A/n: here it is! Chapter nine! Yay! This chapter is kind of long and drags on a bit but I think it gets better towards the end. Um…yeah, and the good thing about it is that it has given me heaps of ideas for how to write the next couple of chapters, so the good thing about that is that the chapters will probably come quicker! Thanks for all your great reviews! I really appreciate them! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the next couple are coming along very soon, so look out for them!

Keeping Secrets

Luke stumbled up out of his bed, groggy-eyed. Practically staggering to the door, which was, luckily, only a few feet away, he opened it, wondering who the hell would be outside in the dark of the night. Yet, when he opened the rickety wooden door, he was barely surprised to find his nephew, the infamous thief Jess, standing outside. Luke could have almost laughed. Who else would be knocking on his door at such a rude hour, after running away five years ago and not contacting him since? Jess, of course. What did surprise Luke was that Jess looked worried, afraid even. Now that was a new emotion to be seen on the face of the most vicious cutthroat on this side of the kingdom.

"Jess! What are you doing here?" Luke hissed, half angry, half curious, and more than a little concerned, even though he would rather be boiled alive than admit it.

"I need your help." Jess said solemnly. Luke started. Jess never asked for help. He was a rodent, a cockroach even, a survivor who slipped into cracks and crevices at the first sign of trouble, who abandoned all family and friends to save his own neck, who never called in favours for the fear of having to pay them back.

"Please," Jess' voice interrupted Luke's thoughts. "My friends need help."

It was then that Luke realised that Jess was not alone. Looking over Jess' shoulder he got his second shock for the night. Behind Jess, Luke's eyes skimmed over two men mounted on a chestnut horse, one of them unconscious, another two men on an oak coloured horse, one spilling blood from the loss of two limbs, and a girl with brown straight hair and scared, blue eyes. It was the girl that caught his attention. She looked so much like…no; it couldn't be…yet they looked so similar.

"Lorelai…?" Luke whispered, surprised to find that his own voice, usually so unemotional and rough, had gone shaky.

The girl swung her head immediately in his direction, her eyes bright and attentive, like someone turning around when they hear their name called.

"Um, Luke?" Jess intervened flatly. "That's Rory. Who's Lorelai?"

"Lorelai's my name." Rory said, her voice musical and quiet. It was also a little unsure.

"But I thought…" Jess exclaimed, but Rory cut him off.

"Rory's just a nickname. Lorelai's my full name. Lorelai Gilmore. But…" she trailed off, staring straight at Luke. He stared back at her, trying to read her eyes. Jess paled slightly, and swallowed, but neither Rory nor Luke noticed.

"…Lorelai was also your mother's name." He finished for her.

Jess stared from Rory to Luke in frustration- he was not used to be left out of things. He was used to being the ringleader, the centre of attention, as authority flowed through him, powerful and energising.

"We don't have enough time for small talk, folks," Jess proclaimed loudly. "We do have wounded people here. Will you help us?" Jess directed this question at Luke, but Luke hardly glanced at him; he was still staring spellbound at Rory.

"Sure…bring her…" He shook his head, and rubbed his eyes. "I mean bring them inside. There's not much room but…but…" he paused, stifling a yawn. "The legless boy can go in my room. The unconscious one can go on the wooden dining table. The rest of you will have to sleep on the floor tonight." Luke was fully awake now. "I'll go get the Healing lady."

Luke headed outside the door, but Jess stopped him, grabbing his arm sharply. Luke was surprised to see how strong Jess had become. "Wait. This healing woman, can she be trusted?"

"Of course she can!" Luke fumed. When Jess stared, unsatisfied, Luke realised that he was expected to give something along the lines of a dossier about the lady. "Her name's Ms Patty. You don't remember her because she came a year after you left. She travelled around with vagabonds most of her life, leaving her a little…um…eccentric, but she's the closest thing to a professional we've got."

Jess still looked unimpressed. "Isn't there anyone else? I don't like the sound of this Patty woman."

"That's Ms Patty, to you." Luke said roughly. There was no way he was going to let his nephew undermine his authority! "She's all I can afford. I'm not exactly a noble, if you haven't noticed."

Jess looked at the old shack Luke slept in. There were several holes in the roof where the hay thatching had fallen in, and the walls were slowly disintegrating. The land around the house was surrounded by dry, brown grass and there was not an animal in sight. "Okay…" Jess said finally, shaking his hand absently. "Get this Patty woman and get her quick."

