Ok these aren't my characters, never will be, and well normal stuff. I know this couldn't happen if Alanna is 16 then Thom wouldn't have taken the ordeal, etc, but it makes a good story this way. Thanks for all the reviews, of course they are all welcome, even bad ones, so KEEP REVIEWING! (Please!)

"Lady Alanna, may I say how beautiful you are looking tonight."

"You are too kind," she replied turning around. Then she stopped, "Lord Alexander…! You must excuse me for my…"

"No need my dear, just wait until we are husband and wife." His slimy voice got under her skin. "Shall I get us drinks?"

"Thank you Alexander, but no. As it is my first night perhaps you would be so kind as to introduce me to your friends." Alanna was thinking, anything to get away from this creep, as she forced a smile.

Alex sighed, he didn't want to introduce her to the prince, or any of his other 'friends', but he had also been taught not to argue with a lady. "Certainly, my Lady,"

"Lords Raoul, Gary, Prince Jonathon, and Lady Delia may I introduce Lady Alanna."

Alanna curtsied, bowing her head to the crown prince.

"Lady Alanna, we meet again!" Laughed Gary.

"Good evening, Lord Gary?" She asked.

Gary laughed, "I haven't seen Lady Thayet, or Buri, since they descended the stair."

Alanna showed Gary where they were, and he dragged Alex away. When Alex was gone she sighed slightly, forgetting Raoul and Jon.

"Lady Alanna, it is a great honour to meet you. Thom has told us so much about you." Said Jon whilst Delia looked disdainfully at Alanna.

"None of it good I bet," muttered Alanna not thinking about who she was talking to, "will you excuse me."

She walked outside, with tears in her eyes. She had loved Thom, and his recent death had been a shock.

The prince had seen the look of hurt in her eyes. He looked up and realised he had hurt Raoul too. Raoul told him off for bringing up Thom, and for frightening away the pretty lady. It was then Jon's turn to tell Raoul off, as the pretty lady belonged to Alex.

One week later Alanna was sitting outside on an isolated bench. It was her seventeenth birthday, and her friends had been making her the centre of attention all day, in the evening she wanted some peace and quiet. Inside she knew that the prince would be dancing with the beautiful Delia. She couldn't understand why, but she couldn't help thinking about the prince. You're to marry Alex she kept reminding herself, but it didn't help. She didn't like Alex, but the Prince had been very kind and attentive to her needs, he had also taken her on several walks alone in the last week.

(For reference see page 138 of In the Hand of the Goddess)

She got up and walked through the rose gardens. Looking up she could see a long terrace, with a man standing on it, watching her. Suddenly he went inside and she turned back towards the bench. She didn't want Alex coming out to see her tonight. When she reached the bench she saw the man from the terrace standing there. It was only now that she saw it was Prince Jonathon, not Alex.

"Hullo," he said. "I was wondering where you had got to. What's this?" His voice was soft and warm as he lifted her pregnancy charm.

"It's a charm to-keep me from having children," she stammered. What was he doing? She knew they desired each other, but this?

The Prince chuckled, "have you ever tried it out?"

She tried to be calm and ignore the heat in her body, or the fluttering in her stomach, "what's that supposed to mean?" She gasped although she knew full well what he meant.

"This," he whispered kissing her swiftly, several times.

"Jon, stop, we can't!" She gasped.

He stopped and looked at her, "I love you, Alanna." She couldn't reply for a moment.

"Jon… I…well we…" She didn't know what to say. "We couldn't," she finally managed. She was having trouble breathing all of a sudden.

"Why not?" He asked bringing his mouth down to hers again.

"No," she said stepping away, pulling her head down. "Jon, you're a Prince you have to marry someone important, and I'm engaged to one of your friends!" He looked at her and she could see the hurt in his eyes. Part of her was telling her to go for it, but a larger part of her heeded honour.

"At least let me escort you back to your rooms." He offered. She considered him for a moment then smiled and took his arm. They didn't say a word on the way back to Alanna's room, but they were both thinking of each other.

When they reached Alanna's door she wanted to invite him in but she didn't know what might happen then. She wanted to kiss him again, right here, right now, but she didn't dare.

"Everyone's at the ball Alanna," he whispered as though he read her thoughts, he lent down and kissed her again. Alanna didn't know what made her but she reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him into her room.

As soon as they were in her room he kicked her door closed.

"Jon…" she tried to speak, but he covered her mouth with his hand and kissed her neck. Suddenly, as though possessed they started pulling at each others clothes. Soon Alanna's dress and Jon's shirt and breeches were lying on the floor.

"Alanna are you in here?" Thayet shouted from outside.

"Shit," whispered the Prince, as they both pulled on their clothes. She pushed the Prince into her bathroom and called for Thayet to come in. Thayet stared for a moment when she saw Alanna lacing up her dress.

"What have you been doing?" She asked.

"I…I was just having a rest, I had a headache." Alanna supplied quickly.

"Have you seen Prince Jonathon?"

"Why? Should I?" Thayet looked slightly suspiciously at her friend.

"No one has seen him for a while, and you to are very close." Thayet seemed to be hinting at what nearly happened.

"Thayet! I'm betrothed to Alex! I may not like him but I do have a sense of honour. If you will excuse me I have something to do." Thayet told her told her to come back to the ball as soon as possible.

Alanna sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. She and the Prince wanted each other, it would have happened if not for Thayet. She began to cry, she felt so awful she was being unfaithful to Alex even before their marriage. Jon came out of the bathroom and sat next to her. The young man put an arm around her and pulled head onto his chest.

"I have to leave if I'm being missed." He blew a kiss to Alanna and left.

Ten minutes later saw Alanna walking back to the ball, to face Alex. When Alex saw her he noticed something different about her. Something mature, it made him slightly horny just looking at her.

"Alanna, why don't we find somewhere nice and private, and have a little chat. Father wants us to marry within the next year." What he really wanted from her was sex, but that would have to wait, until their marriage.

Alex took a rather worried Alanna outside!!!

"Now my dear, where have you been?" He leaned close as though he wanted a kiss.

"I was lying down," she told him then she looked him full in the face and lent down and kissed her.

"Alex! Why did you? We aren't! I don't love you." Alanna yelled in his face as thought of lovely Jonathon.

"But my dear we're betrothed. Only the King and Queen could stop our marriage." Alanna cringed as she considered her reply, then she whispered her answer.

"Well maybe they will, because I don't love you. The King's son and I are in love."

Alex's deadly voice whispered, "what did you say?"



So what do you think. I know my chapters are still very short, but I'll get there. All I can say is please review! And I want ideas for the next bit of the story.