To:
LadyLuck: It was 'interesting?' Define "Interesting" please. Don't worry, you couldn't possibly hurt my feelings (much). Well, thanks! I've got over a hundred reviews now, woo-hoo! And personally, that wasn't a fast update. That was more than a week. Which is a slow update for me, anyhoo. The only reason I can handle updating often is cuz my chapters are short, and I'm inspired. (I'm rereading ITHOTG right now). And yeah, you're right. With the whole Alex thing, I kinda doubled the number of paths the story could take. I'm not sure how it'll all end. I'm not planning very far ahead. *Frowns*
Lillie: He is hot. Duh. =) I have a LOTR desktop with him on it. Well, I have several. ;-)
Sedai: Thank you. *Bows* Like I said, I haven't completely decided if Alex is a good guy yet. But he obviously has the hots for Alanna. LOL!
Lady Tarillyn: Whoa. That was a revelation (sp?). Glad you love it so much! Happy Happy. Wait...what am I saying? I'm ecstatic!! I'll check out your story as soon as the teachers let up a lil' about the tests. Arg.
P.S. What's a machette?
P.P.S. Yeah, that's the type of review I like to see! Nice and long! =) You should do it more often.
P.P.P.S. LOTR comes out Dec. 18
Faithful: Really? I haven't read any fanfics (yet) that make Alex gay. Hmmm...
And I half agree with you that TP kills my pave people or turns them into prigs. I'm not sure about the prigs part, but I'm not happy with how they turned out, lemme just say that.
AerinBrown: Alex? Wow, I'm surprised how many people want Alanna to end up with Alex. What a shocker.
Lady Louisa: Read AerinBrown's message. And I haven't decided who Alanna should fall in love with.
ME~!~: Really? You haven't read any Alanna-goes-to-the-convents? Read White-Wolf's (below). *Growls* If she would actually CONTINUE it!! Hint Hint.
Lady Arianna: Yeah, I vaguely remember the name. Let me check...Oh, well. I can't find it, but I'm pretty sure you did review. You're right, it is sweet on Alex's part. =)
White-Wolf: WHERE ARE THE TWO CHAPTERS YOU PROMISED????????????????????????????????????????????? *Glares* *Death-glares* *'I-wanna-kill-you'-glare*
AN: All in all, I haven't made up my mind about how the story should end, or who Alanna will fall in love with. Completely amazed at how many people want Alanna to fall in love with Alex. I didn't expect that. So, I need to do even MORE thinking.
One more thing--I just reread what I wrote on Ch.12 and decided that it was too fast-paced. Especially the scene with Alex and Alanna. I should've eased into it a lil' better/more. Anyone else agree??
*Sighs* I really hate it, ugh. God it's so bad.
Not that this chap. would be any better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter thirteen--
Alex lay at the base of a shady willow in the palace gardens, bushes blocking him from the view of people on the path. He was avoiding Alanna. Sighing, he closed his eyes. He'd come here to stop thinking about her, not continue brooding. Still, even as he tried to refocus his thoughts, they continued to stray back to Alanna. She was not beautiful as most of the court ladies, but she wasn't a hag either. For some unfathomable reason, being around her had strange effects on his mind. He winced as he recalled some of the less sophisticated things he'd said around her. Either he couldn't think straight or he said things his normal mouth would never have uttered.
Another thing was that he never paid much attention to the court ladies before. He'd scorned his friends for the excessive amount of attention and time they'd paid the women. Of course, he was polite and courteous enough, but he'd never taken too much of an interest in them before. Now all of a sudden one lady consumed all of his time.
He could not recall when this first occured. At first, it was simply because she was an obligation. Gary had made him swear to look after her, so he did. Later on, he grew obsessed with attempting to discover her secrets, unravel the mystery that hung around her like a cloud. Then, it changed to something else, something Alex could not name.
Voices from the path caught his attention, pulling him out of these musings. There was the rustle of skirts, and loud women's voices.
