Okay, this is my very first story. It's set after the fourth book of Protector of the Small. I don't know how good of a story this is.
(A/N - I know some of this stuff may not fit with the story, but thats because I haven't read the books in awile and I can't find my copies of the books either. I wrote this off the top of my head. I apologize for any confusion.)
Disclaimer - I own NONE of this, it rightfully belongs to Tamora Pierce. All that is mine is Lady Breanna and the plot
With that said...on with the story...
"Lady Breanna, you must get up. Stop lazing about." Scolded the young woman's maid, Marlene.
"I'm up, Marlene." Breanna scowled as the maid flung open the curtains, exposing her sensitive eyes to the blindingly bright sun.
"Good, now bathe and I will help you dress. No breeches today, my lady. Your parents are forbidding it." Marlene said, snapping the sheets as Breanna stood and made her way to the privy. She opened her mouth to protest the 'no breeches' rule. "We have company today, my lady. We can't have them seeing you as a ruffian." Breanna growled her displeasure and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. For a nineteen year-old, she could be immature at times. After bathing, she got out and dried off, slipping on her undergown. Her reflection in the mirror caught her attention, her blacks curls hung defeated around her shoulders and her bright grey/blue eyes poked out from under slim eyebrows. Full, pouting lips and a delicate nose complete her face. Her curves and looks had most menfawning after her, but she didn't care. She was still recuperating from the first man.
"Marlene, have I mentioned how much I despise gowns?" Breanna asked as she left the bathroom and slipped the baby blue overgown on.
"Many times my lady, you even hated them as a child." Marlene said with a laugh, remembering the girl when she was younger. "But there is something that will make it better."
"What is that?" Breanna asked, allowing the maid to tie up the back of the dress; she sat and pulled on a pair of riding boots.
"Your uncle is back. Just got in, still in the courtyard." No sooner had Marlene finished her sentence, had Breanna stood up and ran from the room, cursing the gown that slowed her down. She reached the courtyard in record time.
"Uncle Raoul!" She shouted, seeing the big knight first and foremost; she ran towards him and Raoul caught his niece in a hug. Brea was the only child left of Raoul's older brother and she had grown up around him, so they were unusually close.
"I knew it would only be a matter of minutes before you greeted me." He said, replacing his niece on firm ground and stepping back, looking her over. "Your mother and Marlene forced you into another gown I see."
"Unfortunately, using the guest excuse and something about me looking like a ruffian." Brea said with a shrug, just then noticing the men that bustled around her brother wore the colors of blue and silver; colors of the King's Own. "It's not like it matters."
"It does so, my men count as company, even if they are ruffians themselves." Raoul was purposely shifting his weight from foot to foot, blocking a certain someone from his niece's view with his broad shoulders.
"Whatever you say, dear uncle." Brea caught on to Raoul's moments and raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "What exactly are you doing?" She demanded, trying to glance past her uncle, but was quickly blocked.
"No...nothing." Raoul said, catching his niece around the waist and putting her in front of him, which was easy, considering how small she was.
"Uncle Raoul." Brea whined, now more curious than angry; when Raoul was least expecting it, she dodged past him and came face to face with Domitan of Masbolle, who proceeded to drop what he was carrying, on his foot.
"Ow. He...hello, Brea..anna." Dom stuttered, ignoring the throbbing pain in his foot as he stared at the girl he had once fawned over. She had grown a lot in two years.
"Domitan. How, er, lovely it is to see you." Brea lied, tears pricking her eyes as she stared at Dom. Raoul silently cursed himself, he should've known better than to allow Brea to see Dom, he also should've done something to lure his niece away from him. She could've gone the entire week without knowing he was there. Marlene came to the rescue as the awkward silence lengthened.
"Lady Brea, your mother wishes to seeyou in her chambers." Marlene said, patting Raoul on the shoulder and pulling lightly on the woman's arm to lead her away. Once Brea was inside with Marlene, she slumped against a wall and started to cry, images ofDom andBrea'syear together flashing through her mind.
Flashback
"Breanna! Slow down! Raoul and your father will have my head if you get hurt." Dom shouted, galloping off after the young girl. He was twenty years old and new addition to the King's Own and wanted to make a good impression on Raoul, he didn't know he would look after his wild and rambunctious sixteen year-old niece.
"I'll be fine Domitan! Leave me be!" Brea shouted, trying to out-gallop the man. She finally reached a clearing in the forest and dismounted in one fluid moment, wasting no time. Brea began running towards a small pond that wasn't to far off from where she dismounted. Dom ran up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Get your hands off me!" Brea shouted; the struggling continued, Dom trying to get a grip on Brea, and she was trying to get away from him. It finally ended when they fell, Dom landing on top of Brea. "Look what you've done now." She snapped, hoping Dom wasn't staring directly at her, although it might prove difficult, since their faces were very close.
