AN: A short chappie...
To:
AerinBrown: *reads review* *laughs* Well, there MIGHT be a big happy wedding sequel with a big fluffy followup containing cute babies... if my muses don't die before then...
WNtrumpet: About Coram--you are absolutely right. See, my problem was that when I first wrote this fic, I wasn't too serious about it, so I didn't have my plotline worked out or anything... I was just writing it whenever I had writer's block with my other stories. Well, it sorta evolved from there until I took this fic much more seriously and am now regretting that I didn't plan out my storyline earlier. Anyway, when I go back to rewrite and revise, I'd give you a call--I'd appreciate any suggestion you can give me, concerning grammar/spelling or changing/adding something in the the story... and I LOVE long reviews!! P.S. About the Shang Dragon--I have NO idea yet what I'm going to write in the sequel... but I'll see if I can't work him in there somehow.
White-wolf: Write MORE?! Are you insane? Jeez...
ac_bworm: Printed it out? *confuzzled* Why? But I thank you for your compliment. *is seen beaming*
Youngling Milk: Hey!!!! You nominated me!!!! Wow!!!!! *hugs* *is very flattered*
Superalicea: She is most certainly not going to marry Alex!!!!... or at least by the end of this story... *winks*
CAroLYnrOSe: Deceit? What deceit??!
Drowning Rooster: Haha!... Actually, it might just work... never know tell you try!
Twilight Dusk: *cackles evilly*
Lady Taliana: Wow.... you are very, very hyper right now. *looks worried* *starts running away*
Forget-me-not; kiereyn; AJ; rogue kaiya; everyone else who reviewed... or read, but didn't review (gives pointed look): LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter thirty-three--
"What's the meaning of this?!" Duke Roger roared, his voice rising above the pandemonium.
"Someone get Jon and Alex to the healers, and I will explain!" Alanna shouted. "They need medical attention! Quickly, somebody take them to the healers!!"
Her words seemed to finally bring the Tortallian monarchs back to reality. "Please, someone take my son to the Royal Healers!" the queen cried as the king called for silence and order.
There was scuffling as several men hurried to obey. The three of them lifted Jon off the ground and carried him briskly out of the courtyard. On the other side Alex staggered to his feet.
"I can manage," he mumbled in a dazed tone, and stumbled after them. Alanna watched him go with worry etched across her brow, then shook her head as she was reminded of the problem at hand.
By now the noise had died down somewhat as everyone waited with bated breath for the explanation to her apparently insane accusation.
"I know I did wrong by breaking into another's private chambers, but what I found in Duke Roger's inner rooms is by far worse. He has been planning the deaths of the royal family for years now, and here is the proof!!"
Alanna raised the almost-erroded doll of the Queen Lianne, who turned even whiter at the sight of her destroyed image. "This was laid next to the fountain where Duke Roger used running water to destroy our queen's health. Her long illness was caused by him!"
There was a long moment of silence as everyone tried to comprehend and absorb this. Then:
"Impossible!" yelled the duke. "Lies, it's all lies!! I demand that--"
"Then there were these!" Alanna continued, and gestured to the many, many other wax images that included her, Elijah, the king, and other important persons of importance.
"These, too, I found in his rooms!" Alanna held up the wooden dolls that were perfect images of Alex and Jon and pointed at the runes painted on them. "He was the cause of the duel! He is the reason that Alex almost killed Jon today!"
"My liege, I did not do this!" Duke Roger cried. "There is no way to prove that I did this!"
"They came from your rooms--who else could have done them?!" Alanna countered, finally turning to look at him.
"Can you prove that?" yelled the Duke, his face turning red with anger. "For all we know, you could have made those dolls and tried to kill the queen! And both the prince and Sir Alexander showed their affection for you--how do we not know that YOU didn't cause the fight to satisfy your own vanity??!"
"M-my...my own vanity?!!" Alanna stuttered. "Ohh!"
"Do not deny that you don't have the skill!" Duke Roger spat. "You've already proven that."
