AHH!! My stupid computer's Internet hasn't been working until recently, and
when it started working again, I was writing my other story, The Silent
Stormers. Sorry about that! HEY! Did yall know that rubber bangs last
longer refrigerated? Well, they do! Anywho, thanx to all my readers and
hope you enjoy this chapter!
The replies are gonna be short today...
Labella4: Thanx bunches! Sorry it took so long!
Genevieve4: Yay! That makes me happy! :)
Mygerbil: Thank you! Im glad u enjoyed it!
Volley Ball Chika: Have fun getting straight A's! I have faith in you. And Frrrrost yourself! Haha, that's great!
Quistis-Im: Thank you! Keep doin good on your stories!
Lady Rhian Knightmage: lol, you can have one of my kitties! I have 5! Well...one of them is my sister's, but oh well! I have like 3 siamese cats. Its funny to see em all together. Glad u liked the other chapter!
Lioness38: Your wish is my command! :)
Alikat: Oooh! Cliffys? Most of my readers don't like em, but im glad you do, cause im kinda known for my cliffys!
sw33t t3mptations: o0o0o!! lol, thank you soo much!
Lady Phoenix Slytherin: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever and a day! Bad me!
Now on to the chapter...
Ch. 8: Dancing with Deception
Lady Alanna of Trebond glanced in the mirror one last time. She still couldn't believe that the young woman in the mirror was her. The maiden's hair looked much too silky and her cheeks too rosy to be her. Alanna turned to her servant girl, Gabrielle, and gave her a big hug. "Much thanks Gabby. Much thanks."
Clearly embarrassed, but secretly pleased, the young servant girl blushed furiously and bowed in retreat leaving with a big smile on her small, pretty face.
Preparations for the ball had taken well over an hour, but yet, the results were stunning. Alanna's red ringlets were piled atop her head, cascading ever so gently with few stray curls framing her petite face. Tiny daisies were positioned in strategic places in her hair giving it a sense of simplicity. Alanna smiled as she thought of how the prince described her as a wild little girl, now she had flowers in her hair! The daisies had matched her beautiful pale yellow, almost beige dress perfectly. Gold trim outlined the outfit complimenting the pale yellowness of it. The full skirt, to Alanna, was fun to move in because of the swooshing sound it made. Alanna wasn't really found of wearing dresses, but even she could admire the quality and beauty of this one.
Minutes ticked on and the Lioness fidgeted with her dress nervously as she waited for Prince Jonathan's arrival. She continued to pull up the neckline of her dress, thinking it was a little too low for her liking, but then again, unless the neckline was nearly to her neck, it was considered too low and made her feel self conscious. She clasped her hands tightly together timidly. "You don't suppose he forgot about me, do you Faithful?" she asked in a voice just above a whisper.
The black kitten looked up amused. 'By the way you're acting, one might think this is the first time you've been courted.'
Alanna blushed. "Don't be silly, I've been...well...okay. I admit it! We should announce it to the whole world for them to laugh at me! But seriously Faithful, you don't think he for..."
The young woman received her answer when she was cut off by a gentle knock on her oak wood door. She looked up surprised, a glint of relief and nervousness in her eyes. She walked to the door, stopping briefly with her hand on the gold knob. Before opening it, Alanna breathed in deeply, and straightened her shoulders, preparing herself to meet the prince. She turned the knob and slowly pulled open the door.
There stood a rather handsome young man with shiny black hair and deep blue eyes. When his eyes fell upon the red headed beauty, they filled with tenderness and awe. "You look beautiful Alanna of Trebond," Jon whispered, his voice cracking slightly. He blushed, but did not look away.
Alanna's eyes dropped down to the floor. "Thank you Prince Jonathan."
Jon laughed and ran his hand back through his hair. "So it's back to Prince Jonathan is it?" He grinned impishly.
Suddenly the tension cracked and broke, leaving the young maiden smiling broadly. She slugged Jon lightly on the shoulder, "Oh that's right. I forgot I was calling you Warthog from now on."
