~ Chapter Fifteen ~ The Aftermath/Resolutions

A cold laugh made Alanna's hair stand up on the back of her neck. A tattered Duke stood there. His mahogany robes were in pieces, a long cut bled freely at his right cheek. He lifted a bruised, bloody hand.

"Think I'm that easy to get rid of?" he snarled.

The three men were thrown to the side by Roger's magic. Roger stepped towards on Alanna, his eyes wild. "Now you will pay," he sneered.

A bright ball of orange fire developed in Roger's hand. He threw it at Alanna.

"No!"

Thom ran in front of Alanna, and threw a shield up. Roger's magic evaporated. "Why you..." Roger began.

Thom started throwing purple flames at Roger. Roger put up his own defensive wall.

A fiery battle started. Jon joined the fight; Raoul stayed with Alanna. She fought him, wanting to help the two people she loved dearly, but Raoul forced her to stay put. Inside she knew he was right, she was worn thin.

Orange, purple and blue filled the room. Suddenly Roger's flame vanished. One of Thom's fireballs had slipped through his defensive wall and hit him in the chest. Jon faltered - all the toils of the day had finally caught up with him.

Thom turned to help him. Taking the opportunity, Roger through one last fireball straight at Alanna with a strangled cry.

"Alanna!" Jon yelled.

Raoul tried to pull her out of the way, but it was too late. The fireball was heading straight for Alanna. Her weak ankle refused to support her weight.

Alanna covered her face with her arm. This was it. she thought. The Goddess can't bring me back twice.

Orange filled her face, and then everything went black. Alanna snapped her eyes open. Thom lay there in front of her.

Tears ran down her eyes. "Thom!" she cried. Alanna forced herself up to face Roger, who was still standing there in his tattered robes, laughing.

"Your stupid brother," he said. "Oh don't worry, dearest Alanna. You'll be joining him soon, followed closely by your beloved Prince and his vassal."

Alanna's violet eyes flashed dangerously. "You bastard," she growled. "You sick, sick bastard."

She gathered all her energy, and formed a huge violet ball in front of her head. Jon and Raoul stepped back, awed and frightened.

Alanna took a step forward. "You will pay for all you have done," she said in a whisper, but everyone heard her.

Alanna flung her magic at Roger with a battle cry. Roger instinctively threw up a shield. Alanna's magic slowly pressed through it, until his shield burst.

Purple flames devoured the Conte Duke, and he was finally gone forever.

Alanna ran to Thom, determined to save him, no matter what the cost.

Thom was a deathly pale. His eyes flickered. "D - don't," he croaked. "It's my time." He smiled weakly at her. "I saw the Goddess. She is beautiful."

Tears ran down Alanna's face. "I'm saving you," she said determinedly.

"I'm... finally... at... peace," Thom croaked. "I... love. you..."

Alanna shut her eyes, sobbing. She lay her head down on her brother's chest. He was gone.

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

It was a sad time for Alanna. She stayed in her chambers mostly, resting and mourning for Thom. A week later, she finally emerged, as the King and Queen had requested her presence.

Wearing a dark violet dress, Alanna hurriedly made her way to see their Majesties. She finally arrived, a little short of breath. She was introduced, and she curtsied.

"Your Majesties," she mumbled, eyes on the floor.

"Lady Alanna." King Roald's voice was gentle. "May my wife and I express out sympathy for you on the passing on your twin."

Alanna nodded, trying not to cry. "Thankyou," she whispered. "You are very kind."

"In two days time we will be holding a Celebration Day," Roald explained. "A feast, and then a ball. We would be so pleased if you would be to attend. Many nobles from all around are coming to celebrate, and we would like to present you formally with a Royal Appreciation Cross."

Alanna looked up, startled. A Royal Appreciation Cross was a high honour!

"Oh, no, I couldn't," she said. "Thankyou, but no."

"But we insist!" Queen Lianne said. "You did a great thing, Lady Alanna. You saved our son, Tortall, and us. It would be an honour to present you with such an award." Lianne smiled at her. She didn't seem to dislike Alanna that much anymore.

Alanna smiled. "Thankyou," she said. "Oh - and, Queen Lianne?"

The Queen smiled. "Yes?" she asked.

"Could you tell me where Lady Delia's chambers are?"

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

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"What?"

