Chapter 2: The Rogue
The Old Ones: Pale Magic
"So, how's 'Shimmy'?" Thom was leaning against the door at the other side
of the hall, grinning at his mother. Alanna threw herself at her oldest
son, and hugged him fiercely.
"Thom! I thought you were with Kel, over at the Scanran boarder!" Thom shook his head.
"We were, but we lost twenty five men just a week ago, and she needed to get more recruits. Three were from my squad." Alanna shook her head, suddenly grim.
"Maggur's not deterred, even though his Blayce has been destroyed. Does he have any new surprises?" Thom nodded.
"He has more trained mages now. Kel doesn't have enough griffin headbands for more than two commanders, and it leaves several squads naked in the field. He's able to pick off our men one by one, and it takes much longer for us to destroy the mages, because they're much better at creating illusions now. We can hardly tell the difference between the real thing anymore." Alanna began to pace the hallway, her face set.
"Does Jon know?" Alanna asked. Thom nodded.
"Yes, but he's leaving the final decision up to Raold and Shinkokami. Their coronation is in five years yet, but King Jonathon is worried about Prince Roald. He keeps worrying about his children, and doesn't spend enough time worrying about the state. Thayet's worried as well." Thom put an arm around his mother, and sat her down in her cozy sitting room, hoping she wouldn't get in to one of her infamous rages.
"How dare Raold. Doesn't he realise what he's doing? He's acting just like King Ain in Tusaine. Doesn't he know any better?" Thom shook his head.
"Give him time. We all know he'll be a brilliant King, he takes after his father in some ways. But you can't blame him for being pre-occupied. His first son was killed in the chamber, his second son just recieved his shield, his daughter is becoming a knight, and his third son is sickly, and trying to become a master. Wouldn't you be preoccupied if all that had happened in our family, mother?" Thom said, his voice low. Alanna grimaced, but nodded.
"You don't have to worry mother. Jon's having a 'talk' with him now, and he will be more interested in state affairs. After all, King Jonathon still holds the dominion Jewel, and is still the rightful King. If he decides the coronation is not set at a good time, that the state will suffer for it, he will stay as King." Alanna nodded.
"DO you have any good news, Thom?" Thom grinned, and pulled out a pacet full of letters.
"From Mother Keladry, to you... uh, mother." Lady Alanna chuckled, and pulled out the letter, and began to read.
*
Thom quietly exited, and went to his father's study. George sat with Aliane and Liam, his twin siblings. Thom laughed at the ornery expression on his sister's face.
"Mother doesn't know you're here, does she?" Aliane fidgeted, but nodded.
"She doesn't like that I'm crooked. Anyways, I'm only staying for a few hours, I need to get back to the rogue." Liam nodded, and stood to give his older bother a hug.
"As the king of the Rogues, she doesn't get much time off, 'specially since our Lord Provost keeps looking for her hide-a-way. Oh, an' grandpappy wants to see you, Thom. He's bin askin for ya at t'dancing dove." George stared at his younger son, and shook his head meaningfully.
"Sorry, da, but I can't switch in to chameleon mode like Aly can. It takes awhile for me to talk like you and ma." George grinned, and said,
"I guess you can't help it any more than I could. Now, what is it that you needed to tell me?" Aly smoothed her skirts, and looked at her knees.
"I needed to talk to you alone, but Liam came with me. He said that there was safety in numbers. But there is something that I can tell you while everyone is in here. Liam is the..." Liam stood up, and covered the now giggling Aliane's face. George grinned.
"You have something to tell us Liam?" George asked his son. Liam looked down,and mumbled something incomprehensible.
"What was that?" George asked.
"Fine! The Lord Provost found me out, and threatened to 'tell' on me. I had no choice, he didn't give me a chance to explain!" Liam yelled at his father.
"So, what happened?" George asked.
"I'm the Lord Provost's apprentice. I have to go to the palace and study with the pages, and I'm twice their age! They watch me in awe, and sometimes fury, because I don't have to go to as many classes, and I have to take more classes with the Lord Provost." Liam sank in to a chair, his head in his hands.
"So, when did you start these classes?" Thom asked, amused.