"Have the skill but not the knowledge!!" Alanna cried. "I don't know anything about sorcery or the Gift--you can ask anyone!"
"Duke Roger," said Elijah, "what reason would Alanna have to want either the queen or the crown prince, or even Sir Alexander, dead? You must admit, being second in line to the throne, only you would gain."
"And why would I make a doll of myself?" Alanna demanded, holding it up for all to see.
Duke Roger's eyes darted around like those of a cornered wild animal searching for escape.
"Th-they are in league together to ruin me!" Duke Roger cried desperately to King Raul. "I don't know what they hope to obtain, but--"
Alanna didn't know what came over her--what POSSESSED her--that made her do what she did next. All she knew was that a glittery feeling filled her chest as Duke Roger argued with Elijah. He dared, DARED to cry out in indignation as if he was innocent when he had planned the deaths of her king and queen? When he had plotted the murder of the crown prince of Tortall? When he had nearly killed Alex, her Alex??
"Let us have a trial then!" she cried boldly. "Let you prove your innocence in a trial by combat--if you are truly blameless, the gods will favor you!!"
There were gasps of shock and shout of indignation at her challenge. A LADY, challenging the prestigious duke in a trial by combat?
"You've lost your head, lady," Duke Roger said, looking as bewildered as she felt.
"Are you afraid?" Alanna taunted with strange confidence.
"No," snapped Roger. "But lady, you cannot fight," he pointed out, and by the murmurs of agreement it was obvious that the same thought that everyone else had.
Alanna hesitated. All these people believed that she had had no training in the fighting arts, and she hadn't really. She couldn't very well tell them about her training sessions with Gary and use that as her credentials. Then there was the fact that even if she could fight, no one would let her--an untrained lady--into a duel with as much experience as and skill as the duke.
"I will find a champion to fight for my cause," Alanna said finally, "but I will require time to do so."
"Then let the Trial be set for three weeks from now," said King Raul firmly, "after all the squires have had their Ordeals."
Hearing the dismissal in his tone, the spectators gossipped their way out of the courtyard. Duke Roger threw a venomous glare to Alanna before leaving as well, his steps haughty and dignified.
All the air left her lungs as Alanna fully grasped what she had just done. She staggered for a moment as if all the weight of her actions was suddenly placed upon her. Elijah was at her side in a flash, supporting her and helping her out of the courtyard though he himself looked drained and ready to faint at any moment.
"Well done," he said approvingly. "Though a bit rash. But your proof was quite convincing. I see now how the duke managed to manuever Alexander and Jonathan into the positions that he wanted..."
"I don't know what came over me," said Alanna trembling.
'Well, you've gone and stuck your foot in it,' Faithful remarked, skipping beside them. 'Are you happy now?'
"Are you incapable of saying anything positive?" Alanna wondered as she scooped up Faithful and let him ride on her shoulder. Faithful responded with indignant mewing.
"Alanna!" a familiar voice called. They continued walking, but Alanna turned her head to see who had called her name. Bowen reached them and placed his hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes seriously. "Let me fight him."
"Don't be foolish, brother," said Elijah, irritated. "Duke Roger's sure to use sorcery during the duel, the cheating slime, and you can't fight that."
"Thank you for volunteering, but that's not quite what I had in mind," Alanna told Bowen politely.
Elijah glanced at her sharply. "Do you have a plan in mind?"
Alanna nodded slowly, turning the idea over in her head.
"I'm going to fight Duke Roger."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"See, I figured out what my dreams meant right then--like all of sudden, everything made sense. I realized that all I had to do was go down the same corridors, up the same stairs as I did in my dream. So I did. And I was right--Duke Roger's door was exactly where it was in my dream. The only problem was that the lock to his inner chamber was magicked. That's when I used my Gift and knocked myself out. When I woke up again, I found that it'd worked and the door was open, so I searched his room and found the evidence."
"Evidence?"
