Disclaimer: I own nothing but the girl Katja. Everything else belongs to
Mrs. Pierce.
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Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat, bowed to King Jonathan. "Thank you, your highness. I'm sure the girl will be happy here."
The King smiled. "I hope so. Not many Shang are content with staying in one place."
Eda Bell thought for a second. "I'm sure she will find home in this place."
The two kept the one thought they shared secret. There was no sure thing.
*************************
A week later, King Jonathan, Alanna the Lioness, Duke Gareth and Lord Raoul sat in the King's study. A knock interrupted the conversation.
"Come in." Jon called.
The Shang Wildcat peered in, and Jon beckoned her to join them. She walked into the room, followed closely by a young girl.
"Highness, may I present Katja, the Shang Unicorn?"
Raoul, Alanna and Gary exchanged a look. This girl couldn't be older than seventeen. The girl stood, her eyes on the ground. She had olive skin, along with black hair that fell past her shoulders. She was a little taller than the Wildcat she stood next to, probably about 5 foot 10.
"Isn't she young?", Alanna voiced her opinion, the one she shared with her two friends.
The girl raised her head to look the Lioness in the eye, and Alanna's breath caught in her throat as the girl's eyes turned from a light blue to a brilliant green.
********************
There was silence in the room as Alanna stared in shock at the girl, and as Katja back at her, keeping her eyes on Alanna's.
"Who are you?", Alanna asked, her voice just barely a whisper.
"The Wildcat just told you."
Alanna tried again, despite the look on the girl's face. "Who was your father?"
A sly smile crept across the girl's face. "Why do you ask?"
"Katja." Eda snapped, glaring at the girl for showing no manners.
"Sorry, Eda." She turned back to Alanna. "I am Katja Ironarm, the Shang Unicorn."
An uncomfortable silence spread through the room. Alanna swallowed. "Liam..?" She did not finish her question. It hung in the air for a couple seconds, until Alanna thought it would go unanswered.
Katja's eyes changed to a blue-grey. "My father."
There was even more silence. The King cleared his throat. "Katja, would you like someone to show you around the palace?"
Katja tore her eyes away from Alanna. "Eda-"
"I need the Wildcat to stay. I have things to discuss with her." The king smiled. "But I'm sure we can get someone else to show you around." He looked at Raoul, who nodded.
********************
Squire Keladry of Mindelan walked beside a silent Shang warrior. She glanced in the girl's direction a couple times. I heard she was my age, thought Keladry, but she seems, well, older. Katja turned her head and looked at Keladry.
"What?"
Kel couldn't say it was nothing, the girl obviously wasn't stupid. "Is your father really Liam Ironarm?"
Katja sighed and looked ahead. "Was."
Kel looked at the girl with pity. "Here's the dining hall."
The Shang followed the Squire inside.
*********************
"Jon, why didn't you tell me?" Alanna snapped after their companions had left the room.
The King shrugged. "I didn't think-"
"That's it! You didn't think!"
Jonathan frowned. "Alanna, what has come over you?"
The Lady knight sat. "I thought I had let go of him, Jon. I barely thought of him anymore, thought I didn't care. But then she showed up... I could have prevented it, Jon. But I was so selfish...I begged him to come."
Her old friend sat beside her, and took her hand in his. "Alanna, you know that he was ready to die. You told me so yourself."
"I wasn't ready for him to die, though."
"It wasn't-"
"The girl has grown up without any family, Jon. Didn't you listen to Eda Bell? If it weren't for me, she'd still have a father."
Jonathan stood. "Alanna, stop it.", he snapped. The King's Champion looked at him in shock. "I refuse to talk to you when you're like this. You know very well that it was not your fault. So STOP IT." He turned and walked out the door, leaving Alanna looking after him.
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If anyone's confused (I don't think you will be, but it's possible) I'm going to clear some things up later. Until then…………..CHEEEEEEEEEESSSSEEEEEEEE! Oh yeah, I know the timings a little messed up, she should be twenty or twenty-one, but if it gets too old I cant really write the character well, cause I'm only 14, so just…pretend, lol.
