This is my first fanfiction so make sure to leave reviews and tell me what you think and how I can improve it.

Disclaimer- I am not Tamora Pierce and own nothing but the plot

July 461

Corus, the capital of Tortall

Six well dressed men sat around a large table in a small but well furnished room in the center of the palace. King Jonathan sat at one end of the table. To his left sat one of his oldest friends, Sir Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak. George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop sat next to Raoul with Sir Myles of Olau to his left. Flyndan Whiteford, Raoul's second in command, and Sir Gareth the Younger, King Jonathan's closest friend and advisor, sat across from them.

A few empty chairs had been pulled back from the table and were littered around the room. As George was finishing his report, a violet- eyed knight strode in through the door, which had been locked, previously.

"Now, doesn't this look cozy," remarked Alanna the Lioness of Pirate's Swoop, eyes flashing. She grabbed a chair and thrust it between Raoul and George, forcing them to make room or risk being squashed.

"So, I see you found them," remarked a rich, feminine voice from the doorway. All of the men turned to watch as Queen Thayet followed Alanna's lead. Flyndan and Gary moved their chairs to the right as Thayet gracefully placed her chair next to her husband. "You should all know better than to try and have a secret meeting. Alanna knew something was up almost immediately when she couldn't find anyone to spar with," chided Thayet, teasingly.

Raoul smirked at this, obviously thinking back to when he told Jon the same thing, just as Alanna smacked him. Hard, if the way he was rubbing his head was any indication.

"So sorry to interrupt. Please continue George," Alanna remarked in a sickly sweet voice that had the surrounding men feeling just a bit nervous.

George just smiled down at his oh so lovely wife. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…" George broke off as his wife smacked him.

"I love you, too, hon." George dodged her fist just in time and continued. "The Scanrans have, basically, given up the war. They are completely outnumbered and unprepared and have finally realized it. They have not won a battle since Blayce the Gallan was killed and King Maggur is absolutely furious. He killed twelve of his personal guards just last month, which isn't sitting too well with his other supporters. I believe, or rather, I hope we might be able to start on a treaty within a year. Hopefully, by then, the council will have killed Maggur and we can negotiate with his successor."

"What about the Bearsford massacre," interrupted his wife? "The men who destroyed that town just weeks ago didn't seem to think they were losing or that the war was ending."

At Alanna's comment, most of the men in the room mad the sign to ward off evil on their chests. They all remembered the sickening report that had come in from a company passing through the area on their way to relieve soldiers at the Scanran border.

A party of about twenty or thirty raiders had torn into the town at night killing every living thing and completely trashing the place. No one survived and no one was even aware of what had occurred until days after.

Sir Myles shifted nervously in his seat. "Yeah, well, we had no information of any attack being planned for so far in to Tortall. Apparently, Maggur is beginning to lose control of his people. Other than a few… erm… shall was say, determined individuals, most are ready to give up the fight. I believe they are feeling the effects of a drawn out war. They are losing men at every turn, clans are draining the last of their reserves, commoners have yet to see proof of Tortall's riches, and Maggur is getting more and more unpredictable as the weeks pass."

"So, Maggur might be killed sooner than expected," asked Gareth? "If he is acting as unpredictable as George's report suggests, might the council kill him sooner rather than drag out the war?"

"Possibly," conceded Myles, "But we shouldn't count on it. There have been numerous attempts on his life in the last year that have all failed. While they have been getting more frequent, they haven't gotten any more successful."

"And that still might not help Kel," replied Raoul after Myles, worry etched in the lines on his face. He thought of Keladry of Mindelan, his ex-squire as a daughter and was terrified for her safety, not that he would ever admit as much. "The council might still want to take revenge for what happened with Blayce and for what she did to several of their troops in Scanra and for what she did to Rathhausak Castle."

"We still don't know if they even know who is responsible. I don't think they knew where exactly the souls fueling the machines were and Kel was careful to keep any news of her presence there from getting out," Flyn gently reminded Raoul. He was worried as well though he tried not to show it. He respected and liked Kel much more than he wanted to admit, considering he didn't want Raoul to take her on as a squire in the first place.

King Jonathan watched the scene unfolding before him with an amused smile of his face. He could hardly believe that this new Raoul was the same one he had been friends with for forever. Raoul had been the happiest confirmed bachelor for the longest time, yet here he was, married and fretting over the safety of his "daughter".

Thayet saw the amusing twinkle in her husband's eye and wondered what he was up to.

"Since I would rather not risk it, I ordered Kel back to Corus. She is too well known and liked for Tortall to lose her now," remarked Jon, effectively silencing the conversation going on around him.

"You, what?" sputtered Raoul at the same time that Alanna demanded "why?"

"I sent an order to the Lady Knight and Sir Neal of Queenscove several weeks back requiring them to return to Corus," replied Jon in a calm voice, knowing that it irritated his friends. "As for why I did it, Alanna, I thought it would be obvious. Kel needs to be kept safe and that can be better accomplished her in the palace than on the Scanran border."

Alanna jumped up, still enraged. "She will be furious," she screeched. "Kel isn't stupid. She will know what you are doing and she won't be happy about it. She didn't go through knight training to be coddled and she said as much to Wyldon when he put her in charge of Haven. She will be even less pleased being forced to return to Corus."

"I know this, Alanna," remarked Jon, just as calmly as before. "That doesn't change the necessity of it. Kel is becoming almost as legendary as you are. People have seen her traveling with the Own, talking with commoners and just being visible. Everyone she helps sings her praises and she is known for treating everyone fairly from animals to the lowliest beggar. People know of what she did for her people and her nickname is spreading like a wildfire. It will not help morale for her to be killed in revenge."

Jon then rounded on Raoul before Alanna could respond. "And I expect you to convince her of that fact."

Raoul nodded. "When does she arrive?"

I believe she arrived yesterday with the third company of the King's Own," interjected Myles.

Raoul rounded on Flyn. "She arrived yesterday and you didn't tell me. So I have been worried for weeks thinking she was still at New Hope when, in reality, she has been traveling with you?" accused Raoul.

Before Flyn could begin to defend himself, Jon cut in. "Well; now you know. Kel is here and safe and knowing she was traveling wouldn't have stopped you from worrying any less. Now, before I dismiss everyone, is that it?" When nobody added anything, Jon nodded. "Well, that's that. Remember, we meet with the council tomorrow. Be prepared for any reports they throw our way."

With that, Jon and Thayet strode out leaving a baffled Raoul, fuming Alanna, and a smirking George.