When Jonathan finally managed to catch up to Alanna, she turned on him. "What was that about, Jonathan? They ask you what her name is, and you stand there like an idiot looking confused! Almost like you're afraid to say it or something!"
"Alanna - "
She cut him off. "Is it because of me? Because she's my daughter and you still won't allow Keladry to meet me? Is that why?"
Jonathan stood there in shock for a moment and Wyldon broke the silence. "Lioness . . . I'm sorry for causing such a mess to begin with . . . I was wrong in thinking women can't be knights - great ones at that. But my mind has certainly been changed . . . " He shook his head ruefully. "And, Keladry, she did it all on her own. That girl's as stubborn as you'll ever see."
Alanna softened. "I'm not angry at you anymore Wyldon - at least you're sorry." The last remark was directed at Jonathan. Glaring at him, she said, "I don't know what has happened to you Jonathan, but you've changed. And I don't like the person you've become.
For the second time in five minutes, Alanna stormed off.
~~~~~
As they turned the corner, Kel let out a whoop. She grabbed Neal's shoulders and shook him. "There's another girl!" She gave him a hug and skipped ahead, dragging him and Faleron with her. "C'mon . . . let's go celebrate!"
The boys stared at her as though she'd suddenly turned purple. "She's skipping," said Warric. Trailing more slowly behind, Iden, Warric, Faleron, Merric, and Seaver decided Kel must really be excited. She was skipping, by the Gods!
As the group walked along the palace corridors, Kel suddenly asked to question that had been plaguing her since their strange meeting with the King. "That was the Lioness - wasn't it?"
It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, just an open question - one that she desperately wanted answered.
"Yes," Roald told her without a moment hesitation. "Yes it was"
~~~~~
Alanna paced in front of the door to her and George's temporary apartment. Where was he! She was shaking with fury at Jonathan, hadn't the slightest idea where her children were - probably managing to start a war, she thought ruefully - and George should have been back hours ago from his meal with Stefan. {A/N: or is it Stephan? Couldn't remember, and I can't go upstairs and grab the book to check. My mom's sleeping.} And she needed to vent!
Deciding she was getting tired of pacing, she set herself to doing something constructive: swinging her sword around right in front of the door. Only after denting the handle and slashing into the wooden door did she realize that what she was doing was probably not too smart.
Dropping into a sitting position, Alanna put her face into her hands and moaned. "Why me?" she asked them, "Why me?" Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she wondered vaguely what time it was; then said, "Goddess . . . it's just too much of a temptation. She's right there - right here - and I can't so much as tell her that her shoe is undone! This is ridiculous! And Alianne . . . She's going to have an awful time of it if Jonathan keeps acting like this." She slammed a fist into her palm. "Dammit, I want my life back!"
"I wasn't aware it'd been lost."
"George where have you been!" Alanna cried, jumping up to embrace him.
He shook his head, brown hair flying all over. "It's a long story lass. Now what's this about wanting your life back?"
Groaning, Alanna explained about the whole Keladry situation, as well as her daughter's page-hood. She sighed. "And then there's Jonathan. He acts like he doesn't want Ali to be a page. Like he'd rather I wasn't a knight!"
George listened, cocking his head when she mentioned Jonathan. "Well my Lioness, have you mentioned any of this to Thayet? Or Jonathan himself?"
Alanna shook her head. "No my former Thief-King, I haven't." Her tone became more serious. "It's almost like he's a different person."
Brushing a curl away from Alanna's eyes George informed her, "Well, I think that may be the best thing to do. If it will calm you down . . . " George's hand glided down her arm. "Alianne and Alan need you right now. Thom needs you. Your country needs you." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "I need you."
Alanna crushed her mouth against his, kissing him passionately.
"The children should be back any moment," George murmured when she began to remove his shirt, but he made no move to stop her, and certainly didn't stop taking off hers.
Alanna kissed him lovingly, hands tangled in his shirt - which was now up around his neck - and his hair. "I need you as much as you need me," she told him.
