AN: *winces* Ok.... I know it's been literally FOREVER since I updated, but at least I'm not as bad as SOME people, right? And... now that it's summer, I can make up for lost time and crank out a chapter a week!!!!!!!!! I promise!!!
Chapter thirty-two--
"It was nice," Alanna began, having seated herself across from Bowen for their scheduled lunch. However, she didn't feel like eating at the moment and said so, shaking her head when offered a mug of something foul-smelling. Bowen had already begun eating, but he listened and watched her intently, taking occasional bites from his bread. The emptied soup bowl was filled with bread crust.
"Or at least it started out nicely." She almost blushed as she recalled Alex's kisses, and then the fountain, but flushed angrily upon remembering Jon's unwanted groping fingers.
"I can imagine," Bowen said politely, with a smile that proved he knew exactly what she meant.
"But you saw how jealous Alex was."
"Jealousy is common, and I believe that most ladies consider it flattering."
Alanna glared at him upon recalling the way her heart fluttered with secret delight at Alex's show of possessiveness. "Well, he wanted me away from everyone, so he suggested that we go out to the gardens."
"Forgive me for saying so, but would it not be too cold out-of-doors, seeing as winter is nipping at our heels?"
"Lemonade, please. Oh, I know," Alanna said, the latter part addressed to him. "It was insane. Well, I was thirsty, or rather looking for an excuse to go indoors. Alex insisted that I find some stupid fountain while he fetched us drinks. So I found the fountain after working my way through a hedge maze--"
"I wasn't aware the palace gardens had a hedge maze," Bowen commented quietly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Well, aparrently there is one. And I found the maze, and WHO should be there but his Royal Lustiness."
Bowen coughed.
"I didn't mean it like that," Alanna clarified fiercely. "He kissed me, and stared undoing the front of my gown! And WHO should walk in at that precise moment that his lips were plastered over mine than Sir Jealousy himself!"
"Quite unfortunate sequence of coincidences," Bowen said sympathetically.
"So Alex attacks Jon with a dagger!"
"Attacks him?" Bowen cried in alarm. "I heard of a duel, but I thought it was tonight!"
"He seemed like he was completely possessed or something," Alanna said. "I've never seen him like that before. His eyes were just... like he was a completely different person. I think it was some kind of trance because after he beat Jon, he kind of shook himself like he was waking up."
"So then he came to his senses?" Bowen asked.
"Yeah..."
"Then... the duel?" Bowen wondered.
"Oh, it's tonight. I guess it was all about his male pride. Jon got upset with Alex and insulted him. He more or less called him a coward with no honor."
"Well, if I was his majesty, I'd be upset after a close friend nearly killed me," remarked Bowen.
"I know, but then Alex got angry about being insulted and challenged him to a duel."
"Ah. The prize?"
"Me," Alanna said glumly. "Not that I'm up for the taking-no! I'm not some little prize-doll to be won. There's no way I'm going to let them fight for me like I'm some... some THING."
"Have you tried saying anything?"
"Of course!! They both ignored me!"
"Hmmm..."
"And here's the real thing." Alanna hesitated, unsure if she should tell Bowen what she REALLY thought.
"Yes?" prompted Bowen.
"I think that sorcery might be the cause of all this. Now hear me out!" she said as Bowen raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm nearly positive. When they were fighting the duel, Alex glowed with an orange light. I felt the presence of someone's Gift."
"So you think he WAS possessed?"
"Or something like that... I don't know, I don't know much about sorcery and magic, but I'm sure it's the cause! I can... I could just FEEL it!"
"Whose Gift?"
Alanna didn't reply. She stared down into her tankard of lemonade.
"Who do you suspect? I guard a secret well, lady. No one will hear from me," Bowen said gently, touching her hand.
Looking around the quickly-crowding room, she realized that she hadn't heard all the others come in. Yet, there they were, thieves and simple hungry folk, seated at tables and eating or talking animatedly. There was a buzz of conversation, enough that what they said wouldn't be heard or noticed.
"Duke Roger," Alanna almost whispered. Bowen's face didn't reveal any response. "His Gift is orange. He wants the royal family dead so that he can inherit the throne. He's using Alex to kill Jon in the duel tonight, I know it!"
"If that were true--" Bowen began.
"It is true!" Alanna interuppted. "I know it! And I know nobody will believe me because everyone just LOVES the Duke, so I have to stop him myself BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW!!"
"And you have until tonight," Bowen concluded. "Well, lady, if it lifts your heart some, I believe you."
"You do?" Alanna lifted her head.
"I've the Gift, remember? And though I don't like using it, sometimes I can't help but notice things. I happened to meet his grace, and I sensed something about him, too--and *I* was raised into a family of mages."
"So what am I to do?!"
"I... don't know," Bowen said at last. "If sorcery is the root of the problem, then trying to stop the duel won't work. You'll probably have to stop Duke Roger himself."
"Argh!" Alanna's head dropped into her hands again. "That's exactly it! I have no idea how to stop him! I don't know if I CAN stop him, I mean.... I mean... He's the greatest mage in Tortall and--"
She stopped suddenly and raised her eyes to look at Bowen. He shifted uncomfortably, already knowing what she was going to suggest.
"Ah," was all he said.
"Right! He's the greatest mage in Tortall--EXCEPT FOR ELIJAH!"
"I could... ask him," Bowen said heavily. "I'll need to find him first."
"Please!" begged Alanna. "I need to know before tonight!"
"Alright, alright," Bowen said, standing. "When I find him, I'll tell him to look for you at the palace. That IS where you can be found, lady?"
"Of course! I've been here all night--I need to sleep!"
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The sun climbed high and reached its peak, and though she had only an hour of rest the night before, Alanna couldn't fall asleep. She twisted and turned--it was too hot in the room, it was too cold, she didn't have enough covers, the covers were too scratchy, the sunlight was in her eyes--and remained fully conscious.
At last she gave up trying to sleep and simply sat around, waiting for Elijah. Her stomach was too busy to allow her a meal. She shredded several of Nelly's handkerchiefs in her anxiety.
