"George!" Alanna stammered I-- you-- Where are you? I mean, where were you? I've been…" the Lady knight trailed off and stared accusingly at Jon. "What is going on?" she whispered viciously in his ear. Jon tilted her head in her direction and spoke out of the corner of his mouth, eyes riveted on George.

"He wanted to meet us here!"

George turned and smiled mockingly at his wife and her lover. "Hello, Lass," he blatted churlishly. "You weren't home when I returned. I wanted to introduce you to…" he beckoned to a figure in the shadows. "…Lady Escera of Winsot." He smiled warmly at the new Lady now simpering on his extended arm. "Escera, meet Alanna the Lioness."

Escera balked, then daintily puckered her lips and animatedly whispered something into George's ear. The Baron smiled crookedly, said something in reply, and promptly kissed Escera passionately.

"Alanna, Escera will be staying with me for some time. Escera, this is King Jonathan as well. Forgive me, Jon. I forgot myself in…" he once again caressed Escera's lips with his own.

Alanna tensed, her body rigid. Jon, feeling this, put a protective arm around her waist. Face set in a dignified scowl, Jon rang a bell that hung by the door, and a servant appeared quickly at his side.

"Fetch me Sirs Gareth and Raoul, please," Jon ordered quietly. The servant bowed and scurried away.

"George, a moment, please?" Jon demanded hotly. George nodded and walked into the parlor. Jon followed him and closed the door.

Inside, Jon took a long stride to stand in front of George. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He was shaking with rage.

George shrugged innocently, blatantly meeting the King's eyes. "Nothing that Alanna ain't doing," he said.

Jon turned and tried to regain some self-composture. *No one treated his Alanna like this!*

Behind him, George sprawled onto a chair.

In the study, Escera smirked at Alanna and tossed her blond hair. The Lady Knight narrowed her eyes. Though the Laws of Chivalry said that she had to be courteous, she didn't have to pretend to like this eerily-familiar woman. The two ladies sized each other up before the silence was broken by Escera.

"George is a good lover," The Lady of Winsot said sweetly, veiling her blue eyes behind lowered lashes. Suddenly, Alanna recognized the family resemblance.

(A/n: do you know what Family she's from?)

Alanna flexed her bicepts, resisting the urge to place her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Do you have a…cousin, perhaps? A certain deceased cousin named…Josiane?"

Escera drew a sharp breath, eyes bulging in anger. "YOU! Coronation--Roger…Josiane--You killed!" She started forward menacingly. Alanna, her eyes shining recklessly, reached for her sword. A sane part of her reminded her that she could not kill Escera without proper provocation, but memories of that fateful day, --Thom, Faithful, Liam, Shi-cham-- swamped her. By a stroke of good fortune Escera was saved when the door behind Alanna burst open and Gary and Raoul stormed in. At the same time, Jon and George walked out of the parlor. Alanna signaled to her three friends and they gathered around her.

"Escera is Josiane's cousin!" she whispered vigorously. "She's just as mad as her counterpart!"

The three men frowned. They knew trouble was brewing.