He grinned. "That's all I needed to hear."
"Alanna - "
She cut him off. "Is it because of me? Because she's my daughter and you still won't allow Keladry to meet me? Is that why?"
Jonathan stood there in shock for a moment and Wyldon broke the silence. "Lioness . . . I'm sorry for causing such a mess to begin with . . . I was wrong in thinking women can't be knights - great ones at that. But my mind has certainly been changed . . . " He shook his head ruefully. "And, Keladry, she did it all on her own. That girl's as stubborn as you'll ever see."
Alanna softened. "I'm not angry at you anymore Wyldon - at least you're sorry." The last remark was directed at Jonathan. Glaring at him, she said, "I don't know what has happened to you Jonathan, but you've changed. And I don't like the person you've become.
For the second time in five minutes, Alanna stormed off.
~~~~~
As they turned the corner, Kel let out a whoop. She grabbed Neal's shoulders and shook him. "There's another girl!" She gave him a hug and skipped ahead, dragging him and Faleron with her. "C'mon . . . let's go celebrate!"
The boys stared at her as though she'd suddenly turned purple. "She's skipping," said Warric. Trailing more slowly behind, Iden, Warric, Faleron, Merric, and Seaver decided Kel must really be excited. She was skipping, by the Gods!
As the group walked along the palace corridors, Kel suddenly asked to question that had been plaguing her since their strange meeting with the King. "That was the Lioness - wasn't it?"
It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, just an open question - one that she desperately wanted answered.
"Yes," Roald told her without a moment hesitation. "Yes it was"
~~~~~
Alanna paced in front of the door to her and George's temporary apartment. Where was he! She was shaking with fury at Jonathan, hadn't the slightest idea where her children were - probably managing to start a war, she thought ruefully - and George should have been back hours ago from his meal with Stefan. {A/N: or is it Stephan? Couldn't remember, and I can't go upstairs and grab the book to check. My mom's sleeping.} And she needed to vent!
Deciding she was getting tired of pacing, she set herself to doing something constructive: swinging her sword around right in front of the door. Only after denting the handle and slashing into the wooden door did she realize that what she was doing was probably not too smart.
Dropping into a sitting position, Alanna put her face into her hands and moaned. "Why me?" she asked them, "Why me?" Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she wondered vaguely what time it was; then said, "Goddess . . . it's just too much of a temptation. She's right there - right here - and I can't so much as tell her that her shoe is undone! This is ridiculous! And Alianne . . . She's going to have an awful time of it if Jonathan keeps acting like this." She slammed a fist into her palm. "Dammit, I want my life back!"
"I wasn't aware it'd been lost."
"George where have you been!" Alanna cried, jumping up to embrace him.
He shook his head, brown hair flying all over. "It's a long story lass. Now what's this about wanting your life back?"
Groaning, Alanna explained about the whole Keladry situation, as well as her daughter's page-hood. She sighed. "And then there's Jonathan. He acts like he doesn't want Ali to be a page. Like he'd rather I wasn't a knight!"
George listened, cocking his head when she mentioned Jonathan. "Well my Lioness, have you mentioned any of this to Thayet? Or Jonathan himself?"
Alanna shook her head. "No my former Thief-King, I haven't." Her tone became more serious. "It's almost like he's a different person."
Brushing a curl away from Alanna's eyes George informed her, "Well, I think that may be the best thing to do. If it will calm you down . . . " George's hand glided down her arm. "Alianne and Alan need you right now. Thom needs you. Your country needs you." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "I need you."
Alanna crushed her mouth against his, kissing him passionately.
"The children should be back any moment," George murmured when she began to remove his shirt, but he made no move to stop her, and certainly didn't stop taking off hers.
Alanna kissed him lovingly, hands tangled in his shirt - which was now up around his neck - and his hair. "I need you as much as you need me," she told him.
He grinned. "That's all I needed to hear."