LARA: oooh, YES, a scar to make him look DANGEROUSLY beautiful... hahaha!
VERALIDAINE: *confuzzled* How are the court ladies funny?
FORGET-ME-NOT: Alex is awesome. Yeah. AWE-some. Uh-huh.
LADY TARRILYN: *tries to recall ever hearing "laddy my love"* *gives up* Ummmm... *reads threat* *trembles in fear* Uh-oh... now I actually have to put EFFORT into the sequel. *gulps* Great plot ideas, anyone??
LILLIE: Reading long chapters-awesome. Writing long chapters--pain in the ass.
AERINBROWN: *laughs* But some of their babies would be awesome black-haired violet-eyed ones... what a great combo, no?
KEITA: Wow. And of COURSE the best way to kill someone is to get somebody else to do it... that way you don't even NEED an alibi...
DEMENETED-DREAMER: That "idiot" has just had a number of his brain cells destroyed by Duke Roger's possessive magic, that's what! Long reviews, good. 'Dying' is spelled just like that. Alex and Alanna are not getting married at the end of this story (I think??); that's reserved as a possible ending for the sequel, if they're really good.
SNOWY-LOVE ANGEL: Ermm... actually, lookin' back, I think I'm the first one to do an A/A... but I may be wrong, it's just that I never saw any before I wrote this one... but yeah, you don't learn enough about him in the books, which is why originally I didn't intend for this to be an A/A, it just sorta evolved that way on its own...
LADY LAKE: Thanks! (about the part of me not sounding cliche, because I usually tend to sound extremely cliche, so I take that as a huge compliment and personal achievement!)
XELENA: actually, the duel scene was much inspired by that scene where Alex broke Alanna's collarbone... noticed it, eh? No, Jon could still win, even though this is an A/A... but that's unlikely since Alex is a much better fencer... And yes, they were both in his presence (sp???) before they went to banquet, so yes, Roger coulda cast a spell on them both, but then again, he coulda used voodoo dolls again... hehe... i want voodoo doll! yep, Meganne and Nelly are crazy-psycho. It's 2 in the morning!
BUSYBEE: Ummm.... *ponders* I wonder what would happen to my story if I DID kill Jon and Alex off... would all my readers flee in response? Probably. Would Duke Roger gain the throne? Probably. Would Alanna fall in love with somebody else? Possibly. Would much adventure insue? Definitely. Hmmmm.... interesting...
IMMORTAL DRAGON: *hands her a "Alex Rox My World" banner*
ATLANTIS FORESTER: Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack!!!!
WHITE WOLF: Read Atlantis Forester's comment above. And.... UPDATE!!!!! *sends her a howler* *sends her another howler* *locks her in padded cell with only pencil and paper* *prison guard leers at her whenever she tries to do anything other than write her fanfic*
KECHARAFAITH4LYF: Faithful is amused. That's why he said to let things "play out." But he really didn't mean it, 'cuz he KNOWS that Alanna wouldn't listen to him anyway. Hmmm... maybe it's reverse psychology? I dunno how cats' minds work.
MEGS: Actually, I only later realized that Vera was too close to Veralidaine (if I were Tammy, I woulda nicknamed her Vera not Daine, but... I'm not Tammy, am I??), but originally for her name I just opened my baby name book and plucked up the first name that caught my eye... which happened to be Vera. And again, her full name is Æveradysné Ceïlan, pronounced "Ay-VER-ah-DIZ-nay SAY-ee-lahn."
VENGENCE OF QUEENSCOVE: *is very flattered*
LADY TALIANA: Can you sign in next time, if you REALLY want me to review your story? [I'm warning you... I am an EXTREMELY critical person! Yes, my friends fear me, hehe] That way, I can just click your name to get to your story.
Dracos Myth; Lady Marie; everyone else who reviews, and all those silent readers out there (*ahem*)... love you guys sooooo much!!!! Wouldn't have gotten this far if you hadn't threatened... er, encouraged me!!!
