Ronat
© 2000
Jaelawyn Noble [ Jaelawyn@attbi.com ]
Disclaimer: Love 'em, don't own 'em
Pairing: Alanna + George
Warnings: DDA, abuse
Rating: R
Notes: Just wondering about George's da
Well!!!! I got a new story/series of stories! Not too bad, if ya ask me! I've got the second part half done. I'll post it soon as it's finished, 'k all? Today seems to be an updating day for me!!!! ^_^ Well, Read, Review, and ENJOY!!! Er....also, sorry about the indents. The formatting didn't take them out. Which is NOT a good thing. So, SORRY ALL!!!! ^_^
Considering nothing will get you nothing, Ronat Copper thought angrily at himself. He looked dispassionately at the corpse of the thief who had tried to jump him. Stupid fool. Jumping me just for my money was stupid. Poor, stupid beggar.
Ronat was a man just past his sixties. His dark brown hair was slightly silver. His dark green eyes were alert for more danger, as he searched the man and took his money and weapons.
"Hunh. Even more stupid than I thought," Ronat said, hefting the thief's purse. It was heavy, and the sound it made Ronat's eyebrows raise. "Now time to get myself a place to stay and some information."
He looked about the dark street of Corus, and shook his head. A lot had changed in the time he had been gone. He wondered if Eleni still lived in their old house….
Ah, he scolded himself. It's been a long, long time. If she hasn't remarried, she's most likely dead or moved out of Corus. Then his thoughts turned toward their son, George. He's not that old now. What? Late twenties, early thirties? I wonder if there is any information about him.
He sighed and started down the road. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and hefted his pack over his shoulder. At the end of the road there was a reputable looking inn. The picture over the words was a dove. Frowning, Ronat entered the inn. He stopped, just inside the doorway, trying to get accustomed to the smoke and the light in the inn.
Men sat drinking and yelling. Some were even brawling. The women were just as rowdy as the men. Some of the men and women sat and began dividing obvious gold. Shaking his head over human folly, Ronat went over to the bar to see if there was a room available.
"Excuse me?" Ronat half yelled to the man behind the bar. The man acknowledged Ronat's presence fairly quickly. "Have you a room?"
"Aye. How long ye be stayin'?" the bartender asked, wiping his hands on the cloth he had hanging from his belt.
"Until I find out about my family," Ronat said.
The bartender yelled something at another bar hand and came out to look at Ronat. "What be yer name. Not many commoners escape through this inn. Most reputable one in the lower city!"
"Ronat Copper," he told the barman.
The man's eyes widened. "Did ye say 'Copper?'"
"Aye, that I did."
"Ye won't be wantin' a room. Ye be wantin' to talk t' Marek," the man said, steering Ronat over to a table over by the fireplace. A man sat in an elegant chair, and the air about him was like the air a royal would wear. "Yer Majesty," the bartender said to the man on the chair. "This man says his name's Ronat Copper. Mayhaps…?"
"Copper?" the man said, startled. He rose out of his chair and looked Ronat over. "Oh, aye! He's Ronat all right!" The man grinned and took Ronat's hand. "Don't ye remember me? Marek Swiftknife?"
"Marek?" Ronat repeated in shock. The man grinned. "By the gods! You were much younger when I last saw you!"
"Same goes for you, old man!" Marek said, grinning. "Have a seat! You've heard, then? What am I saying, of course you've heard, or you wouldn't be back!"
Ronat took the proffered seat. "Heard what?" he asked, the first tingling of unease creeping over him. Unease, aye…. And dread.
Marek looked shocked. "You…You didn't hear?"
"No. What was I suppose to have heard?"
"George is married. And Eleni's remarried," Marek said.
Ronat nodded. "I guessed about Eleni. But George is married? To who?"
Marek grinned. "To a noble. Alanna of Trebond and Olau. Her that's King's Champion."
"Noble?" Ronat breathed, shocked.
Marek nodded. "Aye. And George gone an' got himself landed gentry and position in the government. He's now on the King's Council."
