A/N: Yup, ANOTHER Alanna goes to the convent story (As if more are needed : ) ). How could I resist?
Prince Jonathan stared tiredly out his window, absentmindedly watching more court ladies arrive. It's as though they're shipped in, like pretty flowers for the ball, he thought. A blonde, brunette, chestnut, black, gold, red, smoky brown, curly, strait, wavy, willowy, petite, plump, pale, ivory, rosy, beautiful, ugly, it made no difference. None of them had any more sense than an acorn. And he had to go to every ball! He kicked the floor, drawing a smile from his squire.
"Tired of court ladies, Jon?" he inquired sweetly.
"You would be too, if you had to attend all the midwinter balls, Thom," he growled. "Oh, but I do, Highness," Thom replied, grinning wickedly.
"I meant as a knight, not to mention prince, pinhead. At least your parents aren't upset when you neglect to dance with less than five court ladies."
Thom's teasing look softened when he remembered. "Alanna will be coming this year though," he told Jon. "She'll be different." The prince was not impressed. The year before Gary and Alex's sisters had come, and the year before Geoffrey's. None of them were any smarter than the rest. He didn't say anything though. Thom had the temper of a bear. Jon always had to be careful not to anger his squire. The result could be something bad. He grinned, remembering when Sklaw had threatened to put Thom in to the convent, when he lost his twelveth duel in a row. It had taken Duke Roger and three other mages to turn Sklaw from toad back to human again.
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"Thom, I don't see how it matters! No one but George and 'Fingers saw any way, and I don't care if they tell."
Jon had listened with amusement as this woman and Thom fought. He assumed it was Thom's sister. Then he had heard her mention George and Lightfingers names' mentioned. Now he guessed it was a member of the Rouge. Rather than disturb their argument, Jon leaned carefully on the door, easing it open a crack so he could see. His squire was battling with a woman who's flaming hair and violet eyes matched his. She wore an emerald dress, and wore a white fur robe over it. Small snowflakes clung to her hair, as if she had been outdoors for a long time.
"But sledding, 'Lanna?" You know your reputation is already teetering, what with all the things you've done.
"Like what?" Alanna asked, her eyes dancing. "I never got to see the letters the priestesses sent to you and Father."
Thom used a finger to count each episode. "On your first year, you dyed one of the elderly Daughter's wig purple. On the second, you gave Lady Coriana a bouquet of lilies, already knowing her large allergies to them. On the third you dumped a chamber pot on the convent's wealthiest benefactor. On the fourth you kicked your professor, though I'm not going to say where...(A/N heehee). On the fifth year let 50 toads into the convent and scared everybody half to death. On the sixth," Thom added this finger to his right hand, "you showed your Shang skills, after studying in secret for many years. And now you're here, and you have already gone sledding with the King of the Rouge, despite the Daughters command to stay in your room and prepare for the ball. His voice was stern, but Jon could see Thom's eyes were twinkling.
Alanna yelped at the mention of the party. "I forgot!" she exclaimed. Thom rolled his eyes and groaned.
"'Bye Thom," she called already running as fast as she could down the hall.
Jonathan grinned. Perhaps Thom was right. Maybe Alanna was different.
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Alanna had run out of violent language. She began to repeat, but cursed her father instead for hearing Thom's and her plans to switch places. If he hadn't heard, then she could have learned a larger variety of curses from Coram, instead of inventing them. She reached her apartments. She jumped behind a screen to change, into her amber party dress. She found her unfashionable red hat, and stained white gloves. She didn't have time to unpack her face paint. She leapt over to the full oval mirror, already set up, to inspect herself. She moaned as she examined herself. She would never pass the Daughter's inspection. She began to invent an excuse as to why she was not only late to the inspection, but also not looking her best.
Dashing down the halls, she halted, and walked in a slow, dignified way up to the priestess's rooms, and knocked softly. Lady Cytherra opened the door. "You are late," she told Alanna. "The ball begins in only half an hour. And you look awful. Just a moment." She walked over to where the priestess sat, lecturing the other girls on proper behavior. The two conferred softly. The priestess began to look pleased. She nodded, and waved her hand, dismissing Cytherra, and returned to lecturing the other girls. Cytherra walked back to Alanna, who was trying to keep the feeling that she was doomed from showing on her face. "The priestess has given me permission to dress you up for the ball," she told Alanna, a smirk on her face. Alanna had a strong temptation to prove her Shang skills again.