Chapter thirty-one---
Alanna was running. The palace was suddenly a maze that she couldn't find her way through. She heard crying, and she was racing toward the sound. It never seemed to grow closer, however. The cries came from somewhere to her left. Pounding down the hall, Alanna was sweating and short of breath. With one hand she clutched her side. It seemed as if she had been running for forever.
Doubling over, Alanna gasped for air. The crying seemed louder than ever, and she fought the urge to cover her ears. Another voice joined the first, though Alanna couldn't tell if it was male or female. Grudgingly, she continued her search.
She tried to remember the last time she'd seen another person. Somehow the memory eluded her. Shaking her head, partly to clear her mind and partly to move the hair out of her eyes, Alanna continued. Now another voice joined the wailing. Alanna increased her speed.
The voices grew louder. Perhaps she was drawing nearer the source. Racing up a small flight of stairs, she reached another hallway. Suddenly, she paused. To her right was a door of strong oak.
Throwing her shoulder against it, the door tumbled open. So it had been unlocked. Glancing around, Alanna simply saw a common room. The wailing was gone, but a door in the back of the room was ajar. Voices floated from it. Tip-toeing closer, she peeked into it.
"Come in," a voice commanded. Surprised, Alanna pushed opened the door. Before her stood a tall, attractive man. In one hand he held a sceptor. On his brown hair was a crown. Flashing a smile at Alanna, he gestured. She noticed the jewel around his neck, the jewel that instantly caught and held her gaze.
"Duke Roger..." Alanna croaked. Squirming, Alanna attempted to pry her eyes away from that jewel, but somehow she couldn't. Her head ached and her eyesight blurred...
"'Duke' Roger no longer," he said with a smile.
"Wha? What are you doing?"
Chuckling, Roger whirled the sceptor around between in thumb and forefinger, gazing at his reflection in the polished gold. "I am king, Alanna."
"What??"
Roger's smile fell a little, as if he was annoyed with her stupidity. "It is done. I am king of Tortall. Long live King Roger!" At these words, he seemed to grow; the room darkened suddenly as he loomed above her, his face twisting and distorting, changing into a hideous blackened image.
Alanna backed away from him, opening her mouth to scream but unable to find her voice. Duke--King Roger's body grew and grew, becoming dark black with the room, as if he was smothering out the light with his darkness. Alanna turned her head away from the jewel that watched her like a eye...
Duke Roger reached out long fingers for her. Gasping, Alanna jerked backwards and tripped. Crawling now, her hands pushed against the stone floors, scooting her backwards and away from the blackness. Her vision was dimming, dimming... the only thing she could see was the light of Roger's jewel...
Then Roger disappeared entirely. Or at least, she wasn't able to see him. It was now completely dark, without even the cursed light of his jewel. Somehow she knew that she was alone. Yet, she still felt evil in the air.
Her hand touched something that wasn't stone. In the blackness, she couldn't see it, but Alanna knew she felt well-worn leather. Feeling cautiously, Alanna realized that she was holding some sort of handle. As she pressed down the handle, something sharp pricked her finger. She realized suddenly what she held.
Grasping the handle with both hands, she lifted the sword above her head and slashed the air above her. A terrible screeching filled the air as the sword slashed through the blackness leaving stream of light appearing in its wake...
When Alanna woke from the recurring dream, she found herself clutching the wrung sheets tightly, her knuckles white. Her nightgown was once again drenched with cold sweat. This time the Goddess's ember burned painfully against her skin.
Inhaling deeply, Alanna touched the hot ember.
"I thought she took away the dreams," she muttered.
'What did you dream about?'
Alanna glanced to the edge of the bed. There sat Faithful, cleaning himself in an utterly unconcerned matter. She scowled at him.
"The same thing as always. Empty hallways, voices, Duke Roger, his rooms, his stupid jewel, a sceptor,and then the darkness... I wish I knew what the lot of it meant... I need to talk to someone or else I'll go insane."
Alanna gave Faithful a pointed look. "And no, not you. You're no help."
