A/N: This is the chapter you've all been waiting for - the last one!
There's an epilogue after it that I will try to write within the next few
days. Just today I decided there would be a bit of a surprise in this (!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Jonathan's twentieth birthday was three days later. The entire castle was abuzz with activity as the preparations began. That evening his betrothal to Iliria would be officially announced, and the day after Iliria would arrive to begin plans for the wedding in December. Gary and Clara had also announced their engagement a few days before, and parties celebrating that and the beginning of wedding plans all kept Alanna very busy. She knew it was essential to search Roger's rooms to find out when he was planning to attack, but she could never find a moment when he was not in their. Everyone was already so busy, and Jon was so angry about his upcoming wedding that Alanna couldn't trust anyone else with this important news.
The day of the long awaited for party, Alanna went in search of Jon. In the main ballroom, she found instead Queen Lianne, who hadn't made a public appearance in months. She was only in her thirties, but she was very pale and frail looking. Even worse, she was glowing a faint orange. Alanna decided that she would have to break into Roger's workshop that night, while he and everyone else was at the party.
The music and noise carried all the way to the Royal quarters, where Roger's room was. Alanna crept into the room, followed by Faithful, and turned a light on with a flick of her hand. Then she walked through his bedroom to the small door covered by a tapestry that led to his workshop. She grabbed the handle, and whispered the counter-spell that she had spent months learning and pushed on the door, shoving her spell into it. With a crack the door swung open, and Alanna stood back, out of breath and dizzy. Her arm hurt from the effort, but she entered the room.
It was elegant and dark, full of books, crystals, potions and other magical devices. Alanna wondered why no one had ever noticed before that Roger kept nothing to do with his profession in any of his other rooms. She had only found the workshop because of Faithful.
The cat brushed his head against Alanna's leg, and looked pointedly at Roger's desk. Alanna picked up a violet crystal lying on the desk. When rubbed it showed Alanna standing in the workshop staring at a crystal. A blue one showed Jon, eating dinner and talking with Duke Gareth. There was one for both the King and Queen too, and Duke Gareth, Gary and a few other important nobles on the shelves around the room. Another shelf held crystals for all of Roger's accomplices. This could be proof of his activities; it wasn't normal to watch the every move of people completely unrelated to you.
Alanna noticed a magical recorder lying on the desk too. It would record the last conversation Roger had had in this room, and probably many more. Alanna switched it on, and listened.
"Roger, I must do something! With this plan I don't even get to marry Jonathan. Why should I even come to Corus if I'm not of any use?" Iliria's voice asked.
"If you don't travel here people will wonder why not. Everything must go as planned. You will be slightly hurt during the fight, and will have to remain her to recover. After I have assumed the role of King, I will ask you to marry me. Surely you don't want to give up your chance to be Queen?" Roger snapped in return.
"Of course not." Iliria laughed, "Won't your lovely little brat be jealous when she finds out that she wont be your heir anymore?"
The conversation ended here. Who could the 'lovely little brat' be? Who could be Roger's heir, legally, besides herself or Amalia? And if Iliria played no part in Roger's final plans, then who was the 'She' mentioned in Alex's letters?
Alanna listened to the next conversation, wondering why Roger had been careless enough to record these conversations.
"So you're ready? There's nothing you haven't planned for? I'm relying heavily on you, my dear." Roger asked.
"Everything is ready." A familiar female voice replied, "I am prepared. Alex is prepared. What will you do during this time?"
"What I am expected to do - attend the party in honor of my dear cousin's birthday. Once Alex's men have attacked, mine will rescue the nobles. Once your work is complete, I will stop the magic. Not, of course, until the King and his wife and son are dead." Roger replied.
"And you will appear to be a hero. Wonderfully planned." The lady sounded as if she was smiling, "I await your command to begin."
It stopped, leaving Alanna dumbfounded. Iliria wasn't the mysterious 'She' that would place a spell over the palace while Alex's army attacked.
Amalia was.
And it was going to happen tonight.
Alanna took the recorder and ran out if the room. Just these two conversations were enough to convince the King of Roger's guilt, as well as Amalia's and Iliria's. The previous conversations probably had even more proof and Alanna had Alex's papers with her. She rushed down the halls, thinking furiously. If only she knew when Roger planned to attack. And she couldn't bring herself to believe that Amalia was really part of this plot. Alanna had trusted her, and all the time she had been telling Roger it all. There was a slight chance that Amalia was under his control, but her voice on the recorder sounded very sure of itself, not being forced to speak.
