To:
Zenin: Ok, I might as well say this now as a forwarning--there is going to be a LOT more sentimental "squishy slosh" in the upcoming chapters. A LOT more. So, brace yourself.
Faithful: Expect more cliffhangers. The next few chapter will most likely be more cliffhangers, 'cause they're such PERFECT places to end a chapter!! Also 'cause I can't solve the problem in one chapter, so I have to end it as a cliffhanger.
Elspeth: WHAT? Complaining again? I updated the DAY AFTER YOU REVIEWED! Hehe
Dragon_Girl: *Ahem* That's all I have to say
White-wolf: See? That's the spirit! The "I'm-gonna-post-one-chap-a-week-and-more-if-I-can" attitude!!
Now post. You can't be THAT stuck! I mean, off of that one chapter, I could think of a million follow-up chaps!
Faithful: What are you talking about? It's been one week since I put up a chapter! And as for yearbook, she still hates me, I bet, but she's less open about it now. We're CIVIL around each other. (Arg...)
DivaBear: Read on......
Smileypal4eva: Suggestion? What suggestion??
Lady of the Red Oak Forest and merky: Thanks for the reviews!
Ladyluck: I'm updating...again. See, what'd I tell ya??
And to all of ya guys--what can I say? I'm a sickler for reviews!! But, you're really wearin' me out here! And I didn't have a chance to proof this chap, so sorry for mistakes or inconsistencies.
Chapter nine~
The funeral was larger than Alanna would've liked. All of their relatives and Sir Alan's aquaintances were invited. Only half of them came, but it was still enough to make Alanna uncomfortable. She recognized only a few of the people who came, her father's closest friends and the relatives that she'd met. He was burried next to her mother, and Stanmore closed the coffin. The funeral was long, with everyone making an elaborate and flattering speech about the late Sir Alan. When everyone had spoken except her, all of them staring expectantly, Alanna finally rose.
"He was the best father in the world." And with that, she sat down. There were distasteful glances, and shocked looks, but Alanna ignored them all. The rest of the funeral passed by quickly without further incident. At the reception afterward, one of the authorities who signed the will read it aloud. There was much grumbling as he read the document, and as soon as he finished listing the witnesses, several of Alanna's relatives jumped to their feet, Stanmore first.
"Sir Alan has no son!" Stanmore declared angrily. "Who has ever heard of this 'Thom of Trebond??'"
Alanna asked herself the same question. When she'd pressed Maude about it, the woman simply shook her head and promised, "Soon. When the time is right, I will tell you," and she could not be swayed despite Alanna's peristant pestering.
"Legally, Thom of Trebond has two years to present himself. If he does not, then Trebond will fall to Alanna of Trebond, according to the late Sir Alan's wishes," the authority spoke calmly. Stanmore shook his fist.
"I will fight the will!" he claimed. There was a shout of agreement.
"He was not right in the head in his later years," Alanna's uncle Corrin said angrily. "I'm sure that he dreamt up this 'son' of his!"
"If he did, we will know in two year's time," the authority repeated strongly. "Fifteen witnesses were present--you cannot fight this will."
"Trebond should be mine!" Stanmore yelled. "Sir Alan was poisoned when he wrote that will--it affected his judgement!"
"There were fifteen witnesses present," the authority repeated again. "All of them felt that this will was correct and that Sir Alan was fit enough in the head to write it. You cannot fight this will."
"I will!" Stanmore said stubbornly. "Trebond will be mine!"
With that, he stormed out, many of the guests following him. The ones who remained behind circled Alanna to quickly give their condolences before they, too, left.
"So sorry, my dear," Alanna's second cousin Jasia whispered and she hugged her tightly. "I know we've only met once, but if you ever need anything, you may call on me."
All Alanna could do was smile back.
"Poor thing," her aunt Breanna cooed. "Barely knew your father, and now he's gone. Here, let your aunt Breanna give you a hug." She squeezed Alanna so tight that afterward she was breathless.
"I am so sad for you," a lady said in a halting accent. "I am Seka, wife of your husband's...friend."
"Truly sorry, miss. He never will see what a lady you will become."
"I did not know your father well, but I offer my sympathies. For you, and for him."
"He was a fine man. It must be difficult, that he should leave you so suddenly."
