Well here I am, updating finally. Those two English essays still
aren't done; I have a music exam this week, a test on Monday and I've been
ill for weeks. Here's one of the last few chapters. I think one more will
do, so please, please review; I want to get to 300 before I finish this and
work on the sequels.
He had been sitting in a tavern pretending to be minding his own business when he was paying attention to everything and nothing. It was now when he first heard of her, the Lioness.
".Killed the Duke of Conté. nephew. my brother was there. fight to the death." Liam tried to get a better position for eves dropping, moving slightly in his chair. ".Her shirt cut right down the middle.everyone saw he was actually a woman. A female knight after all this time.I heard she is beautiful.women can't be knights, 'tis not natural.I heard she has violet eyes the colour of a rainbow, copper hair like a fire and a temper to match.everyone is calling her th' Lioness."
So there's a female knight now, he thought. And beautiful to boot. She seems like a fiery little thing, I should meet her. If only to see the person who killed the Duke. That was a long time coming. He got what he deserved. He thought resolutely.
"But the best bit is. her and the Prince. lived together for four years.something must of happened with th' two of them."
This is just getting more and more interesting, he thought. He called for the maid to settle his bill; he was leaving in the morning, for Corus.
"How are you lass?"
"I'm alright. Thanks Coram, for everything." She gave her first real smile in days. "Have a seat." He looked at the large table, cluttered with maps and books. He looked at the title of the nearest one, it was about lady knights. "Lady knights?" he asked looking up at her.
She smiled sheepishly, "Everyone thinks it's a good present for me now. I have about 4 copies now. One here, here, here, here, no wait 5, there's one here." She pointed at various books on the table. He laughed.
"I'm going t' wait until I find one wit' you in it. Have you decided when we leave yet?"
"A week today. I've decided we're going south. I want to see the Bazhir and be warm; it's too cold in Corus at the moment. Look at all the snow!" He laughed.
"Imagine, a girl frae a northern fief not liking snow."
"I didn't say I didn't like snow I just said I don't like the cold." She humped, crossing her arms.
"Have you told any of them yet?"
"No," she sighed leaning back onto her chair. "I don't know how to tell them that I'm going. They know I'm going, just not when."
"You need to tell them eventually. You can't just go on the day 'by the way I'm leaving now. Bye.'"
"Why not? Don't worry I'm only joking."
"Glad to see you're better. I know what you're like. It's going to take you awhile to get round to telling everyone, so you better start now."
"It's just I'm afraid they might persuade me to stay."
"Do you want them to?"
"No, I need to leave."
"Then they won't be able to talk you out of this." Suddenly she got up and hugged Coram. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Where would I be without you? I wouldn't have got this far without you, I wouldn't even be here!"
"Come here," he pulled her into a bear hug.
"You're a big softie, you know?" she laughed.
"I know, don't tell."
Later that day.
Knock, knock.
"Come in," Jonathan didn't even bother looking up as he read over documents from his father's council. He heard the soft click of the door and looked up. "'Lanna!" smiling, he jumped up and moved to her. He took her hand and kissed it, staring intently into her eyes, other arm resting at her side.
"What's wrong? Are you ok? Come and sit down," he led her to the chair he had vacated and knelt infront of her still clutching her hand.
"I'm fine, honestly I am."
"I know you, there's something though." She met his eyes. "You're leaving," he murmured. He stood up and turned away from her. She stood, smoothing out her sapphire blue skirts, she put her hand on his arm. She turned him towards her.
"Hopefully not for long. The winter at the least." He met her gaze.
"When?"
"A week today."
"I don't want you to go."
"I know, but I have to go. You can't talk me out of leaving." She looked away before saying so softly that he almost didn't hear, "Come with me?"
"You know I can't, just as much as you can't stay. You're more free than I'll ever be." He was looking at his hand trace a pattern on her palm. Gently she turned his head, her slight hand under his chin.
"I'm not as free as you think I am, I just appear to be. But I'm more free than I would have been. I'll still come back to you. Me going away, isn't going to change how much I care, love, you."
He moved his hand back to her side, his hand gently stroking her cheek. Tears glistened in her eyes. She never thought she'd feel this way about anyone, yet here she was breaking almost every promise she had set herself, apart from having children. Maybe, one day, she realised. She looked down away from his gaze, he gently turned her head again and swiftly he kissed her again and again. It was exactly like that night not so long ago in the gardens. Except this time when he unlaced her bodice, she didn't stop him.
He pulled away from her for a moment to breathe, "I love you." It was Alanna who started the kiss and it was she who broke it.
