Alanna looked at the hem of her dress. I hate my life, she thought
miserably. It had been six miserable years since she and her brother had
departed from Fief Trebond to go to the palace and the convent. Alanna had
been sent to the convent.
Just now, at the age of sixteen, Alanna was being released, and sent to
Court to look for a young noble for marriage. Alanna privately thought the
whole dance of manners and the trouble it took getting a husband was
immensely ridiculous.
"My lady," said a young servant girl. "Your mare is ready. Will you be
needing any help?"
"Thank you , but no," Alanna said politely. She sighed inwardly. At least
she would be seeing her twin brother, Thom. She wondered if he would have
any broken ribs, that way she could tease him. Make herself feel better.
The servant led her down to the stables, where Maude waited patently to
bring her to Corus, and the royal palace. Alanna mounted her mare,
Silvermoon, and looked at Rivka, her care taker and friend, expectantly.
With a nod, they set off on the twelve day ride.
~ ~ ~ When they arrived in Corus, Alanna was unhappy. When she saw the palace, she felt dread. She had wanted so badly to train there, but couldn't. They rode to the stables, and Alanna dismounted lithely. As Alanna was led to her room, she saw two young noblemen. The one with chestnut hair and eyes whistled when he saw her and she kept a reign on her temper, trying not to glare. The blue-eyed one with the coal hair grinned. Alanna sighed and entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Why did I ever go to those convents?" she moaned. "Why didn't I think of some way to escape!" Then a knock on the door sounded. Alanna opened it, and yelped with joy. It was her twin brother, Thom. He grinned, and came in, along with the two who were in the hall. "Alanna, I'd like you to meet two of my friends. Gareth--Gary--the Younger of Naxen, and Prince Jonathan of Contè," Thom said formally. Alanna curtsied, and hated it. "Looks like someone is still as rebellious as she was when she was ten. I bet you gave the Daughters a few shocks." "A few?" Alanna said mildly. "Hell! I shocked one into a heart attack!" Prince Jonathan grinned. "Truly?" He was the blue-eyed one with the coal black hair. Quite handsome. "No, but I wish. They're nothing but a couple of old clucking hens. Wish I could do away with convents all together," Alanna said. She gestured to seats, and the young men took them. "So," Gary said; he was the one who whistled at her. "Staying long?" "It's either here or Trebond. If Corus proves worse than Trebond, then I'm going home," Alanna muttered. "Why are you here?" Thom asked wickedly. Alanna looked at him. "Drat. No broken ribs. Guess I can't tease you for being the little weakling, hunh?" "Nice evasion of the question. No, I haven't broken any bones, yet. And, why are you here?" Thom asked. Alanna glared. "What do you think, dolt?" "Husbands?" Thom asked, wickedly. "Unfortunately. Can't find a way out of it," Alanna sighed. Prince Jonathan grinned. "Really? You're the first lady I've met who isn't chasing after men." Gary and Thom looked at each other. "Delia of Eldorne!" the chorused. Prince Jonathan shuddered. "Yes. Her, for example. Would you like a tour, Lady Alanna?" he asked with a bow, and an outstretched arm. "Since I can't think of a reason to decline gracefully, why not," Alanna said, curtsying and taking his arm. Thom bit his lip to keep from laughing, and lost. He burst out laughing. "Gods! I'd never thought I'd see you play the manners game!" Alanna looked at her twin with a sour expression. "I'd never thought I'd see you a squire and one who wasn't breaking all of his bones in one move."
Prince Jonathan grinned. "We keep him out of trouble," he said. Then added, as an afterthought, "Most of the time." Alanna laughed, as the Prince swept her out of the room for a tour of the palace. Thom grinned. "And she was the one who wanted to be a knight!" "Women can't be knights," Gary said. "Yeah, well. When we were children, Alanna always managed to kick my ass. I bet she still could." "I doubt it," Gary muttered.
~ ~ ~
"Alanna?" Thom asked that night at the ball. "Hm?" Alanna asked, half paying attention. She was a little too busy trying to look as if she wanted a husband. She actually couldn't care one way or the other. "How about a spar?" Thom asked. "Forget it," Alanna said dryly. "I've forgotten how to even use the bow, dagger, and half the things Coram taught me. I'm too busy anyway." "Busy doing what? Getting Jon's attention?" Thom teased. Alanna blushed. Well, it was true enough. She liked the prince, a lot. He was good natured, and easy to get along with. And very sweet.. And very cute. "What do you mean by that?" Alanna snapped, more than embarrassed. Thom laughed. "With that outfit? I think it's easy. You stand out, though. A light blue looks good on you." "Light blues, violets, and light greens are the only colors I look good in besides black," Alanna muttered. It was true, about the dress she was wearing. She had on a sky blue dress made of soft silk. It had a very low neckline and was gathered under her breasts, then dropped to the ground with a slight flare at the bottom. It was a little transparent, so she wore a silver shift underneath it. Her skin was pale, with a touch of color on her cheeks; her violet eyes were a little bright. Her brow was perfect and unblemished. Other than the fact that her eyelids held a dark blue and her lips were a bit red, there was no other indication for make up. Not like the other court flowers. Alanna's features were honed and perfected, and they made her look absolutely astounding. Her copper hair was loose, and down to her waist, but with two strands by her temples pulled back and bound with a clip that held an intricate design. "Hate to tell you, little sister, but I think you've got the prince. Jon's been watching you the whole time." "Great," Alanna muttered. "I really want to be queen. All I want is a male friend." "To sleep with?" he asked sweetly. Alanna glared at her brother. She was blushing a deep crimson, and considering killing him, when Prince Jonathan came over. "Care to dance?" he asked. Alanna nodded, and he took her out to the middle of the floor.