"Oh, darling, do you remember me? You were but such a small thing when we met, and now when you're finally a grown woman, we meet again. But, alas, to meet again at such an occasion..."
By the time the last guests had trailed out, Alanna was thoroughly sick of being the center of attention. Tiredly, she fell down against the plush couch. Coram stood against the doorway.
"Hello, Alanna," he said softly. She didn't meet his eyes.
"Been a long time since I've seen you."
"Eight years," he said, stepping forward to stand before her. He didn't comment on how much of a lady she'd become, knowing that she would frown on it.
"Good," she answered.
"Good?" he repeated, confused. Alanna looked up and smiled wearily.
"You were about to say something about how I've become a lady, but we both know that's not true. It's good that you caught yourself." Coram smiled wryly at her comment.
"I suppose that you would like to know about your brother now," he said. Alanna shrugged.
"Maude wouldn't tell me, so I suppose you won't either."
"You're not curious?" Coram was suprised.
"What do you think?"
He chuckled and sat on the floor. After clearing his throat, he began again.
"I suppose the first thing you want to know is 'how do Maude and Coram know so much?' Or perhaps, 'how do they know anything that I don't?' Well, Alanna, we've served Trebond loyally for a long time."
"I know," she answered softly.
"All our lives," he continued. "And your parents knew that. They trusted us. And when they asked us for help and swore us to secrecy, what could we do?"
"Who else knows?" Alanna asked, the thought suddenly striking her. "Who else knows that I have a brother??"
"Two other people knew, but both of them are long dead by now. Another servant, and a close friend of your mother's."
"Carine," Alanna breathed. She could just barely remember the lady who so loved her mother, the outlines of her friendly face and the curves of her smile.
"Yes, Carine and Damian. You weren't always an only child. On that night, eighteen years ago, there were two children born in Trebond."
"Twins?" Alanna was shocked.
"Twins. One girl--you--and a baby boy, who was named Thom. We could tell that both were to be redheads, since at birth redheads have litle hair. And when you opened your eyes, by mithros they were beautiful and bright, violet like your mother's!" Alanna smiled.
"And what about Thom? What happened to him? Does he still live?"
"I don't know."
"How could you not know?" Alanna thundered. "Either he died or he didn't! How could you not know??"
"You opened your eyes, and we waited for Thom to do the same, but his eyes never opened. You were smiling already, and breathing normally, but he had yet to draw breath. So the midwife tried to wake him up. It seemed like ages, and we were scared to death. After maybe 'bout ten minutes, Thom gasped. He took a breath, and then another. We cried out for joy and was ready to celebrate when the midwife stopped us."
"Well?" Alanna prodded as Coram paused. Coram shook his head.
"Maybe Maude is right. The time is not yet right for me to tell you."
"WHAT??!!!" Alanna roared. "He's my twin--I have a right to know!!!!"
"She does."
Alanna glanced around and saw Maude standing in the hallway outside of the door. She was smiling slightly and cautiously stepped into the room, sitting on the ground next to Coram, despite that there were other couches in the room. Coram raised an eyebrow.
"Well what? You've already gotten this far with the tale!" Maude said indignantly. "You can't leave her hangin'!" She turned to Alanna. "The midwife stopped us then and said, 'It is not over yet.'"
"And we asked, 'What do you mean? The boy is breathing--he lives!'" Coram said.
"The midwife told us, 'No, he is sickly. It seems that he is plagued with a disease I know not of.' We were frozen still then. And then Lady, she said, weakly from her bed, 'What is wrong with my son?'"
"'His breathing is strange, if you listen carefully, and look how he trembles,' she said. We leaned closer, and indeed when Thom drew breath, he gurgled, as if he were underwater. We grew real scared then."
"Then Lady, she held out her arms and said,'Give my son to me.' Midwife refused. She pointed out how Thom's feet were dark, and he was sweating, a thin gray sheen covering his body. His tiny veins were swelling, and he had yet to open his eyes."
"So the midwife said again,'I have never seen this disease before. It will take a powerful mage to cure him.' She collected her pay, and left. After that, we were scared out of our wits."
"So what could we do? We sent out messengers to all the mages, begging for help. When none came, we offered them as much payment as they wanted in return. That was when the healers came."
"So he was cured?" Alanna asked, breathing a sigh of relief.
"We thought he'd be. So many healers came, we were sure that one of them would know his illness."
