A/N: This, 'The Secret Magic' Saga, is the first of my work to ever be seen by eyes that are not my own. I hope you all enjoy reading it.

Disclaimer: The Realm of Tortall and its surrounding nations belong to Tamara Pierce. The characters that I respectfully borrow for my stories belong to her and only her. There are a few new characters in this story; and they belong to me and my imagination.

Posting this story: If you want to post my story/stories on your website or in you archives, I have no objections. However, I ask that you let me know where I can find them so that I might take a peek myself.

Questions and/or comments: I hope that whoever reads this on fanfiction.net will do me the honor and favor of reviewing. The reason I continue to write is because of all the wonderful support I receive from all the readers. So, please, let me know. As far as questions that you would like directly answered, you may email me at bebrandessmcm.edu or Instant Message me at elisa082482. I'll be happy to chat with anyone about my stories.

Rating: While this story is mostly PG-13, it does have some chapters that contain R-rated material. Chapters that contain R-rated material will have an A/N at the beginning of the page to indicate as much.

Thank you

Karigan Marie

The Secret Magic: 1: Complications
By: Karigan Marie
Chapter 1: New Life

Daine leaned forward, placed her hands on her knees and took a deep breath. The nausea that had started a few days ago was still at full force. She wobbled towards a tree and with a violent heave, everything she had managed to get down at lunch rose up. Kitten, her dragonet chortled worriedly, her little head tilted to the side in curiosity.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself softly. The twenty-year-old Gallan Wild Mage shoved back a mass of curly brown hair that had fallen down around her face. It was nearly five in the afternoon and she had hardly eaten anything in three days.

Numair, her husband, and seen her vomiting just the night before and had instantly become worried. She didn't want to tell him that she was still feeling so sick. 'All he'll do is worry himself into a fit,' she reasoned. She rinsed her mouth out with some water from her water skin and gingerly started her walk back to the palace, Kitten hopping along beside her. "I guess an afternoon walk wasn't such a good idea," she conceded to Kit.

Later that evening, Daine and Numair sat for dinner with Alanna of Trebond and George, Lord Baron of Pirate's Swoop. Daine found herself relieved that everyone seemed much to busy chatting to notice that she ate a messily two bites of her food. When one of the servants took her cold food away, she refused to notice the worried glance Numair threw her from across the table.

On the way back to their rooms, Daine kept silent; she felt a bit nauseous again. She stared at the ground trying to hide the sick look on her face from Numair. When he unlocked their door, he stopped and turned to face her. "Daine, what's wrong?"

The question caught her off guard, "Hmm? Oh, nothing is wrong. Why?"

"Daine, you hardly touched your breakfast, you didn't eat half of your lunch, and you didn't even eat just now; yesterday you were sick." His voice was so full of worry for her. She let out an inaudible sigh.

"I...I just haven't been feeling all that well, that's all. I'm sure it's nothing, just a bug." Her stomach rolled hard and sharp at that very moment. She put her hand over her mouth and ran past their suite rooms into the privy. Numair followed her in with a worried frown.

Daine heaved up the little that she had eaten for dinner with retched sounds. Numair stood behind her, gently holding back her hair. He dipped a cloth in the water basin and softly placed it on the nap of her neck. Finally, the uneasiness faded and she closed her eyes in an attempt to relax. Numair pressed a cup up to her mouth and she swallowed gratefully. "Daine?" Numair asked.

"I'm fine," she muttered.

"No. Daine, you're not fine. I want you to go see a healer. You look like a ghost and you're heaving up everything you eat."

"Numair..."

"Daine. Please. You know it kills me that I can't do anything to help you. Please let me take you to a healer." His eyes were deep with pleading.

Daine sighed. "All right. Look. If I don't feel any better in the morning, I'll go see a healer. Deal?"

He smiled, but only the slightest bit. He gave a gentle squeeze of her hand and scooped her up in his arms. Carrying her to the bed, he kissed her nose. "Thank you."

As luck would have it, Daine felt retched the entire night. She was sick two more times that evening and slept no more than two three hours at most. By morning, she was grotesquely miserable. She finally managed to doze off a little after sunrise, though it was a very fitful sleep. She opened her eyes soon after to see Alanna sitting next to her on the bed and Numair standing next to the bed, a frown marring his handsome face. "…This is the third day in a row that she's been so pale. She was vomiting all last night. And…"

"All right, Numair," Alanna interrupted. "I think I'll take over now. Why don't you go wait outside?"

