Chapter 3, with corrections. Alanna has given up the crown and the King isn't the only one that wants her back. SongFic again, A Thousand Years, by Sting. Characters aren't mine.
George Cooper stepped into the tavern named The Rooster Craw. Taking no notice of the snow dusting his cloak or the mud on his boots, he examined the pub, eyes searching. His sources said that Alanna had come to the small province of Juris when word of attacking raiders had reached her. George didn't need his informants to know she was still here. Alanna was near. He knew she was, could feel it with an absolute certainty.
A thousand years, a thousand more,
A thousand times a million doors to eternity
I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times
An endless turning stairway climbs to a tower of souls
His hazel eyes moved left and locked with blazing amethyst. She had seen him of course, her eyes wide with realization and surprise. She sat opposite the door for the exact purpose of seeing every one that entered. It was a very Alanna like thing to do. George couldn't help himself. He smiled. It was a slow smile, born from his deep joy of seeing her again. The real Alanna, that is. The Alanna that he hadn't seen in two years. The Alanna that left the palace and the crown so that she might be true to herself. The Alanna that George loved with all that he was. Emotion flickered through her eyes and she looked away from him into the fire, but not before George saw her sudden intake of breath or the blush on her cheeks.
If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,
The towers rise to numberless floors in space
I could shed another million tears, a million breaths,
A million names but only one truth to face
George examined her intently as he approached her, cataloging all the changes. He moved slowly, careful not to startle her. She had cut her hair short since leaving the palace. More than anything he saw that she was alive. Really alive. For the first time since winning her shield she had that bright burning flame of life that drew so many to her.
A million roads, a million fears
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty
I could speak a million lies, a million songs,
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time
By the time he reached her, Alanna was standing, glaring at him. As was very much his darling's nature when she was afraid or uncertain, Alanna had retreated to anger.
"You," she hissed, eyes smoldering, "are out of your mind."
His smile grew even wider, hazel eyes dancing merrily. "I've been told."
It was obviously not what she had expected him to say. Unable to help herself, she smiled back at him, her eyes full of emotion: happiness, fear, expectancy and, George knew, even if she was afraid to admit it, love. His heart was filled near to bursting with all the emotion she conjured up in him. It was all he could do to just stand there and not touch her.
"Come on then." She said quietly, heading toward the stairs. "Keep your hood up. I'd have no one take notice of you."
But if there was a single truth, a single light
A single thought, a singular touch of grace
Then following this single point, this single flame,
The single haunted memory of your face
Her room was on the second story, as he suspected it would be. It was virtually empty, packed bags lay at the foot of her bed. She would be leaving in the morning. As soon as she had thrown the bolt on the door, Alanna rounded on him. "You're out of your mind." She whispered hoarsely.
"You said that already." He teased.
One coppery eye brown arched upward. "There is a price on your head."
"So I've heard." George shrugged, eyes never leaving hers. Anger sparked through George briefly. In his fury, the King had given George's identity over to the Lord Provost. As of yet, George had taken no recourse against the King because he knew nothing he could do would hurt the King more than Alanna's leaving. George knew only to well how much the prideful man must be hurting. George hoped the King choked on his sorrow and regret.
"Then why are you here?" she demanded. "This is the worst place you could have come!"
George cupped her cheek gently. "You know why."
I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
Alanna pulled away from him, breathing hard, eyes showing the war that raged between her heart and mind. "He'll come looking for me." She said flatly. "Maybe not today or next week, but he'll send for me. Even if he doesn't want to, he must."
"I know." He replied softly.
"George, if he finds you with me, he might-" Alanna cut herself off, eyes worried.
"What? Say I kidnapped you?" George laughed, a deep sound that filled the room. "Fear not. Even if he did find us, he wouldn't be so unjust. He may be rash, but he is not unfair."
Alanna looked at him sharply at the word 'us'.
I may be numberless, I may be innocent
I may know many things, I may be ignorant
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands
"You've given up the Rogue, then." She said, leaning against the door.
"Seeing what you gave up, it didn't seem so hard."
She snorted, "You didn't have a choice!"
George looked at her seriously, eyes narrowed. "There is always a choice." He replied. "It just happens that I have been prepared to step down for some time now."
She looked at him, confused. "Why?" She asked.
He smiled softly. "I was waiting."
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times
Reborn as fortune's child to judge another's crimes
Or wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief
She hissed quietly, eyes closing. He watched her silently, heart beating hard in his chest. Finally she said, "You waited."
He nodded. "As I said I would."
"For me." She continued, eyes still closed.
"Aye."
Her eyes opened slowly, showing the first stirrings of hope. "Why?"
He smiled again, taking her small hands in his. "Because my feelings haven't changed."
I still love you
I still want you
Color flooded her cheeks. "I'm married." She said quickly.
"Aye."
"I made vows."
"I know."
For the fist time she looked steadily in his eyes. "I hurt you."
George pulled her closer to him. "Yes."
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves
Eternities still unsaid
"George, I don't-" she looked away briefly. "I don't know how I feel anymore. About you, about him."
"A truth if I've ever heard one." He replied softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
She looked into his eyes again, her own troubled with guilt and uncertainty. "I can't make any promises."
"I'd never ask them of you."
Hope and longing flashed in her eyes. "You'll stay then?"
