Okie, well.. sorry about being totally and utterly confusing in the last chapter.. that's what I get for realizing that I screwed up major (I don't remember what about.. just that it was there) and trying to fix it really quickly.. I hope this chapter clears up a little of the confusion.. it IS a bit longer than the other chapters.. by the way- Tammy Pierce owns any characters you recognize..

"Nooo…" after saying that one word, Alanna fell over. Of course, it wasn't a real faint, but Alanna found that during tough times, a nice faint worked very well to get everyone stirred up. Just then she heard an indignant Andrew say, "Just when we were getting to the good part too!" She heard a roar that she could only assume was George and a lot scraping of chairs. She peeked her eyes open and immediately wished she hadn't. There was Thom, looking completely worried about her. She closed her eyes again to prevent anyone from knowing the truth. Alanna then had the doubtful pleasure of being picked up and held against a man's chest. She became giddy with that thought.

–Alanna! Stop being such a girl! They only picked you up because that was the only way to get you back upstairs with out dragging you along. Its not like men like you or anything.- As if to prove her point, she felt herself being dumped unceremoniously onto a bed. She sat bolt upright and looked around her to find George, Thom and Jon. She looked straight at Thom.

"Thom, I'm sorry to cause you worry. I saw that you didn't want to me to say that I was your sister, so I started to say no, and then pretended to faint. I figured that George would take me up here and I could tell him the truth at least.  What I don't understand though is why Prince Jonathan is here." Jon seemed to jump at finding out that Alanna knew who he was.

"How did you know it was me?"

"You have an air of royalty about you. Plus I have seen paintings. Would someone please explain to me why he is here then?"

"Alanna," Thom interrupted, "He is my knight-master. Please be nice to him. I mean, he did carry you all the way up those stairs."

"Well, alright then. Anyway," Alanna turned to George, "why were you asking me so many questions in front of your group of thieves?! You should know better!" Thom stood there in total shock. In the last 5 minutes, she had said things that she should have no reason to know. So how did she do it? He was pondering about this question a while before he realized that George and Alanna were bickering and Jonathan was clearly off in some other world.

"If you hadn't 'saved' me, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"And what if someone had come by? You would have been dead for certain!"

"I am NOT some silly noble girl that doesn't know how to fight! I-"

"She would always best me at any kind of fighting. She was a lot stronger than me." Thom broke into their argument.

"She WAS. That's the key word. I am betting she could hardly hurt a fly now." That statement sent Alanna into a flying rage. They were looking daggers at each other when Thom heard the smallest of sighs come out of Alanna and saw that she was now directing her attention at him.

"So, why did you want me to say that I wasn't related to you?"

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A/N- aahh.. I need help! If anyone has suggestions, please let me know!!! More explanations should be in the next chapter too…