~*~*~*~ The Pride of the Convent ~*~*~*~
Chapter Five: A Justified Hatred Towards Shopping Genre: General/Action/Romance Rating: PG-13Disclaimer: Hey….my pen's been nicked…dang it! Good thing I'm typing, eh? Someone's going to get it tonight….I wish the characters would behave, but then again, they aren't mine, they are Tamora's….so, oh well! Not much I can do! Also, places are Tamora's too. If I owned them, well, I'd vacation down in Port Caynne. **wink**
Author's Note: WHOA! Your response to this has blown me away!!! Thanks for all the reviews guys! You're the greatest! Ok, I'm just going to say this now, to get it out of the way. Ok? A lot of you want me to make this completely A/J. I just can't do that! Sorry! Please keep reading, even if you do despise George. Ok? In plain English. A/G fic, eventually. Moving on to the chapter now!
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The days of the week that followed were touched with sweet sunlight and the nights full of adventure. Alanna and Jon grew closer as the week went by, stealing the occasional kiss when they could. But kisses were not the only thing Alanna was stealing. Nights at the Dancing Dove were wild. She had helped George with a few tasks that week, two of which involved a fight. Alanna relished these and the long hours she spent talking with the Rogue over ale.
"Nice job out there!" he complimented, handing her a mug one night, after they had been jumped by a particularly burly gang, of at least ten.
"You too!" she said, with half a grin.
She took a swig of the ale and George noticed that she had wrapped her wrist with a torn off strip of her tunic.
"That happened to you tonight, didn't it?" he asked, eyeing her injury.
She nodded with half of a shrug.
"What happened?" he asked, his hazel eyes searching her own.
"The Chaos cursed fool bit me," she said, calmly, a bit of angered edge in her voice.
"He bit you? Who bites in a dagger and fist fight?" he asked, face set.
She laughed. "Goddess knows, but I think we taught him a lesson."
George smiled ruefully. "I suppose we did. How bad is the bite?"
"Nothing bad. It should be healed by tomorrow." She thanked the gods that she had the Gift. Going to court the next day with a bite mark on her hand wouldn't have been a bright idea.
He nodded. "Good. You'll need it. Tomorrow night, we have to hit up a few people for some money, as some people just don't hold up their ends of deals, and one of them is murder with daggers. Just giving you fair warning"
Alanna cursed, aloud. Tomorrow was the first ball of the courting season. She'd be out all of the night….
"Busy?" he asked.
"Meeting an old friend," she said, with a nod. It wasn't entirely a lie. Her brother was an old friend, and he'd be there.
"Should I hit them up myself, or shall I wait and allow you to join in on the fun?" he said, grinning.
Alanna let out a mental sigh. Her secret was safe for now. "Let me help. I've been needing someone to test out my dagger skills on."
"I don't think you need any help with a dagger," he said with a laugh.
She shrugged. "Then I need someone to test out my skills in swordplay on."
"I've never seen you work with a sword before. You'll have to show me what you know."
She shook her head. "It's not much really. I never had anyone to spar with. The lads wouldn't, out of respect I think, and I don't know many women who can wield a sword."
"Bring your blade with you, next time you come. I'm sure one of the boys wouldn't pass up a chance to try and prove themselves." He laughed, and she nodded, with a grin.
Alanna thought for a minute. She hadn't brought her sword to the palace with her. It wasn't exactly easy to hide. I'll nick one from somewhere, she thought. Maybe Thom's…
"Alanna!!!!!" came Trycia's bright voice through the trees in the garden. Alanna cursed mentally some. It was a beautiful morning, and she was sharing it with Jon, which made it all the more beautiful. Trycia's voice, which clearly meant that she was looking for Alanna, was like the arrival of gray storm clouds. Jon sighed, and let her go. He winked at her, told her he'd see her that night and left the gardens. Alanna found Trycia, and pretended to act excited.
"We have to go dress shopping!" Trycia insisted, cheerily.