Arriving in the hall out of breath and flustered, Alanna immediately caught the attention of Jonathan. Excusing himself from the person he was talking to, he rushed over the where Alanna stood.
"Where have you been?" he demanded, "I've been looking for you all night! And what's this stuff?"
"This is proof of Rogers' traitorous plans." Alanna replied breathlessly, "and of Iliria, Alex and Amalia's involvement."
"Alex?" Jon asked, shocked, "Amalia?"
Alanna nodded, "There isn't time for me to explain, but Roger planned to attack - tonight. I have to talk to your father."
Jon nodded and led her to the High Table where the King, Queen and other high-ranking nobles sat. A few seats away from the King sat Roger, conversing cheerfully with the Maren Ambassador.
"Your Majesty." Alanna said loudly. King Roald turned to her and nodded, puzzlement in his eyes. Every eye on the High table was on her now, and Alanna took a deep breath before continuing,
"Your Majesty, a few days ago, and then again tonight I entered someone's room and took things with me when I left. This was wrong, but I now have the proof to show you that there is a traitor in this room, who has been plotting not only your death, but the death of Queen Lianne and Prince Jonathan, and has plans to attack the palace tonight."
The room went completely silent and everyone stared at Alanna.
"This traitor created the sweating fever, that almost killed the queen and prince. There have also been several attempts on my life, and the lives of my friends who are also a threat to his plans. This man, with the help of Princess Iliria, helped to start the war with Tusaine. He is also responsible for Sir Myles' death. And here I have crystals that this man used to watch every movement of the people who opposed him, and evidence of his plans in his correspondence with one of his accomplices, and in this magically recorded record of many of his conversations with his assistants."
Alanna showed the crystals to the King. The Queen gasped, falling back against her chair when she saw the image of herself, and her husband and son.
No one spoke, and then Roald finally asked,
"Who is this man you are calling a traitor?"
"Should I tell them, Your Grace?" Alanna turned to Roger, who was gripping the arms of his chair, his face deathly pale and his eyes wide with horror, "Or would you like to?"
"How dare you accuse me?" Roger cried, "Your Majesty, every word Lady Alanna has said is false. The crystals and other evidence are of her own making, to discredit me."
"What would she gain by your death?" Roald asked, his voice quiet.
"She thinks she would inherit -." Roger stopped, realizing what he had been about to say.
"So you are going to admit to the truth you have hidden for seventeen years?" Alanna smiled and turned to the King. "Majesty, Duke Roger was about to admit that he is my father."
She paused to let this sink in, as the courtiers whispered among themselves.
"What's more," she continued before Roger could interrupt, "He married my mother after convincing her to run away with him, and then left her. I am legally his heir, but that is not why I am telling you of his traitorous activities."
"It is a lie, Your Majesty!" Roger cried, "Why should I wish to seduce Lady Marcella? Surely if I wished to marry her I could have done so at court?"
"Also, the Duke's sister, Lydia, died giving birth to a daughter. According to him, that child I still alive, but in reality she died too, and he replaced her with a child of his own. Amalia is the daughter of Chloe of Vaughn, Duke Roger's mistress."
"They keep getting more and more outlandish!" Roger cried, "You are the traitor and liar here, and I will destroy you and your crazy lies!"
The furious Duke advanced on Alanna, his sword out. Alanna called up her sword with a word of magic. If he wished to fight, she would. She wished she wasn't still in her dress for the party.
"Halt!" King Roald called, "Roger, put your sword away. I cannot allow you to fight a lady. You deny her charges?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Roger bowed and lowered his sword.
"Let me see the recorder." Roald took it from Alanna and switched it on. Immediately Roger's conversation with Iliria drifted out of the little box, filling the silent hall. His conversation with Amalia followed, as well as a few previous ones with Alex and minor court officials. Roald turned it off, his eyes furious as he turned to stare at Roger.
"Roger, I cannot see how even you could explain this away. I am forced to believe Lady Alanna's charges against you -."
"No!" Roger interrupted, "She is a sorcerer as good as I. She could have created such a recording using magic to change her voice into other people's voices. I have nothing to do with this."
"I am shocked that you would do this, Roger. You and so many other nobles I thought were loyal to me. Even the Marens seem incriminated." Roald sighed, "you are found guilty of treason, and -."
"You can't touch him!" Someone called from up above the hall, "For as you speak I am setting the net that will begin the plans for tonight, that will place the rightful King on the throne."
