I don't own any of the Tamora Pierce characters

Right people, thanks for all your reviewing, to whoever 'Like I'd tell you' is, I'd just like to say, that I wouldn't actually of minded if you had told me. Am I the only person who actually likes criticism? But, I would like to point out, that they have hardly been together more than three days, you don't generally fight so soon, but thanks for that review anyway, you haven't read the rest of the story yet, but I'm not making them argue right now, I mean, come on, he's just fought the Black God to be able to go back and live with her, I don't think he'd do that just to go and argue with her as soon as he got back. Oh well, its nice to know your opinion :) Please review again and criticise me, I love criticism as long as its constructive!

Oh, on the last chapter I accidentally deleted a comment at the beginning, so to 'aroundtheworld' cheers for the review of chapter 13, best review I've ever had :)

But anyways! I think I've blabbered on long enough, don't you? So here it is, the next chapter! Enjoy!

Matthew left the infirmary two days later supported by Ivy and, quite surprisingly, Raoul, who seemed to be intent on making up for the wound in Matthews back. Matthew had been wary of him for the past two days, even when Raoul had come to visit, Matthew had tried to avoid letting Raoul get too close to him, although he was beginning to realize that Raoul may have been deadly serious when he had said he was sorry. When they had got to Matthews room, Raoul left and let Ivy support him into the bedroom and help him lie down. Matthew smiled at her. "You'd think after two days lying in bed I'd be jumping around wouldn't you? But no, I'm lying here weak as a kitten."

Ivy smiled and kissed his nose. "You're my weak little kitten. And I'm staying until you get better."

Matthew put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her to him, cradling the back of her head as he kissed her deeply. "What did I do to deserve you?" he whispered when he pulled away.

Ivy snuggled against him and sighed. "You deserve ten times better than me." she yawned and rested her head on his chest.

Matthew let it rest there and stroked her hair. "Its not possible to get better than you." he grinned. "You know we sound like a loved up married couple right?" Ivy nodded and rubbed her nose on his chest, breathing gently down his shirt. Matthew looked down at her, then placed his hands on her waist and rolled her over so that he could lie on top of her. He bent his head down, capturing her lips in between his. Ivy sighed and let him coax open her mouth. He rolled onto his back pulling her on top of him. Gently, he slid his right hand down her back, slipping it into her breeches and gently caressing her buttocks. Ivy gasped slightly, then relaxed, enjoying the caress and the warmth of his hand. Matthew took his mouth away and began to kiss his way down her neck. His left hand slid under the fabric of her shirt to unclasp her breastband. Ivy sighed and began unbuttoning his shirt, feeling his hard muscles underneath it. Matthew rolled onto his side, bringing her with him so that both of their heads rested on the pillow, then removed his hand from within her breeches and unbuttoned her shirt, sliding it off her skin like silk, then slipping the breastband off and discarding it along with the shirt. Ivy gently eased his shirt from his chest, not wanting to rub his wound. Matthew said nothing, but continued to kiss her collarbone, pressing his chest to her breasts, trying not to think about the lump forming in his breeches. He flicked his tongue over her skin, smiling when he heard her moan.

"Matthew?" Numair called, knocking on the door. Ivy ran through to her room, this time picking up all of her discarded clothes. Matthew watched her go with regret, then sat up.

"Yeah?" The door opened and Numair walked in, dressed in a black shirt and breeches.

"I just came to see how you were. Alanna told me about your run in with the Black God. I have to admit its not just concern that brings me here, but also interest."

Matthew smiled. "I've got something else you might be interested in too, but I think I'll save it for a while, I need a favour, if you can manage it."

Numair frowned. "That'll depend on the favour you want, won't it?" Matthew nodded, and leant over the side of the bed to find the block of diamond he had managed to get out of the infirmary without Ivy seeing. Numair stared at it. "How'd you get that?"

Matthew sighed. "Long story cut short, I got it from a Goddess."

Numair raised an eyebrow. "Which Goddess?"

"Pyroma, but can you . . . " Matthew was interrupted.

"Who's Pyroma?" Numair said.

"She's the thing I thought you might be interested in, but listen, can you get that carved into a heart shape, a little one to go on a chain?" Matthew said it quietly.

"Well, yes but . . ." Numair started but Matthew shook his head.

"Come back later and I'll explain it then, Ivy's going to see Raoul and Buri. Will you be able to do it by then?"

Numair nodded. "What's it for?" he asked, taking the block in his hand and putting it in his pocket.

"Ivy's birthdays next week, I'll explain later." he smiled and sat back in the bed. "I owe you one."

