To DivaBear and Lady Tarrilyn: Thank you for your original characters. I haven't decided if I'll use them.
To LadyLuck and throughalice: Thanks for your help on more characters.
To Zenin: *Laughs*
To Merky: Thanks for the horse story.
To Shadowseeker003, Step, Elspeth, White-wolf, and Lady Katherine: Your reviews were really encouraging!
Chapter Seven~
"Have you heard yet?" Nelly asked excitedly, bouncing on the edge of the bed. Alanna groaned and rolled over. "It's about the prince!"
"What about him?" moaned Alanna. "I'm tired."
"Well, it's not official yet, but the servants are all talking about it. I mean, I know I'm not supposed to socialize with lowly servants, but I couldn't help overhearing, and then--"
"Out with it already!"
"Fine. It's like this: It turns out that Elijah, or whatever his name is, was here to give the prince advice. He's gone now, by the way."
"Gone??" Alanna repeated, sitting up in bed. "What do you mean, 'gone?'"
"He left," Nelly explained, frowning. "Anyway, the prince--"
"Wait, why did Elijah leave?"
"Well, I already told you. He only came to give the prince advice. After a talk with his highness, Elijah left last night. Just, vanished in a cloud of smoke. Well, it wasn't really smoke, more like--"
"Does anyone know where he went??" Alanna questioned. Nelly looked at her curiously.
"Why do you care? I'm talking about the prince. See, the advice that Elijah gave the prince was about the Bazhir tribes."
"The what?" Alanna asked, cursing the poor convent education.
"I don't know either. Seems that there's some unsettlement there or something. Anyway, Elijah suggested that Prince Jonathon pay them a visit."
"Oh. That's all?"
"He's to leave as soon as possible. That's in a week. And there's more. Before talking with Elijah, guess what his highness did?"
"Stand on his head?" Alanna said sarcastically, annoyed that Nelly was taking so long to explain the situation.
"No, silly! He talked with Elijah really late in the evening, so before that was--"
"The ball," finished Alanna. She'd left the ball early and for once she regretted it.
"At the ball, Prince Jonathon took Lady Delia out to the gardens and he...he..."
"Well?"
"Proposed!!"
"Oh. It that all?" Alanna asked, not suprised.
"Did you already know?" Nelly was shocked. Alanna shrugged.
"Gary mentioned it."
"He--he did?" Nelly stuttered, taken aback that for once she was not the first to know of interesting gossip.
"So now what?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, right after he proposed, Elijah suggested that he visit the Bazhir tribes right away," summarized Alanna. "So now what?"
"Oh. Lady Delia insists that she accompany his highness there. They had a long argument and it's decided. She will ride with him."
"Hmmm." Leaning back against the pillows, Alanna closed her eyes.
"They haven't officially announced their engagement yet, but everyone says that the wedding will be sometime next year."
"What time is it?" Alanna asked suddenly.
"Nearing noon. Why?"
Cursing under her breath, Alanna jumped out of bed, throwing on clothes and shuffling around to find what she was looking for in her mesy room.
"I have to go, Nelly."
Without another word, Alanna slipped out of the room.
----------------------------------------------------------
"I can't today, Alanna. I've got too many other things to do," Gary said, throwing things into a pack. Alanna stared, frowning.
"Why are you packing?"
"You heard about Jon, right?"
"How he's going to the Bazhir? I thought that was just rumor."
"It's not. Anyway, he wants us to go with him."
"'Us?'" repeated Alanna.
"Me, Raoul, and Alex. A couple of his other friends, too."
"Why?"
"Ask him. Actually, I wasn't his first choice, but Raoul couldn't go because he had other plans already. Now he's dragging me along."
"Why can't you just say that you have other plans too?"
"Because he expects me to go. And I don't really have other plans." He looked sideways at her. "We'll continue our lessons when I get back, I promise."
"When you get back, everyone will be busy planning for the wedding."
"Oh. So you heard about that, huh?"
"And then after the wedding, who knows what might come up?"
"Well, a year's a long time," Gary said, shrugging.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alanna looked at him quizically. Gary sighed.
