Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 08:19:24 EDT
From: Will961@aol.com
Subject: Romance Out of Time and Place--Part 7

 **A brief note--At the end of this installment, I have Michael & Davin
quoting sayings in their conversation and have used an asterisk(*) to denote
the quotes used and have listed the people accredited. Also a sincere thank
you to all that have been patient and have followed my ramblings**


 "I expected the Council to act quick, but I must admit I didn't expect the
introductions to be this polite," Michael said as he raised an eyebrow.
Blaine ignored the flippant tone, growing used to Michael's moods.
   "Michael, Braen is. . .well, I. . ."  Blaine stammered, not wanting to
admit to his perfidy.
   "Blaine employs me--I am in his service," Braen stated.
   "Ah--I see--and Davin's?"  Michael asked as a fierce light entered his
eyes and he moved casually behind the small table to trip him up if needed.
   Braen Partellis' eyes narrowed as he saw the move that placed at least
three available items for weapons in Michael's easy reach.  A small, tight
smile formed as he turned to Blaine.  "I will teach him."
   "He can learn then?"
   "'He' is in the room and what am I supposed to be taught, Blaine?"
   "Why, merely to protect yourself, Michael," Blaine assured, yet not
meeting his eyes.
   "Any one of Davin's guards could do that easily Blaine--you're to teach me
the tricks of the trade, right?"  Michael asked as he looked to Braen.  "And
you haven't answered my earlier question," he added in a tone that implied
that an answer had better be given.
   "I am, yes.  Blaine's loyalty is to Davin and Blaine is my employer."
   "That is an evasion--a clever one, but still an evasion."
   "Michael, Braen has been here for nearly two summers," Blaine assured.
   "Two summers?" he queried, understanding coming to him.  "You protect
Davin."
   "Yes, and now I am to train you to protect yourself against the Council."
Braen explained.
   "Blaine. . .they wouldn't just. . ." his voice died off as he saw the
answer in Blaine's eyes.  "So, teach--what's the plan?" he asked of Braen.
   "I will instruct you twice daily on the field and once more--secretly at
night--tonight we will meet in Blaine's rooms."
   "Cloak and dagger stuff, huh?"
  "What?" Both Blaine and Braen exclaimed simultaneously and uneasily looked
from one to another--how did he know that these were the two basic tools of
an assassin?
   "Nothing--just an old saying," Michael stated as he noted the startled
glances.  "Davin and I will be there--what?"  Michael asked as they schooled
their faces to be perfectly blank when he brought up Davin's name.  "Blaine?"
   "Michael. . ."  Blaine began, his tone unsure and trying to be calm.
   "Davin shall not be instructed," Braen said stiffly.
   "What do you mean--he already knows these things or. . ." he faltered at
seeing Blaine's guilty look at the mention of what Davin may know.  "He
doesn't know you've been protecting him."
   "He can't know, Michael."
   "What--that he's been shadowed by an assassin for two summers or that I'm
being trained by one?"  Michael snapped.
   "Both--you are the threat to the Council--Davin could be, or rather have
been ousted from his rule by a vote of the Council," Blaine explained.
   "Until I pulled a rabbit from my hat," Michael voiced in a flat tone.
"I'll think about it."
   "Michael. . ." Blaine began, exasperation tingeing his voice.
   "No--you may not trust Davin, but I do."
   "It's not a matter of trust--it's about him being safe, Michael."
   "He'd be even safer if he learned a few new skills, Blaine."
   "I forbid it."
   "Really--since when did Davin abdicate to you?"  Michael retorted and soon
heated words were bandied about as emotions grew fierce.  Braen looked from
one to the other's angry face and wanted to laugh out loud.  Davin's
Heartsworn was fiercely determined, quick-witted and calculating--he
definitely had the makings of an assassin.  Braen couldn't hide a muffled
chuckle and saw that both turned equally angry and affronted glares at him.
  "You two are amazingly alike in your anger--are you certain you're not
related?"  Braen asked amusedly.
   "I would have drowned him at birth had he been family of mine," Blaine
fumed as he turned to look at him while Michael froze so still a statue would
be envious--but a statue didn't ever have the glint in its eyes that
Michael's did.  At Braen's frown, Blaine turned back to Michael and saw that
Michael was now laughing.  Blaine joined in assuming that the laughter was at
Braen's comment of their being related.  Braen joined them in their laughter
and an eager light touched his gray eyes--Michael's swift change of
expression and manner boded well, he could have a very promising student.