Jon chuckled and gallantly offered his arm out to the young lady, who hesitantly entwined her own with his. Together, as one, they walked down the long corridors, towards the grand room, where the ball was being held arguing over whose sword was better.
As they reached the magnificent, gold doors, a servant dutifully opened a door and announced them.
"Presenting Prince Jonathan of Conte, heir to the throne of Tortall." He paused dramatically; then continued. "And his escort, Lady Alanna of Trebond. Daughter of the convent!"
Nobles and ladies turned to view the prince's arrival and many admired the couple. Some ladies turned away with a huff; they were jealous that they were not the ones on the prince's arm that night.
When Alanna walked in, her eyes lit up with delight. Everything was beautiful. The lights were dazzling and made the glasses sparkle, creating a silver appearance. She breathed in the scent of aroma candles and the fresh after-shave of the man beside her. She heard the music of a waltz playing and the voices of those who chattered with their dance partners. She smiled.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they walked towards the royal King and Queen and stopped in front of them bowing and curtsying. "Milord, Milady." Alanna murmured respectfully looking down politely.
"Mother, father," the Prince started, "This is Alanna of Trebond, daughter of a noble, she is my escort tonight."
King Roald smiled broadly. "It's a privilege to meet you Lady Alanna."
"The pleasure's all mine your grace." Alanna said curtsying again.
Jon bowed and led Alanna away to the side of the room; he turned his head slightly and whispered into her ear. "Who was that back there?" he asked. "You were never that polite to me!"
His breath on her ear made shivers go up the young woman's spine. She laughed hesitantly, not used to the feeling she was having. "Well he IS the king after all Prince Jonathan."
"Oh really. And what am I?" he asked, pretending to be offended.
"A warthog." She stated simply.
Jon groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. "Will this name calling ever end?"
Alanna just smiled and gazed out at the dance floor. There were many couples out there, dancing along with the tempo of the music, smiling and laughing.
Jon followed her gaze and glanced back at her. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.
"I'm not very good at it," Alanna whispered, chuckling slightly. "I'm not light on my feet like the other court ladies. Mistress Kindell always yelled at me for that."
"I think your forgetting that I've already danced with you once before and know how dreadful you are. But I'm willing to risk a few toes." He smiled. "Besides, once you find the right partner, dancing will come naturally." And with that, he took Alanna in his arms and twirled her out onto the dance floor.
They talked and laughed, dancing in each other's arms. They spoke of everything; her brother, Faithful, his parents, the Drell wars. They had gotten lost in conversation and were startled when someone tapped Jon politely on the shoulder. It was a tall brown, almost black haired man about the same height as the prince and equally as good looking. His eyes were blue, but not nearly as startling as Jon's.
"May I cut in, cousin?" his deep voice asked.
Jon reluctantly agreed and handed Alanna over to the tall stranger. She glanced one last time at the man who she had just danced with and saw ladies flock to him as he headed over to the refreshment table. She turned back around and felt a stab of jealousy shoot through her, a feeling that was seemed foreign to her.
"Why Lady Alanna, we meet at last." The man said, interrupting her thoughts.
She glanced up surprised. "You know my name?"
"Well of course, dear. Everyone does. You're the new lass that the Prince fancies, but don't worry, it'll pass."
Her face grew red at his words. "He d...doesn't fancy me. I...I just got here!"
"Oh he sees a pretty face and has a little boy's crush on the girl for awhile. The latest ones always excite him. But then that all changes when he sees newer ladies. Then, he'll ditch the poor girl for a newer, prettier one. He's merely having fun and following his lust."
Alanna went silent, her temper flaring up. This man looked charming indeed, but there was something about him that made her defensive and irritated.
"But me on the other hand," the man continued. "I get what I want, I know what I want. I could help people in a second, but could crush them with a mere snap of my finger."
"I don't understand," Alanna said coldly. "Why are you telling me this?"