"...and was. Did you see her?" one asked excitedly. Alex peered through the leaves. She was a petite blonde, dressed in fine silver silk. Vaguely he recalled seeing her and her companions at a previous ball. They had seemed nice enough.
"Of course. I even saw her with that Shang," another sneered. "Figures that she'd do something like that." Alex tensed, knowing who they were talking about. It seemed that even here he could not escape Alanna, one way or another.
"I heard that she's the first lady in over a century that didn't pass the classes until she was eighteen," yet another remarked. "I can tell why, just by looking at her."
"I saw her once, at the convent," the first said. Now the three of them had stopped and rested on a stone bench by the path, across from where Alex was hidden.
"Really? Cythea, you're not toying with us are you?"
"Of course not, Melarie," Cythea said indignantly. "'Lady Alanna' indeed! She's no more a lady than a horse is a cow!" The three of them shared a laugh. Alex felt the urge to shake them soundly. Almost instantly, he felt ashamed for thinking such thoughts, confused at what caused him to feel this way.
"She'll never find herself a husband," Melarie remarked. "Who would want a wife from a woman who fights?" she said disdainfully.
I would, Alex thought before he caught himself. Now he gasped. No, he mentally scolded himself. No you do not want a wife, not yet. Especially not Alanna.
"And who would want a wife ugly as a skinned rat?" the third crowed.
"Oh, Genevieve!" Melarie gasped. "She's not as ugly as a skinned rat! She's UGLIER!"
"Hideous as the bottom of a...of a hog," Cythea giggled.
"As disgusting as the slugs after the rain," Genevieve said. Melarie nodded.
"You're right. She is disgusting. I heard that her father had to tie her to the carriage to send her to the convent."
"I heard that the Daughters whipped her at first," Genevieve whispered loudly. "But then that didn't work so they beat her senseless."
"You lie, Genevieve," Cythea said irritably. "The Daughters would do no such thing. I heard that they placed binding spells on her at night so that she wouldn't run away, that's all."
"No," Melarie and Genevieve chorused.
"Sure it would take more than that to contain a...a...a BEAST like her!" declared Melarie.
Suddenly, the three fell silent. Alex parted more twigs to see what had caused them to stop. His groaned inwardly when he saw Alanna standing in the middle of the path, wearing a soft brown riding dress. Her coppery locks were pulled into a neat tail at the nape of her neck, trailing down her back in waves.
"Good day," Alanna said, her voice ice cold.
"Good day to you," Cythea said stiffly. "Now if you don't mind moving, you're disrupting the scenery." Melarie and Genevieve snickered. Alanna stiffened, her back straightening like a wooden board.
"And if I am? Surely a...beast like me should not stop you from your wonderful conversation," she replied, her voice fakely sweet.
"So you heard? Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?" Melarie remarked.
"Don't you know it's rude to speak ill of someone when you think they can't hear you?" Alanna countered. She smirked. "Not that I care what you think anyway."
The three of them were speechless for a moment. Then, Genevieve glared.
"Good. So leave." She waved an arm dismissively. "You're attracting flies."
Now it was Alanna who was silent. At last, she spoke. "And you're breathing my air. Why don't you leave?"
"We were here first," Cythea said angrily. A corner of Alanna's lip surved upward, but her eyes were still maliciously cold.
"You misunderstand. I do believe that I was here first. I was born three years before you."
"And still husbandless."
Now Alanna laughed. "And you believe this to be a bad thing? Ah, to be married to a nobleman twice my age, bear his children, then wed again after his death. I am fortunate to have evaded this end for so long."
"You're just bitter because you can't attract any men," Cythea sniffed.
"And you're just bitter because you can."
"I am not bitter," Cythea hissed. "And I am proud to already have three men courting me. Which is probably more than you will ever have in your lifetime."
"Thank the gods," Alanna retorted. Melarie and Genevieve stood, pulling Cythea up along with them.
"Come on, Cythea, we'll leave. She's not worth speaking to," Melarie said. Cythea shook off their hands. In two steps she faced Alanna, looking down since Alanna was two inches shorter.