"None did. It was a miracle that he lived a week, but his skin turned dark gray, and he still did not open his eyes. Another week drew by, and none of the healers could cure him. By then, Sir Alan was desperate, offering anything he owned in return for his son's health."
"Anything?" Alanna repeated. Somehow, she could not imagine her father offering to give away all of his possessions.
"But by then, we'd lost hope. Healers came in everyday, and they left as soon as they had a good look at Thom. So when a young couple walked in, we were skeptical."
"Why?" Alanna wondered aloud.
"Well, they were so....young, and they looked inexperienced." Coram laughed. "How prejudiced of us."
"Like he had to all the other healers, Sir Alan repeated his offer, promising them anything they wished in return for his son's health."
"They were quick about it," Coram explained. "They examined Coram like all the other's had, but instead of shaking their head's and leaving, the woman turned to us and remarked,'This is the disease that my mother died of.' With that, she drew herbs from her pouch and called for hot water and cloths. She quickly mixed them with the water and spread it over Thom's body. After soaking the cloths in hot water, she set them over Thom's frail figure. The minutes passed by like years, with her exchanging the cloths whenever they grew cold. As she did this, the man that had arrived with her mixed up a foul-smelling concoction." Maude shuddered at the memory.
"We were sure that he was going to poison the poor boy! He pried open Thom's mouth and poured the vile liquid into it. Thom sputtered, but drank it. Little by little, the entire bowlful was forced down his throat."
"Then, we waited." Coram paused for a moment. Alanna had the sense not to interrupt.
"When the lady took away the cloths, she rubbed Thom's body, picking him up and then setting him gently back down. As she set him down, Thom's eyes flew open."
"We all cried out then," Coram recalled. "They were violet, just like yours."
"Sir Alan was in the room with us, and he was the first to hold Thom in his arms, cradling him like the treasure that he was."
"'His skin will clear up in a few weeks,' the lady informed us. We couldn't stop thanking the two of them. They smiled sheepishly back at us."
Both of them were silent for a long moment. Alanna could sense that what was to come was not a good thing, and she shivered. The silence stretched, and at last Alanna grew impatient.
"What happened??" she demanded.
"Oh, if only Sir Alan had not made that offer!" Maude cried, tears coursing down her cheeks. Coram patted her back and avoided Alanna's eyes.
"Sir Alan thanked them several times, and asked them what they wanted. They glanced at each other, and then the lady asked slowly,'You promised to give us what we wish?' Sir Alan nodded vigorously, handing Thom to Lady. 'Of course! Whatever is within my power to give!' Oh, I felt the evil then, as the two of them grinned."
"'She-she said," Maude broke out, "she told us how they could never have children, that she was barren. I knew then. Before they even said that what they wanted in payment was to keep Thom, I knew."
"Keep...Thom?" Alanna repeated. Maude nodded.
"He said, 'We want your child in return.' Sir Alan was shocked speechless. The man kept telling us that they would take good care of Thom, and raise him as their own. So what could Sir Alan do? He was bound to his word, a matter of honor."
"Honor?" Alanna spat. "He was just being spineless, that's what!" Coram gave her a stern look and then decided to ignore her.
"So the couple took Thom away, and that was the last we ever heard of them. Of course, Sir Alan is extremely proud, and he couldn't bear it if anyone found out what happened, so he hired a powerful mage...can't remember what his name was, but he was the tallest man I've ever met. Sir Alan paid him almost all of his fortune to erase the incident from the memory of everyone in the land, save us four."
"Is that...is it possible??" Alanna asked. "To erase something from someone's memory?" Coram laughed.
"Of course not! Why, if such a thing were possible, then just think, Alanna! What would happen?"
"Anyway, Sir Alan was in luck," Maude continued. "Since we'd only sent messengers to the known mages and healers, it was kept really quiet. Mages aren't exactly the most social people these days. So, the whold thing blew over with nobody hearin' about it. Well, not many people, anyway."
"Seems unreal," Alanna commented, shivering. "Like a bedtime story, or a fairytale." Coram and Maude nodded in agreement.
"He never forgot that, though, naturally. How could you forget one's own son? In the beginning, he tried to push it out of his mind. After Lady died, he threw himself into being the best father that he could be, a promise he made to her as she lay dying."
