Chapter 2
Briana looked around and immediately saw the man she was looking for. He was easily the tallest one in the room, with his head and shoulders above the crowd: Raoul of Goldenlake.
"Raoul!" Briana called above the din, "Raoul!"
The large man turned around and saw Briana. He moved easily through the crowd to where Briana stood.
Raoul was one of Briana's mother's friends from when she was earning her knighthood, one of the few that knew that Alanna wasn't the boy that she pretended to be so she could become a knight. They had remained close friends, so Briana had grown up with Raoul as an uncle and his daughter, Stephanie, as a best friend.
"Where is Stephanie?" she asked.
"Hmmm... Last time I checked she was with her mother," Raoul pondered. "You should go see if she still is."
"Thanks!" Briana called over her shoulder as she walked off. She quickly scanned the room for Raoul's wife, Buri. She saw her chatting in a corner. A short dark-hired girl in a flowing green dress stood beside her. Briana threaded her way through the crowds over to the small group.
"Stephanie!" Briana hissed. The girl in the green dress looked around and saw Briana standing nearby. After whispering something in her mother's ear, Stephanie left the group and headed over to where Briana stood.
"I need to talk to you," Briana said to her, "privately."
The two girls threaded their way through the crowds to an empty corner where they could talk.
"What's going on?" Stephanie asked.
"I think I'm in love!" Briana sighed.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow and waited for Briana to continue her story.
"Well..." Briana began. When she had finished her story, Stephanie sucked in a breath.
"Briana..." she paused, "I would be careful if I were you," she cautioned, "it sounds like you're falling for him."
"So?" Briana retorted, "Why is that such a bad thing?"
"It wouldn't go anywhere," Briana cocked her head questioningly and Stephanie continued, "Do you really think that he would marry you Briana? He has to marry someone that will help the kingdom, all of Tortall, not just one family."
"Why would I be a bad choice?" Briana asked her friend, "King Jonathan nearly married my mother, and she wasn't even the King's Champion. She was just a young girl from a small fief. Besides," she continued, "who said anything about marriage?"
"Briana..." Stephanie started to caution her friend, but stopped, "Just be careful, Briana. Promise me you'll be careful. Don't give your heart away just yet."
Later that night, while lying in bed, Briana thought about what her friend had told her. Of course she would be careful. It's not like she was going off on an adventure like her mother.
Of course, she hadn't ever been on an adventure. Her mother wouldn't let her. Briana sighed and rolled over in bed. Why couldn't she ever do anything interesting? Her mother Alanna had been fighting in alongside real knights by her age. Briana knew much about spying and horse-back riding from her father, and enough about hand-to-hand combat to defend herself. But this wasn't good enough for Alanna. Briana wasn't allowed to do anything alone. Not even travel to the next village to visit her friends who lived there. She always had to be accompanied by a guard. Two if Alanna had her way. Briana sighed again. Why couldn't her mother let her grow up? She was more than ready to face the world.
A/N I'm so sorry it's short! I will write more next time I promise. YAY! It's great that people are reading AND reviewing (I need the encouragement or I will feel unwanted sniff, sniff). Keep it coming!
Briana looked around and immediately saw the man she was looking for. He was easily the tallest one in the room, with his head and shoulders above the crowd: Raoul of Goldenlake.
"Raoul!" Briana called above the din, "Raoul!"
The large man turned around and saw Briana. He moved easily through the crowd to where Briana stood.
Raoul was one of Briana's mother's friends from when she was earning her knighthood, one of the few that knew that Alanna wasn't the boy that she pretended to be so she could become a knight. They had remained close friends, so Briana had grown up with Raoul as an uncle and his daughter, Stephanie, as a best friend.
"Where is Stephanie?" she asked.
"Hmmm... Last time I checked she was with her mother," Raoul pondered. "You should go see if she still is."
"Thanks!" Briana called over her shoulder as she walked off. She quickly scanned the room for Raoul's wife, Buri. She saw her chatting in a corner. A short dark-hired girl in a flowing green dress stood beside her. Briana threaded her way through the crowds over to the small group.
"Stephanie!" Briana hissed. The girl in the green dress looked around and saw Briana standing nearby. After whispering something in her mother's ear, Stephanie left the group and headed over to where Briana stood.
"I need to talk to you," Briana said to her, "privately."
The two girls threaded their way through the crowds to an empty corner where they could talk.
"What's going on?" Stephanie asked.
"I think I'm in love!" Briana sighed.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow and waited for Briana to continue her story.
"Well..." Briana began. When she had finished her story, Stephanie sucked in a breath.
"Briana..." she paused, "I would be careful if I were you," she cautioned, "it sounds like you're falling for him."
"So?" Briana retorted, "Why is that such a bad thing?"
"It wouldn't go anywhere," Briana cocked her head questioningly and Stephanie continued, "Do you really think that he would marry you Briana? He has to marry someone that will help the kingdom, all of Tortall, not just one family."
"Why would I be a bad choice?" Briana asked her friend, "King Jonathan nearly married my mother, and she wasn't even the King's Champion. She was just a young girl from a small fief. Besides," she continued, "who said anything about marriage?"
"Briana..." Stephanie started to caution her friend, but stopped, "Just be careful, Briana. Promise me you'll be careful. Don't give your heart away just yet."
Later that night, while lying in bed, Briana thought about what her friend had told her. Of course she would be careful. It's not like she was going off on an adventure like her mother.
Of course, she hadn't ever been on an adventure. Her mother wouldn't let her. Briana sighed and rolled over in bed. Why couldn't she ever do anything interesting? Her mother Alanna had been fighting in alongside real knights by her age. Briana knew much about spying and horse-back riding from her father, and enough about hand-to-hand combat to defend herself. But this wasn't good enough for Alanna. Briana wasn't allowed to do anything alone. Not even travel to the next village to visit her friends who lived there. She always had to be accompanied by a guard. Two if Alanna had her way. Briana sighed again. Why couldn't her mother let her grow up? She was more than ready to face the world.
A/N I'm so sorry it's short! I will write more next time I promise. YAY! It's great that people are reading AND reviewing (I need the encouragement or I will feel unwanted sniff, sniff). Keep it coming!