The sun began to sink, falling and falling across the sky, and finally dipped out of sight, leaving a the sky painted in hues of red and pink. Looking out the window, Alanna couldn't help but notice the streaks of orange along the horizon and see it as an forboding omen of things to come.
When light had faded from the sky entiredly, Alanna sighed and rose. Apparently Bowen couldn't find Elijah. The time for the duel was near--she could tell from the hum of noise outside her door as ladies rushed to witness what was sure to be quite a show of strength and skill. Alanna had to hurry to reach the dueling courts before it began, as it was located far from her rooms.
By the time she arrived, gossiping viewers were crowded inside already, watching as the two men stretched. Taking a deep breath, Alanna pushed through them.
"Alex! Jon! Don't do this!" she cried upon reaching them. Alex seemed not to have heard her, but Jon raised his head and acknowledged her with a curt nod.
"Alanna, you might not want to watch this," he said.
"Why?" Alanna demanded. "Are you planning on doing something WRONG? Like, say, KILL Alex?" She grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a vigorous shake.
"Of course not!" Jon seemed shocked. "Why would you think that?"
Alanna grasped her necklace. The air around Jon pulsed with a steady orange light. Her fingers tingled and itched from where they had touched Jon. She whirled around to see Alex at the other end of the court, the orange around him so thick that he was hardly visible through it.
"Jon, please don't fight Alex," Alanna begged.
"Do you think he'll beat me?" Jon's eyes narrowed.
"No, I think you'll kill each other!" Alanna cried.
"No," said another voice, hard and cold. Turning, she saw Alex with the same deadly eyes as the night before. "Only one of us will die here tonight."
"You?" retorted Jon.
"Nobody is going to die!" Alanna yelled in exasperation. "This isn't a fight to the death! And I don't know what the two of you are thinking, but you're both possessed! And you're not winning me!" she added, as if it would helf matters.
Looking from one to the other, she that both had clenched jaws and narrowed eyes, their intent obvious. Neither was listening to her.
Desperate, Alanna scanned the crowd wildly for someone who would help her. Her eyes came to rest on Duke Roger. Taking hold of her ember, she strained to see some hint of sorcery about him, but he was colorless--none of the orange came from him.
Alanna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Maybe she had been wrong after all? Perhaps she had been too quick to accuse and Duke Roger wasn't guilty at all.
She shook her head. No, it was Duke Roger, she knew it was! Alanna continued her search through the crowd and spotted a crimson head.
"Elijah!" she cried when she reached him. He bowed politely.
"Lady. We meet again. My brother informed me of your situation."
"Do you see it?" Alanna pointed to where Alex and Jon stood, grinding their teeth.
Elijah looked to where she pointed and squinted, then shook his head. "I don't know what you mean."
"What did Bowen tell you, exactly?" Alanna asked warily.
"He told me about the duel and how you suspected that the duelists were subjects of some sorcery."
Alanna considered him for a moment before deciding to throw caution out the window.
"Duke Roger," she said at last. "I think that Duke Roger is the one who's doing it. He hopes to have Jon killed."
"Ah. I know," Elijah said calmly.
"You do?!"
"Our very dear Duke," said Elijah, a corner of his lip curving upward wryly, "has been trying to kill the crown prince for quite some time now."
Alanna gaped. "So, so you believe me?"
"I don't know how or if he's possessing them, but it seems like something he would--and could--do."
"Do you think you can stop him?"
He glanced at Roger. "I'll try to get close to him to see how he does it."
"He's not doing anything right now," Alanna told him. Elijah turned to her in surprise.
"How do you know?"
"Just trust me, alright?" said Alanna, seeing Jon and Alex draw their swords and face each other in a fighting stance. "I don't have time to explain--they're starting!!"
As Jon and Alex began to circle each other carefully, Alanna continued clutching her ember and glancing toward Duke Roger who, far from watching them with the avid focus she'd thought, was observing almost lazily. Still nothing came from him.
'Maybe he's waiting until later in the fight to do something,' she thought.
Now they were circling faster, each calculating the other. Jon, ever impatient, was the first to strike. He lunged forward in a testing move. Alex parried easily. Alanna glanced to Duke Roger again. Still no change.
Jon was attacking now, striking with all the training of a knight. He attempted to cut across Alex's torso, but his opponent blocked and turned his blade aside, withdrawing to strike with impossible speed. Jon was only barely able to block the blow, and the force of the collision knocked him momentarily off balance. However, he recovered too quickly for Alex to take advantage of the moment.
Again Alanna looked to Duke Roger for any sign of sorcery, but his carefree face revealed nothing of the sort.
Now the agressor was Alex, swinging his blade in a neat butterfly arc with strength that resulted in an ear-splitting resonance when Jon's sword met his in a clash. As before, Alex's never-ceasing speed was tiring Jon while they were yet in the early stages of the fight, making his enemy seem a child in comparison. Alex was quick, his movements fluid with practiced ease. His sword came around again in a reverse butterfly sweep. Jon parried, but not quickly enough--Alex's blade carved it's way through Jon's right shoulder.
By all rights the duel should have been over, as Alex had drawn first blood, but Jon, infuriated, returned the blow with a strike of his own. Caught by surprise, Alex turned aside the sword, but not before the metal slashed across his right cheek.
Alanna gasped, and the crowd gasped with her. Looking to Duke Roger, she finally saw it--the flames of orange flickering from him, rising like a cloud into the air.
"Elijah," she whispered, nudging him.
"I know," he answered, and began to make his way to where the duke stood.
As Alanna watched Roger's Gift spread across the court, swirling around the spectators like faint smoke, she felt an eerie, peculiar sensation as if she had left her body. Momentarily, the room darkened before her eyes, and she relived for a brief instant the scene from her dream. Suddenly, all her confusion and doubts were left behind as she was filled with determined purpose.
She knew what she had to do.
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Out of the corner of his eye, Jon saw Alanna leave the courtyard. Then he forgot her as Alex recalled his attention with a downward strike. Jon brought his sword up to meet it. His arm was instantly numbed by the collision. Wincing, he backed away from Alex and took deep, wheezing breaths.
