They galloped quickly on horseback through the expanded city of Rajmuat, to come to a stop in the Windward District, awaiting their queen's return on her flying kudarung Kypry.
A huge shadow covered the people one by one, and circled to come to a stop in front of Aly. Hovering not far above was the young queen of the Kyprish Isles on her chestnut kudarung.
Aly dismounted quickly, in order to bow down to the monarch, and help her off of her flying steed.
She then said in a loud voice, "Welcome home, Your Majesty," and bowed down low yet again.
The young sixteen-year-old queen then customarily replied, " It is good to be home, Aly." But seeing her friend still bowing on the ground she pulled her spymaster up and whispered in her ear, "you know I don't like you doing that." This made the twenty-year old woman smile for the first time in weeks, as they walked up the red carpet that led to the queen's horse along with the other nobles'.
When they reached the horses, the riders quickly mounted and galloped off towards the palace to the cheers of the crowd. They road past the gates, and into the enclosed gardens, to dismount and walk through the queen's home. The queen and her spymaster moved briskly through the corridors towards the queen's suite of rooms, the spymaster somewhat confused, where as her queen was nothing but determined.
When they entered the rooms the queen clapped her hands twice and lights illuminated everything, and at the same time silencing spells activated all around the queen's chambers. With this done the queen flopped down onto a couch, and let out a sigh of relief, while her spymaster looked on in amusement.
" It really is good to be home Aly, but we have a few things to discuss. Starting with instating your status as a noble, and deciding on a proper title for you."
The young spymaster looked surprised, and then calmly reminded her queen, "Your Majesty, I am already a noble."
"Yes, a Tortallan noble but, you need to become a Kyprish one. People are starting to complain that their spymaster is a commoner, and a Tortallan one at that."
"You know I can't help my heritage Your Majesty," said Aly quietly, while looking down in a mock apology.
"Come on Aly, you don't fool me, I know you too well by now." Said the queen in amusement, watching as her spymaster looked up with a wolfish, sincerely apologetic grin.
"So, now to decide." The queen said to herself. "Lets see, Countess, Earless, Baroness, oh I've got it Duchess!" Said the queen while her spymaster looked up in horror, dropping on to a cushioned chair. "Duchess Alianne Crow, it has a nice ring to it." The queen confirmed.
Aly still looked mortified, and then she managed to say, "Your Majesty, Winna is a Duchess, and I doubt she would like it if I rose to her status."
The queen just smiled, but seeing that her spymaster still looked stunned she went over and whispered, "It was Winna's idea in the first place, so be happy Your Grace!" She teased.
Aly seemed to come to herself, and then murmured with a wry smile, "Well, it does have a nice ring to it!"
"That's the spirit," said the queen, "oh, and as of now, you, Duchess Alianne Crow formerly of Tortall, and the Kyprish Queen's official spymaster, you also have been given lands on Kypriang, Gempang, and Malubesang, as a gift from the queen along with the title."
"Well, erm, thanks Your Majesty," Aly said rather awkwardly, still stunned because of the position change.
"Oh, and that brings me to my second order of business here today Aly." The queen said. "From now on, I want you to call me Dove instead of all this 'Your Majesty' crap" Dove said with a face that showed exactly how she felt about the matter.
"Ok Your Majesty, Dove," she said quickly after a glare from her queen, "but may I be permitted to ask why the change?"
"Of course Aly," Dove said.
"Ok then, why the change?" Aly asked with another grin.
"Oh, well, I mean, at first the mutual respect thing was great, but after a while Aly, it just got fairly annoying, and I haven't herd my actual name in almost a year," said the young queen with a slight whimper.
"Alright then Dove," said Aly while feeling somewhat sheepish.
"Thanks Aly," said Dove quietly.
"Anytime," said Aly with a smile. "But I think we should get down to the guest hall, there are some people who wish to see you, including one sister of yours along with her husband, and young children."
"Sarai?" questioned Dove "Zaimid, children? Sounds great Aly."
"I thought you might think so," said Aly with yet another smile.
"Well what are we waiting for?" asked Dove excitedly, "Lets go!"
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Ten Minutes Later
"Sarai, I can't believe it's you! It's been so long," exclaimed Dove while hugging her sister with pure exuberance
"A year and a half to be exact, " Sarai replied, while hugging her little sister just as tightly, with glistening tears of happiness in her eyes.
"Too long," agreed Dove when she finally broke away from the long- awaited hug.
"Definitely too long," replied Sarai. "Oh, right let me re-introduce you to Zaimid, and young Mequen. Mequen, do you remember your auntie Dove?" Sarai asked her three-year-old son.