Sensing danger coming, Alex scrambled to stand and stepped onto the path. All four women turned and stared at him. He walked until he stood beside Alanna.
"Good day ladies. Lady Alanna, care you for a leisurely stroll through the garden?" he said smoothly. Alanna didn't look his way, keeping her focus on Cythea.
"I'm busy at the moment," she growled. "This bitch needs to be taught to heel."
Cythea gasped, her face instantly turning red. "Wh-who do you think you are?" she sputtered. Now Alex grabbed Alanna's elbow and jerked it.
"Alanna..." he warned, voice low. She whirled, grabbing his wrist with her other hand and twisting it behind his back. Alex winced.
"Leave me be," Alanna told him. When Alex grunted she released her hold.
"Don't do something you'll regret later," he hissed into her ear.
"I never regret anything I do," was her short reply.
"Don't let her get to you, Alanna," he tried again. "She's just a conceited brat who likes to gossip."
"Exactly." With those words, before Alex could stop her, Alanna pulled her right arm back and struck Cythea squarely in the face. Cythea's eyes widened in horror as blood sprouted from her nose. Alex grabbed both of Alanna's arms and held them firmly against her back, dragging her away.
"Lady Alanna apologizes for the wound," he said to Cythea as he pulled her down the path.
"No I don't!" Alanna screamed, struggling to free her arms. With her heel she stomped hard onto Alex's foot. A long string of curse words was uttered as he felt the blood flow, but he did not let her go until he had dragged her a sufficient distance, into a secluded grove.
"Why did you do that?" Alanna demanded furiously. "I was going to beat her to a pulp."
"I know," Alex answered grimly. "And that's wrong."
"You don't understand, Alex!" Alanna cried. "It's girls like her--girls who think they're better than the rest of us--who make life miserable for people like me. The Convent was full of them! Back then I didn't know how to fight, but I struck back however I could. They think they're SO pretty, and SO graceful, and SO...ladylike! And then they would sneer at me when I couldn't do things as well as they could! They would laugh at me, and say 'Oh look at Alanna the Oaf!' or 'Alanna the Hag failed the classes AGAIN.' Why do you think I never made any friends? How could you possibly be friends with those kinds of people?? It's not like I didn't try! I was lonely, but they didn't care because they didn't want to be seen conversing with 'Alanna the Lad!'"
"'Alanna the Lad?'" Alex chuckled. "That's not so bad."
"Not so bad? Easy for you to say, you were born a boy and you could be a knight. I had to go to that STUPID convent full of VAIN little girls who were dolled up to look and act like their mothers. Their conceited mothers. I almost went insane there at the convent, alright! Just staring at those bleak, bare moutains for eight years was enough to make you mad, but I also had to put up with THEM!!"
Alanna sighed and leaned against a thick, stout beech tree. Slowly she slid down against the smooth bark, finally sitting on the green grass with her legs curled under her. Alex sat down a few feet away, arm on his raised knee.
"They all hated me, you know," Alanna continued, quieter now. "Oh, they were so nice when the Daughters were around, but the second their backs were turned, they tormented me. Even the Daughters hated me, because I tried to run away and because I refused to learn anything. In the end, I just learned to stop listening to them. If I didn't hear what they said, then it couldn't hurt me."
"So what about Cythea?" Alex probed curiously. Alanna flushed.
"I don't know. I mean, normally I don't get that upset. I just tell myself that they're too stupid to know what they're really saying. But today...I don't know, it just seemed too much for me to take." She sniffed, then smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, I won't cry."
"They're probably saying horrible things about you right now," Alex said, smiling. Alanna returned the smile, but hers was forced.
"I know. I probably won't be able to show my face in court. Ever."
"Oh, it's not that bad," Alex consoled. "They'll say you're uncivilized and..."
"Unladylike," Alanna finished miserably. Sighing, Alex crawled over to her. He didn't think about his actions until after he had both arms around her in a comforting hug. Then he remembered that he'd spent all day trying to avoid this sort of situation. Alanna clung to him, and he felt that it was hard to breathe.
