This is purely a one-shot. Disregards ending of Trickster's Queen. Written at a point of utter boredom.
"How old is the queen? How's big the palace? How did she overthrow the Rittevons? How-" Alan Cooper was cut off by his father. "You can ask the queen yourself when you get there." George Cooper smiled. Alanna Cooper asked from the doorway, "Are you two laddy-buck's finished? The ship's ready."
Alan laughed, "Don't you hate ships Mother?" Alanna wrinkled her nose and stalked off haughtily. "You two'll will come out in five minutes or I'll know why."
"Mother." Alan sighed. Thom Cooper who was passing by Alan's room said, "Mother's in a bad mood today. Probably because..." Thom fell silent. Everyone knew without saying that was because there was still no news from Alianne Cooper, Thom and Alan's sister.
"But you, Father, seem slaphappy." Thom said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. George simply grinned but said nothing.
Queen Dovasary Balitang was at the dock with her court and crowds of expectant people when the ship arrived at the Copper Isles. After introductions were made, they were escorted by the Queen's Guard and it's Captain Taybur Sibigat to the palace.
After the formal theatrics was finished, Dovasary ordered Taybur to escort the Tortallan embassy to their chambers. "Tonight do come to my private chambers. For a familial dinner with my spymasters and I." The queen said when she left.
"I can't believe it!" Alan exclaimed as soon as they were in their chambers. "The queen's even younger than me!" He cried. George simply chuckled. He could guess what dinner it could be. "Watch your tongue, Alan. We don't know what kind of a person the queen is." Alanna warned.
It was near six-thirty when there was a knock on the door. Thom went up to answer it. Behind the door stood a young raka man, their escort. "Baron Cooper, Baroness Cooper, Master Coopers, please follow me."
After a few winding corridors the raka man opened a little side door and gestured for them to enter, and locked the door. To Alan's surprise, he immediately plopped down on a cushioned chair, unregarding the queen sipping water. "Ah it took you long enough to come," Dovasary grinned cheekily, to Alan's utmost shock, "Did you get lost Nawat?"
The raka - Nawat - shrugged and yawned, "Lost in my own thoughts, perhaps." Then he spotted Alan's astonished look. "No need for formalities in Dove's private chambers." he explained.
George and Alanna immediately made themselves at home, sitting down, though Thom and Alan still seemed a little surprised. "I knew you were more than what you seem." Dove commented. "You as well, Dove. Who would have thought a little girl would become the queen, twice royal?"
The boys' jaws fell open as Alanna stared. "You two know each other?" she asked incredulously. Dove ignored her and gestured to Nawat. "This is Nawat Crow. He's one of my spymasters." Nawat waved the title off indifferently. "It's been, like, a whole year since we met, Master Cooper."
George grinned at the faces of his family. "How's-?" He asked. George looked at Dove who in turn turned to Nawat. Nawat nodded briefly and left the room. "Explain." Alanna snapped at George. George shook his head, raising his cup to hide a mischievous smile. Dove covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggles.
"I must say, Master Cooper, you gave us quite a fright when that package came to us. Everyone was awestruck. But our spymaster was laughing like crazy." Dove commented. "Ah, that one. I was half afraid of that," George replied, "But it's a kind of revenge in fact." Alanna wrinkled her nose at the thought of the Rittevons.
Alan and Thom was silent throughout the whole exchange. Now Thom snapped. "Father... Can you pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase explain?" George and Dove chuckled. Alan was certainly pissed that a thirteen year old girl was taunting him.
Just then Nawat returned, his hand holding somebody's. "What Nawat I was meeting up with Ys-" The familiar voice drifted their way to the brothers' ears. They exchanged a glance. "Aly!" They shrieked, casting themselves into their long-lost sister, making the three of them sprawl in the doorway. "Thom! Alan!" she cried. Alanna simply looked on with wide purple eyes, whereas Dove, George, and Nawat exchanged amused glances.
When the siblings finally got up, Thom and Alan were ecstatic, jumping up and down like kids, while Aly had moist eyes. "George!" Alanna cried, "How could you keep such a thing from us!" swiping up a pillow, she bounced it at George's head.
"Mother," Aly said tentatively, approaching Alanna. But Alanna surprised them all by sweeping her up in a great big hug. "Aly, oh Aly..."
Nawat poked Dove. "You should have told Aly earlier." Dove shook her head and replied, "And miss the happy reunion scene? Never."