Faithful gave a feline version of a shrug. 'It's an hour until dawn. I don't think anybody would like it if you woke them up to talk about your silly dream.'
"You think it's silly??!!!" Alanna demanded angrily.
'Of course it's not silly. It was sent from the Goddess after all. I'm just saying that others would think you're insane if you take your dreams too seriously.' He looked at her seriously. 'So you might as well try talking to me.'
"No," Alanna said stubbornly. "I need to talk to a HUMAN. Besides, I know someone who won't think I'm insane."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So they ARE visions?"
"You were right," Alanna said with a tight smile. "It's always the same, a recurring dream, although every time I have it, it gets longer and there's more of it... It's a message from the Goddess."
"A message from the Goddess?" George breathed. "I TOLD ye!" he said triumphantly.
"Anyway, I can't figure out what any of it means... It always starts with me hearing voices, and the palace is empty. I'm searching the palace for the source of the voices and then I find my way to Duke Roger's rooms."
"Duke Roger?" George raised an eyebrow.
"Here's the really strange part: I go in and I see him wearing a sceptor and a crown, and he says, 'I am King, Alanna.' I can't take my eyes of this jewel he has, and I keep staring at it even as the room turns black and he grows bigger."
George's eyebrow rose even higher.
"Strange, right? Now this last part appeared in last night's dream: he disappears, and I'm sitting in complete blackness, yet I still feel evil nearby. I feel something on the floor, and it turns out to be a sword. I pick it up and kind of... cut the blackness, if that makes sense."
"What sort of sword?" George asked.
"Well, I never really saw it," Alanna admitted, "but I think it felt old. At least, the leather on the hilt felt old. It must've been a magical sword, though, to have cut the blackness."
"So the Goddess herself has been sending you visions? You must be one of her Chosen," George whistled, eyeing the ember around her neck. "And that...?" He motioned to it.
"This is her token," Alanna explained. "I... I met her a few days ago."
"You MET her??!" George cried. Alanna nodded glumly.
"I just found out...She explained everything to me. Well, not everything. She said that she'd take the dreams away, but she didn't..."
"What was she like?" wondered George.
"Beautiful," Alanna laughed. "More beautiful than any woman I've ever seen, and mind you, I spent years in a Convent, too. Her skin is pale and smooth, so perfect, and she's so tall... She's just... just a divine being..."
"I wish I could meet her," sighed George.
"She's scary," Alanna muttered, drawing a howl of laughter from George.
"What? She is!" Alanna cried defensively.
"Well, what did she do that was so frightnin'?"
"Er, nothing," Alanna admitted.
"So what'd she tell you?"
Alanna was silent, brows deeply furrowed, as she collected her thoughts.
"She told me about my brother."
"You have a brother?"
"A twin," Alanna explained. "We were separated at birth. When we were born, I was healthy and Thom was sick. Nobody could cure him except this couple. My father promised them whatever they wished in return for his health. Having no children--"
"They wanted him as their payment," George finished. "And he... jus' gave 'em up?"
"He's very proud, and he has all these high notions of honor. I'd worried about what they might've done with Thom, but the Goddess told me that they had raised him well, like their own. He's a mage now, like them. I want to find him, George. I have to."
"I understand," he said softly.
"Anyway, she said a lot of things that didn't really make sense. At the end she gave some bits of advice. Learn to use a sword, be kind to Alex, and ask you for help with my Gift."
"She said that, did she?" George raised an eyebrow.
"Could you?"
"I'm not nearly so much Gifted as you are, but I could try," George offered.
"Could you really?? I train with Gary during the day, learning fencing--"
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Since I arrived in Corus," Alanna said sheepishly. "But could I come in the evenings for my, er, Gifting lessons? But I warn you, I'll be a hard pupil. I'm a bit afraid of magic."
"WHAT?"
"I always have been. I've never really used it much until now."
"How late will you come?" George asked, shaking his head.
"An hour before midnight?" Alanna suggested.
"Alright, lady. Evening 'Gifting lessons.'"
"Maybe if I can improve my Gift, I can better understand my dream. It gets worse every night."
