Disclaimer: All of the recognizable characters and places in this story belong to Tamora Pierce.

A/N: This is the story of Neal's experience as a squire, with Alanna as his knight-master, which takes place during the same time period as Tamora Pierce's Squire. Most, but not all, of the characters and places mentioned in this story will be actual places in Tamora Pierce's books, however I have taken the liberty of adding my own characters and places here and there to make the story workable. This is my first attempt at a fanfic that is not a oneshot, and so I hope I can get this to work. All reviews are appreciated.

Just a quick note on this chapter—I've never been that great at starting stories, especially long ones. This chapter didn't come out quite the way I had planned, yet I think it will make a good start.

Chapter One: An Unexpected Proposal

Corus, the capital of Tortall; Summer, in the 17th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 456 H.E. (Human Era)

Neal opened his eyes wide and looked with horror between Lady Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, King Jonathan IV of Conté, and his father, Duke Baird of Queenscove. "So, what's your decision?" Lady Alanna asked him sweetly. Neal had been shocked by how docile Alanna had acted this whole time and, had he known that the reason she was acting so sickeningly sweet was because she was asking him to be her squire, he would have walked away immediately. Somehow, despite the scene Neal had been throwing for over two sets of afternoon bells, she had managed to restrain her temper, and act only gentle, kind and innocent. Neal supposed King Jonathan had told her to act this way.

Looking at Lady Alanna, Neal answered through gritted teeth, "No. Absolutely not." He was furious that Alanna would even ask him to be her squire, and was even angrier that his father and the king agreed with Alanna. If they even paused to think about it, Neal was positive that he could convince them to do otherwise.

"It's a good offer, Neal," Duke Baird said soothingly.

"No, I refuse. Anybody but her," Neal spit out in the direction of his father. "It shouldn't be me. Kel's the one Alanna wants. She's better than me at all manners of fighting, and she doesn't panic when she's in battle. She works hard, she's trustworthy, she—"

Neal was cut off by a low and musical voice. "Do you realize how it would look if Alanna took Keladry?" the king asked. "All of the conservatives would think that Kel only became a knight because Alanna witched her. Alanna likes traveling alone, and they would think that time was all spent laying good luck spells on Kel. Besides, there would be questions of special treatment since Alanna's never taken a squire before. Why do you think I took so many precautions to make sure that Alanna wasn't in contact with Kel while she was a page?" The king winced, undoubtedly remembering Alanna's reaction when she heard that she was not permitted to help Kel.

"Neal, not only is Alanna a knight, but she's a healer. She can teach you some of what you would have learned, had you stayed at the university," Duke Baird pointed out. This hit a chord with Neal; he longed to be instructed at more length on how to heal. There were times when he seriously regretted leaving the university so that he could train to be a knight.

"Father," Neal began, before seeing the look in his father's eyes. While it was ultimately his decision to except or decline Lady Alanna's offer, he knew that if his father could decide for him, he would become Alanna's squire. Neal knew that, since his father was not to be swayed, he'd have to appeal to Alanna and the king.

"Your majesty," Neal said, trying to sound civil, "I can't take this. I'm not the one who dreamed of being the Lioness's squire since before I was a page. Kel want's this so badly, and any knight is fine for me. Besides, I have other offers. Kel has none. Please."

Alanna sighed heavily and turned to face Neal, who towered over her in height. "Jon's right, Nealan," she said, and smiled slightly when Neal made a face at being called 'Nealan.' "It wouldn't work. Even if I was allowed to be Keladry's knight-master, nobody would believe that she became a knight on her own. It's not fair to her, really. She needs to be the squire to a person who isn't hated by all conservatives, someone who is in the public eye often, and someone who is respected."

"And where are you going to find this person, if it's not you?" Neal demanded.

"Kel is taken care of," Alanna said cheerfully. "And it's a good offer too."

Neal looked around the room to see all of the adults nodding, a small smile on their lips. He didn't know what to say—he hated to take Alanna up on her offer, yet knew that in the end he would be Alanna's squire, though he might wish it otherwise. At least he could tell Kel truthfully that he had argued against it, that if he could convince Alanna to be Kel's knight-master instead he would have, and that Alanna was his best offer so far.

"Nealan, your decision please?" Alanna reminded him.

"I'll do it," Neal said warily.

"Say thank you," his father prompted Neal, who chose to pretend he could not hear him.

"Now that this is settled, I'd like to speak to you before supper," Alanna told Neal who, recognizing this as a cue to exit, did so promptly. Neal headed for Kel's room, only slightly aware that his face was white and that his green eyes blazed.

Neal left Kel's room in a slightly cheerier mood than he had entered. Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, the commander of the King's Own, had chosen Kel to be his squire. Even though Neal was still shaken from the events of the day, he knew this was good. Lord Raoul was known to be easygoing and relaxed and slow to anger—unlike Alanna. Neal wondered how they had ever been friends as pages when they had so different personalities.

