That night Jonathan returned to his rooms in a bewitched state, how could
she have so much energy, so much determination to carry out such an
impossible task? To fight like that would mean years of practice day and
night, which added onto her etiquette lessons was a near impossible
resolution to achieve yet she has managed it. He was entranced. He was
amazed; he wanted to know her and to understand her strength. He was
strangely drawn to her, as he had never been before. He wanted so much to
get to know her better.
'I will make it up to her tomorrow,' he said to himself, 'I will.'
He then remembered the anger in her face when he had slighted her in the practice courts.
'Please Goddess I'm not too late' he prayed, and sank down into an uneasy sleep.
The prince arose early in the morning after an uneasy dream. In his dream, he had been transported back to that fateful day when he was just eighteen years old. He remembered it well; it was the day when he was travelling back from the bhazir tribes with Gary. He remembered the spiced in that humid, over perfumed room, the aged old gipsy and her predictions.
'Jon, wake up Jon', the young mischievous Gary stuck his head into his cousin's room.
'Come quick! Come quick!' there isn't a moment to lose.
'What are you talking about, if you want me to accompany you to watch the ladies at their bath, I'm never going again. It's seriously perverted and immoral.' replied the prince.
'Come on I only did that the once, no that's not what's so urgent, you have to hurry up. I've just been wandering around the queen's presence chamber and I heard that the princess Alanna was expected today to cancel the betrothal.'
'What???' shouted the prince, who had no idea why the idea of cancelling a hated betrothal was affecting him in this way. 'Surely she has no power to do that, what gives her the right to cancel the marriage of the prince of Tortall.'
'Come on Jon, stop being so arrogant and put yourself in someone's shoes for once.' Gary suggested vehemently, 'not only have you ignored her ever since she came but you have insulted her in every possible way in front of all the nobles and the whole country, how do you expect a future queen to operate in such conditions. Anyway its not as if you're in love with her is it, I mean, come on we both know what happened on your birthday, both know your fate.'
'Silence!' Jon roared, 'do you think I need to be reminded of that night?' he asked, anger tinged with fear. 'No, I am most certainly not in love with her but still, if I allow her to pursue in this annulment, I am allowing her to go against me. How dare she go behind my back about this, I her prince and her lord to be.'
'Yeah, and I was wondering what it was that was putting her off you.' Smirked Gary. 'Your arrogance must be your most favoured characteristic. For once in your life put your damned ego aside and grasp onto this one. Your parents adore her, the people respect her, despite your attempts and what's more your friends like her. Come on Jon, I've never asked for anything before. For me?'
'Gods help me, how is such a woman to be swayed though. I'll give it a go Gary but I'm not promising anything.'
With that the prince swept out of the room.
As he approached the queen's presence chamber, he paused and leaned in to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place on the other side of the door.
'.as I was saying your majesty, I cannot marry him' Alanna's voice rang out 'he clearly does not love me and indeed I don't believed he would ever learn to like me let alone any deeper emotion than that. I have tried, godmother, honestly I have, but surely you do not want us to both be doomed in this loveless marriage? You've always told me to tell you what was wrong in my life and this, this is wrong.'
'But you had been brought up as his wife. You were intended for each other since birth.' Pleaded Lianne.
'That may be the case but I still cannot love him after all I have seen of him, I am sorry to say this god mother but he is arrogant, he feels for nothing but himself. I cannot commit to a man like that, never.'
Jon, gently retreated from the door, forming another plan. He didn't understand why he was getting so worked up over this betrothal when he could have any that he wished, or could he?
He walked slowly away when and idea stuck him, he needed to appeal to his father, yes that would do. His father wasn't obliged to the princess like his mother. He would grant them an extension, and with that in mind, he walked quickly to his fathers study.
'I will make it up to her tomorrow,' he said to himself, 'I will.'
He then remembered the anger in her face when he had slighted her in the practice courts.
'Please Goddess I'm not too late' he prayed, and sank down into an uneasy sleep.
The prince arose early in the morning after an uneasy dream. In his dream, he had been transported back to that fateful day when he was just eighteen years old. He remembered it well; it was the day when he was travelling back from the bhazir tribes with Gary. He remembered the spiced in that humid, over perfumed room, the aged old gipsy and her predictions.
'Jon, wake up Jon', the young mischievous Gary stuck his head into his cousin's room.
'Come quick! Come quick!' there isn't a moment to lose.
'What are you talking about, if you want me to accompany you to watch the ladies at their bath, I'm never going again. It's seriously perverted and immoral.' replied the prince.
'Come on I only did that the once, no that's not what's so urgent, you have to hurry up. I've just been wandering around the queen's presence chamber and I heard that the princess Alanna was expected today to cancel the betrothal.'
'What???' shouted the prince, who had no idea why the idea of cancelling a hated betrothal was affecting him in this way. 'Surely she has no power to do that, what gives her the right to cancel the marriage of the prince of Tortall.'
'Come on Jon, stop being so arrogant and put yourself in someone's shoes for once.' Gary suggested vehemently, 'not only have you ignored her ever since she came but you have insulted her in every possible way in front of all the nobles and the whole country, how do you expect a future queen to operate in such conditions. Anyway its not as if you're in love with her is it, I mean, come on we both know what happened on your birthday, both know your fate.'
'Silence!' Jon roared, 'do you think I need to be reminded of that night?' he asked, anger tinged with fear. 'No, I am most certainly not in love with her but still, if I allow her to pursue in this annulment, I am allowing her to go against me. How dare she go behind my back about this, I her prince and her lord to be.'
'Yeah, and I was wondering what it was that was putting her off you.' Smirked Gary. 'Your arrogance must be your most favoured characteristic. For once in your life put your damned ego aside and grasp onto this one. Your parents adore her, the people respect her, despite your attempts and what's more your friends like her. Come on Jon, I've never asked for anything before. For me?'
'Gods help me, how is such a woman to be swayed though. I'll give it a go Gary but I'm not promising anything.'
With that the prince swept out of the room.
As he approached the queen's presence chamber, he paused and leaned in to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place on the other side of the door.
'.as I was saying your majesty, I cannot marry him' Alanna's voice rang out 'he clearly does not love me and indeed I don't believed he would ever learn to like me let alone any deeper emotion than that. I have tried, godmother, honestly I have, but surely you do not want us to both be doomed in this loveless marriage? You've always told me to tell you what was wrong in my life and this, this is wrong.'
'But you had been brought up as his wife. You were intended for each other since birth.' Pleaded Lianne.
'That may be the case but I still cannot love him after all I have seen of him, I am sorry to say this god mother but he is arrogant, he feels for nothing but himself. I cannot commit to a man like that, never.'
Jon, gently retreated from the door, forming another plan. He didn't understand why he was getting so worked up over this betrothal when he could have any that he wished, or could he?
He walked slowly away when and idea stuck him, he needed to appeal to his father, yes that would do. His father wasn't obliged to the princess like his mother. He would grant them an extension, and with that in mind, he walked quickly to his fathers study.