Alex allowed him a moment, giving him a mocking bow before circling Jon again. Having caught his breath, Jon returned the bow and swung his sword around in the air, testing his arm. The cut was deep, but not life-threatening, or so Jon thought, calculating. His arm reacted awkwardly to his brain's commands, jerking randomly and trembling with effort. His muscles were screaming with the weight of his weapon.
Obviously tired of waiting for him, Alex attacked again in what would have been an easily-blocked diagonal slash, but Jon fumbled with his sword. His mind cursed his arm, screeching for it to function, for it to perform the block that had been practiced so often it was almost an instinct.
Swinging his entire body halfway around, he managed to throw his arm sideways using his body's momentum, knocking aside his enemy's blow. Alex's lip curved up in a taunting snarl.
Jon's arm spasmed, the muscles completely cramping and his fingers contracting, clenching and curling so tightly around the hilt of the sword, he saw flashes, born of pain. The sticky blood coursing, pumping down his arm, loosening his grip and making his fingers slip, dropping the blade.
Alex was grinning maliciously now, tossing his sword carelessly from hand to hand. He kicked aside Jon's weapon, and it was knocked far beyond his reach. Jon watched Alex with half-lidded, tired eyes, waiting for his next move. Yet, Alex didn't strike.
Alex wanted him to pick up his sword, Jon realized, and immediately understood his adversary's intent to humiliate him in the same turn.
With his right arm convulsing at his side, the prince carefully walked to where his weapon lay, never taking his eyes off Alex's cruel face. Crouching down slowly, he raised the steel with the uninjured arm. His own sword felt alien in his left hand--he was not left-handed by any means.
Alex was determined to fight on at least somewhat even grounds. He, too, changed hands and prepared to attack using his left. Dashing forward, he renewed his attack with all the vigor of a crazed madman. But his movements were not without skill. Alex proved to be just as adept fighting with his left as he was with his right.
Jon looked into his eyes and didn't see his friend in them. Instead he saw a stranger, face of stone with two dead eyes glittering out of the mask like beetles in the sand.
Inside, again he felt the cold feeling of fear as he clumsily blocked each of Alex's sweeping blows. Already he was faint from the blood loss and gasped for air--it would only be a matter of time until he was finished off. For he was sure that Alex had murder on his mind.
Gritting his teeth, Jon mustered up his storage of reserves. 'Focus,' he told himself fiercely. 'Concentrate! Don't let him make you look like a first-year page before the entire court! You can beat him!'
His short pep-talk had given Jon just enough to fight with renewed zeal. Almost as if rousing from drowsiness, he moved more efficiently, quickly. His blocks came well-timed now, and he conserved his strength. Finding a second when Alex was steadying himself, Jon took a turn at the offensive, executing a decent butterfly arc.
"Ready to face defeat?" he threw at Alex, his confidence building. Alex responded with a wordless onslaught of strikes, faster and more furious than before.
"Are you?" he sneered back as Jon struggled awkwardly to defend himself.
'Save your breath,' a voice in his head seemed to say. 'No foolish name-calling. You need to be concentrating--Alex is dangerous.'
"Alright, alright," he muttered aloud.
When steel clashed with steel, Jon twisted his weapon, locking their swords at the hilt. Now he had the advantage, being bigger and stronger. He wrestled Alex to his knees.
Alex withdrew his blade and rolled out of the way, springing to his feet just as Jon struck. With the reflexes that made him the best swordsman in Tortall, Alex easily deflected the blow and returned with a reverse butterfly arc.
Jon took a step backward. Sweat drenching his shirt, his tunic, his forehead, dripped from his hair into his eyes. Jon shook his head quickly and blinked. In doing so, he didn't see Alex's next assault. All that he saw was the flash of metal and blur of steel and suddenly, his entire body went cold.
Why was nobody stopping them? Jon thought dimly. Why wasn't anybody came to his aid? Why were they all standing there, watching as the two of them tried to kill each other? He glanced toward where his parents sat still in shock. Why weren't they saying anything?
Vaguely, he was aware that his shirt was drenched in blood--HIS blood. His own blood. It was a vivid, bright red, turning a dark wine-red in other places. 'Pretty,' Jon thought stupidly. 'Just like Alanna's hair.'
He swayed for a moment and then collapsed to the ground. Alex was on him in a flash, standing over him and raising his sword for the fatal, final striking blow.
Jon tried to call his body to move out of the way, roll aside, crawl backward, ANYTHING to escape but his limbs felt weighted with lead, and he was pinned to the spot by some unseen force. He was paralyzed--paralyzed and facing death. Looking up into Alex's sneering face, his breath caught in his throat--time seemed to stand still.
"Say hello to mother for me," Alex said.
"No," Jon whispered. Alex raised his sword a fraction higher, his face twisted with brutal wrath as he slammed the instrument of death down toward Jon's bloody chest.
...
Or he tried to.
Jon opened his eyes and saw Alex's arm stopped in midair, his entire body frozen stiff. He struggled to rise, but found himself still as paralyzed as before.
Alex was surrounded by a brilliant violet light. It so blindingly bright that it was almost a white shade. Jon looked to his right and saw Elijah, Master of the Mithran Light, in all his glory. His Gift shone from him as radiant as if he was the Sun himself, and his furious violet eyes flashed menacingly.
"Stop! Stop this!" Elijah yelled, striding forward to where Jon and Alex had remained immobile.
Swirls of violet shrouded them both. With a wave of Elijah's arm, they were flung apart to opposite sides of the court. Yet, Jon still didn't have reign over his limbs.
"The duelists are victims of sorcery!" Elijah cried. "They have been possessed!"
There was gasps and grumbles from the watching crowd, finally stirring as if just lifted from an enchantment themselves. There was shock and disbelief, outrage and skepticism. Some ladies fainted, some of the gentlemen shook their fists, and still others stood dumbly or simply shook their heads and rolled their eyes. Yet the king and queen were still unmoving.
"Can you prove it?" one lady called timidly, fanning herself.
"How could they be possesed?" one gentleman wondered fearfully.