"Remember how the queen was ill? Well, he'd made a wax doll of her and put it under running water--he had a fountain in his rooms. That's why she was ill! He had wooden dolls of Alex and Jon, too, and they were painted with these strange symbols. Then there was an entire bagfull of wax images... I was in there too... I think maybe that was why nobody ever suspected Duke Roger--because putting us in the bag sort of shielded him from suspicion or something." Alanna stared at the floor with intense concentration as she thought this over. "It must be... Anyway, I stuffed everything in the bag and dragged it down back to the dueling courts. The entire time, my blood was pounding in my ears and all I could think of was just to HURRY before Alex or Jon was killed. Or both."
"I'd say that he was plannin' on just havin' Alex kill Jon so that Alex was set up to take the blame for everythin'," said George.
Alanna nodded. "Well, all the way back, I kept playing all these horrible scenarios in my head and my heart was just pounding deafeningly loud. When I got to the entrance, Faithful was there and told me what happened."
"Faithful?" George raised his eyebrows. Faithful mewed at him.
'What do you have to go telling him that for?' he hissed. Alanna dragged him off her shoulder onto her lap and not so much as petted him as pinned him down, and he protested by scratching, at which Alanna winced.
"I can--understand him," Alanna explained. "We can talk. Well, I talk. He meows."
George apparently decided that it was better not to argue and simply accept her word. "And then?"
"Uh... when I entered the court, I went in holding my necklace, so I saw all this residue of violet Gift hanging on the crowd. Jon was bleeding badly, but Alex didn't look too hurt--they were at opposite ends of the court and frozen stiff with Elijah's handi-work."
"Ah, the mage."
"Right. I figure what happened was that the reason nobody had stopped Alex from nearly murdering Jon was some spell Roger had done to still the crowd, or paralyze them, or something. Elijah must have battled it effectively. But the King and Queen were still frozen and there was still a bit of orange hanging around them, and since Elijah looked exhausted, I guess he didn't have enough energy to free them from Roger's charms."
"And then you just stormed right in and accused the duke then and there?" George looked at her with a mix of admiration and reproach.
"And dumped everything, and I challenged him to a trial by combat. It's to be in three weeks, after the squires have had their Ordeal and everything--they're giving me time to find a champion to fight for my case."
"Have anyone in mind?"
"Me," Alanna said with a nod. "I've already had fencing lessons from Gary for a while, and that brief bought of training from the Shang Wolf, and I'm to start 'Gifting' lessons with you right now, so I figure that in three weeks I'll learn all I can and then tell everyone I couldn't find a suitable champion and am ready to fight him myself."
"You're mad!" George declared with both pride and shock. "Stark ravin' mad!"
"Insanity runs in the family," she said dryly. "But now that you've heard me out--I've another favor to ask."
"Anythin'," George said generously.
"I'm guessing that, dealing with Duke Roger, fencing and 'Gifting' lessons might not be enough. Since you're a Rogue and all, I thought that you might... well, know some handy tricks or something that you could teach me." Alanna looked to him hopefully.
"In three weeks?"
"I learn quickly! We can do it right before 'Gifting' lessons!" she said enthusiastically.
George shook his head. "Then you'd be too tired to--"
"No I won't!" Alanna said, glaring at him. George sighed.
"Ye really mean to fight the duke?" he asked wonderingly.
"Determined. Nothing is changing my mind."
"Well, then you'll need all the help ye can get," said George, grinning.
Alanna was ready to fling her arms around him, but being too tired, contented herself with grinning back.
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Short because there's not really much to say, is there? Anyway, I SO wish I had the actual book to go by when she did her whole accusation scene... but I didn't, so here's the result.
Looks like I have to gear up and get ready for THE duel. *groans* No, not another one!!! And so soon, too!
Now. I don't know if I've ever mentioned my infatuation with Sean Biggerstaff as Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter movies... but... *swoons* ... Played Life (the board game!) with my cousins and declared to all that I was married to Oliver Wood and the children that came I named accordingly: Fyre Wood, Elijah Wood & Rose Wood (twins!), Willow Wood. Heeheehee! Get it?
*turns serious* Now, see that beautiful, but minisculy small button down there that says 'go?' Click it. C'mon! You know you want to!
