Hidden Lioness

I do not own any of the characters in the story except for the main character Levana. All the characters belong to Tamora Pierce

A young girl suddenly appears in the palace wishing to be a knight, she gives no description to her past and who she is except for her name and her wish to be a knight… who is this strange girl and where did she come from? Also, this story takes place only a few years after the 'Song of the Lioness Quartet' and before the 'Protector of the Small Quartet'.


Chapter 1 – The Timid Girl

The day was crisp and cool, your normal fall day. The hustle and bustle of Corus was as usual, merchants selling things for prices a bit to high, thieves stealing purses from un-weary travelers and little kids running around hoping to steal a few sweets and thing from shop stalls. A young girl with shabby short hair, tangled and wild wearing a oversize dirty tunic stumbled into the city. She was skinny and pale, her eyes were a deep purple and her lips were white. Her hair was messy and tangled, her hands and feet small. No one took notice of this poor girl, shoving her aside, yelling at her to get out of the way! If the king saw this!

The young girl slowly weaved her way through the villagers up to the palace, there she hesitated, she saw many other young boys stream enter the palace to become a knight. Slowly she entered the palace as well and waited until all the other children had been accepted as pages before entering. Duke Gareth the 2nd (his father had died) was about to get up when he spotted this disheveled girl and thought she must have been lost.

"Come now child! Go back to the ci-" he started, but the words she said shocked him, in the littlest, softest voice he heard the words,

"I-…I wish to be a knight…"

Sitting down slowly at his chair he just stared, dumbfounded, his mouth hanging slightly open. He didn't stop staring even when the King Jonathan entered the room, the king at once noticed his friends strange behavior and looked to where the duke was staring. He immediately spotted the girl, but unlike Gary he composed himself and coughed. "Excuse me young girl… what business would you like?" he said smiling kindly. Her answer shocked the king quite a bit to.

"I…I wish t-to… be a knight…" the girl said even more quietly then before.

"A… A knight?" the king said trying not to sound shocked. At that moment the Duke composed himself and coughed.

"What is your name?" he asked and barely heard the answer, but he heard it anyways in a soft voice.

"Levana… your grace…" she murmured silently.

"I see… where did you come from? Who is your family?" he asked, the girl did not answer, he waited and asked again, no answer. He sighed and glanced at Jonathan, the king shrugged. "Very well… someone shall show you to your quarters…. " murmured the duke, he wondered in his mind why this girl wished to be a knight, she was so small and in a way reminded him of Alanna when she had first joined to be a page. The thought made him smile.

"Here is your room… some new set of clothes have been laid out for you, a older page shall show you the eating quarters and help you for your first week…." Murmured the servant who eyed the girl curiously before leaving the room. The room was small, it had a small bath in the corner and a small changing room. There was a small four poster bed with moderately comfy lining and a new set of clothes. A trunk stood at the foot of the bed, but that was all. The girl, Levana did not seem to mind and nodded. She seemed so small… like a 6 year old.

Levana quickly got changed into the red tunic and golden colored breeches, putting on soft leather shoes and tying a belt to her waste she timidly stepped into the hall way where a rush of boys were getting read to go eat. Immediately they stopped and stared at the new, small girl.A fit of laughter could be heard as a boy stepped out and pushed Levana to the ground.

"What is a weakling like you doing in a place like this eh?" sneered the boy, Levana said nothing but ignored him and just stared at the boy. "Answer me fool!" the boy said spitting at Levana, she still gave no reaction. The boy made a move to punch Levana, but stopped when a voice cut through the hall way, at once everyone gasped and departed, the king and queen had just arrived with the lady knight Alanna.

:"Oh my!" the queen Thayet said as she stared at the small girl. "The poor thing…" Thayet whispered coming up to the little girl, but she did not stare at the queen but instead at the Kings Champion, Alanna. Alanna felt nervous under the girls gaze, her purple eyes un-nerved her. "My… no this will not do! Jon, we should give this one special training until she is strong and fit! She looks like she has been starved and living on her own!" Thayet said hugging the small girl, but she still gave no recognition of anyone but Alanna.

"H-Hello…" said the Kings Champion nervously, Levana did not answer. "What is your name?" again, no answer, just a hard stare, a stare that made Alanna feel immensely guilty and made her feel like crying. But why? Alanna had no answer and the girl would not speak, only stared at Alanna with those un-nerving purple eyes that were so much like hers. Even the little girl resembled the young Alanna back when she first wished to be a page. If Jon noted the fact he did not say anything, but whispered to a servant to open up a special guest room near the king and queen's quarters.

"You shall stay here in this room from now one…" said Thayet, the room was big and large. The bed was very comfy, there were thick warm carpets and a large warm fireplace with a blazing fire. Levana said nothing but stared at the room. Thayet gave a worried look, "can you talk…?" Thayet asked, Jon nodded. Thayet frowned. "Why won't you speak?" she asked softly to Levana, she still did not speak and instead kept looking at Alanna, Thayet and Jon noticed this. "Would you like to talk to Sir Alanna?", Levana still did not answer, taking this as a yes, Thayet and Jon left, leaving Alanna in the room alone with this strange girl.

"Er…." Alanna mumbled sitting down on the bed stiffly, the eyes of the girl staring at her un-nerved her greatly. It was as if she was accusing her of some crime. "Um…." Alanna mumbled nervously.

"Are you afraid of me?" Said Levana, her voice was quite light and kind, it shocked Alanna so much that she did not speak and instead stared open mouthed before realizing that she must've looked extremely stupid.

"Afraid… n-no! It is just… you keep staring at me…" she mumbled feeling as she had done as a teenager or when she was with George. Why was she thinking of these things suddenly? Who was this girl anyways?

"Oh… I see… " Levana murmured, she seemed slightly hurt.

"Um… who are you… where did you come from… why are you so…" she hesitated wondering what to say.

"I am Levana… that is all I know…" she murmured looking at the floor now. Alanna had no idea what to do, she bit her lip nervously.

"I see… why do you wish to become a knight?" Alanna asked to the girl, the silence was also un-nerving. In fact, just being around this girl was un-nerving.

"…I cannot say…" Levana whispered quietly. Alanna nodded… again the silence, the awful silence.

"I…must go now, I shall talk to you later after you have gotten used to the castle life…" Alanna murmured hurrying out the door, leaving the small Levana standing in the middle of the room, her eyes staring at the closed door, staring at it as if she wished to kill it and as for Alanna… after that little chat she always thought that someone was always watching her… a pair of purple eyes that haunted her in her sleep. Jon and the others said she was crazy, George said she was just tired… but Alanna knew it was different, it was the girl. She just knew it.