His shirt felt damp. Alex frowned, then realized that Alanna was crying. Strangely, she was sobbing silently. Instinctively, he held her tightly and rocked back and forth, whispering words of comfort into her ear. Then, before he realized what he was doing, Alex had kissed her cheek. One of his hands played with her hair, which to him felt silky smooth. He traced the line of her neck with his lips, still whispering those consoling words. Holding her at arm's length, Alex gazed into her eyes for a moment. Her violet eyes were wide, surprised. The next thing he knew, the distance between them shortened, and his lips were pressed to hers.
It was only after he'd pulled away and was gazing into her shocked violets that his mind processed what he'd done. Alex turned away in the shock that was clearly written all over Alanna's face. Neither of them spoke.
"I-I'm sorry," Alex murmured at last. "I...I didn't mean to be...to be--"
Alanna silenced him with a finger to his lips, a strange expression on her face.
"I--" she began.
"Sir Alex!" a voice called. Someone had burst into the grove. "Sir Alexander of Tirragen, I've been looking everywhere for you! Sir Raoul and Sir Gareth are back from the desert with Lady Delia of Eldorne!" He paused, then looked from Alanna to Alex. "Am I interuppting anything?"
"No," Alex replied hastily, shaking himself and standing. Alanna stood as well, her face pink with embarrassment. "I'll see them immediately."
"Right this way," he answered. Alex and Alanna followed him wordlessly, not looking at each other. What was she going to say? Alex desperately had to know. Then, he pushed away these thoughts.
It was an accident, Alex told himself firmly. One that he wouldn't make again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Laughs*
SOOOO....whadja think? Please, PLease, PLEase, PLEASe, PLEASE tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know the whole thing was from Alex's perspective, but that was the point, since HE was the one who was in love with HER.
Lots more angst coming up. Just a forwarning.
And who really cares that this chap. only had one scene? I got the action (well, not really, but O well!), angst, and romance in it, so THERE!
And does anybody else notice that in most stories, all of the INTERESTING stories happen in the garden? And who am I to break this lovely tradition? Lol!
LadyLuck: It was 'interesting?' Define "Interesting" please. Don't worry, you couldn't possibly hurt my feelings (much). Well, thanks! I've got over a hundred reviews now, woo-hoo! And personally, that wasn't a fast update. That was more than a week. Which is a slow update for me, anyhoo. The only reason I can handle updating often is cuz my chapters are short, and I'm inspired. (I'm rereading ITHOTG right now). And yeah, you're right. With the whole Alex thing, I kinda doubled the number of paths the story could take. I'm not sure how it'll all end. I'm not planning very far ahead. *Frowns*
Lillie: He is hot. Duh. =) I have a LOTR desktop with him on it. Well, I have several. ;-)
Sedai: Thank you. *Bows* Like I said, I haven't completely decided if Alex is a good guy yet. But he obviously has the hots for Alanna. LOL!
Lady Tarillyn: Whoa. That was a revelation (sp?). Glad you love it so much! Happy Happy. Wait...what am I saying? I'm ecstatic!! I'll check out your story as soon as the teachers let up a lil' about the tests. Arg.
P.S. What's a machette?
P.P.S. Yeah, that's the type of review I like to see! Nice and long! =) You should do it more often.
P.P.P.S. LOTR comes out Dec. 18
Faithful: Really? I haven't read any fanfics (yet) that make Alex gay. Hmmm...
And I half agree with you that TP kills my pave people or turns them into prigs. I'm not sure about the prigs part, but I'm not happy with how they turned out, lemme just say that.
AerinBrown: Alex? Wow, I'm surprised how many people want Alanna to end up with Alex. What a shocker.
Lady Louisa: Read AerinBrown's message. And I haven't decided who Alanna should fall in love with.
ME~!~: Really? You haven't read any Alanna-goes-to-the-convents? Read White-Wolf's (below). *Growls* If she would actually CONTINUE it!! Hint Hint.
