A/N: I apologize for this being so short! I hope to get on a roll here.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Chapter 2: Gary's Wondering
"Why thank you, Sir Gary."
Gary wondered who this young lady was, since he had never seen anyone quite like her before. With her striking purple eyes, he reminded her of Squire Alan, but he didn't think that the boy had an older sister, since he only mentioned his twin brother Thom. Gary couldn't take her eyes off the beauty as he stammered, "I… I didn't want you to get cold, gentle lady."
Alanna blushed and replied, "Again, thank you. And I must be going now." She began to turn away, quite flustered and nervous after running into Gary. As she turned, Gary touched her shoulder.
"You, you look like someone I recognize, but I just can't place you. Are you new here? Would you like to dance?" Gary rushed his questions out, not exactly sure to approach this woman who didn't act like the rest of the court beauties.
Turning away again, she started to walk away, saying, "I'd really love to join you, but I must be going now. I'll talk to you later, Gary." Alanna heard the casual tone of her greeting to Gary and cursed inwardly. 'Hopefully he'll just think I'm some back-country noble who doesn't know how to act at Court, and he'll forget that he ever met me.' As she stumbled over her leather shoes trying to hurry back to the palace, Gary let out a deep sigh. Stroking his moustache in thought, Gary slowly walked back inside, watching the retreating form of the strange new courtier. 'Who is she?' Gary thought.
The next morning, he and his other knight friends, Raoul of Goldenlake and Prince Jonathan, had breakfast after a morning practice session. Jon and Gary both seemed a little distracted, and Raoul wasted no time commenting on the moods of his two friends. "So, Jon… have fun with Delia last night?" Raoul teased.
Laughing, Jon rolled his eyes at the larger knight. "Delia and I always have fun together. Sometimes, though, I'm not sure she's the one I'm looking for. She's beautiful but…" Jon trailed off, looking at his quiet friend. "Gary, who are you mooning over this morning? A new lady perhaps?"
Not replying with his usual sarcasm, Gary just sighed, "She's beautiful, she's unreal, and I have no idea who she is."
"No idea?" countered Raoul. "Is she a court lady, or a servant, or a student?"
"I have no idea. I saw her out in the palace gardens, walking by herself. I stood next to her cloak lying on the bench, hoping to talk to her when she returned to go back inside. I told her she looked familiar and asked her to dance, but she just ran off."
"Are there any new ladies at the palace?" Raoul asked Jon.
"I really don't think so, unless the convent sent new ladies last night. I really don't think that someone new to the palace would be walking in the gardens by herself at night. Gary, what did this girl look like?" Jon asked.
"Well, she was wearing a violet dress, to match her eyes. Purple eyes are so uncommon, but I guess I'm just used to seeing them on Squire Alan. She looked a little like Alan too, which is why she looked familiar, but this girl had curly black hair. And I never remembered Alan mentioning a sister in the family, so I'm not sure who she is." Gary sat back in his chair, remembering all the details of the girl he'd met the night before.
Jon, remembering how Alanna had been dressing like a girl lately, thought quietly about the possibility that Gary's dream girl could actually be Squire Alan. Deciding to find out for himself, he said, "I'll go ask my mother about the new ladies who are in the palace tonight. I'll get back to you when I know more."
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Chapter 2: Gary's Wondering
"Why thank you, Sir Gary."
Gary wondered who this young lady was, since he had never seen anyone quite like her before. With her striking purple eyes, he reminded her of Squire Alan, but he didn't think that the boy had an older sister, since he only mentioned his twin brother Thom. Gary couldn't take her eyes off the beauty as he stammered, "I… I didn't want you to get cold, gentle lady."
Alanna blushed and replied, "Again, thank you. And I must be going now." She began to turn away, quite flustered and nervous after running into Gary. As she turned, Gary touched her shoulder.
"You, you look like someone I recognize, but I just can't place you. Are you new here? Would you like to dance?" Gary rushed his questions out, not exactly sure to approach this woman who didn't act like the rest of the court beauties.
Turning away again, she started to walk away, saying, "I'd really love to join you, but I must be going now. I'll talk to you later, Gary." Alanna heard the casual tone of her greeting to Gary and cursed inwardly. 'Hopefully he'll just think I'm some back-country noble who doesn't know how to act at Court, and he'll forget that he ever met me.' As she stumbled over her leather shoes trying to hurry back to the palace, Gary let out a deep sigh. Stroking his moustache in thought, Gary slowly walked back inside, watching the retreating form of the strange new courtier. 'Who is she?' Gary thought.
The next morning, he and his other knight friends, Raoul of Goldenlake and Prince Jonathan, had breakfast after a morning practice session. Jon and Gary both seemed a little distracted, and Raoul wasted no time commenting on the moods of his two friends. "So, Jon… have fun with Delia last night?" Raoul teased.
Laughing, Jon rolled his eyes at the larger knight. "Delia and I always have fun together. Sometimes, though, I'm not sure she's the one I'm looking for. She's beautiful but…" Jon trailed off, looking at his quiet friend. "Gary, who are you mooning over this morning? A new lady perhaps?"
Not replying with his usual sarcasm, Gary just sighed, "She's beautiful, she's unreal, and I have no idea who she is."
"No idea?" countered Raoul. "Is she a court lady, or a servant, or a student?"
"I have no idea. I saw her out in the palace gardens, walking by herself. I stood next to her cloak lying on the bench, hoping to talk to her when she returned to go back inside. I told her she looked familiar and asked her to dance, but she just ran off."
"Are there any new ladies at the palace?" Raoul asked Jon.
"I really don't think so, unless the convent sent new ladies last night. I really don't think that someone new to the palace would be walking in the gardens by herself at night. Gary, what did this girl look like?" Jon asked.
"Well, she was wearing a violet dress, to match her eyes. Purple eyes are so uncommon, but I guess I'm just used to seeing them on Squire Alan. She looked a little like Alan too, which is why she looked familiar, but this girl had curly black hair. And I never remembered Alan mentioning a sister in the family, so I'm not sure who she is." Gary sat back in his chair, remembering all the details of the girl he'd met the night before.
Jon, remembering how Alanna had been dressing like a girl lately, thought quietly about the possibility that Gary's dream girl could actually be Squire Alan. Deciding to find out for himself, he said, "I'll go ask my mother about the new ladies who are in the palace tonight. I'll get back to you when I know more."