Is It Enough? - Chapter Eight
Author's Note: So here it is, the long awaited eighth chapter. I know, I know, I promised it would be up sooner, but I got back from the Cape on the 11th, and had a really bad sinus headache, and am now suffering from horror of horrors-writers block! Ahhhhhhhhh! I hate writers block, it's a writer's worse nightmare. Oh well, it'll pass. And now, on to the story.
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A deafening crack of thunder soon followed by yet another flash of lightning shook the elegant Palace ballroom, where preparations for that evening's celebration-the arrival of a prominent Tortallan Lord's daughter were well under way.
"Lovely night for a ball, ain't it, darlin'?" George commented to his fiancée, as they walked into the room, Alanna clutching to George's arm to keep from breaking an ankle in the ridiculously high heels Thayet insisted were the newest court fashion. Now that Alanna had all but recovered from previous events, at least in Her Majesty's eyes, wedding plans were back on schedule. If Thayet would have her way, Alanna would be spending the next three weeks holed up in a seamstress's shop, being stuck with pins until she could hardly move.
Alanna treated George to her best withering glare, as she tried in vain, to keep her new baby blue silk gown-another of Thayet's insistences, from trailing on the muddy floor. A string of curses that would make a sailor look shocked let loose from her mouth as her heel caught on one of the many rugs being rolled out over the flagstone floor, causing Alanna to go flying into the arms of Raoul, who had made his entrance shortly before.
Alanna glanced up into Raoul's twinkling black eyes as he helped her to her feet.
"Not one word," Alanna warned, looking to George and Raoul, "not one word."
"Come on lass, I do believe I see my mother and your father standing by the punch bowl. Why don't we go say 'ello?" George suggested, covering his smile with his hand, as he led a grumbling Lioness away.
Seeing Alanna and George leave, Jon walked over to Raoul.
"She never did like balls, did she?" Jonathan asked.
"Nope, not even when we were kids," Raoul remembered.
"That's one thing that's never changed," Jon mumbled.
Seeing Raoul arch his eyebrows, he sighed, yanking on his black velvet tunic, a habit he too, had retained throughout his youth. "It's the all this stress that's getting to me, I swear. First Alanna's poisoning, and then this bit with Scanra. I had another meeting with Nulseth today. I think Gary's right. There's something off about our visiting Lord, something he's not sharing. Goddess help us if we find the incident with Alanna, and this new suggested treaty are related. We never did get anywhere with the Alleviaregala bit-that Scanran city Myles was talking about. Plus, the girl-"
"The one that's being introduced tonight at Court?" Raoul questioned.
"Yes, her, Lady Crylina of Thornebrook, apparently her sister fled to Scanra a few months ago, after some incident that no one will talk about. Rumor has it that she was somehow involved in the attack on Port Caynn a while back, that Carthaki raid, the one that George was almost killed in. nothing was ever confirmed of course, and now." Jon's voice trailed off quietly.
"And now it would look very bad, very bad indeed, for a noted Tortall family to get entangled in affairs that could end very badly," Raoul finished.
"Is it just me, or does this start to look more and more like a giant conspiracy every day?" shaking his head, Jon wandered away, leaving the Knight Commander of the King's Own a lot to wonder about.
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An hour away from Corus, Lady Rianna of Thornebrook, dismounted from her tawny mare, throwing her scarlet cloak over her head, before she slunk into a nearby alley.
"Miss 'r Lady?" a quiet voice called out from the shadows.
"Who's there?" Rianna snapped, her emerald eyes searching the smoky darkness. She relaxed visibly as a small, ragged little girl emerged, holding a letter in her dirty hands.
"It's for you, Lady, a man told me to give it to a tall noblewoman with green eyes, and that you'd be riding a brown horse. I don't know what 's about, only that I have to give it to ya."
Rianna snatched the letter from the child's hand, tossing her a coin over her shoulder.
Reading the letter by the light through a shop window, she smiled slowly. According to the writer, everything was set in Corus for her arrival. Her dear sister was being presented tonight, and with all the commotion that usually goes along with such things, it wouldn't be that hard to sneak in unnoticed. Once she was in the Palace, she knew it would be much easier to make the Lioness pay for what she did. Others may have forgotten that raid on Port Caynn's shores, not more than 3 months ago, but certainly not Rianna, and certainly not Rianna's dead lover. Striking a match against a crumbled piece of brick lying on the street, she slowly burned the letter. It would not due to have others know of her plans, even some street urchin that could barely read. No, in this instance, every precaution would be taken to make sure what she was planning went off effortlessly.
