Disclaimer: plot = mine, ppl, place, etc. ¹ mine, they = Tamora Pierce's

A/N:  I was inspired to write this upon reading Soho Chic's story, "chain reaction" (a very good story, highly recommended) and reading another story, who's name and author slipped my mind, in which Alanna is gary's squire.

Chapter 1

As Alanna and Jon rode into the view of the city there was a loud roar!

Shocked they stopped their horses and, despite the protests of their aching muscles, drew their swords and prepared to fight.  A moment later they sheepishly, and tiredly, sheathed their swords, it was just the relief of the city that the heir to the throne was safe.  They looked at each other nervously, wondering what the reaction of Duke Gareth and co. would be.  The gates opened and a small group of riders rode out to meet them, Alanna swallowed a lump in her throat.

She was hoping against reason that Duke Gareth would not be in that band of three riders, but such hope was futile and she knew it. 

She was right.  Seconds later Duke Gareth was bearing down on the pair scolding like a hen and not giving them time to respond.  The only thing that surprised her was that Duke Gareth's companions were Sir Miyles, Lord Maron (A/N: is that right?  Or was it meron?) (that wasn't all that surprising), and ALEX.  She glanced at Alex, surprised that he was there, and slightly suspicious of Duke Roger's squire.  He smiled reassuringly though and rode between her and Duke Gareth so that Duke Gareth couldn't scold her anymore, she was after all shorter than Alex and so Duke Gareth, scowling, had no coice but to scold Jon, who glared at Alex, who just gave him a mocking bow.

Alex leaned over on his saddle and hissed to Alanna, "Alan!  Are you crazy?!  I always knew that you had SOMETHING wrong with you, but to go and HELP Jon fight the……"

Alex broke off his tirade at Alan's hung head and watched as his friend muttered softly, "sorry Alex."  And sighed sadly to himself. 

Alex had not been in a very good mood ever since his last conversation with Duke Roger in where they had argued over the treatment of Alex's sister (Roger had courted her, promised her many things, then dumped her when she became pregnant and no longer pretty).  Alex had sworn never to forgive the sorcerer for such treatment and they had become enemies ever since.  Alex had then started to break away from his friends in his worry for his sister and now wanted to make it up to them.

Alex had earlier decided to ask Alanna if she would become his squire, but didn't think now was a good moment, not with Duke Gareth shouting the way he was.  Oh, and Jon would have asked Alan first so there was no way that Alan would except him, never mind that he was very good with the sword. 

Alex's curiosity got the better of him at Alan's comment so he asked, "Alan, what's wrong?"

Alan looked surprised, not at the question, Alex thought, but at Alex noticing that he was upset. 

Alanna looked surprised at Alex before recovering and saying, "n-n-nothing is w-wrong, A-Alex, w-why would y-you say so?"

Alex laughed with amusement at that.  "Well, Alan, maybe because you look to upset…..hmm….."

Alanna blushed, "upset, who me?"  Before giving up, with the sagging of her shoulders and the demise of her innocent look, she told Alex, "it's all Jon.  He said that he would take me as his squire 'cause I am a….."  Alanna gave a horrified gasp, she had nearly told Alex! 

Alex gave her an odd look and inquired, "you are a what?"

Alanna just flushed, "nothing….. I'm just a midget, that's all."

Alex laughed, "that's not it, Alan, I know you and Jon too well for that.  Jon wouldn't care that you are a midget, I am not a giant myself, but as you can see, I don't let that slow me down."

Alanna just repeated, "it's nothing, okay Alex?"

Alex shook his head, before saying, "no, it's not….."

Alex was cut off by the arrival at the gate.  To Alanna's shock there were people lining the road, all of the bowing.  She whispered to Alex, "what is going on?"

He just shrugged, but Duke Gareth didn't seem to notice the bowing people, all he seemed to notice was that Jon had still not apologized for what had happened, nor had he explained why he was so scantly clad while Alanna was wearing his clothes.  All of a sudden Ali Mukhtab seemed to appear out of nowhere.

He said in a rather harsh tone of voice, "Duke Gareth, you are acting a fool to scold the Buring Brightly one and the Blue-Eyed one.  They have been legends for a long time, it is said that only they could free us from the menace.  Yet now you stand here scolding them for an impossible feat.  The Bazhir are proud people, do you think that they would bow to just anyone?"

Duke Gareth seemed to be at a loss for words.  He finally declared in a resounding voice, "I apologize for having admonished the heroes of the Bazhir, like Ali Mukhtab has kindly reminded me, they are brave, honorable, and proud people and wouldn't bow to just anyone.  We shall have a celebration for this noble deed, everyone is invited, your Highness, page Alan, come with me."  Then, in a less loud voice, Duke Gareth asked Jon, "and tell me why you are wearing so little and Alan so much." 

