Heart's Desire
Chapter 7- Heart to Heart

Author's Note-
So why did Alanna faint? Answers in this chapter

Disclaimer-
I don't own Alanna, Jon, Alex, Delia, Roger, etc. I do own Kelsie and Matthew.


Kelsie gasped when the Lioness fell. She picked up the letter again- and realized that it was not the same one she had read a few minutes ago.

Dear Kelsie,
Well, the day draws nearer. Roger is on end, as is Josiane. Ralon is the most nervous, though, because we are all already angered at him. As for myself and the lovely Delia of Eldorne, well, we're much more relaxed. We have faith in our plan- and in what Roger will leave behind, should he die in the process. All we have to do is hope that at least one of us (Delia, Ralon, Roger, Josiane, or I) makes it through Jonathan's coronation alive. And, of course, the Chosen One must live, or our plan does no good. I really should not give the details of the plan to you, Kelsie, but here it is. On coronation day, Roger has big plans. I can't go into detail now- I've already given you the most important bits and pieces in my previous letters. Should something go horribly wrong, however, and any of us die at the coronation, well, let's just say that we are prepared for something to go wrong. After all, Alanna and Jonathan and thier friends have ruined our plans before. Should that happen this time, Roger has planted magic in each of us, magic so that our bodies will die but our mind will take over the body of another. We have chosen a few people close to Jon who would be good canidates to take over, but one in particular stuck out. However, should the Chosen One die, Roger has prepared it so that our three choices are either Gifted or Roger has planted the ability to steal magic in them. However, this tool that they've been given, they know nothing about it, and it can only be activated once either myself, Delia, Ralon or Josiane has taken over. However, once we have taken over, it can take months for us to gain control and we will not strike for at least three to four months.
Well, Kelsie, I'd best go. As the coronation is only two days away, we have gone into overtime going over plans again and again. Nothing can go wrong this time. But if it does- best of luck to you, kid.
-Alex

Kelsie looked at the letter again. Magic- inside of one of Jon's closest friends? Roger's magic? And that was what Delia's threat meant- that she would be living again, inside of one of Jon's closest friends, waiting to strike. She could understand why the Lioness had fainted.
Kelsie used her Gift to revive Alanna. When Alanna sat up, the first thing she asked was "Where'd the letter go?"
"Right here, Alanna," Kelsie responded.
"I need to take it to Jonathan immediately! Delia- living as one of our closest friends? Heaven forbid it be Gary, or Raoul! Mithros, who is it? None of them have given signs that there is anything strange going on- but Delia always was a good actress, then. I must go, Kelsie." The Lioness took the letter, and headed out of Kelsie's quarters.

Two weeks later, things had settled down some. Jonathan didn't want to alert the kingdom of any possible danger so that the risk of a rebellion was lessened, and he hadn't told any of his friends, except for Kelsie, Alanna, and Matthew, about what was going on in case one of them was the Chosen One Alex had spoken off. Matthew wasn't the Chosen One, because Alex had never even met Matthew. At least, they assumed that he wasn't. They just had to hope that their instinct were right, because they needed someone to trust. The more help they had, the better. Jonathan had no idea what to do, so he stuck with the old 'wait and see' method.
In the meantime, Kelsie had managed to get to be good friends with Jonathan and Alanna, and Matthew proved to be the best friend she could have asked for.
Jonathan, Kelsie and Matthew were in Jonathan's study talking one night when Matthew suddenly asked, "What happened between you and Lady Alanna?" Jonathan looked at Matthew, shocked.
"What do you mean?" the King asked, bewildered.
"I mean, why did you two break up?"
"How do you know about that, anyway, Matthew?" Jon asked.
"Kelsie and I both know," he replied.
"But how? I mean, we kept it under wraps as best we could," Jon cried in dismay.
"I didn't know until Kelsie told me," Matthew said.
"How did you know?" Jonathan asked.
"Well, George Cooper told me plenty of stories about you before I ever came to the palace, as well as many stories about Alanna. As for finding out about your relationship with her, you have Kara and Kourrem to thank for that. I was visiting the Bloody Hawk, and we were talking about George, and they happened to mention a few things." Jonathan just continued to stare at the two 16 year olds in shock.
"Mithros, this can't be good! Did Kara and Kourrem mention to you why we broke up?"
"I know you two had a fight in the desert, and you said she was unfeminine and she said you were spoiled, or something along those lines," Kelsie said.
"Well, that wasn't all of it, you nosy little kids. It so happens that Alanna did not want to be queen. She said that she wasn't fit for the position, and that she would only embarass her. Then we got into a fight, and she said that I took her acceptance for granted, and then I didn't see her for nearly a year. By the time she returned to Corus, it was too late. She had already found two replacements for me. Two! Of course, I had courted Josiane while she was away, but the truth is, I never really cared for the Princess of the Copper Isles, I was only involved with her to try and make Alanna jealous. Obviously, it didn't work. I told her when she finally returned that my offer of marriage still stood, but she declined again. Finally, I just settled for Thayet. I love her, but not in the same way. I love her the way I should love Alanna- as a best friend. And if you two repeat that, I will find a way to torture you."
"Why did you give up? If it were me, I would have kept trying to win her back," Matthew said.
"Yes, but I'm not you. I've got a duty to my country, Matthew. If I don't have an heir, and something happens to me, then Tortall will be in a civil war. There will be a hellish battle for the throne. Do you understand what I'm saying? I had to give up- what other choice did I have?" Jonathan asked. He looked sort of sad. Kelsie felt bad about reminding the King of his old wounds, but it was what she had came to the capitol to do- not to uncover a plot to kill Jon. At least she knew that she was headed in the wrong direction- if she wanted to make anything happen, it was not Jonathan she needed to be talking to, it was Alanna.
"I'm tired, Matthew. Maybe we better go on to bed," Kelsie said, and Matthew nodded.
"Goodnight, Jonathan," Kelsie said.
"Night, Jon," Matthew chorused.
"Bye, guys," Jonathan said, and they walked out the door.
"Matthew, if we want to make any progress, we need to go to Alanna," Kelsie said once they were outside the door. Matthew nodded.
"We sure do. She's in Pirate's Swoop for a few days, looking at the castle that she and George will live in once they marry. She'll be back soon- in fact, she'll be back for the ball next week, and she'll stay until the danger had passed. She won't let anything happen to Jonathan."
Kelsie agreed. Finally, she and Matthew reached the door to her quarters. Matthew gave her a quick hug.
"See you tomorrow, Kelsie," he said.
"See you tomorrow, Matthew," she replied.


Author's Note-
Okay, this is a short one, but I wanted to go ahead and get it up, because the next chapter something really big happens and I'm dying to get to it.