~*~*~*~ The Pride of the Convent ~*~*~*~
Chapter Two: A Night on the Town
Genre: General/Action/Romance Rating: PG-13Disclaimer: All of the stuff you recognize from a piece Tamora Pierce has written belongs to Tamora Pierce. Makes sense, eh? If I owned what she did, I wouldn't be a struggling writer. Got it? Good.
Author's Note: Chapter Two might answer some of your questions. Or maybe it will create new ones. And soon, maybe Chapter Three or Four, Alanna will go to Corus!
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"Well, lookee here! It's Mistress Lanna!" called out a thief by the name of Quickdraw.
"Drinking again, Quick?" she called, laughing, knowing Quick drank all the time.
"Not me, Mistress!" Everyone in the room chuckled and a few people smacked Quick on the back, wiping tears of laughter from their eyes.
"Good to know, Quick! Hey, Han, got any news for me?" she called over to a man who was polishing a dagger, feet propped up on a table. He looked up. "Just a bit, Mistress."
She strode over there, taking a seat by the fire. A mug of ale was brought to her, and she thanked the bar tender before turning her attention to her spy.
"Well, I've got a message for ye, from his Majesty hisself."
Alanna's eyes narrowed with anticipation. "And?"
"Butcher is conspirin' agains' the king, along with the miller and blacksmith. Nothing of interes' there. Old Slash was caught, by Lord Hamell this afternoon. He's te be hung for treason tomorrow."
"Good," Alanna said. Slash was an old enemy, and had sent assassins after her on countless times.
"Guill almost got caught t'day, Mistress. Barely got out with his life! Seems Slash's gang thinks we turned 'im in. Just goes te show ye, none of 'em can spy te save 'is life."
Alanna shook her head. She got up from her spot near the fire and went over to Guill.
"Mistress!" The spy looked up at her in fright. "I…I didn' mean te! It was Slash's gang and-"
She put a hand on his shoulder and laughed. "Don't worry Guill. It happens." She inspected him. He had both ears, and surprisingly, all of his fingers. "They rough you up?"
"Nothin' I couldn' handle."
"Good to hear!" She thumped him on the back and tossed him a noble over her shoulder as she strode back to her spot by the fire.
Han grinned at her and took a letter from his shirt and handed it to her.
She thanked him and tore the letter open. In a fast, but legible scrawl was a message to her, from the Rogue himself.
Lanna,
Thanks for the tip on that noble. You're one of my best, darlin'. Having trouble with Slash and his gang still? Try and find out if it's just your rule he's opposed to, and not mine. I feel a fight coming on. Keep your daggers sharp. Han tells me you've got quite a knack with daggers. Good to know. It's almost court season, which means more nobles then I can stand. It could be a time. Why not see if you can come to Corus? But, watch yourself. Don't want my Lord Provost catching any of us, and with that many nobles around, you know he'll be trying. Don't want our fair Corus looking a thief's hang out. She could almost hear his soft chuckle, though she'd never met him. Send news as you can, and think about coming to Corus, I want to meet the lass that's handling the city of Treven. (A/N: Let's pretend that's the city surrounding the convent. I always thought that the convent and the City of The Gods were separate places, but if they aren't and I'm just dumb, well, poetic license. There had to be a decent sized town around.) Stay reasonably safe, lass. You'll be a hard one to replace.
G.C.
She tossed the letter into the fire and watched it smolder. She was headed to Corus anyway. Why not pay the Rogue a visit?
That night was fairly quiet in the Sighing Minstrel. It gave Alanna time to write a note to George.
Majesty,
Slash's being hung tomorrow. Can't say I'll miss him. If his gang starts getting edgy, we'll pop them back in place. His gang roughed up one of ours. Guill, a spy. Lad's fine now, but I'm going to be watching his gang. Ah, another bit of news you might find interesting. A noble lass from the convent's been prying around down here, buying scrying glasses, using them. She's talking to a certain noble, one Duke Roger of Conté. I don't like what I've heard either. Nothing solid yet, but I'll have the boys keep an eye out. The lasses in the convent are going to court soon. They've been in town at the market buying dresses and the like, and a lot of talk has been going around. The very same lass that talks to the duke, Delia of Eldorne, has her eyes set on the Prince. Things could get uglier. So far, that's the only news from Treven. I'm coming to Corus. I trust you'll find me.
Yours to command,
Lanna
"Han. Get this to his Majesty."
"O'course, Mistress."
She tossed him a noble. He grinned and tucked the letter into his shirt and left the inn. She only stayed there a bit longer, throwing on her cloak around one and stealing silently back to the convent where she snuck into her room, with no one the wiser.
Alanna woke at dawn, like she did everyday and dug her sword from her trunk. She practiced with it for a half hour and then practiced with her daggers. No one knew of her practicing, of course, not ever Thom. He was under the impression that she had finally almost become a lady. He didn't know about her association with the Rogue either. That was her own little secret. She knew it, the Rogue knew it, and the Rogue's people knew it. No one else. She sighed and put her daggers away and cleaned herself up, sliding into a muslin dress and healed shoes.
She looked in the mirror and sighed, and fixed her eyes and hair. She put on a bit of face paint, mainly to cover up the lack of sleep, and put two amethyst drops in her ears.
There was a knock at her door, a very excited knock. Alanna, in a temper, for she wasn't much for giggling girls in the morning, opened it, glaring.
It was a Trycia and a girl named Lydiana. One, or perhaps both of them squealed, "Daughter Alice tells us who goes to court today!"
Alanna faked both surprise and interest, with a squeal of delight. "Oh Great Mother Goddess, let me go!" she pleaded, hands over heart.
"Oh, Alanna, you'll go for sure! " Trycia assured.
That was old news to Alanna. She had everything it took to be a fine lady.
"Oh, let's just go to breakfast!" Lydiana said, excitedly.
The girl, hand in hand, skipped down to breakfast. The Hall was abuzz with conversation, as the older girls prayed to the gods that they would be allowed to go.
Daughter Alice stepped to the head of the hall. The chatterer ceased immediately.
"I have reviewed your progress, and in consideration of who is to go to court, I have made my decision," Daughter Alice began. Trycia sunk her head. She hadn't made much progress. Daughter Alice continued, "And I have decided that all girls over sixteen are required to go!"
Trycia's eyes widened. She was over sixteen!
Alanna mentally rolled her eyes. At least it will be funny to watch, she thought.
"Today after studies, you will all begin readying yourself for the trip to Corus. We leave early morning, two days from now! Now, eat and go to your lessons!" Daughter Alice said, and sat down.
All of the older girls chattered in a flurry of excitement. Delia, especially.
"I just know the Prince will fall for me!" she said, matter-of-factly, as she examined her polished nails.
Alanna looked at the girl, and sighed. Only if you throw yourself at him and sit on him. She chuckled to herself and went to class, thinking just how fun it would be to surprise her brother. And the Rogue.