As Luke rushed of, Jess turned around and started rapping out orders. "Mitch, get Jon on to that table then help Richard out with Charles." Jess turned as if to stride into Luke's hut, but Rory interrupted him.

"What about me?" she asked.

"Just sit back and relax, Lorelai. Do whatever you want." Jess said coldly, and without turning around to face her, strode into the darkness of the hut. Rory just stared after him, hurt clear on her face. Mitch rested a bloody hand on her shoulder, and she looked up with him.

"Don't worry about Jess," Mitch rumbled. "He's just been through a lot. I reckon its all just catching up with him. Nothing personal." When Rory just stared at the spot Jess had stood, Mitch cleared his throat. "C'mon, give me a hand with Jon…"

*

Luke came panting back a couple of minutes later, dragging behind him a fat woman with bronze red hair and heavy eyelids. She was dressed in dark purple floaty material and she smelt like crushed garlic, rose petals and strong liquor. Jess, who was sitting next to Richard, wrinkled his nose in disgust, but Rory rather liked the smell. It gave her a strange sense of familiarity. Rory was sitting across from Jess, with her head on Mitch's shoulder. Mitch's eyes were dark and worried, hovering over the bleeding form of Charles.

"Can you help him?" Luke asked, motioning in Charles' direction. The lady who was supposedly named Ms Patty gave a high-pitched shriek, and all the thieves who were able to jumped to their feet and drew their weapons.

"What is it?" Jess demanded, but Ms Patty's face had gone blank. Rory gazed at the lady, trying to recall some long lost memory.

"Put your swords away. Put them away!" Luke was saying, motioning for them to sheath their weapons. The thieves obliged. "She does this all the time," Luke explained. "She thinks it's dramatic."

Rory continued staring at the lady, watching her hum, a deep melodious sound. "His life force grows weak…" her voice wavered for a moment. "But this child can be spared." Suddenly Ms Patty's eyes snapped open and she whipped around to face Rory. "Wait outside, for what I am about to for take is not suitable for your eyes, little miss."

Rory didn't even want to think about what Ms Patty was going to do. She exited the hut as quickly as possible, hearing the sound of Ms Patty's voice behind her. "Now, I'm going to need some help…"

But Rory was distracted by the sound of footfalls behind her. She whipped around, ready for an attack, but it was needless- her follower was none other than Jess' uncle, Luke.

"Hello," was all he said.

"Hello…" Rory echoed, unsure of how to act. This man had known her mother before…before it happened.

"You look exactly like her," Luke said, stepping forward and reading her facial expression. "Like your mother, I mean."

"That's what Sookie always says," Rory smiled, trying to be polite.

"Ah, that's right, you live with Sookie and Jackson now, don't you?" Luke relaxed against a deteriorating wall of his hut.

Rory's ears perked up. "What, you know them?"

"Yeah, back when your mother was young, we were all hired servants for the Gilmore family." Luke said. "Sookie was the cook, obviously, and Jackson was the supplier. That much you must have known already." Rory nodded.

"What were you?" she asked, curious now.

"I was…I…was…" Luke shifted uncomfortably against his portion of the wall. "I was the butler."

"What?!" Rory laughed out loud. "No offence, Sir Luke, but I can't imagine you as a butler."

"Luke, please, just Luke." He told her. "Is it really that hard to believe?"

Rory shrugged. "Well, it's a little strange to believe that a butler to a noble family ended up as a lone farmer living in a broken down hut on the outskirts of town…" Rory said smartly.

"Well, it wouldn't it be equally unbelievable that the only Gilmore heiress is a thief alongside the nephew of her family's old butler?" Luke rebutted just as smoothly. Rory laughed.

"I guess," she said, giving in. "I never thought of it that way before."

Luke smiled. Rory smiled. There was a silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"You should come and see Sookie and Jackson sometime," Rory offered. "They'd be delighted."

"Um…perhaps…" Luke said, and suddenly his face darkened. "On second thoughts, it may not be a good idea."

"Why not?" Rory probed, surprised at Luke's sudden change of attitude.

"Nothing." He said a little too quickly. "It's just that I don't think they'd be too happy to see me."

"Why not?" Rory repeated, stubbornly.

"No reason. It's ancient history." Luke dismissed it with a wave of hand, a characteristic gesture that Rory saw often on Jess. As Rory's thoughts drifted to Jess, he emerged through the doorway to Luke's hut, as if on queue.

