My Path Has Been Chosen

Chapter 1 On The Road To Life

' April 3rd

Dear Journal,

Hey it's me. I beat Thom in a mud fight today. Little wimp, he fell over crying. Then dad came out and yelled at me!

Isn't it just my luck, the one time my father takes any interest in what I'm doing just happens to be when I'm beating my brother in a mud battle.

"Alanna! You're going to get your dress dirty!" like I care. I would rather be wearing my new breeches and midnight blue tunic than my new frilly pink dress with an extra 7 layers of petticoats.

N e way…we're having wild hog for dinner tonight- , my favourite, and for dessert we're having apple pie and cream, mmmmmmm yummy!

Father suspects nothing. My plan is going perfectly and right on schedule.

Sincerely Alanna'

"Alanna! Dinner!" a male voice echoed up the stairs.

"Oh… So sorry to interrupt you whilst writing in your precious diary Alanna," the voice tauntedsaid as her brotherfather walked into the room.

"It's not a diary!! It's a journal! Get out Thomas!" Alanna yelled.

Thomas quickly shut the door just in time to block his face from the pillow sent his way by his sister.

'Alanna will always be Alanna,' he thought to himself. "Stubborn, strong, determined, strong, arrogant, strong, rude, and… did I mention strong?! I must write Jonathanthat down."

Thomas hurried back down to the dining room of the castle he was born and raised in; his home.

Suddenly a foot came out of nowhere and tripped him over and into a vase. The noise summoned his father, Lord Alan, in a hurry

"What is all this racket about? Thomas did you break this vase? Alanna, honey, what happened?" Lord Alan asked his daughter who was standing behind her brother.

"Thomas tripped over his feet and accidentally fell into the vase, Father," Alanna replied in a sugary sweet voice. "It wasn't his fault."

"NO! NO! NO! And for the last time NO!" Alanna screamed, "I will not wear this dress!"

"But M'lady you must wear this dress, Your Godmother is coming and she loves it so!" The maid replied trying to get Alanna into a yellow dress with magenta frills.

"But it's horrible. Look at the colours; I swear that woman must be colour blind blind.. And to make it worse, Jonathan's coming, he's gonna think I'm a weak little baby. He'll think I'm crawling back with my tail between my legs. I've worked to hard to gain my reputation here and at the Palace and I'm not about to let some pink frills ruin it for me! That is why I'm not giving in to wearing that awful dress!" Alanna stated with passion.

" Ok M'lady, you pick the dress then," The maid said, touched by her mistress's speech.

The maid was shocked when she saw the dress the little girl picked out; it was a purple corset that tied up at the front and the skirt flared out to show a light lilac petticoat, with dark lilac spots, underneath.

"Mistress where did you get that dress?!" the maid demanded.

"It was my mothers. Don't you like it? I think it is beautiful." Alanna replied sighing.

"No, I love it but you're a little young to be wearing it. How 'bout this one?" The maid asked holding up a simple, floor length, blood red, dress with a gold sash.

"Oh Marina I love it, thankyou! I will wear it, it is so lovely. Sorry for making a fuss before." Alanna apologised feeling sorry for making her maid's job even harder that it was.

"It's okay Mistress. And just between you and me I didn't like that dress either. I think thate Godmother of yours has serious problems," Marina stated before adding softly to herself. "Don't let her take you over Mistress."" she added silently to herself.

"What do you mean she's not coming!" Alanna bellowed, "Are you telling me I got dressed up for nothing!"

"Mistress calm down. She has the flu and she couldn'tan't make the trip here, but their Majesties are still comincoming' and they are still bringing Masters Jonathan and Gareth." Alanna's face softened. It was a known fact inside among the servants castle that Mistress Alanna and Masters Jonathan, Gareth and Thomas were the best of friends. They were inseparable.

"Okay fine, I give in, I'll wear the dress I'll go to the banquet, I'll be lady like, but I still don't see why it is so formal." Alanna replied trying to hide her happiness.

"Alanna! Our guests are here!" her brother called up the stairs.

Alanna squealed and ran to the stairs. Half way there she turned around and retraced her steps. She stuck her head through the doorway to her room and addressed her maid.

"You tell ANYONE about that and I will personally see to it thatBEHEAD you have latrine duty for the next few weeks!," She whispered emphatically

She turned around and skipped down the stairs and into the salon.

"Hello Aunty Lianne, Uncle Roald, How was your trip from the Palace? I hope it wasn't too tiring." Alanna added sweetly kissing their cheeks.

"Alanna, you can drop the act now, your father is out of the roomnot here." Lianne replied

"Thank the Gods! He's been following me around all day today. It is really scaring me."

" I think we have something to do with that. Don't worry nothing is wrong, Jonathan and Gareth are both fine. They are in their rooms, unpacking." Roaaold added seeing the gleam in Alanna's eyes

She bounded out of the room at full speed towards the Guest Wing of the castle. She rounded a corner and bumped head first into a solid figure, and landed on her rear end.

"I'm so sorry, M'lady, please forgive me, I hope I haven't messed up your pretty dress." The figure apologised as he helped the fallen lady to stand.

"Who do you think you are? Are you new here or something? Do you even know to whom you are talking to? Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want? And get out of my way can't you see I'm on important business!" Alanna screamed in the boy's face.

"Well, in order of your questions, I think I am a 102 yr old boy born in Corus. No I'm not new here, I've been many times before, just not in a while. No I do not know who the lovely girl I'm talking to is. My name is Jonathan and I'm here with my parents who are on family business and what I want to go meet my cousin out in the gardens so I will be happy to get out of your way." The boy replied. He was a tall boy with coal black hair and shimmering sapphire blue eyes. He was wearing a simple green tunic and fairly new green breeches with a yellow shirt.

