Disclaimer: These characters, with the exception of Catarine, belong to Tamora Pierce.
Beka flopped down onto her bed after she returned from feeding her pigeons. As she gazed over her room she met Rosto's eyes, and, unnerved by the warmth and desire she saw there immediately looked over the others gathered in her room for breakfast. The tradition that had started three months ago still continued, though the group had grown so large they ate outside on all but the wettest days. Today, unfortunately, was one of those days. It was quite a mixture of people: Phelan and his new sweetheart, Catarine, Kora and her beloved Ersken, Tansy and her husband Heron, Bold Brian and his swordswoman Aniki, and Rosto. Only Rosto and Beka had no sweetheart with which to snuggle in the early morning cool – though not for lack of trying on his part. Her brothers Nilo and Will came two or three times a week, and her sister Lorine nearly as often. Her other sister, Diona, had given up speaking to Beka, and scorned the family for going to the slums, as she called the entire Lower City.
"I've my day off tomorrow," Beka announced idly, twirling a strand of her thick hair around her finger. "Anyone else? I've nothing to do, with my lord gone to his country estates and you lot here today anyway." she added, nodding towards her brothers and sister.
"You could come to see us at the accounting house, but Heron will be dreadfully busy, as tomorrow's the day all the debtors come to pay." Tansy offered, though Heron shot her a scowl. Beka suspected that some of his transactions were on the far side of the law – but ignored that for the sake of Tansy and her husband whom Beka had come to call friend.
"I'm off to visit my mum – haven't seen the old girl in nearly a month. Kora, you're coming too, right?" Ersken asked.
"Silly lad, I told you that we had to wait until next week. Tomorrow's the day the Rogue passes judgment on all the miscreants that he rules over," Kora objected.
"Aye, lass, and you're the worst of the lot," Rosto piped in.
"Beka, you've never seen the judgment day, have you? You ought to. It's certainly a sight." Aniki added, hoping to entice her friend.
"Aye, Beka, come!" Reed Katie encouraged her.
"Well, all right. I suppose it can't hurt. But will the people take it well, having a Dog amongst them? I wouldn't want me to be there," Beka objected.
"Aw, no one minds you being there, Bek. You and your Dogs don't take most of us to the cages or to court for silly things like pickpocketing. And it is you, Beka. You took the Lower City as your own and kept us safe from harm with everything you've got. Most of us here would do anything for you, lass. We all would, right?" Phelan asked the crowd.
"Aye, of course we would. Silly lass, the one who harms you will have the eternal enmity of the entire Court of the Rogue," Rosto told her, hugging her shoulders from his seat next to her. She allowed him to hold her for a few moments longer than usual, then slid out from under his arm.
"That's all nonsense. All right, I'll go," Beka acquiesced, without looking in Rosto's triumphant eyes.
The next day, Beka rose with a sense of anticipation budding in her mind. She had never seen this most sacred of Rogue meetings; the only Dogs who had ever seen it were Goodwin and Tunstall themselves, the Lower City's most famous team. As she crumbled up bread out her window to feed the birds, she heard a banging on her door.
"Hurry up, Beka. If you're going to watch, you'll need to help set up the Court," Rosto ordered, banging on Kora's door across the hall. "Kora, you too. Up and at 'em."
Grumbling, Beka stepped out into the hallway in just enough time to see a burst of blue flame shot where Rosto's head had been a second before. "You'll have to be faster, Kora. Missed me again!" he teased.
Luckily, though it had rained all day the day before, the morning had dawned bright and clear. They would be able to hold court outside. Beka helped carry out chairs and tables, as well as baskets of pastry and breads. Food and drink were provided as an incentive for the district chiefs – all others brought their own rations. Finally, Beka, Rosto, Phelan, Aniki, Brian, and Kora sat down at a table to enjoy a quick breakfast before the arrival of the crowds. As they finished, the chiefs and their rushers came in, loaded down with baskets, filled with food and coins, to feed the thieves and pay their fines. Beka walked to the far back side, and took the moment to observe the set up of the Court. Truly, it was a magnificent sight: the chiefs and their rushers set by district, in colorful clothes, murmuring happily amongst themselves – Rosto was a fair leader and gave everyone their due. In the center sat the man himself, on a large hand-craved chair, a gift from the Jane Street Dogs to the Court last Midwinter. All the Dogs there, not just the Puppies and Beka's partners, had come to know and love Rosto and his Scanran girls. Behind Rosto stood Phelan and Reed Katie – Phelan his right hand man, and Katie his personal guard. Both stood ramrod straight, eyes alert and searching for any assassin attempts. To Rosto's left sat Aniki, on another chair – it too, was a present from Midwinter, though not from the Dogs. As Queen of the Rogue, Aniki was second only to Rosto himself and was the voice of the ladies of the Rogue. At her back stood Kora and Bold Brian – the one armed with magic and the other with a wicked dagger. There was a chair to Rosto's right, left empty, for his chosen lady. Though Aniki was Queen, she need not be Rosto's lover by the laws of the Rogue. Finally, Rosto banged a wooden mallet – similar to that of the judge's in the realm's court. Suddenly, all was silent.
"Good morning, fellow rogues. At last, we meet again to discuss what you owe me. You may have noticed we have a special guest today – no, Beka, don't give me that look, of course I needed to draw attention to you; it's my job to point out the things my people should notice – so let's try to be our best, law-abiding selves, shall we?"
"Don't know what a Dog's doing here. Not even a proper Dog, just a good-for-naught Puppy," someone grumbled, though Beka couldn't catch who. Rosto had, though. In seconds, he had the man dangling from his hands as he held his collar tightly, saying, "Beka is here because she wishes to be here. In case you hadn't noticed, Fitz, Beka is a beloved friend of every high-ranking member of the Rogue. Now, you filthy miscreant, make way for my lady. She'll sit at my right, as is proper."
"His lady?" the whispers started, "Since when..."
"Beka? And Rosto? But, she's a Dog, and he's the Rogue, and..."
"I knew it!"
Beka walked up the pathway that had been created by the crowd separating hastily to get a look at the Rogue's chosen lady, an angry glare in her eye.
"Ah, lass, don't be mad at me," Rosto whispered when he had grabbed her arms. Leaning in towards her ear, he whispered, "But, Beka – you've got to know. There's been no other since I've met you. You're the one that I want." With those words, Rosto sat upon his throne, thrusting Beka into the seat that had been placed at his right.
Beka glared, but sat herself down anyway. No other since I've met you. No other No other No other.
The proceedings carried on around her, but still she couldn't get over that Rosto had given up both Kora and Aniki – for want of her. Finally, she sighed, sat back in her chair, unaware that a sheepishly happy grin had spread across her face. Always aware of Beka, an answering grin spread across Rosto's face, and he hurried through the proceedings faster than he normally would have. Finally, at midday, it was done. The thieves left, Aniki and Kora retreated to their rooms with their men in tow, Phelan to his own house. At last, they were alone.
"Did you really mean it, Rosto? Because, if you didn't, well, it's well..." Beka began, then swiftly cut herself off as she noticed her babbling. Rosto grinned, then pulled her close, pushing her thick hair behind her ears. He leaned in, whispered, "Always, Beka, always you're in my thoughts," and kissed her. Shocked, she stiffened, then melted as sensations rushed through her. Her knees wobbled, and she leaned in closer. Her arms slid around his neck, and he pulled her in to him. They were on opposite sides of the law, but she was his reason for living, and Beka wished she had let him closer back when he first began. They had wasted too much time, but never again. They would be together forever.