Neal walked slowly to his rooms, took out a book and tried to read but to no avail. Despite the part of him that still believed that Kel should be Alanna's squire, another part of him smiled at being chosen. He knew that he was lucky to have a knight-master who could teach him about healing, even if she was easy to anger.

Looking out the window and realizing that it would be almost supper time, Neal got out of his chair and put his meticulously put his book away in its proper place. This done, he left his room to find his knight-master. He wandered over to the noble's part of the palace, and stopped only when he had reached Alanna's rooms. It wasn't hard for him to find it—he had been there before with his father. He knocked on the door several times before the door opened. "Come in, squire," his knight-master told him. Neal did as told.

Once in, Neal looked around the room. It had changed since he had been here last, over four years ago. There was still the big, sturdy desk, several comfortable seats and a bookshelf, but now there was also a painting on the wall and, Neal noted in amusement, what appeared to be a mirror with flowers painted on the back. On the desk was a book on Yamani culture, and if Neal had looked at the bookshelf he would have realized that roughly half of the books were on the Yamani Islands.

Alanna didn't use any formalities, but went straight to the point, her tone, while not sickeningly sweet as it had been before, still revealed that she was being careful about not angering him. Neal thought it was funny that she would go to all of this trouble, just for him. "As your knight-master, it is my duty to make sure you have proper weapons, amour and horse. What do you currently have?"

"I have a Raven dagger given to me by my father years back, and the rest is just the standard edition stuff you get as a page. I do have a brown mare, Chocco, and she's a fine horse," Neal replied.

"You'll need a shield, of course, but I already had one made in your size. Your father was a great help there—thank him for me, will you, Nealan?" Neal made a face at the use of his full name. He could tolerate it when the king called him by it, but he would not be called that on a regular basis.

"Your ladyship is so kind as to make me a shield before you even knew I would accept," Neal said dryly. Alanna blushed, remembering how Jon had automatically assumed that she was to marry him, and the fight that had proceeded.

"Nealan—" Alanna began severely, but was cut off.

"Neal," he said shortly. "Not Nealan. My least favorite aunt calls me that."

"Squire," Alanna compromised. "Anyway, I'll assume that your sword is fine for now—I'll get you a better one once I know your style—and the rest will be dealt with once I can examine it. And I'm glad you have a horse. That makes things much simpler, though if this Chocco gets to old for the sort of exercise she will get with me, I can supply you with a new mount."

Neal opened his mouth to say something, but Alanna waved her hand towards the door and told him to enjoy the free time he had before he was officially her squire. Put that way, Neal felt as if the hours he had until he would be left to the mercy of the Lioness were much fewer than they really were, and hurried to dinner, determined to put every last moment of freedom to a good use.

Dinner was uneventful, and Neal spent it with his friends Kel, Merric, Seaver, and Esmond. Though he was much older than his friends, Neal had grown to have a respect for them, especially Kel, as he would have had for any adult. However, Neal knew that if Kel was aware of this she would wave it off and remind him that his respect towards his elders wasn't that great, especially when it came to Lord Wyldon. Meric, Seaver and Esmond went to bed first, leaving Neal with Kel to discuss their future. From the expression in Kel's eyes and the tone of her voice, Neal was able to establish that Kel was happy and didn't blame him for having Alanna as his knight-mistress. Eventually Kel left, leaving Neal alone to his thoughts.

Morning arrived, and Neal was forced to get out of his bed, once again acknowledging that he was not a morning person. He washed, dressed, and went to breakfast; there he found a puzzled Esmond and Merric wondering why Kel wasn't eating breakfast with them as she normally did, and if there was something wrong. Surprised too, Neal did not know what to make of the news. He talked with Esmond and Merric as he ate what little he could—he wasn't a breakfast person—before excusing himself to find Kel. By the time Neal knocked on Kel's door he was half convinced that she had somehow managed to kill herself. "Kel, it's me," he called.

The door opened, and Neal opened his mouth to interrogate Kel, but the person at the door was not Kel. "She left before sunrise with Lord Raoul and the King's Own," Lalasa, Kel's servant, answered sheepishly. "She told me to tell all of you lads goodbye for her, since she couldn't do it herself."

"Oh," Neal said, feeling slightly hurt. He smiled to Lalasa, thanked her for this information, and started the walk back to his room thinking. He knew that there was no way for Kel to say goodbye, but he selfishly wished that she had left him a note or something, explaining where she was going. She was his best friend, after all, and he had hoped that they could talk more before one of them was called away. Though not particularly sentimental, and terribly glad to be done with his training as a page under the Stump, Neal wished that some things could remain the same.

Suddenly Neal smiled. He had have forgotten that his cousin, Domitain, called Dom by his friends and family, would be traveling with Kel. Neal knew that for once his correspondence with the man who called him 'Sir Meathead', sometimes even in his letters, would prove more than just entertaining.