Crimson Rain

By: Miss Claire

Summary: Alanna-goes-to-the-convent. But with an evil twist, and a sad ending.

Rating: R - language, violence, and sexual scenes

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance

Disclaimer: if you recognize it, I don't own it, although I wish I did. I bow down before tammy and her amazingness.

Author's Note: hopefully this shall be my masterpiece. Although I do say that about every story I start, still…I thoroughly enjoy the evil-ness of this plot to a far greater extent than the others. *evil cackle*

Chapter One - A Beautiful Nightmare

Lady Alanna of Trebond lay in her bed, tossing and turning restlessly. She was dreaming, but it was no ordinary dream. It was a recurring nightmare that played over and over in her head every night, giving her no rest, and tormenting her during the bleak hours of night and continuing throughout day. The dream always started out happily enough, but as it continued on, the horror would begin. Sweat covered the noblewoman's pale, lithe body and soaked through her flimsy nightdress of lace and ribbons. She let out a scream, but no sound could be heard coming from her parched throat as her mind succumbed to the terror…

"Alanna my rose, I've felt this way for some time and I've finally gotten the courage to ask. Will you…will you be my wife my darling Alanna?"

"Oh Jon, marry…me? But…why? You could have any proper lady in the entire realm of Tortall. What on earth are you doing choosing me?"

"Oh dearest, don't you see? I love you with all of my heart, and I would whether mine be the noblest or commonest in the land. Now give me your answer, and I beg you let it be yes."

"I…I don't know what to say. But yes, oh darling yes, I want to be yours forever."

"I promise you'll never regret this."

"I'll hold you to that."

……

"I do", "And I as well", "So mote it be"

……

"But you MUST attend the ball tonight"

"I'm not in the mood"

"A queen can NOT simply be "not in the mood" Alanna!"

"Don't raise your voice to me Jonathon, what will the children think?"


"Let them think what they want." ::slap:: ::screams:: "Now I shall have my way with you, you fucking bitch and then you will go to the ball and act like a proper queen should act, not like the whore you are!" ::cries::

"No Jonathon, please, no…" ::muffled screams, then silence::

……

"Jonathon, I can't take living like this anymore. I thought when I married you I'd be starting a new life, a happy life but all I've gotten is heartache and pain. I just can't do this any longer, I'm leaving Jon, and I'm not coming back."

"You can't do that to me"

"Watch me"

……

"Queen Alanna of Conte is being executed today for treason against the crown. Indeed this is a sad day for Traitor's Hill to see so beautiful and noble a woman being hung"

……

Alanna jerked upright from her position tangled in the sheets on her bed. She lifted up the sleeves of her nightdress exposing the fresh bruises and cuts on her skin that always appeared after the nightmare. She reached up and gently touched her neck, wincing when her hand met the tender skin that was the product of ropeburn. She didn't bother wasting her gift on healing these wounds, for every day by noon they were healed, and every night by midnight they reappeared. It was a vicious cycle of pain and mental exhaustion. If it had been a normal nightmare, it wouldn't have been so bad. But it was so real. It was if she had lived the entire rest of her life in that span of a few hours, and it was no life at all but a living hell.

She had started having these dreams two weeks ago, when Sister Mary-Katherine had told her that she was to be one of the 12 girls being sent to court on the 1st of May. It was now April 25th, and the dreams just kept getting worse and worse every night.

Maybe once I get to Corus, they'll stop…or not. Goddess help me, what's going on with me. Are you trying to send me some kind of warning? Or is it prophecy? Punishment, maybe? I'm so confused. I wish Thom were here.

She carefully rose out of bed and proceeded to the adjacent bathroom, ignoring the pain that shot through her body, and being careful of her black eye while she splashed water on her face.

There's nothing for it - I'm just going to have to stay awake for the next five days. Oh gods.

The next five days passed rather slowly as one can imagine, and Alanna was definitely more worse for the wear.

"Alanna dear," Sister Mary-Katherine asked on the day of their departure, "whatever is the matter with you? You look ill - perhaps you should wait until I send the next batch of girls at midsummer-"

"NO," Alanna nearly screamed. "No, no," she recovered, "I'm fine really, just a bit nervous about going to court. I'm afraid I'm a tad overwhelmed really."

Mary-Katherine's worry disappeared from her face. This kind of problem she was used to dealing with. "Oh dear, you'll be fine, I promise. Although not excited about coming at first, I dare say you've turned out to be one, if not the best in your year. You'll make any man proud, Alanna. Now don't forget to enjoy yourself, and do try to stay out of trouble. Gods know you have a knack for getting caught up in it."

Alanna forced a feeble smile, curtsied, and excused herself to go finish last-minute packing.

***

As she had expected, Alanna slept most of the three-day carriage ride to Corus, which didn't bother her a bit considering two things: one, the nightmares did not come and two, her carriage-mate was Thalia of Ridgecreek, who was an obnoxious, stuck-up twat who cared only for her looks and couldn't mind her own business.

Alanna awoke with a start the afternoon of the third day to find Thalia glancing at her with a disdainful sort of excitement in her eyes. "Good evening oh Sleepy One. We're here, just arrived. Oh get up then," she added as she saw Alanna starting to lye back down on the carriage seat. "At least TRY to look presentable, will you? If not for yourself then for me, as I have to be associated with you as your year-mate." Alanna grunted in reply.

"Who cares what I look like? I don't want to end up with some old rich bastard any time soon. I'm biding my time, Thalia, as well you should be."

"Hmmpf, well someone certainly has low standards. I thought for sure someone with your imagination might actually be interested in the Prince, but I guess I was wrong. Which is just as well considering the fact that he would never be interested in a girl like you."

"A girl like me?" she shot back with a tinge of ferocity in her voice. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please Trebond, you might act the part of a lady, but you are no noble at heart. After all, you did try to win your shield didn't you? Weren't even there a day before they caught you were you?" Alanna growled deep in her throat.

"For your information I was there for almost three days, and I WOULD have made it had it not been for that stupid arse of a manservant that walked in on me in the bath."

"Either way, your masculinity much overshadows your supposed grace and poise, Alanna. May the best woman…win the best husband." She flashed a cocky smile and the carriage door opened suddenly, stopping the tense conversation that had been taking place.

"Miladies, we've taken your luggage to your rooms. If you would now follow me…"

Alanna stepped out of the carriage, and was still holding on to the servant's arm as she looked up at her new home, the Palace. She felt something strange in her throat as she glanced at the building that had six years ago been her hope and future, and was now, at the tender age of 17, her prison. "Gods, it wasn't supposed to turn out this way…"