Alanna ran a hand through her hair, and sighed. That was the last thing she had wanted to do today. "Why do we need more dresses? I already have a dress!"
"We need new dresses! Just think! Tonight is the first ball of court! We have to look wonderful! What if we get to dance with the Prince? Don't you want to have a nice new dress for that?" Trycia protested, looking at Alanna like she was half crazed.
Alanna laughed to herself. She was past dancing with Prince Jonathan. She hadn't told anyone yet, but she reckoned that Jon might have told his friends, as well as her brother. No one had approached her about it. Yet.
"Fine!" Alanna said, a bit cross. At least it'd get her away from the palace. She was getting a bit bored with it anyway. "What about Lydiana?" Delia could go kiss a pig, but Lydiana had always been fair nice to her.
"Oh, she went shopping with Delia, yesterday," Trycia said, offhandedly. Alanna was almost certain that Trycia wanted to be a part of Delia's crowd, and was a bit jealous of Lydiana. She'd never admit it though.
"Well, that me grab my purse, and we can go," Alanna said, walking from the gardens. Trycia followed like an eager puppy.
"What do you think of this dress?" Trycia asked, pulling Alanna over to a sky blue dress.
"Pretty," Alanna said, looking the dress over. "It would go nice with your eyes."
"Oh, do you really think so?" Trycia asked, looking excited.
Alanna nodded and picked her way around the tailor's shop. Trycia planned to force her to get a dress, so she figured she'd better find a nice one. Trycia had purchased her dress, and was now holding it carefully in a bag the tailor had given her, and came over to Alanna, who was disinterestedly looking at a purple dress, classic for her.
"What about this one?" Trycia asked, pulling Alanna over to a coppery red shimmering dress.
"It's a bit…bold," Alanna said, carefully. The dress was pretty, but it would certainly draw a great deal of attention.
"It would look so nice on you, Alanna!" Trycia pressured. "Come on. You'd give Delia a run for her nobles!"
Alanna sighed, "Fine."
"Wonderful! Pay for it then!"
Alanna sighed and paid the tailor. The dress had been far more then she'd intended to spend.
The girls left the tailor's and wandered through the market.
"Oh!" Trycia exclaimed, "I have to find a hair ribbon and shoes!"
"I suppose I'd better find shoes also," Alanna agreed, wishing to the Great Mother Goddess that the day would end.
Trycia pranced over to a stall and looked around at all the ribbons, clips and ties. Alanna looked over her shoulder with indifference.
George was restless. There were so many nobles in Corus this time of year, and he was itching to pick a few pockets. With a smug grin, he left the Dancing Dove, to go and find a bit of fun.
Alanna felt someone behind her, and a hand near her purse. In a flash, she had her dagger on the pickpocket, and he had a dagger on her as well. Her mouth fell open, as did his. Trycia was excitedly looking over at ribbons on the other side of the stall.
"Lanna?" he hissed, in surprise.
"Majesty…" She bended slightly at the waist in a small bow.
"Mithros! We need to talk." He looked at her harshly.
"I'll be at the Dove tomorrow night. I swear!"
"Now."
"Okay, okay! Let me just tell my friend something, so she won't follow us." Alanna went over every curse she knew, saying a few of them out loud. Alanna put her dagger down at her side, hiding it from the other girl's view. George turned, but kept the tip of the dagger at the small of her back.
"Trycia, I just met up with an old friend of mine! I'm going to go catch up with him. I'll meet you back here in a bit, alright?"
"Oh, certainly! Could you help me pick out a ribbon then?" Trycia asked, not even thinking that Alanna might be lying.
"Of course!" she replied with false excitement. Trycia grinned at her, but her eye was caught by a strand of pearls and Alanna made her escape, being half dragged by George into a dark and narrow alley. He set her down on a barrel and looked at her for a long moment, cursed a bit, and then looked at her again.
When he finally spoke, he was clearly upset. "You're a noble?"
She nodded slowly.
