Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Chapter Three – A Most Vague Letter
Alanna sat slouched, although the prime purpose of the hard wooden chair was to keep young ladies' backs straight. Her violet eyes were dismal. Only the Goddess's words had prevented her from opening her window and climbing down the trellis to sweet freedom. But who was she, a small purple-eyed girl, to defy a god?
And besides, she was right...where would she go? She did not want to go back home, and explain to her father why she was not married to the duke he had arranged. She hated being treated like a horse, just changing hands for money, but she could not do anything now. She sat silently, seething, knowing that somehow, someway, she was going to get out of this horrid situation.
If she had not been so busy with her thoughts, she could have heard the strains of the conversation that had progressed to a shouting match in the next room. Alanna had cursed the situation that she was in, only brought to her by her curiosity. Damn her infernal curiosity! She would not have to be trained in magic if she had only been more careful!
When he had awakened, Master Silverstrip had been feeling annoyingly well…and had known some annoying things. He had insisted that she had the Gift, and that it must be trained, despite her attempts at wide-eyed innocence. And now the First Daughter and Jared Silverstrip were having an increasingly loud argument about it.
Perhaps it was a good thing, though. It seemed as if Master Silverstrip did not wish for someone with so much magic to leave the Convent quite yet. She might end up being allowed to stay longer- which although not an inspiring fate was certainly better than getting married to some stuck-up lord.
He had said that it was very dangerous to have a Gift that had not been trained because it could get out of hand and hurt people, and that Alanna had a gift for healing that she needed to develop. The thin-lipped First Daughter was arguing that Alanna was to be betrothed and must go to Corus to meet her soon-to-be husband and beget children. She did not have time to be schooled in sorcery, and only THEN sent off to the palace!!
When the two red-faced, angry adults walked back into the study where they had left Alanna, she quickly squashed all of her doubts and sat up proudly.
"Pack your bags." Master Silverstrip snapped, and abruptly left the room.
Alanna looked questioningly at the First Daughter. The aforementioned old lady removed her spectacles and nodded, rubbing her eyes.
"Alanna, why were you in that wing?" she asked sternly, "Think more carefully about your actions for they have caused me a lot of bother. I would punish you, but you are leaving the convent tomorrow. And here, you have another letter."
"What about my magic?" asked Alanna, innocently, taking the letter held out to her.
"You will learn with the young men at the palace." She said unhappily. "Although such an embarrassment is unheard of. You need a chaperone. I'll write a note to the Duchess of Crismon...yes, she's quite respectable. And surely she'll do an old friend a favor."
"I'll learn with the pages???" asked Alanna, surprised. Master Silverstrip must have had some good arguments to convince the First Daughter to even do that much, but now she was dreading Court even more. She did not want to learn magic, especially with boys staring at her and treating her like a fragile little piece of glass.
"Yes, you'll learn with the pages and some squires too." said the First Daughter firmly. "And now go to your room, and meet your serving-lady who shall accompany you on your trip. You shall leave with her for the Convent tomorrow. Sleep well, for I doubt I shall." She swept out of the room in a flurry of dark skirts.
Alanna sighed and pulled herself out of the chair. If worst came to worst and she could not avoid the betrothal when she got to the Palace, she would run away then. Meanwhile, it was best to listen to what the Goddess had told her and not complain.
She walked down the cold stone halls, silently saying goodbye. Although she would certainly not miss the people, she would miss the familiarity of the Convent, and the beauty outside of it. If nothing else could be said in favor of it, it certainly did have exquisite gardens.
When she entered her room, she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she at first did not notice the figure in the middle of room. Therefore, she was quite startled when the girl coughed and curtseyed.
"Hullo."
"Who are you?" asked Alanna, rather abruptly.
'She's your new maid. And don't be so rude, Alanna. You don't want her to know that you have no manners.' said Faithful. Alanna knew now that only she could understand the cat when he spoke, unless he wanted others to understand as well. She scowled at the cat, but realized the girl was watching and resolved to ignore him.
"I mean, what is your name?"