Numair sighed with annoyance before proceeding to exit the room. "Well, Daine, now that he's gone for a few minutes, we can talk."

"Alanna, what's the matter with me? I feel like I've been run through the mud."

Alanna smiled. "You're pregnant."

Daine's eyes flew open and up. She sat up so quickly, her nausea kicked in again.

Seeing the look of discomfort on Daine's face, Alanna took out a green stone necklace. "I felt it last night at dinner. You are glowing with life inside of you. Here, take this." She handed Daine the necklace, leaned forward and said, "Thing is, I think this is going to be a fairly hard pregnancy for you, Daine. Most women don't get sick as often as you have. Because of this, I want you to be extra careful. Understand?" She pointed at the pendent. "This necklace will help settle your stomach."

Daine was speechless. "How far along am I?"

"Four weeks. Give or take a few days."

"How am I going to tell Numair about this?"

Alanna snorted. "Well, you are his wife, Daine. Believe me, Numair wants children. He's going to jump out of his skin when he hears. Shall I call him in?" At Daine's nod, she looked to the door and called out. "You can come in now."

Numair opened the door slowly and walked in with some trepidation, a questioning look upon his face. Looking from Daine to Alanna repeatedly, he quickly became anxious. "Well?"

Alanna glanced at Daine and nodded encouragingly.

Daine looked up into Numair's eyes and saw the worry and fear. He was always so worried for her. 'Always trying to protect me from everything. If he could have, he would have put me in a safe little room years ago. That would have never have kept me out of trouble,' she thought with amusement. Her eyes filled with love for him. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm pregnant."

Numair's eyes widened so much, Daine was afraid they would pop out of his head. "You...you're what?"

Daine, sensing he needed to hear it again in order to believe her words, repeated it slower and clearer. "I'm preg - nant."

Daine levitated from surprise when Numair gave the loudest 'whoop' she had ever heard. She knew Alanna had done the same. Numair came running over to the bed and grabbed her into such a tight hug, she could hardly take a breath.

"Numair…I…can't…breathe."

He let her go instantly and looked deep into her eyes with such love it nearly brought her to tears. Before she even realized it, he had his mouth on hers and was kissing her with such tenderness and love she really did start crying.

Alanna had covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her smile; but she was letting out a full laugh of amusement.

Numair cupped Daine's face in his two large hands and had his face so close to hers their noses touched. "I love you so much, Magelet."

Daine felt silly for crying. But she was too happy to try to stop the tears. "You're really happy about this?"

"Of course, sweet. I'm so happy I could explode." He gave her a warm hug again. As he held her, he looked at Alanna with a huge, beaming smile. Alanna had calmed down and was motioning for him to talk to her outside. "I'll be right back, Daine." He gave her another sweet kiss and left her with orders to nap a little.

He stepped outside and couldn't control his happiness. He swept the Lioness up in a hug and swung her around. "Can you believe it Alanna? I'm going to be a father! Me! Numair Salmalin! A father!"

After Alanna had her feet back on the ground, he noticed her weak smile.

"What's the matter Alanna?" Numair asked with confusion.

"I already told Daine what I'm going to tell you, Numair. Except that, I need you to listen closely." Alanna's face turned into a worried frown. "Most women get sick when they're pregnant. It's normal; part of the cycle. Gods' know I was sick enough. However, Daine has it more than usual. It's not good for her to be sick all night. She needs sleep. And, she needs nourishment. If she throws-up everything she eats, it could be dangerous for the baby." If she doesn't keep down any food, than we could be in trouble, here." She had kept her eyes stern on Numair's face. She wanted him to understand how delicate Daine's condition was.

Numair's face had taken on a look of worry again. "Will she be all right?"

"I think so. It could be just a bad spell. Sometimes it happens. There were times I got so sick I wanted to die. I told Daine to be extra careful. But you know how much she doesn't pay attention to her own needs." Numair nodded. "I want her to stay in bed today and tomorrow. She is to eat nothing but clear soup. Hopefully this will pass." Alanna noticed a look of fear on Numair's face and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure she and the baby will be just fine. Just keep an eye on her."

Numair nodded. Eyes dark.