Lady Charlotte, the head of the convent, reminded Alanna of Lady Portia.
She never smiled and seemed to hate everyone. On the first day she
informed Alanna of her expectations,
p"I will not tolerate unladylike behavior and stubbornness. I do my best to cure the girls' wild independence when they arrive, and to turn them into the demure, polite young ladies they must be. Any unbecoming conduct will be punished immediately and strictly. I hope you will refrain from putting bad ideas into the girls heads and encouraging them with your own terrible upbringing."
pWith that warm welcoming, Lady Charlotte introduced Alanna to Amalia of Han, one of the few girls she did like, in the hope that Amalia would help to discipline Alanna.
pWith all the other girls, Alanna quickly became a hero. None of them had ever been to court or met the prince. Alanna told amazing stories about the palace - about how she was friends with the prince and his friends, her experiences with Ralon of Malven, and how she had saved Jonathan's life. Here was a girl who beat up boys, called the prince by his first name, and rode bareback. All the girls were either thrilled or disgusted with Alanna.
pAmalia and Alanna soon became good friends. Pretty and popular, with blonde hair, blue eyes and an air of elegance and sophistication around her Amalia was an example student. Fortunately for Alanna, Amalia showed no disapproval of Alanna's past and made no attempt to 'discipline' her either.
p"You're so lucky to know Prince Jonathan." Amalia sighed one evening. "Is he very attractive."
pAlanna looked up startled. She'd never though about Jon that way.
p"Oh, not really." She said offhandedly and changed the subject quickly, "Who are your parents? Maybe I've met them."
p"They're dead." Amalia said quietly, "I live with my uncle, the Duke of Conte."
pAlanna stared. Where they really cousins?
p"I'm sorry. I've met your uncle. He - he's very nice." She said quickly.
p"Yes, he is." Amalia murmured, "My mother dies giving birth to me and my father dies a few weeks later. Uncle Roger treats me like his own daughter."
pAlanna felt tempted to say that Duke Roger obviously treated Amalia nothing like his daughter. He loved his niece and hated his daughter. Did that make sense? Did anything to do with the Duke of Conte make sense?
pAnother friend of Alanna's was Clara of Hunsly. Clara was a small, shy brunette, with gray eyes and an angelic expression.
p"Do you mean you've never ridden side saddle before?" Clara squealed one afternoon in art class.
p"Once." Alanna admitted, "But I fell off."
p"But surelt, your uncle - ." Clara spluttered.
p"He doesn't care about me. As long as I'm busy he's happy." She explained, "Jon says he's scared to death that I'll turn out like Mama, so he leaves me alone."
p"I can't believe you call His Highness 'Jon'." Clara giggled, "Doesn't he mind?"
p"No, I'm his friend." She emphasized the word friend, but Clara just smiled knowingly.
pWithin the first few months, Clara and Amalia seemed to have a calming effect on Alanna. Lady Charlotte was thrilled with the change, but little did she know that Alanna snuck out for rides on Moonlight at night and was trying to teach Amalia to fence, to both of theirs great amusement. Alanna doubted very much that she would ever be the young lady Lady Charlotte wanted her to be.
pLady Charlotte strode into the garden, frowning as she made her way towards Alanna.
p"I have a letter for you." She announced, handing it to Alanna. Alanna smiled as she placed the letter beside her, recognizing Jon's handwriting.
p"Aren't you going to open it?" Lady Charlotte asked. When Alanna explained that she wanted to open it later, Lady Charlotte shook her head.
p"At this school I must know who every letter is from and the content of it. I would have already read it but the messenger instructed that it was to be given directly to you. Perhaps I could read the letter after you have?"
pIt wasn't a question, so Alanna opened it reluctantly under Lady Charlotte's distrustful eyes.
pDear Alanna, (it read)
pHow's life at the convent? Roger says that he has heard about you from his niece. Do you know Amalia? She's a cousin of mine, but I've never met her.
pSir Darin has been asking about you. I think that he'd write if you didn't have that dragon woman watching over you. Maybe that's just as well. Gary and Alex say hello. We're all very bored here and missing you.