"Impossible!" said another man in disdain.
There was a sudden outburst of talk.
"Somebody help the prince! He's bleeding to death!" screamed one woman.
"He's dying!" screeched another.
"His highness!!"
"Arrest Sir Alexander of Tirragen for high treason!"
"For attempted murder of the crown prince!"
"Strip him of his title!"
"No, you can't arrest him--he was possesed!"
"Yes, it wasn't his fault!"
At this, there was a pandemonium as people argued over Alex's innocence. There was much pointing and swearing, rude gestures and cursing. People yelled, demanding his arrest while others vehemently defended the knight.
"He can't be arrested!! It was sorcery, I tell you!"
"Sorcery!" a lady screamed. "Who could have done it?"
"Who did it?"
They turned to Elijah for answers, but he looked uneasy and hesitant, and bone-weary. It was obvious that he wasn't going to answer their questions.
"Who did it, Elijah?!"
"Duke Roger," a voice answered. All in the courtyard turned as Alanna strode in, dragging a huge burlap bag behind her with a rope slung over her other shoulder.
Upon reaching the center of the courtyard, she faced the still-entranced and paralyzed king and queen and dumped the contents of her luggage onto the ground. She pointed at the duke without looking at him.
"These insturments of sorcery I found in Duke Roger's private chambers. I accuse him of high treason, for conspiracy of the murder of the royal family."
At her words, all hell broke loose.
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*collapses, panting*
Ah, I did it! I finished the Duel chapter!!! Applaud me! I made it as long as I possibly could, since I already got you psyched up for it, I knew that you would expect--and accept--nothing less than a very long duel. I tried!! I really, REALLY did, but I ran out of synonyms for "sword" and "opponent" and "strike." If there were only more words in the English language, I could've made it longer for you... unless you thougt it too long and very boring?
Now only a couple more chapters to go...
And there will be a big happy sequel with a big happy wedding and a big fluffy follow-up with cute little babies... heehee, j/k!
In the chapter to come: Ah, all the explanations of Alanna's accusation, and JUST what she was doing during the all-important duel. Oh, and medical aid for Jon, of course!
Now, I've missed you guys SOOO much!
(*ahem* This is where I start babbling about my life and the stuff you don't care about!)
I just got back from Kauai, Hawaii... it was awesome, minus the fact that I cut both feet open walking on coral (I know... SMART, right?!) and am starting on my dad's "super-summer plan" (my words, not his!) He wants me to complete this BIG FAT TEXTBOOK called "College Algebra" along with 1 test a week from "10 Real SATs". I countered this with a big show of mature responsibility, organization, and good time-management (things I ordinarily NEVER possess!!!). To escape a repeat of last summer (all work and no play!), I whipped up a daily schedule as well as a overall plan. *ahem* It includes doing 1 section from College Algebra a day (I counted the sections... I'll finish it 10 days before school starts) and do 30 minutes of an SAT a day (finishing 1 test a week). Then I play 2-3 hours of piano... and then I get to write for 2 hours and read for 2 hours!!! Yay!!!--It usually takes me a lil over 4 hours to crank out a chapter, and since I have 2 stories on ffn goin' at once, I can easily update weekly again, just as I did in the beginning!!!
*whew*
Now. Review or else I will go back on my schedule and refuse to write anymore. (who am I kidding? I'd THIS close to finishing, I'd continue even if you didn't review!... *ponders*... wait, maybe I won't. So just to be on the safe side, REVIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
To:
White Wolf: YOU UPDATED!!!!!! *squeals* *squeeze squeeze* Oooh... you FINALLY DID IT!... ok, now you can stop backing away from me fearfully... hey! Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not... come back!!...
Forget-me-not: I THINK scrumptious is a word... right?... *scratches head*... well, here's your duel!
AerinBrown: Hello, dah-ling! Ok, so I guess this chapter was the 'duel' and THEN in a couple of chapters there will be the 'Duel'... ya know? Cuz you can ALL guess what's comin'... Anyway, hope your marriage with George works out, I wish you two the best and give you my blessings. You can count this chappie as your wedding gift. Hmmm... yes, all problems WOULD be solved if only Alanna would have black-haired violet-eyed babies with Alex. Maybe in another story. *whistful*
Keita: No, perfectionism is NOT good! But I don't re-re-re-re-read each chapter before I upload (to re-'s are enough) or upload if there's a tiny typo because now I know that since I'm going to revise anyway, I'll wait until then.
snowylove-angel: I've never been hyper and bored... because doesn't being hyper suddenly make absolutely EVERYTHING interesting??
MEGS :) ~Well, she's already met Elijah... and I never said for sure that he's her brother... but Alanna and her twin will be reunited by the end of this story. I think.
Xelena: i really liked...how George listened to her dream and then still pretty much kicked her out for waking him up so early. old man indeed- pheh! *laughs* Didn't think of it that way...
superalicea: Again, Alanna's already MET Elijah before... *grumbles* does nobody remember??!
Lady Taliana: Ok! Gr8! Now read this reply! And review again! And sign it! Don't forget! (do you realize that your review sounds very very happy? Are you sure you didn't have too much sugar?)
Kadevi chan: *whimpers* I didn't realize it was so short... but this one's longer... And PLEASE sic your muses on me! (I don't need ideas, seeing as I'm almost at the end of the story, just more synonyms!)
Lady Kalitana: She's not THAT rude... is she? Hmmm, must reread.
Yoshie: Really? Please tell me what other A/A fanfics there are, cuz I wanna read 'em!
nooccar: I wouldn't go so far as to say that The Two Towers was RUINED... it was still a good movie... just not as good as the book... I think they should've went ahead and "killed off" you-know-who.... but instead they saved that for the 3rd movie and killed off Haldir!!! *sobs*
anonymous: yes, I can tell you want an A/A fic by the fact that YOU'VE READ THIS FAR. All my a/j fans have already abandoned me. *sobs* And the a/g fans too. *sob sob* And the impatient people who think I don't update enough. *bawls*
Drowning Rooster; chickensoup3; ghenne; ac_bworm; everyone else you reviewed that I forgot to mention, and everyone who read my story but DIDN'T REVIEW (*cough**cough*)--love ya so much ya wouldn't even know!