Numair sighed. "I'll see you later, and I'll be asking about your fight with the Black God too!" he walked over to the door and left. Ivy entered again soon afterwards, reclothed.

"What did Numair want?" she asked.

"Just seeing how I was," Matthew said. Ivy shrugged, then walked over to sit on the bed. Matthew wrapped his arms round her and kissed her cheek. "You got dressed." he said, a little disappointed.

Ivy nodded. "We always get interrupted." she said, lying back on the pillows.

Matthew sighed thoughtfully, "I could always put a do not disturb sign on the door.. . " he said slowly. Ivy smiled but shook her head.

"Its not just that . . ." she said, she hesitated and looked up at him, she relaxed when she saw the calm, loving look in his eye and carried on, "I don't know if I'm ready yet. I'm sorry." she whispered. She looked down to avoid seeing his reaction. She expected him to let go of her and move away, but instead he shifted her onto his knee, kissing her ear.

"Its fine," he murmured into her ear. "I understand." he lifted her hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck. "Remember what I said the other day?" Ivy started to shake her head, then nodded slowly. "What did I say?" he said quietly.

"You wouldn't force me!" She looked at him and wrapped her arms round his neck. "I'm sorry." she whispered. Matthew sighed and kissed her eyelids.

"Don't be." he lay her down next to him. "Just tell me when you're ready, ok?" Ivy nodded and lay her head on his arm.

Ivy left Matthew minutes before Numair came. He had a pouch attached to his belt, which he unclipped and dropped into Matthews hands. "I didn't know how big you wanted it, so I made lots of them, don't worry, there's still most of the block left."

Matthew carefully emptied the bag onto the bed and gasped. Numair had made ten different sized hearts, varying from small enough to be set on a ring, to large enough to be the pendant of a necklace. Some were thick, others were very thin. Matthew picked up thinnest pendant sized heart. "Thanks Numair!"

"So, what are you planning to do with it?" Numair asked. "I take it you're not just putting it on a necklace?"

Matthew shook his head, and lifted the index finger of his right hand. Fire gathered at the end of his finger and he held it to the diamond. Instantly the fire went into the centre and glittered a soft orange. Matthew stared. "That was so . . . easy." Numair held out a hand.

"May I?" he asked. Matthew shrugged and handed it over.

Numair gasped. "Shit! That's hot!"

Matthew frowned. "Is it?" he took it back. "It feels fine to me." He held it out again.

"You're used to bloody heat, you burn your whole body up and don't even sweat!" Numair said, shoving the two fingers that had touched the diamond in his mouth. Matthew grinned.

"I sweat, but I won't go into that. You wanted to know about my stupid day with the Gods right?"

Numair left an hour and a half later, after having exhausted the subject of Pyroma and the Black God. Matthew had given him the other nine diamond hearts as a thank you before he left. "Give them to Daine or something." Matthew had said when Numair objected. As soon as Numair left, Matthew got up and hid the pendant in his drawer, putting spells on it to stop Ivy finding it. Suddenly he felt weak and lay down on the bed, regretting using his Gift so soon. He fell asleep before Ivy got back.

Ivy got back to find Matthew sleeping on his bed, she smiled and crept quietly over to the bed to lay down next to him. After planting a soft kiss on his lips, she edged slowly closer, warming herself up by pressing herself to him. She looked up in his face and smiled. He'd been so understanding earlier, she was beginning to wonder if he was real. She tried not to think about what would have happened if Numair hadn't interrupted when he had. She knew she wouldn't have stopped Matthew, which could have meant getting pregnant and losing any respect that she had. All women who had children outside of marriage were considered whores, she didn't want to be one of them. Ivy wondered for a second what Matthew would have done, if he would have stayed by her and helped her raise it. For a brief second, an image of Ivy and Matthew holding a baby together, curled up on a bed, crossed her mind. She shoved it away viciously, hating herself for thinking about having a family. She was going to be a female knight, not a housewife. Ivy continued to lay there, but the image kept coming back whenever she looked at Matthew. Eventually she gave up, kissed his cheek, and walked into her own room, deciding that she needed to be away from him to be able to stop thinking about their possible family. For the first time in what felt like years, Ivy slept alone.

Matthew was disappointed to find Ivy not lying next to him when he awoke. He sighed and draped his legs over the side of the bed, yawning and burying his face in his hands, feeling tired and worn out. He slowly stood and stretched, relief swimming through him when he realized he could still stand. He took his shirt off, then used the cold water in the basin next to his bed to wash himself, before putting on fresh clothes. Ivy walked in just as he pulled on his shirt and he smiled at her. "Where were you this morning?" he said, finishing buttoning his shirt up and walking over to her.

