Default Normal Default 2 1557 2001-10-28T00:13:00Z 2001-10-28T00:13:00Z 3 1184 5378 102 36 6594 9.2720

                    LADY ALANNA

                                                     Chapter 3

            Lady Alanna liked Court life. She wore pretty clothes everyday, did whatever she wanted. There were parties every night, and Alanna always had someone to dance with. Men literally fell all over her.

            Of course Alanna was oblivious to all of this. She and Anna resumed their nightly fencing practice, except at a much later hour, on the nights when there weren't any parties. While Thom was going on and on to Alanna about the agonizing exercises he had to do in training, Alanna listened to the descriptions. She began practicing them every night and every morning, and her strength grew.

            Delia of Eldorne was hanging around very often. She was the girl that Thom was dancing with the night Jonathan went to the tavern. Alanna didn't like her much; but she seemed to like Alanna well enough. Alanna thought she was very pretty. She didn't understand why she was angry when Delia danced with Jonathan. She didn't want to understand. And Delia tried to get every moment with Jonathan that she could. Not that Alanna didn't spend time with him. In fact, the other knights were very jealous of the Prince. Alanna didn't know that, either.

            One day, Alanna decided to go riding in the Royal Forest. Tonight was the fourth night in the seven-day Midwinter Festival, and she wanted to get some exercise. She was riding Majesty, and heard the familiar beat of a horse's canter. Alanna turned around to see who the rider was--and just barely missed hitting a tree branch. Aren't I smart, Alanna thought cynically. She still could not see the rider who was quickly catching up to her. She was not worried, however. Even if the unknown rider came right next to her, Majesty's gallop was very fast.

            A thought struck her: what if they were more thieves? Then she would have to move fast. She was thinking of all the weapons she had with her. A dagger in my boot, she thought quickly, Coram's sword on my belt. Do I have my crossbow? Suddenly, Majesty stumbled. What was wrong? Alanna dismounted. Forget the rider. My horse is hurt! Yes, her "Jest" was injured. She had tripped over a tree branch placed in the middle of the trail. It was willow, with windy branches that tangled around Jest's leg to pull her down.

            "Alanna! Alanna!" The rider came to a halt; it was Jonathan.

            "What in the Goddess's name are you doing here?" Alanna cried helplessly.

            Jonathan stuttered, "Well, I, um… I was going to take a ride, and I, um… saw you…"

            Alanna, of course, scowled. "I don't care! Just help me with my horse!" Jonathan sighed. Alanna was so temperamental.

            "Yes, yes. What happened? One minute, you were fine, the next minute, you were on the ground with your horse." Alanna explained what had happened matter-of-factly. Jonathan sighed again. "I guess you'll have to ride back with me. Or be late to the Festival and leave your horse in pain."

            Alanna looked at her options. She could go with Jonathan. She had a healing Gift, but she never learned to heal animals. She didn't want to do further damage. "Oh, all right. But we have to lead Jest."

            Alanna mounted behind a smug Jonathan. She scowled at his happy expression. "What are you so happy about?" He continued to smile.

            "Oh, nothing, Alanna. Nothing at all."

            She put her hands around his waist and held on. For some reason, she felt giddy. She had never been this close to a man before. At least, not one like Jonathan.

            When they got back to the Palace, Alanna untied Majesty from Jonathan's rein. "Thank you." She said nervously. She felt…strange. "I'll see you at the Midwinter Festival tonight."

            He smiled and his sapphire eyes shone brightly against his dark hair. "I'll see you in an hour."

            "An hour! Oh, I have to go!"

            Alanna was seated next to someone named "Sir Myles of Olau." He proved to have a lot to say. And Alanna enjoyed listening. He turned out to be the history teacher at the Palace.

            "The Palace! Oh, tell me!"

            And so Alanna and Myles were talking for hours, completely unaware that everyone else had moved into the other room, where people were dancing to the uplifting music. Myles drank and drank, and after two more hours had passed, Alanna decided to take him to his chambers, promising a hangover elixir in the morning.

            She continued into the dance and stood against the wall, feet tapping to the tune of the music.

            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *         

            Jonathan couldn't come to the festivities in the Palace that night. Actually, he didn't want to, even though Alanna and Delia would be there. He was getting bored of parties, and ladies hanging on to his every word. He was going to see George instead.

            He entered The Dancing Dove quietly, wearing old brown breeches and a white shirt that was old enough to be his father's. But he continued on unnoticed.

            "Johnny!" cried Rispah, a chesty female, who was also the sister of George and the Queen of the ladies of the Rogue. He was "Johnny" in the city--he had no intention of telling people (other than George and Rispah) that he was the young Prince Jonathan.

            "Hello, Rispah. Can I see George?" Rispah nodded. He followed her up a steep flight of stairs to George's domain.

            George seemed to be counting something in a box. "Thirty-six, thirty-seven…" He looked up. "Hello, lad. Rispah, can be talkin' to His Highness alone?" The woman nodded sharply and left them in peace.

            "So what brings you int' the city? Shouldn' you be dancin' with the redheaded beauty?"

Jonathan scowled.  "Alanna is at the festival, yes. But I am here. I didn't want to go. What have you been doing?"

            George grinned. "Countin' my ear collection." George kept a collection of ears from all of his subjects that were 'unruly' in the past. There were a lot of ears.

"I've also been havin' trouble with a lad about your age called Ralon. Calls himself 'Claw' but I had Myles look into him. Noble birth. Studied with you, at the Palace. Got sent home for fighting. That was right before you left for Port Caynn and the Sweating Sickness struck Corus. The lad Francis died from that after a fight with Ralon. He's a suspect, of course. But he has no Gift that we know of."

Jonathan frowned. Poor Francis. Raoul's small shadow, Francis of Nond was all torn up from the fight a few weeks before he died.

"So Ralon--Claw--what has he been doing to cause trouble?" Jonathan asked.

"He's been doin' a number of things to steal my throne and title of King. I've been able to follow him so far, but he's been getting' more of my men as followers. Not the most loyal, of course. Even Marek, who's tried to steal the throne from me before, is still on my side. But I'm worried."