"Just slightly before last midwinter, father." George began to laugh, quietly at first, than louder.
"It's not funny! When I'm the Lord Provost, I have to arrest my own sister! What kind of person will I be, if it must come to that!" Liam said furiously. "You don't have to worry about it. I'm trying to turn the thieves respectable, so they can take part in an ordinary life. I don't steal things, I'm more of a protector than a thief, and you know that. If I don't do anything wrong, you cannot report me." Aliane said evenly. Liam groaned, and George looked thoughtful.
"Aliane is right, if you do not see her do anything, you cannot report her, even if she is suspected. But, there is a catch to this, one that I am not happy to report. Alaine, you are crooked, and you can't help it. You wish to help those of the underworld, but in doing so, you put yourself in danger. If Liam does become the Lord Provost, he must be fair, or else no one will respect him, even those thieves that he is sworn to catch, and bring to justice. Aliane, no one knows your true name in the underworld, do they?" Aliane shook her head. George asked,
"Liam?" Liam shook his head as well.
"Than it's settled. Aliane, you're just the king of the rogue, while Liam is the Lord Provost's apprentice. They do not know that you are twins, and no one must know. You can only meet at our home, and no place else, because nowhere else is safe. I hate to do this to you two, but this must happen. I'm sorry." Aliane nodded, and looked at her brother, who nodded as well.
"We shall do that, father. If there is no other way." George nodded.
"Boys, may you leave now? I'll talk to you later Thom, and Liam?" Liam stopped an looked back.
"Do you enjoy the Provost's work?" Liam stared at his father, than slowly nodded.
"I enjoy it more than anything else that I've come across."
* "So, what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" Aliane sat in to her chair, and swung her legs to and fro.
"Well, I met someone. And I know you'll like him, father, but I'm not too sure about mother." George smiled at his only daughter.
"So, who is it?" George asked.
"Alexander of Mindelan, Keladry's nephew. I'm a noble, so is he. He knows that I'm the King of the Rogue as well, but he would never turn on me. He had his aunt's permission, as well as his mother and father's. Do we have permission?" George nodded.
"So, when will you tell Alanna?" George asked.
"Tonight. I haven't seen her for a long while. It's good to be back home, father."
"Thom! I thought you were with Kel, over at the Scanran boarder!" Thom shook his head.
"We were, but we lost twenty five men just a week ago, and she needed to get more recruits. Three were from my squad." Alanna shook her head, suddenly grim.
"Maggur's not deterred, even though his Blayce has been destroyed. Does he have any new surprises?" Thom nodded.
"He has more trained mages now. Kel doesn't have enough griffin headbands for more than two commanders, and it leaves several squads naked in the field. He's able to pick off our men one by one, and it takes much longer for us to destroy the mages, because they're much better at creating illusions now. We can hardly tell the difference between the real thing anymore." Alanna began to pace the hallway, her face set.
"Does Jon know?" Alanna asked. Thom nodded.
"Yes, but he's leaving the final decision up to Raold and Shinkokami. Their coronation is in five years yet, but King Jonathon is worried about Prince Roald. He keeps worrying about his children, and doesn't spend enough time worrying about the state. Thayet's worried as well." Thom put an arm around his mother, and sat her down in her cozy sitting room, hoping she wouldn't get in to one of her infamous rages.
"How dare Raold. Doesn't he realise what he's doing? He's acting just like King Ain in Tusaine. Doesn't he know any better?" Thom shook his head.
"Give him time. We all know he'll be a brilliant King, he takes after his father in some ways. But you can't blame him for being pre-occupied. His first son was killed in the chamber, his second son just recieved his shield, his daughter is becoming a knight, and his third son is sickly, and trying to become a master. Wouldn't you be preoccupied if all that had happened in our family, mother?" Thom said, his voice low. Alanna grimaced, but nodded.
"You don't have to worry mother. Jon's having a 'talk' with him now, and he will be more interested in state affairs. After all, King Jonathon still holds the dominion Jewel, and is still the rightful King. If he decides the coronation is not set at a good time, that the state will suffer for it, he will stay as King." Alanna nodded.
"DO you have any good news, Thom?" Thom grinned, and pulled out a pacet full of letters.