Lady Arianna: Yeah, I vaguely remember the name. Let me check...Oh, well. I can't find it, but I'm pretty sure you did review. You're right, it is sweet on Alex's part. =)
White-Wolf: WHERE ARE THE TWO CHAPTERS YOU PROMISED????????????????????????????????????????????? *Glares* *Death-glares* *'I-wanna-kill-you'-glare*
AN: All in all, I haven't made up my mind about how the story should end, or who Alanna will fall in love with. Completely amazed at how many people want Alanna to fall in love with Alex. I didn't expect that. So, I need to do even MORE thinking.
One more thing--I just reread what I wrote on Ch.12 and decided that it was too fast-paced. Especially the scene with Alex and Alanna. I should've eased into it a lil' better/more. Anyone else agree??
*Sighs* I really hate it, ugh. God it's so bad.
Not that this chap. would be any better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter thirteen--
Alex lay at the base of a shady willow in the palace gardens, bushes blocking him from the view of people on the path. He was avoiding Alanna. Sighing, he closed his eyes. He'd come here to stop thinking about her, not continue brooding. Still, even as he tried to refocus his thoughts, they continued to stray back to Alanna. She was not beautiful as most of the court ladies, but she wasn't a hag either. For some unfathomable reason, being around her had strange effects on his mind. He winced as he recalled some of the less sophisticated things he'd said around her. Either he couldn't think straight or he said things his normal mouth would never have uttered.
Another thing was that he never paid much attention to the court ladies before. He'd scorned his friends for the excessive amount of attention and time they'd paid the women. Of course, he was polite and courteous enough, but he'd never taken too much of an interest in them before. Now all of a sudden one lady consumed all of his time.
He could not recall when this first occured. At first, it was simply because she was an obligation. Gary had made him swear to look after her, so he did. Later on, he grew obsessed with attempting to discover her secrets, unravel the mystery that hung around her like a cloud. Then, it changed to something else, something Alex could not name.
Voices from the path caught his attention, pulling him out of these musings. There was the rustle of skirts, and loud women's voices.
"...and was. Did you see her?" one asked excitedly. Alex peered through the leaves. She was a petite blonde, dressed in fine silver silk. Vaguely he recalled seeing her and her companions at a previous ball. They had seemed nice enough.
"Of course. I even saw her with that Shang," another sneered. "Figures that she'd do something like that." Alex tensed, knowing who they were talking about. It seemed that even here he could not escape Alanna, one way or another.
"I heard that she's the first lady in over a century that didn't pass the classes until she was eighteen," yet another remarked. "I can tell why, just by looking at her."
"I saw her once, at the convent," the first said. Now the three of them had stopped and rested on a stone bench by the path, across from where Alex was hidden.
"Really? Cythea, you're not toying with us are you?"
"Of course not, Melarie," Cythea said indignantly. "'Lady Alanna' indeed! She's no more a lady than a horse is a cow!" The three of them shared a laugh. Alex felt the urge to shake them soundly. Almost instantly, he felt ashamed for thinking such thoughts, confused at what caused him to feel this way.
"She'll never find herself a husband," Melarie remarked. "Who would want a wife from a woman who fights?" she said disdainfully.
I would, Alex thought before he caught himself. Now he gasped. No, he mentally scolded himself. No you do not want a wife, not yet. Especially not Alanna.
"And who would want a wife ugly as a skinned rat?" the third crowed.
"Oh, Genevieve!" Melarie gasped. "She's not as ugly as a skinned rat! She's UGLIER!"
"Hideous as the bottom of a...of a hog," Cythea giggled.
"As disgusting as the slugs after the rain," Genevieve said. Melarie nodded.
"You're right. She is disgusting. I heard that her father had to tie her to the carriage to send her to the convent."
"I heard that the Daughters whipped her at first," Genevieve whispered loudly. "But then that didn't work so they beat her senseless."
"You lie, Genevieve," Cythea said irritably. "The Daughters would do no such thing. I heard that they placed binding spells on her at night so that she wouldn't run away, that's all."
"No," Melarie and Genevieve chorused.
"Sure it would take more than that to contain a...a...a BEAST like her!" declared Melarie.
