Roger smiled graciously at the two young men before him. His charisma could capture the nation. Actually, it was. Gareth the Younger returned the smile, but the other boy, Alan of Trebond, looked bored. Before, Roger had been told Alan was simply upset about the Prince's death, but there seemed to be something else. Roger put it to the back of his mind. A troubled squire was the least of his worries now that he was to be king. True, Alan was no ordinary squire, having saved the Prince from the Sweating Sickness and defeated the Ysandir single-handedly. Confusion flickered into Alan's purple eyes as Roger's own examined the youth. Those unusual eyes, filled with power and passion, were surrounded by unnaturally long lashes, for a boy anyway. The boy looked like a god, lost in the Mortal Realms. Roger knew Alan's powerful looks were deceiving. He was some form of a simpleton, not a divine power. No matter how many time he beat boys twice his size, Roger kept telling himself this. It wasn't like he faced any competition from the tiny fireball. Roger laughed inwardly. He knew what was going to happen to Alan, who had never been particularly fond of his friend's cousin, if the squire protested.
Alanna shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Why was he taking so long? She glanced up at her knight master. Gary had gained frown lines and almost lost the mischievous glint in his brown eyes. 'It's all his fault,' she thought, violet eyes returning to the culprit. 'Without his schemes and plans, the King and Queen would still be alive, and Jon...' She bit her lip and forced her gaze to the floor, where Faithful, the cat that had jumped out of Jon's burning body, lay growling fiercely. The cat was the only thing that understood her, after Jon's death. Gary wouldn't properly talk to her anymore, and she was pushed to be an outsider, at the time she needed people most.
"I am glad you decide to fight for me." Roger began.
'I will pretend to fight for you until I can kill you,' Alanna thought. 'Destroy you, do to you what you've done to my life. Ruin you. Make you beg for mercy, an end to the pain. I'll do it for Jon.'
-We'll get him- Faithful told his mistress. -But remember three things; no one knows your sex, no one can know you hate him, and no one knows he killed the Prince.-
"I do."
"Sorry?" With a start, Alanna realised she must have spoken aloud.
"I do... decide to fight for you," she stammered.
Roger narrowed his eyes. Someday he'd find out Alan's secret. For now, though, the young man was safe. Roger had bigger problems to persuade. A squire from a backwards fief was not a concern of the King of Tortall.
"That pleases me. I hope you will continue to please me."
Gary knelt, a sign of allegiance. His squire stood, violet orbs burning into Roger. Alan might prove to be more trouble than Roger had thought.
Gary's eyes flicked onto Alan. He urged the boy with his mind to obey. Roger was dangerous. Gary didn't understand what had happened in the Black City, but Alan knew. Alan knew too much. And if Roger found out how much Alan knew... Gary shuddered, and caught the almost-human stare of Faithful, Alan's most prized possession. Not that he owned Faithful. Faithful did what he wanted, when he wanted. So did Alan.
The cat stretched out and rolled onto Alan's knees. Gary guessed he was pushing, and was thankful for the cat. Alan's mouth tightened, and he dropped to the floor. Gary breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Roger had been busy with a serving maid.
"Your Majesty, if we might excuse ourselves? Only, I had promised Father-"
That did it. Roger was eager to please Duke Gareth, the Elder. He waved his hand at the two, and they left, grateful.
Gary turned to Alan, once out of the throne room. "Tell me what you know."
*
Um, yeah!
Alanna shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Why was he taking so long? She glanced up at her knight master. Gary had gained frown lines and almost lost the mischievous glint in his brown eyes. 'It's all his fault,' she thought, violet eyes returning to the culprit. 'Without his schemes and plans, the King and Queen would still be alive, and Jon...' She bit her lip and forced her gaze to the floor, where Faithful, the cat that had jumped out of Jon's burning body, lay growling fiercely. The cat was the only thing that understood her, after Jon's death. Gary wouldn't properly talk to her anymore, and she was pushed to be an outsider, at the time she needed people most.
"I am glad you decide to fight for me." Roger began.
'I will pretend to fight for you until I can kill you,' Alanna thought. 'Destroy you, do to you what you've done to my life. Ruin you. Make you beg for mercy, an end to the pain. I'll do it for Jon.'
-We'll get him- Faithful told his mistress. -But remember three things; no one knows your sex, no one can know you hate him, and no one knows he killed the Prince.-
"I do."
"Sorry?" With a start, Alanna realised she must have spoken aloud.
"I do... decide to fight for you," she stammered.
Roger narrowed his eyes. Someday he'd find out Alan's secret. For now, though, the young man was safe. Roger had bigger problems to persuade. A squire from a backwards fief was not a concern of the King of Tortall.
"That pleases me. I hope you will continue to please me."
Gary knelt, a sign of allegiance. His squire stood, violet orbs burning into Roger. Alan might prove to be more trouble than Roger had thought.
Gary's eyes flicked onto Alan. He urged the boy with his mind to obey. Roger was dangerous. Gary didn't understand what had happened in the Black City, but Alan knew. Alan knew too much. And if Roger found out how much Alan knew... Gary shuddered, and caught the almost-human stare of Faithful, Alan's most prized possession. Not that he owned Faithful. Faithful did what he wanted, when he wanted. So did Alan.
The cat stretched out and rolled onto Alan's knees. Gary guessed he was pushing, and was thankful for the cat. Alan's mouth tightened, and he dropped to the floor. Gary breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Roger had been busy with a serving maid.
"Your Majesty, if we might excuse ourselves? Only, I had promised Father-"
That did it. Roger was eager to please Duke Gareth, the Elder. He waved his hand at the two, and they left, grateful.
Gary turned to Alan, once out of the throne room. "Tell me what you know."
*
Um, yeah!