Lowering a leather booted foot; she kicked the match out before storming off into the darkness towards Corus.
************************************************************************ "Presenting."
A trumpet horn blast interrupted the Court herald's announcement
"Lady Crylina of Thornebrook, eldest daughter of Lord David of Thornebrook; and her escort, Sir Joshua of Cougar's Bluff."
The customary cheers and clapping broke the silence in the room as the pair descended the Royal Staircase.
"She's a pretty one, isn't she?" Myles murmured to his neighbor, Gary.
"Mm-mmm," he agreed, enjoying the noblewoman's entrance, as she made her way down the steps, clad in a rose ball gown that set off her chestnut locks and huge brown eyes.
Others in the room weren't blind of the girl's entrance either. Alanna arched her copper brows at George, who, like the other men in the room, seemed in awe of the girl.
George grinned at Alanna, who scowled back at him. Snaking an arm around her tiny waist he pulled her against him.
"You know you're the only woman this old thief wants, or needs. I love YOU Alanna, always have, always will," he whispered in her ear, before he kissed her neck gently.
Alanna's scowl changed to a smile as she kissed her lover back.
"I love you too. Just don't forget you're engaged to be married my friend. The ol' ball and chain," Alanna said, laughing. "The days of eyeing whoever you want are over, dear."
"And I don't regret it a bit, love," George replied, tweaking Alanna's nose, as the orchestra started up, and he swept Alanna into his muscled arms.
"May I have this dance?" Lord Bronwyn Nulseth, the visiting Scanran minister of Foreign Affairs, asked Lady Crylina.
Looking to her escort, who nodded, Crylina agreed.
Buri and the Lord Provost walked over to Raoul and Gary.
"You still don't trust him, do you?" Buri asked, her dark eyes unreadable.
"Of course not," Gary answered her. "Would you?"
"No, probably not," Buri said with a sigh. "But don't you think we should perhaps hear him out? Think of all the lives that could be saved if we no longer had to fight off Scanrans every year. It's just a thought, mind you. On the other hand, after what you told me about how he brought up Alanna, I'd be very interested in his reaction if they were to meet."
Watching Nulseth and Lady Crylina spin around the room, the Provost nodded.
"I agree with her, lads. Introduce the two, and watch our friend's reaction."
The orchestra stopped briefly to rest between numbers, so Gary walked over to the Lady and Scanran Lord. Smoothing his mustache, and straightening his tunic, he tapped Crylina on the shoulder.
"May I have the honor of the next dance?" he asked the beautiful girl, blushing slightly.
"Oh, Sir Gareth, certainly," she answered, her eyes lighting up.
Raoul shook his head over the two, as he went to go find Alanna. Gary obviously had a crush on the girl, and she certainly seemed to like him. Maybe something could be arranged.
Smiling in amusement, Raoul realized he was starting to sound like Thayet!
Searching the crowded dance floor, he spotted Alanna chatting with Myles and Eleni. George was nearby, deep into conversation with Duke Baird.
"Mind if I borrow Alanna for a few, Myles?" Raoul asked. "There's someone I'd like for her to meet."
Alanna looked up at her friend curiously, a question in her violet eyes.
"It's the Scanran Lord, Bronwyn Nulseth. George would have mentioned him."
Alanna nodded.
"He said that he didn't seem to like me, acted odd when my name was brought up. But you know that's nothing new, Raoul. Why introduce us?" "Because it was more than just odd, Alanna.there was something else there."
Leading her over to the man, who the Provost had engaged in what appeared to be an amicable conversation, interrupted.
"Lord Nulseth, I'd like to introduce you to Sir Lady Alanna of Trebond and Olau, soon to be Pirate's Swoop."
Finally laying eyes on the man, Alanna eyes widened in shock and she let out a gasp.
"You?!" she exclaimed. "But how?"
Author's Note: Teehee ya gotta love a cliffhanger. Hope you liked it! R/R please!
