Time and Again
Chapter 5
Rated PG (Just in case)
By LynaQT
E-mail: Lyna_Q.T@miakaandtamahome.com
Disclaimer: These amazing characters belong to Tamora Pierce. I haven't a dime, so don't sue. The plot is mine, however.
Chapter 5: Happy or Not
Alexis took a fist-full of skirt in each hand and ran. She didn't know where she was going, but the instant she heard those words she felt like she was suffocating. Goddess Bless! Where do I go from here? There was a reason why Alexis promised herself she would NEVER love a man. She now had MAJOR reasons not to love at all!
MARRIED! Both of them, and with children! Mithros! I knew that on one distant day—a very DISTANT day—King Roald and Queen Lianne would die and Jon would ascend the throne. He would need a QUEEN beside him…I just never imagined it would work out like this. The young man, who rescued me at Fort Drell, who stood beside me as we fought the Ysandir, and who kissed me just last week…at least for ME it was last week, my Jon would become KING so soon, need heirs, and marry the most beautiful woman I've ever seen! How can I compare?
It seemed that now, when all possibility of love was impossible, Alexis could finally admit to herself that, yes, she did love Jon. That love began when Jon had come to comfort her after the showdown with Ralon, and since then Alexis had been denying her heart only to find out that it was already hopeless. And then there was George.
George.
This is what comes from being too stubborn, too prideful…too scared to love: living alone. George, King of Thieves, owner of a chest full of EARS, my best friend, he found someone to love and love him. He has a wife, a daughter, a respectable life, and it seems he can roam freely with out fear of the Lord Provost. He…he looks so happy...
That emotion on his face when he mentioned his wife crushed Alexis. She felt as if her blood was coursing with acid. Her insides felt shaky and her breathing was uneven. Alexis accidentally stumbled into lady, and gave her apologies only to stumble into another body. This time it was full impact into a male, muscular body.
"My apologies, now if you could please step aside I will be right on my way." Alexis gave a slight curtsy, never glancing his way, and was making her way by.
"Youngster, ye're goin' in the wrong direction."
"Huh?" It was then that Alexis realized that is was George. "Pardon me?" Eleni said when one knows not what to say 'Pardon me' does the trick.
"Duke Baird's working quarters are through the left corridor, not right." George took Alexis's arm and decided to escort her. "I am the one that's sorry. I forgot that you are new here."
Alexis was on the verge of tears of frustration. Youngster… "Thank you for offering, but I believe I can find Duke Baird on my own. Truly, you have my thanks."
"Are you feelin' alright?" It was then that George noticed the teary look in Alexis's violet.
"Of course I am. I'm completely fine."
"I doubt that. Ye've that look that Alanna used to get. That wide-eyed, completely innocent look that she would use whenever she was lying. So tell me, how goes it? Anyone givin' you trouble?"
YOU!!! "No. As I said before, I'm quite alright."
George saw right through that and said succinctly, "I don't believe ye."
It was then that the silent tears came. George could plainly see that she was hurting, and trying to hide it.. "It's just that I find myself out of place. I once knew this Corus quite well. There are people I know and love here. I see them and recognize them, but they are different.…" Alexis stopped avoiding eye contact and confronted George and looked at his hazel eyes through a film of tears. "I see them, but they have their own lives. They have gone on without me, found a different love, and grown so much. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
George felt his heart pull at her sincere words. "Please continue."
"I'm not explaining myself very well," Alexis leaded against that wall trying to find the right words. "What if everyone's life was a song, alright? At one time, we all knew the same verse. Well for me, I only know the first verse we all learned together. Now, you all have gone ahead and know the whole song and I'm stuck at the first verse. I recognize the song you sing, but it is undeniably different…Goddess, I'm messing this up and talking more like a Mithran philosophy teacher than should be allowed."
George could feel Alexis retreating into herself, and knew he had to find some way to stop that from happening. "I'll teach ye."
"Pardon me?"
"I'll teach you the song," George smiled and kissed Alexis on her forehead. "If yer stuck on the first verse, I'll help to teach ye the rest."
Such a comment induced the first genuine smile Alexis experienced since coming to Corus. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll be fine. I…I just have one question."
"Ask away."
"Is…is Alanna happy?"
"Yes. She is extremely happy with her life. She became the first female knight, the first female Bazhir shaman, and the first female King's Champion in years. She is the lo—"
"That is marvelous," Alexis didn't want to know everything, which was the sole reason why she interrupted him. "Are you happy?"
George was very confused at how this conversation evolved, but answered honestly. "Yes, I'm very happy. Are ye?"
Alexis took her time pondering all the confusing feelings she had: love, sadness, hurt, hope. "I will be and that is all that matters." Alexis looked around and found that they were a few yards from Duke Baird's work place. "I suppose I have delayed enough and will see Duke Baird for treatment for this horrid headache. Thank you for your company."
George knew a dismissal when he heard one. "I hope to have the pleasure of yer company soon. Stay safe, young Alexis."
George walked down the hall as Alexis walked toward Duke Baird's door. As soon as she was sure he had gone, Alexis made her way out of the castle. She had plenty to think over.
There was one person, who saw Alexis's sudden detour and decided to follow her.
Alexis was relaxing against a tree. While even the palace had changed due to renovations, the forest had changed very little and Alexis found solace in that. She closed her eyes, and for a moment she could truly believe that she was back in her Corus training in the forest. It was then that she heard the crunch of a twig.
Being very cautious, Alexis hid herself from view and warily looked in the direction the noise had come from. Alexis picked up a sturdy piece if wood about two feet long and prepared herself for whatever was coming. What she did find was a tall, handsome young man, who she believed was a squire.
