Is It Enough? -Chapter Three
Alanna awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache, swollen eyes, and a deep sense of unrest. Sighing, she rolled out of the spacious queen sized bed, and walked to the balcony, where she stood for a minute breathing in the cool fresh air, before starting to get dressed. She wasn't looking forward to the many council meetings, and fittings that she had later. Alanna briefly entertained the thought of jumping onto Moonlight, and riding as fast as she could back to Port Caynn, and George. She had missed waking up in his strong embrace, his muscular arms holding her tight, protecting her. One of my dearest, most trusted friends, is also my fiancé and lover. How many women are that lucky, Alanna wondered. Not many, that's for sure. Shaking her head, she halfheartedly wondered who was it that wanted the big Corus wedding anyway. Maybe she should just elope, Alanna thought, discarding that idea as soon as it came to her. No, unfortunately, too many people had become involved, changed schedules, made plans. She'd have to go through with it. It would just be so much easier to handle with George at her side. Wishful thinking, she supposed. It was always wishful thinking.
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An hour later, Alanna walked into the main library, neatly dressed in a baby blue dress, her hair pulled up into a loose bun, tendrils escaping around her forehead and neck, and all signs of the previous night's unrest banished. She saw upon arriving that she appeared to be the last one to arrive, apart from Jon. Gary, Raoul, Myles, Lord Provost, Duke Baird, and the rest of His Majesty's cabinet leapt to their feet at the sight of her. Gary embraced her quickly, whispering in her ear that it was good she was back. Raoul, slightly more subdued than he had been when she arrived, sufficed with a quick kiss on the cheek, as did Myles. Lord Provost nodded to her slightly, before saying with what Alanna thought might have been a mischevious twinkle, how she had gone and got herself engaged to his best rival. Now that Lord Provost had brought it into the open, all the tension revolving around that subject was alleviated, and there was a mad rush to share congratulations and well-wishes, that is, until Jon walked into the room 5 minutes later. As soon as he did, all conversation came to a halt, and everyone rose from their seats.
"Gary, Baird, Provost, Raoul, Myles," Jon greeted in turn, his eyes traveling around the room until they rested on Alanna, when they turned icy.
"Alanna." He acknowledged.
"Jon." The chill in her voice caused everyone in the room to shift uncomfortably, until Myles, always the mediator, clasped his hands together, and exclaimed, "Now then, to work! It appears that we have some growing unrest in Scanra."
"That's nothing unusual," Raoul said. "We have trouble with them every year."
"Normally, yes," Myles acknowledged. "But this appears to be different. I have gathered from various sources that something bigger is brewing. Something that could thrust them.and us for that matter, into the brink of war."
"The LAST thing that country needs is to be throw into war," Gary said, shaking his head. "War, ANY war right now, would have a disastrous effect on an already weakened Tortall. Jon, people are already on edge because of what happened with Roger-and that was a good half year ago. The people need to be reassured, not antagonized. We have to stay out of it, unless we are deliberately drawn in. We just don't have the resources to fight a full- fledged war right now."
"I tend to agree with Gary. We just don't have the resources to take on Scanra, as much as we might want to," Lord Provost agreed.
"And what do you think?" Myles asked, turning to Alanna. "You've managed to remain uncharacteristically quiet throughout this discussion. Care to share your thoughts?"
Alanna didn't say anything for a moment, collecting her thoughts. A sign she had changed, Gary thought. Before she simply would have blurted out whatever was on her mind. Subtlety was not the Lioness's strong suit.
"I am, for better or worse, this country's Champion," Alanna began. "Which means that were we forced to fight, of course, I would not hesitate to."
"That's not what I asked," Myles prodded gently. "You, personally, what do you feel we should do?"
"I think we should stay out of it," Alanna said firmly. Though part of her was aching for a good fight, another part of her was realizing that some of her battle lust had died down. Maybe it wasn't so much about the fighting, as it was the need to prove herself somehow. She noticed that all eyes were on her, as she realized that she had trailed off.
