Chapter 2 Oh! What A Pleasant Surprise.
"Alanna! Wake up! Priestess Gladice wishes to see you. It sounds important. You should probably get dressed I don't think she is in the mood to wait," Thayet's voice called through the door.
Alanna wiped the sweat from her brow and quickly shed her clothing and replaced them with a white day dress.
"Tell Priestess Gladice that I'll be there in a minute, would you Thayet," Alanna said trying to fix her red curl's into a non-messy bun at the base of her neck.
She slipped out and into the hallway, walking through the corridors to the convents head priestesses' office.
"Come in!" a voice called from inside the room.
"You called for me priestess Gladice?" Alanna replied curtsying.
"Alanna, you have some visitors," the priestess explained.
"Me! I have visitors! You must be joking! Since when do I get visitors?" Alanna asked.
"That is what I said, but these peoples are determined to see you Alanna." Princess Gladice told the soon to be 16 year old lady. "I'm not sure why."
"Priestess Gladice, I've been here for six years, almost, and not once have I had any visitors, you know that as well as I do, so if you don't mind, I'm going to my room. Good day, priestess GGladice." Alanna added while walking out of the room.
"I'm sorry boys but she hasn't had any visitors before so it is natural that she doesn't believe me." Priestess Gladice explained to the six young men sitting across the room.
"That is to be expected, Priestess Gladice. If you don't mind, could you tell me where her room is?"
"It is just a few rooms down from the dining hall. I'll get Patricha Patricia to take you there. PARTRICIHA!" she called, "Could you please, show these gentlemen to Lady Alanna's room."
"Yes Priestess Gladice, right away." Patriciha replied, "tThis way gentlemen."
She led the way out and down the halls and through the flock of girls on their way down to the dining hall for breakfast, then up to a solid wooden door.
"Lady Alanna, there are some gentleman here to see you. Please open the door, I have to get to get to the kitchens," Patricha Patricia said, threw through the door.
"Would you all go away and stop teasing me! So I haven't had a visitor before. So what? Just go away and leave me alone!"
That Night
'Oh I hate the cold!' Alanna thought to herself as she sat down on a bench in the gardens, trying to keep warm.
"You look a little cold." A voice said from behind her, draping a clock around her shoulders.
"Jonathan! Is that you!" Alanna asked baffled. "Oh my god! What are you doing here! Six years off not visiting and you choose now to show up!"
"Oh I'm sorry. If you want we can just leave." Jonathan said "What is so bad about us coming now?"
"Now just happens to be when I'm doing my final tests. Now I have to be worried shaming you in-front of your face." Alanna replied looking at the ground.
"Alanna you could never shame me. I love you too much." Jonathan replied sitting down next on the bench, hugging her.
"Well doesn't this look cozycosy? Don't I get a hug?" A male voice
asked coming out of the shadows.
"Gareth! Mithros is that you?" Alanna exclaimed.
"Why Lady Alanna, do you doubt me?" Gareth teased being pulled into a tight hug.
"Now sister you wouldn't be forgetting about me would you?"
"Of course not Thom. How can I forget my favourite brother?" Alanna replied sarcastically.
"Alanna, darling, I'm your l only oving only brother," Thom told her.
"If you really were really mymy only 'loving' brother you would've come to visit sooner not waiting 9 years to come and visit me.see your only sister!" Alanna yelled at him, making the boys cringe. "Now if you don't mind I have to get ready for dinner."
"Alanna! You'll never believe who is here!" Thayet squealed running around in circles.
"Who? No! Let me guess! Prince Jonathan!" Alanna said sarcastically.
"Oh my god! How did you know? I thought you said you didn't know how to read minds." Thayet accused.
"Thayet, this is the PRINCE we are talking about, the guy every girl is dying to marry. To bad he is already betrothed." Alanna told the girl.
"BETROTHED! Alanna how do you know that?" Thayet asked.
"I have my ways," Alanna replied. "Come on lets go to dinner."
"Girls settle down, please. Yes the Prince is here and will be dining with us. So I want you to be on your best behaviorsbehaviours." Priestess Gladice informed the girls.
Squeals ran through the hall as the young ladies hurried to fix their hair or erase the wrinkles from their dresses.
"We're very sorry for being late ladies but my squire takes an extraordinarily long time to get ready." The prince explained, bowing to the head priestess.
"Thanksyou, Jon," a little boy came out from behind the prince in squires uniform. "I mean who wouldn't like to take the blame for their knight masters tardiness?"
"Just nod your head and smile Thomas." One of the other boys, obviously a knight told the squire, "you'll never win."
(2nd booklet thingymebob) "Oh my! We haven't introduced ourselves!" Gary exclaimed. "How extremely rude. Sir Gareth of Naxen, the younger, and my squire Geoffrey of MexonMeron." He said, bowing then motioning to another young boy in squiressquire's uniform.