"I don't know how much help knowin' your Gift would be, but I suppose it's worth a try. And I heard that you were bein' nice enough to Alex."
Alanna blushed, then covered her cheeks in horror when she saw George's amusement.
"Well, yeah."
George chuckled. "Well, what other advice did she give ye?"
"She told me to watch the Duke carefully and not be too hasty..."
"Sound advice," George said. He rose and opened the curtains, letting in the midmorning sunlight. "I know I said that if you ever need anythin', you could come to me, but an old man like me needs his sleep. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd try to not come in the wee hours of the mornin' next time?"
"You're not old!" Alanna cried.
"Well, I feel it," laughed George. "Tired in my bones. You must be, too. I'd say you'd best go down and have your breakfast 'fore gettin' goin' back for an afternoon of sleep."
"Oh! I almost forgot! I have to talk to Bowen!" cried Alanna as she dashed down the stairs. "Thanks for everything, George! You're the best!"
"Anytime," George replied. "What would she want with Bowen?" he muttered under his breath.
-----------------------------------------------------
When I get to the last chapter of this story, I am going to first revise all the other chapters before I post it. Hehe.
My to-do list of revisions (because I've got perfectionistic tendencies, ya see?):
*COMPLETELY scrap the first 1-3 chapters and re-write them
*Edit in Coram's accent
*Possibly give a few more A/A scenes, and slightly tweak existing ones (just a line here or there... nothing major!)
*More interaction between Alanna and other characters.... meaning, possibly more chapters... but definitely more scenes...
Well, that's not too bad. Not TOO many revisions to make... I can handle that... *looks ready to cry*
Oh, and I suddenly was inspired to write another TP fic! Right when I wrote that line "since Jon's an only child" I thought, well what IF he wasn't an only child? And thus I thought up another, completely different 'estranged sibling' (your words, not mine!!) storyline... oooh, *goes off to experiment with this plot*
Comin' up in the next chapter: Short lil' chat with Bowen, then it's off to see the Duel! *frowns* i think. I might change my mind.
VERALIDAINE: *confuzzled* How are the court ladies funny?
FORGET-ME-NOT: Alex is awesome. Yeah. AWE-some. Uh-huh.
LADY TARRILYN: *tries to recall ever hearing "laddy my love"* *gives up* Ummmm... *reads threat* *trembles in fear* Uh-oh... now I actually have to put EFFORT into the sequel. *gulps* Great plot ideas, anyone??
LILLIE: Reading long chapters-awesome. Writing long chapters--pain in the ass.
AERINBROWN: *laughs* But some of their babies would be awesome black-haired violet-eyed ones... what a great combo, no?
KEITA: Wow. And of COURSE the best way to kill someone is to get somebody else to do it... that way you don't even NEED an alibi...
DEMENETED-DREAMER: That "idiot" has just had a number of his brain cells destroyed by Duke Roger's possessive magic, that's what! Long reviews, good. 'Dying' is spelled just like that. Alex and Alanna are not getting married at the end of this story (I think??); that's reserved as a possible ending for the sequel, if they're really good.
SNOWY-LOVE ANGEL: Ermm... actually, lookin' back, I think I'm the first one to do an A/A... but I may be wrong, it's just that I never saw any before I wrote this one... but yeah, you don't learn enough about him in the books, which is why originally I didn't intend for this to be an A/A, it just sorta evolved that way on its own...
LADY LAKE: Thanks! (about the part of me not sounding cliche, because I usually tend to sound extremely cliche, so I take that as a huge compliment and personal achievement!)
XELENA: actually, the duel scene was much inspired by that scene where Alex broke Alanna's collarbone... noticed it, eh? No, Jon could still win, even though this is an A/A... but that's unlikely since Alex is a much better fencer... And yes, they were both in his presence (sp???) before they went to banquet, so yes, Roger coulda cast a spell on them both, but then again, he coulda used voodoo dolls again... hehe... i want voodoo doll! yep, Meganne and Nelly are crazy-psycho. It's 2 in the morning!