"Are you following me?" Alexis revealed herself from her hiding spot to fully examine the youth. He had light brown wind-swept hair, sharp distinguished facial features, and surprisingly wicked green eyes. Although at that moment, his eyes were filled with incredulity.
"Will all the young ladies I meet have violent tendencies? Put that twig down, although that would be a perfect tribute for our Lord Stump. By the way, I am Page Nealan of Queenscove. I saw you about to go into my father's healing room. What are you doing out here?" Neal felt slightly flustered under the observation of those mesmerizing eyes, but that never stopped his mouth before. "You do know, these forests are full of dangers."
That comment surprised Alexis; "The palace forest is dangerous?"
"Well, I suppose anywhere and everywhere is a dangerous place now that immortals freely roam the mortal realm. This is a great time to be a knight of Tortall."
"Nealan, you said Page? Aren't you kind of…old." Alexis was saddened to learn that even the palace forest had turned into menacing site.
"It's Neal, and yes, I'm one of the oldest pages in existence, but not THE oldest. I'm sixteen and I do know of other pages in existence that were older than me. You must be Alexis, the Lioness's niece." Neal couldn't believe his luck. The second day of her arrival and he already met her. She was delicate looking, despite the wooden weapon in her hand. It was probably her slight stature.
"Lioness? Who is that?" This Neal was Duke Baird's son, Alexis had figured that out, but where his loquacity came from…Alexis knew it wasn't from the Duke.
"The Lioness is the nickname of your Aunt Alanna. From the books I've read she appropriated the name from her shield. When Alanna earned her knighthood your father, Thom, gave her a spelled shield. It portrayed the Trebond arms, but when Alanna revealed her true identity the shield changed to reveal a lioness rampant. Thus, her nickname the Lioness."
Neal had gone into that mysterious world where books carried all the answers to the world's problems. Alexis recognized that scholarly look well from Thom and her father. "Why are you trying to be a knight? You seem more suited for the scholarly arts more than the fighting arts."
"I'm doing this to continue the Queenscove tradition," Neal answered the question seriously. "Times now are unstable and it will take years to rebuild what has been lost in the Immortal War. Becoming a knight is the first step to protect everything and everyone I care about." Neal toyed with a leaf that had fallen from the tree. "I was studying at the University when I read the story of the Lioness. It was a chronicle Alanna's struggle to become a knight. It was then that I decided to leave the scholarly effort and become a knight."
Alexis was shocked at his admission. "You were inspired by m—I mean Alanna?"
"Yes. It seemed to be the chivalrous thing to do," Neal tossed the leaf aside and turned to face Alexis. "Why are you blushing?"
Alexis could acutely feel her hot flushed face and turned away from Neal. I have never received such a complement. What better reason to become a knight then to inspire others to become the same to protect others? "Wasn't it hard for you to leave behind the life you led?"
"It is hard enough to be trained by Lord Wyldon, but to come from the safety of the University to this whip-wielding training facility was a little more then just hard. It was damned near impossible. The other pages only left me alone from their taunts because I was a foot taller, but I was still an object to be ignored and forgotten." Neal restlessly mussed his hair as he explained his story. "And let's not forget our Lord Wyldon. His demented mind believes that breaking bones builds character. He added new policies to the training of Pages and Squires, even tardiness…TARDINESS! Mithros, I'm going to be late AND pages are not allowed out of the palace walls. Goddess bless, the time just flew. We'd better go as quickly as we can. We can make it back to the castle in time, but Wyldon will definitely punish—"
Alexis tried to tell Neal to calm down. She even started to tug at his tunic to no avail. It didn't seem as if Neal was ever going to stop his barrage of words, so Alexis did the only thing she could think of. Alexis just gently laid her lips on his, which had really shocked them both. When she backed away, she saw that he had indeed been shocked into silence. They both still had their eyes wide-open in surprise. When Neal finally did find his voice he could only ask, "Why?"
Why indeed?
A/N. Sorry for taking three weeks to get this part out. During that time, I had tests, journalism deadline, and homework. My dad was messing with the computer too. Next week, I've finals…YUCK! And then, no more school…I'm both sad and elated. I'm going to miss the Seniors in my journalism class!!! I'm also going to miss the cutest, nicest, smartest guy at my school!! Sigh…He is going to UC Davis. I'm happy that by next week I will be Senior status, and by Monday after next, I will take the behind the wheel test. I HOPE I PASS!!
I sorta wish time could stop…but then there are plenty of things I wish could happen…Oh well, that is why I write: to make the things I wish could happen to happen…So with that,
READ and REVIEW!
I'm glad to have you all to encourage me that do review. THANK YOU.
Why did I chose the name Alexis? I'm not really sure myself. I just wanted a name that was feminine, but could be changed into a male one (Alex), and was kinda close to Alanna. The whole George thing…was a surprise to myself. I wasn't planning on making the uh…first scene of Chapter 4 or have Alexis meet him so soon. I was even going to have George mention his marriage to Alanna, but after I started writing a new plot twist came to mind…and of course I like to keep the audience thinking. READ and REVIEW, let me know of stuff you want to read. It is because of the reviews that I got mentioning George that I wrote him in and the distaste over Alanna's anger about Jon's decision that I wrote that little tidbit in Chapter 4. THANK YOU for those that have reviewed.
I love and take the reviews into consideration! I bet some are surprised at this chapter's ending…well like I said I have tons of plot twists in mind for this story.
Please read and review. Plot Copyright 2001, June.
