George drew Alanna into a niche outside the entrance doors.

"George… she protested.

He placed a trembling finger on her lips. "Alanna, I need to apologize. I was…harsh and inconsiderate. Selfish, rash--"

Alanna gently pushed him back. "George, don't do this! It just didn't work out!"

The pain in his eyes made her feel cruel, but she had to get across to him.

"But Alanna! You don't--"

Escera walked up behind him. "There you are, George! I've been looking everywhere for you! Don't you know it's un-gentlemanly to leave your lady?"

George sighed and turned towards Escera. "A moment, Escera?"

With a scowl she complied and went to wait by their dinner table

"Alanna, I wanted to tell you…" he looked around, then kissed her passionately. Alanna struggled, trying to back up, but he held her tight. Finally he stopped, but kept his face very close to hers.

"See?" he murmured into her ear. "I'm not all *that* bad." He moved in for another kiss. This time Alanna turned away. He put his fingers under her chin and turned her head towards him, then kissed her.

"What is going on here?" demanded a prominent figure standing behind them. Alanna looked up to see Jon. He was livid with rage.

"Jon!" she spluttered. "I didn't--"

"I know," he assured her, "I saw the whole thing. George, what did you think you were doing?" his hand inched dangerously to his sword, which he always wore on these occasions.

"I was kissing my wife," George retorted innocently, and squared his shoulders to the taller man.

"It doesn't look like she wants to be kissed…by you," Jon warned.

"And he doesn't want to kiss her!" A new voice snapped. Alanna heard George grunt. She turned to see Escera holding George with a dagger pressed against his throat.

"What's it going to be, Lioness?" Escera demanded, eyes glittering insanely. "I can kill your George, or…," she smiled menacingly. "He can be substituted by you!"

Alanna was about to laugh at Escera's folly, but turned her giggle into a mock gasp. A quick glance at Jon confirmed her plan--he nodded slightly.

Alanna stepped forward. "Make it me, then," she announced disdainfully. Escera squealed in delight. George, however, didn't seem to realize her plan.

"No, Alanna! You don't deserve to die! Let it be me!" he pleaded. She shot him an obvious look. Luckily, Escera didn't catch on. Neither did George.

"Alright, Escera. Get on with it." Alanna waved her hand impatiently.

Escera shoved George away and bore down on Alanna. Jon waited, ready to spring. In mid-shriek, Escera turned away from Alanna and grabbed George again.

"Do you think I'm stupid? How about we go on the balcony, Alanna. And close the doors." Escera spat.

Alanna looked to Jon, but he blinked uncertainly. George twisted out of Escera's grasp.

"No, Alanna! Let it be me!" George said. None of the three Tortallans realized they could bring down Escera together right then; they were too caught-up in the moment.

Finally Jon snapped out of his daze. "Alright, Alanna. I guess it has to be you. Goodbye, I'll miss you." Jon kissed her lovingly.

A baffled Alanna was pulled by Escera to the balcony, knife blade pressed against her throat. George struggled after her, but Jon held him back. Raoul, frowning, observed his friend be herded onto the balcony from his post by the fire. He quickly walked to consult Jonathan.

Escera closed the balcony doors, shutting out all noise and view of the ball.

"There!" she said triumphantly. "You fools played right into my hands! No Josiane's death will be avenged!" She lifted her dagger and made towards Alanna.

Frantically, Alanna grabbed for her sword. Cursing, she realized that she wore a dress, and left her sword-belt in Jon's rooms.

"You're time's over," Escera hissed.

"And what about when you get back inside? Do you think Jon will let you walk away?" Alanna insisted.

"King Jonathan? That dolt! He willingly traded the life of his CHAMPION for the life of a petty baron! He's probably forgotten all about this by now!"

Alanna looked around for assistance. She was now backed up against the rail. They were alone on the balcony.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the same time, Raoul, George and Jon were having a small conference.

"Are you crazy?" George asked ludicrously.

"Why did you do that?" Raoul added.

Jon laughed. "Do you have no faith in our Lioness? I had to pretend I was letting Alanna go so that Escera would think she had won. We just have to wait." *Please be alright, Alanna…* he thought to himself.

George threw his hands up in exasperation and tried to enter the balcony. The doors were locked from the outside. Muttering, he turned to Jon.

"Do you love her, Jon?"

Jon nodded. "I love her very much."

George barked a laugh. "I was stupid, to try and make her jealous. Most likely she's loved you her whole life.

Jon smiled and looked away. He pitied George. Silently the three men waited by the doors, hoping Alanna would walk out alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Escera raised her dagger to kill Alanna. With a cry of victory she brought it down. The knight ducked and turned, kicking out as she did so. Her foot connected solidly with Escera's shoulder. Josiane's sister went flying. Quickly Alanna rushed over to her and stomped on both of her arms. She stooped down and grabbed the dagger. She knew she couldn't kill Escera while she was down, so the knight picked up the moaning woman and tossed her over the railing of the balcony, waiting for the splash that meant Escera had landed in the pond before she walked to the doors.

Alanna grew a breath and flipped up the latch. Slowly she opened the doors to the ballroom. Three anxious faces greeted her.

Raoul grinned and hugged her. Curiously, he examined that balcony. "Where did she go?"

Alanna laughed and told him to look outside on the first level. With a shrug he left to find the lady. Next, George kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and hurried across the dance floor.

Jon kept his distance for a moment, looking her over. "You didn't even soil your dress," he commented shrewdly. He swept her up in a tight embrace and kissed her long and hard. She reveled in being handled so gently, and pulled away to enjoy his reaction.

"Stop that!" he ordered, and kissed her again. Finally he let her down. "Now that the party is breaking up, let's go back to our rooms and test whether I like you better with the dress *off*."

She laughed merrily and he carried her out the doors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night they went to bed late. Alanna looked over at Jon and realized that his brow was furrowed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"Alanna, what's going to happen? With you and George?"

Alanna stroked his hair. "I love you," she told him firmly. "I think George understands that. We'll leave the political part of it to Gary."

Jon smiled and kissed her, which led to more 'things.' Alanna finally went to sleep happy.