"Have you been crying?" He asked quietly, noticing tear streaks on her face.
"It's none of your business." Brea said, narrowing her eyes; she found it nearly impossible to raise her hands, as Dom was laying on her.
"Raoul told me about your brother. I'mvery sorry." Dom said, not realizing that he might be crushing Brea.
"Sorry won't bring him back." She said, a tear slipping down her cheek; Dom resisted the urge to wipe it away. He hated to see woman cry."Can you get off of me, please?"
"Right, sorry." Dom mumbled and rolled off of her, sitting up. Brea sat up as well, wiping at her face.
"Why were you chasing me?" The sudden fight in Brea had dissipated and she sat sullenly on the forest floor.
"Your uncles orders. He said to keep an eye on you, that you were a feisty one. Didn't think I would be getting such a work-out." Dom joked, glancing at her with his cobalt blue eyes.
"The other men probably didn't warn you because they wanted to see if you would survive your first day." Brea said, smiling at him. For being nearly four years older than her, he was quite handsome, she couldn't deny that aspect.
"So, did I survive?" He asked, looking her over, from her dirtied and well used riding boots, to her grey/blue eyes and curly black hair; she was a beauty.
"I would say you did a pretty good job, Domitan." She responded and watched him stand and offer a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.
"It's just Dom, Lady Breanna." He said, leading the way back to their horses.
"Then just call me Brea, you'll find that most of the King's Own does." She told him with a smile as they mounted their horses and started back.
End Flashback
"Breanna? Are you alright, dear?" Questioned Lady Rhiannon, putting a hand on top of her daughters.
"I'm fine mother, just tired." Brea put a hand to her face to add to effect; Raoul glanced at his niece, they hadn't spoken since earlier in the courtyard. "May I be excused?" She asked, glancing past her uncle, and to her father.
"Yes, but before you leave, Raoul has something to tell you." Lord Anthony said, gesturing to his brother.
"Brea, I would like you to come back to Corus with me. Queen Thayet would like you to be a Queen's Rider." Raoul said, sipping from his goblet.
"I will consider it, now excuse me, I'm going to rest." Brea said and stood up from the table, throwing her napkin on her untouched food and stalking out of the dining room.
A WEEK LATER
Brea stood in the courtyard, watching her uncle and the King's Own load up her stuff, arms crossed over her chest. Her mother and father stood beside her, talking about who knows what. For the first time in months, she was dressed in a more feminine version of what men usually wore. Raoul let his men finish loading up and made his way to his brother and sister-in-law.
"Were all ready to go, just waiting for Brea." He said, kissing Rhiannon on the cheek.
"We will be seeing you at Midwinter." Anthony said, embracing his brother.
"Good-bye mother, father." Brea said, hugging her parents, before following Raoul to the train of horses. She wasn't quite sure if it was on purpose or not, but he managed to lead her right past Dom.
"Hope you don't mind a little bit of mud. It's rained quite a bit." Raoul joked as Brea mounted her horse.
"You haven't been gone that long, my dear uncle. My mother hasn't quite managed to turn me into a court lady yet." She said and the train of horses started out of the courtyard. As the first day of riding neared an end, there was no hotel in sight, so they set up camp and spent the night, only to be awakened by a storm and once more riding at about three in the morning.
SIX DAYS LATER
The trip from Goldenlake to Corus, usually only took three days, if weather permitted, but because of the rain, it took them six days to maneuver their horses through mud. As they passed through the lower part of Corus, rain pouring down on them, people peeked out from under protection, watching the parade of men go by on horses. Thecastle loomed in sight, and pretty soon, they were under protection of the King's Own stables.
"Brea, if you'll go with this servant, he'll lead you to your rooms and i'll have some of my men bring your stuff." Raoul told his niece, who wanted nothing more than to bathe and change into dry clothes. Brea sighed and followed the servant, who handed her a few keys and pointed to a door. She thanked him and went inside, thanking whoever had prepared the room, as they had left water for a bath. Before getting in, she glanced at her reflection and started laughing. Mud caked her hair, turning the black brown and mud stuck to her face and dirtied her clothes. No wonder the servant was eager to get away from her, she must've looked hideous. Pulling off her muddy clothes, she shut the door to her privy and slipped into the bath.
"Brea! We've got your stuff!" Called a voice from outside her door.
"Come in, but no further than the door, or so help me I will come after you!" She shouted back and heard the men laugh as they entered her room and deposited the stuff on the floor, before leaving. They knew better than to test the girls temper; she could be a hellion if provoked. After the water had turned brown from the mud and Brea was positive she was clean, she stepped from the bath and dried herself off, cursing the men as they had placed the bags by the door. "Damn them all." She muttered and made her way. She had finished dressing, when a knock came on her door. Brea stood and looked at the servant that had showed her to her room.
