Chapter 5- The Fight for the Ordeal
OK, I know that you are all desperately waiting for the sequel to the biggest cliffhanger of all time- so I'll try to make it short. Thanks to Jaelawyn Noble for being the first person to review my story!! Disclaimer: I didn't create any characters in this story, TP did.
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Alanna just stood there, in shock. How could Jon give her away? She clutched her emberstone for support. She was jolted out of her daze by seeing Jonathan's skin literally soaked in orange fire. Roger! she thought, I knew he was behind this!! Alanna noticed the doors of the Chamber were slowly closing, she had to get in! Pushing through the mass of people that had gathered, she reached the Chamber and squeezed herself in. She then felt herself being squished. Oh, Goddess, I'm going to be trapped in the doors! With one final push, she threw herself into the Chamber of the Ordeal. The last sliver of light disappeared, leaving her in the dark.
***
After the Ordeal...
Alanna stumbled out of the Chamber, her hands torn and bloody. A seething mob rose to surround her.
"Cheat! Girl!"
Alanna ran as fast as her exausted legs could carry her. She ran until she thought the muscles in her legs would disintegrate, leaving her lying on the road. She didn't stop until she had reached the palace, fighting for breath. I've got to do it. I know what Duke Roger has planned. Oh, Goddess, give me strength. She saw Faithful, twining around her legs and purring loudly. She finally reached the doors the the Duke's private chambers. She didn't have much time left, the mob would surely catch up soon. She reached into her Gift and pushed, exploding the lock.
***
Upon leaving the Duke's chambers...
Alanna opened the door and braced herself for what she knew would come. Suprizingly, no one was there. She realaxed, cradling the stolen items from the Duke's chambers. She walked throuought the castle, looking for a spot where there was a large audience of people, including the King. Twice she had to skitter off her path to avoid people. Finally she came to the Great Audience Chamber, where the Royal family and the King's advisors were talking about the problem at hand. Another suprise: the traditional feast was in full swing, despite the turn of events. Then they saw Alanna. By now the story had spread all around the palace, everyone knew. She walked up the the front, unashamed of her femininity.
"Your Royal Majesties," she bowed. "I know I am probaably not the most trusted of people right now, but would you have let me become a knight if you knew that I was a girl?"
No one spoke or moved. Alanna noticed, to her somewhat relief, that her brother Thom was there.
"I have done yet another wrong thing. I broke into a man's chamber's just now. What I found- is far worse than what I did. Should I show their Majesties, Your Grace, the images of all important members of court wrapped up in a veil? Should I show them , Duke Roger, the image of the Queen wasting away under a fountain?"
The Queen recoiled at the worn and faint image of herself.
"Should I show you all the focus of Prince Jonathan, the focus that you used to control his mind and body?"
Alanna lifted up a curl of Jonathan's hair, as Jon rubbed a spot on his head where the hair was shorter than the rest.
Duke Roger stood up from his seat, knocking the chair over. "This is the most pathetic and scandalous lie I have ever heard! How, your Majesties, can you believe the very girl who lied about he gender for eight years? I say that "Squire Alan" has created these images herself, to scandalize me in front of the court!"
"Oblection," said Sir Gareth of Naxen, the Elder. "Alan has now undergone the Ordeal, and passed. Exept for the traditonal ceremony, Alanna of Trebond is now a knight."
Alanna was suprised. Why would the Duke vouch for her like that?
"I challenge Duke Roger of Conte to a duel, to prove to this kingdom that he conspired to kill their Majesties so that he could gain the throne." said Alanna.
"I accept." said the Duke. "I will win by right of the gods, because I say that I am innocent! As the accused, I state the time. Let is be now, before "Sir Alanna" spreads further lies against me."
"Done," Alanna said, while mentally cursing. Of course he would want to do it now, while she was still weak from the Ordeal. "Let us go to the fencing courts."
***
After her bout with the Duke...
"Are you sure you want to leave?" asked Raoul.
"Positive. I want to spend the rest of the winter being warm."
"I'll come with you," said Gary. He seemed so persistent that Alanna didn't even try to make him stay. On they went, with the devoted Coram in tow, her lioness shield at her side, and Faithful in his saddlecup, onward to adventure.
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Nice, huh? I might just end the Lioness story like that, and give a little blurb on what happened next. I probably will. If people give me enough ideas, I might continue on with even more twisted stuff. Only you can decide..... Please R/R, if I get enough I probably will continue. Though I am aching to go on to part two. I had you thinking Jon was evil for a while there, didn't I? No matter, I'm not that anti-Jon.