pOur dear mutual friend, Lady Rosabel, mentioned you the other night. Actually what she said was, "Where's that horrid little girl?" I told her I didn't know any horrid little girls, and a knight seated nearby said, "She mean your lover." I ignored the insult, and told Lady Rosabel you had gone away to escape 'certain people'.
pJon
pAlanna smiled as she handed the letter to Lady Charlotte, whose frown only deepened.
p"You are just fourteen - please remember it." She sniffed.
pAlanna showed the letter to a giggling Clara and Amalia, and then went off to write a reply.
pDear Jon,
pHello, I'm fine. I'm surviving, mainly because everyone is in awe of me because I know you. Yes, I do know Amalia. Lady Charlotte read all of are letters, and she hates me, so be careful with what you write. I'm thrilled that you consider it an insult to be called my lover. I'm the one that should be insulted.
pI heard that Tusaine wants to reclaim Tortallian land. There will be something for you to do if that happens. Tell Alex and Gary I say hello and that I'm very bored too.
pAlanna
pSealing the letter, Alanna found a groom that would deliver the letter for her. She didn't want Lady Charlotte reading all of her letters.
pIn June, around her fifteenth birthday, Alanna went to the palace for two weeks. It was very empty because so many people were at their homes for the summer, and King Roald and other nobles and knights, including Jonathan, Gary and Alex, had gone to Maren. King Roald and King Mikal of Maren were good friends, so such a visit was normal, but there were rumors that said Maren was helping Tusaine to plan a war against Tortall. Alanna though that King Roald had traveled to Maren to see of this was true.
pAlanna received many little presents for her birthday from Duke Gareth, Myles and gifts Gary and Alex had left. The best present was the one that had arrived at the convent a few weeks earlier - flowers, an amethyst necklace and an opal ring from Jonathan. Lady Charlotte was very against such gifts from young men, but had no choice but to give it to Alanna - after all, they were from the prince. Everyone at the convent was very jealous of Alanna. Alanna loved the jewelry too, but the note that came with them puzzled her.
pAlanna,
pHappy Birthday! I won't be at the palace when you come back, so I thought I'd send these early. The flowers are from Alex and Gary, both of whom are too lazy to write. The necklace is from me, and the ring.I'm not very sure who that ring is from.
pI was traveling to Port Legann and slept out in the woods. In a dream I saw the Goddess. She told me that she was watching over you and me. Then she gave me this ring and told me to give it to you. She said it would help you in the future. When I woke up I was wearing the ring.
pTell me what you can do with the ring. Bye,
pJon
pthe ring did look magical. When Alanna tilted the black stone towards the sun, she could see greens and blues on the shiny surface. She wondered how it could possibly help her in the future.
pafter an enjoyable, if a little boring two weeks, Alanna and two of her uncle's guards traveled back to the City of the Gods. When they were getting ready to leave, Alanna heard them discussing the King's trip to Maren.
p" 'Is Majesty should be back soon." The first guard said, "Bet 'e's disappointed."
p"Definitely!" the second one agreed, "O' course, if I were 'im, I wouldn't 'ave taken so many young knights, especially Prince Jonathan - not if Princess Iliria's anything like she's rumored to be."
p"she's a demon, that woman. Once she gets 'er claws into the prince there won't be nothing 'e can do 'bout it. Lots o' trouble that'll cause, I bet." The first one said sadly.
pPrincess Iliria was know for her beauty and her flirtatious behavior, even though she was married. She had ruined many and gained a lot for herself through others. What did she plan to do with Jonathan?
pSir Darin had not been at the palace when Alanna had been, but he sent her a bouquet of orchids soon after. Alanna threw the flowers out the window, much to Amalia's surprise.
p"Don't you like Sir Darin?" Amalia asked
p"Read the letter." Was Alanna's reply.
pDear Lady Alanna,
pI heard it was your birthday and I took the liberty of sending you a gift. I hope you are happy. I was quite distraught to miss you this summer when I was in Maren.
