Jon pondered his love for Alanna the whole ride home. He knew now he did love her, and she loved him. But what of George and Thayet? Jon had duty to his queen, and George loves his wife. Suddenly Jon realized that Daine had said something important, and racked his mind for what it was. With a jolt, it hit him. Thayet had left. To where? he thought. Did she bring the children? At the same time he remembered his duty to his people. It was wrong for him to be gone for so long, that he knew.
When he rode into Corus, Raoul and Gary were leaning against the roadside fence, three squads of the Own behind them.
"Do you realized the havoc that could have been wreaked with no Royalty in the capital?" Gary drawled lazily.
"Do you realize that Alanna was dead?" Jon snapped. (A/n: keyword WAS, I put it there to freak out Gary and Raoul)
Raoul's head whipped around. He had been staring idly at the palace. "What??? Alanna is…dead?!?!"
"Not any more," Retorted the king. "What are the squads for?"
"We've had to patrol the city, and make sure there was no one plotting a mutiny in your absence," Raoul said gruffly, still shaken over Alanna. He opened his mouth to speak, but Jon silenced him with a look, and jerked his head at the Own. They stood, pretending not to hear anything suspicious.
Jon trotted away, and Gary, Raoul, and the Own followed.
That night, Jon and Gary sat down in Jon's room, where Jon explained what had happened on his visit to the Swoop.
"Will she live?" Gary asked anxiously.
"She did die already," Jon told him. "And when she came back…I kissed her."
"What?" Raoul yelped. "Jon, what in Mithros did you do that for?"
"Because I love her."