Mequen nodded, with his thumb in his mouth clutching his mother's leg.
"Hello Mequen." Dove said while ruffling her nephew's hair. Then standing up to her full height she said to her brother-in-law, "It's good to see you again Zaimid," and quickly hugged him.
"And you Your Majesty," Zaimid replied stiffly.
"Pish-posh," said Dove, "please, if you have to call me something call me Dove," said the queen.
"Well, I see you've regained your previous enthusiasm Dove." Aly drawled from the shadows.
"Come on out Aly, and re-meet everyone." Said Dove, still not over her happiness of having her sister back.
"Only if you insist," said Aly while the others chuckled. But before the young spymaster could come out completely a rampaging two-year-old viciously ambushed her. "And who is this youngster?" Aly asked her old friends.
"This Aly is Aly. Your younger counterpart." Said Sarai with a smile.
"Oh, but what did insignificant little me do to deserve this honor?" Aly asked in mock politeness, which she had formerly used while masquerading as a slave and servant for the Balitangs.
"Come on, you're not that insignificant, Your Grace!" Dove taunted.
"Well if you are going to be that way, Your Majesty! Then I must object, and make you realize that I have done nothing much that is worthy of recognition!" Aly retorted.
"What about your heritage Aly, surely that is worth recognition?" Dove asked with a snicker.
"Oh but you forget dear Dovasary, that I can't help my heritage any more than you can help being queen." Aly said with a quick smirk.
"Aly, do I really have to bring up all of the lessons you have taught us?" asked Sarai in mock concern.
"What lessons?" Aly replied with a grin.
"What lessons?" asked Dove incredulously. "You mean to tell me that my dear spymaster has lost her memory of these simple, irrelevant things."
"I'm afraid so, Your Majesty." Aly said with a mock bow. " Seeing as how I don't really recall, and everyone here refuses to refresh my poor overworked memory." Aly said in apparent sorrow.
"Well if you want to be that way." Said Dove. "Then I feel I must bring up the number of relevant things you have taught us. Starting with not thinking as the dead like a number with only good or bad results because of this, instead to think of the dead's family, friends, children, husbands, wives, etc. Not to mention all of those lessons in passing of how to listen to conversations without appearing to, how to be there without people taking notice of you. How to eavesdrop effectively, how to pick locks, and how to–" Dove was cut off with a statement from Aly.
"Alright I get it, and I'll have you know, to my great misery, that I haven't been bested like that in years." Said Aly with a sigh, "I must really be losing my touch. But now I understand that the very unfortunate teacher earns her wage." Aly said in what appeared to be wonder.
"Oh yes Aly, the teacher does earn her wage," said Dove tossing Aly a gold coin.
"Oh thank you, Your Majesty, I am definitely not worthy," said Aly imitating a poor mortal worshiping a great god.
"You definitely should have joined the Players Aly," Dove said with a laugh.
"Oh but if I had joined those ever comical Players I wouldn't get to embarrass myself in front of such important people such as yourselves Majesty, lords and ladies," she said with a fools bow towards the queen and her family. "But now I am afraid I must return to the hell-hole I came from so as not to shame such grand people as yourselves with my unholy presence." Aly replied, and with another fools bow fell off of the imaginary stage into the invisible crowd only to return minutes later as herself again, with everyone still chuckling.
On her return Aly immediately announced, "well now I feel very refreshed, and we can get on to being the boring nobles that we truly are."
"Right, who is up for an informational meeting in Aly's office?" Dove asked with a grin aimed pointedly at her spymaster.
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End of Chapter 1
So, how was this chappie, worth continuing? Yes? No? frankly I don't care because I'm going to continue whether you like it or not! Muhahahaa! (laughs evilly, and looks around to see if anyone heard. Thankfully no one did and so she continues) anyway, review! I need feedback that doesn't come from my criticizing old mother (mother walks in: coughs) I mean my young, wonderfully beautiful and… aww shit, I'm out of compliments again! (mutters curses under her breath as her mother walks out with a sigh), oh well, hell with it, review and tell me how you like it, and if my humor is even the teensiest bit funny. Until next time!£!££-££&&O)⁄›‹™ �™‡›‡��¶ªªº¢∞¶#¢#¢€·‡‹�‹°›��°�·°°�·È°È˜ �° ¡›�‡·°�‡°·'‡�°·�·��‡°�°°‡��‡°�°��°Ê��‡°�°°‡�°� ‡�‡°°° �‡�!!¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡!ŸŸŸ¡¡¡¡¡!£(‹›���#¢§¢∞)!