Disclaimer: It all belongs to Tammy…You know the drill.
A/N - Wow I've finally got my act together and updated. I'm not sure if I like this chapter - but I think I've got too caught up in it.
Be warned, I feel perhaps a big shake up coming in the next chapter. I'm sick of the guilt and angst and everything - so I might just become very dangerous.
Note to Rima:
Thanks for the compliment in your continued hatred of Jon. I think you read him much more aggressively than I wrote it - but it's not surprising if you hate him. And thanks for reading and reviewing this even if you are an A/G shipper - it's good to see other opinions
Please, please, please review! I love reviews! It's so uplifting to see that little reviews counter going up and up.
Chapter 5 - Guilt
Alanna stared anxiously around the ball room. This evening was sure to be a disaster. Not only did she have to face Jon, but George was there as well. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Jon since that afternoon and had barely exchanged ten words with her husband since he'd come to court, protesting that she was busy. They were both sure to seek her out.
She found a quiet, out of the way corner on the far side of the dance floor, and hid in a window seat. So what if it'll crush my dress, she thought, grumpily, I'm a knight after all - I don't have to worry about things like that.
"Alanna." She jumped and looked up. Thayet stood before her, smiling softly. Alanna gritted her teeth and smiled back.
"I'm so glad I found you." she sat down next to Alanna. "I wanted to talk to you." Alanna forced herself to look at the queen's face. "I'm worried about Jon. He's so distracted and…" Thayet bit her lip. Ye Gods, here it comes, thought Alanna. "he said something the other day that made me wonder…he hasn't…there's nothing going on between you two - is there?" she wrinkled her beautiful brow, looking at Alanna worriedly.
"No," she soothed. "He's probably just a bit worn down by this puzzling trouble with the Tusaine rebels." Thayet looked unconvinced. "There's nothing to worry about, Thayet." Alanna assured her warmly. Thayet smiled, relief flashing across her delicate face.
"Thankyou. It was silly of me to even suspect. I know how seriously he takes his duty, and I know how devoted you and George are." Alanna suddenly caught Jon looking at her from across the room. She sent him a look which she thought quite clearly indicated that this was not an appropriate time, or place, for love-sick staring.
Thayet looked up suddenly and caught Jon's gaze. All three were still for a moment before the world began to move again. Alanna watched Thayet closely, wondering how much the queen had gleaned from that glance. Thayet looked at her worriedly.
"I'm not sure it's as simple as you think. Thankyou for trying to spare my feelings, Alanna." She sighed. Alanna was frozen, guilt gnawing at her, and with no idea what to say. Thayet stood, sadly, and looked across at her husband. "Old lovers." She commented, almost to herself
* * * * *
Alanna had barely composed herself when George approached her.
"C'mon lass, let's walk outside." She stood reluctantly and followed George outside. The night was warm and the garden smelled softly of jasmine in the moonlight. They stood on the terrace and George smiled warmly into her face. There was such love in his eyes that Alanna felt herself on the verge of tears.
"Alanna." He lifted a hand and stroked her face, leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed him back, hating herself. It was so sweet, so loving, so safe and familiar. You've betrayed him, hissed her conscience. They broke apart and Alanna looked at her husband through tear filled eyes. George looked at her worriedly.
"What is it?" She shook her head.
"Nothing, I've just missed you." He smiled and enveloped her in a huge bear hug. She cried unashamedly into his shoulder as he held her tightly. Finally she broke away and rubbed at her watery eyes.
"We'd better go back in."
George smiled happily as he and Alanna returned to the ball room. Alanna noticed the change in him and it broke her heart.
* * * * *
Jon stared at Alanna from across the crowded room. George was constantly at her side. She was laughing, the beautiful center of a group of admiring young knights and ladies. She looked up and caught his eyes. The moment was held between them, a precious thing, resting softly on the air. She broke the contact, laughing easily at something one of the knights had said.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Jon turned to meet Gary's steady gaze. He ran his hand distractedly through his hair.
"I love her." He said simply. Gary nodded, resting a reassuring hand on his cousins arm.
"This, Jon, is neither the time nor the place to talk about this. But I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks." Said Jon, glancing over at Alanna again.
* * * * *
The ball wound up at around one in the morning. Slowly people drifted away until there were only a very few left. Alanna rose.
"Goodnight, then." She said. George stood quickly. The pair exited the room and were walking along a small corridor when there was a shout from behind them.
"Alanna?" It was Jon.
"Can I speak with you a moment? I'm worried about the way we deployed the scouting parties in the north."
"Can't it wait til the morning?" asked Alanna tiredly. George waited patiently beside her.
Jon shrugged, pleading with his eyes. "I'd really like to talk to you - it won't take a minute." Alanna rolled her eyes and sighed. She turned to George.
"You go up. I won't be long." Jon disappeared into a small study and Alanna followed. As soon as she entered she was swept up in Jon's arms. She felt the urgency of his embrace. His kisses were passionate and overpowering. They swept all memory of George and Thayet from her mind. Nothing seemed to matter; nothing except the two of them.
"I love you." Said Jon earnestly, when they parted, cupping her face in his hands.
"I love you, too." She answered. Jon smiled radiantly, caressing her face and hair.
"We were meant to be, Alanna."
She smiled and kissed him, wanting nothing more than to lie in his arms like she had so many times before.
There was a quiet creak witch neither of them heard, as they were so absorbed in one another. The door opened quietly…
EEEk, the cliffhanger! This was a completely last minute decision but now that it is made I can see it was the only way to do it. Who has opened the door? Who has discovered the lovers?
You'll just have to wait and see!