Jon got into how Alan was very modest and all that stuff, while Alan fidgeted worriedly, he knew that he would not be given the chance to change, and that he needed to retie the shirt strips that were starting to get loose.  Alex seemed to notice her discomfort, and when she raised pleading eyes to him and pointed clearly at the door and mouthed "please" to him, he sighed and smoothly cut into Duke Gareth's lecture to Jon about his duties as heir, face bland, "well, as Jon has so obviously pointed out, page Alan is very modest, might it be possible for him to be late for the feast and change to some less revealing clothes?" 

Alanna's face split open with a grin.  "yes, please, your Grace, let me go change!"

Jon held his sides with silent laughter (for which he was kicked in the shin by an irate Alanna) and seemed to realize his friend's plight, "Uncle, I don't see why Alan cannot go change, I for one would like a pair of breeches and a tunic."

Duke Gareth just glared at Jon before saying to Alanna, "very well, Alan, YOU may go change.  Alex, stay in the room with him and make sure that he does try to escape this feast (A/N:  you see the problem this poses?).  Prince Jonathan, Page Alan and Sir Tirragen will get your clothes FOR you."  With a wave of his hands Alanna and Alex left the room. 

Alex watched with some amusement as Alan paled at Duke Gareth's decree, but knew better than to ask while Duke Gareth was still in the room.  Alex had learned the hard way that patience was VERY important, and knew better than to try to make his young friend talk.  His patience was rewarded when his red haired friend spoke, "erm…Alex?"

"Yes?" was all that Alex replied.

Alan sighed, before mumbling so quietly he was asked to repeat the words, "could you just wait outside while I change?"

(they reached Alanna's  room and Alanna was holding onto the doorknob worridly)

"What an odd request," came Alex's voice, his face disclosing nothing, his voice perfectly emotionless, "and no, Alan, not even for you can I disobey Duke Gareth…..that is, unless you give me a good reason to disobey him."

Alan seemed indecisive, but the tapping foot of Alex seemed to make up his mind.  I just want you to promise me something, was what Alan finally muttered.

"What," was the calm reply.

"that you won't hate me after I tell you this," the words came haltingly out of the page's mouth at he looked pleadingly at Alex. 

Alex nodded, before saying, "I doubt I will."

Alan seemed to draw courage on those words, so he said, "well, this is not something that I am going to say where everyone can hear me, let's come inside."

Alex's eyes narrowed as he followed the violet eyed boy, the only sign that he was furiously thinking.  His thought:  what is it Alan is hiding?  Is he not really a noble?  Is he…..Alex paused before mentally voicing the question…..could he be GAY…..before Alex could further pursue such thoughts he heard Alan's voice pierce though his thoughts.

"This is very hard to say (sucks in breath) my real name is Alanna, I am a female."

The world had suddenly turned upside down for Alex, "impossible."

Alanna laughed harshly, "I wish it was impossible."

She was surprised at the amount of emotion Alex was showing, for the first time since she had met him there was no longer a mask in front of his face.  It scared her.

She heard him mutter, "I was going to ask a GIRL to be my, Alexander of Tirragon, famous fencer, to be my squire."

She smiled bitterly, "that was basically what Jon said, not only that, he also said that he was unwilling to make me his squire because of that."

Alex blinked, obviously surprised, "what a fool, I thought that he had already asked you and you had agreed….."

Alanna cut in with a twisted smile that broke his heart (I mean as in a friend in distress that he wasn't able to help, he isn't in love with her YET, that would just be messed up if he was), "I wish, it was my dream to serve him, who's dream wasn't it?"

Alex just laughed, before saying in a solemn voice, "Alanna of Trebond, you are of Trebond, right, I don't believe that you are a commoner pretending to be a noble whatever Ralon said, I will be honored if you would be my squire."

Alanna didn't know what to say and said just that.  Alex smiled, then she said, shock filling her voice, "don't you care that I am a girl?"

Alex looked as surprised as herself, "of course not, why should I be, I will be a far better knight master than Duke Roger, you know, why worry….."

Alanna cut him off, "wait, you don't mean to say that you don't LIKE Roger, I mean, Duke Roger….."

Alex shuddered, "of course NOT!"

Alanna smiled then, "well, if that is the case, Alex of Tirragon, I, Alanna of Trebond would be honored to be your squire, I pledge my life and services to you (A/N:  I dunno if they are supposed to do that to their knight masters, or if alanna did that to jon cuz he was the prince) during my years as a squire."

A/N:  I wrote both chapters in one sitting and a kinda tired, 5 pages is not all that easy, especially cuz I haven't typed that much for a LONG while, if you want me to continue REVIEW, if not, tell why.  It isn't even an A/A yet so A/ someone else fans, no complaints.