"I love you." He clutched her tighter to him. The two of them now kissing with a more frenzied passion than before, if that was even possible.
He had been sitting in a tavern pretending to be minding his own business when he was paying attention to everything and nothing. It was now when he first heard of her, the Lioness.
".Killed the Duke of Conté. nephew. my brother was there. fight to the death." Liam tried to get a better position for eves dropping, moving slightly in his chair. ".Her shirt cut right down the middle.everyone saw he was actually a woman. A female knight after all this time.I heard she is beautiful.women can't be knights, 'tis not natural.I heard she has violet eyes the colour of a rainbow, copper hair like a fire and a temper to match.everyone is calling her th' Lioness."
So there's a female knight now, he thought. And beautiful to boot. She seems like a fiery little thing, I should meet her. If only to see the person who killed the Duke. That was a long time coming. He got what he deserved. He thought resolutely.
"But the best bit is. her and the Prince. lived together for four years.something must of happened with th' two of them."
This is just getting more and more interesting, he thought. He called for the maid to settle his bill; he was leaving in the morning, for Corus.
"How are you lass?"
"I'm alright. Thanks Coram, for everything." She gave her first real smile in days. "Have a seat." He looked at the large table, cluttered with maps and books. He looked at the title of the nearest one, it was about lady knights. "Lady knights?" he asked looking up at her.
She smiled sheepishly, "Everyone thinks it's a good present for me now. I have about 4 copies now. One here, here, here, here, no wait 5, there's one here." She pointed at various books on the table. He laughed.
"I'm going t' wait until I find one wit' you in it. Have you decided when we leave yet?"
"A week today. I've decided we're going south. I want to see the Bazhir and be warm; it's too cold in Corus at the moment. Look at all the snow!" He laughed.
"Imagine, a girl frae a northern fief not liking snow."
"I didn't say I didn't like snow I just said I don't like the cold." She humped, crossing her arms.
"Have you told any of them yet?"
"No," she sighed leaning back onto her chair. "I don't know how to tell them that I'm going. They know I'm going, just not when."
"You need to tell them eventually. You can't just go on the day 'by the way I'm leaving now. Bye.'"
"Why not? Don't worry I'm only joking."
"Glad to see you're better. I know what you're like. It's going to take you awhile to get round to telling everyone, so you better start now."
"It's just I'm afraid they might persuade me to stay."
"Do you want them to?"
"No, I need to leave."
"Then they won't be able to talk you out of this." Suddenly she got up and hugged Coram. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Where would I be without you? I wouldn't have got this far without you, I wouldn't even be here!"
"Come here," he pulled her into a bear hug.
"You're a big softie, you know?" she laughed.
"I know, don't tell."
Later that day.
Knock, knock.
"Come in," Jonathan didn't even bother looking up as he read over documents from his father's council. He heard the soft click of the door and looked up. "'Lanna!" smiling, he jumped up and moved to her. He took her hand and kissed it, staring intently into her eyes, other arm resting at her side.
"What's wrong? Are you ok? Come and sit down," he led her to the chair he had vacated and knelt infront of her still clutching her hand.
"I'm fine, honestly I am."
"I know you, there's something though." She met his eyes. "You're leaving," he murmured. He stood up and turned away from her. She stood, smoothing out her sapphire blue skirts, she put her hand on his arm. She turned him towards her.
"Hopefully not for long. The winter at the least." He met her gaze.
"When?"
"A week today."
"I don't want you to go."
"I know, but I have to go. You can't talk me out of leaving." She looked away before saying so softly that he almost didn't hear, "Come with me?"
"You know I can't, just as much as you can't stay. You're more free than I'll ever be." He was looking at his hand trace a pattern on her palm. Gently she turned his head, her slight hand under his chin.
"I'm not as free as you think I am, I just appear to be. But I'm more free than I would have been. I'll still come back to you. Me going away, isn't going to change how much I care, love, you."
He moved his hand back to her side, his hand gently stroking her cheek. Tears glistened in her eyes. She never thought she'd feel this way about anyone, yet here she was breaking almost every promise she had set herself, apart from having children. Maybe, one day, she realised. She looked down away from his gaze, he gently turned her head again and swiftly he kissed her again and again. It was exactly like that night not so long ago in the gardens. Except this time when he unlaced her bodice, she didn't stop him.
He pulled away from her for a moment to breathe, "I love you." It was Alanna who started the kiss and it was she who broke it.
"I love you." He clutched her tighter to him. The two of them now kissing with a more frenzied passion than before, if that was even possible.