NINE

Alanna sought out Princess Thayet the following day, and found her at the stables. "Good morning, Alanna," the woman greeted brightly. "Care to go on another ride?"

"You didn't tell me you were a princess," Alanna stage-whispered. She quickly curtsied as etiquette demanded.

Thayet sighed. "Please don't do that. It makes me uncomfortable."

"You're a princess," Alanna repeated.

"So you've said." Thayet fixed steely hazel eyes on her. "And what of it? I'm tired of being treated differently because my father was more brutal than the next man."

"Thayet!" a voice hissed. Alanna and Thayet turned to see a sturdy woman around Alanna's height. Alanna recognized her as one of Thayet's bodyguards.

"He isn't here, Buri." Thayet rolled her eyes. "And what have I said that isn't true? You know as well as I that father isn't a particularly good ruler."

"Stop it," the woman called Buri hissed. "I also know that your father has ears, and your mother will kill me if I let anything happen to you, accidental or not."

"She's overprotective," Thayet coolly explained to Alanna. "My father dislikes it when people speak ill of him." She shrugged. "He could never have me killed, as Buri well knows. He needs me to make a good marriage to legitimize his crown."

"You shouldn't be telling me this," Alanna murmured. "I'm only a courtier."

"Oh please," Thayet scoffed. "Unless I'm going blind, you're the twin sister of the prince's squire – Thom of Trebond. You can hardly expect me to believe that you don't know anything."

Alanna shrugged. "When it comes to politics in your country, I don't. They don't teach us those things at the Convent."

"I'd imagine not." Thayet frowned. "Is this really going to affect our friendship, Alanna of Trebond? Because I rather enjoyed our ride yesterday."

"I don't know," Alanna admitted slowly. "You're not like the other princesses, but my mother would kill me if I did anything improper. She's obsessed with marrying me off to someone powerful."

Thayet laughed. "It sounds as if we have similar situations, to an extent." She smiled. "I would very much like to be your friend. I doubt any of my royal cousins care to befriend me."

"They did seem to hate you," the redhead agreed. "But, I would hate you too if I were as committed to enticing Prince Jonathan." A little voice in the back of her head told her she did want to entice Prince Jonathan, but she ignored it. Thayet may have been in the running to be queen, but Alanna could see herself liking the woman. Some small part of her hoped that Jonathan would fall in love with Thayet if not with her. She could live with that.

"Good looks are a curse." Thayet fingered the bridge of her nose, the one blight on her beauty. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Alanna and Thayet returned from their ride, laughing, cheeks flushed. It was lunchtime, so they were headed in opposite directions. "I suppose I will see you this evening," Thayet said.

"You will." Alanna grinned. "I'm not sure I'll be able to get close to you. You'll have all the young knights after you. Maybe even a few squires too."

The princess laughed. "I am under strict instructions to accept nothing less than the Crown Prince." Her eyes danced. "But I dislike such restrictions. I find them so… stifling."

"I know just how you feel. Goodbye, Thayet."

"Goodbye, Alanna."

Alanna headed down the hall to the dining hall, humming to herself. She sat at a table with Delia and Cythera, who were awaiting the arrivals of the young knights courting them. "You look happy," Delia remarked with a smile. "Did you just leave Sir Raoul?"

"No!" Alanna's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment. "How many times must I tell you he isn't courting me?"

"I'm sure it will stick eventually," Cythera said, ever the peacekeeper, even though she agreed with Delia that there was something between Alanna and Raoul. If only they knew, Alanna thought, glaring at them.

"Did you go for a ride without me?" the man in question asked, appearing at the table. He put his hand over his heart. "I'm crushed."

"I'm sorry!" Alanna had completely forgotten about their planned race in her search for Thayet. "We could go later, if you'd like. I didn't ride hard." It was the truth – she and Thayet kept their pace to a walk, an appropriate pace to hold a conversation.

"I would hate to think my oaf and I had an unfair advantage." Raoul smiled, sitting as Gary and Alex joined them. "Some other time. I have things to do this afternoon."

"Yes, as Jonathan's closest friends, we're taking his highness and the visiting princesses out on a tour of the nearby lands," Gary said. "We will serve as both entertainment and protection."

"It will be an exhilarating afternoon," Raoul added sarcastically. "I so look forward to arguing the names of different shades of pink with Princess Josiane."

"You have Josiane?" Alex asked with a smile. "Be careful with her, Raoul. The Rittevons are mad."

"I know that," Raoul sighed. "Perhaps they think I can handle a small thing like her if she goes mad on me during the tour."

"I have the one from Galla," Gary offered. "She's only fifteen – the youngest of the king's daughters. She's silly, but the Gallan royal family is older than Tortall's, so I get to be her sitter for the day."

"They sent a fifteen year old?" Alanna asked incredulously. "That's far too young to be married!"

"Jon's only nineteen," Gary reminded her. "And they marry younger in the city. Even the nobles do, sometimes."

"Who else is going?" Cythera asked, trying to change the topic. "Of the knights, I mean."

"Let's see." Gary counted them off on his fingers. "Copper Isles, Galla, Tyra, Maren, Tusaine, Sarain. Six knights, plus Jonathan and whatever guard His Majesty sends. I heard talk Duke Roger will be joining us. In the hopes that his strength as a mage will deter trouble, I'd imagine."

"Who has the task of watching Princess Thayet?" Delia wanted to know. "Or is His Highness taking her for himself?"