The man drew her closer. "You are very beautiful Alanna, and I do not want your precious beauty wasted on the prince. He will use you, then discard you at a second's notice."
"He's not like that. And besides, he's merely a friend, sir."
"Sir? Oh where are my manners?" the man said lightly. He pulled back and bowed. "I am Duke Roger, Prince Jonathan's cousin."
She curtsied reluctantly and he pulled her back into a dancing position. There was something about his voice that seemed familiar to Alanna, but she just couldn't quite place it.
"If you are Jon's cousin," she said, "then why do you speak so ill of him."
"I'm just warning you milady, just a simple warning. If you fall in love with him, you will get hurt. Trust me."
She laughed. "I'm not going to fall in love with anybody Roger. I don't plan on marrying."
The dance ended and the duke bowed. "Well that's your choice. And thank you, milady, for gracing me with this dance."
She curtsied. "No thank you." She said somewhat reluctantly.
Alanna turned and walked away from the young man, heading towards the punch bowl. She looked across the room and spotted the Prince smiling and laughing, entertaining all sorts of court ladies. She shook her head and poured herself some punch. It was a vibrant purple and tasted of grapes. The lass watched as someone handed Jon a drink. He took it and thanked the servant politely before turning back to the court ladies.
She sighed and took another sip when something caught her attention. It was his drink. The liquid was a tad darker than hers and had tiny bubbles at the bottom. It was hard to notice, and she wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't of been studying the prince for a minute or two. It reminded her of something. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as though they knew something was amiss.
The prince glanced up and caught Alanna of Trebond watching him. He smiled relieved and waved for her to come over. As she started to walk to where the prince was, it suddenly hit her; she remembered. The Lioness started to run swiftly towards the prince and watched in horror as he slowly brought the cup of violet liquid up to his lips.
"Wait! Don't drink it Jonathon!" she screamed. "Don't drink it! It's poisoned!"
A/N: *Phew!* I finished this chapter! Now I get to post it, and you know what *that* means! That means you get to review! Ooh, lucky you! All ya gotta do is press the go button beside submit a review and tell me what you think! Till next time,
*~*SportzGurl*~*
The replies are gonna be short today...
Labella4: Thanx bunches! Sorry it took so long!
Genevieve4: Yay! That makes me happy! :)
Mygerbil: Thank you! Im glad u enjoyed it!
Volley Ball Chika: Have fun getting straight A's! I have faith in you. And Frrrrost yourself! Haha, that's great!
Quistis-Im: Thank you! Keep doin good on your stories!
Lady Rhian Knightmage: lol, you can have one of my kitties! I have 5! Well...one of them is my sister's, but oh well! I have like 3 siamese cats. Its funny to see em all together. Glad u liked the other chapter!
Lioness38: Your wish is my command! :)
Alikat: Oooh! Cliffys? Most of my readers don't like em, but im glad you do, cause im kinda known for my cliffys!
sw33t t3mptations: o0o0o!! lol, thank you soo much!
Lady Phoenix Slytherin: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever and a day! Bad me!
Now on to the chapter...
Ch. 8: Dancing with Deception
Lady Alanna of Trebond glanced in the mirror one last time. She still couldn't believe that the young woman in the mirror was her. The maiden's hair looked much too silky and her cheeks too rosy to be her. Alanna turned to her servant girl, Gabrielle, and gave her a big hug. "Much thanks Gabby. Much thanks."
Clearly embarrassed, but secretly pleased, the young servant girl blushed furiously and bowed in retreat leaving with a big smile on her small, pretty face.
Preparations for the ball had taken well over an hour, but yet, the results were stunning. Alanna's red ringlets were piled atop her head, cascading ever so gently with few stray curls framing her petite face. Tiny daisies were positioned in strategic places in her hair giving it a sense of simplicity. Alanna smiled as she thought of how the prince described her as a wild little girl, now she had flowers in her hair! The daisies had matched her beautiful pale yellow, almost beige dress perfectly. Gold trim outlined the outfit complimenting the pale yellowness of it. The full skirt, to Alanna, was fun to move in because of the swooshing sound it made. Alanna wasn't really found of wearing dresses, but even she could admire the quality and beauty of this one.
