I don't own any of the Tamora Pierce characters

Apologise in advance: Buri and Raoul may be out of character, but oh well.


Ivy lay on her bed, listening to the twittering of two sparrows outside the window. She smiled briefly, then her mind trailed off, thinking about what had happened between her and Matthew. She was still nervous about him, the fact that he was such promiscuous human being scared her more than any other thing she had ever encountered. Ivy knew that he wouldn't be able to go without sex for long periods of time, he was much too used to regular activity in the bedroom. She also knew though, that he had meant what he had said, and that he would not force her. And perhaps that scared her even more. Perhaps, if she admitted it to herself, it wasn't the being forced that scared her, it was the not being forced and finding that he was sleeping around again. Ivy sighed and got off the bed, deciding to go fora ride and clear her head. She saddled Thunder quickly, then rode into the royal forest, sighing with content at the peace and tranquility that gripped it. She rode for half an hour, before dismounting to take a dip into a small, clear blue river. She didn't hear the hooves of another horse approaching, and lazily ran her hands through her wet hair. Only when an arm wrapped around her bare waist did she realise that she was not alone, and that she wore only a breastband and loincloth. She struggled, but strong arms held her and she felt warm breath on her ear.

"You shouldn't bathe out here. If someone comes riding, they might think they've died and gone to the Realm of the Gods." Ivy sighed with reliefandhearing Matthews voice she relaxed and turned to face him.

"You shouldn't have followed me." she stated, trying not to shiver with delight as his hand stroked her back. She grinned, seeing his muscled chest bare in front of her, and the breeches heavy with water clinging to his legs.

"I didn't." he said, smiling at her.

"Really?" Ivy said sardonically.

Matthew nodded and smiled at her. "I went for a ride and found you bathing like a Goddess in this beautifully clear river. I was tempted to sit and watch you, but I preferred this option, don't you?" There was a mischevious glint in his eye and Ivy couldn't help but smile.

"Well . . . as long as you behave yourself I don't see any problems with this current option." she grinned at him, then pulled out of his grip and went under water. Matthew watched as she spun gracefully, then swam away from him. Amused by her childish yet somehow seductive game of catch, he ducked under the water and swam behind her, self-consciously admiring the view of her slim body displayed in front of him. He hurriedly backed away, just avoiding being hit in the face by a savage kick from Ivy. He winked at her before returning to the surface for air. She followed and splashed him in the face.

"Pervert!" she said playfully. Matthew grinned.

"Maybe." he watched as she yawned. "Do you mind stretching just a little more, it'd make your assets stand out so much more!" It was meant to be playful, Ivy knew that, but she couldn't help but feel embarrased as he looked at her body. Matthew opened his mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. He looked away and cursed under his breath. Idiot. he thought. How much more obvious can you make it? He looked over at her then looked away again. Stop staring at her chest you git! he yelled in his mind. Ivy hesitated for a second, wondering if she should go over to him, then decided against it and got out of the water, pulling on her clothes without so much as attempting to dry herself. She then mounted Thunder and rode back to the palace, hurrying to her rooms where she jumped into a bath and tried to forget that he had looked so obviously at her breasts, trying to forget the look in his eye that made her so weak-kneed. She tried to tell herself that she was not falling for her Knight-Master and that her feelings were totally normal for a girl her age, he was an older man and he was handsome, all girls would fancy him in her position. Right? So why was she so scared of him? Why was she so nervous when he looked at her? And why in the Dark Gods Realm did she feel so safe when he held and kissed her? She waited until the water had gone cold, then dried herself and dressed in comfortable breeches and shirt. Ivy then decided to go and see her parents. After a month without seeing them, she was starting to think they had forgotten her. Slipping quietly out of the room, she jogged down to her parents rooms, where the door hosted a large gold plaque:

Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malories Peak

and

Buriram Tourikami of Goldenlake and Malories Peak

Ivy rapped on the door three times. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal her father, dressed in breeches and a tunic. A large grin spread over his face when he saw her, then Ivy was seized in a mighty, bone-crushing hug. Ivy hugged back hard, then let go, grinning at her father as he wrinkled his nose at the smell of her hair.