"It's just that Delia and Jon. I don't think they'll last. They're getting married in a year. The year, it's like a test, to see if they really love each other."
"And you don't think so?"
"No, I don't. It's just that--something seems...off. Like they're not quite right for each other. Together, they just don't...fit."
"Oh, so now you're the expert on love?" said Alanna sarcastically.
"Why are you so defensive about this?"
"It's just that he's your friend. You should be happy for him!" Alanna snapped angrily. Gary shrugged again.
"If I'm wrong and they are meant for each other, then I'll be happy for him. But I can't help but feel that something's wrong with the pair."
"Well, you're wrong," Alanna said stubbornly.
"How are you so sure about this?"
"I'm not, but if he were my friend, I'd know to be happy for him," she said angrily. She spun around and marched haughtily out of his room. Alanna herself wasn't quite sure why she was so angry at Gary, perhaps it was a mix of events, or the fact that she was upset over his leaving. Whatever it was, Alanna was stomping down the hall when a stranger stopped her and handed her a letter.
In neat, simple handwriting, it read:
Dear Alanna,
Please return home to Trebond at once. It is a matter of utmost emergency concerning your father and your home estate. What I need to tell you I cannot do so in a letter. Bring little possessions, namely black attire, and steady yourself for unhappy news.
Your cousin,
Stanmore
Alanna gasped. There was only one thing the letter could mean, only one reason why her cousin Stanmore would write to her:
Her father was dead.
---------------------------------------------------
Dun dun dun! How's that for a dramatic cliffhanger??
Just when Alanna starts acting more like the real Alanna, she's about to retreat into herself again. Oh, NO!
And this is also another way of putting off the subject of who Alanna falls in love with.
Yeah, yeah, I know this is a really short chapter, but I have a lot of homework, so too bad.
And now I'm REALLY REALLY stuck!!! I mean, I know what I want to happen, but there's something that's supposed to happen before that, a missing scene, you know what I mean??
Well, REVIEW.
BTW--I know nobody's interested, but my yearbook teacher hates me, so I'm sulking. I'm making everyone else in this story suffer too, cause why should they have a good time when I'm not???
And to all you Delia-haters out there....wait and see....
To LadyLuck and throughalice: Thanks for your help on more characters.
To Zenin: *Laughs*
To Merky: Thanks for the horse story.
To Shadowseeker003, Step, Elspeth, White-wolf, and Lady Katherine: Your reviews were really encouraging!
Chapter Seven~
"Have you heard yet?" Nelly asked excitedly, bouncing on the edge of the bed. Alanna groaned and rolled over. "It's about the prince!"
"What about him?" moaned Alanna. "I'm tired."
"Well, it's not official yet, but the servants are all talking about it. I mean, I know I'm not supposed to socialize with lowly servants, but I couldn't help overhearing, and then--"
"Out with it already!"
"Fine. It's like this: It turns out that Elijah, or whatever his name is, was here to give the prince advice. He's gone now, by the way."
"Gone??" Alanna repeated, sitting up in bed. "What do you mean, 'gone?'"
"He left," Nelly explained, frowning. "Anyway, the prince--"
"Wait, why did Elijah leave?"
"Well, I already told you. He only came to give the prince advice. After a talk with his highness, Elijah left last night. Just, vanished in a cloud of smoke. Well, it wasn't really smoke, more like--"
"Does anyone know where he went??" Alanna questioned. Nelly looked at her curiously.
"Why do you care? I'm talking about the prince. See, the advice that Elijah gave the prince was about the Bazhir tribes."
"The what?" Alanna asked, cursing the poor convent education.
"I don't know either. Seems that there's some unsettlement there or something. Anyway, Elijah suggested that Prince Jonathon pay them a visit."
"Oh. That's all?"
"He's to leave as soon as possible. That's in a week. And there's more. Before talking with Elijah, guess what his highness did?"
"Stand on his head?" Alanna said sarcastically, annoyed that Nelly was taking so long to explain the situation.
"No, silly! He talked with Elijah really late in the evening, so before that was--"
"The ball," finished Alanna. She'd left the ball early and for once she regretted it.
"At the ball, Prince Jonathon took Lady Delia out to the gardens and he...he..."
