~ Chapter One ~
Lady Alanna
Alanna of Trebond sat on her mare, Silver-streak, thinking. She was travelling to Corus to visit her brother Thom. Her best friend, Elisia, rode beside her on her mare, Berry. Alanna's thoughts travelled back to Thom and Corus. Thom had been sent to the palace, to become a knight, and Alanna to the Convent. Alanna had thrown tantrums, tried to run away several times, and gone to lessons and meals in breeches, but no amount of persistence would get the sisters to listen to her pleas.
"Alanna!" cried a frightened Elisia. Alanna looked up. There, on the road, was a wood-snake, slithering around. Elisia's horse was bucking. Alanna, without thinking, threw herself onto Elisia's bucking mare. She forced all her weight onto the reins, forcing Berry to drop onto all fours.
Alanna dismounted, and started stroking Berry's golden nose. "It's all right, girl," Alanna soothed. "Calm down." Alanna went to her saddlebag and pulled out some bread. She fed it to Berry carefully, and eventually Berry stopped shaking.
"Oh, Alanna," Elisia sobbed.
"Elisia, don't cry," said Alanna.
"You risked your life! You saved me! Oh Alanna, you're so brave!" Elisia threw herself onto Alanna, enveloping her in a huge hug.
"Don't be silly," said Alanna, pushing Elisia off her. "Come on, we must get to the palace by nightfall, remember?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Alanna and Elisia arrived at the palace, they were greeted, their horses taken, and they were escorted to their rooms.
"Anything you need, Lady Alanna, Lady Elisia, just ask," said their maid.
`We're fine," Elisia replied.
"As you say," responded the maid.
Elisia moved to her bed. "Well, Alanna, we're here!"
"Yes," smiled Alanna. "Now I'm going to find Thom!" Alanna moved towards her bags. She opened one, and took out a simple, violet dress.
"I'll wear this," Alanna said. "Though I'd prefer breeches, I don't think they'd go down too well."
Elisia laughed. "You're right. Let me change. And I'll come to."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Out in the palace halls, a long blonde-haired lady walked in a pastel pink dress. Beside her, a lady with short, copper hair gained as many looks in violet.
"Alanna!"
Alanna whirled. There, standing was her brother Thom. He was standing with four boys, and a stunningly pretty chestnut-topped girl.
"Thom! Oh you've grown up so much!" Alanna hugged her brother.
"You as well! May I introduce you to Sir Gareth of Naxen?" said Thom.
"Call me Gary," the knight said.
Thom continued. "This is Sir Alex of Tirragen, and Sir Raoul of Golden Lake."
Alex nodded his head, then Raoul.
"And this is Prince Jonathan," said Thom. Alanna and Elisia curtsied to His Highness.
"Your Highness," said Alanna. "We are graced by your presence."
The chestnut-haired cleared her throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Thom acknowledged the woman. "This is Lady Delia of Eldorne, she's Jon's - ah, friend."
Jon quietened his friend's smirks and giggles with a stern look. "Now will you introduce the ladies, Thom?" he asked.
"Oh! Sorry. May I present Lady Alanna of Trebond and Lady Elisia of Barony Olao."
"Sir Myles's niece?" asked Raoul.
Elisia nodded. "Yes, how is Uncle?"
"Oh, he's fine," said Jon. "Are you both attending the ball tomorrow night?"
"Yes, of course," said Elisia. Alanna tried to smile. "Wouldn't miss it," she said shortly.
Thom, knowing his sister, stifled a giggle.
"Still good with a sword, Alanna?" he asked. Alanna grinned recklessly.
"I beat you last time we met," she replied. "But I'm afraid I may be a bit rusty. I've studied archery though, I've been practising."
"How about a bout, Alanna?" asked Thom. I've improved too - you know - I might actually beat you this time!"
"It's not very lady-like," she said stubbornly. Her face softened. "As long as no one watches," she said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna changed into breeches and met Thom in a private practise court. "Here's a sword, Alanna," he said.
"I prefer Storm," she said, drawing a thin sword with a pink and grey crystal in the center
"Storm?"
