Title: Alianne (oh, how original)
Rating: PG-13, maybe R later
Warnings: Language, violence, an implied sexual encounter which is quite disgusting
Disclaimer: Alianne, the Tortallans, and the Copper Isles belong to Tamora Pierce. All the Copper Islanders were created expressively for this fic by me, and I will be most displeased if you use them without permission.
Pairings: Alianne/Casimiro
A/N: Ok, I know by now most everyone's heard the rumor about the plot of the Alianne books…so I won't repeat it. Anyway, I was intrigued and being the impatient person that I am, I really didn't want to wait for the books. So, while I was watching The Mummy Returns, this random thought came to me…and it developed into a fic. Enjoy!
Part One: The HairFifteen-year-old Alianne of Pirate's Swoop looked fondly out over the sea. Thank the Goddess I'm finally home, she said to herself. After five years of hell…
Though, of course, it could have been worse. Most girls spent six years in the convents before going to Court to find a husband. Alianne, whom everyone called Ali, had impressed the Daughters in the City of the Gods so much that she'd only spent five years learning how to be a lady. As if it worked, she thought, thinking of her latest act of rebellion. Oh well, it was just for fun…and besides, next time I see my mother it'll have washed out.
She flicked her large violet eyes towards the castle of Pirate's Swoop, just visible in the distance. Hopefully neither one of them is home. Alianne crossed her fingers, and pulled her hood up further. Nodding to the four guards who accompanied her, she signaled them to keep going.
It was dark when they reached the castle gates. Squinting up at the towers, Ali couldn't see whether or not her parents were home. She pulled her cloak around herself, trying to fight the crisp, wintry air. With all luck, her mother and father were still in Corus…
"Ali!" Her twin brother's voice met her ears. Trying not to cry, she practically threw herself at him. In the act of this, the hood fell from her head.
Alan whistled. "I guess five years up north did nothing for you." He gestured to her blue hair. "Ma's gonna have a cow."
"She's here?"
"Yep. Our loving parents arrived yesterday." Alianne sucked in her breath. "Christ, Ali, what possessed you?"
"Nothing possessed me…on my way home I stopped to visit Thom at the university. Most of his friends had dyed their hair…and they offered to do mine. It's nothing permanent…" She paused, and then frowned. "'Christ?' Alan, are you a Christian now?"
He shook his head as he pulled up her cloak's hood and led her inside the castle. "No, but I worked with some Christian agents a few months ago…their swears just stuck with me, I guess." Alan was Myles's favorite grandchild, and Ali could only imagine why. He was sly, charming, witty, and exceptionally intelligent: the perfect spy. "Wait, Ali, how long'll it take you to wash that crap out of your hair?"
"It's not crap, Alan," she replied crossly as she took her cloak off. "And it should only take a few days. So, where are they now?"
"Oh, gods, most likely asleep. They returned well after midnight last night, and both had to be up and about all day long. Though," he added slyly, "with those two, you never know…"
Alianne made a face as she hit her brother. "Alan, you are disgusting! Gods, I don't even want to think about that!"
"Think about what?" The twins froze at the cold voice that penetrated the entrance hall. "And by the Goddess, Alianne, what did you do to your hair?"
"Mother, how nice to see you again," Ali began sweetly before she was brusquely cut off.
"That tone of voice won't work with me. Now, you had better give me a good reason why your hair is blue, or I swear to the Goddess…"
Ali paled slightly. Her mother, still fully dressed, regarded her with crossed arms, unmasked fury apparent in her eyes.
"I…well, I…" She took a deep breath, trying to think of an explanation that wouldn't incriminate her older brother in any way. There wasn't one. Sorry, Thom, she added silently, before beginning.
"Well, I was visiting Thom at the university on the way home…and some of his friends told me that hair dyed blue, purple, green…well, you get the idea…is the latest fashion. And when they offered to dye mine, I said yes. It's temporary! I promise!"
Her mother raised a single eyebrow. "Your brother let them do that to you? He let you humiliate yourself like that? And you agreed to this? I don't care if the dye is temporary." Her eyes narrowed. "Alan, go to bed. Now. You, come with me."
Ali followed her mother up several staircases and down a hallway where they stopped in front of the door to her father's study. Not bothering to be polite and knock, Alanna slammed open the door, dragging Alianne into the room. Her father, sitting at his desk reading a document, looked up. While his face appeared grim, his hazel eyes danced with amusement.
"Look what she's done," Alanna snapped. "Her hair! It's blue!"