Amalia stood at one of the balconies, staring down. Roger turned around and swore. Amalia smiled to him,
"Father, I won't let her ruin our plans. Your lawful heir." Amalia spat in Alanna's direction, "You never loved her like you loved me. I'm better than her. She can die tonight too!" her voice rose, and she lifted her arms to place the spell. Roger lifted his hand too, and threw a bolt of orange light at Amalia. Amalia didn't even have time to cry out before she crumpled into a heap.
"She must be insane." Roger cried, "There is your real traitor. Her and Lady Alanna have been working together."
"You killed her!" Alanna cried, "You killed her to make her be quiet."
"If she was insane, you caused it, no doubt." Roald's voice was quiet but commanding. "Guards take this man at once!"
"Never!" Roger threw a spell at the advancing guards causing them and all the people around the room to freeze, "I won't be beaten by my own child! You, my dear, will pay."
Everyone watched, unable to move or talk, as Roger brandished his sword. Alanna brought up hers, and closed her eyes, whispering a spell. Instantly her clothes changed into a plain shirt and breeches. She stepped back, wishing there was a way to stop Roger's freezing spell and knowing she only had herself.
"The combat may begin." Roger hissed, an evil laugh in his voice.
Alanna brought up her sword, looking into Roger's hard blue eyes. They were laughing at her, telling her to give up. But Alanna knew he was probably a little nervous too. She had proved herself before - why not now?
Roger lunged, not intending to strike, and Alanna blocked him expertly.
"Give up, Lady Alanna," Roger hissed, "While you're still alive."
"Did you mean to kill Amalia eventually, Father?" Alanna asked, hoping to surprise him, "and marry Iliria?"
"Of course." Roger smiled, "Iliria would have given me many more political advantages, and provided better heirs than my illegitimate daughter." He lunged again, and Alanna dodged it again. Roger attacked quickly and violently, hoping to tire her out. Alanna ducked a high blow and swung her own sword around, almost cutting Roger's neck. He moved his head in time and the sword swished through the air. Roger laughed and Alanna took the chance to attack again. This time she cut his left cheek, from forehead to chin. Roger cried, whether in shock or in pain Alanna didn't know.
Alanna could feel the sweat dripping down her face. Roger didn't look tired at all, despite the thin line of blood on his cheek. Roger attacked again, coming body-to-body with Alanna and forcing her onto her knees, his sword at her throat.
"Goodbye, my dear." He smiled. As the sword began to pierce her neck, Alanna touched the tip with her fingers, whispering a spell. Violet magic flowed through the sword, and Roger drew back with a scream. Alanna jumped up and thrust her sword at him, cutting deep into his arm.
She had drawn blood twice. In a normal duel, she would have won, but this was a duel to the death, with no rules.
Roger changed his sword hand, his smile barely flickering. He swung and cut her arm too, before she could move out of the way, and the thrust his sword towards her stomach. Alanna moved out of the way just in time. She was tired now, and the wound in her arm was deep. She swung her sword wilding, but the Duke cried out, and she felt her body go on fire. Orange light blazed around her, as Roger's laugh echoed around the room. Cursing the fear that kept her from remembering the reverse spell, Alanna flung her body onto the ground, just missing Roger's sword.
Alanna screamed at his sword swooped down again. Closing her eyes, she whispered the first spell that came to her head. The fire still surrounding her body turned violet and ran from her body to Roger's. Roger was quicker than she and made an amazingly fast recovery, but Alanna had already gotten to her feet, and scraped his chest with her sword.
Roger fell to his knees. Slowly a bubble of orange formed around him, and he floated upwards, towards the King and Queen. If he touched them, they would die. Alanna jumped, cutting the bubble open. Roger fell down, and Alanna thrust her sword into the small cut already there. The Duke stared up at her as he swayed and fell onto his back.
Alanna dropped her sword, and pulled her mother's ring off of her hand. Slowly, she knelt down and held it in front of Roger's eyes.
"My mother's wedding ring." she whispered, "The ring that ruined her life."
Roger's eyes flickered, and then closed. Alanna stood up. Roger was dead. She had killed her father and her enemy. She had fulfilled her mother's dying wish. She had saved Tortall from the reign of a tyrannical sorcerer.
Around the room, the courtiers began to regain the ability to move and talk. They stared with some fear at the girl in white with blood dripping down her arm. Someone had killed the most powerful sorcerer in the Kingdom, and the King's nephew.