"Landed gentry?" Ronat asked, disbelief strong.
"Yeah. Baron of Pirate's Swoop."
"Impossible!" Ronat scoffed. "And what's this about a female Champion? It's nonsense!"
Marek was staring at him. "Have ye had any word from Tortall?"
"Why should I have? I've been east. Far east."
"Past the Roof?"
"Aye."
Marek shook his head. "Then ye should have at least heard about someone got the Dominion Jewel. And about Princess Thayet, well…. Queen Thayet."
"Indeed I did."
"Thayet is our queen now. She's married to King Jonathan. And he has the Dominion Jewel, and Alanna be the one that got it!"
"No!" Ronat breathed, shocked.
"Yes. I saw it myself, at the ball held that night."
Ronat shook his head. "Where's Eleni. I need to talk to her. Or George."
Marek sighed. "George is up at the palace, with his wife. They came up a few weeks ago. She gave birth a few months ago, and they want to have the baptizing done up here. Eleni is up at the palace with Myles of Olau, her husband."
"Thank ye, Marek. I owe ye one!" Ronat said, grabbing his pack and leaving the inn rather quickly.
He quickly headed up to the palace, his mind set on seeing either his son or his former wife.
Alanna looked at Thayet, who was glaring at her.
"Thayet, why are you looking at me as if your eyes were daggers?" Alanna asked, trying to get her son to go to sleep.
Buri laughed. "Oh, she jealous."
"Why ever for?" Alanna asked, shocked.
"You gave birth just a few months ago, and you're back to your regular form."
Alanna snorted. "Hardly. My back is still stiff."
Thayet still glared. "Where's George?" she asked, changing the subject abruptly.
Alanna sighed, grinning. "With Jon and Raoul and Gary. I don't want to know what they're discussing."
"George and Jon are probably complaining about pregnant women, and Gary is wondering if he should rethink his proposal to Cythera of Elden," Thayet said, almost automatically.
"And Raoul is having fun cracking jokes," Alanna said, laughing. "He always did have a wicked tongue when he wanted to!"
"What's your point?" Thayet muttered.
Alanna hushed them, got up and put her son to bed. When she came back out, she collapsed onto the couch. "Oh, I thought he'd never fall asleep!" she moaned softly.
Thayet snickered softly behind her hand while Buri nodded. "If I ever fall in love, kill me. I don't want to have to put up with marriage and child-birth."
"I didn't either, but look at me!" Alanna protested with a giggle.
Then someone pounded on the door, and Alanna's son woke up. Alanna moaned and covered her face with a pillow. Thayet laughed and got the door.
"May I help you?" she asked, looking at the rather scruffy-looking old man.
"I'm lookin' for George Copper," the man said.
"He's not here, but…." Thayet turned her face into the doorway and saw Alanna still on the couch with the pillow over her face. Buri was laughing and the baby was still crying. "Oh, for the Goddess' sake, someone get the baby quiet!" she said to Buri.
"Why do I always get stuck making babies be quiet!" she moaned and trudged into the other room. Alanna laughed and took the pillow from her face.
"Alanna," Thayet said. "This man is here to see George."
Alanna sighed and came over. She looked at the man, and his features reminded her vaguely of someone. "He's not here at the moment. May I help you?"
"And ye're who?"
Alanna frowned slightly. The man's tone was rather harsh, and not at all kind. "I'm his wife."
"Forgive me," he said, his voice softening. "Can you tell me where Eleni is?"
Alanna's frown deepened. "Why for?"
The man scowled. "Why should I have to explain myself to you?"
Thayet rolled her eyes. "Okay. I'm getting tired of this exchange. My lord, will you please tell us who you are and what business you have with Baron George and Baroness Eleni?"
Alanna sighed and muttered something out of the corner of her mouth. She leaned against the door, crossing her arms. The man finally seemed to notice that both of the women were wearing breeches.
"Why aren't ye two in dresses?" he demanded.
Alanna laughed and shook her head. "Excuse me, dresses are not my thing. Thayet, I'm going to go check on Thom. He had better get some sleep if the naming is tomorrow at noon."