Chapter thirty-two--
"It was nice," Alanna began, having seated herself across from Bowen for their scheduled lunch. However, she didn't feel like eating at the moment and said so, shaking her head when offered a mug of something foul-smelling. Bowen had already begun eating, but he listened and watched her intently, taking occasional bites from his bread. The emptied soup bowl was filled with bread crust.
"Or at least it started out nicely." She almost blushed as she recalled Alex's kisses, and then the fountain, but flushed angrily upon remembering Jon's unwanted groping fingers.
"I can imagine," Bowen said politely, with a smile that proved he knew exactly what she meant.
"But you saw how jealous Alex was."
"Jealousy is common, and I believe that most ladies consider it flattering."
Alanna glared at him upon recalling the way her heart fluttered with secret delight at Alex's show of possessiveness. "Well, he wanted me away from everyone, so he suggested that we go out to the gardens."
"Forgive me for saying so, but would it not be too cold out-of-doors, seeing as winter is nipping at our heels?"
"Lemonade, please. Oh, I know," Alanna said, the latter part addressed to him. "It was insane. Well, I was thirsty, or rather looking for an excuse to go indoors. Alex insisted that I find some stupid fountain while he fetched us drinks. So I found the fountain after working my way through a hedge maze--"
"I wasn't aware the palace gardens had a hedge maze," Bowen commented quietly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Well, aparrently there is one. And I found the maze, and WHO should be there but his Royal Lustiness."
Bowen coughed.
"I didn't mean it like that," Alanna clarified fiercely. "He kissed me, and stared undoing the front of my gown! And WHO should walk in at that precise moment that his lips were plastered over mine than Sir Jealousy himself!"
"Quite unfortunate sequence of coincidences," Bowen said sympathetically.
"So Alex attacks Jon with a dagger!"
"Attacks him?" Bowen cried in alarm. "I heard of a duel, but I thought it was tonight!"
"He seemed like he was completely possessed or something," Alanna said. "I've never seen him like that before. His eyes were just... like he was a completely different person. I think it was some kind of trance because after he beat Jon, he kind of shook himself like he was waking up."
"So then he came to his senses?" Bowen asked.
"Yeah..."
"Then... the duel?" Bowen wondered.
"Oh, it's tonight. I guess it was all about his male pride. Jon got upset with Alex and insulted him. He more or less called him a coward with no honor."
"Well, if I was his majesty, I'd be upset after a close friend nearly killed me," remarked Bowen.
"I know, but then Alex got angry about being insulted and challenged him to a duel."
"Ah. The prize?"
"Me," Alanna said glumly. "Not that I'm up for the taking-no! I'm not some little prize-doll to be won. There's no way I'm going to let them fight for me like I'm some... some THING."
"Have you tried saying anything?"
"Of course!! They both ignored me!"
"Hmmm..."
"And here's the real thing." Alanna hesitated, unsure if she should tell Bowen what she REALLY thought.
"Yes?" prompted Bowen.
"I think that sorcery might be the cause of all this. Now hear me out!" she said as Bowen raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm nearly positive. When they were fighting the duel, Alex glowed with an orange light. I felt the presence of someone's Gift."
"So you think he WAS possessed?"
"Or something like that... I don't know, I don't know much about sorcery and magic, but I'm sure it's the cause! I can... I could just FEEL it!"
"Whose Gift?"
Alanna didn't reply. She stared down into her tankard of lemonade.
"Who do you suspect? I guard a secret well, lady. No one will hear from me," Bowen said gently, touching her hand.
Looking around the quickly-crowding room, she realized that she hadn't heard all the others come in. Yet, there they were, thieves and simple hungry folk, seated at tables and eating or talking animatedly. There was a buzz of conversation, enough that what they said wouldn't be heard or noticed.
"Duke Roger," Alanna almost whispered. Bowen's face didn't reveal any response. "His Gift is orange. He wants the royal family dead so that he can inherit the throne. He's using Alex to kill Jon in the duel tonight, I know it!"
"If that were true--" Bowen began.
"It is true!" Alanna interuppted. "I know it! And I know nobody will believe me because everyone just LOVES the Duke, so I have to stop him myself BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW!!"
"And you have until tonight," Bowen concluded. "Well, lady, if it lifts your heart some, I believe you."
"You do?" Alanna lifted her head.
"I've the Gift, remember? And though I don't like using it, sometimes I can't help but notice things. I happened to meet his grace, and I sensed something about him, too--and *I* was raised into a family of mages."
"So what am I to do?!"
"I... don't know," Bowen said at last. "If sorcery is the root of the problem, then trying to stop the duel won't work. You'll probably have to stop Duke Roger himself."
"Argh!" Alanna's head dropped into her hands again. "That's exactly it! I have no idea how to stop him! I don't know if I CAN stop him, I mean.... I mean... He's the greatest mage in Tortall and--"
She stopped suddenly and raised her eyes to look at Bowen. He shifted uncomfortably, already knowing what she was going to suggest.
"Ah," was all he said.
"Right! He's the greatest mage in Tortall--EXCEPT FOR ELIJAH!"
"I could... ask him," Bowen said heavily. "I'll need to find him first."
"Please!" begged Alanna. "I need to know before tonight!"
"Alright, alright," Bowen said, standing. "When I find him, I'll tell him to look for you at the palace. That IS where you can be found, lady?"
"Of course! I've been here all night--I need to sleep!"
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The sun climbed high and reached its peak, and though she had only an hour of rest the night before, Alanna couldn't fall asleep. She twisted and turned--it was too hot in the room, it was too cold, she didn't have enough covers, the covers were too scratchy, the sunlight was in her eyes--and remained fully conscious.
At last she gave up trying to sleep and simply sat around, waiting for Elijah. Her stomach was too busy to allow her a meal. She shredded several of Nelly's handkerchiefs in her anxiety.
The sun began to sink, falling and falling across the sky, and finally dipped out of sight, leaving a the sky painted in hues of red and pink. Looking out the window, Alanna couldn't help but notice the streaks of orange along the horizon and see it as an forboding omen of things to come.