"What happened?" Alanna asked.
"Well, you know what happened," Maude said softly. "You know what a father he was to you all these past years. In the beginning, he did his best to forget about Thom. And I think he did, for a while."
"But then one day when he was out, he saw a small village boy with red hair. Of course, it takes very little to re-ignite old hopes, especially this one. When the boy turned around, his eyes were green, not purple. When he saw his eyes, Sir Alan was crushed. He sort of withdrew from the world for a while."
Now Alanna understood. It all made sense to her. Kicking off her shoes, she drew her feet up and rested her chin on her knees.
"He spent all his time in his study," Maude continued. "When he finally re-emerged, he did his best to be good to you. But it wasn't the same, you know that. He was what was expected in a father, but nothing more. Like he was only playacting...you could tell that his heart wasn't in it."
"Do you think he's still alive?" Alanna asked after a moment.
"Who, Thom?" Coram smiled. "I have no doubt about it. When the couple took him away, they handled him with utmost care, cradling him like he was the fate of the world. Their eyes shone with the happiness that was stolen from ours."
"I'll find him," Alanna declared. "It'll be my first quest! I'll find Thom and bring him home at last!!"
Maude and Coram exchanged amused looks. Alanna pursed her lips in a pout, but it turned to a smile. The three of them sat contentedly in silence, lost in the past for a moment.
"I will find him," Alanna repeated softly, mostly to herself. "I promise."
----------------------------------------
There! That's not a cliffhanger! Well, not really...
Sorry that this chapter was boring, a bit looonnng (compared to the others anyway!!) and a big sentimentality fest, but it was essential to the story!!! Yeah, most of it was all about Thom, but come on, isn't that important???!!!!!!!
SOOOOOO.....what do you think?????? Be honest!!!! (But if you're gonna flame, throw in 1 compliment, please!!!)
And like I said, this side of this story is Soooo much more important than who Alanna falls in love with!
One final note--before you rat on me about Coram's accent, I was too lazy to give him one. And it's another universe, remember??
One MORE note: You guys, lay off ok? Every time you asked for another chapter, I put one up, like, a day later! (Not really, but close enough!!) Don't I deserve a break??
Zenin: Ok, I might as well say this now as a forwarning--there is going to be a LOT more sentimental "squishy slosh" in the upcoming chapters. A LOT more. So, brace yourself.
Faithful: Expect more cliffhangers. The next few chapter will most likely be more cliffhangers, 'cause they're such PERFECT places to end a chapter!! Also 'cause I can't solve the problem in one chapter, so I have to end it as a cliffhanger.
Elspeth: WHAT? Complaining again? I updated the DAY AFTER YOU REVIEWED! Hehe
Dragon_Girl: *Ahem* That's all I have to say
White-wolf: See? That's the spirit! The "I'm-gonna-post-one-chap-a-week-and-more-if-I-can" attitude!!
Now post. You can't be THAT stuck! I mean, off of that one chapter, I could think of a million follow-up chaps!
Faithful: What are you talking about? It's been one week since I put up a chapter! And as for yearbook, she still hates me, I bet, but she's less open about it now. We're CIVIL around each other. (Arg...)
DivaBear: Read on......
Smileypal4eva: Suggestion? What suggestion??
Lady of the Red Oak Forest and merky: Thanks for the reviews!
Ladyluck: I'm updating...again. See, what'd I tell ya??
And to all of ya guys--what can I say? I'm a sickler for reviews!! But, you're really wearin' me out here! And I didn't have a chance to proof this chap, so sorry for mistakes or inconsistencies.
Chapter nine~
The funeral was larger than Alanna would've liked. All of their relatives and Sir Alan's aquaintances were invited. Only half of them came, but it was still enough to make Alanna uncomfortable. She recognized only a few of the people who came, her father's closest friends and the relatives that she'd met. He was burried next to her mother, and Stanmore closed the coffin. The funeral was long, with everyone making an elaborate and flattering speech about the late Sir Alan. When everyone had spoken except her, all of them staring expectantly, Alanna finally rose.
"He was the best father in the world." And with that, she sat down. There were distasteful glances, and shocked looks, but Alanna ignored them all. The rest of the funeral passed by quickly without further incident. At the reception afterward, one of the authorities who signed the will read it aloud. There was much grumbling as he read the document, and as soon as he finished listing the witnesses, several of Alanna's relatives jumped to their feet, Stanmore first.