Minutes ticked on and the Lioness fidgeted with her dress nervously as she waited for Prince Jonathan's arrival. She continued to pull up the neckline of her dress, thinking it was a little too low for her liking, but then again, unless the neckline was nearly to her neck, it was considered too low and made her feel self conscious. She clasped her hands tightly together timidly. "You don't suppose he forgot about me, do you Faithful?" she asked in a voice just above a whisper.
The black kitten looked up amused. 'By the way you're acting, one might think this is the first time you've been courted.'
Alanna blushed. "Don't be silly, I've been...well...okay. I admit it! We should announce it to the whole world for them to laugh at me! But seriously Faithful, you don't think he for..."
The young woman received her answer when she was cut off by a gentle knock on her oak wood door. She looked up surprised, a glint of relief and nervousness in her eyes. She walked to the door, stopping briefly with her hand on the gold knob. Before opening it, Alanna breathed in deeply, and straightened her shoulders, preparing herself to meet the prince. She turned the knob and slowly pulled open the door.
There stood a rather handsome young man with shiny black hair and deep blue eyes. When his eyes fell upon the red headed beauty, they filled with tenderness and awe. "You look beautiful Alanna of Trebond," Jon whispered, his voice cracking slightly. He blushed, but did not look away.
Alanna's eyes dropped down to the floor. "Thank you Prince Jonathan."
Jon laughed and ran his hand back through his hair. "So it's back to Prince Jonathan is it?" He grinned impishly.
Suddenly the tension cracked and broke, leaving the young maiden smiling broadly. She slugged Jon lightly on the shoulder, "Oh that's right. I forgot I was calling you Warthog from now on."
Jon chuckled and gallantly offered his arm out to the young lady, who hesitantly entwined her own with his. Together, as one, they walked down the long corridors, towards the grand room, where the ball was being held arguing over whose sword was better.
As they reached the magnificent, gold doors, a servant dutifully opened a door and announced them.
"Presenting Prince Jonathan of Conte, heir to the throne of Tortall." He paused dramatically; then continued. "And his escort, Lady Alanna of Trebond. Daughter of the convent!"
Nobles and ladies turned to view the prince's arrival and many admired the couple. Some ladies turned away with a huff; they were jealous that they were not the ones on the prince's arm that night.
When Alanna walked in, her eyes lit up with delight. Everything was beautiful. The lights were dazzling and made the glasses sparkle, creating a silver appearance. She breathed in the scent of aroma candles and the fresh after-shave of the man beside her. She heard the music of a waltz playing and the voices of those who chattered with their dance partners. She smiled.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they walked towards the royal King and Queen and stopped in front of them bowing and curtsying. "Milord, Milady." Alanna murmured respectfully looking down politely.
"Mother, father," the Prince started, "This is Alanna of Trebond, daughter of a noble, she is my escort tonight."
King Roald smiled broadly. "It's a privilege to meet you Lady Alanna."
"The pleasure's all mine your grace." Alanna said curtsying again.
Jon bowed and led Alanna away to the side of the room; he turned his head slightly and whispered into her ear. "Who was that back there?" he asked. "You were never that polite to me!"
His breath on her ear made shivers go up the young woman's spine. She laughed hesitantly, not used to the feeling she was having. "Well he IS the king after all Prince Jonathan."
"Oh really. And what am I?" he asked, pretending to be offended.
"A warthog." She stated simply.
Jon groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. "Will this name calling ever end?"
Alanna just smiled and gazed out at the dance floor. There were many couples out there, dancing along with the tempo of the music, smiling and laughing.
Jon followed her gaze and glanced back at her. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.
"I'm not very good at it," Alanna whispered, chuckling slightly. "I'm not light on my feet like the other court ladies. Mistress Kindell always yelled at me for that."