When light had faded from the sky entiredly, Alanna sighed and rose. Apparently Bowen couldn't find Elijah. The time for the duel was near--she could tell from the hum of noise outside her door as ladies rushed to witness what was sure to be quite a show of strength and skill. Alanna had to hurry to reach the dueling courts before it began, as it was located far from her rooms.
By the time she arrived, gossiping viewers were crowded inside already, watching as the two men stretched. Taking a deep breath, Alanna pushed through them.
"Alex! Jon! Don't do this!" she cried upon reaching them. Alex seemed not to have heard her, but Jon raised his head and acknowledged her with a curt nod.
"Alanna, you might not want to watch this," he said.
"Why?" Alanna demanded. "Are you planning on doing something WRONG? Like, say, KILL Alex?" She grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a vigorous shake.
"Of course not!" Jon seemed shocked. "Why would you think that?"
Alanna grasped her necklace. The air around Jon pulsed with a steady orange light. Her fingers tingled and itched from where they had touched Jon. She whirled around to see Alex at the other end of the court, the orange around him so thick that he was hardly visible through it.
"Jon, please don't fight Alex," Alanna begged.
"Do you think he'll beat me?" Jon's eyes narrowed.
"No, I think you'll kill each other!" Alanna cried.
"No," said another voice, hard and cold. Turning, she saw Alex with the same deadly eyes as the night before. "Only one of us will die here tonight."
"You?" retorted Jon.
"Nobody is going to die!" Alanna yelled in exasperation. "This isn't a fight to the death! And I don't know what the two of you are thinking, but you're both possessed! And you're not winning me!" she added, as if it would helf matters.
Looking from one to the other, she that both had clenched jaws and narrowed eyes, their intent obvious. Neither was listening to her.
Desperate, Alanna scanned the crowd wildly for someone who would help her. Her eyes came to rest on Duke Roger. Taking hold of her ember, she strained to see some hint of sorcery about him, but he was colorless--none of the orange came from him.
Alanna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Maybe she had been wrong after all? Perhaps she had been too quick to accuse and Duke Roger wasn't guilty at all.
She shook her head. No, it was Duke Roger, she knew it was! Alanna continued her search through the crowd and spotted a crimson head.
"Elijah!" she cried when she reached him. He bowed politely.
"Lady. We meet again. My brother informed me of your situation."
"Do you see it?" Alanna pointed to where Alex and Jon stood, grinding their teeth.
Elijah looked to where she pointed and squinted, then shook his head. "I don't know what you mean."
"What did Bowen tell you, exactly?" Alanna asked warily.
"He told me about the duel and how you suspected that the duelists were subjects of some sorcery."
Alanna considered him for a moment before deciding to throw caution out the window.
"Duke Roger," she said at last. "I think that Duke Roger is the one who's doing it. He hopes to have Jon killed."
"Ah. I know," Elijah said calmly.
"You do?!"
"Our very dear Duke," said Elijah, a corner of his lip curving upward wryly, "has been trying to kill the crown prince for quite some time now."
Alanna gaped. "So, so you believe me?"
"I don't know how or if he's possessing them, but it seems like something he would--and could--do."
"Do you think you can stop him?"
He glanced at Roger. "I'll try to get close to him to see how he does it."
"He's not doing anything right now," Alanna told him. Elijah turned to her in surprise.
"How do you know?"
"Just trust me, alright?" said Alanna, seeing Jon and Alex draw their swords and face each other in a fighting stance. "I don't have time to explain--they're starting!!"
As Jon and Alex began to circle each other carefully, Alanna continued clutching her ember and glancing toward Duke Roger who, far from watching them with the avid focus she'd thought, was observing almost lazily. Still nothing came from him.
'Maybe he's waiting until later in the fight to do something,' she thought.
Now they were circling faster, each calculating the other. Jon, ever impatient, was the first to strike. He lunged forward in a testing move. Alex parried easily. Alanna glanced to Duke Roger again. Still no change.
Jon was attacking now, striking with all the training of a knight. He attempted to cut across Alex's torso, but his opponent blocked and turned his blade aside, withdrawing to strike with impossible speed. Jon was only barely able to block the blow, and the force of the collision knocked him momentarily off balance. However, he recovered too quickly for Alex to take advantage of the moment.
Again Alanna looked to Duke Roger for any sign of sorcery, but his carefree face revealed nothing of the sort.
Now the agressor was Alex, swinging his blade in a neat butterfly arc with strength that resulted in an ear-splitting resonance when Jon's sword met his in a clash. As before, Alex's never-ceasing speed was tiring Jon while they were yet in the early stages of the fight, making his enemy seem a child in comparison. Alex was quick, his movements fluid with practiced ease. His sword came around again in a reverse butterfly sweep. Jon parried, but not quickly enough--Alex's blade carved it's way through Jon's right shoulder.
By all rights the duel should have been over, as Alex had drawn first blood, but Jon, infuriated, returned the blow with a strike of his own. Caught by surprise, Alex turned aside the sword, but not before the metal slashed across his right cheek.
Alanna gasped, and the crowd gasped with her. Looking to Duke Roger, she finally saw it--the flames of orange flickering from him, rising like a cloud into the air.
"Elijah," she whispered, nudging him.
"I know," he answered, and began to make his way to where the duke stood.
As Alanna watched Roger's Gift spread across the court, swirling around the spectators like faint smoke, she felt an eerie, peculiar sensation as if she had left her body. Momentarily, the room darkened before her eyes, and she relived for a brief instant the scene from her dream. Suddenly, all her confusion and doubts were left behind as she was filled with determined purpose.
She knew what she had to do.
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Out of the corner of his eye, Jon saw Alanna leave the courtyard. Then he forgot her as Alex recalled his attention with a downward strike. Jon brought his sword up to meet it. His arm was instantly numbed by the collision. Wincing, he backed away from Alex and took deep, wheezing breaths.
