Author's Note: This story was written for the March Challenge at the Tamora Pierce Experiment forum, and I urge everyone to go there once they are done reading (and hopefully reviewing) to vote for their favorite February Challenge fic.
This fic takes place at the end of Lioness Rampant during the final duel between Alanna and Alex in terms of the Tortall timeline.
Reviews: If you find anything you like in this fic, feel free to let me know so that I can promptly edit it out of the next edition. If you find anything you don't like, feel free to let me know, too, so I can be sure to keep it in…
The Best
As Alex died, he knew that he was not the best.
All he had ever wanted was to be the best.
When he was a page, he had been that.
If not for Alan, he would still be.
This duel should have restored his title.
It hadn't—it was a failure.
He was a failure, also.
A bitter failure, too.
He would die.
Not Alan.
Alex.