"I think your forgetting that I've already danced with you once before and know how dreadful you are. But I'm willing to risk a few toes." He smiled. "Besides, once you find the right partner, dancing will come naturally." And with that, he took Alanna in his arms and twirled her out onto the dance floor.
They talked and laughed, dancing in each other's arms. They spoke of everything; her brother, Faithful, his parents, the Drell wars. They had gotten lost in conversation and were startled when someone tapped Jon politely on the shoulder. It was a tall brown, almost black haired man about the same height as the prince and equally as good looking. His eyes were blue, but not nearly as startling as Jon's.
"May I cut in, cousin?" his deep voice asked.
Jon reluctantly agreed and handed Alanna over to the tall stranger. She glanced one last time at the man who she had just danced with and saw ladies flock to him as he headed over to the refreshment table. She turned back around and felt a stab of jealousy shoot through her, a feeling that was seemed foreign to her.
"Why Lady Alanna, we meet at last." The man said, interrupting her thoughts.
She glanced up surprised. "You know my name?"
"Well of course, dear. Everyone does. You're the new lass that the Prince fancies, but don't worry, it'll pass."
Her face grew red at his words. "He d...doesn't fancy me. I...I just got here!"
"Oh he sees a pretty face and has a little boy's crush on the girl for awhile. The latest ones always excite him. But then that all changes when he sees newer ladies. Then, he'll ditch the poor girl for a newer, prettier one. He's merely having fun and following his lust."
Alanna went silent, her temper flaring up. This man looked charming indeed, but there was something about him that made her defensive and irritated.
"But me on the other hand," the man continued. "I get what I want, I know what I want. I could help people in a second, but could crush them with a mere snap of my finger."
"I don't understand," Alanna said coldly. "Why are you telling me this?"
The man drew her closer. "You are very beautiful Alanna, and I do not want your precious beauty wasted on the prince. He will use you, then discard you at a second's notice."
"He's not like that. And besides, he's merely a friend, sir."
"Sir? Oh where are my manners?" the man said lightly. He pulled back and bowed. "I am Duke Roger, Prince Jonathan's cousin."
She curtsied reluctantly and he pulled her back into a dancing position. There was something about his voice that seemed familiar to Alanna, but she just couldn't quite place it.
"If you are Jon's cousin," she said, "then why do you speak so ill of him."
"I'm just warning you milady, just a simple warning. If you fall in love with him, you will get hurt. Trust me."
She laughed. "I'm not going to fall in love with anybody Roger. I don't plan on marrying."
The dance ended and the duke bowed. "Well that's your choice. And thank you, milady, for gracing me with this dance."
She curtsied. "No thank you." She said somewhat reluctantly.
Alanna turned and walked away from the young man, heading towards the punch bowl. She looked across the room and spotted the Prince smiling and laughing, entertaining all sorts of court ladies. She shook her head and poured herself some punch. It was a vibrant purple and tasted of grapes. The lass watched as someone handed Jon a drink. He took it and thanked the servant politely before turning back to the court ladies.
She sighed and took another sip when something caught her attention. It was his drink. The liquid was a tad darker than hers and had tiny bubbles at the bottom. It was hard to notice, and she wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't of been studying the prince for a minute or two. It reminded her of something. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as though they knew something was amiss.
The prince glanced up and caught Alanna of Trebond watching him. He smiled relieved and waved for her to come over. As she started to walk to where the prince was, it suddenly hit her; she remembered. The Lioness started to run swiftly towards the prince and watched in horror as he slowly brought the cup of violet liquid up to his lips.
"Wait! Don't drink it Jonathon!" she screamed. "Don't drink it! It's poisoned!"
A/N: *Phew!* I finished this chapter! Now I get to post it, and you know what *that* means! That means you get to review! Ooh, lucky you! All ya gotta do is press the go button beside submit a review and tell me what you think! Till next time,
*~*SportzGurl*~*