BUSYBEE: Ummm.... *ponders* I wonder what would happen to my story if I DID kill Jon and Alex off... would all my readers flee in response? Probably. Would Duke Roger gain the throne? Probably. Would Alanna fall in love with somebody else? Possibly. Would much adventure insue? Definitely. Hmmmm.... interesting...
IMMORTAL DRAGON: *hands her a "Alex Rox My World" banner*
ATLANTIS FORESTER: Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack!!!!
WHITE WOLF: Read Atlantis Forester's comment above. And.... UPDATE!!!!! *sends her a howler* *sends her another howler* *locks her in padded cell with only pencil and paper* *prison guard leers at her whenever she tries to do anything other than write her fanfic*
KECHARAFAITH4LYF: Faithful is amused. That's why he said to let things "play out." But he really didn't mean it, 'cuz he KNOWS that Alanna wouldn't listen to him anyway. Hmmm... maybe it's reverse psychology? I dunno how cats' minds work.
MEGS: Actually, I only later realized that Vera was too close to Veralidaine (if I were Tammy, I woulda nicknamed her Vera not Daine, but... I'm not Tammy, am I??), but originally for her name I just opened my baby name book and plucked up the first name that caught my eye... which happened to be Vera. And again, her full name is Æveradysné Ceïlan, pronounced "Ay-VER-ah-DIZ-nay SAY-ee-lahn."
VENGENCE OF QUEENSCOVE: *is very flattered*
LADY TALIANA: Can you sign in next time, if you REALLY want me to review your story? [I'm warning you... I am an EXTREMELY critical person! Yes, my friends fear me, hehe] That way, I can just click your name to get to your story.
Dracos Myth; Lady Marie; everyone else who reviews, and all those silent readers out there (*ahem*)... love you guys sooooo much!!!! Wouldn't have gotten this far if you hadn't threatened... er, encouraged me!!!
Chapter thirty-one---
Alanna was running. The palace was suddenly a maze that she couldn't find her way through. She heard crying, and she was racing toward the sound. It never seemed to grow closer, however. The cries came from somewhere to her left. Pounding down the hall, Alanna was sweating and short of breath. With one hand she clutched her side. It seemed as if she had been running for forever.
Doubling over, Alanna gasped for air. The crying seemed louder than ever, and she fought the urge to cover her ears. Another voice joined the first, though Alanna couldn't tell if it was male or female. Grudgingly, she continued her search.
She tried to remember the last time she'd seen another person. Somehow the memory eluded her. Shaking her head, partly to clear her mind and partly to move the hair out of her eyes, Alanna continued. Now another voice joined the wailing. Alanna increased her speed.
The voices grew louder. Perhaps she was drawing nearer the source. Racing up a small flight of stairs, she reached another hallway. Suddenly, she paused. To her right was a door of strong oak.
Throwing her shoulder against it, the door tumbled open. So it had been unlocked. Glancing around, Alanna simply saw a common room. The wailing was gone, but a door in the back of the room was ajar. Voices floated from it. Tip-toeing closer, she peeked into it.
"Come in," a voice commanded. Surprised, Alanna pushed opened the door. Before her stood a tall, attractive man. In one hand he held a sceptor. On his brown hair was a crown. Flashing a smile at Alanna, he gestured. She noticed the jewel around his neck, the jewel that instantly caught and held her gaze.
"Duke Roger..." Alanna croaked. Squirming, Alanna attempted to pry her eyes away from that jewel, but somehow she couldn't. Her head ached and her eyesight blurred...
"'Duke' Roger no longer," he said with a smile.
"Wha? What are you doing?"
Chuckling, Roger whirled the sceptor around between in thumb and forefinger, gazing at his reflection in the polished gold. "I am king, Alanna."
"What??"
Roger's smile fell a little, as if he was annoyed with her stupidity. "It is done. I am king of Tortall. Long live King Roger!" At these words, he seemed to grow; the room darkened suddenly as he loomed above her, his face twisting and distorting, changing into a hideous blackened image.