"Tortall doesn't need any more lives lost right now," Alanna finished.
"Sire?" Duke Baird turned to Jon, who so far hadn't said anything.
Jon sighed, and then said, "So be it. For now, Tortall is neutral. Unless you had something else on your mind, Myles, you're all free to go."
Myles shook his head, so everyone stood to leave. Alanna was halfway down the hall before Gary's call stopped her.
"Alanna," he said. "Walk with me will you."
Eyeing him suspiciously, she obeyed.
"You're not dragging me to another meeting, are you? Because I've had quite enough for one day."
"No, no, nothing like that," Gary assured her. "But I do have a favor to ask you."
He held up his hand as Alanna started to protest. "Hear me out Alanna. You might actually like this one. Now I know you came back to Corus primarily for wedding business, but I thought since you were already here, and I know how much you hate being fussed over, I thought you might need something to occupy you."
"Go on." Alanna said, continuing to watch her friend carefully.
"Now I know you're itching to practice your fighting techniques again, I can see it in your eyes. How great would it be if you got to practice.and share your skills at the same time?"
"Share my skills? How?"
"Teach a class of pages for Raoul. With his added duties, he just doesn't have time for it anymore. And now with this new business with Scanra.Please Alanna?" Gary pleaded. "You might even find you like it."
Alanna was quite prepared to say no, but she just couldn't turn Gary down. He HAD done so much for her over their long friendship.
"Fine," she said sighing. "I'll do it."
"Thank you Alanna, you won't regret it I promise!" Gary said, kissing her on the cheek, before he ran down the corridor, calling over his shoulder that he was late for a meeting with the Tyran ambassador, but he'd catch up with her later.
Kids, Alanna thought with a sigh. What have I gotten myself into?
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Author's Note: I know it wasn't much of a chapter, and I'm really sorry, I've just been busy lately. I'll update soon I promise! R/R please!!!
Alanna awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache, swollen eyes, and a deep sense of unrest. Sighing, she rolled out of the spacious queen sized bed, and walked to the balcony, where she stood for a minute breathing in the cool fresh air, before starting to get dressed. She wasn't looking forward to the many council meetings, and fittings that she had later. Alanna briefly entertained the thought of jumping onto Moonlight, and riding as fast as she could back to Port Caynn, and George. She had missed waking up in his strong embrace, his muscular arms holding her tight, protecting her. One of my dearest, most trusted friends, is also my fiancé and lover. How many women are that lucky, Alanna wondered. Not many, that's for sure. Shaking her head, she halfheartedly wondered who was it that wanted the big Corus wedding anyway. Maybe she should just elope, Alanna thought, discarding that idea as soon as it came to her. No, unfortunately, too many people had become involved, changed schedules, made plans. She'd have to go through with it. It would just be so much easier to handle with George at her side. Wishful thinking, she supposed. It was always wishful thinking.
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An hour later, Alanna walked into the main library, neatly dressed in a baby blue dress, her hair pulled up into a loose bun, tendrils escaping around her forehead and neck, and all signs of the previous night's unrest banished. She saw upon arriving that she appeared to be the last one to arrive, apart from Jon. Gary, Raoul, Myles, Lord Provost, Duke Baird, and the rest of His Majesty's cabinet leapt to their feet at the sight of her. Gary embraced her quickly, whispering in her ear that it was good she was back. Raoul, slightly more subdued than he had been when she arrived, sufficed with a quick kiss on the cheek, as did Myles. Lord Provost nodded to her slightly, before saying with what Alanna thought might have been a mischevious twinkle, how she had gone and got herself engaged to his best rival. Now that Lord Provost had brought it into the open, all the tension revolving around that subject was alleviated, and there was a mad rush to share congratulations and well-wishes, that is, until Jon walked into the room 5 minutes later. As soon as he did, all conversation came to a halt, and everyone rose from their seats.