George cursed a bit more. "I can't believe I had a noble working for me! I trusted a noble I'd only just met!" He paced, fingering his dagger. He looked at her, expecting her to say something. She didn't.
"Well?" he asked, getting a bit impatient.
"What do you want me to say?" Alanna asked, looking downcast. Her secret had been figured out. She doubted she'd ever find a place where she wouldn't have to disguise herself to be accepted.
"I want you to explain yourself," he said, his voice sharp, edging on hating.
"I started at the convent when I was eleven, and I loathed it. I had never wanted to become a lady, and I hated being a noble. As the years went on, I learned what I needed to know, to make myself a lady, but I never enjoyed dresses and the like. And I never liked the other girls. They'd fawn over every noble with a crown in his purse, but I didn't find what I needed at the convent. I needed excitement. I needed a challenge. So, I dressed as a boy, and began picking pockets and throwing daggers down in Treven Common. Eventually, I met some people. They noticed that I was a girl, but accepted it. I worked my way up with the other thieves and spies, and then I eventually became the ringleader in Treven. Then, when court season started up, I saw my perfect chance to escape and come to Corus, and now I'm here."
George stared at her, in a mixture of amazement and anger. "How'd you manage to hold up Treven?"
"I spent all my nights in a local inn, and kept tabs on the lads. I had a messenger, that worked in the kitchen at the convent."
George bit his lip, and began to pace again. "We don't trust nobles," he said, angrily. "They think they can buy our friendship, and when they don't need us anymore, it's to Treason Hill we go, by writ of my Lord Provost! Any noble that has ever worked for me has lead to trouble!" He cursed. "I should take your ear off for this!"
She pulled her hair up into a horsetail and tilted her neck. "Right or left?"
He cursed loudly and flung his dagger into the wood support of the building behind Alanna. "Who are you really?"
"Alanna of Trebond."
"Trebond?" he exclaimed.
She nodded, confused.
"I should have seen it early. Eyes just like his! You've a brother in the palace." He said it, not asked it.
She nodded. "How do you know him?"
"Met him the day he came into town. He told me he didn't want any of this, and just wanted to be a sorcerer. I met up with him in town a few more time, and eventually we became friends."
"But, he's a noble. Even I don't entirely trust him!"
"He's no noble. He hates the entire idea of it."
"If you call me a noble, then you're calling him one as well. I was the one that wanted to become a knight. Did Thom ever tell you why he became a knight, instead of a sorcerer?"
George shook his head, calming down a bit. He leaned against the wall next to her.
Alanna launched into the tale of the switch and how they had been caught and then told him how she and Thom had been sending things back and forth.
George rubbed his temples with long fingers. "Can I trust you, Lady Alanna?" he finally asked.
She nodded. "My life belongs to you, Majesty." She nodded her head in a small bow.
"Friends then?" he asked, finally softening.
"As long as you never think of me as a noble. I can't help the way I'm forced to live. I can only help what I do when I can get away from it."
"Deal." They shook hands, sealing the deal. George patted her on the shoulder, pulling her into a loose embrace.
"Be glad you're a woman. I'd have hated having to take your ear off." He grinned at her, his usual twinkle returning to his hazel eyes.
"I'll be seeing you at the Dove, tomorrow night," she promised, sliding off the barrel onto the ground.
"Going to help me with a bit of business regarding a few deals tomorrow night?" He asked, grinning.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." She gave him an even bigger grin.
"Now, go back to the duckling. I'm sure she's worried sick with out you! Goddess save her if she can't find a hair ribbon!" George said, eyes dancing.
Alanna scowled at him, and he winked at her and disappeared.
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Author's Note: What did you think? It was a bit longer then most chapters, and I admit parts were a bit…dull, but I wanted to get more into her rogue lifestyle, as well as her lady lifestyle. Hope you liked it! I'll post review replies with the next chapter! Promise! Oh, some constructive criticism please. I want to know what's good, and I want to know what to improve upon! Thanks!
Cheers!