Author's Note: I know that I haven't written anything in a long time, I'm really sorry. But I have had SO MUCH homework and so many tests recently that I couldn't find the time to put up a new chapter...until now! Okay, I am STILL an A/G fan, but, as I said, you, the reviewers/readers, will decide who everyone's favorite Lioness will end up with. And please don't send me annoying e-mails! The horror! Aaaaggghhhh!
Ugh, this chapter is chock full of A/J fluff...excuse me while I go throw up. But I am NOT going to write any PG-13 romance...at least I hope it's not. Oh well, there's action in the next chapter!
Disclaimer: The characters, thus far, belong to Tamora Pierce. I own the plot.
Chapter Three: All That Sparkles
Brilliant morning sunlight streamed through the clear glass windows to shine on Alanna's face. Grumbling, she opened one eye, blinked in surprise, then remembered that she was in Jon's bed.
Rolling over, the Lady Knight could feel Jon's firm hold around her waist. She snuggled into his chest, rubbing her fingers through the soft black hair on his chest.
The young prince sighed in pleasure and pulled her face close to his for a good-morning kiss. "Sleep well?" he murmured, running fingers through her fiery
locks.
"Ah...not really. I'm sore from the beating I let you give me last night," she teased, sitting up and stretching. Jon grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist again, hugging her tightly, then releasing. "I thought you took me back to my room," she commented, rising and striding over to her clothes on the floor.
Jon watched contentedly. "Well, this will be your room, after the wedding." At the mention of the wedding, Alanna froze, then pulled her shirt over her head.
"Jon...about the wedding," Alanna stared, but Jonathan had come over and kissed her. Heat rushed through her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his passion.
"What about our wedding, my princess?" asked the Prince, kissing Alanna again and again. She melted like butter at his warm smile and gave in to his kisses.
*****************
Whistling to herself, Alanna headed down the stairs to the stables. She hadn't taken care of Moonlight for a while now, and she hoped that her flaxen mare wasn't mad at her too.
Swinging around the corner, Alanna almost ran headfirst into Stefan, the chief hostler. "I've got a message for ye," Stefan mumbled, shoving a piece of parchment in her hand, then turning the corner quickly.
Puzzled, Alanna headed to Moonlight's stall and leaned against it. Her mare reached out her long neck and nuzzled Alanna's shoulder. Patting her neck, Alanna unfolded the slip Stefan had given her.
Alanna (the letter read),
If you ever come to your senses, I'll be at the
Dancing Dove for the next week. Then I'm off
to Tyra to talk to the rogues there. No one's
supposed to know this, but I figured that I could
tell you. Be a smart lass and come talk to me.
Love,
George
Sighing, Alanna stuffed the paper into her breeches. She had enough to worry about, with the wedding and Jon and being a princess.
"How's a ride sound to you?" she asked Moonlight, leading the mare out of her stall. Moonlight nickered her pleasure and Alanna complied, saddling and mounting the animal.
It was easy to forget your troubles when riding a fast horse on a beautiful day, Alanna decided, her hair blowing behind her like a waving banner. I might as well go see George and straighten this whole thing out, she decided, not wanting to lose a friend like George.
She was so contented by the day and her ride that she didn't bother noticing the trail of wafting smoke arising from amid the city of Corus.
But as she neared the Dancing Dove, she could tell that something was wrong. There was no Dancing Dove. The charred remains of a chimney and a stone floor was all that was left after the fire struck, she heard a shopkeeper telling one of the King's Own.
Nearly paralyzed with shock, Alanna clumsily dismounted and ran forward. The inn was completely demolished. She ran right into the officer from the King's Own.
"Alanna!" said the officer, grabbing her arms and helping her to stand. Looking up into the face of Raoul, her friend, she tried to control the sudden threat of tears.
"What happened here, Raoul?" she asked roughly, turning away from the ruins.
"Looks like someone set fire to it. Probably a rogue," he said, dropping his voice.
"Where's George? Did anyone die?" she asked, thinking of George's note.