"In there." Ivy said, nodding towards her own room.

"Why weren't you in here?" he murmured. He bent to kiss her cheek and nose. "I missed you!"

"You needed the sleep, I didn't want to wake you." Ivy lied. Matthew noted the slight indentation of her lip where her teeth had dug in but that she was trying to hide.

"I wouldn't have minded if you had woken me, I mean, there's no harm in seeing your girlfriend when you wake up, is there?" he kissed the corner of her mouth and flicked his tongue over it. Ivy moved her mouth to meet his and opened it. Matthews tongue traced her lips, then he jerked away. "There's nobody else is there?" he asked playfully.

"What?" Ivy gasped, not catching onto the joke. "How could you . . ?"

Matthew chuckled and covered her mouth with a hand. "Calm down honey, I'm joking!" he grinned and kissed her forehead, before pressing his head to hers. "I know you can't resist my good looks and charm!" he stuck his tongue out at her as she slapped his chest.

"You're full of yourself today." she said, moving away. Matthews arms wrapped around her waist and he swung her up into his arms. She struggled playfully, but Matthew held her tight. Laying her down on the bed, he began to kiss his way from her neck to her wrist. Ivy giggled and writhed under him. Matthew shook his head and held her still.

"No, no, no!" He pinned her arms down and kissed her warmly on the face. "Are you trying to say you can resist my charms now?" he asked. Ivy nodded. "And my good looks?" Matthew said slowly. Ivy nodded again. Matthew grinned and let go of her. "Well in that case . . ." He sat at the end of the bed and undid his shirt, taking it off and carelessly throwing it in her direction. He got up and walked to the basin beside the bed, splashing his head with water. Matthew knelt down next to the bed and grinned at Ivy. "Can you do my hair for me?" he asked. Ivy sighed and sat round, putting her hands in his wet hair.

"How'd you want it?" she asked, stiffening slightly when Matthew put his hands on her thighs.

"You choose," Matthew said, leaning in and kissing her neck through the V of her shirt. She bit her lip to stop a sigh erupting from her lips, then began running her fingers through his hair, making it slightly messy, but attractively so." If I didn't know better I'd say you were enjoying this." Matthew murmured, eyes half closed.

"And you'd be wrong!" Ivy insisted, but her voice rose slightly when Matthew began making circles with his thumbs on her inner thighs. "Stop that!" she scolded, lifting his head to look at him.

Matthew grinned. "Stop what?" He said innocently, continuing with his ministrations.

"That!" Ivy said, removing her hands from his hair and grabbing his wrists to place them on the bed. Matthew raised an eyebrow.

"You're not having trouble resisting me are you?" he said, a grin tugging at his lips.

"No, I am not having trouble resisting you!" once again her voice tremored slightly. Matthew grinned.

"Good," he said, then smiled," but I'm having trouble resisting you . . ." he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto him, letting her straddle him with her legs. He pressed his lips to hers, ravishing on the taste of her mouth. Ivy sighed into his mouth, forcing herself to smile. She pulled away.

"You win this time!" she told him. "But next time. . ." she was cut off as Matthew lifted her and pressed her against the bed, tenderly nipping at her ear and forcing a moan from her lips.

"Admit it . . ." Matthew whispered.

"Admit what?" Ivy gasped as his hand found her left breast.

"That you can't resist me." he said quietly.

Ivy gave a shuddering gasp when he began to rub her nipple with his thumb through the fabric of her shirt. "I . . . admit . . ." she managed.

Matthew smiled wickedly at her. "Not good enough. I want the whole sentence."

Ivy moaned, "I admit . . . I can't . . .resist you!"

A grin spread across Matthews face. "Good." he leant down to her ear again and whispered, "I love you."

Ivy smiled and wrapped her arms around his back. "I love you too!" she whispered into his ear.

Matthew found it increasingly difficult over the next few weeks to control himself. Every night their hands seemed to caress other, less explored, parts of their bodies. Matthew found himself avoiding touching anywhere except her stomach and back, scared that if he heard her moan he would lose all control and throw himself on her. The night before her birthday, Ivy went to see Raoul and Buri, leaving Matthew to sit in his room. Almost as soon as she had left, Matthew let the spells on the drawer down and opened it, taking the pendant out. He looked at it for several seconds, a little surprised that the fire was still there. He shook his head and drew the silver chain he had bought earlier out of his office, slipping the chain through the circle of silver that hung through the hole he had made in the diamond. He lay it on the bed and bit his lip, hesitating and wondering if he should do what he planned. He didn't want them both to get carried away and get her pregnant. He drew in a deep breath, then called on his gift, planting an anti-pregnancy charm on the pendant. He watched as he let his magic sink into it. He gulped, wondering if Ivy would be mad if she found out. I won't tell her unless she asks, he reasoned. Matthew picked the necklace up and put it into a black box and mounted it on a black velvet cushion. He looked at it for a second the snapped the box shut and put it away. He stood up and left the room to find Jonathan, he needed to know something. . .

