Alanna wrenched herself away from Alex, managing to knee him in a somewhat painful place in the process. She stumbled away and shook her hair out of her eyes, glaring up at him. The effect would have been much greater, had she not been considerably shorter.

"What are you talking about?" she hissed, poison stinging her tone.

He gave his mysterious smile again; furious, she rammed into him, slamming his body against the wall. "That wasn't what I asked," she reminded him tightly.

He snarled in response, easily throwing her across the room.

Alanna straightened, tightening her lips and narrowing her eyes as she got to her feet. "I asked what you meant by calling me Alanna."

"Why? Do you prefer to be known as Lady Alanna?" he sneered, reaching out and attempting to touch her hair; she ducked. When she rose again, a mocking smile taunted her from his lips.

She was ready to throw herself at him again (and not the way court ladies threw themselves at her Prince), but Jon himself interrupted her, crossing the room swiftly.

"What's going on?" Jon demanded, blue eyes piercing through Alanna's. She swallowed tightly, not able to offer any response, since she herself didn't know what was going on.

"Nothing. I was just teasing Alan," Alex replied smoothly. "I'll see you later." With that, he walked out of the room. Alanna shrugged to Jon, with every effort at nonchalance, and then tore after her old friend.

"What do you want?" she hissed. "Money? You can't want money." She faltered slightly. Trebond wasn't a rich fief, he knew that. However, the other two options were equally unappealing and made her sick to the stomach to think of them.

He shook his head at her, in a pitying fashion.

She snarled at him, raising her fist, and caught sight of Duke Roger. She wasn't ready to take on Jon's cousin. Not yet. She turned around and walked slowly back to her room.

Jon was waiting for her, sitting down on her bed. "What was that about?"

She looked at him. Concern flickered in his sapphire eyes, but she cast her own down, partly ashamed. "He knows," she said, more harshly than she'd intended to.

"How?" He slipped two fingers beneath her chin and turned her face towards him.

"I dont know. He was in your room, I thought it was you. Then, I asked him what he was doing in your room. He..." She stopped, squeezing her eyes shut. "He kissed me, and called me 'Alanna'."

He stood, anger flashing in his eyes. Goddess, he's going to go to Alex. But Alex is with Roger. Roger will try to - I'll have to go as well. But Roger knows! I can't go.

"You're not going anywhere."

He looked at her in surprise. "What? You didn't..." Suspicion entered his gaze. "You didn't like it, did you?"

Alanna considered it briefly. "No, of course not. I just don't want you to go there - because if he gets angry with me, that might cause him to share his discovery." With Duke Roger.

He walked over to the door between their rooms. "I believe you. Don't worry, I wont do anything, and neither will he. Or he'd better not. Are you coming?" She shook her head. She couldn't. Something flickered behind his sapphire eyes, but his tone remained the same. "Get some rest then. I'll see you in the morning."

He closed the door, leaving her alone. Well, she should get used to it. No bride of the Crown was a scandal, nor of any other wealthy man. No daughter or sister disgraced the family name in such a way. No knight could be female.

The next move was Duke Roger's. Cat and mouse. He had the claws, the height, the power and the untarnished reputation. She had nothing. Only her wits and her friends.

She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. Hopeless, completely hopeless.

Her door creaked open. "The Duke will see you now."