"Not that we can tell. The place appeared to be empty." Seeing the shock on Alanna's face, he nodded. The Dancing Dove was never empty.
The Lioness was at a loss for words. Raoul sighed and began scribbling down on a tablet as she stood there, staring at what used to be the Dancing Dove.
"Alanna!"
She whirled around and saw Jon striding toward her, his face grim. Suddenly it was too much. "Oh, Jon," she whispered, allowing him to sweep her into a tight hug.
"Where's George?" he asked, stroking her hair gently.
"I don't know. He's not here. Oh, what if-"
"Don't torture yourself like that, Alanna," Jon whispered. "George can take care of himself." He released her, then kissed her.
"I'd feel better if I knew where he was," she admitted. Pulling out the sheet of parchment, she stared at it for a moment. "He said that in a week he was going to Tyra, but-"
"Let me see that!" Jon snatched the paper and scanned it eagerly. Alanna snatched it back angrily.
"Alanna, he could have been kidnapped by these Tyran rogues! This note could bring him back!" Jon gave her a hard look then turned to the officer who had come up to him with news.
Alanna turned around, wishing that she was invisible. "This is too much," she whispered, fighting tears, then straightened. She'd get to the bottom of this!
*****************
Alanna turned to smile at Jon as he gently massaged her back. "That feels really good," she whispered, bending her head back to smile at him.
"I know what feels even better," Jon whispered, pulling her in for a close kiss.
Alanna flopped back on the bed and Jon stretched out beside her. "Jon...when we were in the desert, why were you so moody?"
Jon opened his mouth angrily, then stopped and laughed. "I guess I was," he admitted. "I don't know; but I think that I had been so sure that you'd just say yes and we could go home. Like in a fairy tale."
Alanna smiled at him. "I did say yes," she reminded him, eyes sparkling.
Jon returned the smile, full of love. "And you don't know how much that means to me, Lioness," he whispered, closing his cobalt eyes and dipping his face down to hers for a long kiss.
She pulled away, grinning. "I have some idea," she replied as he positioned himself on top of her. The Lady Knight reached up for a kiss.
Dun dun dun...a cliffhanger! Well, sort of. I'll write more soon! I know what will happen, it's just a matter of putting it on paper. Please review!
Ugh, this chapter is chock full of A/J fluff...excuse me while I go throw up. But I am NOT going to write any PG-13 romance...at least I hope it's not. Oh well, there's action in the next chapter!
Disclaimer: The characters, thus far, belong to Tamora Pierce. I own the plot.
Chapter Three: All That Sparkles
Brilliant morning sunlight streamed through the clear glass windows to shine on Alanna's face. Grumbling, she opened one eye, blinked in surprise, then remembered that she was in Jon's bed.
Rolling over, the Lady Knight could feel Jon's firm hold around her waist. She snuggled into his chest, rubbing her fingers through the soft black hair on his chest.
The young prince sighed in pleasure and pulled her face close to his for a good-morning kiss. "Sleep well?" he murmured, running fingers through her fiery
locks.
"Ah...not really. I'm sore from the beating I let you give me last night," she teased, sitting up and stretching. Jon grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist again, hugging her tightly, then releasing. "I thought you took me back to my room," she commented, rising and striding over to her clothes on the floor.
Jon watched contentedly. "Well, this will be your room, after the wedding." At the mention of the wedding, Alanna froze, then pulled her shirt over her head.
"Jon...about the wedding," Alanna stared, but Jonathan had come over and kissed her. Heat rushed through her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his passion.
"What about our wedding, my princess?" asked the Prince, kissing Alanna again and again. She melted like butter at his warm smile and gave in to his kisses.
*****************
Whistling to herself, Alanna headed down the stairs to the stables. She hadn't taken care of Moonlight for a while now, and she hoped that her flaxen mare wasn't mad at her too.
Swinging around the corner, Alanna almost ran headfirst into Stefan, the chief hostler. "I've got a message for ye," Stefan mumbled, shoving a piece of parchment in her hand, then turning the corner quickly.