Delia yanked her door open. There stood Alanna, in mourning colours.

"What do you want?" Delia snapped.

"May I come in?" asked Alanna. She noticed that Delia's eyes were red, and there were tearstains down her cheeks and on her clothes.

Delia looked at her suspiciously. "Whatever," she said, stepping aside. "It doesn't matter anymore anyway."

Alanna stepped in, and Delia closed the door. She returned to her bed, where all Delia's pretty dresses were folded up. Delia returned to placing the garments into travel bags.

"Are you leaving court?" asked Alanna.

"What does it look like?" snapped Delia.

Alanna sat down on a chair. "Delia," Alanna began. "What were you telling the Queen?"

Delia eyed her doubtfully. "What makes you think I told her anything?"

"Oh come on," Alanna said. "Cut the crap. I know that you were getting on good terms with her. And then there was the way that Lianne would look down at me so, and I saw you chatting with her constantly." Alanna glared at the pretty chestnut-topped girl. "And Jon told me his mother disapproved of me, because of something she'd heard from you. Since you're leaving, just tell me - what was your game, anyway?"

Delia turned and sat onto her bed, hands crossed in her lap. "I said that you'd been naughty at the Convent, and you were very unconventional. That you were trained with a sword, and that you wore breeches and the like." Very quietly she added, "I was just trying to get back at you."

Alanna frowned. "Get back at me for what?"

Delia glared. "You know perfectly well for what!" she cried. "You remember in our fourth year at the Convent? I stayed out of your way, you stayed out of mine?"

Alanna nodded. That was the way it had been, at least until the last year and a bit. "Well, you remember that man that was courting me?"

Alanna frowned. "No..." she said.

"Yes you do! You stole him from me!"

Alanna laughed without realising it. She stopped soon after Delia shot her a venomous glare at her.

"Stole him?" Alanna repeated. "Yeah, right. I had no interest in men then, Delia." She sniffed. "Well, he had an interest in you. And I saw him kissing you one day, behind the oak tree."

Alanna bit her lip. "Andrew was courting you?!" she said in disbelief. "No way!"

Delia hung her head. "He was. And then he went and kissed you! I knew you were out to steal him..."

Alanna blushed. "No, Delia, you've got it all wrong," she assured her. Delia opened her mouth to argue, but Alanna shook her head. "Just listen to me," she said.

"Sir Andrew was teaching me fencing," Alanna said.

"I knew that," Delia retorted.

"Shut up and let me finish!" Alanna snapped. "I didn't know he was courting you. I never even thought of anything between us until he kissed me!"

Delia glared. "I would have dobbed you in, if it hadn't been that Andrew would have gotten in trouble," she informed Alanna. "I had a good mind to tell after I saw you two kissing, but I still loved Andrew. And you went and stole him from me!"

Alanna shook her head, exasperated. "I didn't steal him! He kissed me, and I told him off, because I didn't want anything to do with love, and then he left, and I never heard of him again!"

"He left because I told him I caught you two!" Delia yelled. "It was all your fault! He was the love of my life!"

"And so you planned to do the same with me and Jon?" Alanna asked. "Steal my man because you thought I'd stolen yours?"

Tears were in Delia's eyes. "I don't care what you think anymore," she cried. "I'm leaving."

Alanna shut her eyes. "Delia, listen, I would never do anything like that to anyone, even you. It's mean. It's hateful. It's wrong. And -" Alanna gulped. "I'm sorry you thought that I did that to you."

Phew. It took so much to apologise to Delia. But she did it. She couldn't say she's miss Delia, after she was such a cow to her, but she knew that she had to get things cleared up.

Delia's emerald eyes widened. She'd known Alanna long enough to know that apologies from her were as rare as blue moons.

Delia lowered her eyes. "Thanks," she said. Alanna stood. "Well, I'd better be going," she said, and left.

Delia, however, sat on her bed sometime more, thinking.

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

In contrast to my last chapter, this one's been short. Next chapter soon, promise! This chapter kind of just finished the end of last chapter. And I apologise to all those who wanted to see Delia's butt being kicked, but I decided Alanna had enough compassion to patch things up with our lovely little butt-kissing bitch, even if Delia couldn't. And to answer the question of why Delia is leaving - it's because she knows she can't get Jon.

~*~kaz~*~

PS - little blue button below is calling you.