"Yes, Alanna, I can see that," George replied as he looked at the daughter he hadn't seen in five years. "Very…interesting." He returned to the papers in front of him.
Alanna made an exasperated noise. "Goddess, George, don't you care?" Turning back to Alianne, she shook her head. "Jonathan's children would never do anything this stupid."
"Why didn't you marry him instead, then? You had the chance, didn't you?" Alianne was starting to feel the anger rising.
"I would never have dyed my hair blue! Nor have ever done half the things you have!"
"Oh, please," Ali replied caustically, "we aren't so different. After all, we both know what it's like to grow up without a mother."
George raised his eyebrows. Before he could speak, however, Alanna snapped, "How dare you!"
"What? I've been home for, oh, ten minutes…you haven't seen me in five years. You haven't even said hello to me!" Alianne resisted the urge to burst into tears. "I'm fifteen years old, not seven! I can make my own decisions! I'm not a child!" She spun around on her heel and marched out of the room. Though Alianne knew that one remark to her mother was unfair, she couldn't feel any remorse. Fine, she thought, enraged. I'm out of here…I am not going to endure her endless criticism.
She raced down to the stables, saddled her horse, mounted, and rode out the gates. Riding alongside the ocean at night was frightening, but Alianne was too angry to do anything but fume. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the rock come crashing down onto her head.
The first thing she heard was the sound of seagulls and the crashing of waves. Then, voices.
"I told you, His Lordship won't be happy with us…"
"Oh, shut up. It's not like the wench is anyone of consequence. Just some common brat riding around at night. Stupid girl had it coming to her, if you ask me!"
"Who says anyone is? I don't care what you think. It could cause a war to take a slave from Tortall!"
Slave? Alianne knew enough not to make any noises. It was clear these two men thought she was still out cold.
"Look at her…she's gorgeous. His Lordship won't be able to resist such a beauty!"
"Well, I guess you're right…she's alright-looking."
"Alright? She's pretty enough to tempt even old Cebrian!" Cebrian…something in Alianne's mind flickered. She should know that name.
"Oh, His Majesty's so lecherous that anything female'll arouse him…but His Lordship's a different story…"
King Cebrian! Alianne's mind began to race. Cebrian was king of the Copper Isles, and the father of the princess her mother had killed at Jonathan's coronation. What was her name? Josiane. I'd better not mention that, she thought wryly. It might not make me too popular…Wait! What am I doing on a boat?
She opened her eyes slightly and saw two Copper Islanders standing near her. She was in chains against a wall. The two men eyed her greedily. One of them actually had the nerve to walk over and run his hand up her thigh.
"Get off me, you slime!" she snapped, attempting to kick him. The man laughed as he took a step closer to her. To Alianne's great disgust, he put his mouth on hers and shoved his tongue down her throat, stifling her screams.
"Good grief, Beniamino, enough," a well-educated, aristocratic voice said from the door. "Leave the poor estimada alone." A well-dressed, handsome nobleman entered. He was young, and his face had great kindness, though Alianne was still wary of him.
The two men bowed, both mumbling, "My lord." They exited, to Ali's great relief. She turned back to the noble.
"My father will have your head for this," she snapped. "He's the Baron of Pirate's Swoop and one of His Majesty's most trusted advisors!"
The man laughed. "Then your mother would be the famed Alanna the Lioness, I take it?" Taking her silence to mean yes, he continued. "Allow me to introduce myself, my lady. My name is Casimiro, and the princess Josiane was my aunt. My mother was daughter to the king as well." He smiled kindly. "I do thank your mother for ridding us of my aunt. She wasn't a stable person." He studied her for a moment, his eyes sliding up and down her body as smoothly as butter. Alianne blushed deeply.
"Do I make you uncomfortable, mi estimada? Forgive me for asking, but what brings you to my ship? You do know that you are now legally my slave."
She shuddered. "I had a fight with my mother, Your Lordship, and I was heading for Corus when they found me."
"Let me guess…it had to do with the rather unordinary shade of your hair." She smiled. "Well, Lady…"
"Alianne."
"Lady Alianne, you are welcome to join me. Given as you've been asleep for three days, we are closer to the Copper Isles than to Tortall. After we've rested a few days at my villa, I shall see to it that you are on the next boat bound for Port Caynn."
(A/N: I promise the next chapter will be longer…I think it's a little more than obvious that Alianne doesn't return to Tortall…at least not immediately. But, heck, what kind of a fic would it be if she didn't?)