Alanna was overjoyed "I'm sorry, did you say your name was Jonathan?" she asked him

"Yes, yes I did" way the reply

"JONATHAN!" Alanna shouted hugging him, her red hair falling messily over her beautiful violet eyes as she pressed up against him. He seemed confused and shocked at first. "It's me Alanna! Don't you wanna be my friend anymore?" she added seeing the expression on his face. She was nearly in tears. 'No!' she told herself firmly 'I will not let him see me cry' And she ran off collecting her skirts as she hurried down the halls, feeling sad and rejected, two feelings that should not go together.

She ran into the gardens and down the path to the forest. As she reached the line of trees encircling the grounds she climbed a tree and sat sobbing.

"Alanna?" Jonathan asked entering the forest "Where are you?" Alanna hushed, holding her breath. "Come on 'Lanna you know I didn't mean that. I was just shocked to see the lovely lady you turned into, that's all."

Alanna heard him and threw a branch at his head. "I heard that Jonathan! I'm not some noble…" she shuddered "...lady." Jonathan took this time to follow her voice.

"Found you!" he called from the bottom of the tree trunk as he started to climb. He sat down next to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Alanna of Trebond, you know what? You, my dear, are my best friend. You always have been and always will be."

"JONATHAN!! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO MEET ALANNA!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE FOREST!!!!!! YOU KNOW UNCLE ALAN AGREED TO THE ARANGEMENT!!!!! WE WILL BE LEAVING SOON!!! NOW COME OUT SO WE CAN EAT! I'M STAVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A male voice yelled from outside the clump of trees.

Jonathan climbed down and caught Alanna in his arms as jumped from the branch above his head.

"Thankyou, Your Highness," Alanna said curtsying.

"Shall we?" Jon asked holding his arm out to her.

"We shall!" She took his arm and they strolled out of the forest, only to come face to face with a VERY hungry 11yr old boy.

"And who is this charming lady Jonathan?" The boy asked.

"This, cousin Gareth, is lady…"Jonathan started only to be interrupted by Alanna who introduced herself as GrenhildaBrunhilde, a maid at the castle.

"May I have the pleasure of walking a beautiful lady to the castle for dinner?" Gareth asked

"Of course you may!" Alanna dispatched her arm from Jonathan and fell in lie with Gareth, starting a friendly conversation.

The boys walked into the dining room and sat down, leaving Alanna to fend for herself. Gareth was shocked to see her sit down next to the Queen. He looked suspiciously at Jonathan who smiled and turned away.

When dinner was over Gareth approached his cousin. "Who is she really?" He asked

"Why don't you ask her your self?"

"Which one of those ladies was Alanna?"

"You will soon see." And he walked off to the salon.

"Gary!" A voice called from the end of the corridor "Wait for me!"

"Alanna?" Gareth asked turning around. "I'm sorry, GrenhildaBrunhilde, I thought you were someone else."

"Who?" GrenhildaBrunhilde asked cocking her head

"My very best friend, princess or the castle, a vision of loveliness, the most deadly female alive, not to mention the strongest girl in living history." Gareth grinned "Did I mention that she looks simple divine in her red dress. And that sash is absolutely gorgeous.

"Gary I'm warning you" Alanna said in a dangerous voice. "I has been too long." She said hugging him.

" Come M'lady, we are required to go tattend thato the meeting." Gary said.

They walked into the salon and sat down.

"The reason I have agreed to this are arrangement is I sto reunite our to families." Lord Alan began.

"Father, what is going on? I don't like how this is sounding." Alanna told her father

"Alanna your father and I have arranged for you to be betrothed to Jonathan." Roald said swollen with pride. "Alanna are you okay?"

Alanna had fainted.

"Jonathan! Take Alanna to her chambers!" The Queen ordered as her son got up from his chair in the corner. He walked over to the sofa and picked up his newly betrothed and carried her to her room. As he lay her on the bed, she stirred.

"Get your rest, Alanna, we leave in the morning. Goodnight my friend, sweet dreams."

"It was all a dream." Alanna sighed waking up

"I'm afraid, if you were talking about the betrothal,

you are wrong. It was quite real." Thom said wondering into the room. "Hurry and get ready you leave after breakfast. Alanna I was thinking…"

"Goddess, did it hurt?" Alanna butted in

"Very funny sisterAlanna. Any way as I was saying you really should give up this dream of becoming a knight. After all you are going to be Queen someday. Maybe you should go to the Convent." Thom said caringly.

"Thomas! Have you been reading my diary?" Alanna growled.

"Ha! It is a diary! And yes I have. I'm sorry."

"That's okay I still love you anyway, and your punishment will come later. Come on lets go. I have an Idea for our finally prank." They left the room in the direction of the kitchen.

"That was SOOSO funny!!!!!!!!!!!" Alanna said laughing her head off. "Are you okay Jon?" Jonathan looked at her. "How were we supposed to know you were in the east wing as well? We didn't think we'd have to wait for you to get down the stairs too."

"And who's idea was it to grease up the stairs in the first place?" Jonathan asked looking at Alanna

"What?"

"CHILDREN!! WE ARE LEAVING!!! HURRY UP AND SAY YOUR GOODBYES!!!" Roald called up the stairs.

"Bye Thomas. I'll miss you heaps. Come visit us okay?" Alanna asked.

She was supposed to be staying at the Palace until the time came for her to go to the Convent.

"I will, sister, as soon as possible."

"You'd better, brother. Bye!!"

Alanna finally climbed into the royal carriage.

Finally starting on her road to life.

Authors Note

Hey I know this isn't much of a change but it makes more sense this way and it ties in better with the second chapter, also slightly rewritten and the third and final chapter that's on the way.

Please review and tell me what you think

SaZzA