Alanna backed away from him, opening her mouth to scream but unable to find her voice. Duke--King Roger's body grew and grew, becoming dark black with the room, as if he was smothering out the light with his darkness. Alanna turned her head away from the jewel that watched her like a eye...
Duke Roger reached out long fingers for her. Gasping, Alanna jerked backwards and tripped. Crawling now, her hands pushed against the stone floors, scooting her backwards and away from the blackness. Her vision was dimming, dimming... the only thing she could see was the light of Roger's jewel...
Then Roger disappeared entirely. Or at least, she wasn't able to see him. It was now completely dark, without even the cursed light of his jewel. Somehow she knew that she was alone. Yet, she still felt evil in the air.
Her hand touched something that wasn't stone. In the blackness, she couldn't see it, but Alanna knew she felt well-worn leather. Feeling cautiously, Alanna realized that she was holding some sort of handle. As she pressed down the handle, something sharp pricked her finger. She realized suddenly what she held.
Grasping the handle with both hands, she lifted the sword above her head and slashed the air above her. A terrible screeching filled the air as the sword slashed through the blackness leaving stream of light appearing in its wake...
When Alanna woke from the recurring dream, she found herself clutching the wrung sheets tightly, her knuckles white. Her nightgown was once again drenched with cold sweat. This time the Goddess's ember burned painfully against her skin.
Inhaling deeply, Alanna touched the hot ember.
"I thought she took away the dreams," she muttered.
'What did you dream about?'
Alanna glanced to the edge of the bed. There sat Faithful, cleaning himself in an utterly unconcerned matter. She scowled at him.
"The same thing as always. Empty hallways, voices, Duke Roger, his rooms, his stupid jewel, a sceptor,and then the darkness... I wish I knew what the lot of it meant... I need to talk to someone or else I'll go insane."
Alanna gave Faithful a pointed look. "And no, not you. You're no help."
Faithful gave a feline version of a shrug. 'It's an hour until dawn. I don't think anybody would like it if you woke them up to talk about your silly dream.'
"You think it's silly??!!!" Alanna demanded angrily.
'Of course it's not silly. It was sent from the Goddess after all. I'm just saying that others would think you're insane if you take your dreams too seriously.' He looked at her seriously. 'So you might as well try talking to me.'
"No," Alanna said stubbornly. "I need to talk to a HUMAN. Besides, I know someone who won't think I'm insane."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So they ARE visions?"
"You were right," Alanna said with a tight smile. "It's always the same, a recurring dream, although every time I have it, it gets longer and there's more of it... It's a message from the Goddess."
"A message from the Goddess?" George breathed. "I TOLD ye!" he said triumphantly.
"Anyway, I can't figure out what any of it means... It always starts with me hearing voices, and the palace is empty. I'm searching the palace for the source of the voices and then I find my way to Duke Roger's rooms."
"Duke Roger?" George raised an eyebrow.
"Here's the really strange part: I go in and I see him wearing a sceptor and a crown, and he says, 'I am King, Alanna.' I can't take my eyes of this jewel he has, and I keep staring at it even as the room turns black and he grows bigger."
George's eyebrow rose even higher.
"Strange, right? Now this last part appeared in last night's dream: he disappears, and I'm sitting in complete blackness, yet I still feel evil nearby. I feel something on the floor, and it turns out to be a sword. I pick it up and kind of... cut the blackness, if that makes sense."
"What sort of sword?" George asked.
"Well, I never really saw it," Alanna admitted, "but I think it felt old. At least, the leather on the hilt felt old. It must've been a magical sword, though, to have cut the blackness."
"So the Goddess herself has been sending you visions? You must be one of her Chosen," George whistled, eyeing the ember around her neck. "And that...?" He motioned to it.
"This is her token," Alanna explained. "I... I met her a few days ago."
"You MET her??!" George cried. Alanna nodded glumly.
"I just found out...She explained everything to me. Well, not everything. She said that she'd take the dreams away, but she didn't..."
