A/N: When I first wrote this story about 2 years ago, my friend read it and said that I should change everyone's name because it was copying. So I did, but then I discovered that there are other people who write fanfictions, and so I'm not such a terrible person. So I changed the names back, but I may have missed a few, so sorry if there are weird names anywhere, now you know why. Oh, and this is not meant to have anything to do with Star Wars despite the fact that Alanna is Roger's daughter! Have fun reading.

pAlanna looked up from the window seat where she was curled up with a book. Jonathan entered the room and grinned at her.

p"Hello." He said cheerfully. "You're actually sitting still?"

p"It's raining." Alanna snapped, though she couldn't help smiling at the prince. "What are you doing?"

pJonathan picked up two books from the corner of the room and turned around to face Alanna.

p"Packing for the pre-ordeal test in Persopolis." He replied, "The five of us being knighted in December - Gary, Alex, me and two others - have to go down there, camp out and fend for ourselves for two weeks. It's cruelty."

pAlanna grinned impishly at Jonathan.

p"Maybe you'll realize not everyone has a palace to live in and the life of a knight is pure glamour. That is, if you survive."

p"Don't be impertinent, Carrots." Jonathan picked up another book lying next to Alanna as he teased her. Everyone called Alanna carrots and she hated it.

p"I'm not a carrot." She snapped, her good mood broken.

p"Sure, carrots." Jonathan grinned. Furious, Alanna jumped up.

p"Don't call me that." She snapped angrily. Jonathan took her threat lightly and laughed,

p"Ok, Carrots."

pWithout thinking, Alanna furiously punched Jonathan in the face. He stumbled back, books flying everywhere. A large purple bruise began to form around Jonathan's eye and Alanna stepped back, horrified.

p"Your Highness, I'm sorry." She whispered, covering her face with her hands. "I didn't mean to."

pTo Alanna's surprise Jonathan burst out laughing.

p"I deserved that." He said "Don't look so upset - it may have spoiled my good looks for a while, but by the time I get back, it'll have cleared up." The prince laughed as he gathered up his books again. Alanna smiled uncertainly.

p"Are you sure you're alright, Your Highness?" she asked worriedly.

p"I've never felt better, actually." Jonathan smiled. "you won't get in trouble for it."

p"Thanks." Alanna said, glad the prince wasn't angry.

p"Bye, Alanna." Jonathan waved and left the library, leaving Alanna very puzzled at Jonathan's behavior. She knew one thing - she had to control her temper.



pIt had been at least a month since Alanna cured Jonathan. Alanna had not seen much of the prince and his friends as they had gone away for two weeks on the pre-ordeal test and they spent the rest of the summer at Port Caynn. In fact, the whole of court was rather quiet this summer and Alanna was very bored. Most noble families were on their estates and even Sir Myles had returned to Olau, to recover from the fever, which had kept him in bed for a long time. Sugar refused to leave her stable in August when the weather was hot, as it was most of the time, and Alanna had nothing to do when she escaped from Lady Portia.

pSo, today Alanna decided to try and walk the wall by the stables. Her balance was good from climbing trees and she wanted a challenge. Pulling off her shoes and stockings, Alanna pulled herself up on the wall and gulped. The wall was only four inches across, ten feet long and it was a twelve-foot drop. Trying not to trip over her long skirts, Alanna moved slowly across the wall. Just then, a shout from behind made her wobble slightly.

p"Don't do that." Alanna snapped at a grinning Jonathan. "If I fall down and break my neck, it'll be your fault."

p"I don't suppose Uncle Gareth will be too pleased with this." Jonathan teased.

p"Well, he doesn't have to know." Alanna retorted.

pBrandon laughed and followed a scowling Alex into the stables. Alanna's heart, which had risen at the thought of someone to talk to, sunk to her feet. They were going to Port Caynn. Jonathan was asking Stefan, the groom, to saddle Darkness, his black stallion. Alex was saddling his horse and soon Gary would arrive to get his horse ready for the ride.

