Hello! Ready for the second chapter? I hope the first was grand enough to please you hungry readers out there. but for me feeding you the payment is review, don't rip me off! *Hey, I just want to check this and see if it works. iis this italic?/i because my normal italic thing doesn't work so if I have to use the HTML thing it's going to be annoying. but I'd rather have italics than none. (I won't use HTML till I check it works, so no Italics till next chapter! {Although I do put them in!})

~ Chapter Two ~ Life as a Lady

A large, noisy bell woke Alanna up early the next morning. She sniffed, rubbed her messed up bed hair and kicked her sheets off to reveal a very drowsy young lady in a man's large nightshirt.

Alanna rolled off the bed and fell onto her hands and knees with a thump. She let out a large and very un-lady like yawn. Her stomach growled and Alanna realised she was hungry, which was unusual, as she rarely ate breakfast.

She got up, screwed up her face, let out another gigantic yawn and went to get some fruit from her food basket that she kept in her room.

After Alanna had satisfied her hunger, she got dressed in a plain, simple, camel-coloured dress.

"Alanna!" Daniella exclaimed, entering her room. "What are you wearing? It's awful! Here, let me pick something out."

Alanna screwed up her face. "I'd be wearing breeches if the Priestesses hadn't gone through my bags and cleaned them out. They burnt all of them, including my best pair, made from the finest material!"

Daniella shook her head. "Why didn't you put them in the under part of your bag?" "I did," Alanna said. "One of the Priestesses was onto it. I spent forever saving up for that pair!" Alanna growled angrily.

"Well what's done is done, and if you ask me, it's a sign from the Gods."

Alanna looked at her objectively. "A sign from the Gods?"

"Yes," said Daniella a-matter-of-fact-ly. "That you weren't meant to wear those breeches, you have to learn to live life as a lady."

Alanna snorted and Daniella glared at her. "That's your sensible side talking," Alanna told her stubbornly. "You know I never listen to sensible talk."

Daniella shook her head with a sigh. "Alanna, you need to realise that you can never learn to fight now, for one thing, you're too old to begin, and another, you're a girl. I know that means nothing to you, but to other people it means everything. You need to accept that being a lady is what you are going to become, eventually, anyway. Instead of always complaining, why don't you try and do something with your life."

Alanna pulled a face and looked away. "Do what?" she asked, her voice wobbly. "Marry some dimwit that owns some, fief, marry him, hm? And have dimwitted children, just like their father? No thankyou! I have bigger plans for my life. I'm not just some noble girl that marries whom her father tells her to marry. I think not. My life will have bigger excitement, thankyou."

Alanna stormed towards her door. Daniella pulled her back gently. Daniella saw that Alanna had tears in her eyes.

"Alanna, I'm sorry," Daniella said. "It's just the Priestesses told me to make a lady of you, and, I know you really don't want to go back to the Convent."

Alanna looked at her sharply, and Daniella confessed, "I know about your little "deal" with Priestess Lalia, Alanna. I know writing isn't all that bad, but wouldn't it break your heart to see young girls so like yourself come in, especially if they were full of so much life and energy, like you? Wouldn't it tear you in two to see them have to go through the same thing you went through? Eventually giving up on their dream, and I know you did, Alanna. You still fantasise about it sometimes, but in your heart you know it can't come true." Daniella looked at Alanna and lifted her chin up to stare into her purple eyes. "Wouldn't it be too much?"

"At least I'd make it easier for them," Alanna told her. "I wouldn't be like those other snotty Priestesses at the Convent, and make it difficult. I'd be their friend." Daniella smiled at Alanna contentedly. The girl gave one hope.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alanna stepped out into the hall with a simple violet day-gown on, that Daniella had prepared. Daniella stepped out behind her, in a slightly stronger light blue gown, which accentuated her strong blue eyes. Alanna looked at Daniella, slightly jealous. Daniella's soft brown curls made Alanna's ok shoulder-length copper hair seem awful. Also Daniella's skin, which was just the right shade, made Alanna look even paler.

Daniella smiled at Alanna and all Alanna's wistful hopes disappeared. She was lucky to have Daniella as a friend.

"Alanna!" Alanna swirled to see Thom running towards her.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling.

"Come on!" he cried. "I think you'll want to see this!"

Alanna grabbed Daniella and Thom pulled the two to wherever he was going. Thom was running at top speed, and Alanna wondered what was so important that she needed to see so hurriedly.

"Look!" Thom pointed. They had arrived at one of the practice courts, and two people -from the looks of it Jonathan and Gary - were sword fighting. Instantly tranced, Alanna made her way through the crowd to the front. Gary and Jon moved over her way, the crowd shifted back, but Alanna stood grounded. She stared at their swords, clang! Clash! They noise they made was quite deafening. Jon made a beautiful butterfly sweep, and Gary's sword flew from his hands, and landed a metre from Alanna's feet.

The crowd cheered and Jon grinned and helped his cousin up. Alanna stared at the sword lying at her feet, and then picked it up. Thom shook her shoulder, "What are you doing?" he whispered madly to her.

"I'm giving his sword back," she replied casually, walking forward.

