A/N Wow! I really like this chapter! It has action, a protective Jon, revealing of Master Plan, some sadness, some spiritual contacts, a little bit of fluff.
Oh yes, I must tell you when I said earlier that I had never planned for this fic to go this far, I really didn't think it would and I'm so amazed how much the chapters fit together now. I'm so happy with it. But then, because the plot is finishing up and there's not much left that means the end of this fic. Not this chapter, but it will end in one of the later chapters and there may not be many of them left. I'll say all my sad and mushy stuff later.
Remember, I don't own anything here.
The next morning Alanna slid out of bed, careful not to wake her sleeping husband. She grabbed
her breeches and shirt from her bag and hobbled across the ice cold stone floor to her dressing
room. After she was dressed she pulled her hair back into a pony tail and grabbed her sword.
She crept out of her room. It was a little before dawn and the small rays of light escaped the curtainsand lit the corridor.
Not many people were out and about at this time, just a few servants and maids. Maybe the cooks were up, but Alanna didn't know for sure.
Finally after searching all over for one decent exit she found one that led her to Tusaine's practice courts.
One knight was out in the courts, practicing a pattern that Alanna knew well. The knight seemed to have a little difficulty. The limp he had didn't help. She walked up to him. Hearing her, he turned around and smiled crookedly.
"Well, if it isn't the Prince's squire Alan," the knight said gruffly.
"Excuse me?" Alanna couldn't see how this man would've known that, unless....
"Don't you remember me? We fought years ago, when you were but a wee boy. Or girl as I should say," said the man.
"Sir Dain?" Alanna inquired.
"Yes, 'tis me. Though, I don't look myself, do I?" Alanna shook her head. "Course not, during the Tusaine War I was injured. Left me with a bad arm and a limp. I'm trying to discover my sword skill again, but it's difficult," Dain said. He looked at her. "My, you have grown. A lady, and the future queen of Tortall. And very pretty, too."
Alanna blushed. "I am no such thing. Beauty does not suit us knights."
"That's your own opinion. I don't buy it, though." He was about to say something else, but Alanna cut him off.
"Do you want help? I know this pattern. I can help," Alanna said kindly.
"Why, thank you, your Highness," Dain said, bowing.
Another week pasted in Tusaine. The Tusaine council, namely Rionard, was not giving up at all. It
seemed to Alanna that this would never be over. Or that there would be another war in their midst.
Alanna continued to help Dain with his sword patterns. He got better and better each day, which made Alanna quite happy. When Alanna told Jon what she was up to, Jon beamed at her.
"This is exactly what needs to be done," he had said. "The Tusaine's will see that we arenot hostile because of this act of kindness."
Alanna, though kind to the Tusaine people as Jon was, was beginning to get agitated. Fights were becoming frequent between some Tusaine knights and Jon. He was loosing his temper fast as they insulted Alanna. He could take their insults, but not the ones directed to her.
Every night Alanna calmed him down, wiping his brow with a warm cloth. She would tell him to calm down and to let it go, but everytime Jon shook his head and said that would mean he was shirking his duty to her and he would never do that.
"I have to defend your honor," he would say. "It is my responsibility as your husband."
"Jon, please stop," Alanna would plead with him.
Alanna knew that someone had to be the reason for this.
She stepped out of their rooms and walked over to a public balcony to think. She was there only a few minutes before a voice called, "Alanna. What a surprise."
Alanna turned quickly, reaching for her sword. She felt for it blindly. It wasn't there.
"Alanna, I wondered how long it would be until I got you all alone," Catherine said, poison dripping off her words.
"What do you want?" Alanna snarled.
"To do what I had planned to all along," Catherine said icily. "To kill you."
Alanna only stared, wishing as hard as she could that she had her sword with her.
"You can't possibly think that everything that happened to you since your affair with Cooper was by chance? Ha! I must confess now. I am a mage, first off. A strong one, too. I meant George at the Dancing Dove. He fell in love with me quickly, that made that part of the plan easy. At that point I could get George to do whatever I wanted. He kidnapped you and took you to over here to Tanner and that general. Because of George's stupidity, you escaped. It would have gotten a life of riches for doing what he had done if you had not escaped. But, for his failure, he was killed. And don't you wonder why that spell your brother cast at George's hanging failed to work for a while? That was me. Unfortunately, he was too strong for me. This was my plan. All mine. Rionard might say that parts were his idea, but he is lying. It is mine!"
"If you could get George to do whatever you wanted, why did you offer him riches?" Alanna asked, trying to buy time. She was preparing herself for a magical battle that she was not prepared for.
Catherine sighed. "He began to change his mind before he kidnapped you. He still loved you, of course. So, I told him about all the money he could get if he worked for me. He owned me, of course."