"Luke? That Patty lady wants her herbal bag," Jess said shortly, eying Luke and Rory resentfully. Confusion dominated Rory's thoughts. Luke sensed Jess' hostility as well.

"I'll get it," he offered, walking away, leaving Jess and Rory alone. As soon as Luke was out of hearing range Rory drowned Jess in questions.

"Jess, what's the matter?" she asked. "You've been acting strange ever since we got here."

When he didn't reply, she moved forward. "Come on, it's me. You can tell me anything."

Jess looked up at Rory from his feet and she was surprised to find pain in his eyes; she was expecting anger. "I didn't know your mother was Lorelai Gilmore," he finally admitted.

"So?" Rory said. "What does that matter? I already told you that I was a Gilmore, where'd you think I came from?"

"Someone else besides Lorelai..." He said sourly. "I don't study the family trees of nobles, sorry if it doesn't interest me"

"Well I don't go around telling people about my family history. You knew I was a Gilmore, that's it, right? You probably didn't know that I watched my mother when she was beheaded." Jess winced. Rory had never talked about her mother's death very much, all she talked about was wanting to find more information out about her. Rory hadn't even told Jess her mother's name. All Jess had known was that her last name was Gilmore. But now that he found out she was Lorelai Gilmore, he suddenly knew a whole lot more.

Rory was starting to get angry. "Why do you care so much anyway?"

"Because…because if I knew I wouldn't have brought you here." Jess muttered.

"Why not?" Rory answered. Jess reddened around the ears and looked to his feet.

"Uh…n…n…no reason…" Jess stammered. "Forget I said anything."

Rory was taken aback. Jess, the smooth talker, the quick thinker, the most dedicated liar, stuttering?

"It's something about my mother, isn't it?" Rory said. "Luke wouldn't tell me either. You and Luke know something about my mother! Tell me."

It wasn't a request- it was a command. Jess shifted uncomfortably where he stood, and a long silence passed between them. After what seemed like ages, Jess looked up at Rory apologetically. "I can't," he whispered.

Rory's face hardened. Jess was one of her most very best friends in the world, like a brother to her, but she couldn't help being angry with him. He knew something about her mother; he was hiding something from her, something that she deserved to know.

*

Tristan was a pretty good swordsman- even he had to admit. But even so, it was a challenge for him to take on Marcus, especially Marcus with his temper up. So when Marcus launched his furious tirade on Tristan it didn't take long for Tristan's expert eye in swordsmanship to see that he didn't stand a chance, not when the opponent held no value to honour, and no heart for mercy. So Tristan had to play his final, and most powerful card. He dropped his sword.

"Marcus. I demand you to stop!" he yelled out in a harsh voice. Marcus' lip curled into a sly grin, and advanced on Tristan. Tristan sighed, and hoped his idea would work.

"Guards, seize him! He disobeyed my direct order!" Tristan motioned for the head of the guards to start organising his men. To be perfectly honest Tristan wasn't sure if it would work- the guards had always followed Marcus' command, because Marcus usually spoke on behalf of the king. He had no idea how far Marcus had brainwashed them, or where their loyalties would lie if they had to choose between the king, or the king's uncle.

"Get back, you idiots!" Marcus spat, a glimmer of fear in his eyes. The guards teetered on the edge of insecurity for a moment, and then their eyes hardened. They were the king's guard after all, and someone was endangering the life of their king! They started to move towards Marcus. Marcus, seeing that he was already defeated, dropped his sword at Tristan's feet.

"Forgive me, your majesty," he said, kneeling. Tristan looked coldly down at Marcus, as if for the first time seeing what he truly was.

"We'll talk about this later." Tristan said in a very formal way, and walked out of the room, relieved to be rid of Marcus' presence. Then he began to wonder about where that pretty thief Rory, and all her friends were. He wondered if the injured boy had escaped. He hoped so. He wondered if he'd ever see the girl again. He knew he would. If he was paying more attention to the voices behind him, back in the room, and wasn't so involved in his own thoughts, though, he would have noticed Marcus whispering something in the head guard's ear, and handing him a small pouch of gold…

*

Rory furiously stamped through Luke's wheat fields as the afternoon sun drifted across the blue sky. What was it that Jess wouldn't tell her? She was so angry and deep in thought that she didn't see the figure heading straight towards her. The figure didn't seem to see her to, because his sight was slightly obscured by the tall wooden crates he was carrying. So they both collided, caught off guard.