And that was someone was Alanna.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Jonathan's twentieth birthday was three days later. The entire castle was abuzz with activity as the preparations began. That evening his betrothal to Iliria would be officially announced, and the day after Iliria would arrive to begin plans for the wedding in December. Gary and Clara had also announced their engagement a few days before, and parties celebrating that and the beginning of wedding plans all kept Alanna very busy. She knew it was essential to search Roger's rooms to find out when he was planning to attack, but she could never find a moment when he was not in their. Everyone was already so busy, and Jon was so angry about his upcoming wedding that Alanna couldn't trust anyone else with this important news.
The day of the long awaited for party, Alanna went in search of Jon. In the main ballroom, she found instead Queen Lianne, who hadn't made a public appearance in months. She was only in her thirties, but she was very pale and frail looking. Even worse, she was glowing a faint orange. Alanna decided that she would have to break into Roger's workshop that night, while he and everyone else was at the party.
The music and noise carried all the way to the Royal quarters, where Roger's room was. Alanna crept into the room, followed by Faithful, and turned a light on with a flick of her hand. Then she walked through his bedroom to the small door covered by a tapestry that led to his workshop. She grabbed the handle, and whispered the counter-spell that she had spent months learning and pushed on the door, shoving her spell into it. With a crack the door swung open, and Alanna stood back, out of breath and dizzy. Her arm hurt from the effort, but she entered the room.
It was elegant and dark, full of books, crystals, potions and other magical devices. Alanna wondered why no one had ever noticed before that Roger kept nothing to do with his profession in any of his other rooms. She had only found the workshop because of Faithful.
The cat brushed his head against Alanna's leg, and looked pointedly at Roger's desk. Alanna picked up a violet crystal lying on the desk. When rubbed it showed Alanna standing in the workshop staring at a crystal. A blue one showed Jon, eating dinner and talking with Duke Gareth. There was one for both the King and Queen too, and Duke Gareth, Gary and a few other important nobles on the shelves around the room. Another shelf held crystals for all of Roger's accomplices. This could be proof of his activities; it wasn't normal to watch the every move of people completely unrelated to you.
Alanna noticed a magical recorder lying on the desk too. It would record the last conversation Roger had had in this room, and probably many more. Alanna switched it on, and listened.
"Roger, I must do something! With this plan I don't even get to marry Jonathan. Why should I even come to Corus if I'm not of any use?" Iliria's voice asked.
"If you don't travel here people will wonder why not. Everything must go as planned. You will be slightly hurt during the fight, and will have to remain her to recover. After I have assumed the role of King, I will ask you to marry me. Surely you don't want to give up your chance to be Queen?" Roger snapped in return.
"Of course not." Iliria laughed, "Won't your lovely little brat be jealous when she finds out that she wont be your heir anymore?"
The conversation ended here. Who could the 'lovely little brat' be? Who could be Roger's heir, legally, besides herself or Amalia? And if Iliria played no part in Roger's final plans, then who was the 'She' mentioned in Alex's letters?
Alanna listened to the next conversation, wondering why Roger had been careless enough to record these conversations.
"So you're ready? There's nothing you haven't planned for? I'm relying heavily on you, my dear." Roger asked.
"Everything is ready." A familiar female voice replied, "I am prepared. Alex is prepared. What will you do during this time?"
"What I am expected to do - attend the party in honor of my dear cousin's birthday. Once Alex's men have attacked, mine will rescue the nobles. Once your work is complete, I will stop the magic. Not, of course, until the King and his wife and son are dead." Roger replied.
"And you will appear to be a hero. Wonderfully planned." The lady sounded as if she was smiling, "I await your command to begin."
It stopped, leaving Alanna dumbfounded. Iliria wasn't the mysterious 'She' that would place a spell over the palace while Alex's army attacked.
Amalia was.
And it was going to happen tonight.
Alanna took the recorder and ran out if the room. Just these two conversations were enough to convince the King of Roger's guilt, as well as Amalia's and Iliria's. The previous conversations probably had even more proof and Alanna had Alex's papers with her. She rushed down the halls, thinking furiously. If only she knew when Roger planned to attack. And she couldn't bring herself to believe that Amalia was really part of this plot. Alanna had trusted her, and all the time she had been telling Roger it all. There was a slight chance that Amalia was under his control, but her voice on the recorder sounded very sure of itself, not being forced to speak.
