Chapter Seven
When Alanna woke she was alone, in her bed, and the sunlight coming in through her window told her that it was early morning. Groaning as she climbed from her bed; she had obviously been put there by someone who was hardly more awake than she, the lady knight made her way over to the window and peered out at the day.
The sun was peering down at the world from behind a bank of clouds, and didn't look like it had much intention of moving. A thin layer of white frost adorned the ground, clinging in patches to the trees and buildings that scrambled up over the hill on which the palace was built. The few people who had dared to creep from the warmth of the palace were either servants or riders, and a small band of squires. It seemed that most of the palace's populace were still abed, and Alanna couldn't blame them.
An authoritive knock at the door brought her attention back to her own immediate surroundings, and she hurried across to open it, checking her clothing as she moved.
The caller was Princess Lianne, who gave Alanna a sleepy sort of smile before announcing with a yawn, "Mama sent me to invite you to join us for breakfast," She hid another yawn behind her palm.
Alanna returned the smile and nodded. "Thank you," she replied. "Did she wake you up just for that?"
Lianne nodded. "She thought it would be better than sending one of the servants," she replied, "She forgets that I have duties too, and sometimes those duties require me to stay up late at night,'
"Well she does have a bit on her mind at the moment," Alanna reminded her.
"I know," Lianne said. "I'll just meet you there then?"
Alanna nodded, and waited until the young princess was out of sight before she closed the door and turned her attention to collecting up her clothes and bathing things. She hurried to the bathhouses and greeted the sleepy looking warden, who pointed her towards an uninhabited pool.
Splashing in the warm water Alanna allowed herself a brief moment to collect her thoughts. They brought her back to a day nearly thirty years ago, Jonathon's coronation, when the world had nearly literally split apart beneath her feet. That had been the day that Duke Roger of Conte had last been seen in the realm of Tortall, the day when she had killed him, and the day she had lost her brother Thom, Faithful, and Liam Ironman, and killed her one time friend turned enemy Alexander of Tirragon. So many others had been lost that day; Alanna couldn't even recall the total number who had died. But we won that day, she reminded herself. We won, and I killed Roger. And I'll do it again if I have to; we'll win again. Faithful's tiny body slipped from her hands; Thom's face turned grey before her eyes; Liam lay on the alter, riddled with arrows, and she heard Alex's voice whisper, "I knew I was best," before his body collapsed against her and she felt his life flee from his body.
Before her recollections could get the best of her she shook herself and climbed from the bath, letting the water slap against the sides as she did so. She dried herself as quickly as she could, and pulled on breast-band and loincloth, then breeches and a shirt, hands trembling over the buttons. She went outside and tried to pull her boots on, but her hands were trembling so badly that she couldn't manage to do the laces. So she left them untied and hurried towards the dining hall as fast as she could.
Jonathon stood up as she entered the room and motioned for her to take the seat beside him at the table. She smiled gratefully and slid into it, nodding to Lianne and inclining her head respectfully to Thayet. The queen returned the courtesy and then offered Alanna a warm, slightly sad smile.
"How are you?" she asked. "Glad to be back in the land of the living?"
Alanna gave a small chuckle as a serving girl came out and began laying the table with breakfast. "Not really; there's so much less to do when you're asleep,"
"Try running a country," Jonathon suggested as he arranged food on Alanna's plate. "You'd never want to wake up again,"
Alanna elbowed him in the stomach to regain control of her breakfast. "You and Gary are as bad as each other," she remarked. "I knew Alex was the only safe company in the morning,"
Jonathon smiled, and opened his mouth to begin a retort before he realised exactly what she'd said. Then his mouth dropped open in shock and he stared at her. Alanna immediately looked away, glanced at Thayet and Lianne, who were chatting quietly as they sipped their coffee, then down to her lap, to her hands twisting the soft linen napkin into a tight tiny little ball of crinkled rainbows.
"Alanna?" she heard Jon's voice and instinctively glanced up. He was watching intently, his deep blue eyes filled with concern.
"Sorry," she began. "I was just a little distracted,"
Jonathon's brow furrowed and he frowned. "Alright," he conceded. "Do you want coffee?"
She nodded and took a bite from her plate, knowing that if she didn't, Jonathon would begin to push her, and she wasn't confident in her ability to resist him. He nodded as if to acknowledge that he'd moved on, and returned to his own breakfast. Alanna pushed her food around her plate for a minute and then did the same.