To:
AerinBrown: *reads review* *laughs* Well, there MIGHT be a big happy wedding sequel with a big fluffy followup containing cute babies... if my muses don't die before then...
WNtrumpet: About Coram--you are absolutely right. See, my problem was that when I first wrote this fic, I wasn't too serious about it, so I didn't have my plotline worked out or anything... I was just writing it whenever I had writer's block with my other stories. Well, it sorta evolved from there until I took this fic much more seriously and am now regretting that I didn't plan out my storyline earlier. Anyway, when I go back to rewrite and revise, I'd give you a call--I'd appreciate any suggestion you can give me, concerning grammar/spelling or changing/adding something in the the story... and I LOVE long reviews!! P.S. About the Shang Dragon--I have NO idea yet what I'm going to write in the sequel... but I'll see if I can't work him in there somehow.
White-wolf: Write MORE?! Are you insane? Jeez...
ac_bworm: Printed it out? *confuzzled* Why? But I thank you for your compliment. *is seen beaming*
Youngling Milk: Hey!!!! You nominated me!!!! Wow!!!!! *hugs* *is very flattered*
Superalicea: She is most certainly not going to marry Alex!!!!... or at least by the end of this story... *winks*
CAroLYnrOSe: Deceit? What deceit??!
Drowning Rooster: Haha!... Actually, it might just work... never know tell you try!
Twilight Dusk: *cackles evilly*
Lady Taliana: Wow.... you are very, very hyper right now. *looks worried* *starts running away*
Forget-me-not; kiereyn; AJ; rogue kaiya; everyone else who reviewed... or read, but didn't review (gives pointed look): LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter thirty-three--
"What's the meaning of this?!" Duke Roger roared, his voice rising above the pandemonium.
"Someone get Jon and Alex to the healers, and I will explain!" Alanna shouted. "They need medical attention! Quickly, somebody take them to the healers!!"
Her words seemed to finally bring the Tortallian monarchs back to reality. "Please, someone take my son to the Royal Healers!" the queen cried as the king called for silence and order.
There was scuffling as several men hurried to obey. The three of them lifted Jon off the ground and carried him briskly out of the courtyard. On the other side Alex staggered to his feet.
"I can manage," he mumbled in a dazed tone, and stumbled after them. Alanna watched him go with worry etched across her brow, then shook her head as she was reminded of the problem at hand.
By now the noise had died down somewhat as everyone waited with bated breath for the explanation to her apparently insane accusation.
"I know I did wrong by breaking into another's private chambers, but what I found in Duke Roger's inner rooms is by far worse. He has been planning the deaths of the royal family for years now, and here is the proof!!"
Alanna raised the almost-erroded doll of the Queen Lianne, who turned even whiter at the sight of her destroyed image. "This was laid next to the fountain where Duke Roger used running water to destroy our queen's health. Her long illness was caused by him!"
There was a long moment of silence as everyone tried to comprehend and absorb this. Then:
"Impossible!" yelled the duke. "Lies, it's all lies!! I demand that--"
"Then there were these!" Alanna continued, and gestured to the many, many other wax images that included her, Elijah, the king, and other important persons of importance.
"These, too, I found in his rooms!" Alanna held up the wooden dolls that were perfect images of Alex and Jon and pointed at the runes painted on them. "He was the cause of the duel! He is the reason that Alex almost killed Jon today!"
"My liege, I did not do this!" Duke Roger cried. "There is no way to prove that I did this!"
"They came from your rooms--who else could have done them?!" Alanna countered, finally turning to look at him.
"Can you prove that?" yelled the Duke, his face turning red with anger. "For all we know, you could have made those dolls and tried to kill the queen! And both the prince and Sir Alexander showed their affection for you--how do we not know that YOU didn't cause the fight to satisfy your own vanity??!"
"M-my...my own vanity?!!" Alanna stuttered. "Ohh!"
"Do not deny that you don't have the skill!" Duke Roger spat. "You've already proven that."