"Lady Breanna, her majesty Queen Thayet requests your presence." He said, bowing his head slightly..
"Lead the way." Brea said, hating the 'lady' title she was cursed with and locked up her room. The servant nodded and led her down many twisting hallways, to a door.
"Your majesty, Lady Breanna of Goldenlake is here." The servant announced and they both bowed.
"Thank you Charles, you are dismissed." The servant bowed himself out of the room, and shut the door, leaving Brea alone in the room with the queen. "Please, Lady Brea, have a seat."
"Thank you, your majesty, but please just call me Brea. Lady makes me feel like my mother." She said, taking a seat in a chair.
"Well then, you may call me Thayet. In this room, no formalities are required." She said and shifted her gowns slightly, staring out the rainy window. "I'm sure Raoul has told you why I've asked you to come to Corus."
"He did indeed." Brea said with a nod of her head.
"I remember seeing you ride and fight with the squires the last time you were here. Did Raoul train you?" Thayet questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes he did, so did my brother Caiden and my father, when he was feeling up to it." She told the queen, brushing strands of hair from her face.
"I've never seen someone have such a knack for fighting." The queen commented. "Honestly, your as good as any of our knights."
"Thank you, Thayet." Brea said, blushing at the compliments and bowed her head. Thayet grinned and cleared her throat with a cough.
"I'm hoping you will join the Queen's Riders. Gods know we could use someone like you among us."
"Of course, I'm up for anything that can get my hands dirty."
"Good, your horses with be moved to our stables and we expect you on the fields with us tomorrow at dawn." Brea nodded and took her leave, bowing herself out of the room. With a satisfied smile, she started back to her room, collapsing on the bed and drifting into a deep, dreamless sleep. Her door stood wide-open, welcoming any and all intruders.
Domitan of Masbolle strolled the halls of the castle in deep thought. Ever since his encounter with Brea at Goldenlake, he couldn't stop thinking about her. She was still in her teens for gods sakes, whereas he was nearing twenty-five, although the four year age difference hadn't made much of a difference before. Had it really been two years? It seemed much longer than that since he had shattered her heart and trust. To lost in his thoughts, he passed right past Brea's open door and backed up, peering inside. He stared at her face, which was illuminated by moonlight and covered with a few strands of black hair. Kneeling beside her bed, Dom used a gentle hand to brush the strands of hair from Brea's face.
"If only you knew how truly sorry am I for what I did to you." He whispered and stood up, pulling off Brea's boots and stockings, before lifting her gently and placing her under the blanket. Before he left the room, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then shut the door. He hoped no one had seen him, who knew the world of trouble he could get in.
FLASHBACK
"Dom, have you seen Brea?" Raoul asked, glancing around for his niece.
"Uh, she's probably in the stables, sir." Dom replied, glancing around; thinking about it, he hadn't seen Brea all day, except for when he thought about her, which was a good portion of the day.
"Can you find her please? I need to speak with her." He said and Dom nodded, starting, not for the stables but the forest, where he knew she was.
"Brea!" He called, following the trail to the pond in the middle of the forest. "Brea!"
"I'm here!" She called back, sitting on the edge of the pond, her feet dangling in the water. Dom sighed, walking over to her and sitting down beside her. "Figured it would be a matter of time before you would show up." Brea wiped at her face, hiding tears.
"Well, that's me, always on your tail." Dom joked, then noticed what she was doing. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." She lied, staring into the water.
"People don't just cry for 'nothing.' Tell me." He commanded, staring her down with his cobalt blue eyes
"I'm homesick and I have practically no friends here. And to top it all off, the only person I could ever talk to, just died." She said and wiped at a few more tears on her cheeks. Dom hated to see woman cry. No matter how old they were. It wasone of his many weaknesses.He broke down and hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly, while Brea cried into the front of his shirt.
"You have me, not sure how good of a friend I can be, but you have me." Dom told her and saw a small smile worm it's way across her face. "And about Caiden, I'm terribly sorry. I know that gets kind of old, but I know what it's like to lose a family member." He said; he had been there when Brea's brother had been killed, it was a sad sight to watch the young man die, knowing he had no chance of survival. "So don't cry, your far to beautiful for it." The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them.
"Thank you, Dom." Brea said, blushing slightly.
"I meant that in strictly a friend to friend way." He said, trying to cover up what he said, but knew Brea had seen through it when she grinned. "I'm going to get it for this." He muttered.
"What? Dom, I don-" Her sentence was cut short by Dom leaning down and pressing his lips gently against hers.
END FLASHBACK
The following morning, Brea woke well before dawn and found herself safely tucked into bed, boots and stockings removed. Yet, she remembered falling asleep immediately after her visit with Thayet, fully dressed. Thinking it was just Raoul, she pushed all other thoughts to the back of her mind and stood, dressing in more suitable clothes for the day ahead.
Well, what did you think? Please review!