"En Guard!" Alanna cried.
Alanna swirled her sword around and up, lashing out. "Very smooth!" noted Thom.
Alanna was concentrating hard, and didn't realise that Thom's friendship group had sneaked up to watch them.
Thom hacked out in a series of thrusts. Alanna stopped each, and when Thom ceased, Alanna moved her sword in and out, in a neat butterfly-sweep. Thom's sword flew from his hand, cluttering on the floor.
Alanna pointed her sword to his nose.
"I yield," he said. "Alanna!" he gawked. "Where did you learn all that?"
Alanna smiled, wiping the sweat off her face. "An old warrior," she said. "He loved to teach anyone, even girls. He said I was `the flame in the fire'," she said proudly.
Alanna turned. To her horror and astonishment, there stood Gary, Alex, Raoul, Jon and Delia.
"What, where, why are you watching! Thom, I said no spectators!" she cried.
"We couldn't help ourselves, Lady Alanna," said Gary. "Your stunning beauty led us to you."
Thom rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said. He walked out while Alanna did some stretches. As he walked out he muttered a word that sent a wave of ice-cold seawater on top of his friends.
"Get over her," he said. "She wants to be a warrior maiden. She won't fall for any of you."
Thom walked off. "He's just jealous," said Alanna. "He's ashamed too. But I beat him every time. He should be used to it by now."
"Lady Alanna, may I interest you in a ride to the city?" asked the Prince.
Ignoring Delia's venom look, Alanna replied - "Yes, please, Prince Jonathan, I would be honoured."
As Alanna walked to her rooms to change, Elisia gave her a sly look. "You like the prince, don't you?" she asked.
"Of course I like him, he's very nice," replied Alanna innocently.
"Oh, you know what I mean. Like him, you know."
Alanna gave Elisia a sceptical look. "You know I never plan to fall in love," she said. "He's royalty - I couldn't exactly turn him down, now, could I?"
She turned behind her dressing screen. "Hand me my blue dress, won't you, Elisia?" she said.
Lady Alanna
Alanna of Trebond sat on her mare, Silver-streak, thinking. She was travelling to Corus to visit her brother Thom. Her best friend, Elisia, rode beside her on her mare, Berry. Alanna's thoughts travelled back to Thom and Corus. Thom had been sent to the palace, to become a knight, and Alanna to the Convent. Alanna had thrown tantrums, tried to run away several times, and gone to lessons and meals in breeches, but no amount of persistence would get the sisters to listen to her pleas.
"Alanna!" cried a frightened Elisia. Alanna looked up. There, on the road, was a wood-snake, slithering around. Elisia's horse was bucking. Alanna, without thinking, threw herself onto Elisia's bucking mare. She forced all her weight onto the reins, forcing Berry to drop onto all fours.
Alanna dismounted, and started stroking Berry's golden nose. "It's all right, girl," Alanna soothed. "Calm down." Alanna went to her saddlebag and pulled out some bread. She fed it to Berry carefully, and eventually Berry stopped shaking.
"Oh, Alanna," Elisia sobbed.
"Elisia, don't cry," said Alanna.
"You risked your life! You saved me! Oh Alanna, you're so brave!" Elisia threw herself onto Alanna, enveloping her in a huge hug.
"Don't be silly," said Alanna, pushing Elisia off her. "Come on, we must get to the palace by nightfall, remember?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Alanna and Elisia arrived at the palace, they were greeted, their horses taken, and they were escorted to their rooms.
"Anything you need, Lady Alanna, Lady Elisia, just ask," said their maid.
`We're fine," Elisia replied.
"As you say," responded the maid.
Elisia moved to her bed. "Well, Alanna, we're here!"
"Yes," smiled Alanna. "Now I'm going to find Thom!" Alanna moved towards her bags. She opened one, and took out a simple, violet dress.
"I'll wear this," Alanna said. "Though I'd prefer breeches, I don't think they'd go down too well."