"What was she like?" wondered George.
"Beautiful," Alanna laughed. "More beautiful than any woman I've ever seen, and mind you, I spent years in a Convent, too. Her skin is pale and smooth, so perfect, and she's so tall... She's just... just a divine being..."
"I wish I could meet her," sighed George.
"She's scary," Alanna muttered, drawing a howl of laughter from George.
"What? She is!" Alanna cried defensively.
"Well, what did she do that was so frightnin'?"
"Er, nothing," Alanna admitted.
"So what'd she tell you?"
Alanna was silent, brows deeply furrowed, as she collected her thoughts.
"She told me about my brother."
"You have a brother?"
"A twin," Alanna explained. "We were separated at birth. When we were born, I was healthy and Thom was sick. Nobody could cure him except this couple. My father promised them whatever they wished in return for his health. Having no children--"
"They wanted him as their payment," George finished. "And he... jus' gave 'em up?"
"He's very proud, and he has all these high notions of honor. I'd worried about what they might've done with Thom, but the Goddess told me that they had raised him well, like their own. He's a mage now, like them. I want to find him, George. I have to."
"I understand," he said softly.
"Anyway, she said a lot of things that didn't really make sense. At the end she gave some bits of advice. Learn to use a sword, be kind to Alex, and ask you for help with my Gift."
"She said that, did she?" George raised an eyebrow.
"Could you?"
"I'm not nearly so much Gifted as you are, but I could try," George offered.
"Could you really?? I train with Gary during the day, learning fencing--"
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Since I arrived in Corus," Alanna said sheepishly. "But could I come in the evenings for my, er, Gifting lessons? But I warn you, I'll be a hard pupil. I'm a bit afraid of magic."
"WHAT?"
"I always have been. I've never really used it much until now."
"How late will you come?" George asked, shaking his head.
"An hour before midnight?" Alanna suggested.
"Alright, lady. Evening 'Gifting lessons.'"
"Maybe if I can improve my Gift, I can better understand my dream. It gets worse every night."
"I don't know how much help knowin' your Gift would be, but I suppose it's worth a try. And I heard that you were bein' nice enough to Alex."
Alanna blushed, then covered her cheeks in horror when she saw George's amusement.
"Well, yeah."
George chuckled. "Well, what other advice did she give ye?"
"She told me to watch the Duke carefully and not be too hasty..."
"Sound advice," George said. He rose and opened the curtains, letting in the midmorning sunlight. "I know I said that if you ever need anythin', you could come to me, but an old man like me needs his sleep. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd try to not come in the wee hours of the mornin' next time?"
"You're not old!" Alanna cried.
"Well, I feel it," laughed George. "Tired in my bones. You must be, too. I'd say you'd best go down and have your breakfast 'fore gettin' goin' back for an afternoon of sleep."
"Oh! I almost forgot! I have to talk to Bowen!" cried Alanna as she dashed down the stairs. "Thanks for everything, George! You're the best!"
"Anytime," George replied. "What would she want with Bowen?" he muttered under his breath.
-----------------------------------------------------
When I get to the last chapter of this story, I am going to first revise all the other chapters before I post it. Hehe.
My to-do list of revisions (because I've got perfectionistic tendencies, ya see?):
*COMPLETELY scrap the first 1-3 chapters and re-write them
*Edit in Coram's accent
*Possibly give a few more A/A scenes, and slightly tweak existing ones (just a line here or there... nothing major!)
*More interaction between Alanna and other characters.... meaning, possibly more chapters... but definitely more scenes...
Well, that's not too bad. Not TOO many revisions to make... I can handle that... *looks ready to cry*
Oh, and I suddenly was inspired to write another TP fic! Right when I wrote that line "since Jon's an only child" I thought, well what IF he wasn't an only child? And thus I thought up another, completely different 'estranged sibling' (your words, not mine!!) storyline... oooh, *goes off to experiment with this plot*
Comin' up in the next chapter: Short lil' chat with Bowen, then it's off to see the Duel! *frowns* i think. I might change my mind.