A/N: Hello all. This is a quick one shot of Alanna and Aly's first meeting after Aly's kidnapping…or at least what I think it might have looked like. Enjoy! (feel free to drop a review!)
"Whole"
Aly heard the bells announcing visitors but did not move. Rather, she paused her actions. She was working on a code, a particularly difficult one. Accuracy depended on the steadiness of her hand. The code involved a series of scratches marked at varying distances on the faces of a game die. The reader would have to possess a key to the die and working in ascending numerical order, comparing the key to the six sides of the die. In short, it was very difficult work that Aly was not interested in messing up.
When the bells ceased their intrusive sound Aly sighed in relief and continued to work. The Raka rebellion had succeeded in placing Dovasary Balitang on the Copper Isle throne only three months ago. That time had been spent mourning fallen comrades, rebuilding the palace, burying the dead, and suppressing resistance. Aly's first directive after the fall of the Rittevon monarchy was to get spies into all reaches of the Copper Isles. While the rebellion had been, by all measures, a success and Kyprioth returned to his rightful place as patron god of the Copper Isles, Luarin nobles continued to resist. To complicate matters, fundamentalist Raka grudgingly accepted Dovasary's half Luarin side, but turned against the Luarin about the island, sparking Luarin anger and retaliation.
The new monarchy was busy and Aly's work was instrumental in aiding the new queen in keeping control. Aly's spies, with the help of creatures known as Darkings, gave her up to date information of rebel movement, allowing Dove, counseled by warriors such as Fesgao and Taybur Sibigat, to dispatch soldiers and diplomats as to quell fighting and work towards peace for both peoples.
It was because of the sensitive nature of her work that Aly swore aloud when a knock sounded at her door, causing her to jump.
"Mithros, Mynoss, Shakith!" she cursed looking up, slamming her now ruined die on her work table. "For the love of the gods, when my door is closed, I am busy and not to be disturbed! How am I supposed to get anything done with interruptions at every turn?" she cried at the door. The door opened a crack.
"Um, Duani?" came a quiet, quivering young voice. Aly sighed. The voice belonged to Hallet, a ten year old boy who worked in the kitchens and always watched in awe when Aly and her spies practiced their fighting arts.
"Come in Hallet. I'm sorry I yelled," she said, her tone considerably softer though still impatient. Hallet stepped inside the workroom, but only just.
"Duani, there are foreign visitors here. Chenaol says you need to greet them and to wear something presentable," he said meekly, throwing the words out quickly, afraid of another outburst. Aly inwardly winced: she knew that she at times had a temper bad enough to rival her mother's. Something I'll have to work on, she thought to herself.
"Hallet look up, I'm not going to yell," she commanded gently, kindness replacing the impatience. The young boy glanced up through a mop of bangs too long for his face. "Did Chenaol say anything as to who these visitors are?" she asked.
"No Duani, just that you should join the queen in meeting them in the throne room," replied the boy. Aly rolled her eyes.
"I hate throne room formalities," she muttered under her breath. Apparently it wasn't quiet enough because Hallet flashed a brief smile.
"Chenaol said you would say that," he uttered quickly before his courage left him in the wake of one of his idols. Aly shook her head and smiled again.
"She would say that. Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry I yelled. I wasn't mad at you," she said again. Hallet blushed furiously at receiving such an apology from the queen's spymaster, bowed clumsily, and quickly fled. Aly smiled at his child like nature.
Twenty minutes later found Aly striding down one of the palace's secret passages towards the throne room. She was dressed simply in western breeches, flowing white shirt and a sleeveless robe that billowed behind her she walked. In her boots and strapped to her wrists under her shirt were knives. Throwing knives were on her belt at her back, concealed by her robe. She trusted Taybur's security but would not tempt the fates with complacency.
The secret passage let out just behind the throne, which unconventionally and intentionally was placed at the back wall of the throne room for better security. As Aly suspected, the queen, young Dovasary Balitang was not sitting atop her throne but rather was in the middle of the throne room on her feet and talking with the visitors. At her sides were Chenaol, Fesgao and Winnamine Balitang, Dove's step mother. This said two things: Dove did not fear for her safety, and second, Dove knew the visitors.
