A/N: I'm so very, very, VERY sorry that it took so long to finish this chapter. I've been very, very busy lately, with homework and dance and color guard. With a color guard competition next week (in Florida!), I may not be able to write more for a few weeks. Keep reviewing because I love getting them!

"Well, one's dead." Duke Roger muttered, "But I still can't find Jonathan!"

"Perhaps -." Sir Darin smiled hopefully at Roger, and stepped forward.

"I don't want your ideas! I want you to give this necklace to Alanna. She will be in your power and you can lure her away and kill her! And don't mess it up!" Roger snapped.

"Anything, master." Darin mumbled and left the duke alone. Roger picked up a large crystal and muttered a few words over it. Iliria's face appeared.

"What now? I'm busy, Roger." She complained.

"Iliria, my pet, Jonathan is somewhere between here and Port Legann." Roger replied, a knowing smile forming on his face.

Iliria's eyes lit up.

"Oh, wonderful! Don't worry, I'll find him. You'll never see your cousin again." She laughed.

"If I do, Iliria." Roger shrugged, leaving the threat undefined.

"Don't you trust me?" Iliria smiled sweetly, "I'm almost there - oh, look! I've found him! His squire has a poison arrow in his shoulder. Yours I suppose? You are clever, darling!" with another laugh Iliria's face vanished. Roger smiled. Iliria would manage, but he wasn't so sure about Darin. Iliria had powers - Darin didn't.

"But Jonathan's the main problem." Roger laughed, and returned to developing his aunt's illness.
Jonathan was riding through the forest, rain dripping through the branches to splash him and Darkness. His squire was lying with a poisoned shoulder back at the camp Jon had built. Jonathan was looking for food.

He heard horse hooves behind him. Turing Darkness around, Jon came face to face with Princess Iliria.

"Hello, Jonathan." She said evenly.

"What are you doing here, Iliria?" Jon demanded.

"To see you." Iliria replied simply.

"Why?" Jon asked, instantly on guard.

"Jonathan!' Iliria cried, aghast. "Don't you realize that I love you? I - oh, Jonathan, I hate Christian! Take me away to - oh, somewhere! We'll be happy; I know we will. I'd be happy anywhere with you!"

Jonathan stared at Iliria in disbelief. Before he could say anything she continued,

"You love me too, don't you?' Iliria whispered, "Jonathan, you said! You said you loved me! You promised!" Iliria was screaming, "Have you lied to me? Oh, Jonathan, don't tell me you lied!"

"Iliria, I don't love you anymore." Jon said finally.

"Jonathan! Jonathan, darling, don't hurt me!" Iliria gasped.

"Iliria, please." Jon began to feel slightly annoyed. "I don't love you anymore."

Iliria lowered he head, her blonde hair covering her tear-streaked face. She ground her teeth together, thinking furiously while Jon watched. She had been so sure the sweet act would work.

When she said nothing for a long time, Jon turned Darkness around and rode off, ignoring her soft sobs.

"Jonathan!" Iliria pushed her horse into a canter and rode up to him. "No, don't go. Kiss me first. One little kiss, then I'll go away, I promise!"

Jonathan glared at the princess sitting on the horse beside him. She was fluttering her eyelashes and smiling prettily, which only made Jonathan angrier.

"Iliria, go home." He snapped.

"Oh, darling, don't do this to me - to us!" Iliria blinked back tears.

"Your Royal Highness, if you no longer need me help, I shall be going." Jon replied, before pushing Darkness into a gallop. Behind him, Iliria's beautiful face clouded over with fury. She flicked her hand in his direction, muttering a curse under her breath. When nothing happened, she stared at her hands and screamed in frustration.

"How very typical!" she snapped, hitting her horse in her anger, "My powers have dried up and so has my charm. How dare that little beast get away with this! I'll get him!" She paused, and paled, before adding "That is, if Roger doesn't kill me first."

"Lady Alanna?" Sir Darin approached Alanna, who was sitting on a bench in the empty garden. " I heard that Sir Myles has died. He was a very nice gentleman. I am so sorry."

Alanna forced a smile, "Thank you for your kind thoughts, Sir." She said quietly.

"I have brought you a present I know you will appreciate." Darin continued. Alanna accepted the package he held out cautiously. She opened it to reveal a sparkling emerald necklace. It sparkled and twinkled, and Alanna stared at it, entranced.

"How lovely!" she cried, "It's beautiful!" She moved to put it on, brushing her left hand as she did so. Her finger touched the ring and she noticed the orange glow around the emeralds. Alanna dropped it like it was on fire, furious that she could have been so stupid to nearly fall for Duke Roger's trick.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Alanna started at the shattered pieces on the floor. Perhaps you could find a servant to clean this up?"

Sir Darin bowed and moved away, mumbling something under his breath. Alanna ignored him as she hurried back to her room. Faithful looked up form his nap as she entered, flustered and upset.

'I hope Jonathan hasn't been tricked.' Faithful purred. 'And I'm surprised the Duke would resort to using people like Sir Darin. At least Iliria has brains.'

"Don you think Iliria has trapped Jon?" Alanna cried, sitting down on Faithful's tail in her shock. Faithful looked at her reproachfully.

'You'll have to hope he too smart to fall for it.' Was his only bit of comfort.
Duke Roger picked up the crystal he used to talk to Iliria and muttered to words under breath. Iliria's miserable face appeared.

"Well?" Duke Roger demanded, "Have you got him yet?"

"He sort of escaped." Iliria admitted.

"What?" Roger demanded too stunned to scream.

"I used every ounce of my charm." Iliria replied, "But he resisted. I cried, I pleaded - it did absolutely nothing."

