If you read If Only, then you will want to read this. This is the way I originally wrote it, (I am Penelope Richwood, I just changed my name when my account got back on track.) but I thought the other way was better. Now I think this one is better.
Basically, this is what If Only was going to be but with a different start.
Now, the start is a little suss, but it should get better, I hope. Basically, this is what I think would have happened if Alanna married Jon.
This changes from the book about three lines down.
Chapter 1 - Acceptance
"...I hoped you would come home."
"I doubt that the scandal over my fight with Duke Roger has died down," she reminded him.
He silenced her with a hand over her lips. "Come as my betrothed."
"Oh, um..." She hadn't thought about that. "Oh, how could you spring that on me, when I was just starting to relax?"
But she couldn't be angry for long, not when he was inching his mouth back to hers and giving her the fiercest kiss he ever had.
"Of course I will," she murmured.
If someone had told Alanna of Trebond and Olau, the Lioness, that she would be engaged to Prince Jonathan of Conte maybe, half an hour before, she would never have believed them. But now, it was so real it was as though she had always known it would. It was no surprise to her that he had asked, or that she had accepted. The fact that he was to become the Voice of the Tribes, or maybe that she was the new heir of Sir Myles of Olau, had slipped her mind completely, whereas a moment before she couldn't concentrate on anything else.
"Jon?"
"Mmm?"
"What would you do if I said no?"
"Huh? Well, I, I don't know! Don't, please don't..."
"I'm not going to," she assured him
"Good, my darling Lioness. That's fine,"
Sir Myles is here she heard Faithful remark. Seems like he was going past and could not help hearing.
"What?" Alanna yelped. Then, remembering that Jon couldn't usually understand her midnight-black cat, she explained, "He said that - "
"I know what he said," Jon interrupted, a brilliant shade of scarlet. "It was like, he was talking to me, and I could understand him, too!"
"Are you going to let me in? Or am I going to have to hear everything by eavesdropping?" came the voice of her soon-to-be adoptive father, Sir Myles of Olau.
"Yes, yes, come in, uh, father," Alanna grinned, nudging Jon.
As Myles climbed into the tent, Faithful went back on his watch.
"Were you planning to consult me about this proposal, Your Highness?" Myles enquired.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I completely forgot that you're going to be Alanna's father! It was just a spur of the moment thing, you see. We were going to announce it to the tribe in the morning, weren't we, Lioness?"
"Oh, yes, but I think my father will be a help in getting a few things sorted out. In the morning," she added as Myles opened his mouth to object.
"As you wish, Alanna. I'll see you in the morning," Myles nodded. "Goodnight, your majesty and his betrothed. Goodnight, Faithful," he added as he stepped out of the tent.
The next morning, the bazhir were confused to see The Woman Who Rides Like A Man in deep, hushed conversations with the future Voice of the Tribes and her man at arms, Coram. And that knight, Sir Myles, he was involved too.
Halef Seif, the headman of the Bloody Hawk tribe, asked the future Shaman about these unusual conversations.
"Woman Who Rides Like A Man, what is happening?"
"I'm to be married, Halef Seif!" she exclaimed, for they had agreed that the tribe should know. She was playing with her ember-stone charm, given to her by the Mother Goddess.
"To Prince Jonathan, perhaps?" he replied with a grin.
"Who else? It was decided last night. As soon as possible, we're getting married!"
As is always did in Bazhir tribes, word travelled quickly. Before she knew it, Alanna couldn't leave her tent without being clamoured with brown hands, congratulations all round. Sometimes she wasn't even safe in her tent, for her two shamans-in-training took every opportunity to pat her on the back and praise her. In the end she had to ban them from saying anything about the wedding.
That night, sharing a bedroll, the couple resumed their plans. Just as they were readying to sleep, Jon made a comment.
"Do you still wear that charm that Mistress Cooper gave you? The one to stop you bearing children?"
"Yes, of course," she replied slowly, taking a second, smaller charm from behind her ember-stone. The familiar gold links were a comfort to her, for she remembered that nothing would come out of these nights in the same bed. "I never take it off,"
"I trust that you will when we're wed," he yawned.
Alanna's stomach clenched. That was what she was afraid of.
"Goodnight, Lioness," he murmured, asleep instantly.
Alanna took longer to fall asleep. Of course, as the Queen of Tortall, her first priority would be to present the King with an heir. If Jon and his father died without an heir, it would be a civil disaster.
The next morning, Myles confirmed her fears.
"If you don't want to bear children, don't marry him!" he exclaimed.
"It's not like that! I need to talk to Jon. You don't understand,"
When she did talk to him, he agreed to let her roam like she had planned.
"In a year, we'll marry, my sweet," he assured her.
"Okay. And a month after that, I'll do it. A month after we marry, I'll remove my charm."
This next bit is to say thanks to those who reviewed If Only. My account is finally going now, though I used to be Penelope Richwood.
Bella: Thanks. I'm sorry I won't continue with it.
KelDom4ever: Thanks! I wish I could but I thought this way was better. Did you change your name? Only I thought it used to say DemonKat1.
CrystalLili: Hey, I'm an author. I exaggerate. Wish I could
dragon defender: Great name! *Looks around* I hope my evil brother doesn't kick me off!
sweet yet spiky: OMG! (Is that your trademark?) Thanks, I wish I could
Xavior: It's good to hear from someone I know. And I am weird! You know that! I agree, Jon is only human. Sorry I'm not writing more.
Please, please, please, please, please, please review! I'm begging here! I don't care if you don't like it, I don't mind criticism. Just hit the little button down there that says SUBMIT REVIEW - GO and type your message. That's it!