*****
   "Where are you going?"  Davin asked as Michael broke his embrace and
reached over to put his shirt back on.
   "To go see Blaine," Michael answered lightly, hoping that he wouldn't have
to resort to lies.
   "Why--and at this time of night?"  Davin muttered, propping himself up on
his elbows and glare up at his love.
   "He wants to test my strengths and weaknesses basically," Michael replied.
 'Good--explaining without really explaining,' he thought.
   "Ah, yes, I wondered when he'd want to start your teaching--I'm glad of
it."
   "You are?"  Relief and fear warred on his face.
   "Of course--if you didn't have your power we wouldn't be together like
this," Davin said as he pulled Michael down to him for a long, passionate
kiss as his arms wrapped about him and pulled him closer.  Michael braced his
hands on Davin's chest and reluctantly pulled away.
  "Stay."
   "Blaine is waiting for me--besides, it's not my fault you've been busy
dining with every lord in your holding since we came back."
   "You could have joined us--they want to see you as well."
   "No, Davin--they are curious about me, it's not the same thing at all."
   "That's not a fair statement to make."
   "But it is a true one.  Davin, please--they're strangers come to gawk at
the foreigner and curry favor with you--they're vainglorious contemptuous,
addle-pated opportunists who care only about my intrinsic value to the
increase of their fortunes."
   "Maybe it's a good thing that you stay away--I do not think that they'd be
as enamored of your free tongue," Davin chuckled.
   "Would your rather that my tongue be trapped?"  Michael joked before
Davin's eyes lit and he soon found his tongue trapped in a deep kiss.  "En-
trapment might just have its uses," Michael chuckled and pulled away before
Davin could trap him further.
   "Why don't I come with you?"
   "What?"  Michael stilled, sitting on the bed as he thought of how to
dissuade him.
   "Well, Blaine will undoubtedly have some exercises for you to do or
something like and Blaine & I could have a game or two in-between.  Then
later. . ." Davin said as his hands moved up to undo more of the lacings of
his love's shirt.
   "Davin!"  Michael uttered as he backed off the bed and away again.  'Third
times the charm,' he thought then spoke.  "No, Blaine will be too rapt in my
results and I wouldn't be able to concentrate properly with you in the room."
 'Still the truth--in part,' he thought as he swiftly kissed Davin and moved
to the door.  "I'll make it up to you when I get back."
   Davin's blue eyes glowed.  "I'll hold you to your word."
   "Again," Braen said wearily, watching as Michael retrieved yet again the
knife he had been attempting to throw at the target.
  "Couldn't I start with something more basic?"
   "This is the most basic thing I will be teaching you--to master the others
you needs master yourself."
   "Might as well be asking me to give birth," Michael muttered as he failed
to land the knife in the painted circle of the target and heard it clatter to
the floor uselessly.  "Hand-to-eye coordination--I got the idea, it's just
not as easy as you say it is," he added as he picked up the knife.
   "Feel the balance of the blade--it wants the target."
   "Look, David Carradine, enough with the euphemistic bs--it's one thing to
understand it and another to do it," Michael snarled in frustration.  "It's
harder than saying, 'Turn, feel, see and throw,'" he said as he mirrored
those instructions, "and expect for me to be able to. . ." he drifted off as
he heard the hollow thunk as the knife hit the target.  He looked back and
saw that the knife was precariously hanging off the outer edge of the target.
   "Very good--now throw harder.  Do not think, just do," Braen soothed as he
watched his student.  The first few times the knife clattered to the floor
again, but then it struck the target more often.  "Now try to aim for the
center," he instructed and was pleased when the knife crept closer with each
try.  "Enough for tonight," he said as the knife scored the painted circle
and held out his hand.  Michael gave back the knife and was surprised with
how his whole body ached and how drained he felt.  He pushed back his
sweat-dampened hair and just wanted to sink into his bed for rest.
   "Now for my lessons," Blaine said as he nodded for Michael to sit in a
chair and ignored Michael's forlorn groan.  "Michael, I am going to cast a
spell and I want you to try to absorb it just like you did before the
Council," Blaine instructed before gathering himself and casting a spell.
Michael saw a hazy blue light seep about him and tried to pull it to him, but
couldn't until the light deepened and moved outward--his nerves vibrated
fiercely as the power swam through him.  "Good--now I want you to direct it
at the door," Blaine eased as he watched intently.  Michael tried to gather
the power but it just swirled inside of him, eager for completeness.  He
recalled how he had felt while Demel's magic raged inside of him and a small
bubble of fear rose at the thought of that happening again.  He stilled his
fear slowly, raised his hand, pointed at the door and saw the blue light
flare out over it and disappear.  "Very good, Michael--how are you?"
   "Dizzy a bit and nauseous, but okay."
   "Get some rest, Michael," Blaine soothed, knowing now how powerful Michael
was--the spell he had cast was his own magical shields.  If he could absorb
and direct such personalized magic, then he was safe from the Council--unless
they worked as one.

