Okay, I know that I posted this before, but one of my editors caught a lot of mistakes, so here is the revised version. To quote her: "It wasn't a lot of mistakes! It was underdeveloped." Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Forever and For Always
Chapter 1
The day was hot and windy already, even though the sun had just come up. Sand whipped across the barren landscape with the wind. A small group of tents was visible from which came the clanking and clatter of people going about their early-morning-in-the-desert routines. The small black cat grumbled, annoyed. The sand in his beautiful coat was driving him crazy. The cat started to strut towards his mistress's tent to see if she, her serving-man, Coram, and of course the cat could leave this dusty-musty, gritty place yet. They had, after all, stayed here almost seven months without doing anything. Now that his mistress, Alanna by name, had finished training the young, new shamans and the Prince had successfully become the Voice of the Tribes, the cat saw no reason as to why Alanna couldn't move on.
The cat saw his goal up ahead, and gladly moved into its beautiful shade. A deep, baritone voice rang through the tent. The owner of the voice might have been whispering, but it was a small tent, and sound carried easily. Well, alright, the cat thought, it's bigger than some tents here, with three "rooms", but it's still not as big as the shamans' tent. The "rooms" to which the cat was referring were actually just parts of the tent divided by curtains, which had been, in the main, woven by the women of the tribe. There was the main room, which the cat was now gratefully standing in, a small dressing room, and the bedroom, from which the baritone voice was issuing. The cat paid attention to what was being said. "Alanna, my love, it's time to get going."
Going? the cat wondered. Then he remembered: the Prince, Jonathan, had told Alanna that he and her adoptive father, Myles, were heading back to the capital city of Tortall, Corus, today. He had also invited Alanna to come back with him as his betrothed.
At first, Alanna had hesitated at Jonathan's proposal because she had been unsure of whether the King and Queen would agree to Jonathan's choice of a wife, as she had created a scandal by becoming the first female knight in over 400 years after eight years of masquerading as a boy. On top of it all, she had killed the King's nephew, the popular Duke Roger of Conté for his plot to kill the Queen with a wax image. But Jon had said he was confident that he could get his parents to agree to the marriage, and Alanna had happily accepted.
A muffled squeal came from the other side of the curtain, from the bedroom, as Jonathan did whatever he was doing to waken Alanna. A yell, this time from a (rather groggy) soprano voice, pealed throughout the tent, "NO tickling! Wake me any other way if you must, but no tickling."
"What, the Lady Knight can't stand to be tickled? That doesn't seem to fit with the epithet 'the Lioness' at all," Jonathan said in an amused voice.
"Oh hush. You know perfectly well…I said no tickling, dammit! And it's not funny either! Besides, I thought you said we had to get going."
"I thought you were asleep when I said that."
"No, just wishing I was. I didn't want to wake you either, you looked comfortable. By the way, have you seen Faithful this morning?" The cat started walking towards the "bedroom."
"I haven't seen him, and I was comfortable. I'm still comfortable, actually. Why were you looking for Faithful?"
"Generally, it's him that wakes me up by tickling me."
"I think I finally understand why he does, too. It's highly amusing to watch you try to avoid being tickled."
"Funnily enough, I don't see anyone else laughing. Morning, Faithful." Faithful purred, then stuck his cold, wet nose in Alanna's ear, his own form of a morning greeting. Meanwhile, Jonathan said in a mock-hurt voice, "My ears must be deceiving me. I could have sworn I just heard you wish a good morning to someone, even if that someone's the cat. I don't even get a 'good morning' from you."
I am NOT "just" a cat! Now, get over here and pet me, Faithful cried indignantly, his purple eyes flashing. Both Jonathan and Alanna laughed, hearing Faithful's telepathic voice, the only way he could communicate with humans that they would actually understand. Jonathan reached over and scratched Faithful behind the ears, while Alanna got up and moved off towards the dressing room.
"I didn't wish him 'good morning,' dear one. I just said 'Morning.' You assumed I meant a good morning again. You know that I think 'good morning' is an oxymoron," Alanna called back to Jon.