"Strawberry soap was it?" he asked, inviting his daughter in.

Ivy smirked. "I knew it was your favourite." she stated.

Raoul raised an eyebrow. "I'd have settled for non-odour soap, but . . ." he sighed. "Your mothers through there in the bedroom. I'll finda maid tobring somedrinks, I'm parched."he ruffled her hair and smiled at her. "Good tosee you Ivy." he said, then left the room.

Buri was sat on a chair sewing, something that still shocked Ivy even after fifteen years. Buri looked up and grinned at her daughter. "I'll be with you in a minute Ivy. This darned pair of breeches won't sew up. I told your father to get some new ones, but he said they still had a few jousts left in them!" she shrugged, then threw them aside. "He can sort them out himself. The fabrics frayed and I don't exactly have deft fingers do I?"

Ivy grinned and went to hug her small mother. Pulling away Buri cast her daughter a strange look. "Somethings on your mind. What is it?"

Ivy shook her head. "Nothing, I sorted it out," she lied.

Buri sighed. "Its about Matthew isn't it? What was wrong with him anyway?"

Ivy gulped. "Erm. . . he got drained of his gift and he just needed help getting better thats all."

Buri grinned. "And I eat dog muck." she said.

"What was that about eating dog muck?" Raoul said from the doorway. He held a tray of juice, which he offered to Ivy and Buri.

"Nothing," Ivy said. "Mum was just telling me about her new diet shes planning."

Buri spluttered in her glass and shot her daughter a dirty look. "Diet?" Raoul said. "What for? You don't have an ounce of fat on you." Ivy looked away as he began to kiss his wifes neck. She wished then that she had avoided anything that might have made her parents begin kissing. Sometimes Ivy wondered if Raoul and Buri were teenagers trapped inside older peoples bodies. They were always so intimate, something that Ivy had thought ended after the age of forty.

"So what was wrong with Matthew, Ivy?"


After an hour and a half talking to her parents and convincing them that Matthew had been leeched of his gift for a few weeks, Ivy returned to her own rooms, throwing herself onto her bed and burying her head in her pillow. She didn't go down to the mess hall to eat, instead she crept down to the kitchens and managed to get a bowl of soup and some bread from the chief chef. After eating, she tried to sleep, but found herself unable to, and constantly aware of Matthew pacing behind the adjoining door. There were several times that she was tempted to go in and say that it didn't matter and that she hadn't meant to run off in a stress, but then she remembered the hunger in his eyes, and felt suddenly cold, wondering whether he would try to take advantage of her. After hours there was a loud knock on the door connecting their rooms. Ivy froze, but refused to answer it.

"Ivy!" Matthew called. "Ivy, come on, I know you're in there!" There was a seconds silence, then he went on. "I'm sorry ok? I don't know what I was thinking. I just . . . you're so beautiful. Sometimes I forget you're just fourteen. Look, I know I'm an idiot, but . . . it won't happen again." Ivy hesitated, then slowly walked over to the door and unlocked it. Matthew was leaning against the frame with his head. He turned to look at her and opened his arms. "Hug?" he asked gently. Ivy smiled slightly, then let his arms wrap around her. Matthew sighed into her hair. "I'm sorry." he whispered. "I don't mean to be a pervert you know. You're just so grown up, you don't seem fourteen. . ." Ivy silenced him, putting her hand over his mouth and resting her head on his chest.

"Please shut up!" she whispered. Matthew looked down at her with a frown.

"Why?" he asked. "I thought girls liked to be apologised to."

Ivy grinned. "We do, but only when we want to hear them. Right now, I like it just like this." She wrapped her arms round his back and smiled into his chest.

Matthew smiled at her and stroked her hair. "I like it like this too, but . . . do I have to apologise later as well?"