He crushed her to him in a massive hug. "I'll stay." He whispered, "I'll stay...."
Until you love me
George Cooper stepped into the tavern named The Rooster Craw. Taking no notice of the snow dusting his cloak or the mud on his boots, he examined the pub, eyes searching. His sources said that Alanna had come to the small province of Juris when word of attacking raiders had reached her. George didn't need his informants to know she was still here. Alanna was near. He knew she was, could feel it with an absolute certainty.
A thousand years, a thousand more,
A thousand times a million doors to eternity
I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times
An endless turning stairway climbs to a tower of souls
His hazel eyes moved left and locked with blazing amethyst. She had seen him of course, her eyes wide with realization and surprise. She sat opposite the door for the exact purpose of seeing every one that entered. It was a very Alanna like thing to do. George couldn't help himself. He smiled. It was a slow smile, born from his deep joy of seeing her again. The real Alanna, that is. The Alanna that he hadn't seen in two years. The Alanna that left the palace and the crown so that she might be true to herself. The Alanna that George loved with all that he was. Emotion flickered through her eyes and she looked away from him into the fire, but not before George saw her sudden intake of breath or the blush on her cheeks.
If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,
The towers rise to numberless floors in space
I could shed another million tears, a million breaths,
A million names but only one truth to face
George examined her intently as he approached her, cataloging all the changes. He moved slowly, careful not to startle her. She had cut her hair short since leaving the palace. More than anything he saw that she was alive. Really alive. For the first time since winning her shield she had that bright burning flame of life that drew so many to her.
A million roads, a million fears
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty
I could speak a million lies, a million songs,
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time
By the time he reached her, Alanna was standing, glaring at him. As was very much his darling's nature when she was afraid or uncertain, Alanna had retreated to anger.
"You," she hissed, eyes smoldering, "are out of your mind."
His smile grew even wider, hazel eyes dancing merrily. "I've been told."
It was obviously not what she had expected him to say. Unable to help herself, she smiled back at him, her eyes full of emotion: happiness, fear, expectancy and, George knew, even if she was afraid to admit it, love. His heart was filled near to bursting with all the emotion she conjured up in him. It was all he could do to just stand there and not touch her.
"Come on then." She said quietly, heading toward the stairs. "Keep your hood up. I'd have no one take notice of you."
But if there was a single truth, a single light
A single thought, a singular touch of grace
Then following this single point, this single flame,
The single haunted memory of your face
Her room was on the second story, as he suspected it would be. It was virtually empty, packed bags lay at the foot of her bed. She would be leaving in the morning. As soon as she had thrown the bolt on the door, Alanna rounded on him. "You're out of your mind." She whispered hoarsely.
"You said that already." He teased.
One coppery eye brown arched upward. "There is a price on your head."
"So I've heard." George shrugged, eyes never leaving hers. Anger sparked through George briefly. In his fury, the King had given George's identity over to the Lord Provost. As of yet, George had taken no recourse against the King because he knew nothing he could do would hurt the King more than Alanna's leaving. George knew only to well how much the prideful man must be hurting. George hoped the King choked on his sorrow and regret.
"Then why are you here?" she demanded. "This is the worst place you could have come!"
George cupped her cheek gently. "You know why."
I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
Alanna pulled away from him, breathing hard, eyes showing the war that raged between her heart and mind. "He'll come looking for me." She said flatly. "Maybe not today or next week, but he'll send for me. Even if he doesn't want to, he must."
"I know." He replied softly.
"George, if he finds you with me, he might-" Alanna cut herself off, eyes worried.
"What? Say I kidnapped you?" George laughed, a deep sound that filled the room. "Fear not. Even if he did find us, he wouldn't be so unjust. He may be rash, but he is not unfair."
Alanna looked at him sharply at the word 'us'.
I may be numberless, I may be innocent
I may know many things, I may be ignorant
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands
"You've given up the Rogue, then." She said, leaning against the door.
"Seeing what you gave up, it didn't seem so hard."
She snorted, "You didn't have a choice!"
George looked at her seriously, eyes narrowed. "There is always a choice." He replied. "It just happens that I have been prepared to step down for some time now."
She looked at him, confused. "Why?" She asked.
He smiled softly. "I was waiting."
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times
Reborn as fortune's child to judge another's crimes
Or wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief
She hissed quietly, eyes closing. He watched her silently, heart beating hard in his chest. Finally she said, "You waited."
He nodded. "As I said I would."
"For me." She continued, eyes still closed.
"Aye."
Her eyes opened slowly, showing the first stirrings of hope. "Why?"
He smiled again, taking her small hands in his. "Because my feelings haven't changed."
I still love you
I still want you
Color flooded her cheeks. "I'm married." She said quickly.
"Aye."
"I made vows."
"I know."
For the fist time she looked steadily in his eyes. "I hurt you."
George pulled her closer to him. "Yes."
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves
Eternities still unsaid
"George, I don't-" she looked away briefly. "I don't know how I feel anymore. About you, about him."
"A truth if I've ever heard one." He replied softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
She looked into his eyes again, her own troubled with guilt and uncertainty. "I can't make any promises."
"I'd never ask them of you."
Hope and longing flashed in her eyes. "You'll stay then?"
He crushed her to him in a massive hug. "I'll stay." He whispered, "I'll stay...."
Until you love me