"Sir Alan has no son!" Stanmore declared angrily. "Who has ever heard of this 'Thom of Trebond??'"
Alanna asked herself the same question. When she'd pressed Maude about it, the woman simply shook her head and promised, "Soon. When the time is right, I will tell you," and she could not be swayed despite Alanna's peristant pestering.
"Legally, Thom of Trebond has two years to present himself. If he does not, then Trebond will fall to Alanna of Trebond, according to the late Sir Alan's wishes," the authority spoke calmly. Stanmore shook his fist.
"I will fight the will!" he claimed. There was a shout of agreement.
"He was not right in the head in his later years," Alanna's uncle Corrin said angrily. "I'm sure that he dreamt up this 'son' of his!"
"If he did, we will know in two year's time," the authority repeated strongly. "Fifteen witnesses were present--you cannot fight this will."
"Trebond should be mine!" Stanmore yelled. "Sir Alan was poisoned when he wrote that will--it affected his judgement!"
"There were fifteen witnesses present," the authority repeated again. "All of them felt that this will was correct and that Sir Alan was fit enough in the head to write it. You cannot fight this will."
"I will!" Stanmore said stubbornly. "Trebond will be mine!"
With that, he stormed out, many of the guests following him. The ones who remained behind circled Alanna to quickly give their condolences before they, too, left.
"So sorry, my dear," Alanna's second cousin Jasia whispered and she hugged her tightly. "I know we've only met once, but if you ever need anything, you may call on me."
All Alanna could do was smile back.
"Poor thing," her aunt Breanna cooed. "Barely knew your father, and now he's gone. Here, let your aunt Breanna give you a hug." She squeezed Alanna so tight that afterward she was breathless.
"I am so sad for you," a lady said in a halting accent. "I am Seka, wife of your husband's...friend."
"Truly sorry, miss. He never will see what a lady you will become."
"I did not know your father well, but I offer my sympathies. For you, and for him."
"He was a fine man. It must be difficult, that he should leave you so suddenly."
"Oh, darling, do you remember me? You were but such a small thing when we met, and now when you're finally a grown woman, we meet again. But, alas, to meet again at such an occasion..."
By the time the last guests had trailed out, Alanna was thoroughly sick of being the center of attention. Tiredly, she fell down against the plush couch. Coram stood against the doorway.
"Hello, Alanna," he said softly. She didn't meet his eyes.
"Been a long time since I've seen you."
"Eight years," he said, stepping forward to stand before her. He didn't comment on how much of a lady she'd become, knowing that she would frown on it.
"Good," she answered.
"Good?" he repeated, confused. Alanna looked up and smiled wearily.
"You were about to say something about how I've become a lady, but we both know that's not true. It's good that you caught yourself." Coram smiled wryly at her comment.
"I suppose that you would like to know about your brother now," he said. Alanna shrugged.
"Maude wouldn't tell me, so I suppose you won't either."
"You're not curious?" Coram was suprised.
"What do you think?"
He chuckled and sat on the floor. After clearing his throat, he began again.
"I suppose the first thing you want to know is 'how do Maude and Coram know so much?' Or perhaps, 'how do they know anything that I don't?' Well, Alanna, we've served Trebond loyally for a long time."
"I know," she answered softly.
"All our lives," he continued. "And your parents knew that. They trusted us. And when they asked us for help and swore us to secrecy, what could we do?"
"Who else knows?" Alanna asked, the thought suddenly striking her. "Who else knows that I have a brother??"
"Two other people knew, but both of them are long dead by now. Another servant, and a close friend of your mother's."
"Carine," Alanna breathed. She could just barely remember the lady who so loved her mother, the outlines of her friendly face and the curves of her smile.
"Yes, Carine and Damian. You weren't always an only child. On that night, eighteen years ago, there were two children born in Trebond."
"Twins?" Alanna was shocked.
"Twins. One girl--you--and a baby boy, who was named Thom. We could tell that both were to be redheads, since at birth redheads have litle hair. And when you opened your eyes, by mithros they were beautiful and bright, violet like your mother's!" Alanna smiled.
"And what about Thom? What happened to him? Does he still live?"
"I don't know."