"From Mother Keladry, to you... uh, mother." Lady Alanna chuckled, and pulled out the letter, and began to read.
*
Thom quietly exited, and went to his father's study. George sat with Aliane and Liam, his twin siblings. Thom laughed at the ornery expression on his sister's face.
"Mother doesn't know you're here, does she?" Aliane fidgeted, but nodded.
"She doesn't like that I'm crooked. Anyways, I'm only staying for a few hours, I need to get back to the rogue." Liam nodded, and stood to give his older bother a hug.
"As the king of the Rogues, she doesn't get much time off, 'specially since our Lord Provost keeps looking for her hide-a-way. Oh, an' grandpappy wants to see you, Thom. He's bin askin for ya at t'dancing dove." George stared at his younger son, and shook his head meaningfully.
"Sorry, da, but I can't switch in to chameleon mode like Aly can. It takes awhile for me to talk like you and ma." George grinned, and said,
"I guess you can't help it any more than I could. Now, what is it that you needed to tell me?" Aly smoothed her skirts, and looked at her knees.
"I needed to talk to you alone, but Liam came with me. He said that there was safety in numbers. But there is something that I can tell you while everyone is in here. Liam is the..." Liam stood up, and covered the now giggling Aliane's face. George grinned.
"You have something to tell us Liam?" George asked his son. Liam looked down,and mumbled something incomprehensible.
"What was that?" George asked.
"Fine! The Lord Provost found me out, and threatened to 'tell' on me. I had no choice, he didn't give me a chance to explain!" Liam yelled at his father.
"So, what happened?" George asked.
"I'm the Lord Provost's apprentice. I have to go to the palace and study with the pages, and I'm twice their age! They watch me in awe, and sometimes fury, because I don't have to go to as many classes, and I have to take more classes with the Lord Provost." Liam sank in to a chair, his head in his hands.
"So, when did you start these classes?" Thom asked, amused.
"Just slightly before last midwinter, father." George began to laugh, quietly at first, than louder.
"It's not funny! When I'm the Lord Provost, I have to arrest my own sister! What kind of person will I be, if it must come to that!" Liam said furiously. "You don't have to worry about it. I'm trying to turn the thieves respectable, so they can take part in an ordinary life. I don't steal things, I'm more of a protector than a thief, and you know that. If I don't do anything wrong, you cannot report me." Aliane said evenly. Liam groaned, and George looked thoughtful.
"Aliane is right, if you do not see her do anything, you cannot report her, even if she is suspected. But, there is a catch to this, one that I am not happy to report. Alaine, you are crooked, and you can't help it. You wish to help those of the underworld, but in doing so, you put yourself in danger. If Liam does become the Lord Provost, he must be fair, or else no one will respect him, even those thieves that he is sworn to catch, and bring to justice. Aliane, no one knows your true name in the underworld, do they?" Aliane shook her head. George asked,
"Liam?" Liam shook his head as well.
"Than it's settled. Aliane, you're just the king of the rogue, while Liam is the Lord Provost's apprentice. They do not know that you are twins, and no one must know. You can only meet at our home, and no place else, because nowhere else is safe. I hate to do this to you two, but this must happen. I'm sorry." Aliane nodded, and looked at her brother, who nodded as well.
"We shall do that, father. If there is no other way." George nodded.
"Boys, may you leave now? I'll talk to you later Thom, and Liam?" Liam stopped an looked back.
"Do you enjoy the Provost's work?" Liam stared at his father, than slowly nodded.
"I enjoy it more than anything else that I've come across."
* "So, what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" Aliane sat in to her chair, and swung her legs to and fro.
"Well, I met someone. And I know you'll like him, father, but I'm not too sure about mother." George smiled at his only daughter.
"So, who is it?" George asked.
"Alexander of Mindelan, Keladry's nephew. I'm a noble, so is he. He knows that I'm the King of the Rogue as well, but he would never turn on me. He had his aunt's permission, as well as his mother and father's. Do we have permission?" George nodded.
"So, when will you tell Alanna?" George asked.
"Tonight. I haven't seen her for a long while. It's good to be back home, father."