Gary turned to look at her. Alanna clumsily (yet steadily) curtsied, and offered his sword to him. "Better luck next time," she said. She waited for Gary to take his sword.

Gary just stared at her. He finally took his sword and mumbled, "Thanks." Alanna smiled, eyebrows raised. "You're - welcome," she replied.

Alanna walked away towards Thom. "What's up with him?" she asked him.

"You're a woman," Thom said. He flinched when she looked at him, daggers in her eyes. "It's not your fault, I know, but you're not meant to handle a sword!"

Alanna snorted. "Who says? Some conservatives who can only count numbers and complain?"

Thom shook his head. "You know what you are Alanna?" he asked her. "You're a rebel."

Alanna grinned. "And proud of it," she answered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was almost time for dinner, and Alanna was starved. She decided to take her mind off her hunger by going to the library and seeing if there were any books on fencing or sword fighting. Alanna knew how to ride (side- saddle as well as normally) and she knew archery, both a ladies' long bow and also men's' short bow, but the thing she was ignorant in was fencing.

Alanna opened the strong wood door of the library and stepped in quietly. There were not that many people there, as it was almost dinner, but there were a few groups of pages and squires, obviously with homework to do. They didn't even lift their heads when Alanna entered.

Alanna walked through the aisles of books, gazing at them all wondrously. She pulled a few down from the shelves, and decided to take with her four, A Fool's Guide to Fencing, The Swords of Gods', Different Moves and How to Master them, and The Greatest Sword Fights Ever.

As Alanna was walking to the front desk to check out her books, she heard some men talking in a quiet corner of the library. Alanna strained to listen to what they were saying. ". said she was different, but this is ridiculous!"

"Give it a rest." Alanna frowned. That voice was familiar.

"I told you so." Alanna was surprised. That voice was really familiar - it was Thom's!

"I can't believe she touched my sword." That had to be Gary. "She's very brave."

"She's very stupid," retorted Thom.

"She's cute." Laughs. Alanna struggled with her mind. Who was it?

"She's not stupid," (Gary), "I just didn't know a woman could grip like that! She held it so firmly in her hand, she's a natural!"

"Can a woman be a natural with the sword?" It suddenly clicked in Alanna's mind.

"If it's my sister," (Thom), "she can be anything."

A laugh - "I guess you're right Thom." It was Jon.

Now why would Jon be talking about her? It really was none of his business what she did! And to think Thom was in on it all as well!

Alanna's head filled with anger and her fiery temper grew. How dare they! They had no right to discuss her behind her back! Gripping her books tightly, Alanna strolled out from behind the shelf that hid her.

"Thom!" she exclaimed through her teeth. What little quiet chatter there was stopped immediately. She observed the group. It was only a few men; the Prince, Thom, Gary, Alex, and a tall, muscular youth Alanna did not know.

"Thom, I've been looking fro you everywhere! Come with me!" She dragged Thom from his seat and out of the library. She stopped a few metres away from the library. And held Thom still.

"How dare you talk about me with your silly little friends!" She cried. "I'm not an object to be discussed!"

Thom stared at her. "You heard?"

Alanna rolled her eyes impatiently. "Of course I bloody heard," she said, obviously. "And you need not have discussed me in that manner!"

Thom gaped. "But."

"No buts, Thom! I'm not accepting any excuse!"

"Alanna -"

"I'm not some thing you can comment on!"

"We were only -"

"Enough, Thom! Just because I gripped a sword does not make me strange. You do it every day, and don't you dare say it's because you're a boy, because I could whip you any day." She grinned slyly. "I knew a knight at the Convent," she told him. "He gave me lessons."

Thom frowned. "Lessons? What was his name?"

Alanna flicked her hair prissily. "That's for me to know and you to not find out," she said, walking off.

Jon, Gary, Alex and the tall man exited the library. Jon walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder, with a grin on his face.

"I hate to say it, Thom, but you got told," he said, laughing.

Thom shook his head. He would never understand his sister.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alanna sat, pouting, on her bed, staring at Daniella as she gave a lady- speech. Daniella was pacing, and her face was crimson.

"Alanna, one of the first lessons you are supposed to learn is to behave like you are supposed to behave!" She cried out, exasperated.

Alanna pulled a face and turned away. Daniella eyed her, thinking. "Alanna, get up and walk to that table by the window."

Alanna got up and walked to the table. She looked at Daniella and raised her eyebrows. "What?" she asked.

Daniella shook her head. "Your stance is all wrong," she told her. "You do it like this." Daniella walked over to Alanna, walking perfectly straight. "And you need to put one leg after the other." She showed Alanna again. "Now you," she said.

Alanna rolled her eyes and tried to correct her walk, failing utterly and completely. Daniella sighed.

"Alanna, you really need to try," Daniella said.

"I am," Alanna snapped.

Daniella shook her head. "You know what your problem is, Alanna? You don't follow the rules. You have to accept that if you are a noble lady, you don't touch weaponry. If you are a noble lady, you don't snap or talk back. If you are a lady, you don't eavesdrop. If you are a lady, you must act like one. That's just the life of a noble lady."

Alanna flopped onto the bed, and said crudely, "Well I hate life as a lady."