"Well?"
"Proposed!!"
"Oh. It that all?" Alanna asked, not suprised.
"Did you already know?" Nelly was shocked. Alanna shrugged.
"Gary mentioned it."
"He--he did?" Nelly stuttered, taken aback that for once she was not the first to know of interesting gossip.
"So now what?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, right after he proposed, Elijah suggested that he visit the Bazhir tribes right away," summarized Alanna. "So now what?"
"Oh. Lady Delia insists that she accompany his highness there. They had a long argument and it's decided. She will ride with him."
"Hmmm." Leaning back against the pillows, Alanna closed her eyes.
"They haven't officially announced their engagement yet, but everyone says that the wedding will be sometime next year."
"What time is it?" Alanna asked suddenly.
"Nearing noon. Why?"
Cursing under her breath, Alanna jumped out of bed, throwing on clothes and shuffling around to find what she was looking for in her mesy room.
"I have to go, Nelly."
Without another word, Alanna slipped out of the room.
----------------------------------------------------------
"I can't today, Alanna. I've got too many other things to do," Gary said, throwing things into a pack. Alanna stared, frowning.
"Why are you packing?"
"You heard about Jon, right?"
"How he's going to the Bazhir? I thought that was just rumor."
"It's not. Anyway, he wants us to go with him."
"'Us?'" repeated Alanna.
"Me, Raoul, and Alex. A couple of his other friends, too."
"Why?"
"Ask him. Actually, I wasn't his first choice, but Raoul couldn't go because he had other plans already. Now he's dragging me along."
"Why can't you just say that you have other plans too?"
"Because he expects me to go. And I don't really have other plans." He looked sideways at her. "We'll continue our lessons when I get back, I promise."
"When you get back, everyone will be busy planning for the wedding."
"Oh. So you heard about that, huh?"
"And then after the wedding, who knows what might come up?"
"Well, a year's a long time," Gary said, shrugging.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alanna looked at him quizically. Gary sighed.
"It's just that Delia and Jon. I don't think they'll last. They're getting married in a year. The year, it's like a test, to see if they really love each other."
"And you don't think so?"
"No, I don't. It's just that--something seems...off. Like they're not quite right for each other. Together, they just don't...fit."
"Oh, so now you're the expert on love?" said Alanna sarcastically.
"Why are you so defensive about this?"
"It's just that he's your friend. You should be happy for him!" Alanna snapped angrily. Gary shrugged again.
"If I'm wrong and they are meant for each other, then I'll be happy for him. But I can't help but feel that something's wrong with the pair."
"Well, you're wrong," Alanna said stubbornly.
"How are you so sure about this?"
"I'm not, but if he were my friend, I'd know to be happy for him," she said angrily. She spun around and marched haughtily out of his room. Alanna herself wasn't quite sure why she was so angry at Gary, perhaps it was a mix of events, or the fact that she was upset over his leaving. Whatever it was, Alanna was stomping down the hall when a stranger stopped her and handed her a letter.
In neat, simple handwriting, it read:
Dear Alanna,
Please return home to Trebond at once. It is a matter of utmost emergency concerning your father and your home estate. What I need to tell you I cannot do so in a letter. Bring little possessions, namely black attire, and steady yourself for unhappy news.
Your cousin,
Stanmore
Alanna gasped. There was only one thing the letter could mean, only one reason why her cousin Stanmore would write to her:
Her father was dead.
---------------------------------------------------
Dun dun dun! How's that for a dramatic cliffhanger??
Just when Alanna starts acting more like the real Alanna, she's about to retreat into herself again. Oh, NO!
And this is also another way of putting off the subject of who Alanna falls in love with.
Yeah, yeah, I know this is a really short chapter, but I have a lot of homework, so too bad.
And now I'm REALLY REALLY stuck!!! I mean, I know what I want to happen, but there's something that's supposed to happen before that, a missing scene, you know what I mean??
Well, REVIEW.
BTW--I know nobody's interested, but my yearbook teacher hates me, so I'm sulking. I'm making everyone else in this story suffer too, cause why should they have a good time when I'm not???
And to all you Delia-haters out there....wait and see....