Arriving in the hall out of breath and flustered, Alanna immediately caught the attention of Jonathan. Excusing himself from the person he was talking to, he rushed over the where Alanna stood.
"Where have you been?" he demanded, "I've been looking for you all night! And what's this stuff?"
"This is proof of Rogers' traitorous plans." Alanna replied breathlessly, "and of Iliria, Alex and Amalia's involvement."
"Alex?" Jon asked, shocked, "Amalia?"
Alanna nodded, "There isn't time for me to explain, but Roger planned to attack - tonight. I have to talk to your father."
Jon nodded and led her to the High Table where the King, Queen and other high-ranking nobles sat. A few seats away from the King sat Roger, conversing cheerfully with the Maren Ambassador.
"Your Majesty." Alanna said loudly. King Roald turned to her and nodded, puzzlement in his eyes. Every eye on the High table was on her now, and Alanna took a deep breath before continuing,
"Your Majesty, a few days ago, and then again tonight I entered someone's room and took things with me when I left. This was wrong, but I now have the proof to show you that there is a traitor in this room, who has been plotting not only your death, but the death of Queen Lianne and Prince Jonathan, and has plans to attack the palace tonight."
The room went completely silent and everyone stared at Alanna.
"This traitor created the sweating fever, that almost killed the queen and prince. There have also been several attempts on my life, and the lives of my friends who are also a threat to his plans. This man, with the help of Princess Iliria, helped to start the war with Tusaine. He is also responsible for Sir Myles' death. And here I have crystals that this man used to watch every movement of the people who opposed him, and evidence of his plans in his correspondence with one of his accomplices, and in this magically recorded record of many of his conversations with his assistants."
Alanna showed the crystals to the King. The Queen gasped, falling back against her chair when she saw the image of herself, and her husband and son.
No one spoke, and then Roald finally asked,
"Who is this man you are calling a traitor?"
"Should I tell them, Your Grace?" Alanna turned to Roger, who was gripping the arms of his chair, his face deathly pale and his eyes wide with horror, "Or would you like to?"
"How dare you accuse me?" Roger cried, "Your Majesty, every word Lady Alanna has said is false. The crystals and other evidence are of her own making, to discredit me."
"What would she gain by your death?" Roald asked, his voice quiet.
"She thinks she would inherit -." Roger stopped, realizing what he had been about to say.
"So you are going to admit to the truth you have hidden for seventeen years?" Alanna smiled and turned to the King. "Majesty, Duke Roger was about to admit that he is my father."
She paused to let this sink in, as the courtiers whispered among themselves.
"What's more," she continued before Roger could interrupt, "He married my mother after convincing her to run away with him, and then left her. I am legally his heir, but that is not why I am telling you of his traitorous activities."
"It is a lie, Your Majesty!" Roger cried, "Why should I wish to seduce Lady Marcella? Surely if I wished to marry her I could have done so at court?"
"Also, the Duke's sister, Lydia, died giving birth to a daughter. According to him, that child I still alive, but in reality she died too, and he replaced her with a child of his own. Amalia is the daughter of Chloe of Vaughn, Duke Roger's mistress."
"They keep getting more and more outlandish!" Roger cried, "You are the traitor and liar here, and I will destroy you and your crazy lies!"
The furious Duke advanced on Alanna, his sword out. Alanna called up her sword with a word of magic. If he wished to fight, she would. She wished she wasn't still in her dress for the party.
"Halt!" King Roald called, "Roger, put your sword away. I cannot allow you to fight a lady. You deny her charges?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Roger bowed and lowered his sword.
"Let me see the recorder." Roald took it from Alanna and switched it on. Immediately Roger's conversation with Iliria drifted out of the little box, filling the silent hall. His conversation with Amalia followed, as well as a few previous ones with Alex and minor court officials. Roald turned it off, his eyes furious as he turned to stare at Roger.
"Roger, I cannot see how even you could explain this away. I am forced to believe Lady Alanna's charges against you -."
"No!" Roger interrupted, "She is a sorcerer as good as I. She could have created such a recording using magic to change her voice into other people's voices. I have nothing to do with this."
"I am shocked that you would do this, Roger. You and so many other nobles I thought were loyal to me. Even the Marens seem incriminated." Roald sighed, "you are found guilty of treason, and -."
"You can't touch him!" Someone called from up above the hall, "For as you speak I am setting the net that will begin the plans for tonight, that will place the rightful King on the throne."
