous all of a sudden. "I'm Arland of Bismere, one of the squires here, and I was looking for my little brother. He's just about to start as a squire and he's being picked on already. He hides down here sometimes," Arland explained.

"I'm Maura of Dunlath," she took his hand. "I was being nosy I suppose and seeing what was down here. I haven't seen your brother, although this seems like a big room, so I suppose he could be hiding." She smiled, putting the shaky feeling down to the cool temperature in the room, although she did actually feel a little hot and flushed.

"Lady Maura, isn't it?" Arland bowed his head, making Maura giggle.

"I'm meant to be all dignified, but I find it so funny when people treat me like a noble," she said, noticing the features of his face more closely now.

"You are a noble," he laughed back. "Although I've never met many nobles rummaging through this room before!" He smiled and Maura noticed how his eyes twinkled in the combined light of the lantern and her gift.

"I'll help you look for your brother, if you want?" She offered.

Arland nodded, "He sometimes hides in the cupboard at the back of this room."

Tentatively he began to lead the way, taking care not to trip over bits of things that people had put there so they were out of the way of their own abodes. Maura noticed the large cupboard built into the wall at the back of the room. The doors were like the one Maura had entered to get in, and she wondered if they would be as easy to open. However, not wishing to end up nearly on her rear end again she left the opening of them to Arland, admiring the way he knew just how much force to use.

Inside the cupboard, tucked into a pile of fur coats that Maura imagined fed most of the palace's moth population, was a small boy with the same dark brown hair as Arland, only his face wasn't as happy.

"Is it Garin again?" Arland demanded, pulling his brother out from the coats. Maura noticed a large bruise beginning to form over the boy's right cheekbone.

Briac nodded, turning his face away from his brother. Maura wondered why Kally had ever considered training to be a knight.

"Wyldon's looking for you, and it won't do you any favours to get yourself into trouble with him," Arland explained gently.

"Is he the training master?" Maura asked. She knew of some things about the pages and squires. She knew that there was a girl page called Keladry. Maura felt in awe of her even though she had never met her, just the thought of doing all the things that pages had to was enough.

Arland nodded. "I think he wants Briac here to have a few extra lessons before the rest of the pages arrive. But," he aimed this at his brother, "If he doesn't start to be around when Wyldon calls him then he may throw him out before he even starts!" Maura noticed that the young boy looked as if he was about to cry.

"Do you want to be a page, Briac?" She asked in a voice she thought would appeal to the younger child. He nodded, looking at her with large eyes. "Then you have to be brave and stand up to this bully," she advised, although the only bully she'd ever encountered had been her half sister, Yolane. "If you stand up to him, he'll realise that you won't be an easy target and leave you alone."

Briac's eyes looked even bigger as he nodded at her.

"Who's causing him misery?" She asked Arland.

"Another boy who's here early. I was going to have a word with his brother, but I think Briac needs to stand on his own two feet," Arland said sternly.

Maura nodded. "Well I think he can," she said, confidence in her voice. "He's brave enough to be a page so I think he must be brave enough to stand up to a bully!" Briac nodded at her, a smile almost playing on his lips.

They left the room and Arland took them the shortest route possible to outside. The change in temperature shocked Maura after being in the cool room for so long. The sun was still giving out heat and it looked like it promised to be another night of sleeping without sheets. They heard Wyldon's call for Briac, who managed a smile at Maura and took off like a cannon ball toward the training master.

"Will he be alright?" She asked his brother.

Arland shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her warmly. "Maybe what you've said will spur him on to stand up to Garin. That would be all it took – just one word answering back and it would stop a lot of torment over the next few years." He sighed deeply.

"I hope it goes alright for him," Maura said sincerely, looking into Arland's eyes. She had realised that he was really quite attractive.

He smiled at her. "I really have to go and finish some seriously difficult maths for tomorrow. I would like to stay and talk to you – you don't seem like other noble girls," he looked a little shy.

"Maybe I'll see you again before I go back to Dunlath, we could talk then," Maura said, praying that she wasn't sounding too hopeful. "There are lots of things I would like to know about training to be a knight."

"That would be good," he said, not making much effort to leave. "Thank you for being so nice to Briac."

"It was no trouble," she said, before he bowed his head at her again and then walked of slowly back to his rooms.

Maura smiled to herself as she headed back to where she thought Kalasin might be, hoping with all her might that Arland would cross her path again soon.

