"Have you spoken to Lady Alanna yet?"
"Sir Alanna father. She won her shield like every knight does by working for it. She passed the Ordeal. That's not easy you remember what it's like don't you?"
"How could I forget?" Jonathan was in his parents' rooms having lunch with them. Roger had been buried barley an hour before.
"She has saved your life, mother's life and my life. Why can't you see that? We'd be dead now if it wasn't for her."
"We don't know that! Do we?"
"We do know that he tried to kill us. Roger would of succeeded if it wasn't for her years ago. I would of died during the Sweating Sickness at 14. I'm 20 now. There's also the Black City, she saved my life there. I wouldn't be around now without her help."
"She pretended to be a boy for eight years and lied about it. She lied to everyone. She should never have been able to get her shield."
"There have been female knights before. What is so bad about having them now?"
"We can't have female knights. There was a reason why it was outlawed for girls to train as a page."
"And what exactly is that reason?"
"To protect them. They should be kept at home, safe looking after their children."
"Not every girl would want to be a knight just some of them. The others would be able to stay at home 'safely' and look after the children but there will always be some who don't or they want both. You won't be able to stop girls wanting to be knights. They have a right to defend the Realm just like any man; it's their country to. Mother, surely you must agree with that?"
"Don't bring me into this argument," Lianne picked up her tea and calmly drunk it, looking on calmly at the two men. The only show of her emotions towards the argument was a slight look of irritation.
"Jonathan you are just defending your friend, but would you have this view on female fighters if you were not her friend?"
"No, but I'm glad I do. I have watched her save my life, Alanna is far more than capable of being a knight." Jonathan looked down and smiled. "I can see we aren't going to agree on this."
"I don't think we will. Let's just leave it that for now? Especially today." "Fine." There were several moments of silence where glances weren't exchanged and tea was drunk.
"How is Lady Alanna?" Lianne asked, she was silently insisting to calling Alanna Lady instead of Sir. Jonathan couldn't bring himself to chide his mother. She was trying not to let it show, but Roger was still having an effect on her, even after his death. King Roald visibly tensed at the mention of Alanna's well being.
"She's fine I think."
"You think?"
"She isn't seeing anyone."
"Why?"
"She doesn't want to see anyone."
The servants' mess.
"I still can't believe she's a she. Eight years everyone thought she was a boy!"
"But the Prince, he knew. He lived with her for four years."
"Do you think they ever went past friends?"
"He did live with her for four years. He has the prettiest women throwing themselves at his feet-"
"That woman Tené heard in his room!"
"Tenébris was it her?"
"It could o' been. Le' me think." A look of thought passed over his face. "I'd need tae hear her speak normally, as a woman. But yeah, I think it was her."
"Imagine, the Crown Prince and the first female Knight in o'er tae hundred years! And she killed his cousin."
"I just thought of something."
"Did it hurt?"
"Not as much as your do. But you know how she's taken meals in her rooms?" There were nods of understanding. "Well, get someone to swap with Tené, so he can give her, her meal tonight and then we'll know."
"I'll go and see." One of the group of servants rose off of her bench and went over to a list on the wall. She came back several minutes later after reading it.
"The person in charge of us to give out private meals tonight is, wait for it, Careé." Tari said smiling.
"I don't understand. Who's Careé? And how's it good?"
"Careé is my sister. She'll let us swap around. Tené you're going from the kitchen to the Hall tonight aren't you?" he nodded. "Well I saw that on personal serving is Maitel and we all know that he owes me a favour." She grinned evilly.
"Tari you are evil. Do you know that?"
"It's been mentioned. It wasn't my fault I caught him he shouldn't of been doing it. He'll swap with you and change the names for us. I'll speak to Careé and everything will be sorted. Then Tené can tell us if it's true."
"Tené, come sit quickly!" It was dark now and the only light in the room was coming from the heavily spaced torches round the walls and a small lamp on each table. It created an elusive mood.
The same group of people were sitting at the same table once again waiting for one of them to arrive. He had arrived at last.
"It is her. When she spoke tae me it was using her voice. She was also wearing a dress!"
"What colour was it?"
"A pale purple."
"Lavender. It would go with her eyes wouldn't it?" The woman had turned towards another woman at the table.
"It would look nice on her I think. She might have been wearing a darker colour that would go too." The men looked at the two women in astonishment. The two of the women were the Palace gossips though, so what do you expect? They knew almost everything that goes on in the Palace.