A quarter of an hour later Alanna came out of Cytherra's room. She did not look like the free-spirited rebellious girl that she was. She looked simply like a personalitiyless convent girl. Instead of her plain amber dress she wore a scarlet dress with the lowest neckline possible, and an extremely tight waist, with a strained corset. On her head she wore a ruby covered tiara under an elaborate hairstyle, and held a matching fan in black lace gloves. She wore simple black slippers on her feet, hiding under three petticoats.
"You have done an excellent job Cytherra!" declared the Daughter. "She is beautiful, almost as elegant as yourself. Now, it is time to go to the ballroom!"
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"I've never known Thom to spend so much time with a lady, even a pretty one," Raoul said dryly. "He's usually off in a corner by the refreshments table, trying to hide."
"Ah, but it's his own sister," Jon informed him. "She's been with him all night. I don't see why. There are plenty of men willing to dance with her, if she'd let her brother go."
"Like you?" Gary asked, flashing a knowing grin at Raoul.
"No!" said Jon indignantly. "I was to talking about those men over there. He gestured at some knights who were staring at Alanna. "Or these ones," he said, gesturing to Gary and Raoul. Raoul blushed. Gary raised his eyebrows, but kept his thoughts to himself.
"So, what do you say we try to find out Thom's girlfriend? (A/N did they say girlfriend back then?)" Raoul asked. "He won't tell us who, and my curiosity is beginning to get the better of me.
Gary grinned.
"Here's what we'll do. I'll call Thom away," began Raoul
"You'll do anything to get away from the party," muttered Gary.
Raoul ignored him. "Gary, you will dance with Lady Cythera."
"Great," grumbled Gary.
"You will leave her with Thom's sister at the end of the dance. Jon, will then dance with Lady Alanna, and see if she knows. When you're done, meet Gary and I in the garden.
Jon sighed and shook his head. "All right," he told the others. Gary left. "I s'pose I'd better go to," said Raoul. Jon watched his friends leave, and began sidling across the room to where Thom's sister stood. She has such a pretty figure, he thought, not as thin as some of the others'...almost muscular? No, he corrected himself; Thom's sister wouldn't be muscular if he himself wasn't. He had to have been teasing her when he said she had Shang training.
He brought himself back to the real world with a jolt - Gary was leaving Cytherra with Alanna. He strode over, and came face to face - or rather face to top of head - with the lady.
"Do you dance, Lady?" he asked. His squire's sister looked regretfully at Cytherra, and then raised her eyes, so like her brother's, to meet his. "Yes highness," she told him softly, very much a different lady from the one she had been with her brother. Jon led her on to the dance floor. This dance was a waltz, slow and weary.
"Do you enjoy this winter weather?" Jon asked at last. "No," she replied. "And why not?" Jon inquired.
"Because it's cold," she told him flatly.
"It is cold, but snow can be so much fun!" Jon insisted.
"In breeches, maybe, but it is torture in skirts. Have you tried it?" she wanted to know. "They either cling to you, or you are in hoops. It might be more fun in practical clothes".
The dance had finished. (A/N Short dance, eh?) "Would you care to join a party of squires and ladies for skating tomorrow? He suggested. "Perhaps we could change your opinion of winter weather."
"Oh, I'm afraid not." Alanna began happily. "Because - "
"I will tell the Daughter where you are." Cytherra had joined them. "I'm sure she will understand."
"Thank you, Lady," Jon told Cytherra. "Tomorrow, then."
"Yes, highness," Alanna said, revealing her opinion of going with him.
Jon strode over to the garden, where he could see Raoul and Gary's large silhouettes. "Well? Gary asked. "I couldn't get anything out of her," Jon told the two - although it had completely slipped his mind to ask. "But," he added, "She's coming with the other ladies tomorrow, so you try your luck.
Thom met them. "Dancing with my sister, Jon?" he inquired, sounding amused.
"To find out your girlfriend, Thom. Thom turned red. "I don't have a girlfriend!" He didn't notice that Jon had turned almost as red as him.