Author's Note: So here it is, the long awaited eighth chapter. I know, I know, I promised it would be up sooner, but I got back from the Cape on the 11th, and had a really bad sinus headache, and am now suffering from horror of horrors-writers block! Ahhhhhhhhh! I hate writers block, it's a writer's worse nightmare. Oh well, it'll pass. And now, on to the story.
************************************************************************
A deafening crack of thunder soon followed by yet another flash of lightning shook the elegant Palace ballroom, where preparations for that evening's celebration-the arrival of a prominent Tortallan Lord's daughter were well under way.
"Lovely night for a ball, ain't it, darlin'?" George commented to his fiancée, as they walked into the room, Alanna clutching to George's arm to keep from breaking an ankle in the ridiculously high heels Thayet insisted were the newest court fashion. Now that Alanna had all but recovered from previous events, at least in Her Majesty's eyes, wedding plans were back on schedule. If Thayet would have her way, Alanna would be spending the next three weeks holed up in a seamstress's shop, being stuck with pins until she could hardly move.
Alanna treated George to her best withering glare, as she tried in vain, to keep her new baby blue silk gown-another of Thayet's insistences, from trailing on the muddy floor. A string of curses that would make a sailor look shocked let loose from her mouth as her heel caught on one of the many rugs being rolled out over the flagstone floor, causing Alanna to go flying into the arms of Raoul, who had made his entrance shortly before.
Alanna glanced up into Raoul's twinkling black eyes as he helped her to her feet.
"Not one word," Alanna warned, looking to George and Raoul, "not one word."
"Come on lass, I do believe I see my mother and your father standing by the punch bowl. Why don't we go say 'ello?" George suggested, covering his smile with his hand, as he led a grumbling Lioness away.
Seeing Alanna and George leave, Jon walked over to Raoul.
"She never did like balls, did she?" Jonathan asked.
"Nope, not even when we were kids," Raoul remembered.
"That's one thing that's never changed," Jon mumbled.
Seeing Raoul arch his eyebrows, he sighed, yanking on his black velvet tunic, a habit he too, had retained throughout his youth. "It's the all this stress that's getting to me, I swear. First Alanna's poisoning, and then this bit with Scanra. I had another meeting with Nulseth today. I think Gary's right. There's something off about our visiting Lord, something he's not sharing. Goddess help us if we find the incident with Alanna, and this new suggested treaty are related. We never did get anywhere with the Alleviaregala bit-that Scanran city Myles was talking about. Plus, the girl-"
"The one that's being introduced tonight at Court?" Raoul questioned.
"Yes, her, Lady Crylina of Thornebrook, apparently her sister fled to Scanra a few months ago, after some incident that no one will talk about. Rumor has it that she was somehow involved in the attack on Port Caynn a while back, that Carthaki raid, the one that George was almost killed in. nothing was ever confirmed of course, and now." Jon's voice trailed off quietly.
"And now it would look very bad, very bad indeed, for a noted Tortall family to get entangled in affairs that could end very badly," Raoul finished.
"Is it just me, or does this start to look more and more like a giant conspiracy every day?" shaking his head, Jon wandered away, leaving the Knight Commander of the King's Own a lot to wonder about.
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An hour away from Corus, Lady Rianna of Thornebrook, dismounted from her tawny mare, throwing her scarlet cloak over her head, before she slunk into a nearby alley.
"Miss 'r Lady?" a quiet voice called out from the shadows.
"Who's there?" Rianna snapped, her emerald eyes searching the smoky darkness. She relaxed visibly as a small, ragged little girl emerged, holding a letter in her dirty hands.
"It's for you, Lady, a man told me to give it to a tall noblewoman with green eyes, and that you'd be riding a brown horse. I don't know what 's about, only that I have to give it to ya."
Rianna snatched the letter from the child's hand, tossing her a coin over her shoulder.
Reading the letter by the light through a shop window, she smiled slowly. According to the writer, everything was set in Corus for her arrival. Her dear sister was being presented tonight, and with all the commotion that usually goes along with such things, it wouldn't be that hard to sneak in unnoticed. Once she was in the Palace, she knew it would be much easier to make the Lioness pay for what she did. Others may have forgotten that raid on Port Caynn's shores, not more than 3 months ago, but certainly not Rianna, and certainly not Rianna's dead lover. Striking a match against a crumbled piece of brick lying on the street, she slowly burned the letter. It would not due to have others know of her plans, even some street urchin that could barely read. No, in this instance, every precaution would be taken to make sure what she was planning went off effortlessly.
