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Chapter 12 – The tale
Daine was still sitting under the big apple tree where her and Onua had rested during the heat ind middle of the day. She was still trying to understand the story Onua had told about her former teacher, now lover. She couldn't quit comprehend that Felicia had been Numair first love at the royal court. Numair had only been at Corus two years when a delegation finely had chosen too set affairs strait and had sent Count Harlan and Duke Mather. The same two men that had arrived through the big gates yesterday.
Ouna had described how Felicia had captivated Numair the first day, and that they had spend every waking hour enjoying each other company. As far Onua knew there hadn't been any sexual content between the pair, but at the very last night of the visit, Count Harlan had surprised Felicia in the company of Numair. Unfortunately in the champers Felicia had been liven in. Little did Numair know that Felicia was the daughter of Count Harlan and was therefor his heir. It was a big scandal that Felicia had sought another man's bed while she had been betrothed to Duke Mather. Onua had been told that Jonathan have had a big quarrel with Numair about him ruining the peace treaty. Count Harlan had sent a crying Felicia away from Corus in that same night and that the young woman had prayed to stay with Numair, but without any luck. After a few weeks it had become clear to everyone that the two of them had been in love. Numair had then begged Jonathan to sent massage to the court of Tusaine, that he wanted to marry Count Harlan's daughter. He had tried everything, even leaving the palace behind on horseback intending to ride all the way to Tusaine. Both the king, queen and Alanna had forced him back. That was why the university was build. Numair had in one of his tantrum blown the large storage room to pieces, and it was Numair's punishment to oversee the building of the university. A build that had taken years to complete leaving Numair no room to try taking a path towards Felicia and leaving him without any feelings. In the same year the university was finish. Numair had been found in the shape of a hawk and Daine had entered his life.
When the tale was finish Onua noticed that Daine hadn't moved an inch during the telling. The girl had disappeared into her own mind, leaving Onua to sit beside her in completely silence.
Suddenly Onua noticed a tear rolling down Daine's cheek. She took a handkerchief and gave it to Daine. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"I'm fine...just...I didn't know...he didn't even tried to tell me" Daine whispered. She did not know what she should be feeling. First she had felt angry at Numair, then as Onua had continued the tale she had felt sorry for him. Sorry that he had had his heart broken that way, and that Jonathan, Thayet and Alanna hadn't given him any support in the matter. "Why did they stop him?" She finally asked.
"Tortall was about to loose its only potential black robe mage and Jonathan thought that the thing between Numair and Felicia was just a fling" Onua said as she rose to stand and reached up. She picked two apples from the tree and gave one to Daine. The young woman had yet again fallen silent.
Turning the apple in her hand, she spoke "It explains a lot..."
Onua turned an looked down at Daine. "How?"
"It explains why Numair got that reputation he has...there wasn't any woman he wanted because of his broken heart" Daine explained slowly.
"But there is one now" Onua stated "Actually there have been one in several years".
"You mean me?" Daine whispered. She wasn't hungy, so she put the apple inside her pocket.
"Who else had him working himself up when a young woman collapsed on a beach trying to hear dolphins or having himself fake an execution just to make sure that he could find that one person who he cared for?" Onua asked with a smile on her lips. She enjoyed having this conversation with Daine, seeing her as the daughter she never had.
Daine laughed. She could see what Onua was trying to point out. But she had to ask "Do you think there is a slight possibility that he could fall in love with her all over again?"
"No, definitely not...there is only one magelet in his world, and he wouldn't give her up...otherwise the King, the Queen, Alanna, George, Harailt, Duke Baird and of cause myself included would drake that cute ass of his back, lock you and him inside the darkest dungeon we can find and threw the key away". Onua patted Daine on her back. "Now I think that we need to find some real food, an apple isn't enough. Shall we rob the kitchen?"
Daine nodded. She felt hungry and she wanted to find Numair as well. She stood up and began to walk over to the fence with Onua by her side. One again, or was it the third time this day Daine felt how her knees failed her. She landed on all fours.
"Ouhh...are you okay?" Onua asked choked. She knelt and looked Daine directly in her face.
"Yes...though it is my third time it had happened today, I..." Daine took Onua's hand and rose. Standing she saw that she had bruised her knee and it was bleeding.
"Maybe we should find a healer before we seek some food, you can't go around with that" Onua pointed down to where the blood was socking through the fabric of Daine's breeches.
Daine sighed loudly "Fine...but I don't understand why I'm falling all the time?" She was beginning to be a bit annoyed about the thing, not understanding at all why her balance suddenly had failed her.
"Hmmm...maybe you got the flu? That could be a plausible explanation..." Onua began.
"Oh no, Onua...don't you start, you sound just like Numair!" Daine exclaimed.
Onua stooped in the middle of her walk and froze. "No...did I? Oh gods...".
Daine shook her head "I think we all have a little Numair inside us, it's like his academic is rubbing off on us".
"Now you sound like Numair!" Onua chuckled.
"Who sounds like me?" Someone asked behind them, making both women jump in fright.