"I'd forgotten that," Jonathan admitted. "But we should leave soon, as in about half an hour from now. That way we have several hours of cool riding before midday. I asked Kara and Kourrem to pack for you…" Jon lapsed into silence, running through his plan again. If they rode to Corus in the coolest parts of the day, they would go much quicker, and also suffer less heat stroke. The sun in the desert could be cruel when it reached its zenith.
Jonathan was broken from his reverie by Alanna's reply. "Thank you, love. I'm still not used to people serving me though."
"You'll adjust. And then, knowing you, you'll wonder how you ever lived before. But doesn't Coram count as a servant?" Alanna came back into the bedroom and sat next to Jon, leaning into his embrace, with her arms around her knees.
"Not really. Neither does Maude, for that matter. It's mainly because Coram and Maude basically raised Thom and me after Mom died and Dad buried himself in thousand-year-old, dusty, moldy manuscripts, like the Rylkal Document. I don't think he got to research a quarter of them to be honest with you. The Rylkal Document was one of the first on his list to research, and he didn't even finish that one. What? It's true!" Jonathan had just started sniggering, and then laughing. When he finally managed to speak, though his eyes were still streaming with tears of laughter, it was in a strained voice.
"I love the description of your father!"
"No seriously, Thom and I were trying to spy on Dad and see why he was avoiding us. I say 'try' because we couldn't see him for all the papers he'd stuffed his study with. Thom and I didn't understand how he could read some of them because they were completely covered in mold and dust. Coram could tell you the whole story. He caught us and grounded us from the outside for a month."
"I can't see you taking that too calmly, I must say."
"Whoever said I took it calmly? Actually, I think I shouted myself hoarse. Oh, and I blamed the entire thing on Thom too. I apologized later, but I was miserable inside."
"I wasn't making fun earlier."
"I know that," Alanna interrupted. Jonathan covered her mouth with his hand.
"I just thought you were finally expressing what you truly thought of your father." He uncovered her mouth and kissed her.
"Nope. That I refuse to say aloud. Coram might have taught me to cuss like a sailor, but I think I'll cuss my father out in silence, thanks."
Jon chuckled. "I feel sorry for him, with you cursing him." There was a thump and a yelp. Faithful, who had moved back out into the main room in the hopes of going to breakfast soon, wasn't sure what had happened. Jon's breathless laughter carried throughout the tent. Oh. She hit him with a pillow. Alright. Tortall would be in dire straights if Alanna killed the Prince over his teasing her.
Alanna came out into the main room. She was a short woman, who stood about five feet, six inches, with flaming red hair, and eyes that were an interesting shade of amethyst, just like Faithful's. She had a small nose and full lips. She was wearing one of the thinner cotton shirts that she had taken to wearing out here in the desert and breeches, and one of the burnooses that the tribe had given her on her acceptance into the tribe. "Come on, Faithful. Let's got find breakfast so we can leave," Alanna said quietly to him. FINALLY! Faithful shouted (telepathically of course) as he jumped onto her shoulders. She might have spoken quietly, but her voice had carried anyway. Jon came out in a light shirt and breeches.
The Prince was an extremely good looking man, in most people's opinions. He was tall, standing about six feet, four inches, with jet black hair, and sapphire blue eyes. His complexion completely contrasted with his hair. He wore little jewelry, only a ring on his right ring finger, and his clothes were plain. The fact that his clothes were well made, and the few jewels he wore were costly was instantly obvious. He also had an air of command about him – maybe that had just come from being the Prince and always having servants at his beck and call.
"Oh, so the cat gets the invitation to breakfast, not me. I'm so hurt," Jonathan teased.
"You can get your own breakfast," came the response. Alanna waited for him to get ready anyway, which only took about two minutes.
Despite the short wait, Alanna teased Jon when he came out, "Faithful and I could have eaten breakfast, met up with Myles, and gotten the horses ready by now." At first, Jonathan thought she was reprimanding him, but then he saw the twinkle in her eye.
