Is It Enough? -Chapter Four
Three hours later a very unhappy Alanna stood on an upholstered velvet stool as various seamstresses, stylists, and maids poked, prodded, and pinned her into what was to be the beginnings of a wedding dress. Thayet, beautiful as always, even in a simple rose shift, waltzed into the room, and could barely contain her laughter at Alanna's expression.
"Everything ok in here?" she asked, covering her smile with a dainty white hand.
Alanna treated her to her best withering glare under lowered lashes, as she yelped in pain.
The seamstress that had stabbed Alanna with a pin ignored her cry.
"Well, it looks like Mistress Kuri has everything under control, so I'll be back for you, Alanna, in an hour. We have so much more to do-place settings, menu, flower arrangements. Have fun!" Thayet called over her shoulder, her huge hazel eyes twinkling.
"Thayet! Don't you dare leave me in here alone with them! Thayet!" Alanna bit back another yelp as she was stabbed yet again. Flinching, Mistress Kuri treated her with a look of her own. Wishing she could just use her Gift to magic herself out of the room, she shifted uncomfortably, careful not to do anything to provoke any more looks, and thought about how she would repay Thayet. Would sticking something slimy in Her Majesty's bed be too juvenile, Alanna wondered absentmindedly. That wicked gleam in her eye definitely warranted it.
************************************************************************
Later that evening, Lady Alanna sat in her rooms, writing a letter to Coram and Rispah. Her former companion and caretaker's first child would soon be on the way. Alanna allowed herself a smile as she thought of Coram raising children of his own. He'd be a wonderful father she knew. She gasped in shock as a fire hot spasm of pain drove her to her knees.
"Ahhh! Merciful Mother!" Alanna cried out, hands clutching her stomach, as the room started to spin and her vision went dark, leaving her sprawled on the stone floor, alone, and giving off a faint purple glow, as her Gift drained itself to keep her alive.
************************************************************************
Jonathan of Conté approached Alanna's chamber door, unsure if he should enter or not. He knew he owed his Lioness an apology, and a good one at that. The way he acted was out of line, and he knew it. He was jolted out of his thoughts as he heard Alanna swear and cry out in pain. Not bothering to unlock the door, he magiked it open, blue fire swirling from his hands. Trying to control his rising panic, he rushed inside, where he found Alanna unconscious and glowing faintly, her Gift practically depleted. He shouted at a page walking by to fetch Duke Baird, and fast! Lifting Alanna into his arms he raced out of the room, the pounding of his heart drowning out all other noises. Duke Baird met up with him in the passageway outside of his healer's workplace, quizzing Jon as to what had happened.
"I don't know what happened!" Jon snapped breathlessly. "I broke into her rooms when I heard her cry out, and then found her on the floor, passed out, and glowing!!"
Duke Baird didn't comment on Jon's almost rude tone, knowing that Jon was a lot more frightened than he let on. Instead, he started to check Alanna's vitals, and touching her gently, searched with his Gift to find out what was wrong.
The King stood back, letting Baird work, and hating himself for feeling so helpless. Suddenly, an ashen-faced Baird collapsed against Jon, his eyes rolling back in his head. When he came out of his faint a few seconds later, he gasped to Jon, "Get George Cooper! And hurry! Alanna's life may depend on it!"
Jon looked quizzically at him, clearly not satisfied with the healer's demand.
"Stop standing there with your mouth open and move!" Jon rushed out of the room, obeying.
Three hours later, a pale-faced George was rushed into the chamber where Duke Baird was with Alanna, as a crowd of worried friends gathered round. News had leaked relatively fast that the Lioness had taken severely, and strangely, ill. Shoving people out of his way, George rushed into the room, closing the door behind him, muttering curses about palace gossips with nothing better to do.
"How is she?" George asked Baird quietly, not wanting to disturb his fiancée, who rested in a magic induced sleep.
"I can't really say," the Duke murmured back. "I've never seen anything like this before. By all accounts she appears perfectly healthy!"
"What?!" George cried out in shock. "Look at her man! Mithros is she glowing??"
"I know! And yes!" Baird said, throwing his arms up in the air, frustrated beyond belief.
"And I don't even know if this.ailment.is related to her miscarriage or not!"
"What??" George asked, his eyes widening. "Miscarriage?! She was.." His voice caught in his throat. He tried again. "You mean."
"I need a moment," he said, shaking his head, as he lowered his body into a chair. Resting his head in his hands, he pushed his sweat soaked hair out of his eyes, wiping away a tear that everyone else in the room pretended not to notice. "I'm sorry," Baird whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think even the Lady herself knew."