"Anirenne, but doesn't that sound rather too formal for a maid. I mean, I should have a simple name, don't you think. Ani, however, that sounds like the perfect name. I don't think I could live up to being an Anirenne. I'm much more an Ani, don't you think? Well, I doubt you would know, seeing as you just met me." Said the girl, quite quickly.
"Oh, okay."
"Oh, miss, you're to go to the tailor and have some gowns made. That lady that came in here, all angry like-"
"What lady?" interrupted Alanna.
'The First Daughter' said Faithful.
"Well, she seems like the mean sort, all in a rush 'n
everything, and she said that a good serving woman kept her tongue when it was
needed and she did snap at me a couple times because I was talking. I know I do talk a bit much, but you don't
mind do you, miss?" said Ani, for she hadn't heard anything but a mewing cat.
"No, not really." Alanna didn't want to
admit it, but she rather liked the talkative girl. It was a welcome change from all of the bobbing servants and
superficial ladies that surrounded her.
"Are you...do you work here?"
"Here at the convent? Well, I did for a little bit. But now I'm your maid. It's grand, isn't it? My ma and pa work down in a village some ways away, and we needed a bit o' copper, so I took up a job as the scullery maid, but then I dropped some dishes and the cook didn't have the heart to send me on my way. She likes me, you know. I remind her of her daughters. Anyways, so the cook told a Lady that I would make a good personal maid. And so I'm yours."
"Not to be rude, but I don't need a maid."
"But all the ladies are given a maid. Who's going to dress you and fetch your things and help you pack and such?"
"I can do all that by myself…I'm not some pampered little…" Alanna said, annoyed at the implication that she couldn't take care of herself.
'Don't snap at her because of your troubles!' yowled Faithful
"Honestly, lady, I meant no offense."
Alanna sighed. "It's okay. So you're coming with me to Corus, then?"
"Aye."
"Alright, then I suppose you should call me Alanna." She said.
"But miss, it wouldn't be proper!" said the wide-eyed maid.
"I don't care what's proper or not! Just do as I say!
"Alright, miss. But
you are a rather strange noble, you know."
"I know. And it's Alanna, not miss."
"Sorry miss. Oops, I mean Alanna."
Some time later, Alanna pushed the door closed on the retreating back of the brown-haired, doe-eyed maid who had just left, Faithful trailing after her. He seemed to have taken a liking to Ani, or he just knew when Alanna wanted to be alone. Exhausted from the day's efforts, although it was not even dark yet, she sank onto the bed. The night before, once Master Silverstrip had been awakened, he had sent her to her chambers to sleep. Unfortunately, she had not slept well.
Her slumber had been plagued by dreams- horrible dreams. She dreamt of the man that she had seen in the vision, the one who was screaming and screaming as he was consumed by the flames. She had woken up amongst sweat-drenched sheets.
When she had tried to go back to sleep, she dreamed of standing in an ocean, except when she reached down to cup the cool water in her hands, she had realized it was blood and that she was soaking in it. She could taste it, sickly and salty. She woke up to find that she had bitten through her tongue.
Even more horrific visions and dreams had come and gone through the night, and in the morning, a very bleary-eyed Alanna had consented to come to the First Daughter's study to speak with her. She must have been sitting there for hours as the Daughter of the Goddess and Master Silverstrip argued about what was going to be done about her magic.
Now, she was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She just wanted to rest, but she knew that if she did, she would not wake up until tomorrow morning and she wanted to savor as much time as possible before she set out for the Convent. Remembering the letter, she picked it up. For a long while, she just stared it at it.
Slowly, as if in a dream she pressed it to her cheek and one single crystalline tear dropped down her cheek. More followed the path of the first. She was not a girl who cried easily. Rather, the sobs were painfully ripped out of her chest. She tried to quench them- she was not so weak that she cried at every little bump in the road, but they kept pouring down her cheeks, wetting her dress."At least I'll get to see Thom again." She whispered, trying to convince herself that she shouldn't just open the window this instant, when nobody was watching. At least when she had been young, she had had Thom with her to bear their father's neglect and to keep the terrible loneliness at bay. Now, she had no one. Some small part in her, a selfish part, wished that Thom were as lonely as she.
