Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters nor most of the settings. Although, Nelyra and Kay belong to me.
Author's Note: The Thom referred to in this story is not Alanna's brother.
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"Mum?" Nelyra heard Robbie say.
The knight looked at him, her eyes filling.
Nelyra remembered the stories she heard of the Lioness. Her bravery, her strength, and that ever sharp tongue. Yet all of the legends featured a young woman. As she looked at the Lioness, she realized that that young woman was gone. White threads had found their way into the formerly fiery-red hair. Battle had etched scars over her hands and arms. Time had carved shallow valleys into the knight's face. Yet, those amethyst eyes still shone bright.
"Go get your father," the Lioness said to Catherine.
"Yes mum."
"I suggest that we go to a place where the servants don't stare so," the knight said, ushering her children down the hall.
As she walked through the castle, Nelyra stared in amazement at the richness the hall displayed. Tapestries and portraits hung along the walls. Vases and statues stood in niches. As she looked up at the ceiling, her face was bathed in colored rays of sunlight emanating from the stained windows.
The Lioness opened a door to reveal a golden sitting room. The seats were draped in a bright yellow fabric. The same colored cloth decorated the window.
Sit down," the knight ordered. "You have a lot to explain."
Robert stared at his shoes.
Someone knocked on the door and the Lioness got up to answer. A middle-aged man stood in the doorway. Glancing around the room, his eyes stopped on Robbie.
"Have a seat, George," Alanna told the man. "This will be difficult to take standing." She stopped for a moment to intake a breath. "It seems that Thom isn't as dead as we thought"