pPrince Jonathan is quite attentive to you I believe. I'm not one to gossip, but Lady Rosabel and the Prince are very close. His squire says the prince is rarely in his room at night.
pperhaps I shall visit you sometime. Until then, I am yours,
pDarin
p"he's awful, trying to make me dislike Jonathan! As if there was anything between Jonathan and I!"
pAmalia gave her the knowing smile that annoyed Alanna so much.
p"Don't ignore it, Alanna."
pAmalia walked into the guest room in which the Duke of Conte sat.
p"Good day, Uncle." She murmured, coming to stand next to him.
p"Hello, Amalia. How are you? Have you befriended Alanna yet?" Duke Roger smiled fondly.
p"Yes, Uncle." Amalia looked up at the Duke. Unable to hold her questions in, she cried out,
p"Father, why? What are you doing? What relation is she to you?"
pDuke Roger stared at his 'niece'.
p"Amalia, you may not call me Father here!" he said harshly.
pAmalia knelt down at his feet, apologizing humbly.
p"As for you other questions, my pretty, I wouldn't worry if I were you." He brushed her hair absently, "she's my daughter, and I believe she knows this. If I am ever to be King, she must be gone."
p"Is she - is she illegitimate?" Amalia dared to look up.
p"No." Duke Roger replied, "Unfortunately." Amalia say up,
p"are you going to hurt her?" she asked.
p"Would you be upset if I hurt her?" Duke Roger asked
p"Yes." Amalia replied.
p"and would I ever hurt you?" Duke Roger twisted a big diamond ring around carelessly.
p"No." Amalia stared at the diamond.
p"well then. I need to claim my rightful inheritance, and once I am King, you shall be my heir. Be Alanna's friend, dear, and don't worry your pretty self about me."
pThe Duke waved Amalia away and smiled. Everything was working so perfectly. Tusaine would certainly attack and, with the Princess' help, they would win. His uncle wasn't strong - such embarrassment would kill him.
p"A pity." Duke Roger said to himself, "all I have to do now is get rid of Alanna, and then I will be King!"
p"I will not tolerate unladylike behavior and stubbornness. I do my best to cure the girls' wild independence when they arrive, and to turn them into the demure, polite young ladies they must be. Any unbecoming conduct will be punished immediately and strictly. I hope you will refrain from putting bad ideas into the girls heads and encouraging them with your own terrible upbringing."
pWith that warm welcoming, Lady Charlotte introduced Alanna to Amalia of Han, one of the few girls she did like, in the hope that Amalia would help to discipline Alanna.
pWith all the other girls, Alanna quickly became a hero. None of them had ever been to court or met the prince. Alanna told amazing stories about the palace - about how she was friends with the prince and his friends, her experiences with Ralon of Malven, and how she had saved Jonathan's life. Here was a girl who beat up boys, called the prince by his first name, and rode bareback. All the girls were either thrilled or disgusted with Alanna.
pAmalia and Alanna soon became good friends. Pretty and popular, with blonde hair, blue eyes and an air of elegance and sophistication around her Amalia was an example student. Fortunately for Alanna, Amalia showed no disapproval of Alanna's past and made no attempt to 'discipline' her either.
p"You're so lucky to know Prince Jonathan." Amalia sighed one evening. "Is he very attractive."
pAlanna looked up startled. She'd never though about Jon that way.
p"Oh, not really." She said offhandedly and changed the subject quickly, "Who are your parents? Maybe I've met them."
p"They're dead." Amalia said quietly, "I live with my uncle, the Duke of Conte."
pAlanna stared. Where they really cousins?
p"I'm sorry. I've met your uncle. He - he's very nice." She said quickly.
p"Yes, he is." Amalia murmured, "My mother dies giving birth to me and my father dies a few weeks later. Uncle Roger treats me like his own daughter."
pAlanna felt tempted to say that Duke Roger obviously treated Amalia nothing like his daughter. He loved his niece and hated his daughter. Did that make sense? Did anything to do with the Duke of Conte make sense?