She closed herself off to that little voice, made herself deaf. She loved Thom, she wanted him to be happy. And he had friends, good ones. He mentioned them in letters sometimes, when he spoke of something else and they were involved. He wrote about them with the familiarity that only a close friend could have. She was glad of that, she really was. And she was a little jealous of course, for she had not made good friendships at the Convent more because she had closed herself off to others than anything.
Also, Thom was living out her dream...and who wouldn't be a little jealous at that? Thom, however, told her about all the weapons and the things he learned, and for some reason when she read the words she could see the images in her mind. Apparently Thom had not given up sorcery when he had gone to the palace.
When they were young, she had been the one more inclined to become a knight. She could shoot, hunt, fish, and trap. She could even skin a rabbit faster than a grown man. Thom was more interested in sorcery. They had even had a brief plan to switch places, and even gone so far as setting out on the roads to their respective places, when a simple quirk of fate had stopped them.
A snake had passed in front of the horse that their burly man-at-arms, Coram was riding, and Alanna had jumped from her horse and held onto its reins, calming the large beast. Her hood had fallen back, revealing her to be Alanna, and not Thom, who was the one supposed to go to the Palace to become a knight. Coram had made them ride to catch up to Maude and her twin and got both of them on their respective right paths.
Yet still, Alanna knew that she should have gone to the Palace. After all, hadn't Maude seen it in the fire? Along with that strangely spreading city of black stone that only Alanna had seen. But Maude was content to just let the gods will what they wished and had refused to help Alanna once more. She said that something would happen to change her fate, if it was meant to be so. She would become a knight if the gods willed it. And apparently, they had not.
Sighing, Alanna unfolded the letter.
Sister Dear,
I heard you were getting betrothed. Father wrote to me. You most probably received his letter telling you. I certainly am glad that I wasn't here to see the reaction to that little piece of information. No, don't scowl at me. [Alanna WAS scowling] Seriously, now. You're getting married to Duke Windelam of Cape Hannam? I looked him up a bit for you. I don't know what Father was thinking. He's a bit, well… you'll see. You'll meet him soon. Don't worry, I'm sure we can find some way to convince Father to change his mind. We have three months until the marriage, I hear. Other than that, it really will be excellent to see you after all these years. I'm sorry about the shortness of this letter, but I suppose that since I'm seeing you soon, it will be okay. Don't do anything silly before that. I miss you and would be rather disappointed if you got your head bashed in before I see you again. Oh, and sister dear, be on the lookout for danger, will you? I'm involved a bit in something back here.
Love,
Thom
Alanna wondered at the last sentence of the letter, and decided that she would just have to confront Thom to get a straight answer. She was sure that she could intimidate him still…and if not, she would merely dunk him into a pond. He was right, of course, about it being excellent to see each other again, though.
A loud mew interrupted her silent musings.
'It's time to go pick out your dresses" said Faithful. 'Try not to hurt the poor dressmaker- it's only her job, after all.'
"I won't!" retorted Alanna. "And why don't you try not giving your advice where it's not wanted or needed!"
'Ani is coming to get you.'
"How did you get back in here anyway?"
'I have my ways. Now get up and wipe those tears off.'
Alanna did so, even as a knock sounded on the door.
"Alanna..." called a now familiar voice. "Miss? Are you there?"
Alanna opened the door, letting Ani in. The girl seemed excited about something, but stopped to curtsy before she started talking.
"Oh, miss, it's time for your dress fittings. I went up there, just to see and tell the Mistress that you would be up soon, and such finery I've never seen in my life! There's thick gold brocade and velvet, and oh miss, it's so pretty. Come now, you have to get measured."
Alanna resigned herself to her fate and followed Ani out of her room and up a flight of steps.
'Have fun.' Mewed Faithful and she resisted the urge to throw a pillow at him.