Aly looked around at her spys with glee. Things were going well with her spies, and the unrest was quieting down.
"You may leave my pets." She said with a wave of her hands. "I give you permission to relax for a while. People are happy with dove at the crown." Her spies began to get up.
"Goodnigh' duani." some of her spys murmered. Before only her spies called her duani, but slowly duani was becoming well known in all countries. Well known and feared out side the Isles.
Her spies filed out of the roomleaving only her and the crow man nawat. His usually dancing black eyes looked unuasually sad. aly walked up to him and gave him a light peck on the cheek. They had been courting secretly now for a while now, but werre the worst kept secret in all Rajamunt. At first people were scared to tell Aly about, for fear of her wrath, but when they realised she would just look down and blush profousley, it became a joke.
"I have news from the crows." Nawat said choosing his words carefully. Aly's raised her eyebrow questioningly. "...of tortall." he finished. Aly immeadiately stiffened. He was the only person in the copper isles that new of her tue identity. He was the only one that new that she was in reality Alianne of Pirates swoop, daughter of the king's champion and the palace spymasters. He also new of her other relatives in the royalty and highnobility.
"The king, queenm, and their whole family were poisened at breakfeast." Aly gasped. Her godsfather, mother, and adoptive cousins, all dead. Nawat pulled her closer. "They tried to poisen your mother, and your brother, I beleive he's called thom." Aly nodded through her unnoticed tears. "Thom unfoutanately, didn't make it. Your mother had a stone to warn her." Aly cried softly into nawats warm shoulder. She then shot out of his hold.
"Who's ruling." Aly asked holding back her tears.
"Who rules when the king and the queen aren't present." Nawat asked. Aly figured it out quickly she rubbed her head overwhelmed.
"Me a princess?." She half asked half stated. As his answer Nawat stepped back and bowed deep. Aly laughed watery.
"Two-inches lower then protocal." ALy said. Nawat laughed. Aly was not a stickler for formalities, but bows and curtsies that were not the right depth bugged her.
"And just right to be polite." Nawat protested. Aly laughed. Then she remembered. immeadiately, she sombered.
"I have to tell Dove and the others." ALy said. Nawat looked at her quiestioningly. "It's either me or some bufflebrained messanger sent for me." Nawat nodded understandingly. Aly held up her black bead necklece to her mouth. "Trick can you get Dove, Winnie, Fesgoa, Chenoal, and Taybur to meet me in doves workroom." The darking necklace squeeked in reply. Aly sighed gave Nawat a kiss then walked away deep in thought. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************Aly waiteed nervously outside Dove's door. She heard the others cinversing happily. * way to ruin a good day* aly thought to herself. She needed a way to tell them. Finnaly she thought of something.
She opened the door and made a graceful cursty to Dove. Purposely doing it the correct height for a princess to a queen. When the others noticed they burst out laughing. Aly just stayed straight faced.
"My darling... that was merely a bob, way less then protocal.." CHenoal said. "Unless you think your a princess." THey all bust out laughing.
"Well actually," Taybur said with a wave of his big hand." Being who she is, I wouldn't be surprised." They all laughed. That is until they saw that ALy was joining in. They queited almost immeadiately.
"Good then this won't come as a surprise to you." Aly said. ALy dare not look up from the ground. She didn't want to see their expressions. " I was until recently Alianne of Pirates Swoop, daughter of Alanna the lioness, kings champion, and baron George cooper, The whisper man, tortalls spymaster. My grandfather helps him with the spying. My godsmothers are, Queen Thayet, and Buriam Toukarnm, the commander of the queens riders. My adoptive aunt is the Wildmage Diane. My godsfather are King Jonathan. My adoptive uncles are Duke Gareth ( an: what does he do?) SIr Raoul, commander of the kings own and Uncle Numy, who is a black robe mage." They all looked shocked and then Chenoal got up.
"Well if thats all.." Chenoal began but Aly cut her.
"That is until recently." Chenoal sat back down with a sigh. " The king queen, their whole family and my brother have all been assasinated." The room gasped Jonathan was the most popular king at the time they couldn't imagine his death. " My mom as the king's champion has been given the throne. Which actually makes me a princess, soo no I did not break protocal." She looked up with a grin. The others were shocked to see her face littered with tears for her freinds. They had never seen Aly cry. She quickly continued talking. "Most likely my mom will send a messanger very shortly that will tell me to pack my bags but I don't want to go, I'm betrothed, and I fit in here." She looked up at their shocked faces. Finnally after minutes of awkward silence Taybur stood up.
"Dove, I'm taking my vacation now. I'm going to fo along with Aly, her dad has always been my idol." He smiled and looked at Aly. "Plus, I've always wanted to see pretty Aly in a dress." he smiled. Dove sighed then grinned wickedly.
"Saraii is going to be so jelous i get to meat the lioness." DOve said aly smiled.
"I'll go pack my bags." Chenoal said then walked out. Fesgoa got up and grumbled.
"I want to meet the lioness." ALy heard him say. She laughed. DOve suddenly looked more compassionately at her.
"Go see Nawat." ALy nodded and walked out of her room, her worries forgotten for a moment.
