A/N: Thanks to the people that reviewed the first two chapters. Hope you
like this installment… any ideas on how the story should go?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Chapter 3: Alanna and Jon
Jon found Alanna back in their suite of rooms, changed after her morning practice.
"Jon, is everything ok? You look like you ran here," Alanna laughed, wondering what would bring her knight-master back so quickly after breakfast with Gary and Raoul. She had been taking her time getting ready this morning, unsure how to act normal around the trio today.
"Well, what happened at breakfast was what I needed to talk to you about. What were you doing last night?" Jon demanded.
"I was just walking around!" Alanna retorted, knowing what was making her friend so angry. "That's alright, walking around while you go court your lady?"
Suspicious of her temper, Jon shot back, "So you weren't out in the gardens last night? Because someone, with black hair and purple eyes, was out there last night. All Gary can do this morning is wonder about the identity of the new girl at Court who looks a little bit like Squire Alan."
Having the effect that Jon wanted, Alanna's eyes grew wide. Stammering, she managed to spit out, "I wasn't near the gardens. And even if I were, I would never have talked to Gary. I can't let anyone else know about me being a girl. Gary would never be interested in me anyways!"
Seeing the look and surprise in her eyes, Jon's voice calmed. "Alanna, you are beautiful. You know I think that."
"Then why were you with Delia last night instead of me?"
"Don't forget, Alanna, that everyone else but me in this palace thinks that you are a boy. I can't just go around showing everyone my feelings for you –"
"You have feelings for me? Then why didn't you show them before Sir Gary took an interest in the 'mystery woman'?"
"Alanna! I'm your knight-master. You are my squire! You know just as well as I do what could happen if someone else found out what happened between us at the river. And I could never do that to you – I'm supposed to teach you, not love you…" Jon trailed off.
"You… you love me?" Alanna asked, pain clearly showing in her eyes.
"Can I show you?" Jon questioned, as he moved closer to her, putting her lips on hers.
Alanna moved towards her friend as Jon began to deepen the kiss. 'This is what I've wanted since the night at the river…isn't it?' Alanna thought. Then, suddenly, Alanna broke away from Jon.
"What? Isn't this what you wanted? I thought you wanted to be with me!" asked Jon, his voice trembling.
Alanna softly replied, "I thought it was. I'm sorry Jon, but I really don't know what's going on with us, with me. Please let me be for a while… I just need to figure some of this all out."
Getting frustrated, Jon asked, "Does this have to do with Gary? I know that you are the one he ran into last night."
Alanna threw up her hands, upset at the whole conversation. She began to pace around the room, thinking about how to explain this to Jon. "This is pretty frustrating to understand myself. You kissed me during the war, and I enjoyed being with you. But seeing you go from kissing Delia to me in the space of a morning, only after you found out one of your best friends is trying to figure out who I am… It makes me feel like I'm only a girl to you when someone else notices."
Jon replied, "I hope that I can change your mind. In the meantime, what are you going to do about Cousin Gary? Are you going to tell him who you are?"
"I don't know. Just keep it a secret until I figure out what I am going to tell him."
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Chapter 3: Alanna and Jon
Jon found Alanna back in their suite of rooms, changed after her morning practice.
"Jon, is everything ok? You look like you ran here," Alanna laughed, wondering what would bring her knight-master back so quickly after breakfast with Gary and Raoul. She had been taking her time getting ready this morning, unsure how to act normal around the trio today.
"Well, what happened at breakfast was what I needed to talk to you about. What were you doing last night?" Jon demanded.
"I was just walking around!" Alanna retorted, knowing what was making her friend so angry. "That's alright, walking around while you go court your lady?"
Suspicious of her temper, Jon shot back, "So you weren't out in the gardens last night? Because someone, with black hair and purple eyes, was out there last night. All Gary can do this morning is wonder about the identity of the new girl at Court who looks a little bit like Squire Alan."
Having the effect that Jon wanted, Alanna's eyes grew wide. Stammering, she managed to spit out, "I wasn't near the gardens. And even if I were, I would never have talked to Gary. I can't let anyone else know about me being a girl. Gary would never be interested in me anyways!"
Seeing the look and surprise in her eyes, Jon's voice calmed. "Alanna, you are beautiful. You know I think that."
"Then why were you with Delia last night instead of me?"
"Don't forget, Alanna, that everyone else but me in this palace thinks that you are a boy. I can't just go around showing everyone my feelings for you –"
"You have feelings for me? Then why didn't you show them before Sir Gary took an interest in the 'mystery woman'?"
"Alanna! I'm your knight-master. You are my squire! You know just as well as I do what could happen if someone else found out what happened between us at the river. And I could never do that to you – I'm supposed to teach you, not love you…" Jon trailed off.
"You… you love me?" Alanna asked, pain clearly showing in her eyes.
"Can I show you?" Jon questioned, as he moved closer to her, putting her lips on hers.
Alanna moved towards her friend as Jon began to deepen the kiss. 'This is what I've wanted since the night at the river…isn't it?' Alanna thought. Then, suddenly, Alanna broke away from Jon.
"What? Isn't this what you wanted? I thought you wanted to be with me!" asked Jon, his voice trembling.
Alanna softly replied, "I thought it was. I'm sorry Jon, but I really don't know what's going on with us, with me. Please let me be for a while… I just need to figure some of this all out."
Getting frustrated, Jon asked, "Does this have to do with Gary? I know that you are the one he ran into last night."
Alanna threw up her hands, upset at the whole conversation. She began to pace around the room, thinking about how to explain this to Jon. "This is pretty frustrating to understand myself. You kissed me during the war, and I enjoyed being with you. But seeing you go from kissing Delia to me in the space of a morning, only after you found out one of your best friends is trying to figure out who I am… It makes me feel like I'm only a girl to you when someone else notices."
Jon replied, "I hope that I can change your mind. In the meantime, what are you going to do about Cousin Gary? Are you going to tell him who you are?"
"I don't know. Just keep it a secret until I figure out what I am going to tell him."