pAnother friend of Alanna's was Clara of Hunsly. Clara was a small, shy brunette, with gray eyes and an angelic expression.
p"Do you mean you've never ridden side saddle before?" Clara squealed one afternoon in art class.
p"Once." Alanna admitted, "But I fell off."
p"But surelt, your uncle - ." Clara spluttered.
p"He doesn't care about me. As long as I'm busy he's happy." She explained, "Jon says he's scared to death that I'll turn out like Mama, so he leaves me alone."
p"I can't believe you call His Highness 'Jon'." Clara giggled, "Doesn't he mind?"
p"No, I'm his friend." She emphasized the word friend, but Clara just smiled knowingly.
pWithin the first few months, Clara and Amalia seemed to have a calming effect on Alanna. Lady Charlotte was thrilled with the change, but little did she know that Alanna snuck out for rides on Moonlight at night and was trying to teach Amalia to fence, to both of theirs great amusement. Alanna doubted very much that she would ever be the young lady Lady Charlotte wanted her to be.
pLady Charlotte strode into the garden, frowning as she made her way towards Alanna.
p"I have a letter for you." She announced, handing it to Alanna. Alanna smiled as she placed the letter beside her, recognizing Jon's handwriting.
p"Aren't you going to open it?" Lady Charlotte asked. When Alanna explained that she wanted to open it later, Lady Charlotte shook her head.
p"At this school I must know who every letter is from and the content of it. I would have already read it but the messenger instructed that it was to be given directly to you. Perhaps I could read the letter after you have?"
pIt wasn't a question, so Alanna opened it reluctantly under Lady Charlotte's distrustful eyes.
pDear Alanna, (it read)
pHow's life at the convent? Roger says that he has heard about you from his niece. Do you know Amalia? She's a cousin of mine, but I've never met her.
pSir Darin has been asking about you. I think that he'd write if you didn't have that dragon woman watching over you. Maybe that's just as well. Gary and Alex say hello. We're all very bored here and missing you.
pOur dear mutual friend, Lady Rosabel, mentioned you the other night. Actually what she said was, "Where's that horrid little girl?" I told her I didn't know any horrid little girls, and a knight seated nearby said, "She mean your lover." I ignored the insult, and told Lady Rosabel you had gone away to escape 'certain people'.
pJon
pAlanna smiled as she handed the letter to Lady Charlotte, whose frown only deepened.
p"You are just fourteen - please remember it." She sniffed.
pAlanna showed the letter to a giggling Clara and Amalia, and then went off to write a reply.
pDear Jon,
pHello, I'm fine. I'm surviving, mainly because everyone is in awe of me because I know you. Yes, I do know Amalia. Lady Charlotte read all of are letters, and she hates me, so be careful with what you write. I'm thrilled that you consider it an insult to be called my lover. I'm the one that should be insulted.
pI heard that Tusaine wants to reclaim Tortallian land. There will be something for you to do if that happens. Tell Alex and Gary I say hello and that I'm very bored too.
pAlanna
pSealing the letter, Alanna found a groom that would deliver the letter for her. She didn't want Lady Charlotte reading all of her letters.
pIn June, around her fifteenth birthday, Alanna went to the palace for two weeks. It was very empty because so many people were at their homes for the summer, and King Roald and other nobles and knights, including Jonathan, Gary and Alex, had gone to Maren. King Roald and King Mikal of Maren were good friends, so such a visit was normal, but there were rumors that said Maren was helping Tusaine to plan a war against Tortall. Alanna though that King Roald had traveled to Maren to see of this was true.
pAlanna received many little presents for her birthday from Duke Gareth, Myles and gifts Gary and Alex had left. The best present was the one that had arrived at the convent a few weeks earlier - flowers, an amethyst necklace and an opal ring from Jonathan. Lady Charlotte was very against such gifts from young men, but had no choice but to give it to Alanna - after all, they were from the prince. Everyone at the convent was very jealous of Alanna. Alanna loved the jewelry too, but the note that came with them puzzled her.
