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“I do love you, you know.”Numair smiled back at her, gentle and warm and a little sad. “Oh Daine. Yes, of course I know.” He paused. For a minute, Daine wasn’t sure he was going to say it back. After all, they were parting ways. “I love you too.”Daine's heart thumped once, hard. “I wish…”Numair reached out and caught her hand, just like he had a thousand times. He ran a reassuring thumb over the back of her hand. “I know.”“I’m sorry. I swear, I really did think, well.” She bit her lip. She wouldn’t cry. It wouldn’t be fair.Numair laughed a little. “I know, sweet. Please don’t fuss. I wouldn’t have heard “you’re too young” at sixteen either. Even if you didn’t know, I did.”Daine took a deep breathe and let it out slowly. Numair’s faint smile reminded her that he was the one who had taught her that. All the sudden, she was crying after all. “Curse it.”Numair drew her close and hugged her tight. It didn’t take long for her tears to run their course. She stirred and drew back tentatively. Not far, just enough to see his face. “Thank you.”Numair’s smile widened. Good. “Worth it?”“Gods, yes,” Daine said fervently. It certainly had been. Numair was fantastic in bed, many steps ahead of the boys she’d tumbled. Being his lover had taught her new things, too, about living with someone close like that. “The things I’ve learned! You are very, very worth it, Numair. Always.”“You’ve kept me on my toes,” Numair said. There was a hint of slyness there, recalling several unlikely places they had bedded each other. “Given me hope. And a great deal of happiness.”Another stab of sadness pierced her. “This is it, then. The end.”She was nineteen now. Three blessedly happy years. And now, all unbidden, she was ready to move on. She had never seen it coming. She thought what they had was forever. After his initial protestations, when it became clear they were headed into a relationship, Numair had sat her down. He had told her in calm, clear words that he fully expected that she would be ready for someone or something new at some point. That he would never hold her back, simply requested that she tell him when it was time. And then he had promised to never bring it up again and been true to his word.Which meant that when Daine grew restless and realized the source, it was up to her to begin this terrible conversation.“You wouldn’t hear of anything at sixteen. Will you take a little wisdom now?”Daine smiled reluctantly. “Impart to me, o wise one, your teachings.”Numair laughed and tweaked her nose. “This isn’t the end. It’s only change. In a few months, or a year, it will sting less. We’ll learn to be friends again.”That was a relief to hear. “Will we?”“We will,” Numair repeated. He squeezed her tight for a second, then let her go. “Now, scat. You have a journey to prepare for!”“A journey,” she said. She was going to travel to the Yamani Islands, as part of a delegation to begin negotiations. New animals, new plants, new lands. A spark of excitement lit her. She hesitated. “I’ll see you when I get back?”Numair’s smile stayed in place. “Of course. Safe travels, Daine.”