Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters, settings, or.. uhm.. I can't think of a third thing. But man that would have sounded great with a third something!
Alanna of Trebond trotted silently down the cobblestone street that divided the many temples surrounding the castle in Corus. She tugged at her brown hood, making sure that it covered her fiery red locks, and hid her face. As she ran, the sound of her feet muffled by her soft leather shoes, there was a bounce in her step. It had been months since she had been able to visit the city, a punishment dolled out for a wrongdoing that was long forgotten. Alanna was a squire in Corus, the first female page in over a century, not that anyone knew that. She was training for her knighthood in secret, a secret that she was antsy to get rid of.
Alanna still had a month to go before she was allowed into the city for her free time visits, but tonight, she couldn't avoid going to visit her friend George, the King of Thieves in Tortall. It was the anniversary of George becoming King of the seedy underbelly in Corus, and he deserved a visit from his friend. Alanna turned the corner, and started to run even faster. She could not contain her excitement, too long had she been stuck inside the castle walls, being outside in the fresh air was enough to make her grin like a fool. She could not wait until she was at the Dancing Dove, laughing with George.
One more corner taken, and an alleyway sprinted through, Alanna stopped in front of a building that was on fire, or so it seemed. The orange glow from candles and the fireplace filled every window of the inn the rouges and thieves called 'home', laughter could be heard even across the street, as could the sounds of half-hearted challenges and drunken boasts. Alanna pulled her hood down, revealing bright purple eyes, that glinted from the orange glow seeping from the windows. She grinned and walked across the street, pushed the heavy wooden door open and happily grabbed a tankard of ale, moving to the main room's door frame to take on the scene. As she expected, everyone was full of life, and completely drunk. Alanna laughed and turned around, heading for the stairway, she was never one for parties.
Before she was even abled to reach the handle of the door, Alanna was enveloped in a warm hug. "I didn't think that you would make it" was whispered in her ear. She laughed and pushed her assailant away, "Of course I made it, and what are you doing all holed up in your room already, isn't this your party?" George chuckled and asked "Didn't you see the men down there? They wouldn' know th' difference between me an tree with a drink on it's branch." Alanna shook her head and walked past him into his room. She sat on his bead and lay down, letting out a breath of air. George followed her in and closed the door, "I hope I didn' just hear a sigh from ya lass, this is a night of celebration!" He opened his arms to the empty room as she propped herself up on her elbows to cast the hazel-eyed man a mocking stare. "Who are you talking to, Sir King? You well know half of them are just happy to be drinking!" George tittered, "At least let me imagine they are happy for the day of my coronation!"
Alanna turned her head and looked at the man she had known for so long through her eyelashes. My My, she thought, how old is he now? Twenty-Four? Twenty-Five? I wonder why he isn't down there, trying to get himself an armful of Laughing Nell, or The Flower Girl? He certainly could now, he has defiantly grown into those shoulders, and his eyes make up for his almost too-crooked nose, so why is he here talking to Squire Alan? She was lost in thought, and George could tell, her head was turned towards an open window that was inviting the early-summer heat in, but her eyes kept flicking back to him. The corner of George's mouth twitched as he gazed at the woman who secretly held his heart in her hands. She was wondering, he bet, why he was here with her, and not downstairs with Laughing Nell, or some other woman.
George stood abruptly, streching his neck to one side, and then to the other, he grabbed a cup of fruit juice and sat next to Alanna. She sat up, and instinctively grabbed it, drinking it in three gulps. A chuckle escaped from George yet again, "Well yes, I guess I could have been planning on offering that to you." Alanna looked down and muttered a small "Oh". He laughed and put his arm around her, "Oh my lass, what is bothering you, and don't try to deny it! I could tell you were off when you got here." Alanna sighed and leaned onto his arm, enjoying the warmth and comfort that it offered. "I'm just, thinking too much. That's all that you can do when you have nothing to do. I couldn't leave the castle so all I could do was help with the servants, fetch Jon all the things he wanted, and twirl around with more and more blue-eyed, or brown-eyed women that get angry when I don't pant after them like a dog! And all throughout this, in the back of my mind, all I can think of is my Ordeal, and my coming out to the court as a girl! I just wish... I wish that I would not think of anything besides that!" She realized she had ranted and sighed again. "And I went on and on, and you just listened. Next time, stop me."
George let her sit in silence for a while, and that she was grateful for, albeit she was back to thinking about looming events. George squeezed her shoulder and pulled her a little closer. If she hadn't been so troubled, she would have protested. Poor lass George thought to himself, any other day and she would have scowled enough to scare the King of Scanra. Alanna shook her head to clear it and stood up. "Well, I think I will head back up to the Castle to continue my schedule of scouring pots and worrying until I get wrinkles all over my face."
George stood up with a determined look in his face, he walked to her and put his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. She looked, and immediately regretted it. She knew that look, she had seen it once before, when she had an armful of packages for Jon. She tried to look away, but realized that she did not want to. She wanted to keep gazing into the green and brown depths that his deep eyes offered. George took advantage of the moment and pressed his mouth to hers. She gasped when their lips met, causing her mouth to open slightly. Somehow her teeth found his bottom lip and she nibbled instinctively, enjoying the feel of his lips meeting her. George wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her up, somehow carrying her to his bed, where he set her gently.
It was then that Alanna faltered, and took her lips from his. "George" she whispered as she looked into his eyes "I..uhm... "His eyes searched hers as well, a questioning look in written across his face. She shook her head slightly, not even an inch to the left or the right. Alanna stood up and walked around George, moving towards the door. Once she got there, she turned slightly, to look at George, still standing by the bed, facing where she once was. He heard her movement and turned to face her, smiling slightly. "Alanna," he said "I understand. I'll be here if you change your mind."
Okay, I'm done with this chapter. R/R? I will probably post again soon, Im in the mood for writing tonight.
