( Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But I really wish I owned a magical unicorn. YAY!)
Alanna looked at George, her purple eyes wide. Her red hair blew around and her stomach was swollen.
"George, please don't leave," she said, her voice steady, despite the fact that her eyes were spilling over.
"The baby's coming soon, and I don't want to be alone."
George sighed, and placed a callused hand against her windbeaten cheek. He smiled a smile that
reached his eyes, and he gently kissed her.
"Darlin' girl, I HAVE to leave. You've left to go off to many-a battle, but now, it's my turn. As for bein'
alone, you know as well as I do that Thayet and Daine are stayin' out here, until the battlin' dies down. Now,
yes, don't give me th' speech," he said, placing a finger to her lips. "I know they need Daine and Thayet out
there, but this is important. They need to stay at home...just in case."
"In case Numair or Jon dies," Alanna said, angrily, eyes flashing. "Then, we still have another good mage,
and a perfectly capable ruler. Right George? Huh?" she challenged.
He shut her up with a kiss. "They're at least stayin' until the baby is birthed. And you're not t' leave
either. Goddess knows, as soon as you give birth, you'll be on your damned horse, ridin' out."
Darkmoon sniffed as if he objected to being called 'a damned horse'. Alanna placed a hand on his
velvety nose. George finished saddling his horse, Quickstep. He gathered Alanna into his arms.
"I know it kills you NOT to fight, but you hafta stay put. I love you," he kissed her again.
"George," she said softly, brushing a tear away. "Promise you'll come back."
He laughed. "Of course I'll come back."
She smiled. "I love you laddybuck. And don't you forget it."
He nudged Quickstep and trotted off. Alanna watched him, feeling as though her world was crashing
down around her. She couldn't fight, and neither could the other women because Jon was being a
pig. He was right, but he was still a pig in Alanna's opinion. And now, George had left. She placed
a hand on her stomach.
"Remember, you promised to come back," Alanna whispered, her words lost in the wind. His kiss
lingered on her lips. She touched them delicately, smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Alanna survived for a week. She lived life as if in a daze. Then, Thayet arrived, dressed as a beggar, with
a pet dog and two small children. The children ran inside, happy to see Alanna's children again. The 'dog'
trotted off into the grass, and soon a girl with brown hair emerged.
"H'lo," Daine smiled. "How've you been?"
"Horrible," Alanna admitted. "I hate to complain, and sound so whiny, but I miss George. A lot."
Tears began to fall. "I'm so....girly!" she said, frustrated.
"You're also pregnant, your hormones are...weird, and you're allowed to be girly," Daine said.
"I agree," Thayet told her. "Cry all you want."
"I hate crying," Alanna sniffed. "Thom, Alianne, and Alan all act like I'm crazy. The other day,
Thom told Alianne to 'Leave mommy alone, 'cause she's not acting right.' What am I supposed
to do? How can I feel right while people are out there DYING and I just sit here?"
"I feel awful, too," Daine said. "I'm quite vexed with Numair."
"And I with Jon," Thayet put in. "I want to fight, but if something happens...," her voice trailed off.
Alanna placed her hand on her stomach. "What really upsets me is the fact that George won't be
here for the baby's birth. I probably sound selfish. I mean, it's our fourth child, but still."
"It's not selfish," Daine said.
"George will be home in no time," Thayet smiled. "He promised didn't he?"
"Yes," Alanna said, sorrowfully. "But there are no promises when dealing with war."
"No, there aren't," Daine said. "I just have faith that Numair will come back all right."
"Faith is all we've got left," Thayet sighed. She laughed ruefully. "Who would think that a Queen
who was able to fight would be stuck here, brushed off, to sit around and twiddle her thumbs?"
"Or a mage," Daine added.
"Or a knight," Alanna whispered, hollowly. "George had better come back."
Alanna looked at George, her purple eyes wide. Her red hair blew around and her stomach was swollen.
"George, please don't leave," she said, her voice steady, despite the fact that her eyes were spilling over.
"The baby's coming soon, and I don't want to be alone."
George sighed, and placed a callused hand against her windbeaten cheek. He smiled a smile that
reached his eyes, and he gently kissed her.
"Darlin' girl, I HAVE to leave. You've left to go off to many-a battle, but now, it's my turn. As for bein'
alone, you know as well as I do that Thayet and Daine are stayin' out here, until the battlin' dies down. Now,
yes, don't give me th' speech," he said, placing a finger to her lips. "I know they need Daine and Thayet out
there, but this is important. They need to stay at home...just in case."
"In case Numair or Jon dies," Alanna said, angrily, eyes flashing. "Then, we still have another good mage,
and a perfectly capable ruler. Right George? Huh?" she challenged.
He shut her up with a kiss. "They're at least stayin' until the baby is birthed. And you're not t' leave
either. Goddess knows, as soon as you give birth, you'll be on your damned horse, ridin' out."
Darkmoon sniffed as if he objected to being called 'a damned horse'. Alanna placed a hand on his
velvety nose. George finished saddling his horse, Quickstep. He gathered Alanna into his arms.
"I know it kills you NOT to fight, but you hafta stay put. I love you," he kissed her again.
"George," she said softly, brushing a tear away. "Promise you'll come back."
He laughed. "Of course I'll come back."
She smiled. "I love you laddybuck. And don't you forget it."
He nudged Quickstep and trotted off. Alanna watched him, feeling as though her world was crashing
down around her. She couldn't fight, and neither could the other women because Jon was being a
pig. He was right, but he was still a pig in Alanna's opinion. And now, George had left. She placed
a hand on her stomach.
"Remember, you promised to come back," Alanna whispered, her words lost in the wind. His kiss
lingered on her lips. She touched them delicately, smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Alanna survived for a week. She lived life as if in a daze. Then, Thayet arrived, dressed as a beggar, with
a pet dog and two small children. The children ran inside, happy to see Alanna's children again. The 'dog'
trotted off into the grass, and soon a girl with brown hair emerged.
"H'lo," Daine smiled. "How've you been?"
"Horrible," Alanna admitted. "I hate to complain, and sound so whiny, but I miss George. A lot."
Tears began to fall. "I'm so....girly!" she said, frustrated.
"You're also pregnant, your hormones are...weird, and you're allowed to be girly," Daine said.
"I agree," Thayet told her. "Cry all you want."
"I hate crying," Alanna sniffed. "Thom, Alianne, and Alan all act like I'm crazy. The other day,
Thom told Alianne to 'Leave mommy alone, 'cause she's not acting right.' What am I supposed
to do? How can I feel right while people are out there DYING and I just sit here?"
"I feel awful, too," Daine said. "I'm quite vexed with Numair."
"And I with Jon," Thayet put in. "I want to fight, but if something happens...," her voice trailed off.
Alanna placed her hand on her stomach. "What really upsets me is the fact that George won't be
here for the baby's birth. I probably sound selfish. I mean, it's our fourth child, but still."
"It's not selfish," Daine said.
"George will be home in no time," Thayet smiled. "He promised didn't he?"
"Yes," Alanna said, sorrowfully. "But there are no promises when dealing with war."
"No, there aren't," Daine said. "I just have faith that Numair will come back all right."
"Faith is all we've got left," Thayet sighed. She laughed ruefully. "Who would think that a Queen
who was able to fight would be stuck here, brushed off, to sit around and twiddle her thumbs?"
"Or a mage," Daine added.
"Or a knight," Alanna whispered, hollowly. "George had better come back."
