 |  "Can't you handle this by yourself?" Numair complained as Daine dragged him into the room. "If I have to suffer through Lorenzo's lectures, then so do you," Daine told him. "Fine," Numair said agreeably. A little too agreeably Daine thought, but dismissed the thought. "You're late," the planner, Lorenzo, said glaring at them. "Why?" "We were off saving the world again," Numair said with a flip of his head. "What were you doing?" he asked challengingly. "Sniffing flowers or playing with bunny rabbits?" He clicked his tongue and stroke a pose in an attempt to impersonate Lorenzo. "Numair," Daine growled warningly. Numair sighed and sat down, smiling pleasantly at the red faced planner. "And what flowers have we picked out today dahhling?" Numair asked Lorenzo grinning. Lorenzo turned to Daine, "Is he always like this?!" "Worse," Daine replied sighing. Numair brightened, "See I'm being nice." Lorenzo sighed, "How about we get this over with so you and I have to spend as little time together as possible." "Hey! We agree on something!" Yes, now about the doves." "Doves? We don't want doves, we want bats!" "What?!" Lorenzo screamed. Numair held up his hands, "Joking! Just joking." Daine sighed, "This is going to be a long six days. Daine knocked on Alanna's door. The knight smiled as she let her in. Daine sat down in a chair across from Alanna. " I have a small problem." "I think you have a large problem. I think about 6 foot 5 to be exact." "I've noticed you've taken to only make fun of Numair when he's not around to defend himself" Alanna laughed, "That generally makes it much easier. Besides, I think he likes the attention" "So how do you feel about trees?" "Lately it hasn't been the trees. Have you seen Lorenzo?" "No why?" for some reason Daine had the weirdest feeling about the way Alanna said that. "Oh no reason. What's your problem?" "I have something new, my dress, something borrowed, the tiara, and something blue, the bridesmaids dresses, but I don't have anything old." "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Alanna said mysteriously. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Daine asked clearly puzzled. "Go ask Numair." After a few more minutes of prodding Daine realized that her friend wasn't going to tell her anything. After saying good-bye to Alanna she went looking for Numair. As she walked down the path to the master's quarters she heard somebody singing. She quickened her step until she came upon Lorenzo dancing around and picking flowers. "Lorenzo?" she asked warily. "Pretty, pretty flowers," Lorenzo sang as he danced around her. "I can fly! Woo hoo whooo," he sang as he danced away. "Numair!!" she yelled as she started running back to their apartment. When she finally got there she flung the door open, "What do you think you're doing?" Daine bellowed Numair looked up from his book, "reading." "No, I mean about Lorenzo." "What about Lorenzo," he asked not looking up from his book. "Flitting about, picking flowers, thinking he was a fairy! Who else could make him do that? Who else would make him do that? "I don't think anyone's ever made him. I thought he was a fairy" "Don't play dumb Numair. Any idiot could tell he was bespelled" "Spell, what spell" "Your spell! Now go fix it," Daine said beginning to cry. Numair sat up and kissed her lovingly. "I'm sorry, I'll fix it." He smiled down at her, "Besides I didn't think anyone would notice any change in him anyhow" "Numair," Daine said worriedly. He kissed her again. "I'm sorry. I'll fix it. I promise." He kissed her one last time before leaving. Exhausted Daine fell onto the bed and went to sleep. When Daine woke she saw it was dark outside and someone, presumably Numair, had laid a blanket over her and upon further inspection she found him by a window reading. "Have a nice nap?" Numair asked. "Yeah," then remembering Lorenzo she asked, "Did you fix Lorenzo?" "Yes, and he wasn't too happy. I got one of his famous lectures." Knowing how bad his lectures made you feel she thought he had been punished enough. After a cup of tea she recalled her conversation with Alanna and told Numair what Alanna had said. "You have to wait." "Why?" "It's a surprise and I think you need to wait," he said sternly. Then with a change of tone he added, "but with you're day I think you do deserve a present." "What's the surprise," Daine asked pondering what it could be. "Well that's the surprise," Numair said eyes dancing, "I'll go get it." "It?" "Close your eyes," Numair said jokingly, "Ready…okay…you can open them now" Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see. It was the most beautiful ring Daine had ever seen. It looked old but of the highest quality. "It was my grandmother's. She was the person who encouraged me to become a mage. Whenever I was getting ready to escape she was the only person I told. She gave it to me the night I left to remember her by. My Grandmother told me to give it to someone specially dear to me. to someone whom I loved as much as her. It my Grandmother’s wedding ring. Enscibed on the inside are my Grandfather’s wedding vows to her. It's one of the only things I kept the whole time I was on the run from Orzone. Think that'll do for your 'something old'?" "It's perfect." Daine got up out of her chair and kissed him. "It's perfect."
 
|