"Iliria, what exactly were you doing?" Roger asked between clenched teeth.

"I told him that I loved him, I wanted to run away with him, I'd do anything for him." Iliria sighed, "Oh, Roger, the worst part is, when he left o tried to freeze him - my powers are gone!"

Roger ground his teeth together furiously.

"It was so convincing too!" Iliria continued, oblivious to Roger's anger, "I mean, could a normal man resist someone as beautiful as me crying and begging to marry him?"

"The Gods are on his side. At least one of them is protecting my dear cousin." Roger muttered while Iliria prattled on. A knock on the door startled Roger. Iliria vanished quickly as Sir Darin entered the room.

"Where is she?" Roger demanded, a feeling of foreboding washing over him.

"She - she dropped the necklace, your Grace. I - I almost had her."

"What!" Roger screamed, "What good is almost?"

"Your Grace, I'm sorry." Sir Darin mumbled incoherently.

"Sorry? You dare to say sorry?" Duke Roger slammed his fist into the table. "Get out of my sight, you blithering idiot!"

Sir Darin didn't need to be told twice. He ran out of the room as Roger cursed and threw a crystal across the room.

"Idiots! How could they fail me?" he cried, "I will have to do it all by myself now, to make sure my next plan succeeds. No one escapes Duke Roger of Conte!"
"If Jon doesn't come soon." Alanna whispered to Amalia, "it's been two weeks!"

"I'm sure he's fine. Roger will try to kill you, or their Majesties first." Amalia replied uncertainly. They stood outside the Temple after Sir Myles' funeral.

"All Roger has to do is kill Jon, and then he's heir to the throne. He may not even risk killing Their Majesties." Alanna snapped.

"Maybe he stayed in Port Legann for awhile." Gary suggested.

"Without sending anyone word?" Alanna replied skeptically.

"Why, hello, Lady Alanna, Gary, Amalia." Duke Roger stood next to them, smiling, "How are you?"

"Fine, Your Grace." Alanna gulped. Had he heard them talking?

"And where is Jon?" Roger continued pleasantly.

"Jon is in Port Legann. He should be coming home soon." Gary explained.

"He's still gone? Perhaps we should send out a search party?" Roger's eyes scanned Alanna's face quickly.

"Oh, he decided to stay in Port Legann a few days longer then planned." Alanna lied. She hoped Gary and Amalia didn't look surprised. Duke Roger's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he smiled again.

"Well, I'm sure everything is all right. We just wouldn't want anything to happen to my dear cousin, would we?" His tone of voice and smile sent shivers down Alanna's spine as the Duke moved away.

"He probably can figure out if you were lying." Gary muttered.

"He probably knows exactly where Jon is." Alanna retorted. Gary shrugged, and moved away to talk to Alex.

"Let's find Clara." Amalia said brightly as they reached the palace gardens.

"I need to think." Alanna replied. "I'll stay here."

Amalia frowned, but she left Alanna sitting on a bench in a corner of the garden.

Alanna didn't know how long she had sat there, when she noticed a figure walking up the hills from the stables. A very familiar figure.

"Jon." Alanna whispered. He looked tired and disheveled, but it was her Jon. Alanna's heart soared when she saw him. She realized everyone was right. She did love Jon. It had taken losing him to understand this.

Jumping up, Alanna ran down the hill.

"Jon!" she cried, "we were so worried about you! I thought maybe Roger." she trailed off as she stopped, as few feet away from her prince.

"Oh, I'm fine." Jon replied off-handedly. "Roger did try. He shot my squire with a poison arrow, and then sent Iliria to sweet talk me into running away with her."

"What - what happened?" Alanna whispered.

"Nothing." Jon replied. His face softened. "Alanna.he murmured. Alanna moved into his arms and his lips brushed her cheek. "I love you."

Sapphire met amethyst as Alanna looked up at Jon. She felt her eyes fill up with tears, but she didn't look away.

"I love you too."
The months flew by for Alanna after that. Duke Roger seemed to be lying low, and life in the palace was peaceful. Alanna spent the days with her friends, but most of the time with Jonathan. Whether they were riding, or practicing fencing, or just talking, Alanna began to realize that just because their relationship has changed, their friendship hadn't gone away. it was still there, and even stronger than ever.

In early May, Roger left court for an unknown reason. Soon after that news came from Maren that terrified Alanna. For the past four months Prince Christian had been seriously ill, and now he was dead. King Mikal and King Roald were considering betrothing Jonathan and Iliria, and marrying them as soon as possible. Seeing that a year ago King Roald had mistrusted Iliria, suspecting her of helping to aid Tusaine against them, this reeked of magical influence.

"I can't believe my father's idiot enough to want to force me to marry Iliria." Jon complained sinking down into a chair in Alanna's room one evening. "He used to hate he, and now."

"It may not happen." Alanna replied, sitting across from him on her bed.

"Goddess, aren't you worried?" Jon demanded.

"If this is Roger's plan - and we may just have Roger fixed permanently in our minds - then there isn't much of a chance of you living after the wedding."

"That's not what I meant." Jon snapped, "I don't love Iliria."

"You used to." Alanna replied, knowing she sounded spiteful and jealous.

"And now I don't!" Jon nearly screamed. He lowered his voice, "I love you, Alanna." I wont ever marry Iliria, but I need your help to expose Roger."

"What do you think I've been trying to do for the past year?" Alanna asked irritably. When he only regarded her thoughtfully, she sighed, "Jon, I will expose Roger. I promise."

"I know." Jon smiled, "I know you will."
A/N: Wasn't that sweet? I enjoyed writing all the parts with Roger.and Iliria has to be the most fun character to write. Hit the little button and tell me what you think!