Just do it!
Now!
Right now!
Oh, stop reading my rambling and DO IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
Basically, this is what If Only was going to be but with a different start.
Now, the start is a little suss, but it should get better, I hope. Basically, this is what I think would have happened if Alanna married Jon.
This changes from the book about three lines down.
Chapter 1 - Acceptance
"...I hoped you would come home."
"I doubt that the scandal over my fight with Duke Roger has died down," she reminded him.
He silenced her with a hand over her lips. "Come as my betrothed."
"Oh, um..." She hadn't thought about that. "Oh, how could you spring that on me, when I was just starting to relax?"
But she couldn't be angry for long, not when he was inching his mouth back to hers and giving her the fiercest kiss he ever had.
"Of course I will," she murmured.
If someone had told Alanna of Trebond and Olau, the Lioness, that she would be engaged to Prince Jonathan of Conte maybe, half an hour before, she would never have believed them. But now, it was so real it was as though she had always known it would. It was no surprise to her that he had asked, or that she had accepted. The fact that he was to become the Voice of the Tribes, or maybe that she was the new heir of Sir Myles of Olau, had slipped her mind completely, whereas a moment before she couldn't concentrate on anything else.
"Jon?"
"Mmm?"
"What would you do if I said no?"
"Huh? Well, I, I don't know! Don't, please don't..."
"I'm not going to," she assured him
"Good, my darling Lioness. That's fine,"
Sir Myles is here she heard Faithful remark. Seems like he was going past and could not help hearing.
"What?" Alanna yelped. Then, remembering that Jon couldn't usually understand her midnight-black cat, she explained, "He said that - "
"I know what he said," Jon interrupted, a brilliant shade of scarlet. "It was like, he was talking to me, and I could understand him, too!"
"Are you going to let me in? Or am I going to have to hear everything by eavesdropping?" came the voice of her soon-to-be adoptive father, Sir Myles of Olau.
"Yes, yes, come in, uh, father," Alanna grinned, nudging Jon.
As Myles climbed into the tent, Faithful went back on his watch.
"Were you planning to consult me about this proposal, Your Highness?" Myles enquired.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I completely forgot that you're going to be Alanna's father! It was just a spur of the moment thing, you see. We were going to announce it to the tribe in the morning, weren't we, Lioness?"
"Oh, yes, but I think my father will be a help in getting a few things sorted out. In the morning," she added as Myles opened his mouth to object.
"As you wish, Alanna. I'll see you in the morning," Myles nodded. "Goodnight, your majesty and his betrothed. Goodnight, Faithful," he added as he stepped out of the tent.
The next morning, the bazhir were confused to see The Woman Who Rides Like A Man in deep, hushed conversations with the future Voice of the Tribes and her man at arms, Coram. And that knight, Sir Myles, he was involved too.
Halef Seif, the headman of the Bloody Hawk tribe, asked the future Shaman about these unusual conversations.
"Woman Who Rides Like A Man, what is happening?"
"I'm to be married, Halef Seif!" she exclaimed, for they had agreed that the tribe should know. She was playing with her ember-stone charm, given to her by the Mother Goddess.
"To Prince Jonathan, perhaps?" he replied with a grin.
"Who else? It was decided last night. As soon as possible, we're getting married!"
As is always did in Bazhir tribes, word travelled quickly. Before she knew it, Alanna couldn't leave her tent without being clamoured with brown hands, congratulations all round. Sometimes she wasn't even safe in her tent, for her two shamans-in-training took every opportunity to pat her on the back and praise her. In the end she had to ban them from saying anything about the wedding.
That night, sharing a bedroll, the couple resumed their plans. Just as they were readying to sleep, Jon made a comment.
"Do you still wear that charm that Mistress Cooper gave you? The one to stop you bearing children?"
"Yes, of course," she replied slowly, taking a second, smaller charm from behind her ember-stone. The familiar gold links were a comfort to her, for she remembered that nothing would come out of these nights in the same bed. "I never take it off,"
"I trust that you will when we're wed," he yawned.
Alanna's stomach clenched. That was what she was afraid of.
"Goodnight, Lioness," he murmured, asleep instantly.
Alanna took longer to fall asleep. Of course, as the Queen of Tortall, her first priority would be to present the King with an heir. If Jon and his father died without an heir, it would be a civil disaster.
The next morning, Myles confirmed her fears.
"If you don't want to bear children, don't marry him!" he exclaimed.
"It's not like that! I need to talk to Jon. You don't understand,"
When she did talk to him, he agreed to let her roam like she had planned.
"In a year, we'll marry, my sweet," he assured her.
"Okay. And a month after that, I'll do it. A month after we marry, I'll remove my charm."
This next bit is to say thanks to those who reviewed If Only. My account is finally going now, though I used to be Penelope Richwood.
Bella: Thanks. I'm sorry I won't continue with it.
KelDom4ever: Thanks! I wish I could but I thought this way was better. Did you change your name? Only I thought it used to say DemonKat1.
CrystalLili: Hey, I'm an author. I exaggerate. Wish I could
dragon defender: Great name! *Looks around* I hope my evil brother doesn't kick me off!
sweet yet spiky: OMG! (Is that your trademark?) Thanks, I wish I could
Xavior: It's good to hear from someone I know. And I am weird! You know that! I agree, Jon is only human. Sorry I'm not writing more.
Please, please, please, please, please, please review! I'm begging here! I don't care if you don't like it, I don't mind criticism. Just hit the little button down there that says SUBMIT REVIEW - GO and type your message. That's it!
Just do it!
Now!
Right now!
Oh, stop reading my rambling and DO IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!