~ ~ ~ When they arrived in Corus, Alanna was unhappy. When she saw the palace, she felt dread. She had wanted so badly to train there, but couldn't. They rode to the stables, and Alanna dismounted lithely. As Alanna was led to her room, she saw two young noblemen. The one with chestnut hair and eyes whistled when he saw her and she kept a reign on her temper, trying not to glare. The blue-eyed one with the coal hair grinned. Alanna sighed and entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Why did I ever go to those convents?" she moaned. "Why didn't I think of some way to escape!" Then a knock on the door sounded. Alanna opened it, and yelped with joy. It was her twin brother, Thom. He grinned, and came in, along with the two who were in the hall. "Alanna, I'd like you to meet two of my friends. Gareth--Gary--the Younger of Naxen, and Prince Jonathan of Contè," Thom said formally. Alanna curtsied, and hated it. "Looks like someone is still as rebellious as she was when she was ten. I bet you gave the Daughters a few shocks." "A few?" Alanna said mildly. "Hell! I shocked one into a heart attack!" Prince Jonathan grinned. "Truly?" He was the blue-eyed one with the coal black hair. Quite handsome. "No, but I wish. They're nothing but a couple of old clucking hens. Wish I could do away with convents all together," Alanna said. She gestured to seats, and the young men took them. "So," Gary said; he was the one who whistled at her. "Staying long?" "It's either here or Trebond. If Corus proves worse than Trebond, then I'm going home," Alanna muttered. "Why are you here?" Thom asked wickedly. Alanna looked at him. "Drat. No broken ribs. Guess I can't tease you for being the little weakling, hunh?" "Nice evasion of the question. No, I haven't broken any bones, yet. And, why are you here?" Thom asked. Alanna glared. "What do you think, dolt?" "Husbands?" Thom asked, wickedly. "Unfortunately. Can't find a way out of it," Alanna sighed. Prince Jonathan grinned. "Really? You're the first lady I've met who isn't chasing after men." Gary and Thom looked at each other. "Delia of Eldorne!" the chorused. Prince Jonathan shuddered. "Yes. Her, for example. Would you like a tour, Lady Alanna?" he asked with a bow, and an outstretched arm. "Since I can't think of a reason to decline gracefully, why not," Alanna said, curtsying and taking his arm. Thom bit his lip to keep from laughing, and lost. He burst out laughing. "Gods! I'd never thought I'd see you play the manners game!" Alanna looked at her twin with a sour expression. "I'd never thought I'd see you a squire and one who wasn't breaking all of his bones in one move."
Prince Jonathan grinned. "We keep him out of trouble," he said. Then added, as an afterthought, "Most of the time." Alanna laughed, as the Prince swept her out of the room for a tour of the palace. Thom grinned. "And she was the one who wanted to be a knight!" "Women can't be knights," Gary said. "Yeah, well. When we were children, Alanna always managed to kick my ass. I bet she still could." "I doubt it," Gary muttered.
~ ~ ~
"Alanna?" Thom asked that night at the ball. "Hm?" Alanna asked, half paying attention. She was a little too busy trying to look as if she wanted a husband. She actually couldn't care one way or the other. "How about a spar?" Thom asked. "Forget it," Alanna said dryly. "I've forgotten how to even use the bow, dagger, and half the things Coram taught me. I'm too busy anyway." "Busy doing what? Getting Jon's attention?" Thom teased. Alanna blushed. Well, it was true enough. She liked the prince, a lot. He was good natured, and easy to get along with. And very sweet.. And very cute. "What do you mean by that?" Alanna snapped, more than embarrassed. Thom laughed. "With that outfit? I think it's easy. You stand out, though. A light blue looks good on you." "Light blues, violets, and light greens are the only colors I look good in besides black," Alanna muttered. It was true, about the dress she was wearing. She had on a sky blue dress made of soft silk. It had a very low neckline and was gathered under her breasts, then dropped to the ground with a slight flare at the bottom. It was a little transparent, so she wore a silver shift underneath it. Her skin was pale, with a touch of color on her cheeks; her violet eyes were a little bright. Her brow was perfect and unblemished. Other than the fact that her eyelids held a dark blue and her lips were a bit red, there was no other indication for make up. Not like the other court flowers. Alanna's features were honed and perfected, and they made her look absolutely astounding. Her copper hair was loose, and down to her waist, but with two strands by her temples pulled back and bound with a clip that held an intricate design. "Hate to tell you, little sister, but I think you've got the prince. Jon's been watching you the whole time." "Great," Alanna muttered. "I really want to be queen. All I want is a male friend." "To sleep with?" he asked sweetly. Alanna glared at her brother. She was blushing a deep crimson, and considering killing him, when Prince Jonathan came over. "Care to dance?" he asked. Alanna nodded, and he took her out to the middle of the floor.