The other large knight, who had silenced Thom, stepped up and motioned for his squire to join him. Bowing he introduced himself.
"Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and my faithful squire Douglass of Veldrine at your service and of course the prince's squire, Thomas of Trebond."
"So this is the young Trebond lad," the priestess said, "It is an honour to have a man of your power in our humble convent."
"We wouldn't like to keep you all waiting for dinner, where would you like us to sit?" The prince asked.
"Well there is room over on that table, where Lady Thayet and Lady Alanna are sitting." The head priestess told them as they slowly moved to sit down for dinner.
"You highness, I was wondering if you could put some truth to a rumour that I heard today." Thayet asked the prince over dessert.
"Why of course, M'lady," Jonathan replied.
"Well, your highness, I heard today that you are betrothed."
All the room went silent.
"Where did you hear that!" Gareth exclaimed.
"Gary calm down!" Raoul told him.
"Both of you stop bickering. Lady Thayet, as a matter of fact I am betrothed. To a lady from this very convent as a matter of fact. Would you like to know who?" Jon told the awaiting lady. "Of course you would, who wouldn't. Well I cant tell you, you will just have to wait so I suggest you get that thought out of your head."
Thayet was shocked, what a rude thing to say.she couldn't believe he was already spoken for
Meanwhile Alanna was having a "friendly" conversation with her brother.
"What do you mean brother? Are you just saying that because it has been 9 years since we've seen each other, I have to be different?" Alanna asked.
"No of course not, M'lady," Thom replied smugly.
"Lady Alanna, please excuse squire Thom, he doesn't know when to shut his trap." Gary said grinning at the fiery tempered young lady.
"My, my, Gareth you have changed a lot since we last saw each other. But of course you are still as charming as ever." Alanna said grinning as widely the knight.
"Ummm. Alanna, how do you know these people? You said you've never met a knight before." Thayet enquired.
"I haven't Thayet, when I met these men they were only tiny little pages," Alanna replied. "Well I met some of them when they were pages. The rest I met when I was but a sweet little girl."
"I wonder where she went. We all miss our little BrinhildaBrunhilde." Gareth put in thoughtfully.
"BrinhildaBrunhilde?" Raoul asked, confused. "Do I even want to know?"
"I used to pretend to be a maid when I didn't want to be disturbed." Alanna explained. "Or when my father would irritate me."
"Of course that didn't stop me from finding her. We always could get her out of hiding," Gareth replied looking thoughtful.
"Although, that last day, before you came here, you disappeared altogether. It was extremely funny. The whole castle was in a panic looking for her." Jon added laughing.
"Its not like you could find me either, Jonathan. Not that you didn't try. You must have passed that tree, what? Seven times," Alanna laughed, "and Gareth wasn't it you who lined up all of the maids and started checking eye colour, hair colour and even dress colours?" Alanna looked at him as he started to bush.
"Well what was I suppose to do?" he protested.
"I still think you were using the opportunity to check them out. Raoul was the smart one who checked the stables, while Jonathan seared tem gardens and forest and Gareth checked out the maids," she grinned. "He realized my horse was saddled and that I was planning to leave that night, and escape somewhere no one would find me, so he had the search stopped. When everyone was at dinner he caught me. Then he put the guilt trip on me and made me apologize to the whole court." At the end of her speech, Alanna was glaring at Raoul while Thayet and the squires were staring wide eyed at her.
"So it was you that had the whole castle in panic the day I arrived. It was scary." Geoffrey stated. "There I was thinking the whole castle had gone mad, believe me it isn't a good first impression."
The whole table, save Alanna, erupted in laughter. "Yes, yes, laugh it up, come on." Alanna stated.
"Sorry 'Lanna, but you've got to admit, the whole day was pretty funny. Jon passing the tree seven times, Gary checking out the maids, the pages thinking the whole castle had gone mad." Raoul explained.
"How would you know? You were camped out in the stables the whole time. Now if you will excuse me, I have some work to do." Alanna excused herself and walked out of the room with all eyes on her.
"Now look at what you did, Raoul. You know she didn't want to come here." Jonathan told the large knight.
"I'll go talk to her. M'lady, it was nice meeting you." Raoul bowed and made his way out as well.
"Alanna wait! I'm sorry, PLEASE STOP!" Raoul called jogging to catch up to her.
"Leave me alone Sir Raoul, I don't want to talk to you right now. I don't know what I might do if I get angry." Alanna replied, still walking.
"Go on, take out your anger." Raoul suggested.
"Excuse me?" Alanna asked.
"Punch me, kick me, do something," he commanded.
Not having to be told twice she slammed her fist into her jaw, hard, and stalked away leaving a stunned Raoul behind, holding his jaw.
"Next time, I'll know not to let her take her anger out on me," he said to himself.
Authors Note
okay in a couple months I should have chapter 3 up and ready. I hope. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.
SaZzA