Suddenly, the three fell silent. Alex parted more twigs to see what had caused them to stop. His groaned inwardly when he saw Alanna standing in the middle of the path, wearing a soft brown riding dress. Her coppery locks were pulled into a neat tail at the nape of her neck, trailing down her back in waves.
"Good day," Alanna said, her voice ice cold.
"Good day to you," Cythea said stiffly. "Now if you don't mind moving, you're disrupting the scenery." Melarie and Genevieve snickered. Alanna stiffened, her back straightening like a wooden board.
"And if I am? Surely a...beast like me should not stop you from your wonderful conversation," she replied, her voice fakely sweet.
"So you heard? Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?" Melarie remarked.
"Don't you know it's rude to speak ill of someone when you think they can't hear you?" Alanna countered. She smirked. "Not that I care what you think anyway."
The three of them were speechless for a moment. Then, Genevieve glared.
"Good. So leave." She waved an arm dismissively. "You're attracting flies."
Now it was Alanna who was silent. At last, she spoke. "And you're breathing my air. Why don't you leave?"
"We were here first," Cythea said angrily. A corner of Alanna's lip surved upward, but her eyes were still maliciously cold.
"You misunderstand. I do believe that I was here first. I was born three years before you."
"And still husbandless."
Now Alanna laughed. "And you believe this to be a bad thing? Ah, to be married to a nobleman twice my age, bear his children, then wed again after his death. I am fortunate to have evaded this end for so long."
"You're just bitter because you can't attract any men," Cythea sniffed.
"And you're just bitter because you can."
"I am not bitter," Cythea hissed. "And I am proud to already have three men courting me. Which is probably more than you will ever have in your lifetime."
"Thank the gods," Alanna retorted. Melarie and Genevieve stood, pulling Cythea up along with them.
"Come on, Cythea, we'll leave. She's not worth speaking to," Melarie said. Cythea shook off their hands. In two steps she faced Alanna, looking down since Alanna was two inches shorter.
Sensing danger coming, Alex scrambled to stand and stepped onto the path. All four women turned and stared at him. He walked until he stood beside Alanna.
"Good day ladies. Lady Alanna, care you for a leisurely stroll through the garden?" he said smoothly. Alanna didn't look his way, keeping her focus on Cythea.
"I'm busy at the moment," she growled. "This bitch needs to be taught to heel."
Cythea gasped, her face instantly turning red. "Wh-who do you think you are?" she sputtered. Now Alex grabbed Alanna's elbow and jerked it.
"Alanna..." he warned, voice low. She whirled, grabbing his wrist with her other hand and twisting it behind his back. Alex winced.
"Leave me be," Alanna told him. When Alex grunted she released her hold.
"Don't do something you'll regret later," he hissed into her ear.
"I never regret anything I do," was her short reply.
"Don't let her get to you, Alanna," he tried again. "She's just a conceited brat who likes to gossip."
"Exactly." With those words, before Alex could stop her, Alanna pulled her right arm back and struck Cythea squarely in the face. Cythea's eyes widened in horror as blood sprouted from her nose. Alex grabbed both of Alanna's arms and held them firmly against her back, dragging her away.
"Lady Alanna apologizes for the wound," he said to Cythea as he pulled her down the path.
"No I don't!" Alanna screamed, struggling to free her arms. With her heel she stomped hard onto Alex's foot. A long string of curse words was uttered as he felt the blood flow, but he did not let her go until he had dragged her a sufficient distance, into a secluded grove.
"Why did you do that?" Alanna demanded furiously. "I was going to beat her to a pulp."
"I know," Alex answered grimly. "And that's wrong."
"You don't understand, Alex!" Alanna cried. "It's girls like her--girls who think they're better than the rest of us--who make life miserable for people like me. The Convent was full of them! Back then I didn't know how to fight, but I struck back however I could. They think they're SO pretty, and SO graceful, and SO...ladylike! And then they would sneer at me when I couldn't do things as well as they could! They would laugh at me, and say 'Oh look at Alanna the Oaf!' or 'Alanna the Hag failed the classes AGAIN.' Why do you think I never made any friends? How could you possibly be friends with those kinds of people?? It's not like I didn't try! I was lonely, but they didn't care because they didn't want to be seen conversing with 'Alanna the Lad!'"
