Alanna woke in the morning, stiff and sore. She wanted to get out of bed and brush her hair and get dressed. She felt disgusting, even though Delia had been taking care of her. She sat up…and immediately fell back into bed. She was too weak to even sit up. She tried yelling for Delia or Jonathan, her voice came out just as loud as her speaking voice. Even stranger than these physical ills was the fact that nobody was in the infirmary, no healers or healer's helpers. At this time of day, especially at Midwinter, there should have been people aplenty to deal with upset stomachs caused by ale.
She looked around at her settings before realizing something: she wasn't in the infirmary, or even in her room. She was in a dark place that she recognized immediately as Jonathan's room. What was she doing here? Why was no one in here with her? She was a good girl, and oughten't be in a man's room when no chaperones were present, even when the man wasn't here. People would talk and gossip about her now!
She blushed at what she thought to be her fate, when she heard a rustling noise from under the covers on the Prince's bed. She saw the Prince yawn, and stand up. He was with someone, someone who wasn't her! She strained desperately on her rope, but was too weak to breach them. She wondered why Jonathan wasn't looking at her.
Alanna realized why he couldn't see her: there was a spell around her, one to block her from the sight of any people! Now she was furious, and found strength in herself to sit up. She worked angrily at the ropes that chafed her wrist, and finally pulled a single hand out. She used her free hand to undo the second hand, then thought.
She reached deep inside herself, deep down into her lavender Gift. She thought about the ropes, and murmered under her breath the spell to untie knots, something useful she had learned at the Convent. When her hands and ankles were free, she rubbed them for a few minutes to get feeling back into them, then set to work.
Alanna quickly saw that the shield wasn't only meant to keep people from seeing her, but also from hearing her. She thought about how to undo this without straining her Gift. She wasn't a mage, and so couldn't do anything more than simple tricks without feeling faint and hungry. But this once, anger had fueled her Gift, so she could undo the force. She whispered a few words under her breath, and traced a rune in the air, when suddenly, with a pop, the shield burst! She stood up, hotly, and turned to face the dressing Jonathan.
"Ahem," coughed Alanna.
Jonathan promptly turned around, as he was meant to. He smiled at her and quickly cleared the room. He swept her away in a deeply lustful kiss, like none he'd ever given her. Finally, he backed away, breathless.
She stared at him with fury. "How dare you kiss me when you have just bedded a…" She stopped suddenly, staring at the figure in his bed. Her jaw dropped and she swayed towards the floor, for the second time that day.
She looked around at her settings before realizing something: she wasn't in the infirmary, or even in her room. She was in a dark place that she recognized immediately as Jonathan's room. What was she doing here? Why was no one in here with her? She was a good girl, and oughten't be in a man's room when no chaperones were present, even when the man wasn't here. People would talk and gossip about her now!
She blushed at what she thought to be her fate, when she heard a rustling noise from under the covers on the Prince's bed. She saw the Prince yawn, and stand up. He was with someone, someone who wasn't her! She strained desperately on her rope, but was too weak to breach them. She wondered why Jonathan wasn't looking at her.
Alanna realized why he couldn't see her: there was a spell around her, one to block her from the sight of any people! Now she was furious, and found strength in herself to sit up. She worked angrily at the ropes that chafed her wrist, and finally pulled a single hand out. She used her free hand to undo the second hand, then thought.
She reached deep inside herself, deep down into her lavender Gift. She thought about the ropes, and murmered under her breath the spell to untie knots, something useful she had learned at the Convent. When her hands and ankles were free, she rubbed them for a few minutes to get feeling back into them, then set to work.
Alanna quickly saw that the shield wasn't only meant to keep people from seeing her, but also from hearing her. She thought about how to undo this without straining her Gift. She wasn't a mage, and so couldn't do anything more than simple tricks without feeling faint and hungry. But this once, anger had fueled her Gift, so she could undo the force. She whispered a few words under her breath, and traced a rune in the air, when suddenly, with a pop, the shield burst! She stood up, hotly, and turned to face the dressing Jonathan.
"Ahem," coughed Alanna.
Jonathan promptly turned around, as he was meant to. He smiled at her and quickly cleared the room. He swept her away in a deeply lustful kiss, like none he'd ever given her. Finally, he backed away, breathless.
She stared at him with fury. "How dare you kiss me when you have just bedded a…" She stopped suddenly, staring at the figure in his bed. Her jaw dropped and she swayed towards the floor, for the second time that day.