*****
   Michael groaned as he was awakened by a knock on the door and threw a
pillow at the door angrily.  Fortunately, this was before the door opened and
a servant walked in and set the tray of food on a table before leaving.
Michael fell back on the bed wearily and wished for a couple more hours of
sleep.  'If only. . .too late,' he finished that thought as Davin's arm
pulled him closer and he felt his lips on the back of his neck and felt the
whispered 'good morn' on his ear followed by an eager tongue and wanted to
hit him--instead Michael cursed not too silently into his pillow.  No one
should be this bright-eyed and cheerful, especially with only a few hours of
sleep.
   "Sorry you were woken up--I know Blaine drove you too hard last
night--anything I can do to make the morning easier?" Davin breathed, his
voice heavy with sexy innuendo.
   "Yes, tell me all about it when I wake up later," Michael grumbled, right
now wanting sleep more than Davin's morning games.
   "Are you sure?" Davin asked as his hands moved along his sides and his leg
draped over him.
   "You're impossible," Michael muttered as he turned and kissed Davin.
   "Thank you," Davin mumbled around the kiss.
   A few hours later, Michael cursed as he raced from Davin's room to the
practice field.  Davin had kept him overlong and he hadn't time to eat.  He
shook his hair back from his eyes as he ran down the stairs and jogged over
to the field.
   "Michael!  Good to see you--I thought you might not show," Anton grinned
as he took in the loose ties of the shirt and rumpled hair.
  "Hey, Anton--I was. . .occupied."
   "Well, tell your occupation that I expect to see him in training later on
today," Anton laughed as he tossed Michael a staff.  "Shall we?"
  "You're on," Michael said as he got ready to spar.  They ran through a
series of stances and then practiced them--each movement led into the next
one then they'd take turns attacking or defending.  Anton scored on Michael a
few times as he'd do a new move after each set and then take him through it.
He moved on to train with someone else when Michael could hold his own for
three sets.  He ran a hand through his hair and saw Braen approach him.
   "Feel like a little swordplay?"
   "Do I even have a choice?"
   "Verily, you could walk up to the Council and just ask them to kill you
now," Braen offered.
   "Give me a few weeks of this and I may just do so," Michael retorted.
   "But we haven't even gotten to the fun parts yet."
   "Fun?  Your sadistic."
   "Goes with the job, Michael."  Braen said as he offered a swordhilt to
him.  Michael took it and they faced off.  Metal rang against metal as Braen
put Michael through similar moves that Anton had used.  They practiced until
Braen had scored on him twice.  Michael handed back the sword and turned as a
guard ran up to him and bowed.  Michael nodded to the man and he was told
that Prince Davin wished to speak with him.
   "Gods above, can't he even let me be for an hour?"
   "Would you wish him not to be so enamored?"  Braen asked.
   "No, I suppose not, but I am now understanding why all fairy tales end
with the line '. . .and they lived happily ever after'--it'd take too much
effort to pen the overabundance of happiness."
   Braen laughed, "Love makes a man that happily forgets all but love."
   "What are you trying to say, Braen?  Your words always have a doubled
blade," Michael added as he paused in mid-step of following the guard.
   "Michael, I think it would be a good idea for you to get to know some of
the lords.  If you are going to live atop a viper's nest, best to know from
which direction the fangs will strike."
   "Why didn't Davin--or Blaine--tell me of its import?"
   "Davin did not because he likely knows how you dislike such pomp," he
surmised, knowing that Michael oft times ate with the guards after his
lessons.  "Blaine has been busy getting the castle ready to receive Council
Master Braxton," he added.
   "He is arriving so soon?  But the Joining isn't to be for wee--um, some
time yet," Michael amended.
   "Verily, but he wished to visit family nearby and will come here
afterwards."
   "Thank you, Braen--I did not know of this," Michael added as he followed
the guard to the stables and saw the two horses.  The guard waited until he
mounted before turning his horse to the gates.  A small shiver of doubt
skittered down his spine as he thought how easy it would be for an assassin
to walk in disguised as a guard and lead him away to his death or capture,
but it didn't even have to be a guard--he did not know all in Davin's
household.  He shook that dark thought off of him, but he did stay a length
behind the guard and did not move alongside until he saw Davin's black
charger hitched to a tree branch and Davin reclining at the tree's base.
   "And just what is this?" Michael asked, seeing the basket and jug.
   "I believe that most people call it the nooning meal," Davin clarified.
   "Ah--this village idiot thanks you," Michael retorted as he joined him at
the tree.
   "You are most welcome," Davin assured as he began to lay out the food.
   "You have definitely been spending too much time with me."
   "No, not nearly enough, but why do you say that?"
   "You are starting to sound like me," Michael explained, his tone implying
that it was anything but a compliment.  Davin laughed as Michael sat down
beside him.  Once the food was set out they ate and talked.
   "Lord Hamdell and Lord Amarith are feuding over a dividing line of
property and Lord Caufield wants a matching for her daughter.  That is all
that was bandied about today.  It was quite amusing show--you should have
seen it.  How did arms training go?"
   "It went well--would have been better had not a certain handsome prince
detained me," Michael grinned.  "Oh, yes--Anton said that he wanted you to
train later on."
   "Yes, I expected he would--I have been lax, but there's just so much to do
and not enough day to do it in," Davin groused lightly.
   "Mayhap I should attend your meetings and dinners with the Lords," Michael
barely managed to get out through gritted teeth.
   "You would do so?"  Davin asked in wonderment.
   "Only for you," he intoned with mock seriousness as he moved over to Davin
and leaned against him with his head on Davin's chest.  "Besides, that means
that you will owe me."
   "My pleasure," Davin chuckled and kissed the top of his head before he
brought out a book and from it read:
        Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,
        Some in their wealth, some in their bodies' force,
        Some in their garments, though newfangled ill,
        Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse;
        And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure,
        Wherein it finds a joy above the rest:
        But these particulars are not my measure;
        All these I better in one general best.
        Thy love is better than high birth to me,
        Richer than wealth, prouder than garments' cost,
        Of more delight than hawks or horses be;
        And having thee, of all men's pride I boast:
        Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take
        All this away and me most wretched make