"You mean you had better get some sleep!" Thayet said, laughing as Alanna went into the other room. She turned back to the scruffy old man. "Now, what is your business with them. If you do not tell me, I shall call the guards."
The man flushed. "Eleni was my wife. George is my son," he said with a sigh.
Thayet stared. "Alanna!" she yelled into the room, though it was half strangled. "You'd best go get George and Eleni. If what this man says is true, we've got some problems!"
Alanna came into the main room, carrying her son. "What sort of problems?"
"This man claims to be George's father," Thayet said softly.
Alanna stared, then seemed to break out of it. She handed her son to Thayet carefully, then ran all out for the study in the middle wing.
George laughed at the crack Gary had made about some new noble lady at court.
"You'd think that she thought no one would be able to see her breasts, but! They're barely covered!" Gary said, laughing and taking a gulp of his brandy.
Then the door burst open, and Alanna entered. The laughter died when everyone saw her face. "George, you'd better come. There's someone here that wants to see you."
"Who?" George asked, raising out of his chair. His face was rather frozen with fear.
"He claims to be your father," Alanna said, or rather whispered.
George froze. "What?" he asked, his voice coming out strangled.
Jon frowned. "Alanna, are you certain?"
Alanna looked at him. "I have no idea. Some features are the same. He seems to be in his sixties. Early, I think."
George finally found his voice. "Show me," he said. Hs voice shook a bit, but it was rather firm.
Alanna nodded and vanished from the doorway. Out in the hall, when the door was closed, she gave him a once-over look. "George…. Are you all right?" You look like you've seen the ghost of Midwinter past," she said, trying to joke. But it was true. George was completely ashen.
"I haven't seen or heard from my father since I was five," George said tightly. Anger was now warring with fear. "He took off one day, not a word. We'd all assumed he was dead. And I didn't care naught else."
Alanna nodded. "Buri went to get your mother."
George sighed. "She'll be there first, no doubt." Alanna smartly stayed silent.
They neared their suit of rooms and entered, since the door was wide open. Myles and Eleni were there already. Eleni was drinking a glass of wine to clam herself down, while Myles watched the man worriedly.
George saw the man and froze. Alanna went over to take Thom from Thayet and sit down. Thom wasn't bawling, but he was whimpering and he did look like he needed a bed. She took one worried look at Eleni and George, and went to go put her son to bed. By the time Thom fell into a deep sleep, it was some fifteen minutes later, and no noise had come out of the common room.
She closed the door softly, and saw that George had taken a seat on the couch and was drinking wine, his hands shaking.
Eleni was staring at the man with cold hazel eyes. "Why?" she asked, breaking the silence. Everyone jumped, and George dropped the glass. Alanna caught it before it fell on the rug. She put it down on the side table and sat down next to George, claiming one of his hands.
The man avoided her eyes as he replied. "I had t'," he said softly. "They were gonna kill me, I swear it!"
George snorted. "Like that's an excuse?" he asked, his voice shaking, but it held scorn. "If I had run every time someone threatened me, I'd still be runnin'!"
"Then you did a damned fool thing!" Ronat snapped.
"No," Eleni said. "You did."
Alanna could feel George going tense, and kissed his cheek. "Hey, come on," she said softly. "Don't go and kill him. Even if he does deserve it, the guards would take you away. And that is not what I want to happen. Besides, how would we ever get blood out of this nice rug?" she whispered to him.
He chuckled at that and put and arm around her waist. He was still angry, but he was slowly relaxing.
Ronat glared up at his ex-wife. "I did what I thought as right."
"Well, it wasn't right," George said. "I think you've overstayed your welcome."
Myles took Eleni's hand as Ronat got up. "Aye. I think I have. I most assuredly made a mistake when I came back. I'll be leaving now. But, mind you. I'll be back. No one can say I can't see my grandchildren." Ronat bowed and left.
George's eyes were sick. "He'll come back. There's no way we can stop it." Alanna held onto George's arm, all of hell in her eyes.