"Ouch!" Rory cried out as she fell to the ground, grazing her elbow. She was still a little sore from the events of the previous night.

"Oomph!" The figure moaned from under the crates. Various vegetables toppled out of the now-broken crates, to lay around the figure in a bright assortment of colours. Rory quickly got to her feet and lifted the crates off the figure, slowly so that she wouldn't hurt him. It was pretty easy for a thief.

Underneath the shards of the would-be crates was a boy around the same age as Rory. He had dark brown hair and brown, shadowed eyes. He was slightly more musclier than Jess, Rory noted, and was now looking at her as if he couldn't decide whether to get angry at her or to ask her for her name and compliment her on her eyes.

"Hi…" he finally said, a little tentatively.

"Hello…" Rory slowly responded, unsure of how to act towards him. "Sorry for bumping into you like that, I had my mind on other things."

"No, it was my fault too," the boy said politely. "I should've been more careful."

Rory smiled. "I'm Rory," she introduced herself.

The boy's face broke into a friendly grin. "My name's Dean. Are you from around here?"

Rory shook her head. "I'm just visiting Luke with some friends. How about you?"

Dean shrugged. "I work for farmer Luke, delivering his vegetables and livestock to the markets. He doesn't get out much."

"I noticed," Rory laughed, her eyes twinkling. She had almost forgotten what it was like to have a conversation that did not involve thieves. It was strangely- uplifting. "Were you on your way to the markets just now?" she asked.

Dean nodded. "But I guess now I'll have to go back and get some more crates." He sighed resignedly, but Rory gave him a small smile and knelt down beside the broken crates.

"No need for that," she told him. "I can fix them."

"But…there's nothing here except broken lengths of wood! It's practically useless."

"I'm resourceful," Rory said shortly, and to the amazement of Dean, managed to fix two of the three broken crates by using nothing more than her bare hands and stray scraps of wood.

"See…" she was telling him. "If you push this piece of wood in here, it makes sure that these other two pieces don't fall. And you put this strong one underneath for extra support."

Dean watched her, awestruck. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I learnt it from a friend" she said modestly, and immediately thought of Jess. To distract her, she helped Dean pick up the vegetables and put them back into the crates. Only a few were ruined. When the two crates were full, Rory offered help Dean carry the left over vegetables that were in the third crate. He accepted gratefully.

"So where am I heading with my arms loaded with vegetables?" she asked him.

"My cart's just at the end of this field," Dean told her. "I attach it up to a horse and ride to the market. Easy."

"Sounds like fun," Rory said. "Can I come?"

Dean looked at her through the crates he was holding. "Sure!" he said, eager for a companion.

"Rory!" Rory turned to see who had called out her name. From the place she had just come from, Jess came running. "Where are you going?"

"What if I don't want to tell you," Rory retorted, still a little bit angry at Jess. He hardened his gaze.

"Fine. There's a meeting now. Coming?" Jess turned his back, as if confident Rory would follow.

"No." she said firmly. Jess stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

"I'm already going somewhere." She said to Jess' astounded face. "You guys will just have to go on ahead without me."

"You can't just…" Jess tried to get the words out.

"I cant just what…?" Rory asked. "I can't just carry a stupid bunch of vegetables to a cart without your permission? Well sorry, Your Majesty."

Hurt showed on Jess' face, which surprised Rory. Jess never conveyed any emotion if he could help it. She didn't really mean to be so cruel, it was just that she was having a good time with Dean, and she needed some time to think. She also felt a little betrayed. Jess knew how much she wanted to know what her mother was like, but he wouldn't tell her something that he knew. He was supposed to be her friend.

"So you're leaving us?" Jess asked quietly. Dean didn't realise the significance of what they were saying, but Rory knew exactly what Jess was asking.

"I'm going to the market for a while. I'll come back. I promise." Rory gave Jess a reassuring glance. He gave a half smile at her, although his heart was sinking slowly to the depths of the earth. He turned and made his way back to Luke's hut.

*

Tristan sat on his bed, his head deep in thought. He was thinking so hard that he didn't notice it at first. Not until he looked in his looking glass. At the head of his bed hung a portrait of himself- his mother had given it to him for his fourteenth birthday, and she insisted on hanging it there. He felt a cold wave of horror. Two daggers were pierced into the painting…one though his head and one through his heart. It didn't take a genius for him to realise what that meant. Someone was after him.