*************************
Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat, bowed to King Jonathan. "Thank you, your highness. I'm sure the girl will be happy here."
The King smiled. "I hope so. Not many Shang are content with staying in one place."
Eda Bell thought for a second. "I'm sure she will find home in this place."
The two kept the one thought they shared secret. There was no sure thing.
*************************
A week later, King Jonathan, Alanna the Lioness, Duke Gareth and Lord Raoul sat in the King's study. A knock interrupted the conversation.
"Come in." Jon called.
The Shang Wildcat peered in, and Jon beckoned her to join them. She walked into the room, followed closely by a young girl.
"Highness, may I present Katja, the Shang Unicorn?"
Raoul, Alanna and Gary exchanged a look. This girl couldn't be older than seventeen. The girl stood, her eyes on the ground. She had olive skin, along with black hair that fell past her shoulders. She was a little taller than the Wildcat she stood next to, probably about 5 foot 10.
"Isn't she young?", Alanna voiced her opinion, the one she shared with her two friends.
The girl raised her head to look the Lioness in the eye, and Alanna's breath caught in her throat as the girl's eyes turned from a light blue to a brilliant green.
********************
There was silence in the room as Alanna stared in shock at the girl, and as Katja back at her, keeping her eyes on Alanna's.
"Who are you?", Alanna asked, her voice just barely a whisper.
"The Wildcat just told you."
Alanna tried again, despite the look on the girl's face. "Who was your father?"
A sly smile crept across the girl's face. "Why do you ask?"
"Katja." Eda snapped, glaring at the girl for showing no manners.
"Sorry, Eda." She turned back to Alanna. "I am Katja Ironarm, the Shang Unicorn."
An uncomfortable silence spread through the room. Alanna swallowed. "Liam..?" She did not finish her question. It hung in the air for a couple seconds, until Alanna thought it would go unanswered.
Katja's eyes changed to a blue-grey. "My father."
There was even more silence. The King cleared his throat. "Katja, would you like someone to show you around the palace?"
Katja tore her eyes away from Alanna. "Eda-"
"I need the Wildcat to stay. I have things to discuss with her." The king smiled. "But I'm sure we can get someone else to show you around." He looked at Raoul, who nodded.
********************
Squire Keladry of Mindelan walked beside a silent Shang warrior. She glanced in the girl's direction a couple times. I heard she was my age, thought Keladry, but she seems, well, older. Katja turned her head and looked at Keladry.
"What?"
Kel couldn't say it was nothing, the girl obviously wasn't stupid. "Is your father really Liam Ironarm?"
Katja sighed and looked ahead. "Was."
Kel looked at the girl with pity. "Here's the dining hall."
The Shang followed the Squire inside.
*********************
"Jon, why didn't you tell me?" Alanna snapped after their companions had left the room.
The King shrugged. "I didn't think-"
"That's it! You didn't think!"
Jonathan frowned. "Alanna, what has come over you?"
The Lady knight sat. "I thought I had let go of him, Jon. I barely thought of him anymore, thought I didn't care. But then she showed up... I could have prevented it, Jon. But I was so selfish...I begged him to come."
Her old friend sat beside her, and took her hand in his. "Alanna, you know that he was ready to die. You told me so yourself."
"I wasn't ready for him to die, though."
"It wasn't-"
"The girl has grown up without any family, Jon. Didn't you listen to Eda Bell? If it weren't for me, she'd still have a father."
Jonathan stood. "Alanna, stop it.", he snapped. The King's Champion looked at him in shock. "I refuse to talk to you when you're like this. You know very well that it was not your fault. So STOP IT." He turned and walked out the door, leaving Alanna looking after him.
***********************************************************
If anyone's confused (I don't think you will be, but it's possible) I'm going to clear some things up later. Until then…………..CHEEEEEEEEEESSSSEEEEEEEE! Oh yeah, I know the timings a little messed up, she should be twenty or twenty-one, but if it gets too old I cant really write the character well, cause I'm only 14, so just…pretend, lol.