I'm excited! This is my first Trickster's Choice/Trickster's Queen Fanfiction. I adore Tamora Pierce's writing. I am going to try to stay true to the characters she creates, and I will really try to stay true to her plots, and wonderful magic. But, if there's anything you think I could change here, just hit the review button, and give me some hints.

Enjoy!

–The Maroon Phantom

"Aly, you've gotten lazy, I see." A deep male voice said in her head. It boomed loudly, the only way she could tell it was the god.

The orange glow almost blinded Aly, even in sleep, but courageously she looked into Kyprioth's deep brown eyes. But when Aly peered at the rest of his face, she saw he had shaved his salt-and-pepper beard, leaving his chin smooth and shiny. She reached out to touch it, making the god giggle with delight.

"You see, Kyprioth," She scoffed, "would you be out when you were nine months pregnant? I am the Isles' spymaster, but really, it is becoming very taxing to move very much. And if you decide to inform me how much I mean to Dove, you might as well shut your mouth."

He chuckled again. "You are much like me, always keeping me on my toes. But Alianne of Pirates Swoop, you are not done with me yet. I've one more task for you. I must go through with the wager I made with our cousins, the crows."

"And what would that be, let me ask?" Aly said, sounding a bit bored, already.

"Rajmuat is falling apart, even under Dove."

Aly had been a slave for the Balitang family for over two years, and had gotten to know Dovasary–or Dove, as everyone called her–as well as her rash sister, Saraiyu (Sarai). The task of the previous summer was to get a half-raka queen on the throne, according to the Kyprish prophecy, where Aly's position had risen from lowly slave to a skilled spymaster. She used the tricks her father had taught her before she ran away from Pirate's Swoop to guide her.

Only a few months before, had she informed Lady Winnamine Balitang, Dove and several of her spies that she was the daughter of the famed Lioness, King's Champion of Tortall. She had lied to the family for many months, and although she wasn't entirely sure they believed her lies, she couldn't risk having anyone know exactly who she was. After all, Aly was working in the employ of the queen of the Copper Isles.

"What do you mean, Rajmuat is falling apart?" Aly asked incredulously. Over the past several months, she and her people had worked diligently to clean up the city and give the prisoners their proper trials, which had been denied them during the rule of Imajane and Rubinyan Jimajen. That, and restore several decrees set down by the former prince and princess. It was a taxing occupation, in and of itself.

Dove had quite a job, since, for one, she was only fourteen, and sitting on the throne of a country. Dove was overly mature, very intelligent and quite observant. That might have been the first hint Aly had to put Dove on the throne.

The second was a bit more obvious. When Sarai ran off to elope with her suitor, Zaimid, it became apparent Sarai was wrong for the queen of the Copper Isles.

"You heard me the first time. Now I have work to do. I can't keep my brother and sister away forever. You know that." He disappeared, and Aly scoffed again. Gods, she thought.

She woke up, disoriented, feeling a bit like she might need to vomit. Sitting up, though settled her stomach a touch, but not enough so she was completely comfortable. She was getting used to these annoying bouts of morning sickness, and pain on her feet. Aly couldn't wait until the baby was born, so she could return to her regular spymaster duties.

She was tired of having to be looked after by everyone, members of her own pack included. She would much rather be patrolling the streets of Rajmuat, or sitting in a meeting with Dove. Anything but lying in bed doing paperwork, and reviewing spy reports.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Nawat Crow called from the other side of the room. She gave him a weak smile, and then flopped her head back on the pillow of her pallet. She heard her husband's footsteps come across the floor. She rolled over to see him looking at her.

He rolled back the covers a little bit, revealing Aly's ever–growing belly, and softly lay his palm on top of it, smiling. Both he and Aly felt the baby kick underneath. "This is a feisty little nestling," Nawat said, laughing. "It won't be a surprise if this one comes out tough."

She playfully hit him with a pillow, and tried to sit up without falling over again.