pAlanna,
pHappy Birthday! I won't be at the palace when you come back, so I thought I'd send these early. The flowers are from Alex and Gary, both of whom are too lazy to write. The necklace is from me, and the ring.I'm not very sure who that ring is from.
pI was traveling to Port Legann and slept out in the woods. In a dream I saw the Goddess. She told me that she was watching over you and me. Then she gave me this ring and told me to give it to you. She said it would help you in the future. When I woke up I was wearing the ring.
pTell me what you can do with the ring. Bye,
pJon
pthe ring did look magical. When Alanna tilted the black stone towards the sun, she could see greens and blues on the shiny surface. She wondered how it could possibly help her in the future.
pafter an enjoyable, if a little boring two weeks, Alanna and two of her uncle's guards traveled back to the City of the Gods. When they were getting ready to leave, Alanna heard them discussing the King's trip to Maren.
p" 'Is Majesty should be back soon." The first guard said, "Bet 'e's disappointed."
p"Definitely!" the second one agreed, "O' course, if I were 'im, I wouldn't 'ave taken so many young knights, especially Prince Jonathan - not if Princess Iliria's anything like she's rumored to be."
p"she's a demon, that woman. Once she gets 'er claws into the prince there won't be nothing 'e can do 'bout it. Lots o' trouble that'll cause, I bet." The first one said sadly.
pPrincess Iliria was know for her beauty and her flirtatious behavior, even though she was married. She had ruined many and gained a lot for herself through others. What did she plan to do with Jonathan?
pSir Darin had not been at the palace when Alanna had been, but he sent her a bouquet of orchids soon after. Alanna threw the flowers out the window, much to Amalia's surprise.
p"Don't you like Sir Darin?" Amalia asked
p"Read the letter." Was Alanna's reply.
pDear Lady Alanna,
pI heard it was your birthday and I took the liberty of sending you a gift. I hope you are happy. I was quite distraught to miss you this summer when I was in Maren.
pPrince Jonathan is quite attentive to you I believe. I'm not one to gossip, but Lady Rosabel and the Prince are very close. His squire says the prince is rarely in his room at night.
pperhaps I shall visit you sometime. Until then, I am yours,
pDarin
p"he's awful, trying to make me dislike Jonathan! As if there was anything between Jonathan and I!"
pAmalia gave her the knowing smile that annoyed Alanna so much.
p"Don't ignore it, Alanna."
pAmalia walked into the guest room in which the Duke of Conte sat.
p"Good day, Uncle." She murmured, coming to stand next to him.
p"Hello, Amalia. How are you? Have you befriended Alanna yet?" Duke Roger smiled fondly.
p"Yes, Uncle." Amalia looked up at the Duke. Unable to hold her questions in, she cried out,
p"Father, why? What are you doing? What relation is she to you?"
pDuke Roger stared at his 'niece'.
p"Amalia, you may not call me Father here!" he said harshly.
pAmalia knelt down at his feet, apologizing humbly.
p"As for you other questions, my pretty, I wouldn't worry if I were you." He brushed her hair absently, "she's my daughter, and I believe she knows this. If I am ever to be King, she must be gone."
p"Is she - is she illegitimate?" Amalia dared to look up.
p"No." Duke Roger replied, "Unfortunately." Amalia say up,
p"are you going to hurt her?" she asked.
p"Would you be upset if I hurt her?" Duke Roger asked
p"Yes." Amalia replied.
p"and would I ever hurt you?" Duke Roger twisted a big diamond ring around carelessly.
p"No." Amalia stared at the diamond.
p"well then. I need to claim my rightful inheritance, and once I am King, you shall be my heir. Be Alanna's friend, dear, and don't worry your pretty self about me."
pThe Duke waved Amalia away and smiled. Everything was working so perfectly. Tusaine would certainly attack and, with the Princess' help, they would win. His uncle wasn't strong - such embarrassment would kill him.
p"A pity." Duke Roger said to himself, "all I have to do now is get rid of Alanna, and then I will be King!"