Please if you've taken the time to read it - take a few more minutes to review it!
A/N - Wow I've finally got my act together and updated. I'm not sure if I like this chapter - but I think I've got too caught up in it.
Be warned, I feel perhaps a big shake up coming in the next chapter. I'm sick of the guilt and angst and everything - so I might just become very dangerous.
Note to Rima:
Thanks for the compliment in your continued hatred of Jon. I think you read him much more aggressively than I wrote it - but it's not surprising if you hate him. And thanks for reading and reviewing this even if you are an A/G shipper - it's good to see other opinions
Please, please, please review! I love reviews! It's so uplifting to see that little reviews counter going up and up.
Chapter 5 - Guilt
Alanna stared anxiously around the ball room. This evening was sure to be a disaster. Not only did she have to face Jon, but George was there as well. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Jon since that afternoon and had barely exchanged ten words with her husband since he'd come to court, protesting that she was busy. They were both sure to seek her out.
She found a quiet, out of the way corner on the far side of the dance floor, and hid in a window seat. So what if it'll crush my dress, she thought, grumpily, I'm a knight after all - I don't have to worry about things like that.
"Alanna." She jumped and looked up. Thayet stood before her, smiling softly. Alanna gritted her teeth and smiled back.
"I'm so glad I found you." she sat down next to Alanna. "I wanted to talk to you." Alanna forced herself to look at the queen's face. "I'm worried about Jon. He's so distracted and…" Thayet bit her lip. Ye Gods, here it comes, thought Alanna. "he said something the other day that made me wonder…he hasn't…there's nothing going on between you two - is there?" she wrinkled her beautiful brow, looking at Alanna worriedly.
"No," she soothed. "He's probably just a bit worn down by this puzzling trouble with the Tusaine rebels." Thayet looked unconvinced. "There's nothing to worry about, Thayet." Alanna assured her warmly. Thayet smiled, relief flashing across her delicate face.
"Thankyou. It was silly of me to even suspect. I know how seriously he takes his duty, and I know how devoted you and George are." Alanna suddenly caught Jon looking at her from across the room. She sent him a look which she thought quite clearly indicated that this was not an appropriate time, or place, for love-sick staring.
Thayet looked up suddenly and caught Jon's gaze. All three were still for a moment before the world began to move again. Alanna watched Thayet closely, wondering how much the queen had gleaned from that glance. Thayet looked at her worriedly.
"I'm not sure it's as simple as you think. Thankyou for trying to spare my feelings, Alanna." She sighed. Alanna was frozen, guilt gnawing at her, and with no idea what to say. Thayet stood, sadly, and looked across at her husband. "Old lovers." She commented, almost to herself
* * * * *
Alanna had barely composed herself when George approached her.
"C'mon lass, let's walk outside." She stood reluctantly and followed George outside. The night was warm and the garden smelled softly of jasmine in the moonlight. They stood on the terrace and George smiled warmly into her face. There was such love in his eyes that Alanna felt herself on the verge of tears.
"Alanna." He lifted a hand and stroked her face, leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed him back, hating herself. It was so sweet, so loving, so safe and familiar. You've betrayed him, hissed her conscience. They broke apart and Alanna looked at her husband through tear filled eyes. George looked at her worriedly.
"What is it?" She shook her head.
"Nothing, I've just missed you." He smiled and enveloped her in a huge bear hug. She cried unashamedly into his shoulder as he held her tightly. Finally she broke away and rubbed at her watery eyes.
"We'd better go back in."
George smiled happily as he and Alanna returned to the ball room. Alanna noticed the change in him and it broke her heart.
* * * * *
Jon stared at Alanna from across the crowded room. George was constantly at her side. She was laughing, the beautiful center of a group of admiring young knights and ladies. She looked up and caught his eyes. The moment was held between them, a precious thing, resting softly on the air. She broke the contact, laughing easily at something one of the knights had said.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Jon turned to meet Gary's steady gaze. He ran his hand distractedly through his hair.
"I love her." He said simply. Gary nodded, resting a reassuring hand on his cousins arm.
"This, Jon, is neither the time nor the place to talk about this. But I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks." Said Jon, glancing over at Alanna again.
* * * * *
The ball wound up at around one in the morning. Slowly people drifted away until there were only a very few left. Alanna rose.
"Goodnight, then." She said. George stood quickly. The pair exited the room and were walking along a small corridor when there was a shout from behind them.
"Alanna?" It was Jon.
"Can I speak with you a moment? I'm worried about the way we deployed the scouting parties in the north."
"Can't it wait til the morning?" asked Alanna tiredly. George waited patiently beside her.
Jon shrugged, pleading with his eyes. "I'd really like to talk to you - it won't take a minute." Alanna rolled her eyes and sighed. She turned to George.
"You go up. I won't be long." Jon disappeared into a small study and Alanna followed. As soon as she entered she was swept up in Jon's arms. She felt the urgency of his embrace. His kisses were passionate and overpowering. They swept all memory of George and Thayet from her mind. Nothing seemed to matter; nothing except the two of them.
"I love you." Said Jon earnestly, when they parted, cupping her face in his hands.
"I love you, too." She answered. Jon smiled radiantly, caressing her face and hair.
"We were meant to be, Alanna."
She smiled and kissed him, wanting nothing more than to lie in his arms like she had so many times before.
There was a quiet creak witch neither of them heard, as they were so absorbed in one another. The door opened quietly…
EEEk, the cliffhanger! This was a completely last minute decision but now that it is made I can see it was the only way to do it. Who has opened the door? Who has discovered the lovers?
You'll just have to wait and see!
Please if you've taken the time to read it - take a few more minutes to review it!