Alanna knew it was bad that George had kidnapped her, but it was one thing if he was not in his right mind and another if he did it for money.
Catherine seemed about to say more, and wasn't paying attention to Alanna. Alanna decided that this was the time to fire a large ball of magic that she had been preparing through the speech. The large purple fire-ball flew towards Catherine and struck her hard. Catherine flew back and hit the wall. She stood up and sent a flying arrow, lined with Catherine's Gift towards Alanna. She flew over the balcony, hanging by her fingertips.
Catherine laughed long and cruelly.
Alanna struggled to keep her grip on the banister. She could feel herself slipping. Her left hand dropped down, the other hand slipping as well. She reached up with her left hand to grip the banister. She tried pulling herself up, but a strong gust of win swept her back down. Both of her hands slid off the rail and down she plummeted. Suddenly, a strange feeling crept around Alanna's waist. It were as though someone was lifting her by her waist.
She felt herself rise up. Alanna turned and looked to see if anyone was there. She was all alone rising in the air. She felt a presence, though. It felt like someone. It felt like George. She turned around again and saw a spirit. The spirit of her dear friend George lifted her up to the balcony, renewing her with strength.
Once settled on the cobblestones, she looked to see George's spirit rise up.
Alanna took a deep breath and gathered her power. Concentrating hard, she was able to create a large fire-ball. A huge fire-ball. It was nearly ten feet in diameter.
Catherine stopped laughing. The fire-ball flew straight towards her, engulfing her. A large explosion caused blinding, white light to blind Alanna temporarily. When she look back to Catherine, she saw Catherine was gone, but for some ashes and scorch marks. Alanna fainted.
A/N I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. WOW! I amaze myself sometime. Can you believe it? Action! From me?????? ME!!!! I'm shocked!
Please, please, please, read my fic The Boyfriend. Here's the summary:
After Hermione, Harry, and Ron left Hogwarts for good, Hermione moved to Los Angeles leaving Harry and Ron in London. A year later, she's coming home for a little visit and she's not alone. She's bringing her muggle boyfriend with hopes that Harry and Ron will approve of him.
Wait! Don't shrug the fic off just yet! Here's the catch: Hermione's boyfriend is a muggle, madly in love with her, and not an OC.
Please review. I know you do, but I just got to ask.
Lady Alanna Salmalin of Conte, the Queen of Fluff
Oh yes, I must tell you when I said earlier that I had never planned for this fic to go this far, I really didn't think it would and I'm so amazed how much the chapters fit together now. I'm so happy with it. But then, because the plot is finishing up and there's not much left that means the end of this fic. Not this chapter, but it will end in one of the later chapters and there may not be many of them left. I'll say all my sad and mushy stuff later.
Remember, I don't own anything here.
The next morning Alanna slid out of bed, careful not to wake her sleeping husband. She grabbed
her breeches and shirt from her bag and hobbled across the ice cold stone floor to her dressing
room. After she was dressed she pulled her hair back into a pony tail and grabbed her sword.
She crept out of her room. It was a little before dawn and the small rays of light escaped the curtainsand lit the corridor.
Not many people were out and about at this time, just a few servants and maids. Maybe the cooks were up, but Alanna didn't know for sure.
Finally after searching all over for one decent exit she found one that led her to Tusaine's practice courts.
One knight was out in the courts, practicing a pattern that Alanna knew well. The knight seemed to have a little difficulty. The limp he had didn't help. She walked up to him. Hearing her, he turned around and smiled crookedly.
"Well, if it isn't the Prince's squire Alan," the knight said gruffly.
"Excuse me?" Alanna couldn't see how this man would've known that, unless....
"Don't you remember me? We fought years ago, when you were but a wee boy. Or girl as I should say," said the man.
"Sir Dain?" Alanna inquired.
"Yes, 'tis me. Though, I don't look myself, do I?" Alanna shook her head. "Course not, during the Tusaine War I was injured. Left me with a bad arm and a limp. I'm trying to discover my sword skill again, but it's difficult," Dain said. He looked at her. "My, you have grown. A lady, and the future queen of Tortall. And very pretty, too."
Alanna blushed. "I am no such thing. Beauty does not suit us knights."
"That's your own opinion. I don't buy it, though." He was about to say something else, but Alanna cut him off.
"Do you want help? I know this pattern. I can help," Alanna said kindly.
"Why, thank you, your Highness," Dain said, bowing.
Another week pasted in Tusaine. The Tusaine council, namely Rionard, was not giving up at all. It
seemed to Alanna that this would never be over. Or that there would be another war in their midst.