Amalia stood at one of the balconies, staring down. Roger turned around and swore. Amalia smiled to him,
"Father, I won't let her ruin our plans. Your lawful heir." Amalia spat in Alanna's direction, "You never loved her like you loved me. I'm better than her. She can die tonight too!" her voice rose, and she lifted her arms to place the spell. Roger lifted his hand too, and threw a bolt of orange light at Amalia. Amalia didn't even have time to cry out before she crumpled into a heap.
"She must be insane." Roger cried, "There is your real traitor. Her and Lady Alanna have been working together."
"You killed her!" Alanna cried, "You killed her to make her be quiet."
"If she was insane, you caused it, no doubt." Roald's voice was quiet but commanding. "Guards take this man at once!"
"Never!" Roger threw a spell at the advancing guards causing them and all the people around the room to freeze, "I won't be beaten by my own child! You, my dear, will pay."
Everyone watched, unable to move or talk, as Roger brandished his sword. Alanna brought up hers, and closed her eyes, whispering a spell. Instantly her clothes changed into a plain shirt and breeches. She stepped back, wishing there was a way to stop Roger's freezing spell and knowing she only had herself.
"The combat may begin." Roger hissed, an evil laugh in his voice.
Alanna brought up her sword, looking into Roger's hard blue eyes. They were laughing at her, telling her to give up. But Alanna knew he was probably a little nervous too. She had proved herself before - why not now?
Roger lunged, not intending to strike, and Alanna blocked him expertly.
"Give up, Lady Alanna," Roger hissed, "While you're still alive."
"Did you mean to kill Amalia eventually, Father?" Alanna asked, hoping to surprise him, "and marry Iliria?"
"Of course." Roger smiled, "Iliria would have given me many more political advantages, and provided better heirs than my illegitimate daughter." He lunged again, and Alanna dodged it again. Roger attacked quickly and violently, hoping to tire her out. Alanna ducked a high blow and swung her own sword around, almost cutting Roger's neck. He moved his head in time and the sword swished through the air. Roger laughed and Alanna took the chance to attack again. This time she cut his left cheek, from forehead to chin. Roger cried, whether in shock or in pain Alanna didn't know.
Alanna could feel the sweat dripping down her face. Roger didn't look tired at all, despite the thin line of blood on his cheek. Roger attacked again, coming body-to-body with Alanna and forcing her onto her knees, his sword at her throat.
"Goodbye, my dear." He smiled. As the sword began to pierce her neck, Alanna touched the tip with her fingers, whispering a spell. Violet magic flowed through the sword, and Roger drew back with a scream. Alanna jumped up and thrust her sword at him, cutting deep into his arm.
She had drawn blood twice. In a normal duel, she would have won, but this was a duel to the death, with no rules.
Roger changed his sword hand, his smile barely flickering. He swung and cut her arm too, before she could move out of the way, and the thrust his sword towards her stomach. Alanna moved out of the way just in time. She was tired now, and the wound in her arm was deep. She swung her sword wilding, but the Duke cried out, and she felt her body go on fire. Orange light blazed around her, as Roger's laugh echoed around the room. Cursing the fear that kept her from remembering the reverse spell, Alanna flung her body onto the ground, just missing Roger's sword.
Alanna screamed at his sword swooped down again. Closing her eyes, she whispered the first spell that came to her head. The fire still surrounding her body turned violet and ran from her body to Roger's. Roger was quicker than she and made an amazingly fast recovery, but Alanna had already gotten to her feet, and scraped his chest with her sword.
Roger fell to his knees. Slowly a bubble of orange formed around him, and he floated upwards, towards the King and Queen. If he touched them, they would die. Alanna jumped, cutting the bubble open. Roger fell down, and Alanna thrust her sword into the small cut already there. The Duke stared up at her as he swayed and fell onto his back.
Alanna dropped her sword, and pulled her mother's ring off of her hand. Slowly, she knelt down and held it in front of Roger's eyes.
"My mother's wedding ring." she whispered, "The ring that ruined her life."
Roger's eyes flickered, and then closed. Alanna stood up. Roger was dead. She had killed her father and her enemy. She had fulfilled her mother's dying wish. She had saved Tortall from the reign of a tyrannical sorcerer.
Around the room, the courtiers began to regain the ability to move and talk. They stared with some fear at the girl in white with blood dripping down her arm. Someone had killed the most powerful sorcerer in the Kingdom, and the King's nephew.
And that was someone was Alanna.