Ivy sat next to her mother and father on their bed, listening to Raoul talking about her third birthday when she had picked up her fathers knife and started swinging it around over her head. Ivy had heard it many times before, but it still made her smile. When he had finished, Ivy stood up. "I should go!" she yawned. "Night!" she kissed both her mother and father on the cheek before leaving. On her walk back to her rooms, she began to think about Matthew, wondering what he would do if she told him she was ready to lose her virginity. She had been considering it for the last two weeks, even earlier that afternoon, she had thought about letting him take off her breeches, but then he had pulled away from her and gone to get a drink. Now she wondered what he would be like, whether he would be gentle with her . . . the thought stayed with her for the whole of the walk back to the room. When she found Matthew was not there, she sighed and went to find a maid and ask for a bath. When it was ready, she sank into it and sighed, wondering where Matthew was.

"So I can still be her Knight Master?" Matthew asked. He was sat in the Kings private study, a glass of wine held in his hand.

Jonathan nodded. "As long as you still get her to do her duties and you don't let it take over your lives, then I see no reason why the two of you should not continue to be Knight-Master and Squire. Of course, you'll have to avoid too much walking around holding hands and the like in public, it wouldn't do to have other people reporting. . . improper behaviour." He raised an eyebrow.

Matthew grinned. "I understand."

Jonathan paused, then said, "I presume if you decide to sleep together, then you'll take care of ensuring she is protected?"

Matthew nodded and looked down. "Its sorted." he said.

Jonathan looked at him quizzically. "Do you mean to say that you are already sleeping together?"

Matthew shook his head. "No Sire, but I've sorted out a charm in case we get . . . carried away."

"In that case, you seem to be organized enough. I'll see you tomorrow."

Matthew looked up. "What?"

"Raoul has taken it on himself to organize her fifteenth birthday party, you'll be meeting your future in-laws." Jonathan grinned and stood. Matthew stayed sat. Jonathan looked at him. "Is everything alright?"

Matthew sighed and gripped his glass harder, it smashed in his hand and he swore. Jonathan waved his hand and the glass and its contents flew back together. Matthew looked at him, gulped then spoke. "Sire, when I was in between life and death, the Black God said I was earlier than expected and that I was meant to make it until the day of Ivys ordeal." he bit his lip then continued. "Me and Ivy aren't going to be married, I'll be dead before she's ready." He looked up. "You're the first person I've told."

Jonathan looked at him, then sat down again. "Matthew, has anyone ever told you about when I caught the sweating sickness?" Matthew nodded. Jonathan smiled. "Alanna saved me from entering the Black Gods realm, but before she came, the Black God told me I wasn't going to live to be twenty and that I'd die in the Scanran war." he grinned. "Do I look dead to you?"

Matthew frowned, then shook his head. "But, what if he just changed his mind? I mean, your parents, Gods bless them, both died, he probably knew about them so he could hardly leave Tortall without a ruler could he?"

Jonathan shrugged. "If you think about it, when my parents died, Roger was alive again, so Tortall would have had a ruler if I had died." He stood and walked around the table, resting a hand on Matthews shoulder. "I cannot promise that the Black God got it wrong, I'd be a fool if I did, but I hope with all my heart that you don't die until you're an old man like Myles of Olau. Tortall needs you and Ivy needs you. But Matthew, if you're not sure, you shouldn't be here with me, you should be spending any minute you can with Ivy."

Matthew smiled up at him and stood. "Thank you Majesty." he bowed. To his surprise Jonathan stopped him bowing.

"You're not just a Knight Matthew. You are as good as a member of Ivy's family, which means you're a member of my family. My relatives don't bow to me when we're not in public, so neither should you." he smiled at Matthew and left.

Matthew stared. Several minutes later he frowned. "Ivy has some strange relatives." he grinned and ran back to his room. Jonathan was right, he didn't want to waste time being apart from Ivy, especially not if he only had three years left.

Yes. I'm not too sure about this chapter myself, what do you think? Ah well, tell me using that little button thingy VVVVV down there somewhere! See you all soon.

Mage of the Heart