"What are your plans for the day Lady Alanna?" Thayet inquired politely as the last servants passed out of the room. Alanna glanced up from her food and swallowed.
"I don't have any," she replied with a shake of her head.
Thayet smiled. "Wonderful," she replied. "Because we were just thinking…"
Lianne coughed and wrinkled her forehead. Thayet glanced at her daughter and laughed. "Alright then, I was thinking," she corrected herself. Lianne nodded vigorously.
"It's been a long time since we did anything for the female servants with regard to personal safety, so since you're here, maybe we could organise a workshop of some kind, to teach them how to protect themselves. I'm sure we could get Eda to help, and Buri, Onua, maybe some of the female riders. Please," she pleaded. "It'll be fun,"
Alanna had to laugh at her friend's enthusiasm. "Alright," she agreed. "Why not?"
"I can think of several reasons," Lianne muttered under her breath. Both Alanna and Thayet laughed, and Alanna caught a small amused smile on Jonathon's face when she glanced at him.
"Well you ladies have fun," he told them. "I'll see you later," he rose from the table and nodded toward them before he left. Thayet smiled.
"Excellent," she announced happily. "Let's get started." Alanna smiled at her enthusiasm and elbowed Lianne gently in the side.
"Do this for your mother," she whispered. "Please." Lianne looked at her for a moment, puzzled, and then glanced at Thayet, who was talking quietly to a maid, gesturing with her hands as she did so. She looked relaxed and almost happy. Lianne looked at Alanna again and nodded.
"Alright," she muttered.
Alanna spent the next three days with Thayet, Lianne, Buri, Daine, and some of the rider women, as well as a large group of the female servants, working through basic self defence moves. Alanna relished the chance to train with competent women again, and time spent fighting was time that couldn't be spent thinking. So she put her self whole heartedly into the work, and each night fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. If she dreamed at all, she didn't remember, and neither Faithful nor the Goddess gave any sign of their presence.
Around noon on the forth day Alanna looked up at the sound of hooves clattering into the stables courtyard. She took a great shuddering breath and stood up, fending off the urge to turn and run in the opposite direction. She saw Thayet glance at her, and the queen smiled and inclined her head in the direction of the stables. Alanna nodded, and then closed her eyes after Thayet looked away, and wiped her sweaty hands on her breeches. As a prisoner walking to her doom, Alanna got to her feet and walked towards the stables.
As she entered the stables she heard the sound of voices laughing. George was talking to Stephan as the ostler unsaddled his horse. Alanna leaned against the stable door and took a deep breath, trying to look nonchalant.
"It's nice to catch up with your friends, I'm sure," she noted. "But don't you think you should try and find your wife?"
George looked up and a boyish smile spread across his face. "I woulda gotten round to it eventually," he muttered softly. Alanna tried to smile back and fought the urge to vomit as George strode to where she stood and swept her up in his arms.
"Hello Lady-Love," he whispered in her ear. Alanna tightened her arms around his neck and looked up at his face, and the green eyes smiling down at her.
"Did y' miss me?" George asked seriously. Alanna glared at him.
"Why would I be doing something stupid like that?" she demanded.
George looked down and the kissed her. "Because you love me," he replied, grinning impishly. Alanna felt her heart swell and then contract as emotions rushed through her. She realised George was looking at her expectantly and smiled.
"Of course I do," she replied, with a twinge of guilt at this concealing truth. She leaned against George's chest to hide her face. His comforting arms encircled her and she felt herself relax in spite of herself. "I love you George," she muttered, using easy words that drifted off her tongue from years of use.
"I love you too Lady Knight," her husband replied. "And I'd love nothing more than stay here like this for the rest of the day, except perhaps for going to your bedroom and having a well earned rest…" he raised his eyebrows suggestively, "but, I have some information for the king and your father that they really need to hear,"
Alanna sighed. "Does it have to be now?" she asked. George nodded.
"I'm afraid so," he confirmed, and then lifted her chin to kiss her briefly. Alanna frowned.
"Well then, if it has to be, you should go and have a bath first. You're all sweaty. I'll go and find Jonathon and Myles and get you some food and meet you back at our rooms."
George nodded. "Alright," Kissing her one last time he made his way out of the stables.
Alanna wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. Then, after looking around for Stephan, she too left the stables.
"Jonathon," she called out as she climbed the last few stairs up onto the wall. "Jon?"