"Sorry, love," he said, kissing her. "But you know how long it takes me to get ready!"
"Just do me a favor, and try to avoid becoming Delia. Well, an admittedly handsome and lovable form of Delia, but just don't turn into a snob on me."
"Was that a compliment, or an insult?" Jon asked dryly, as they stepped out of the tent.
"It was meant to be a request. But you take it any way you like, so long as it means you aren't angry with me," Alanna responded, kissing him back.
"There you two are! I was wondering if you would wake up today!" Faithful, still sitting on Alanna's shoulder, saw that the man speaking was short, with a good-natured face, and brown hair that was, just now, sleep mussed. His clothes were wrinkled from having slept in them (Again, thought an exasperated Faithful) in a drunken stupor – He must have had too much of the date wine last night, and he didn't share any with me! Faithful thought wryly. Last night, everyone had a late night because last night had been Jonathan's ordeal to become the Voice of the Tribes, so everyone had stayed up late celebrating. Luckily, Jonathan had caught up to Myles before he got too drunk, and made plans for leaving today. Apparently, Jonathan had mentioned that Alanna might be coming as well, for Myles didn't look surprised to see Alanna with Jon, but Jonathan hadn't proposed to her until after planning with Myles.
Faithful was brought back to reality by the sound of his mistress's voice. Alanna must have just studied Myles as closely as Faithful had himself, though much quicker.
"What about you, Myles? It doesn't look as though you stretched yourself to get up early this morning. Or do you need my hangover remedy?"
"While it wouldn't go amiss, the only problem was I missed my alarm clock going off. You young people have no excuse to sleep in late. Let's go get something to eat." The three friends started to walk towards the "mess tent" for breakfast, maintaining carefully measured distances, for men did not touch women, in public, in the Bazhir society.
"Don't change the subject so quickly. You'll make it look like you're afraid to admit you brought your alarm clock to the desert," Alanna teased. Then she saw the look on Myles' face. "Goodness, you didn't bring your alarm clock, did you?" Alanna asked as though afraid to hear the answer.
"Alanna, I'm afraid to admit he did. Actually, it was a bit of a pain on the trip south."
"I'll bet it was for you. It wouldn't have bothered me. But then again, I never even thought you would think of taking that stupid clock with you, Myles," Alanna commented.
"I don't see why you complain, Jonathan. We made the trip down here faster than we ever have before, thanks to my clock." Having arrived at the "mess tent," Jonathan ordered (Well, more like asked with a touch of authority, Alanna thought) some food to be prepared for four people.
Faithful grumbled, so only Alanna could hear him. I thought we were eating before we left, and how about some date wine to start the day off right?
"We would have, Faithful, if we weren't late. That's the only problem with sleeping in — you're late to everything. But we do have to speed things up if we're going to have even an hour of cool riding, Jon," Alanna responded.
"I know, dearest. Coram should be coming with the horses now. Ah, here he is."
And thus starts the return journey to Corus, Alanna thought as they all mounted their respective mounts.
Jonathan noticed that Alanna was falling silent. "Don't worry, Alanna. You'll be fine. I meant to tell you last night, in Father's last letter, he said he would be glad to see you at Court again. Apparently his regard for you has changed quite a bit since you came south. For once, you made the smart move in getting away from Court…" Jonathan grinned and ducked as Alanna swatted (or tried to swat) his head. He caught her hand and kissed it, socially acceptable or not.
After watching this exchange, Myles commented, "Are you sure you want to go through with the marriage, Jonathan? Alanna will keep your hands full. You'll explode if you have to govern the country as well."
"Oh what a kind and loving father you are, Myles. Insulting your daughter. I'm so hurt." Alanna kicked her horse, Moonlight, into a gallop, as they were now a safe enough distance from the village that Alanna didn't run any risk of knocking down any tents. Jon went after her, and Myles and Coram both rolled their eyes.
Two days later, the group reentered Corus. "Back t' civilization," Coram muttered.