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Daine went back to the rooms she shared with Numair to find him hunched over a pile of textbooks, reading rapidly. He half acknowledged her arrival, merely stretching his arm out and grabbing her hand as she walked past, squeezing it gently. Knowing better than to disturb him from is readings she left him alone in the sitting room and opened the door to their bed chamber, stripping herself of the clothes that she had worn all day and were now grimy with sweat and dirt.

Numair's mother had not yet arrived and Daine now expected her entrance to be on the morrow. The hot weather would have made it difficult to travel, even if she was from Tyra which was generally much warmer that Tortall, and Daine figured that she would have had to stop on her journey to counteract the heat.

She lay on the bed and began to doze. The day had not been particularly busy, it would have been impossible to be busy in such searing heat, but she still felt exhausted, mainly because of the weather but also, she imagined, because of the worries she had been contemplating throughout the day.

The sabbat was the first of three harvest celebrations as it signified the harvesting of the grain. The palace had been covered in the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread, as Lammas was traditionally celebrated with loaves of bread. It was now that they thought of the waning of the sun god as autumn began to breach the wheel of the year, although the Great Mother Goddess was full abundance, heavily pregnant with the sun god's child and the fruit of her earth being reaped.

Tomorrow there would be celebrations, although they would not be in the same volume as the celebrations of Beltane or Midsummer. Seeds would be blessed and bread would be eaten at the feast. The children may make corn dolls and sun wheels which would then be put away for use in the rituals at Imbolc and Midsummer next year. There would also be a play, celebrating John Barleycorn, the humanized idea of the sun god. Daine was looking forward to the play; her friend Evin Larse was performing in it, as were some others from the rider groups. She half hoped that Numair's mother would not make it until after the play was over, then she could feel at ease with her friends when watching it.

Numair entered the chamber room and sat down next to Daine on the bed. He watched her tenderly, her eyelashes resting on the tops of her cheeks and her breathing steady and stable as she slept. He lay next to her, an arm resting over her body and he relished in the pleasure of being near her, just breathing the same air as she. He knew she was apprehensive about meeting his mother, but for him that was nothing to worry about. He knew that his mother would adore her; to a certain extent she already did. He had written to his mother almost every month since his father had died and he knew that for the past two years his letters had been filled with Daine and little else. She had been so pleased when he had finally announced to her that their relationship had developed, and he wondered if her maternal instinct had known before he had that he was in love with her.

Tenderly, he moved a lock of hair out of her face and she stirred, her eyes opening up and looking straight at him.

"You've finished your studying?" She asked, yawning a little and covering her mouth.

He nodded. "I think I was trying to distract myself. I wish she'd just get here," he muttered, feeling the black mood that had encompassed him all day return.

"Why?" Daine asked. "I know you haven't seen her for a while, but you have written."

Numair felt agitated. Not at Daine, he knew, but at his own worries and fears about having to remember the past. He had not spoken to her since he had taken his father away from Tyra. She hadn't come to Tortall for his funeral, preferring not to, and although he didn't blame her for that, or that she had fallen in love again, he knew some of the conversations that they were going to have would be difficult.

"I don't think you understand," he snapped, moving his hand away from hers. "It's not that simple."

"So explain it to me then," Daine pleaded, now sat up on the bed, looking at him with large imploring eyes.

Numair shook his head and stood up. "I don't want to, Daine, leave it be," he said, his voice low but shaking with a mixture of anger and fear. He knew he was taking it out on her but felt powerless not to.

She stood up and put her hand onto his arm. He shook it off as if it was a poisonous vine. "How can we ever get married if you won't share what's making you so upset?" She demanded, her voice shouting. "I'm sorry if I've annoyed you by being worried about what you're mother will think of me! I know that you're even more worried by her visit, but for Mithros' sake, Numair, you need to talk to me!"

"I'm not worried about what she'll think of you Daine; I'm worried about what she'll think of me!" He exploded. "I'm worried about all those questions she will ask me about my father and his last days and if he asked anything about her. I'm worried that she'll ask me those questions in front of her lover, and that the answers will make life difficult for her, like my father's still trying to make her life a misery even though he's dead! I'm worried about how to explain the reasons why we're not planning to get married…" He stopped, realising that his last comment had hurt her as much as hurrok attack. They had discussed marrying, and he understood the reasons for her wanting to delay it. He had merely thrown that comment in to hurt her and it had obviously worked. Feeling ashamed of himself he walked out of the room and left her stood their, needing to feel the cooler night air on his face, hoping it would calm him down.

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