A healer mage under the Duke's tutelage yelped in surprise, calling that he thought the Lord and Duke ought to come see this. The glass that Alanna had been drinking from was coated in a powdery white substance that was visible only when the glass was empty. It blended in with whatever liquid was in the glass at the moment.
Bending forward to examine it further, Baird drew back in horror. "Poison," he whispered. "And a deadly one at that."
"Why wouldn't her stone warn her?" George asked, puzzled. "In the past it always has."
Alanna moaned and stirred, the effects of the spell Baird had placed her under wearing off. Both men rushed to her side, as Jon, hearing from the Duke's assistant that she was awake, let himself into the room. George glanced at him, his hazel eyes dark and emotionless.
"How are you lass?" George whispered, smiling softly at her, and bent down to kiss her, his heart breaking.
"What happened??" she demanded. "All I remember is I had just sat down to write a letter to Coram and Rispah, and then this fire-hot pain-it felt like a million burning knives cutting through my stomach, and then darkness."
Jon walked over to her, holding the glass gingerly. "Poison," he said softly. "It was poison."
"And I'm afraid there's more, Alanna," Baird said.
"More?!"
"There was an accident.a miscarriage.. I'm sorry." Baird's voice trailed off.
"A miscarriage?" Alanna cried, her voice breaking. "But I didn't even know.. but how?"
"The poison perhaps," he offered with a sigh. "Rest now. You're out of danger."
George took Alanna into his arms, rocking her slowly to sleep, as Duke Baird and King Jonathan left the room. Jonathan, from all appearances, was livid. Marching over to Raoul, and the Lord Provost, both members of the group that had gathered anxiously outside the chamber, he ordered all people that had been in Alanna's rooms that day detained and questioned.
Who would gain from poisoning Alanna, he wondered, his earlier argument with her forgotten. And why?
************************************************************************
In a tiny, dank room, on the other side of the Palace, a young man was being paid for his evening's services, by a cloaked figure. The voice, disguised as it was, could have belonged to a male or female. As they counted out 3 silver nobles to the nervous young man, they allowed themselves a grim smile. Soon Alanna of Trebond and Olau would be dead. And so would their secret.
************************************************************************
Author's Note: Wow I know this chapter took a decidedly different turn. I didn't plan it, it just turned out like this. But I hope you still liked it. R/R please!!!
Three hours later a very unhappy Alanna stood on an upholstered velvet stool as various seamstresses, stylists, and maids poked, prodded, and pinned her into what was to be the beginnings of a wedding dress. Thayet, beautiful as always, even in a simple rose shift, waltzed into the room, and could barely contain her laughter at Alanna's expression.
"Everything ok in here?" she asked, covering her smile with a dainty white hand.
Alanna treated her to her best withering glare under lowered lashes, as she yelped in pain.
The seamstress that had stabbed Alanna with a pin ignored her cry.
"Well, it looks like Mistress Kuri has everything under control, so I'll be back for you, Alanna, in an hour. We have so much more to do-place settings, menu, flower arrangements. Have fun!" Thayet called over her shoulder, her huge hazel eyes twinkling.
"Thayet! Don't you dare leave me in here alone with them! Thayet!" Alanna bit back another yelp as she was stabbed yet again. Flinching, Mistress Kuri treated her with a look of her own. Wishing she could just use her Gift to magic herself out of the room, she shifted uncomfortably, careful not to do anything to provoke any more looks, and thought about how she would repay Thayet. Would sticking something slimy in Her Majesty's bed be too juvenile, Alanna wondered absentmindedly. That wicked gleam in her eye definitely warranted it.
************************************************************************
Later that evening, Lady Alanna sat in her rooms, writing a letter to Coram and Rispah. Her former companion and caretaker's first child would soon be on the way. Alanna allowed herself a smile as she thought of Coram raising children of his own. He'd be a wonderful father she knew. She gasped in shock as a fire hot spasm of pain drove her to her knees.
"Ahhh! Merciful Mother!" Alanna cried out, hands clutching her stomach, as the room started to spin and her vision went dark, leaving her sprawled on the stone floor, alone, and giving off a faint purple glow, as her Gift drained itself to keep her alive.
************************************************************************
Jonathan of Conté approached Alanna's chamber door, unsure if he should enter or not. He knew he owed his Lioness an apology, and a good one at that. The way he acted was out of line, and he knew it. He was jolted out of his thoughts as he heard Alanna swear and cry out in pain. Not bothering to unlock the door, he magiked it open, blue fire swirling from his hands. Trying to control his rising panic, he rushed inside, where he found Alanna unconscious and glowing faintly, her Gift practically depleted. He shouted at a page walking by to fetch Duke Baird, and fast! Lifting Alanna into his arms he raced out of the room, the pounding of his heart drowning out all other noises. Duke Baird met up with him in the passageway outside of his healer's workplace, quizzing Jon as to what had happened.
