Author's note: Thanks so much to all those people who left comments for my last chapter...and to those silent readers as well! Normally, I would take time responding to the reviews, but I have exams coming up, and don't have enough time for this chapter...but THANK YOU to all those who reviewed!! And I also like to sum up what happened last chapter, because I, er... don't update very often... *looks around guiltily* ...Right, on with the story...

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Last chapter: -Alanna and Thayet had a conversation - Thayet told Alanna she did not love Jon enough to marry him.

- A messenger came bearing the news of an invasion of Scarnians in the north, and Tusainians in the east, and Alanna agreed to head back to Corus

- George arrived just as Alanna was about to leave, and Thayet left the tent in order to give Alanna and George some time alone...

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They stared at each other - the short, stocky, violet-eyed young woman, and the tall, muscular Baron of Pirates Swoop. For a minute nobody spoke, and silence prevailed upon the room with an unusual heaviness. George, adjusting to the fierce heat of the Tortallan deserts, was wearing a plain, white, buttoned shirt, with the top few buttons undone to cool himself down. His simple cotton garments gave no indication of George's respectable title as the Baron of Pirates Swoop, and he looked like he always had as the King of Theives. Alanna stared at his partly revealed muscular chest, before tearing her eyes away. What is WRONG with you? Alanna scolded herself in utter disgust, a rosy blush creeping into her creamy cheeks. Her eyes wandered frantically around the room, looking everywhere but at her un-announced visitor.

George noticed this, and Alanna's flush told all (or so he thought). He looked at the flustered Lady Knight with a mixture of amusement and adoration. She looks adorable when she's embarrassed, he thought. The baron chuckled to himself in a satisfactory sort of way.

"So", Alanna broke the silence awkwardly. She had no idea what to say, but she was afraid George would think the desert heat had addled her brains. What happened? We used to always have the wittiest conversations, but now every time I look at him, my mind goes blank! Did one of us change? "What brings you here, George?" Alanna ended up asking lamely.

Those unbelievably white teeth flashed in a crooked grin. "I'm here as your escort, Lady Alanna", George said solemnly, making a mocking bow, his hands doing a great many twirls and flourishes on the way down.

Alanna laughed genuinely for possibly the first time since Jonathan's coronation. There was a time when she would have been half furious that George thought she couldn't take care of herself - despite the fact that she was one of the most noted knights in the Realm. But those times were gone, and now Alanna felt nothing but a slight stir of amusement. "Jon sent you?" Alanna guessed, eyeing the thief-turned-respectable.

"No", George straightened, flicking his dark, chestnut-brown hair out of his eyes. "I haven't heard from him since I set out for Pirates Swoop. You can't blame him, he's got his hands full at th' moment."

"Then how...?"

George laughed merrily. "Just because I'm no longer the King of the rogue doesn't mean I don't keep up with my news Alanna. As soon as I heard that them Scarnians were attacking the northern border, I figured you were going to head back to Corus." He looked at Alanna assessingly, "and I guessed right, didn't I?"

Alanna snorted before smiling ruefully. "I'm a knight of Tortall, George, " she gazed him straight in the eye, knowing her good friend was worried for her safety. "I have the Code of Chivalry to respond to, not to mention my King and my honour. This is my duty."

Silence dominated the room once again. George looked at her thoughtfully. He knew that no matter what he did, how far his love for her went, he could never tame his Lioness. The Lady Knight wasn't his anymore - in fact, he had serious doubts about whether she ever was, - she belonged to the people of Tortall, and her country would always come first. Alanna wasn't meant to be locked in a fief - she was meant to be having great adventures and doing great deeds -just like she'd always dreamed. She would always be on the run. Always. Yet George couldn't drag his hazel eyes away from her. Before he fully realized what he was doing, his hands have already reached out to pull the Lady Knight against him. He held her tightly, her body pressed up against him. Slowly, staring straight into those exquisite violet orbs, George lowered his head and captured her soft lips with his, in a sweet, gentle kiss.

Alanna started, stiffening visibly, famous violet eyes widening with surprise - but she offered no resistance. She hated to admit it, but she felt more uncertain and apprehensive right now than she had felt for a long time. Chitral, the warring country of Sarnia, Roger... Alanna knew she could fight all of that. They came to her one after another, hard but not un-expectant. Orderly - just the way she preferred it. Alanna always hated surprises, and these sudden surges of complicated thoughts and feeling s were thousands of times worse that that. She was scared, because she had no idea what to do about them.

Feeling Alanna relaxed slowly into his embrace, and ease into he kiss, George deepened it, his tongue flickering over her slightly parted lips. He held her tenderly, wishing he never needed to let go.