Puzzled, Alanna headed to Moonlight's stall and leaned against it. Her mare reached out her long neck and nuzzled Alanna's shoulder. Patting her neck, Alanna unfolded the slip Stefan had given her.
Alanna (the letter read),
If you ever come to your senses, I'll be at the
Dancing Dove for the next week. Then I'm off
to Tyra to talk to the rogues there. No one's
supposed to know this, but I figured that I could
tell you. Be a smart lass and come talk to me.
Love,
George
Sighing, Alanna stuffed the paper into her breeches. She had enough to worry about, with the wedding and Jon and being a princess.
"How's a ride sound to you?" she asked Moonlight, leading the mare out of her stall. Moonlight nickered her pleasure and Alanna complied, saddling and mounting the animal.
It was easy to forget your troubles when riding a fast horse on a beautiful day, Alanna decided, her hair blowing behind her like a waving banner. I might as well go see George and straighten this whole thing out, she decided, not wanting to lose a friend like George.
She was so contented by the day and her ride that she didn't bother noticing the trail of wafting smoke arising from amid the city of Corus.
But as she neared the Dancing Dove, she could tell that something was wrong. There was no Dancing Dove. The charred remains of a chimney and a stone floor was all that was left after the fire struck, she heard a shopkeeper telling one of the King's Own.
Nearly paralyzed with shock, Alanna clumsily dismounted and ran forward. The inn was completely demolished. She ran right into the officer from the King's Own.
"Alanna!" said the officer, grabbing her arms and helping her to stand. Looking up into the face of Raoul, her friend, she tried to control the sudden threat of tears.
"What happened here, Raoul?" she asked roughly, turning away from the ruins.
"Looks like someone set fire to it. Probably a rogue," he said, dropping his voice.
"Where's George? Did anyone die?" she asked, thinking of George's note.
"Not that we can tell. The place appeared to be empty." Seeing the shock on Alanna's face, he nodded. The Dancing Dove was never empty.
The Lioness was at a loss for words. Raoul sighed and began scribbling down on a tablet as she stood there, staring at what used to be the Dancing Dove.
"Alanna!"
She whirled around and saw Jon striding toward her, his face grim. Suddenly it was too much. "Oh, Jon," she whispered, allowing him to sweep her into a tight hug.
"Where's George?" he asked, stroking her hair gently.
"I don't know. He's not here. Oh, what if-"
"Don't torture yourself like that, Alanna," Jon whispered. "George can take care of himself." He released her, then kissed her.
"I'd feel better if I knew where he was," she admitted. Pulling out the sheet of parchment, she stared at it for a moment. "He said that in a week he was going to Tyra, but-"
"Let me see that!" Jon snatched the paper and scanned it eagerly. Alanna snatched it back angrily.
"Alanna, he could have been kidnapped by these Tyran rogues! This note could bring him back!" Jon gave her a hard look then turned to the officer who had come up to him with news.
Alanna turned around, wishing that she was invisible. "This is too much," she whispered, fighting tears, then straightened. She'd get to the bottom of this!
*****************
Alanna turned to smile at Jon as he gently massaged her back. "That feels really good," she whispered, bending her head back to smile at him.
"I know what feels even better," Jon whispered, pulling her in for a close kiss.
Alanna flopped back on the bed and Jon stretched out beside her. "Jon...when we were in the desert, why were you so moody?"
Jon opened his mouth angrily, then stopped and laughed. "I guess I was," he admitted. "I don't know; but I think that I had been so sure that you'd just say yes and we could go home. Like in a fairy tale."
Alanna smiled at him. "I did say yes," she reminded him, eyes sparkling.
Jon returned the smile, full of love. "And you don't know how much that means to me, Lioness," he whispered, closing his cobalt eyes and dipping his face down to hers for a long kiss.
She pulled away, grinning. "I have some idea," she replied as he positioned himself on top of her. The Lady Knight reached up for a kiss.
Dun dun dun...a cliffhanger! Well, sort of. I'll write more soon! I know what will happen, it's just a matter of putting it on paper. Please review!