Ivy shook her head. "I'll let you off this time." Matthew grinned and bent to kiss her neck. Ivy shivered and clung to him even tighter. Eventually he pulled away, smiling at her.

"Well, just so you know, I am sorry, and it . . ." He was stopped by Ivy standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his. He smiled to himself, and lifted her off the floor, supporting her with strong arms. Ivy sighed and took her mouth away to rest her head on his shoulder. Matthew held her for several minutes, then realised she had fallen asleep. He sighed and carried her over to his bed, there he sat down and moved her so that she was lying with her head on his chest. After kissing her forehead lightly, he closed his eyes, and was instantly transported into a deeper sleep than he had had in a long time.


Ivy woke up when the first rays of sunlight shone through the window. She was conscious of a warm, hard something under her head, and opened her eyes to find herself wrapped in Matthews hold. She smiled and lay still, looking at his face as he slept. She wondered as she looked what it must be like to wake up with someone like Matthew every day. Ivy wished they could tell people, their parents and everyone . . . Ivy jerked up in the bed and swore loudly. Matthew woke instantly.

"Whats wrong?" he asked, sitting up and looking at her.

"What if Dad finds out?" Ivy whispered, looking at him.

Matthew frowned. "Finds out about what?"

Ivy stared at him for a second, then said. "Us!"

"Oh!" Matthew said, then shrugged. "If he finds out then he'll probably offer a dowry and throw confetti over us! He'll give us his blessing and escort you down the aisle like the proud father he is!" he saidsarcastically.

Ivy groaned. "He'll go nuts, he'll kill you! He'll disown me and . . ." Matthew wrapped his arms round her and pulled her to him.

"He's not going to find out. We'll tell him sometime and he'll probably be angry,but heisn't going to find out alright? Now calm down!"

Ivy nodded and buried her face in his shirt. Several minuteslater, whenshe had calmed down considerably,she asked."Is it actuallyallowed?"

"What?"Matthew saidquietly, resting hishead on hers.

"Squire and Knight-Master relationships." Ivy said.

Matthew shrugged. "I don't know,untilabout 40 years ago it wasonly male squires andmale Knights, so that would have probably got looked down on then. But King Jonathan and LadyAlanna are said to have been lovers when she was his Squire. I don't see why it shouldn't be allowed really." Ivy nodded then looked up at him.

"What are we going todo?" she asked quietly.

Matthew smiled. "We aregoing to sit here until I say so, for I am still your Knight Master and I am therefore allowed to tell you what to do." he pressed his lips to her forehead.

Ivy giggled. "What do you wantme todo?" she asked. Matthew looked at her for asecond.

"Kiss me. I think I went mad in a dream, everywhere hurts." he winked and lay back on his pillows, closing his eyes. Ivy laughed andkissed hischeek tenderly. Matthew sighed, then placeda hand on his eye.

"It hurtshere too!" he said. Ivy smiled and kissed his eyelids.

"Andhere!" he pointed to his nose. Ivy kissed it warmly.

"And I think I cuttheinside of my mouth too, just on the bottom of my tongue . . ." Ivy giggled, then recomposedherself, leaning down to kisshis lips.His mouth opened and she pushed her tongue in, running it over thebottom side of his tongue.Matthews armswrapped round her back andpulled her down on top of him, crushing her breasts against his chest. His hand ranup the inside of her shirt,finding the clasp of herbreastband and swiftly undoing it. He had lifted the shirt over her head and discarded the breastband, and was just beginning to stroke her left breastwhen there was a loud tap on the door.

"Ivy are you in there?"It was Raoul!"I'm coming in alright?"


Haha! Cliffies! Love them! Sorry for the delay, my computer was infected with the virus that went round the other day and we had to have the computer wiped. Hope you all liked, and just in case anyones interested, them people that had me on their alert lists have now taken me off :S wonder why that is! Ah well, still getting some reviews from you lovely loyal people, hope you enjoyed, keep reading!

Mage of the Heart