Crime and Punishment

Disclaimer: All of Tortall belongs to Tamora Pierce. I just play around in her world.

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update this story. My other stories, "Redemption" and "I Won!" were tugging all my brain cells in their direction. I'm trying my best to juggle them all. AND I just got back from a trip to Alaska. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Ally-Marty

When George went to see Alanna before she headed off to war against the Tusaine army, he lost his resolve. He shared his longed-for deep kiss with her, and then another, before he left the library where they had met secretly. He had the feeling that he had crossed some invisible boundary, but he didn't regret what he had done, or what he had said. He was merely filled with the sensation that life had just changed - forever -for both of them, and he wasn't sure it was such a good thing.

George Cooper stretched and yawned as he pulled his boots off and got ready to go to bed. It had been a long couple of months since the war with Tusaine and two things had him very perplexed. First of all, he had not received any word of Alanna. There was nothing, not even a short note to let him know she was alright. He knew that he had unnerved her at their last meeting, when he declared his intentions toward her and kissed her deeply. George had hoped that she wouldn't hold that against him, but Alanna was so complex, he just didn't know what to expect when she returned. She had said they would still be able to be friends. Now, he wasn't so sure. Even George's own spies had not been able to get word back to him about Prince Jonathan's young squire.

The second thing that bothered George was that Kyprioth had not been bothering him. The Trickster god had not even shown himself since Alanna went away to war. It made George wonder if the two events were connected in some way. It's not as though George really needed Kyprioth to help him keep his position as King of the Thieves, but he did wonder if this was one of those times that the god was off bothering some other "lucky" followers of his. With the war going on, there had been plenty of opportunities for the members of the Court of the Rogue to make extra money on the side, "acquiring and redistributing" all kinds of goods to the soldiers in the battlefield camps. It had even been a while since Marek had last attempted any kind of coup. Actually, life was pretty good. George was so tired that he stopped thinking about Alanna and Kyprioth, and all the rest, as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"Alright, Sister dear," drawled Kyprioth, "Let's be reasonable about this. It was just a little kissing, not some big romance or anything."

The Great Goddess looked down at her perfect fingernails and pretended to shine them just a bit. Then she yawned and got up from her couch. White doves flew up and around her in her beautifully decorated dwelling in the Divine Realm. She glared at her Trickster brother, who was sitting in his punishment chamber - a transparent, yet confining space that served as a sort of comfortable prison for the wayward god.

"I said it before and I'll say it again, since you seem too dimwitted to understand me," the Goddess said coolly, and then she took a deep breath. "I warned you!" she yelled with full force. Thunder boomed all around.

Kyprioth winced and said, "Yes, but ..."

"I'll have no 'buts' from you!" the Goddess interrupted. "Now take your punishment. I'm not letting you loose until my plans are assured. I cannot trust you to control your servant, George Cooper, so he'll just have to muddle along without you until it's too late for him to interfere. It won't be too long now."

"Why? What's happening down there?" asked Kyprioth.

"Well, if you must know ..." teased the Goddess.

"I must. I must!" Kyprioth played along.

The Goddess' eyes sparkled as she told her brother, "Prince Jonathan has just kissed Alanna! I didn't even have to prompt him. He truly has deep feelings for her already, even though she's still very much in disguise! And she is beginning to fall for him in return. The Cat has confirmed it. It's better than I could have hoped, especially after your negligence."

"Well then, since everything is going your way ..." started Kyprioth.

"Ha!" interrupted the Goddess, "Don't even think about it. You're staying put until I'm good and ready to let you out. And that still won't be for a while yet. I'll let you know when the time is right, so you just relax and enjoy my special hospitality."

Kyprioth sighed and sat back down. Oh well, as far as prisons went, this was a pretty nice one. He might as well do as his divine sister suggested and relax. He didn't have to enjoy it, but then again he didn't have much of a choice. He only hoped that George would be okay until the Goddess released him.

When Alanna and the rest of the victorious Tortallan army returned to Corus, George could barely wait to see her. It seemed like forever, but it was only one week after they got back that Alanna and Gary came down to the Dancing Dove and told stories about everything that had happened by the Drell River. George kept a close watch over Alanna and noticed that she was still favoring her injured arm. When she and Gary got up to go back to the palace, George strongly encouraged 'Squire Alan' to let his mother take a look at the injury before too long. After she agreed to do that very soon, George let them go on their way. The next day, George paid a visit to his mother.

"Well, well, George," said Eleni Cooper, looking into her sons hazel eyes, "What's on your mind, now? I can see there's something bothering you."

George fidgeted in his chair as he reached for one of the freshly baked cakes that Eleni had placed on the plate in front of him. He knew better than to try to keep any secrets from his mother. She knew him better than anyone else did; sometimes even better than he knew himself. George took a deep breath and told Eleni everything - how he had started to have feelings toward Alanna from the time she had revealed her true self to them, how he had stolen a kiss from Alanna on the prince's birthday, and finally how he had declared his love for Alanna before she went away to the war.