"No," Gary said. "That would be improper. Jonathan has to rotate his attentions between all the princesses. I'm not sure. Someone outside our group, clearly."

"Make sure it's someone intelligent," Alanna commented. "She's very bright, and has a lot of questions." The knights looked at her. "Not to say you aren't all intelligent," she covered smoothly, knowing better than to insult their pride. "But you need to give her someone she can talk to. Alex or Gary, you'd keep up with her. Even Thom could."

"Thom can't," Alex said, avoiding the question of how Alanna knew this about the princess. "He's only a squire. But he'll be there."

"All our squires will," Gary added. "I, for one, plan on letting him talk to the fifteen year old. He's taken a liking to her."

"Poor soul," Cythera remarked. "That is one crush that will amount to nothing." She smiled as Gary squeezed her hand. Alex kissed Delia's cheek. Raoul and Alanna shifted in their seats. I need to find less in love friends, Alanna thought. Or I am really going to start to resent them.

With everyone gone, Alanna decided to pay a visit to George that afternoon. She dressed in a simple dark blue dress, doing her best not to draw attention to herself. When she arrived, George smiled and rose to greet her. "Afternoon, lass," he said as one of his men pulled up a chair for her. "What brings ye to the Dove?"

"I missed your smiling face," she replied with a smile. "That, and I was bored at the palace."

"Bein' noble seems boring to me," George admitted.

"It is, sometimes." Alanna shrugged. "Being a noblewoman is worst of all."

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "You don't make your own fun?"

"I do." She opened her arms, indicating the Dove. "That's why I'm here."

The thief laughed. "You are." He leaned back in his seat. "So. The prince taken a liking to any of the princesses?"

"It's hard to tell," Alanna said, choosing her words carefully. "None of them seem to interest him much, aside from the new one, from Sarain."

George whistled. "Sarain's a dangerous place. Rumor has it she's beautiful."

"She is. But not as docile as the others. Her horse is a beauty."

"You like her."

"I do." Alanna nodded. "She's different. We have a lot in common." George raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Enough about the palace. I get enough of it when I'm there. What's new here?"

"Nothin' I can tell you about," he told her with a wink. "Not that I think you'd turn me in, a Rogue's just got to be careful."

"I understand." She smiled and accepted the lemonade the barman placed in front of her. "I'd hate to see the Lord Provost come after you. I like you too much."

"Thank you, lass." He smiled. "I'd like to see the look in his face if you ever tell him that."

Alanna laughed. "There are a few other faces I would like to see when they learn of who your friends in the palace are."

"It might be worth gettin' caught – just to see those faces." George grinned. "Not to worry, lass. I've no intention of gettin' caught. I've been at this too long to slip up now."

"Don't get arrogant," she warned him. "That's when you'll start making mistakes."

"I've a mother already, Mistress Alanna. I don't need you motherin' me, too."

That night's dream brought Alanna to the Lesser Library, with George, dressed as a monk. This will be interesting, she thought, settling herself in a chair where she could see the interaction.

"I'm just having trouble seeing you turn decent citizen," Dream-Alanna said from her place on a table. "Who will you give your collection of ears to? And what trade will you take up? Jewel-selling? Returning what you stole, for a fee, of course?"

"I'm in no hurry. King Roald is a young man still. You see, I'm waitin' for my chosen bride to grow up. She couldn't be some citizen's daughter, could she? She must be a free soul who knows my past, who doesn't care for what's proper and what's not. Someone who wouldn't scream when she opened my treasure and found the collection you mentioned."

Dream-Alanna wiped her hands on her tunic, and Alanna leaned in, thinking she knew the direction of this conversation. "Good luck, George. I don't think a woman like that exists."

He stood and pulled her off the table. "I've already found her, and you know it well."

"You think highly of yourself! I'm the daughter of a noble-"

He laughed softly. "Does that truly stand between us, Alanna? If you loved, would you care about birth or wealth?"

"Like must wed like," she whispered. Alanna was startled by the words of her dream self. Like must wed like. How strange it was, to have those words turned around in her real life.

"There are more important things than birth. What good will a well-born husband be when you take up your shield?"

"No husband at all will do me the most good. I don't plan to marry, and I certainly don't plan to fall in love."

"So you say now. I'm a patient man, lass. If need be, I'll wait years. And I'll not speak of this to you again. I only wanted you to know I'm yours to command." He grinned, and Alanna tried to move away.

"We can go on being friends like before?"

"Friends, and good ones, I trust. Confess it, lass, you'd miss me sorely, were I not about."

"I – I won't let it ruin our friendship, George."

"And I won't speak of it again till you ask it. Look at me, Alanna."

Dream-Alanna looked up. George kissed her, pulling her close. Real Alanna raised her eyebrows as her dream self relaxed into his kiss. George pushed her away, leaving Alanna blushing. "This goes too far," he said. "I only – I only wanted you to know how I feel, before you go marchin' off to some battlefield." War? Alanna thought, startled. She was going off to war?

"You pick a funny way to say goodbye, George."

As the dream faded and her eyes opened, she considered this new development. George loved her dream self. She hoped he didn't love her now. That would make things far more complicated, and she didn't need complicated. Why can't this be easy? she wondered, rolling onto her other side to go back to sleep. Love's too fun to be so hard.

That was a longer dream than I typically like to include. I hate putting so much of her original words in a fan fiction. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!