"I don't know what happened!" Jon snapped breathlessly. "I broke into her rooms when I heard her cry out, and then found her on the floor, passed out, and glowing!!"
Duke Baird didn't comment on Jon's almost rude tone, knowing that Jon was a lot more frightened than he let on. Instead, he started to check Alanna's vitals, and touching her gently, searched with his Gift to find out what was wrong.
The King stood back, letting Baird work, and hating himself for feeling so helpless. Suddenly, an ashen-faced Baird collapsed against Jon, his eyes rolling back in his head. When he came out of his faint a few seconds later, he gasped to Jon, "Get George Cooper! And hurry! Alanna's life may depend on it!"
Jon looked quizzically at him, clearly not satisfied with the healer's demand.
"Stop standing there with your mouth open and move!" Jon rushed out of the room, obeying.
Three hours later, a pale-faced George was rushed into the chamber where Duke Baird was with Alanna, as a crowd of worried friends gathered round. News had leaked relatively fast that the Lioness had taken severely, and strangely, ill. Shoving people out of his way, George rushed into the room, closing the door behind him, muttering curses about palace gossips with nothing better to do.
"How is she?" George asked Baird quietly, not wanting to disturb his fiancée, who rested in a magic induced sleep.
"I can't really say," the Duke murmured back. "I've never seen anything like this before. By all accounts she appears perfectly healthy!"
"What?!" George cried out in shock. "Look at her man! Mithros is she glowing??"
"I know! And yes!" Baird said, throwing his arms up in the air, frustrated beyond belief.
"And I don't even know if this.ailment.is related to her miscarriage or not!"
"What??" George asked, his eyes widening. "Miscarriage?! She was.." His voice caught in his throat. He tried again. "You mean."
"I need a moment," he said, shaking his head, as he lowered his body into a chair. Resting his head in his hands, he pushed his sweat soaked hair out of his eyes, wiping away a tear that everyone else in the room pretended not to notice. "I'm sorry," Baird whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think even the Lady herself knew."
A healer mage under the Duke's tutelage yelped in surprise, calling that he thought the Lord and Duke ought to come see this. The glass that Alanna had been drinking from was coated in a powdery white substance that was visible only when the glass was empty. It blended in with whatever liquid was in the glass at the moment.
Bending forward to examine it further, Baird drew back in horror. "Poison," he whispered. "And a deadly one at that."
"Why wouldn't her stone warn her?" George asked, puzzled. "In the past it always has."
Alanna moaned and stirred, the effects of the spell Baird had placed her under wearing off. Both men rushed to her side, as Jon, hearing from the Duke's assistant that she was awake, let himself into the room. George glanced at him, his hazel eyes dark and emotionless.
"How are you lass?" George whispered, smiling softly at her, and bent down to kiss her, his heart breaking.
"What happened??" she demanded. "All I remember is I had just sat down to write a letter to Coram and Rispah, and then this fire-hot pain-it felt like a million burning knives cutting through my stomach, and then darkness."
Jon walked over to her, holding the glass gingerly. "Poison," he said softly. "It was poison."
"And I'm afraid there's more, Alanna," Baird said.
"More?!"
"There was an accident.a miscarriage.. I'm sorry." Baird's voice trailed off.
"A miscarriage?" Alanna cried, her voice breaking. "But I didn't even know.. but how?"
"The poison perhaps," he offered with a sigh. "Rest now. You're out of danger."
George took Alanna into his arms, rocking her slowly to sleep, as Duke Baird and King Jonathan left the room. Jonathan, from all appearances, was livid. Marching over to Raoul, and the Lord Provost, both members of the group that had gathered anxiously outside the chamber, he ordered all people that had been in Alanna's rooms that day detained and questioned.
Who would gain from poisoning Alanna, he wondered, his earlier argument with her forgotten. And why?
************************************************************************
In a tiny, dank room, on the other side of the Palace, a young man was being paid for his evening's services, by a cloaked figure. The voice, disguised as it was, could have belonged to a male or female. As they counted out 3 silver nobles to the nervous young man, they allowed themselves a grim smile. Soon Alanna of Trebond and Olau would be dead. And so would their secret.
************************************************************************
Author's Note: Wow I know this chapter took a decidedly different turn. I didn't plan it, it just turned out like this. But I hope you still liked it. R/R please!!!