"Sir Alanna father. She won her shield like every knight does by working for it. She passed the Ordeal. That's not easy you remember what it's like don't you?"
"How could I forget?" Jonathan was in his parents' rooms having lunch with them. Roger had been buried barley an hour before.
"She has saved your life, mother's life and my life. Why can't you see that? We'd be dead now if it wasn't for her."
"We don't know that! Do we?"
"We do know that he tried to kill us. Roger would of succeeded if it wasn't for her years ago. I would of died during the Sweating Sickness at 14. I'm 20 now. There's also the Black City, she saved my life there. I wouldn't be around now without her help."
"She pretended to be a boy for eight years and lied about it. She lied to everyone. She should never have been able to get her shield."
"There have been female knights before. What is so bad about having them now?"
"We can't have female knights. There was a reason why it was outlawed for girls to train as a page."
"And what exactly is that reason?"
"To protect them. They should be kept at home, safe looking after their children."
"Not every girl would want to be a knight just some of them. The others would be able to stay at home 'safely' and look after the children but there will always be some who don't or they want both. You won't be able to stop girls wanting to be knights. They have a right to defend the Realm just like any man; it's their country to. Mother, surely you must agree with that?"
"Don't bring me into this argument," Lianne picked up her tea and calmly drunk it, looking on calmly at the two men. The only show of her emotions towards the argument was a slight look of irritation.
"Jonathan you are just defending your friend, but would you have this view on female fighters if you were not her friend?"
"No, but I'm glad I do. I have watched her save my life, Alanna is far more than capable of being a knight." Jonathan looked down and smiled. "I can see we aren't going to agree on this."
"I don't think we will. Let's just leave it that for now? Especially today." "Fine." There were several moments of silence where glances weren't exchanged and tea was drunk.
"How is Lady Alanna?" Lianne asked, she was silently insisting to calling Alanna Lady instead of Sir. Jonathan couldn't bring himself to chide his mother. She was trying not to let it show, but Roger was still having an effect on her, even after his death. King Roald visibly tensed at the mention of Alanna's well being.
"She's fine I think."
"You think?"
"She isn't seeing anyone."
"Why?"
"She doesn't want to see anyone."
The servants' mess.
"I still can't believe she's a she. Eight years everyone thought she was a boy!"
"But the Prince, he knew. He lived with her for four years."
"Do you think they ever went past friends?"
"He did live with her for four years. He has the prettiest women throwing themselves at his feet-"
"That woman Tené heard in his room!"
"Tenébris was it her?"
"It could o' been. Le' me think." A look of thought passed over his face. "I'd need tae hear her speak normally, as a woman. But yeah, I think it was her."
"Imagine, the Crown Prince and the first female Knight in o'er tae hundred years! And she killed his cousin."
"I just thought of something."
"Did it hurt?"
"Not as much as your do. But you know how she's taken meals in her rooms?" There were nods of understanding. "Well, get someone to swap with Tené, so he can give her, her meal tonight and then we'll know."
"I'll go and see." One of the group of servants rose off of her bench and went over to a list on the wall. She came back several minutes later after reading it.
"The person in charge of us to give out private meals tonight is, wait for it, Careé." Tari said smiling.
"I don't understand. Who's Careé? And how's it good?"
"Careé is my sister. She'll let us swap around. Tené you're going from the kitchen to the Hall tonight aren't you?" he nodded. "Well I saw that on personal serving is Maitel and we all know that he owes me a favour." She grinned evilly.
"Tari you are evil. Do you know that?"
"It's been mentioned. It wasn't my fault I caught him he shouldn't of been doing it. He'll swap with you and change the names for us. I'll speak to Careé and everything will be sorted. Then Tené can tell us if it's true."
"Tené, come sit quickly!" It was dark now and the only light in the room was coming from the heavily spaced torches round the walls and a small lamp on each table. It created an elusive mood.
The same group of people were sitting at the same table once again waiting for one of them to arrive. He had arrived at last.
"It is her. When she spoke tae me it was using her voice. She was also wearing a dress!"
"What colour was it?"
"A pale purple."
"Lavender. It would go with her eyes wouldn't it?" The woman had turned towards another woman at the table.
"It would look nice on her I think. She might have been wearing a darker colour that would go too." The men looked at the two women in astonishment. The two of the women were the Palace gossips though, so what do you expect? They knew almost everything that goes on in the Palace.