"Have the skill but not the knowledge!!" Alanna cried. "I don't know anything about sorcery or the Gift--you can ask anyone!"
"Duke Roger," said Elijah, "what reason would Alanna have to want either the queen or the crown prince, or even Sir Alexander, dead? You must admit, being second in line to the throne, only you would gain."
"And why would I make a doll of myself?" Alanna demanded, holding it up for all to see.
Duke Roger's eyes darted around like those of a cornered wild animal searching for escape.
"Th-they are in league together to ruin me!" Duke Roger cried desperately to King Raul. "I don't know what they hope to obtain, but--"
Alanna didn't know what came over her--what POSSESSED her--that made her do what she did next. All she knew was that a glittery feeling filled her chest as Duke Roger argued with Elijah. He dared, DARED to cry out in indignation as if he was innocent when he had planned the deaths of her king and queen? When he had plotted the murder of the crown prince of Tortall? When he had nearly killed Alex, her Alex??
"Let us have a trial then!" she cried boldly. "Let you prove your innocence in a trial by combat--if you are truly blameless, the gods will favor you!!"
There were gasps of shock and shout of indignation at her challenge. A LADY, challenging the prestigious duke in a trial by combat?
"You've lost your head, lady," Duke Roger said, looking as bewildered as she felt.
"Are you afraid?" Alanna taunted with strange confidence.
"No," snapped Roger. "But lady, you cannot fight," he pointed out, and by the murmurs of agreement it was obvious that the same thought that everyone else had.
Alanna hesitated. All these people believed that she had had no training in the fighting arts, and she hadn't really. She couldn't very well tell them about her training sessions with Gary and use that as her credentials. Then there was the fact that even if she could fight, no one would let her--an untrained lady--into a duel with as much experience as and skill as the duke.
"I will find a champion to fight for my cause," Alanna said finally, "but I will require time to do so."
"Then let the Trial be set for three weeks from now," said King Raul firmly, "after all the squires have had their Ordeals."
Hearing the dismissal in his tone, the spectators gossipped their way out of the courtyard. Duke Roger threw a venomous glare to Alanna before leaving as well, his steps haughty and dignified.
All the air left her lungs as Alanna fully grasped what she had just done. She staggered for a moment as if all the weight of her actions was suddenly placed upon her. Elijah was at her side in a flash, supporting her and helping her out of the courtyard though he himself looked drained and ready to faint at any moment.
"Well done," he said approvingly. "Though a bit rash. But your proof was quite convincing. I see now how the duke managed to manuever Alexander and Jonathan into the positions that he wanted..."
"I don't know what came over me," said Alanna trembling.
'Well, you've gone and stuck your foot in it,' Faithful remarked, skipping beside them. 'Are you happy now?'
"Are you incapable of saying anything positive?" Alanna wondered as she scooped up Faithful and let him ride on her shoulder. Faithful responded with indignant mewing.
"Alanna!" a familiar voice called. They continued walking, but Alanna turned her head to see who had called her name. Bowen reached them and placed his hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes seriously. "Let me fight him."
"Don't be foolish, brother," said Elijah, irritated. "Duke Roger's sure to use sorcery during the duel, the cheating slime, and you can't fight that."
"Thank you for volunteering, but that's not quite what I had in mind," Alanna told Bowen politely.
Elijah glanced at her sharply. "Do you have a plan in mind?"
Alanna nodded slowly, turning the idea over in her head.
"I'm going to fight Duke Roger."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"See, I figured out what my dreams meant right then--like all of sudden, everything made sense. I realized that all I had to do was go down the same corridors, up the same stairs as I did in my dream. So I did. And I was right--Duke Roger's door was exactly where it was in my dream. The only problem was that the lock to his inner chamber was magicked. That's when I used my Gift and knocked myself out. When I woke up again, I found that it'd worked and the door was open, so I searched his room and found the evidence."
"Evidence?"