"I thought you liked the Bazhir, Coram?" Alanna remarked.
"I do, but I miss my feather bed all th' same," Coram retorted. "And also, I wouldn' mind getting away from…well, never mind."
"Finish the sentence, Coram."
"Wha' if I refuse?"
"What if I just happen to make you see hallucinations? I can still do it, you know."
"Yeh wouldn'," Coram spluttered, aghast.
"Whoever said that I wouldn't?" Alanna retorted. "I never did, certainly."
"So, that's how you control him?" Jon asked Alanna, grinning.
"She will you too, lad," Coram mumbled.
"What was that, Coram?" Alanna asked, with every hint that Coram was over stepping his boundaries sounding in her voice.
"Nothin', lass," Coram called quickly to his knight-mistress.
"Then shut up. To answer your question, Jon, yes, he's much easier to manipulate that way," she grinned back at Jon.
"I resen' tha' comment," Coram told her indignantly.
"No, Coram, you resemble it," Alanna corrected him.
Upon approaching the Palace Way, two large, fast-moving objects collided with Alanna. "We heard you were coming home!" Gary exclaimed.
"Well, now that I'm back, am I allowed to breathe?" Alanna asked Gary, panting from the effort of breathing through an almost literally back-breaking hug.
"Yeah, seriously Gary, she's turning as purple as her eyes are," Raoul quipped. "Glad to see you Fire Hair."
"I'm glad to see you too, and would you please stop calling me that idiotic nickname? I thought we'd established the fact that I have red hair years ago. Maybe that was just my imagination, though." Everyone laughed.
"So why are you here, Gary?" Jonathan inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Well, your father heard you were back and, oh what's the word I'm looking for, oh yes, demanded that you be escorted through the city, or as much of it as is possible at this late stage."
"And I'll believe that the day that Delia declares undying love for you, Gary," Jon told his cousin. "Since when have you ever had to search for the word 'demanded'? I remember you exemplifying it quite a bit."
"I will see you lot at the palace later," Myles interrupted, before Gary had the chance to make a snappy retort that could be taken the wrong way. Gary, at least from Myles' perspective, still had a lot of lessons to learn about tact and thinking before speaking. "I'm going to my town house to see how everything has fared during my absence."
Polite variations of "Well, see you later then, Myles" were chanted at the older knight.
After Myles left, Coram asked to go on ahead to the palace and see that everything (at least for Alanna) was unpacked before the group got there. Alanna raised her eyebrows at him in a bemused way and commented, "You haven't done that for me since, let me think, I was three, at the latest."
"Well, I didn' think I'd need t' be remindin' yeh tha' some things have changed in th' past week." Gary and Raoul looked at each other – Coram couldn't possibly mean what they thought he meant.
"Let me ask you a quick question: how are you going to unpack my things when I have them in my saddlebags?" Jonathan, Gary, and Raoul were all determinedly not looking at each other.
Faithful piped up, Enough with the long greetings – I want a bath and, (He dug his claws into Moonlight's saddle) DINNER!
"I'll see yeh all later," called an embarrassed Coram.
The newly modified party moved towards the palace, catching up on news, although the subject of Jonathan's proposal to Alanna was not touched.
When they reached the palace stables, Jonathan, Gary, and Raoul dismounted. Jonathan went to help Alanna down but found her already down and taking care of Moonlight. He noticed that she was walking away to Moonlight's stall without paying attention to anything behind her. Faithful sauntered past without a backward glance, to find dinner, no doubt. Jonathanwalked up quickly and quietly behind Alanna and grabbed her waist from behind. Alanna screamed like Delia would if she were doused in a bucket of ice water, surprising a laugh out of Jonathan.
After being grabbed from behind, Alanna turned expecting to find Gary grinning mischievously, not Jonathan, with tears in his eyes from laughter. "Do that again, and you'll find your life taking a most unpleasant turn," she told him.
"I'd be more worried about Gary pulling a prank on me than you," Jon responded, kissing her.