Alex allowed him a moment, giving him a mocking bow before circling Jon again. Having caught his breath, Jon returned the bow and swung his sword around in the air, testing his arm. The cut was deep, but not life-threatening, or so Jon thought, calculating. His arm reacted awkwardly to his brain's commands, jerking randomly and trembling with effort. His muscles were screaming with the weight of his weapon.
Obviously tired of waiting for him, Alex attacked again in what would have been an easily-blocked diagonal slash, but Jon fumbled with his sword. His mind cursed his arm, screeching for it to function, for it to perform the block that had been practiced so often it was almost an instinct.
Swinging his entire body halfway around, he managed to throw his arm sideways using his body's momentum, knocking aside his enemy's blow. Alex's lip curved up in a taunting snarl.
Jon's arm spasmed, the muscles completely cramping and his fingers contracting, clenching and curling so tightly around the hilt of the sword, he saw flashes, born of pain. The sticky blood coursing, pumping down his arm, loosening his grip and making his fingers slip, dropping the blade.
Alex was grinning maliciously now, tossing his sword carelessly from hand to hand. He kicked aside Jon's weapon, and it was knocked far beyond his reach. Jon watched Alex with half-lidded, tired eyes, waiting for his next move. Yet, Alex didn't strike.
Alex wanted him to pick up his sword, Jon realized, and immediately understood his adversary's intent to humiliate him in the same turn.
With his right arm convulsing at his side, the prince carefully walked to where his weapon lay, never taking his eyes off Alex's cruel face. Crouching down slowly, he raised the steel with the uninjured arm. His own sword felt alien in his left hand--he was not left-handed by any means.
Alex was determined to fight on at least somewhat even grounds. He, too, changed hands and prepared to attack using his left. Dashing forward, he renewed his attack with all the vigor of a crazed madman. But his movements were not without skill. Alex proved to be just as adept fighting with his left as he was with his right.
Jon looked into his eyes and didn't see his friend in them. Instead he saw a stranger, face of stone with two dead eyes glittering out of the mask like beetles in the sand.
Inside, again he felt the cold feeling of fear as he clumsily blocked each of Alex's sweeping blows. Already he was faint from the blood loss and gasped for air--it would only be a matter of time until he was finished off. For he was sure that Alex had murder on his mind.
Gritting his teeth, Jon mustered up his storage of reserves. 'Focus,' he told himself fiercely. 'Concentrate! Don't let him make you look like a first-year page before the entire court! You can beat him!'
His short pep-talk had given Jon just enough to fight with renewed zeal. Almost as if rousing from drowsiness, he moved more efficiently, quickly. His blocks came well-timed now, and he conserved his strength. Finding a second when Alex was steadying himself, Jon took a turn at the offensive, executing a decent butterfly arc.
"Ready to face defeat?" he threw at Alex, his confidence building. Alex responded with a wordless onslaught of strikes, faster and more furious than before.
"Are you?" he sneered back as Jon struggled awkwardly to defend himself.
'Save your breath,' a voice in his head seemed to say. 'No foolish name-calling. You need to be concentrating--Alex is dangerous.'
"Alright, alright," he muttered aloud.
When steel clashed with steel, Jon twisted his weapon, locking their swords at the hilt. Now he had the advantage, being bigger and stronger. He wrestled Alex to his knees.
Alex withdrew his blade and rolled out of the way, springing to his feet just as Jon struck. With the reflexes that made him the best swordsman in Tortall, Alex easily deflected the blow and returned with a reverse butterfly arc.
Jon took a step backward. Sweat drenching his shirt, his tunic, his forehead, dripped from his hair into his eyes. Jon shook his head quickly and blinked. In doing so, he didn't see Alex's next assault. All that he saw was the flash of metal and blur of steel and suddenly, his entire body went cold.
Why was nobody stopping them? Jon thought dimly. Why wasn't anybody came to his aid? Why were they all standing there, watching as the two of them tried to kill each other? He glanced toward where his parents sat still in shock. Why weren't they saying anything?
Vaguely, he was aware that his shirt was drenched in blood--HIS blood. His own blood. It was a vivid, bright red, turning a dark wine-red in other places. 'Pretty,' Jon thought stupidly. 'Just like Alanna's hair.'
He swayed for a moment and then collapsed to the ground. Alex was on him in a flash, standing over him and raising his sword for the fatal, final striking blow.
Jon tried to call his body to move out of the way, roll aside, crawl backward, ANYTHING to escape but his limbs felt weighted with lead, and he was pinned to the spot by some unseen force. He was paralyzed--paralyzed and facing death. Looking up into Alex's sneering face, his breath caught in his throat--time seemed to stand still.
"Say hello to mother for me," Alex said.
"No," Jon whispered. Alex raised his sword a fraction higher, his face twisted with brutal wrath as he slammed the instrument of death down toward Jon's bloody chest.
...
Or he tried to.
Jon opened his eyes and saw Alex's arm stopped in midair, his entire body frozen stiff. He struggled to rise, but found himself still as paralyzed as before.
Alex was surrounded by a brilliant violet light. It so blindingly bright that it was almost a white shade. Jon looked to his right and saw Elijah, Master of the Mithran Light, in all his glory. His Gift shone from him as radiant as if he was the Sun himself, and his furious violet eyes flashed menacingly.
"Stop! Stop this!" Elijah yelled, striding forward to where Jon and Alex had remained immobile.
Swirls of violet shrouded them both. With a wave of Elijah's arm, they were flung apart to opposite sides of the court. Yet, Jon still didn't have reign over his limbs.
"The duelists are victims of sorcery!" Elijah cried. "They have been possessed!"
There was gasps and grumbles from the watching crowd, finally stirring as if just lifted from an enchantment themselves. There was shock and disbelief, outrage and skepticism. Some ladies fainted, some of the gentlemen shook their fists, and still others stood dumbly or simply shook their heads and rolled their eyes. Yet the king and queen were still unmoving.
"Can you prove it?" one lady called timidly, fanning herself.
"How could they be possesed?" one gentleman wondered fearfully.
"Impossible!" said another man in disdain.
There was a sudden outburst of talk.
"Somebody help the prince! He's bleeding to death!" screamed one woman.