"Remember how the queen was ill? Well, he'd made a wax doll of her and put it under running water--he had a fountain in his rooms. That's why she was ill! He had wooden dolls of Alex and Jon, too, and they were painted with these strange symbols. Then there was an entire bagfull of wax images... I was in there too... I think maybe that was why nobody ever suspected Duke Roger--because putting us in the bag sort of shielded him from suspicion or something." Alanna stared at the floor with intense concentration as she thought this over. "It must be... Anyway, I stuffed everything in the bag and dragged it down back to the dueling courts. The entire time, my blood was pounding in my ears and all I could think of was just to HURRY before Alex or Jon was killed. Or both."
"I'd say that he was plannin' on just havin' Alex kill Jon so that Alex was set up to take the blame for everythin'," said George.
Alanna nodded. "Well, all the way back, I kept playing all these horrible scenarios in my head and my heart was just pounding deafeningly loud. When I got to the entrance, Faithful was there and told me what happened."
"Faithful?" George raised his eyebrows. Faithful mewed at him.
'What do you have to go telling him that for?' he hissed. Alanna dragged him off her shoulder onto her lap and not so much as petted him as pinned him down, and he protested by scratching, at which Alanna winced.
"I can--understand him," Alanna explained. "We can talk. Well, I talk. He meows."
George apparently decided that it was better not to argue and simply accept her word. "And then?"
"Uh... when I entered the court, I went in holding my necklace, so I saw all this residue of violet Gift hanging on the crowd. Jon was bleeding badly, but Alex didn't look too hurt--they were at opposite ends of the court and frozen stiff with Elijah's handi-work."
"Ah, the mage."
"Right. I figure what happened was that the reason nobody had stopped Alex from nearly murdering Jon was some spell Roger had done to still the crowd, or paralyze them, or something. Elijah must have battled it effectively. But the King and Queen were still frozen and there was still a bit of orange hanging around them, and since Elijah looked exhausted, I guess he didn't have enough energy to free them from Roger's charms."
"And then you just stormed right in and accused the duke then and there?" George looked at her with a mix of admiration and reproach.
"And dumped everything, and I challenged him to a trial by combat. It's to be in three weeks, after the squires have had their Ordeal and everything--they're giving me time to find a champion to fight for my case."
"Have anyone in mind?"
"Me," Alanna said with a nod. "I've already had fencing lessons from Gary for a while, and that brief bought of training from the Shang Wolf, and I'm to start 'Gifting' lessons with you right now, so I figure that in three weeks I'll learn all I can and then tell everyone I couldn't find a suitable champion and am ready to fight him myself."
"You're mad!" George declared with both pride and shock. "Stark ravin' mad!"
"Insanity runs in the family," she said dryly. "But now that you've heard me out--I've another favor to ask."
"Anythin'," George said generously.
"I'm guessing that, dealing with Duke Roger, fencing and 'Gifting' lessons might not be enough. Since you're a Rogue and all, I thought that you might... well, know some handy tricks or something that you could teach me." Alanna looked to him hopefully.
"In three weeks?"
"I learn quickly! We can do it right before 'Gifting' lessons!" she said enthusiastically.
George shook his head. "Then you'd be too tired to--"
"No I won't!" Alanna said, glaring at him. George sighed.
"Ye really mean to fight the duke?" he asked wonderingly.
"Determined. Nothing is changing my mind."
"Well, then you'll need all the help ye can get," said George, grinning.
Alanna was ready to fling her arms around him, but being too tired, contented herself with grinning back.
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Short because there's not really much to say, is there? Anyway, I SO wish I had the actual book to go by when she did her whole accusation scene... but I didn't, so here's the result.
Looks like I have to gear up and get ready for THE duel. *groans* No, not another one!!! And so soon, too!
Now. I don't know if I've ever mentioned my infatuation with Sean Biggerstaff as Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter movies... but... *swoons* ... Played Life (the board game!) with my cousins and declared to all that I was married to Oliver Wood and the children that came I named accordingly: Fyre Wood, Elijah Wood & Rose Wood (twins!), Willow Wood. Heeheehee! Get it?
*turns serious* Now, see that beautiful, but minisculy small button down there that says 'go?' Click it. C'mon! You know you want to!