Alanna continued to help Dain with his sword patterns. He got better and better each day, which made Alanna quite happy. When Alanna told Jon what she was up to, Jon beamed at her.
"This is exactly what needs to be done," he had said. "The Tusaine's will see that we arenot hostile because of this act of kindness."
Alanna, though kind to the Tusaine people as Jon was, was beginning to get agitated. Fights were becoming frequent between some Tusaine knights and Jon. He was loosing his temper fast as they insulted Alanna. He could take their insults, but not the ones directed to her.
Every night Alanna calmed him down, wiping his brow with a warm cloth. She would tell him to calm down and to let it go, but everytime Jon shook his head and said that would mean he was shirking his duty to her and he would never do that.
"I have to defend your honor," he would say. "It is my responsibility as your husband."
"Jon, please stop," Alanna would plead with him.
Alanna knew that someone had to be the reason for this.
She stepped out of their rooms and walked over to a public balcony to think. She was there only a few minutes before a voice called, "Alanna. What a surprise."
Alanna turned quickly, reaching for her sword. She felt for it blindly. It wasn't there.
"Alanna, I wondered how long it would be until I got you all alone," Catherine said, poison dripping off her words.
"What do you want?" Alanna snarled.
"To do what I had planned to all along," Catherine said icily. "To kill you."
Alanna only stared, wishing as hard as she could that she had her sword with her.
"You can't possibly think that everything that happened to you since your affair with Cooper was by chance? Ha! I must confess now. I am a mage, first off. A strong one, too. I meant George at the Dancing Dove. He fell in love with me quickly, that made that part of the plan easy. At that point I could get George to do whatever I wanted. He kidnapped you and took you to over here to Tanner and that general. Because of George's stupidity, you escaped. It would have gotten a life of riches for doing what he had done if you had not escaped. But, for his failure, he was killed. And don't you wonder why that spell your brother cast at George's hanging failed to work for a while? That was me. Unfortunately, he was too strong for me. This was my plan. All mine. Rionard might say that parts were his idea, but he is lying. It is mine!"
"If you could get George to do whatever you wanted, why did you offer him riches?" Alanna asked, trying to buy time. She was preparing herself for a magical battle that she was not prepared for.
Catherine sighed. "He began to change his mind before he kidnapped you. He still loved you, of course. So, I told him about all the money he could get if he worked for me. He owned me, of course."
Alanna knew it was bad that George had kidnapped her, but it was one thing if he was not in his right mind and another if he did it for money.
Catherine seemed about to say more, and wasn't paying attention to Alanna. Alanna decided that this was the time to fire a large ball of magic that she had been preparing through the speech. The large purple fire-ball flew towards Catherine and struck her hard. Catherine flew back and hit the wall. She stood up and sent a flying arrow, lined with Catherine's Gift towards Alanna. She flew over the balcony, hanging by her fingertips.
Catherine laughed long and cruelly.
Alanna struggled to keep her grip on the banister. She could feel herself slipping. Her left hand dropped down, the other hand slipping as well. She reached up with her left hand to grip the banister. She tried pulling herself up, but a strong gust of win swept her back down. Both of her hands slid off the rail and down she plummeted. Suddenly, a strange feeling crept around Alanna's waist. It were as though someone was lifting her by her waist.
She felt herself rise up. Alanna turned and looked to see if anyone was there. She was all alone rising in the air. She felt a presence, though. It felt like someone. It felt like George. She turned around again and saw a spirit. The spirit of her dear friend George lifted her up to the balcony, renewing her with strength.
Once settled on the cobblestones, she looked to see George's spirit rise up.
Alanna took a deep breath and gathered her power. Concentrating hard, she was able to create a large fire-ball. A huge fire-ball. It was nearly ten feet in diameter.
Catherine stopped laughing. The fire-ball flew straight towards her, engulfing her. A large explosion caused blinding, white light to blind Alanna temporarily. When she look back to Catherine, she saw Catherine was gone, but for some ashes and scorch marks. Alanna fainted.
A/N I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. WOW! I amaze myself sometime. Can you believe it? Action! From me?????? ME!!!! I'm shocked!
Please, please, please, read my fic The Boyfriend. Here's the summary:
After Hermione, Harry, and Ron left Hogwarts for good, Hermione moved to Los Angeles leaving Harry and Ron in London. A year later, she's coming home for a little visit and she's not alone. She's bringing her muggle boyfriend with hopes that Harry and Ron will approve of him.
Wait! Don't shrug the fic off just yet! Here's the catch: Hermione's boyfriend is a muggle, madly in love with her, and not an OC.
Please review. I know you do, but I just got to ask.
Lady Alanna Salmalin of Conte, the Queen of Fluff