"He's dying!" screeched another.
"His highness!!"
"Arrest Sir Alexander of Tirragen for high treason!"
"For attempted murder of the crown prince!"
"Strip him of his title!"
"No, you can't arrest him--he was possesed!"
"Yes, it wasn't his fault!"
At this, there was a pandemonium as people argued over Alex's innocence. There was much pointing and swearing, rude gestures and cursing. People yelled, demanding his arrest while others vehemently defended the knight.
"He can't be arrested!! It was sorcery, I tell you!"
"Sorcery!" a lady screamed. "Who could have done it?"
"Who did it?"
They turned to Elijah for answers, but he looked uneasy and hesitant, and bone-weary. It was obvious that he wasn't going to answer their questions.
"Who did it, Elijah?!"
"Duke Roger," a voice answered. All in the courtyard turned as Alanna strode in, dragging a huge burlap bag behind her with a rope slung over her other shoulder.
Upon reaching the center of the courtyard, she faced the still-entranced and paralyzed king and queen and dumped the contents of her luggage onto the ground. She pointed at the duke without looking at him.
"These insturments of sorcery I found in Duke Roger's private chambers. I accuse him of high treason, for conspiracy of the murder of the royal family."
At her words, all hell broke loose.
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*collapses, panting*
Ah, I did it! I finished the Duel chapter!!! Applaud me! I made it as long as I possibly could, since I already got you psyched up for it, I knew that you would expect--and accept--nothing less than a very long duel. I tried!! I really, REALLY did, but I ran out of synonyms for "sword" and "opponent" and "strike." If there were only more words in the English language, I could've made it longer for you... unless you thougt it too long and very boring?
Now only a couple more chapters to go...
And there will be a big happy sequel with a big happy wedding and a big fluffy follow-up with cute little babies... heehee, j/k!
In the chapter to come: Ah, all the explanations of Alanna's accusation, and JUST what she was doing during the all-important duel. Oh, and medical aid for Jon, of course!
Now, I've missed you guys SOOO much!
(*ahem* This is where I start babbling about my life and the stuff you don't care about!)
I just got back from Kauai, Hawaii... it was awesome, minus the fact that I cut both feet open walking on coral (I know... SMART, right?!) and am starting on my dad's "super-summer plan" (my words, not his!) He wants me to complete this BIG FAT TEXTBOOK called "College Algebra" along with 1 test a week from "10 Real SATs". I countered this with a big show of mature responsibility, organization, and good time-management (things I ordinarily NEVER possess!!!). To escape a repeat of last summer (all work and no play!), I whipped up a daily schedule as well as a overall plan. *ahem* It includes doing 1 section from College Algebra a day (I counted the sections... I'll finish it 10 days before school starts) and do 30 minutes of an SAT a day (finishing 1 test a week). Then I play 2-3 hours of piano... and then I get to write for 2 hours and read for 2 hours!!! Yay!!!--It usually takes me a lil over 4 hours to crank out a chapter, and since I have 2 stories on ffn goin' at once, I can easily update weekly again, just as I did in the beginning!!!
*whew*
Now. Review or else I will go back on my schedule and refuse to write anymore. (who am I kidding? I'd THIS close to finishing, I'd continue even if you didn't review!... *ponders*... wait, maybe I won't. So just to be on the safe side, REVIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
To:
White Wolf: YOU UPDATED!!!!!! *squeals* *squeeze squeeze* Oooh... you FINALLY DID IT!... ok, now you can stop backing away from me fearfully... hey! Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not... come back!!...
Forget-me-not: I THINK scrumptious is a word... right?... *scratches head*... well, here's your duel!
AerinBrown: Hello, dah-ling! Ok, so I guess this chapter was the 'duel' and THEN in a couple of chapters there will be the 'Duel'... ya know? Cuz you can ALL guess what's comin'... Anyway, hope your marriage with George works out, I wish you two the best and give you my blessings. You can count this chappie as your wedding gift. Hmmm... yes, all problems WOULD be solved if only Alanna would have black-haired violet-eyed babies with Alex. Maybe in another story. *whistful*
Keita: No, perfectionism is NOT good! But I don't re-re-re-re-read each chapter before I upload (to re-'s are enough) or upload if there's a tiny typo because now I know that since I'm going to revise anyway, I'll wait until then.
snowylove-angel: I've never been hyper and bored... because doesn't being hyper suddenly make absolutely EVERYTHING interesting??
MEGS :) ~Well, she's already met Elijah... and I never said for sure that he's her brother... but Alanna and her twin will be reunited by the end of this story. I think.
Xelena: i really liked...how George listened to her dream and then still pretty much kicked her out for waking him up so early. old man indeed- pheh! *laughs* Didn't think of it that way...
superalicea: Again, Alanna's already MET Elijah before... *grumbles* does nobody remember??!
Lady Taliana: Ok! Gr8! Now read this reply! And review again! And sign it! Don't forget! (do you realize that your review sounds very very happy? Are you sure you didn't have too much sugar?)
Kadevi chan: *whimpers* I didn't realize it was so short... but this one's longer... And PLEASE sic your muses on me! (I don't need ideas, seeing as I'm almost at the end of the story, just more synonyms!)
Lady Kalitana: She's not THAT rude... is she? Hmmm, must reread.
Yoshie: Really? Please tell me what other A/A fanfics there are, cuz I wanna read 'em!
nooccar: I wouldn't go so far as to say that The Two Towers was RUINED... it was still a good movie... just not as good as the book... I think they should've went ahead and "killed off" you-know-who.... but instead they saved that for the 3rd movie and killed off Haldir!!! *sobs*
anonymous: yes, I can tell you want an A/A fic by the fact that YOU'VE READ THIS FAR. All my a/j fans have already abandoned me. *sobs* And the a/g fans too. *sob sob* And the impatient people who think I don't update enough. *bawls*
Drowning Rooster; chickensoup3; ghenne; ac_bworm; everyone else you reviewed that I forgot to mention, and everyone who read my story but DIDN'T REVIEW (*cough**cough*)--love ya so much ya wouldn't even know!