"How could you not know?" Alanna thundered. "Either he died or he didn't! How could you not know??"
"You opened your eyes, and we waited for Thom to do the same, but his eyes never opened. You were smiling already, and breathing normally, but he had yet to draw breath. So the midwife tried to wake him up. It seemed like ages, and we were scared to death. After maybe 'bout ten minutes, Thom gasped. He took a breath, and then another. We cried out for joy and was ready to celebrate when the midwife stopped us."
"Well?" Alanna prodded as Coram paused. Coram shook his head.
"Maybe Maude is right. The time is not yet right for me to tell you."
"WHAT??!!!" Alanna roared. "He's my twin--I have a right to know!!!!"
"She does."
Alanna glanced around and saw Maude standing in the hallway outside of the door. She was smiling slightly and cautiously stepped into the room, sitting on the ground next to Coram, despite that there were other couches in the room. Coram raised an eyebrow.
"Well what? You've already gotten this far with the tale!" Maude said indignantly. "You can't leave her hangin'!" She turned to Alanna. "The midwife stopped us then and said, 'It is not over yet.'"
"And we asked, 'What do you mean? The boy is breathing--he lives!'" Coram said.
"The midwife told us, 'No, he is sickly. It seems that he is plagued with a disease I know not of.' We were frozen still then. And then Lady, she said, weakly from her bed, 'What is wrong with my son?'"
"'His breathing is strange, if you listen carefully, and look how he trembles,' she said. We leaned closer, and indeed when Thom drew breath, he gurgled, as if he were underwater. We grew real scared then."
"Then Lady, she held out her arms and said,'Give my son to me.' Midwife refused. She pointed out how Thom's feet were dark, and he was sweating, a thin gray sheen covering his body. His tiny veins were swelling, and he had yet to open his eyes."
"So the midwife said again,'I have never seen this disease before. It will take a powerful mage to cure him.' She collected her pay, and left. After that, we were scared out of our wits."
"So what could we do? We sent out messengers to all the mages, begging for help. When none came, we offered them as much payment as they wanted in return. That was when the healers came."
"So he was cured?" Alanna asked, breathing a sigh of relief.
"We thought he'd be. So many healers came, we were sure that one of them would know his illness."
"None did. It was a miracle that he lived a week, but his skin turned dark gray, and he still did not open his eyes. Another week drew by, and none of the healers could cure him. By then, Sir Alan was desperate, offering anything he owned in return for his son's health."
"Anything?" Alanna repeated. Somehow, she could not imagine her father offering to give away all of his possessions.
"But by then, we'd lost hope. Healers came in everyday, and they left as soon as they had a good look at Thom. So when a young couple walked in, we were skeptical."
"Why?" Alanna wondered aloud.
"Well, they were so....young, and they looked inexperienced." Coram laughed. "How prejudiced of us."
"Like he had to all the other healers, Sir Alan repeated his offer, promising them anything they wished in return for his son's health."
"They were quick about it," Coram explained. "They examined Coram like all the other's had, but instead of shaking their head's and leaving, the woman turned to us and remarked,'This is the disease that my mother died of.' With that, she drew herbs from her pouch and called for hot water and cloths. She quickly mixed them with the water and spread it over Thom's body. After soaking the cloths in hot water, she set them over Thom's frail figure. The minutes passed by like years, with her exchanging the cloths whenever they grew cold. As she did this, the man that had arrived with her mixed up a foul-smelling concoction." Maude shuddered at the memory.
"We were sure that he was going to poison the poor boy! He pried open Thom's mouth and poured the vile liquid into it. Thom sputtered, but drank it. Little by little, the entire bowlful was forced down his throat."
"Then, we waited." Coram paused for a moment. Alanna had the sense not to interrupt.
"When the lady took away the cloths, she rubbed Thom's body, picking him up and then setting him gently back down. As she set him down, Thom's eyes flew open."
"We all cried out then," Coram recalled. "They were violet, just like yours."
"Sir Alan was in the room with us, and he was the first to hold Thom in his arms, cradling him like the treasure that he was."
"'His skin will clear up in a few weeks,' the lady informed us. We couldn't stop thanking the two of them. They smiled sheepishly back at us."
Both of them were silent for a long moment. Alanna could sense that what was to come was not a good thing, and she shivered. The silence stretched, and at last Alanna grew impatient.