"But now, Ma, I think I may have made a mistake in doin' that. I mean, she's back an' all, but she's different. She's more unreadable than ever. I don't know what to do next. Ma, I know you 'saw' somethin' that night when you touched Alanna hand. Could you ...?"

"George, dear," began Eleni, "You know I cannot tell you what I 'see' when someone's future is revealed to me. I'll tell you as I told her, the Goddess has her hand upon our little friend, and she has a tough path ahead of her, no matter what choices she makes. I will tell you to be patient with Alanna, very patient. Do not push her to choose you, but do not give up hope, either. Things are not always what they seem - you know that already. Now, that's all I'll ever say about this, George - nothing more - ever. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma," replied George as he got up and hugged his mother, "Thank you. I'll not ask of it again, either."

George followed his mother's advice and just enjoyed his times with his palace friends. He didn't try to get Alanna alone or talk to her about anything even close to love or romance. He was happy to know that she had gone to his mother for additional healing on her injuries - he knew that there were some things best handled by a female healer anyway. He knew that it was good for Alanna to have one female she could trust with her secret.

As fall turned to winter, George decided to introduce Prince Jonathan to his mother. It was a cold afternoon when he and Jonathan rode into Eleni's courtyard, and he just knew there would be fresh muffins or cakes or some other sweets to go with their hot tea. George told Jonathan to let the stable man tend to their horses and opened the kitchen door. He was surprised to see that his mother had company so late in the day. Then he was just ... surprised.

There in his mother's kitchen stood the prettiest young woman George had ever seen. Her upswept red hair showed off her lovely white neck, and her bodice showed off ... It only took him two seconds to realize that she was Alanna. His Alanna! Mithros, she was ... she was ...well, a real girl. He looked her over inch by inch until she chided him for staring at her. Her purple eyes flashed angrily, and George instantly knew that he did not want Jonathan to see Alanna like this. But it was too late.

Prince Jonathan edged his way past George into the kitchen and introduced himself to Mistress Cooper and her guest. It only took a moment, as well a sharp comment from Alanna, for Jonathan to realize that the younger lady was in fact his own squire, all dressed up - literally. George watched helplessly as his friend's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Suddenly, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach about where this all was headed. He made eye contact with his mother, who shook her head just a tiny bit, and then he knew. Jonathan would claim Alanna first, this he was sure of, but his mother had said to never give up hope, no matter how things looked. Still, it shocked George to realize the truth as they all stood there in the kitchen.

Eleni recovered first, telling the men to close the door and admonishing them to behave themselves in the presence of a lady. George was lost in his own thoughts while Jonathan questioned Alanna about the strange necklace she wore. Obviously, the ember-stone on the chain was not something that was normally visible when Alanna wore her squire uniform, so it was interesting to learn of it. George was almost amused as his mother had Alanna pour the tea, just as any other refined lady would do. It was clear to him that his mother had been keeping many more secrets about Alanna from him, but he had promised not to ask.

As winter turned to spring, George tortured himself by spying on his mother and Alanna whenever Alanna came into town for what George called her "lady lessons." He had to laugh as Alanna tried her best to walk properly, but he could always tell it was her, even though she wore a black wig to disguise her flaming red hair. He had to give his mother credit, though, because she really was helping Alanna to be ready for the world, once she earned her shield and revealed herself to everyone. Whenever 'Squire Alan' and his friends came down to the Dancing Dove, George acted as if he had never seen the real Alanna, thus keeping her secret quite safe. For Alanna's seventeenth birthday, George sent a small, but masculine amethyst ring to her. He wrote her a note and included the bill of sale, so that she would know that he hadn't stolen it. He was more committed than ever to helping her earn her shield.

All along, while the Great Goddess had kept Kyprioth locked in his "cell," she let him be somewhat entertained by showing him what was going on with his young vassal. She knew that her brother despised boredom, and she hoped that by being forced to watch her plans unfold, he would understand that she was not to be messed with ever again. Kyprioth tried to put up a good front, but the Goddess knew that he relished seeing Alanna learn how to be a real lady, right under the noses of all her high and mighty friends. Both the Goddess and her brother laughed their behinds off as they watched George and Jonathan enter Eleni Cooper's kitchen, and discovered for themselves just how much of a lady Alanna was becoming. Both of them held their breath on Alanna's seventeenth birthday as Jonathan approached the disguised girl in the rose garden. The Goddess released her breath as Jonathan kissed Alanna. Voyeurs that they were, neither of them turned away as that night unfolded. They watched as the new lovers sealed their relationship. The Goddess smiled. Now Kyprioth fully understood.

The next day, the Goddess released her brother from his imprisonment, with more warnings and threats not to let George interfere again. Kyprioth returned to his beloved crows and shed a rare tear for his friend. All in all, he supposed both of their punishments had fit their crimes.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. I sort of refer to my poem, "What Eleni Saw" when I wrote of George's questioning his mother about Alanna's future. Check it out. I know, I know - I'm shameless. Please don't flame me! Please do Read & Review. Thanks!