Lowering a leather booted foot; she kicked the match out before storming off into the darkness towards Corus.
************************************************************************ "Presenting."
A trumpet horn blast interrupted the Court herald's announcement
"Lady Crylina of Thornebrook, eldest daughter of Lord David of Thornebrook; and her escort, Sir Joshua of Cougar's Bluff."
The customary cheers and clapping broke the silence in the room as the pair descended the Royal Staircase.
"She's a pretty one, isn't she?" Myles murmured to his neighbor, Gary.
"Mm-mmm," he agreed, enjoying the noblewoman's entrance, as she made her way down the steps, clad in a rose ball gown that set off her chestnut locks and huge brown eyes.
Others in the room weren't blind of the girl's entrance either. Alanna arched her copper brows at George, who, like the other men in the room, seemed in awe of the girl.
George grinned at Alanna, who scowled back at him. Snaking an arm around her tiny waist he pulled her against him.
"You know you're the only woman this old thief wants, or needs. I love YOU Alanna, always have, always will," he whispered in her ear, before he kissed her neck gently.
Alanna's scowl changed to a smile as she kissed her lover back.
"I love you too. Just don't forget you're engaged to be married my friend. The ol' ball and chain," Alanna said, laughing. "The days of eyeing whoever you want are over, dear."
"And I don't regret it a bit, love," George replied, tweaking Alanna's nose, as the orchestra started up, and he swept Alanna into his muscled arms.
"May I have this dance?" Lord Bronwyn Nulseth, the visiting Scanran minister of Foreign Affairs, asked Lady Crylina.
Looking to her escort, who nodded, Crylina agreed.
Buri and the Lord Provost walked over to Raoul and Gary.
"You still don't trust him, do you?" Buri asked, her dark eyes unreadable.
"Of course not," Gary answered her. "Would you?"
"No, probably not," Buri said with a sigh. "But don't you think we should perhaps hear him out? Think of all the lives that could be saved if we no longer had to fight off Scanrans every year. It's just a thought, mind you. On the other hand, after what you told me about how he brought up Alanna, I'd be very interested in his reaction if they were to meet."
Watching Nulseth and Lady Crylina spin around the room, the Provost nodded.
"I agree with her, lads. Introduce the two, and watch our friend's reaction."
The orchestra stopped briefly to rest between numbers, so Gary walked over to the Lady and Scanran Lord. Smoothing his mustache, and straightening his tunic, he tapped Crylina on the shoulder.
"May I have the honor of the next dance?" he asked the beautiful girl, blushing slightly.
"Oh, Sir Gareth, certainly," she answered, her eyes lighting up.
Raoul shook his head over the two, as he went to go find Alanna. Gary obviously had a crush on the girl, and she certainly seemed to like him. Maybe something could be arranged.
Smiling in amusement, Raoul realized he was starting to sound like Thayet!
Searching the crowded dance floor, he spotted Alanna chatting with Myles and Eleni. George was nearby, deep into conversation with Duke Baird.
"Mind if I borrow Alanna for a few, Myles?" Raoul asked. "There's someone I'd like for her to meet."
Alanna looked up at her friend curiously, a question in her violet eyes.
"It's the Scanran Lord, Bronwyn Nulseth. George would have mentioned him."
Alanna nodded.
"He said that he didn't seem to like me, acted odd when my name was brought up. But you know that's nothing new, Raoul. Why introduce us?" "Because it was more than just odd, Alanna.there was something else there."
Leading her over to the man, who the Provost had engaged in what appeared to be an amicable conversation, interrupted.
"Lord Nulseth, I'd like to introduce you to Sir Lady Alanna of Trebond and Olau, soon to be Pirate's Swoop."
Finally laying eyes on the man, Alanna eyes widened in shock and she let out a gasp.
"You?!" she exclaimed. "But how?"
Author's Note: Teehee ya gotta love a cliffhanger. Hope you liked it! R/R please!