"Gary, Baird, Provost, Raoul, Myles," Jon greeted in turn, his eyes traveling around the room until they rested on Alanna, when they turned icy.
"Alanna." He acknowledged.
"Jon." The chill in her voice caused everyone in the room to shift uncomfortably, until Myles, always the mediator, clasped his hands together, and exclaimed, "Now then, to work! It appears that we have some growing unrest in Scanra."
"That's nothing unusual," Raoul said. "We have trouble with them every year."
"Normally, yes," Myles acknowledged. "But this appears to be different. I have gathered from various sources that something bigger is brewing. Something that could thrust them.and us for that matter, into the brink of war."
"The LAST thing that country needs is to be throw into war," Gary said, shaking his head. "War, ANY war right now, would have a disastrous effect on an already weakened Tortall. Jon, people are already on edge because of what happened with Roger-and that was a good half year ago. The people need to be reassured, not antagonized. We have to stay out of it, unless we are deliberately drawn in. We just don't have the resources to fight a full- fledged war right now."
"I tend to agree with Gary. We just don't have the resources to take on Scanra, as much as we might want to," Lord Provost agreed.
"And what do you think?" Myles asked, turning to Alanna. "You've managed to remain uncharacteristically quiet throughout this discussion. Care to share your thoughts?"
Alanna didn't say anything for a moment, collecting her thoughts. A sign she had changed, Gary thought. Before she simply would have blurted out whatever was on her mind. Subtlety was not the Lioness's strong suit.
"I am, for better or worse, this country's Champion," Alanna began. "Which means that were we forced to fight, of course, I would not hesitate to."
"That's not what I asked," Myles prodded gently. "You, personally, what do you feel we should do?"
"I think we should stay out of it," Alanna said firmly. Though part of her was aching for a good fight, another part of her was realizing that some of her battle lust had died down. Maybe it wasn't so much about the fighting, as it was the need to prove herself somehow. She noticed that all eyes were on her, as she realized that she had trailed off.
"Tortall doesn't need any more lives lost right now," Alanna finished.
"Sire?" Duke Baird turned to Jon, who so far hadn't said anything.
Jon sighed, and then said, "So be it. For now, Tortall is neutral. Unless you had something else on your mind, Myles, you're all free to go."
Myles shook his head, so everyone stood to leave. Alanna was halfway down the hall before Gary's call stopped her.
"Alanna," he said. "Walk with me will you."
Eyeing him suspiciously, she obeyed.
"You're not dragging me to another meeting, are you? Because I've had quite enough for one day."
"No, no, nothing like that," Gary assured her. "But I do have a favor to ask you."
He held up his hand as Alanna started to protest. "Hear me out Alanna. You might actually like this one. Now I know you came back to Corus primarily for wedding business, but I thought since you were already here, and I know how much you hate being fussed over, I thought you might need something to occupy you."
"Go on." Alanna said, continuing to watch her friend carefully.
"Now I know you're itching to practice your fighting techniques again, I can see it in your eyes. How great would it be if you got to practice.and share your skills at the same time?"
"Share my skills? How?"
"Teach a class of pages for Raoul. With his added duties, he just doesn't have time for it anymore. And now with this new business with Scanra.Please Alanna?" Gary pleaded. "You might even find you like it."
Alanna was quite prepared to say no, but she just couldn't turn Gary down. He HAD done so much for her over their long friendship.
"Fine," she said sighing. "I'll do it."
"Thank you Alanna, you won't regret it I promise!" Gary said, kissing her on the cheek, before he ran down the corridor, calling over his shoulder that he was late for a meeting with the Tyran ambassador, but he'd catch up with her later.
Kids, Alanna thought with a sigh. What have I gotten myself into?
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Author's Note: I know it wasn't much of a chapter, and I'm really sorry, I've just been busy lately. I'll update soon I promise! R/R please!!!