     (Shakespeare's Sonnet # 91)

   "Beautiful, a bit grandiose, but beautiful still," Michael stated.
   "You take the romance out of romance--why?"  Michael blinked his eyes as
he took Davin's jesting words to heart and pondered on it.
   "I guess it is because I do not believe in romance or love--I do believe
you when you say you love me and I do love you, but it just doesn't seem. .
.real to me as yet.  I have had many. . .mishaps with love and too many stray
acquaintances of romance--my heart feels old at times."
   "A heart that loves is always young," Davin whispered lightly as he draped
an arm around Michael and drew him closer.* Michael drew in his solid
presence and comfort while he cursed himself roundly for destroying the light
mood and moved down to rest in Davin's lap.
   "We cease loving ourselves if no one loves us," he said with a cheshire
smile as he looked up at Davin, eyes daring him to rise to the bait.**
   Davin smiled as he saw what Michael was doing and replied, "The greatest
happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved--loved for ourselves,
or rather, loved in spite of ourselves."***
   "Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you
want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even
an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid
all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your
selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will
change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable,
irredeemable.
To love is to be vulnerable," Michael parried.****
   "You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving," Davin
thrust.*****
   "Love is like quicksilver in the hand--leave the fingers open and it
stays--clutch it, and it darts away."******
   "The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost," Davin
smirked at the absurdness of this duel of words.*******
   "Love is a haunting melody that I have never mastered and I fear I never
will."********
   "There are no guarantees--from the viewpoint of fear, none are strong
enough--from the viewpoint of love, none are necessary."*?*
   "Never love with all your heart--it only ends in aching."*?*
   "There is abundant testimony that if we choose love rather than self, we
gain immeasurably."**********
   "Everybody in love is blind," Michael commented.**********
   "Love is a language which the blind can see and the deaf can hear," Davin
sputtered before laughing out loud.***********
   "Truce?"
   "Truce," Davin agreed as they both settled back to enjoy the day and each
other.

*A Greek Proverb
**Mme de Staul
***Victor Hugo
****C.S. Lewis
*****Amy Carmichael
******Dorothy Parker
*******G. K. Chesterton
********William S. Burroughs
 *?*Unknown
*********Federico Fellini
**********Propertius
***********Donald E. Wildman