Aly, her stealthy entrance unnoticed thus far, observed the scene of Dove speaking with the newcomers with growing excitement.
The visitors were a mix of mages and knights. Easiest to spot were Numair Salmalin, black robe mage and personal advisor to King Jonathan of Tortall, and Raoul of Golden Lake, Knight Commander of the King's Own. Nealan of Queenscove was also in the group along with a knight Aly didn't know, though she recognized the colors of haMinch. Veralidaine Sarrasri, or Aunt Daine as Aly knew her, Numair's wife and Wild Mage, was there too. There were others but their identities were obscured by the others present.
Barely able to contain her excitement in seeing so many familiar faces in almost two years, Aly quickly descended the dais where the Copper Isle throne rested and moved towards the group. When she was but a few yards away, Aly paused and spoke.
"Your Majesty, I was summoned?" she said formally. The conversation among Tortallans and Copper Islanders ceased as Dove turned around. Aly bowed formally, a loyal servant presenting herself to her queen.
"Aly stop that nonsense. I was just telling our guests how relatively informal we keep proceedings within the governments inner works and there you go bowing and throwing your majesties about," admonished Dove, laughter in her voice. Aly too was smiling as she straightened herself.
"That's because her parents raised her well," a voice from the group called out. Aly froze and her eyes went wide. Dove smiled slyly and stepped aside, revealing the knight who Aly could previously not see: Alanna the Lioness.
"At least, they seemed to anyway," finished Alanna, looking at Aly, an odd expression in her eyes.
"Mother?" said Aly, her voice coming out barely lower than a squeak, her eyes showing disbelief. All of a sudden the last two years flashed before her eyes. The rebellion, the training, the spying, the summer at Lombyn, her time in the slave market and on the slave ship, her skiff sinking, the pirates, and finally, her reason for leaving; everything came back in a flood. All of the times Aly had been hurt, every risk she'd taken, all the times she could have been killed or raped flashed before her eye. Then came the terrible knowledge that she'd left Pirate's Swoop that morning in an effort to avoid Alanna the Lioness's attention. She left and been picked up by pirates and turned into a slave. Sure Kyprioth had been shielding her and keeping her safe for the most part, but she hadn't known that at the time.
No matter what transpired in the Copper Isles since her arrival, the fact of the matter was that Aly had run away from her mother to avoid being nagged at; her mother, who'd been fighting in Scanra without rest, who just wanted some time with her family, her daughter and husband. Aly left and could have died and never gotten a chance to say goodbye.
All of these thoughts overwhelmed Aly in a flood of emotion and it paralyzed her. Yes, she had missed her father, her instructor in all things clandestine, and had been afforded the opportunity to see him at the end of the last summer, however, she never realized until this moment how many things had been left unsaid between her and her mother. She stood still, staring, like a statue.
Alanna was never eloquent with words, but was always perceptive and watched as a multitude of emotions passed in her daughter's eyes; shock, realization, hurt, grief, and finally, guilt. Not able to stand seeing her daughter so conflicted, Alanna opened her arms.
Something inside Aly broke. In three bounds, she was in her mother's arms, face buried in h the crook of Alanna's neck, shaking as sobs wracked her body. Alanna cried too, holding her child close. Suddenly, a hole neither woman had known existed in their hearts seemed to fill. There was love and forgiveness in their embrace. All of the hurt and worry and anxiety of the pair's last encounter vanished.
Their lives were thrown into perspective and for the first time, Alanna realized she could trust her daughter to live. Aly had found her place, in her mother's arms in the Copper Isle throne room and realized it was where she was always meant to be.
And for the first time, Aly felt whole.
A/N: So there it is. Nothing too complicated. I just felt like George was the only parent who got credit for raising Aly but if you recall Trickster's Choice, Alanna was freaking out and on the warpath when she learned Aly was missing. As a relatively young woman who had (has) trouble communicating with her sometimes over bearing mother, I think I can say with confidence that there is always love underneath the nagging, even if it's uncomfortable.
Please review if you liked it (or you didn't!)
Happy Memorial Day! A tremendous thanks to those who have served in the armed forces or are related to those who serve. Your sacrifice is always appreciated and never forgotten!