Here I am again! Hope you like this new chapter. Disclaimers in prev
chapters. As always – please review. I love it when I go check and see what
you think of the story.
A NEW LIFE
Jonathan of Conté sat in the library. His thoughts drifted back in time; back to Alanna. How worried he'd been when she was missing; how Thom had come and told them that Alan had died; how Jonathan in despair had had to choose a wife: Delia. He'd had no choice. Even though his heart was forever with Alanna, he had had to marry and give the country an heir to the throne. Roald had been born one and a half year after Alanna's disappearence. Yes obviously it had only been a disappearence. And now, right in front of him, was his illigimate child, the reason Alanna had run away. Jonathan did not know if he should hate the boy, or love him with all the love he'd always figured he'd give Alanna's child. After a while of thinking he smiled at the boy; his son.
Thom looked at the king; his father. What was going to happen now? Could he still become a knight? Or would the king have to hide him? "Er... Your Majesty, I was wondering..."
"Don't call me "Your Majesty". I'm your Father, and that'll fit as long as we're alone."
Thom tried hard, but the emotions passed over his fathers face so quickly that he was unable to catch them. "Okay, Father." It felt weird, but also... fitting? "Can I still be a knight?"
"Off course. And for now you'll stay with Thom. Since Alanna was disguised as a boy, there'll be way too many things to explain, so I'll wait until I know what to tell everyone.
Thom quickly shoved the Duke that he could fight; it was what he'd been trained to do for all of his life. He was the youngest page, but the best. After a couple of months of training, he decided to do as that man, George Cooper, had suggested. He went to the Dancing Dove. It was a small, quite dark place, but he quickly asked some of the men where to find the Rogue.
"Hello, git," said a voice. Thom grinned. Now that he saw the man in his natural surroundings, it was clear to him, that he was hardly in the middle of his thirties, let alone fourty.
"Hi, Rogue," said Thom in loss of better.
"How's everything going?"
"Weird. Just some months ago I was just Thom, an orphan. Now I'm Thom the younger of Trebond. My biological uncle!" It felt easy to talk to the stranger.
"And...?"
What do you mean?" Thom was confused. How could this stranger know?
"I know King Jonathan. I knew Alanna. Jon told me about you. Sorry 'bout your mother."
"That's okay."
"How's your page training going?"
"It's pretty easy. Everything we are learning, mother taught me years ago."
"She was a great warrior. And a great woman." Thom tried to look through him, but found that he was shielded by the Gift, which he obviously had too. But Thom could see the loss in the eyes of the thieve. Here was yet another person, who loved his mother.
It had been good to talk to the Rogue, who obviously knew Alanna in way nobody else did. Not even Thom's father.
Thom sat in the library, reading. His mother had always insisted on him learning to read and write and to do math. He never truly understood why, since none of the other Forest People could do that. Now he understood! The homework was building it's way up to drown him. He was never able to get everything done. Suddenly he heard the sound of somebody entering the room. He turned around to looked straight into the emerald eyes of his oldest half-brother, Prince Roald.
"Hi," said the younger boy.
"Hi," said Thom, getting back to his homework.
"I... er... Do you think you could help me with this?" He pulled out a book of math.
Thom smiled, glad at this chance of getting to know his brother. "Off, course, Highness." He couldn't afford to forget his ettiquettes.
"Thank-you." Thom and Roald spend the evening – and many others - together, making home-work. Thom grew to like the prince, who didn't really know his family. The King wasn't really easy to reach. Thom knew this was partially because of his mother, partially because of the many duties of being a king. And the Queen was just... Delia of Conté. That was probably just how she was, but she didn't seem to really care about her children. Roald just let Thom in like that, letting him be the big-brother he actually should've been.
Short. I know that, but until I write something next weekend, perhaps you could R&R my other, up-comming TP story, "Dreamer", which is loosely related to LMLS. It will be more in time. See you soon.
Danie.
A NEW LIFE
Jonathan of Conté sat in the library. His thoughts drifted back in time; back to Alanna. How worried he'd been when she was missing; how Thom had come and told them that Alan had died; how Jonathan in despair had had to choose a wife: Delia. He'd had no choice. Even though his heart was forever with Alanna, he had had to marry and give the country an heir to the throne. Roald had been born one and a half year after Alanna's disappearence. Yes obviously it had only been a disappearence. And now, right in front of him, was his illigimate child, the reason Alanna had run away. Jonathan did not know if he should hate the boy, or love him with all the love he'd always figured he'd give Alanna's child. After a while of thinking he smiled at the boy; his son.
Thom looked at the king; his father. What was going to happen now? Could he still become a knight? Or would the king have to hide him? "Er... Your Majesty, I was wondering..."
"Don't call me "Your Majesty". I'm your Father, and that'll fit as long as we're alone."
Thom tried hard, but the emotions passed over his fathers face so quickly that he was unable to catch them. "Okay, Father." It felt weird, but also... fitting? "Can I still be a knight?"
"Off course. And for now you'll stay with Thom. Since Alanna was disguised as a boy, there'll be way too many things to explain, so I'll wait until I know what to tell everyone.
Thom quickly shoved the Duke that he could fight; it was what he'd been trained to do for all of his life. He was the youngest page, but the best. After a couple of months of training, he decided to do as that man, George Cooper, had suggested. He went to the Dancing Dove. It was a small, quite dark place, but he quickly asked some of the men where to find the Rogue.
"Hello, git," said a voice. Thom grinned. Now that he saw the man in his natural surroundings, it was clear to him, that he was hardly in the middle of his thirties, let alone fourty.
"Hi, Rogue," said Thom in loss of better.
"How's everything going?"
"Weird. Just some months ago I was just Thom, an orphan. Now I'm Thom the younger of Trebond. My biological uncle!" It felt easy to talk to the stranger.
"And...?"
What do you mean?" Thom was confused. How could this stranger know?
"I know King Jonathan. I knew Alanna. Jon told me about you. Sorry 'bout your mother."
"That's okay."
"How's your page training going?"
"It's pretty easy. Everything we are learning, mother taught me years ago."
"She was a great warrior. And a great woman." Thom tried to look through him, but found that he was shielded by the Gift, which he obviously had too. But Thom could see the loss in the eyes of the thieve. Here was yet another person, who loved his mother.
It had been good to talk to the Rogue, who obviously knew Alanna in way nobody else did. Not even Thom's father.
Thom sat in the library, reading. His mother had always insisted on him learning to read and write and to do math. He never truly understood why, since none of the other Forest People could do that. Now he understood! The homework was building it's way up to drown him. He was never able to get everything done. Suddenly he heard the sound of somebody entering the room. He turned around to looked straight into the emerald eyes of his oldest half-brother, Prince Roald.
"Hi," said the younger boy.
"Hi," said Thom, getting back to his homework.
"I... er... Do you think you could help me with this?" He pulled out a book of math.
Thom smiled, glad at this chance of getting to know his brother. "Off, course, Highness." He couldn't afford to forget his ettiquettes.
"Thank-you." Thom and Roald spend the evening – and many others - together, making home-work. Thom grew to like the prince, who didn't really know his family. The King wasn't really easy to reach. Thom knew this was partially because of his mother, partially because of the many duties of being a king. And the Queen was just... Delia of Conté. That was probably just how she was, but she didn't seem to really care about her children. Roald just let Thom in like that, letting him be the big-brother he actually should've been.
Short. I know that, but until I write something next weekend, perhaps you could R&R my other, up-comming TP story, "Dreamer", which is loosely related to LMLS. It will be more in time. See you soon.
Danie.