A/N: So hi everyone!! Thanks for chosing to read my very first fanfiction. I really hope you all like it. I want so feed back and any ideas that you think would work good would be great!
I am not Tamora Pierce
Chapter 1: A Pleasant Surprise
"Nawat can you please tell me where we are going," Aly begged her husband for the 10th time. Nawat had his hands covering Aly's eyes while their three small children, two girls Ochobai and Ulasu and one boy Junim, lead her through the palace somewhere.
"Just be quiet Aly," Nawat whispered in her ear, "you will love this so stop complaining."
"Hurry up Mama!," said Ochobai.
"You are going to be so excited. We are," added Ulasu.
Aly could just see her three little ones and smiled. They were getting so big, 2 ½ years old to be exact. The two girls were complete opposites but were always up to something. Ulasu looked like her husband with her soft dark hair falling past her waist and those lively black eyes that sparkled with curiosity. Her other daughter Ochobai looked more like Aly herself. She had the same strawberry blond which was always kept pulled back in a loose braid but had inherited her famed grandmother's violet eyes which seem to glint with mischief constantly. Her son, Junim, was much quieter than his two sisters. He usually kept his opinions and comments to himself but when he did give his input it seemed like was a lot older than 2 ½. He also looked very much like his grandfather. He had the same dark wavy brown hair that was forever falling into his eyes, a larger than average nose, and hazel eyes that twinkled with intelligence. The only thing only physical trait that the triplets shared was their deeply tanned skin like their father.
"We're here my Aly," Nawat whispered in her ear. Aly gave a little jump. She had almost forgotten that he was there because she was so lost in thinking about their children.
Nawat uncovered Aly's eyes and she immediately recognized where they were. The pavilion in the gardens they were in had many listening and eavesdropping spells so that no one could be over heard. As she looked around she noticed a very tall creature looking out on the pond which sat in the middle of the garden. The tall creature had to be about 7 feet tall and his skin had a beaded texture that looked like water droplets.
"Tkaa," Aly yelled with delight as she ran to the immortal and wrapped her arms around him in a huge embrace. This was the first real correspondence she had had with her family in three years. She had been keeping an eye on them with her spy system but it was not the same as talking to someone that was practically part of her family.
"Hello Miss Aly," Tkaa said in his whisper of a voice.
"Tkaa, what are you doing here," she asked while letting him go, "How is everything in Tortall? How are my parents and brothers? The King and Queen? Daine, Numair, and their children?..."
"Aly if you don't leave time for Tkaa to answer your questions you won't be able to find out anything," Nawat said as he interrupted Aly laughing.
"Sorry Tkaa," Aly said blushing, "At least tell me what you are doing in the Copper Islands."
"I am here as a deligate from Tortall to see how the Copper Islands have changed since Queen Dovsary was crowned queen 3 years ago," he said, "But I am also here to bring you a message from your brother Alan. He wants to invite you to come back to Tortall this midwinter. He will be going into the Chamber and has requested that you be there."
Aly was shocked. She had totally forgotten that Alan was going into the Chamber this midwinter. She could recall a conversation that she and her brother had had years ago just before he started his training as a page. He had asked her to be present when he went into the Chamber.
She glanced over at her family. They were all grinning at her with a wicked smile.
"You all knew about this, didn't you," she exclaimed, "But how did you keep this away from me? I am the Islands Spymaster."
"I have my ways," was all Nawat told her with an even bigger grin, "So when do we leave Tkaa."
"Wait, we can't actually go," Aly said to them all.
"But Mama we all want to go," said Junim as his sisters nodded in agreement, "We all want to meet everyone in Tortall. We want to meet Grandma and Grandpa."
"I'm sorry little ones but I am not able to leave the Islands now. Maybe the three of you and your father can go and cheer on your Uncle Alan and meet the rest of your family," she told them sadly.
"No," Junim told his mother, which surprised Aly since he never really got angry, "We all need to go."
"But…," Aly said trailing off, "I have responsibilities here, like protecting Dove and I would get so behind in paper work."
"Well what is Vitorcine your second-in-command good for and all your deputies. They all know what they are doing. They have been with you since the rebellion. I think they will be more than capable to handle the paperwork for the next few weeks and as for the Queen, I am quite certain that Taybur will be able to take care of protecting her. He is caption of the Queen's Guard," Nawat told her, "You need a break Aly. You have not stopped working since you came to the Islands and besides Dove had already approved of this little holiday."
"Well I guess I could use a vacation," said a shocked Aly.
"We get to go on vacation!," Ulasu said that the same time as Ochobai said, "I can't wait to meet everyone."
Aly just looked at them all and sighed. Then she turned to Tkaa and asked, "When do we leave."