Alanna of Trebond was not happy. She stood at the top of the stairs leading
down to the entrance hall at Fief Trebond, surveying the chaos in the hall
below her. Maids and footmen were rushing round everywhere, trunks were
piled high, and her twin brother Thom was standing in the middle of it
wearing a travel-stained cloak and giving commands. His red hair was
tousled, and he looked exhausted, and very, very much older than she
remembered. /i she kicked herself, iof course he looks older.
He's been gone almost seven years, and you've only seen him twice since
then./i
It was at this point that Thom looked up, and seeing his sister standing there, looking down upon him disapprovingly, he called up to her. 'Alanna! Come down and give your brother a welcome, won't you?' Grimacing, Alanna walked slowly down the stairs. When she got to the bottom and stood there, motionless, Thom grinned at her. 'You've grown up. Still sore that you had to go to the convent, and I got to be a knight?'
'Shut up, Thom,' Alanna said, and hugged him. 'Just don't... don't talk about it.' Alanna had never really got over the fact that after the first two months, which he'd loathed, Thom had actually come to enjoy his knight's training, and was renowned as an excellent swordsman at court. Alanna, on the other hand had never become used to the convent, and had been kept under a very close watch after she tried to sneak out into town numerous times.
'Well, hey, you're coming to Corus soon enough,' Thom grinned. 'You know you've got to find yourself a husband.'
'Yes, Cythera and I were talking about it the other day.' Cythera of Elden had been Alanna's chief ally at the convent, and had a secret bet on as to which of them would marry first. Alanna had bet it would be Cythera, and Cythera had bet on Alanna, and Alanna knew she'd got the better deal.
'Cythera of Elden?' Thom asked, eyes widening. 'You know her?'
'Of course,' Alanna snorted. 'She was my best friend at the convent.'
'Everybody wants her- well, I don't, not really anyway,' Thom said hastily, as Alanna laughed. 'But she's very pretty, anyway.'
'She is, isn't she?' Alanna said. She fully accepted that Cythera was far prettier than she was; but hoped that her red hair would count in her favour at court. 'How long are you home this time, brother?' She knew she had to go to court with him at the end of his time at home.
'Only a couple of weeks,' Thom sighed, 'then I have to go back to Corus, and drag you with me.' He noticed Alanna's grimace. 'You may as well not waste the time you spent at the convent, and trust me that there are plenty of men at court that you will get on with, perhaps even well enough to marry.'
'It's not so much whether I want to marry them, but whether they want to marry me,' Alanna sighed.
It was at this point that Thom looked up, and seeing his sister standing there, looking down upon him disapprovingly, he called up to her. 'Alanna! Come down and give your brother a welcome, won't you?' Grimacing, Alanna walked slowly down the stairs. When she got to the bottom and stood there, motionless, Thom grinned at her. 'You've grown up. Still sore that you had to go to the convent, and I got to be a knight?'
'Shut up, Thom,' Alanna said, and hugged him. 'Just don't... don't talk about it.' Alanna had never really got over the fact that after the first two months, which he'd loathed, Thom had actually come to enjoy his knight's training, and was renowned as an excellent swordsman at court. Alanna, on the other hand had never become used to the convent, and had been kept under a very close watch after she tried to sneak out into town numerous times.
'Well, hey, you're coming to Corus soon enough,' Thom grinned. 'You know you've got to find yourself a husband.'
'Yes, Cythera and I were talking about it the other day.' Cythera of Elden had been Alanna's chief ally at the convent, and had a secret bet on as to which of them would marry first. Alanna had bet it would be Cythera, and Cythera had bet on Alanna, and Alanna knew she'd got the better deal.
'Cythera of Elden?' Thom asked, eyes widening. 'You know her?'
'Of course,' Alanna snorted. 'She was my best friend at the convent.'
'Everybody wants her- well, I don't, not really anyway,' Thom said hastily, as Alanna laughed. 'But she's very pretty, anyway.'
'She is, isn't she?' Alanna said. She fully accepted that Cythera was far prettier than she was; but hoped that her red hair would count in her favour at court. 'How long are you home this time, brother?' She knew she had to go to court with him at the end of his time at home.
'Only a couple of weeks,' Thom sighed, 'then I have to go back to Corus, and drag you with me.' He noticed Alanna's grimace. 'You may as well not waste the time you spent at the convent, and trust me that there are plenty of men at court that you will get on with, perhaps even well enough to marry.'
'It's not so much whether I want to marry them, but whether they want to marry me,' Alanna sighed.