Elisia laughed. "You're right. Let me change. And I'll come to."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Out in the palace halls, a long blonde-haired lady walked in a pastel pink dress. Beside her, a lady with short, copper hair gained as many looks in violet.
"Alanna!"
Alanna whirled. There, standing was her brother Thom. He was standing with four boys, and a stunningly pretty chestnut-topped girl.
"Thom! Oh you've grown up so much!" Alanna hugged her brother.
"You as well! May I introduce you to Sir Gareth of Naxen?" said Thom.
"Call me Gary," the knight said.
Thom continued. "This is Sir Alex of Tirragen, and Sir Raoul of Golden Lake."
Alex nodded his head, then Raoul.
"And this is Prince Jonathan," said Thom. Alanna and Elisia curtsied to His Highness.
"Your Highness," said Alanna. "We are graced by your presence."
The chestnut-haired cleared her throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Thom acknowledged the woman. "This is Lady Delia of Eldorne, she's Jon's - ah, friend."
Jon quietened his friend's smirks and giggles with a stern look. "Now will you introduce the ladies, Thom?" he asked.
"Oh! Sorry. May I present Lady Alanna of Trebond and Lady Elisia of Barony Olao."
"Sir Myles's niece?" asked Raoul.
Elisia nodded. "Yes, how is Uncle?"
"Oh, he's fine," said Jon. "Are you both attending the ball tomorrow night?"
"Yes, of course," said Elisia. Alanna tried to smile. "Wouldn't miss it," she said shortly.
Thom, knowing his sister, stifled a giggle.
"Still good with a sword, Alanna?" he asked. Alanna grinned recklessly.
"I beat you last time we met," she replied. "But I'm afraid I may be a bit rusty. I've studied archery though, I've been practising."
"How about a bout, Alanna?" asked Thom. I've improved too - you know - I might actually beat you this time!"
"It's not very lady-like," she said stubbornly. Her face softened. "As long as no one watches," she said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna changed into breeches and met Thom in a private practise court. "Here's a sword, Alanna," he said.
"I prefer Storm," she said, drawing a thin sword with a pink and grey crystal in the center
"Storm?"
"En Guard!" Alanna cried.
Alanna swirled her sword around and up, lashing out. "Very smooth!" noted Thom.
Alanna was concentrating hard, and didn't realise that Thom's friendship group had sneaked up to watch them.
Thom hacked out in a series of thrusts. Alanna stopped each, and when Thom ceased, Alanna moved her sword in and out, in a neat butterfly-sweep. Thom's sword flew from his hand, cluttering on the floor.
Alanna pointed her sword to his nose.
"I yield," he said. "Alanna!" he gawked. "Where did you learn all that?"
Alanna smiled, wiping the sweat off her face. "An old warrior," she said. "He loved to teach anyone, even girls. He said I was `the flame in the fire'," she said proudly.
Alanna turned. To her horror and astonishment, there stood Gary, Alex, Raoul, Jon and Delia.
"What, where, why are you watching! Thom, I said no spectators!" she cried.
"We couldn't help ourselves, Lady Alanna," said Gary. "Your stunning beauty led us to you."
Thom rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said. He walked out while Alanna did some stretches. As he walked out he muttered a word that sent a wave of ice-cold seawater on top of his friends.
"Get over her," he said. "She wants to be a warrior maiden. She won't fall for any of you."
Thom walked off. "He's just jealous," said Alanna. "He's ashamed too. But I beat him every time. He should be used to it by now."
"Lady Alanna, may I interest you in a ride to the city?" asked the Prince.
Ignoring Delia's venom look, Alanna replied - "Yes, please, Prince Jonathan, I would be honoured."
As Alanna walked to her rooms to change, Elisia gave her a sly look. "You like the prince, don't you?" she asked.
"Of course I like him, he's very nice," replied Alanna innocently.
"Oh, you know what I mean. Like him, you know."
Alanna gave Elisia a sceptical look. "You know I never plan to fall in love," she said. "He's royalty - I couldn't exactly turn him down, now, could I?"
She turned behind her dressing screen. "Hand me my blue dress, won't you, Elisia?" she said.