"Jon, you might want to change your priorities," Gary called from his horse's stall, as Alanna slid by the Prince to stable Moonlight. "You didn't see the prank she pulled on me when she was sixteen."
"Oh no, what did you do now?" Jon asked Alanna.
"Let Gary finish, rude one," Alanna teased.
"Anyway, she submarined me, I can't even remember why now."
"I told you not to tick me off, Gary, but you did anyway. You deserved what you got." Jonathan gave Gary a questioning look.
"She did the whole nine yards – you know, the oil, my shaving cream, water balloons, and the rest – I forget, did you use the honey and molasses, Alanna?"
"Yes, I did," said Alanna grinning at the memory. "Frankly, I'm still amazed that I didn't get caught with the oil, the honey, and the molasses."
Raoul interrupted, "No, I took the blame and the punishment work."
"Sorry about that, Raoul. I thought that Gary would have figured out it was me immediately, and I didn't know that anyone had to serve punishment duty for it. By the way Gary, I never found out – how hard was it for you to walk across your room that morning?"
"Well, by the time I got to my dressing room, I'd been soaked, and broken three toes from slipping into the feet of my bed, and…"
"The water balloons did their job then. I'm still not sorry that it's my fault you broke your toes. I did warn you not to tick me off."
Jonathan, chuckling, told Alanna, "Remind me to stay on your good side."
"I thought Gary just had," Alanna replied dryly. Alanna walked out, having just finished currying Moonlight. Faithful jumped from the hay in Moonlight's stall to Alanna's shoulders – or tried. He missed by about a yard, for Jonathan had just swept Alanna up in a passionate kiss. Faithful called to the Prince, Put her down, and get the wine.
Gary, who was waiting by the stable entrance with Raoul, called to his cousin, "So are you going to pop the question, or are Raoul and I going to die of old age and anticipation?"
"Die of impatience, more like. And you'll be alone," Raoul muttered, at which Alanna laughed.
Jonathan glared at Gary. "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps I already asked her? And I would appreciate it if you stopped interrogating me about it every time you see me."
"Sorry, Jon."
"Yes, I'm sure you are. Let's go, love. We'd better go meet my parents. Father must be worried if he sent Gary and Raoul to see us here. Somehow, I don't think he did, but there you are." Jonathan kissed Alanna.
"I've been ready to go. I've just been waiting for you."
And when is dinner going to be served?
"Sorry."
DINNER!
"Don't apologize for everything."
He can apologize about dinner!
Alanna continued, ignoring her cat, "It gets annoying after a while, for one thing, and for another, not everything is your fault. But never mind that now, let's go." Alanna left the stables, not waiting for Jonathan any longer. Jon went after her, rolling his eyes, and apparently caught up quickly, because not long after, Gary and Raoul heard Alanna shout, "Stop it, Jon! How many times to do I have to – FOR GOODNESS' SAKE, NO TICKLING!"
"Come on, we had better see to Faithful's dinner…" Jon was telling Alanna as their voices faded and they walked away.
Gary and Raoul started their own walk up to the palace. Gary was still thinking about Jon's question. "You don't think that he really did ask her, do you?"
"You know she wouldn't come back so soon unless Jon had asked, and she had accepted. You know what she's like," Raoul answered thoughtfully.
"But there was no ring on her hand!" Gary protested.
"And I doubt she'll wear it until after she and Jon let Their Majesties know."
"That would be tradition; Alanna's a Court rebel. Why would she start following tradition now?"
"Probably because Jon asked her to. He's the only one who can…well…don't tell Alanna I said this…control her, if that's the right word. Actually, that's only because she lets him. She loves him, and he loves her, it's as simple as that."
"And yet, it took the both of them how long to figure that out?"
"Oh, they knew, they just wouldn't admit it. Isn't that their usual?"
"That it is. I've got to go see Cythera…"
"I'm going down to the practice courts. I doubt Alanna will be there yet, but there might be someone else up to a match."
A/N: So, is it better this way, or the original way? Review and tell me... pretty please?