"What happened??" she demanded.
"Oh, if only Sir Alan had not made that offer!" Maude cried, tears coursing down her cheeks. Coram patted her back and avoided Alanna's eyes.
"Sir Alan thanked them several times, and asked them what they wanted. They glanced at each other, and then the lady asked slowly,'You promised to give us what we wish?' Sir Alan nodded vigorously, handing Thom to Lady. 'Of course! Whatever is within my power to give!' Oh, I felt the evil then, as the two of them grinned."
"'She-she said," Maude broke out, "she told us how they could never have children, that she was barren. I knew then. Before they even said that what they wanted in payment was to keep Thom, I knew."
"Keep...Thom?" Alanna repeated. Maude nodded.
"He said, 'We want your child in return.' Sir Alan was shocked speechless. The man kept telling us that they would take good care of Thom, and raise him as their own. So what could Sir Alan do? He was bound to his word, a matter of honor."
"Honor?" Alanna spat. "He was just being spineless, that's what!" Coram gave her a stern look and then decided to ignore her.
"So the couple took Thom away, and that was the last we ever heard of them. Of course, Sir Alan is extremely proud, and he couldn't bear it if anyone found out what happened, so he hired a powerful mage...can't remember what his name was, but he was the tallest man I've ever met. Sir Alan paid him almost all of his fortune to erase the incident from the memory of everyone in the land, save us four."
"Is that...is it possible??" Alanna asked. "To erase something from someone's memory?" Coram laughed.
"Of course not! Why, if such a thing were possible, then just think, Alanna! What would happen?"
"Anyway, Sir Alan was in luck," Maude continued. "Since we'd only sent messengers to the known mages and healers, it was kept really quiet. Mages aren't exactly the most social people these days. So, the whold thing blew over with nobody hearin' about it. Well, not many people, anyway."
"Seems unreal," Alanna commented, shivering. "Like a bedtime story, or a fairytale." Coram and Maude nodded in agreement.
"He never forgot that, though, naturally. How could you forget one's own son? In the beginning, he tried to push it out of his mind. After Lady died, he threw himself into being the best father that he could be, a promise he made to her as she lay dying."
"What happened?" Alanna asked.
"Well, you know what happened," Maude said softly. "You know what a father he was to you all these past years. In the beginning, he did his best to forget about Thom. And I think he did, for a while."
"But then one day when he was out, he saw a small village boy with red hair. Of course, it takes very little to re-ignite old hopes, especially this one. When the boy turned around, his eyes were green, not purple. When he saw his eyes, Sir Alan was crushed. He sort of withdrew from the world for a while."
Now Alanna understood. It all made sense to her. Kicking off her shoes, she drew her feet up and rested her chin on her knees.
"He spent all his time in his study," Maude continued. "When he finally re-emerged, he did his best to be good to you. But it wasn't the same, you know that. He was what was expected in a father, but nothing more. Like he was only playacting...you could tell that his heart wasn't in it."
"Do you think he's still alive?" Alanna asked after a moment.
"Who, Thom?" Coram smiled. "I have no doubt about it. When the couple took him away, they handled him with utmost care, cradling him like he was the fate of the world. Their eyes shone with the happiness that was stolen from ours."
"I'll find him," Alanna declared. "It'll be my first quest! I'll find Thom and bring him home at last!!"
Maude and Coram exchanged amused looks. Alanna pursed her lips in a pout, but it turned to a smile. The three of them sat contentedly in silence, lost in the past for a moment.
"I will find him," Alanna repeated softly, mostly to herself. "I promise."
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There! That's not a cliffhanger! Well, not really...
Sorry that this chapter was boring, a bit looonnng (compared to the others anyway!!) and a big sentimentality fest, but it was essential to the story!!! Yeah, most of it was all about Thom, but come on, isn't that important???!!!!!!!
SOOOOOO.....what do you think?????? Be honest!!!! (But if you're gonna flame, throw in 1 compliment, please!!!)
And like I said, this side of this story is Soooo much more important than who Alanna falls in love with!
One final note--before you rat on me about Coram's accent, I was too lazy to give him one. And it's another universe, remember??
One MORE note: You guys, lay off ok? Every time you asked for another chapter, I put one up, like, a day later! (Not really, but close enough!!) Don't I deserve a break??