"'Alanna the Lad?'" Alex chuckled. "That's not so bad."
"Not so bad? Easy for you to say, you were born a boy and you could be a knight. I had to go to that STUPID convent full of VAIN little girls who were dolled up to look and act like their mothers. Their conceited mothers. I almost went insane there at the convent, alright! Just staring at those bleak, bare moutains for eight years was enough to make you mad, but I also had to put up with THEM!!"
Alanna sighed and leaned against a thick, stout beech tree. Slowly she slid down against the smooth bark, finally sitting on the green grass with her legs curled under her. Alex sat down a few feet away, arm on his raised knee.
"They all hated me, you know," Alanna continued, quieter now. "Oh, they were so nice when the Daughters were around, but the second their backs were turned, they tormented me. Even the Daughters hated me, because I tried to run away and because I refused to learn anything. In the end, I just learned to stop listening to them. If I didn't hear what they said, then it couldn't hurt me."
"So what about Cythea?" Alex probed curiously. Alanna flushed.
"I don't know. I mean, normally I don't get that upset. I just tell myself that they're too stupid to know what they're really saying. But today...I don't know, it just seemed too much for me to take." She sniffed, then smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, I won't cry."
"They're probably saying horrible things about you right now," Alex said, smiling. Alanna returned the smile, but hers was forced.
"I know. I probably won't be able to show my face in court. Ever."
"Oh, it's not that bad," Alex consoled. "They'll say you're uncivilized and..."
"Unladylike," Alanna finished miserably. Sighing, Alex crawled over to her. He didn't think about his actions until after he had both arms around her in a comforting hug. Then he remembered that he'd spent all day trying to avoid this sort of situation. Alanna clung to him, and he felt that it was hard to breathe.
His shirt felt damp. Alex frowned, then realized that Alanna was crying. Strangely, she was sobbing silently. Instinctively, he held her tightly and rocked back and forth, whispering words of comfort into her ear. Then, before he realized what he was doing, Alex had kissed her cheek. One of his hands played with her hair, which to him felt silky smooth. He traced the line of her neck with his lips, still whispering those consoling words. Holding her at arm's length, Alex gazed into her eyes for a moment. Her violet eyes were wide, surprised. The next thing he knew, the distance between them shortened, and his lips were pressed to hers.
It was only after he'd pulled away and was gazing into her shocked violets that his mind processed what he'd done. Alex turned away in the shock that was clearly written all over Alanna's face. Neither of them spoke.
"I-I'm sorry," Alex murmured at last. "I...I didn't mean to be...to be--"
Alanna silenced him with a finger to his lips, a strange expression on her face.
"I--" she began.
"Sir Alex!" a voice called. Someone had burst into the grove. "Sir Alexander of Tirragen, I've been looking everywhere for you! Sir Raoul and Sir Gareth are back from the desert with Lady Delia of Eldorne!" He paused, then looked from Alanna to Alex. "Am I interuppting anything?"
"No," Alex replied hastily, shaking himself and standing. Alanna stood as well, her face pink with embarrassment. "I'll see them immediately."
"Right this way," he answered. Alex and Alanna followed him wordlessly, not looking at each other. What was she going to say? Alex desperately had to know. Then, he pushed away these thoughts.
It was an accident, Alex told himself firmly. One that he wouldn't make again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Laughs*
SOOOO....whadja think? Please, PLease, PLEase, PLEASe, PLEASE tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know the whole thing was from Alex's perspective, but that was the point, since HE was the one who was in love with HER.
Lots more angst coming up. Just a forwarning.
And who really cares that this chap. only had one scene? I got the action (well, not really, but O well!), angst, and romance in it, so THERE!
And does anybody else notice that in most stories, all of the INTERESTING stories happen in the garden? And who am I to break this lovely tradition? Lol!