I hope this finds you and your family well. I was very glad to receive word of my godsdaughter's safe return from the Copper Isles and wish to congratulate her on her role in the coronation of Queens Saraiyu and Dovasary of that country. Consider this an official Palace summons. I am planning a ball in Aly's honor and I order you, as my Champion and her mother, to be in attendance.
Please also accept the offering of this collection of my early works as an addition to the Swoop's library. Thayet thought publishing my poetry would do good for our image. I believe that some of the selections will be of particular interest to you...
The Collective Poetic Works of King Jonathan IV
Chapter 1 - The Earliest Years
Alanna snickered as she turned the first pages of the book that had been delivered into her hands. It seemed that the years separating her from Jon's compulsory poetry readings had dulled their pain. She skimmed over childish verses about horses or apple trees written before she knew Jonathan. She quickly turned past a verse describing Roald and Lianne to keep unwanted tears from her eyes and discovered a humorous poem satirizing their old teachers of books and weapons and the training master. She and Gary and Raoul had helped to write that one. And Alex as well, come to think of it.
Just after that was the beginning of
Chapter 2 - First Romances
Alanna flipped through these sheets even faster than she had the first chapter. She had heard most of these once, and that was one more time than she preferred.
Ode to Delia Oh, maiden fair You are too beautiful for words Your eyes call to mind leaves of trees in high summer Before they turn brown However, your hair is the color of the brown leaves. I wish to do great deeds in your name Delia Delia Delia And I wish to do great deeds in your bed as well Were it not for propriety
Even to Alanna's unskilled eye, that attempt at a poem was truly horrendous. However, had Shakespeare himself written a sonnet in honor of that cow it would still be a travesty.
There were several more pages devoted to Alanna's old rival. I suppose we were rivals even if I hate to admit it. There were a few sonnets dedicated to other ladies as well. There was also one that seemed to be dedicated to Alex. This one made Alanna queasy. Good Goddess, and I never suspected. I wonder if..? Oh, shut up, brain, shut up... She came to the end of that chapter.
She found that the next chapter contained only poetry - love poetry - that was written to her. Alanna read the short introduction.
His relationship with Alanna of Trebond, called Alan by those who thought her a male squire, marks the beginning of his maturity both as a poet and as a person. Here is where he began to acknowledge that, whether willing or not, he must become monarch of the great nation of Tortall. Here is where he questioned his ability to lead, and wondered if his love for Alanna could endure after he was burdened with all the duties of kingship.
Alanna did not read any of the verses that followed. I expect they're copies of the ones to Delia except with my name, she told herself, though her eyes burned traitorously. 'Great deeds in my bed'... that pompous hedge-pig! He's not even very-
Good. Her eyes had finished tearing up and she could see well enough to trip down the spiral staircase into her husband's study.
"George! Of all the petulant, self-absorbed..." She stopped for a breath. "No, not you love. But just see what His Majesty has sent to deface our library shelves."