"George?" Alanna was the first to pull away. She glanced at him uncertainly from their close proximity. Her cheeks and lips were flushed from their passionate kiss, but strangely, the rest of her body was calm - there was none of that tingly feeling in her veins like there usually was, nor that irregular heartbeat she normally felt when George kissed her. Alanna was brought sharply back to Earth, when she realized George had just said something. "What?"

"Do you love me?" The Baron repeated in a soft, husky tone, his callused hands gently tracing the curves of her face. There was that intensity in his hazel eyes that he seemed to have reserved just for her.

Alanna's thoughts floundered helplessly. For the past two years, she had always assumed she loved him, to the point - Alanna had to confess mentally - when she had taken their love almost for granted. But did she truly love him? Suddenly, she wasn't so sure anymore. "I - well-" Alanna ended up stammering brokenly.

"Enough to marry me? To bear our little ones?" George pressed on, undaunted by her uncertainty. True, he had ridden down from Pirate's Swoop to escort Alanna safely back to the palace, but no sane person would make the trip in three days time without good reason - and George had a good reason. He had to know, did his Lioness see anything ahead in the future for them? Together?

Silence is the best friend when all else fails. The copper-haired young woman stared speechlessly at George, without the slightest clue as what to answer. So their 11 years of mixed friendship and love - it had all come down to this. "I - I - I don't know!" Alanna ended up blurting out. She cursed herself silently for such a lame and stupid answer. Honestly, what has gotten into you? You can't I just say a simple yes? Or no?

George blinked a few times, reality dawning on him anew. Alanna wasn't ready to marry him yet. Not now, maybe not even in the future. He wanted to make her say she loved him, but he knew her too well for that. She would only tell him so if she was ready.

"Forgive me George", Alanna murmured, not meeting his hurt eyes. She just couldn't give him an answer yet.

"I understand, lass, no need to tear yourself apart over this." He sounded so practical that Alanna stared at him. Had she just imagined his pained expression just seconds ago? But then George reached out to cup her face in his hand. "I'm only going to tell you this. No matter what, I will always be waiting for you." He paused. "Come on, get your stuff. I'm followin' you every step of the way."

Alanna gawked for a moment at this sudden change of atmosphere, before remembering she was supposde to ride to Corus today. Goddess help me, I am SO stupid! Alanna made a face, glad to be able to relax and not deal with her complicated thoughts and emotions yet. There was always time for that in the future. "I don't need you to follow me so closely", Alanna teased, "I'm a full bred knight! I can protect myself, thank you very much!"

Her companion grinned, moving back a few steps towards the door. "You may be attacked by hillmen, or even renegades. Are you saying you can take down a pack of them alone?" George raised his eyebrows, a teasing lilt in his baritone voice.

"Renegades? That's a past term! There are none, not since Jon became the Voice of the Tribes!" Alanna punched her friend playfully in the arm. "I thought she should've know that, George!"

"What I know is that not all of these desert men accept Jon", George said dryly, "the situation now is...well - not-so-great."

Alanna eyed him apprehensively, her loyalty and bonding love for Tortall taking over. "What is that suppose to mean?" She asked with mild suspicion.

"You know what it means, Alanna. If Jon doesn't take further action soon-" George broke off abruptly, mid-sentence. He couldn't bring himself to make Alanna look more horrified than she was now.

"It's that serious?" Alanna came to her senses and fathered her muddled wits about her. She grabbed her bags and strode towards the door. "George, what are you waiting for?!" She yelled impatiently, upon seeing the Baron standing still in the same spot as if he had sprouted roots.

George looked surprised. "Where's the Jian Willima Princess?" He asked mildly. "Surely you're not going to leave her here in the desert alone?"

"Thayet? She says she doesn't want to go back yet." Alanna glanced at him, putting down her bags. "I suppose you know about that, too."

"I might", George admitted. There was few things of the court that escaped his watchful eyes and sharp ears. His rule as King of the Rogue had taught him that one slop could mean your life. "Where is she? She's not staying here."

"But George, she-"

"Tortall needs every available mind and body it can get right now", the Baron said grimly before walking out of the tent, into the mid-day sunlight.

Alanna watched him leave, gazing at his dark silhouette dubiously. Life just doesn't give you a break, does it? She thought glumly, picking up her bags again and following George out of the tent.

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A/N ...urgh...how very un-Tamora Pierce-like... I managed to stick to her gorgeous style of writing before... but I'm been slipping this chapter... *wacks self hard around head* ...anyways, please R & R!!! (thanks for all the great comments, but constructive criticism is also appreciated!)

3 Angel Tearz