pJonathan, having made sure Darkness was alright, walked back outside and watched Alanna. She had reached the end of the wall safely and stared down at the rocky ground below. If she jumped.

p"Well, aren't you going to help me down?" She demanded of the six-foot Jonathan. Jonathan reached up and grabbed her hands, sending her flying to the ground. Alanna laughed,

p"You really do want to kill me."

pGary was running towards them. With a nod at Jonathan, he ran into the stables. Jonathan turned to Alanna, who was pulling on her shoes and said,

p"Would you like to ride with us? Duke Gareth said you could go if you liked."

pAlanna stared at Jonathan, astonished.

p"Sure." She said finally, pretending she didn't care, "I'll get Sugar."

p"Hurry up!" Jonathan teased as Alanna ran towards Sugar's stall. Gary had saddled Sugar up and was waiting for her in the stall.

pAlanna pulled the side saddle off Sugar's back and replaced it with a normal one. Gary stared in astonishment,

p"You-you're ridding with that saddle?" He gasped.

p"Why not?" Alanna smiled "I'm used to ridding bareback."

pGary shrugged and led his horse out. When Alanna joined her friends, Gary turned to her,

p"Come on, Carrots." He teased. Alanna made a face at her cousin. Jonathan had stopped calling her 'carrots' after she gave him the black eye. Gary, though, still called her by it because he thought it was funny and didn't know that it had been Alanna who was responsible for Jonathan's black eye because of just that.

p"Maybe you could think up a nicer nickname?" Alanna suggested. Her annoying cousin only laughed.

p"No chance."

p"How come we're going so slow?" Alex's scornful voice came from up ahead.

p"We don't want to loose Alanna." Jonathan teased. Alanna pushed Sugar, her fat and slow pony, forward, galloping far away from the trio.

pShe galloped for a while before slowing down to a stand. The exhausted horse snorted angrily as Jonathan caught up with them.

p"I didn't know Sugar could go so fast." Jonathan's sapphire blue eyes met Alanna's violet ones in a silent apology. Alanna turned away.

p"He won't go very fast now." She murmured, "He's tired out."

pAlanna spent the rest of the afternoon with her friends. Jonathan let her ride Darkness and he rode Sugar when the four went riding around the forests, and then they had a picnic, during which the boys told Alanna storied about court.

pWhen they were riding back, Alex, who still disliked Alanna, mentioned Alanna's past.

p"I know this may sound mean, but Jon is going to have people talking about him if he's your friend, with your mother and all."

pAlanna turned bright red. Jonathan, seeing that she was speechless with anger, answered for her.

p"I don't think that really matters, Alex." He said sternly.

p"she doesn't even know who her father is." Alex argued.

p"I do!" Alanna retorted. All three boys looked at her. Alanna looked away.

p"who?" Alex demanded.

p"He's a noble." Alanna said slowly.

"Who?" Jonathan asked quietly. Alanna fidgeted. They all liked the Duke Roger.

p"The Duke of Conte." She said quietly.

p"Roger!" cried Jonathan, "I don't believe you."

p"it's true! Mama told me right before she died." Alanna dared to look at Jonathan. His eyes were hard and disbelieving.

p"Roger would never do something like that." He said finally.

p"They did get married." Alanna snapped, thankful she could see that palace up ahead. "But secretly because he didn't want to marry her."

p"No." was all Jonathan said. He rode off quickly with Alex. Gary smiled at her, before following them, leaving Alanna all alone.



pLater that night, Alanna was watching the banquet from a high balcony. Everyone in the Grand Hall was talking and laughing and Alanna felt secluded and lonely.

pSuddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder. Spinning around, Alanna looked up into Jonathan's eyes.

p"I wanted to say that I'm sorry. And I do believe you." Jonathan smiled, "I mentioned you mother at dinner to Roger and he went white and changed the subject. He wouldn't talk about you either. Roger never hides things from me."

p"Thank you." Alanna couldn't think of anything else to say. Jonathan smiled and left to return to the party. Alanna stared after him and smiled. If she'd accomplished anything in the past month, it was earning her place at court.