Hello my doves! Am slightly hyper while writing this little introduction thingy, but there we go. Hope you liked the last chapter, I suppose that would depend on whether you are an A/J or an A/G. personally I don't care which one she ends up with in any other story, but as this one is mine I will choose wisely. Well as wise as I can get. Anyway enough rambling from me.

Enjoy;

Love AlannaWanabe

Chapter eleven:

'Argh! My back is huge! Every other lady's back is small and dainty and I have this huge monstrosity! It's not fair.'

'Lady Alanna, will you stand still. You're back is perfectly fine but if you continue to move I might accidentally stick a pin in it!' Was the sharp reprimand of Alanna's dress maker.

'It's okay for you, you don't have to attend some ball to celebrate the homecoming of a man you don't even like!'

'Really, that is enough! A woman should not speak badly of her betrothed, especially one so brave as yours, now if you don't mind Lady Alanna; I would like to go home before dark'

'Alice? It's only me. I was wondering if you could tighten the zip around the back of my dress.' Alanna vaguely recognised the sing song voice that drifted through the corridor towards her.

'Alice?'

'I'm in room three, your highness'

'Excuse me,' said Alanna, almost too politely, 'I do hope that you are not bringing anybody into this room,'

'Will you just shut you're.....' The dressmaker dropped into a curtsy, 'Your Highness, how may I be of assistance?'

'Really Alice, how many times must I tell you to call me Thayet? Oh sorry I was not aware that you had company.'

'She's no company at all, fidgets all the time and whines'

'I am still here you know and in case you have forgotten you are meant to be seeing to the back of MY dress' The tone of resentment was not lost on either Princess Thayet or the dressmaker. They shared a smile which only served to raise Alanna's blood temperature to boiling point.

'It's Lady Alanna I believe, although I don't think we have been properly introduced, I'm Thayet'

'I know who you are.' Alanna couldn't bear this, this beautiful princess with a back too small that her dress needed altering, pretending like she thought Alanna didn't know who she was.

'And you,' Alanna started, rounding on Alice. 'If you don't want to make this dress fit my oversized back then I will find someone who will'

'If you ask me Alanna, I think that you would be best with a dress cut low at the back, if you wore you're hair down of course. And if I could wield a sword or dagger they way you can wield yours then I wouldn't mind having a back which is slightly wider. If you want it small then you can give up fighting. It's your choice.' Thayet stepped gracefully forward and moved the material at Alanna's back.

'Don't you agree Alice?'

A thousand replies came through Alanna's head about interfering princesses who came to steal her man and tell her how to dress, but by the time Alanna had selected the best, the window for a reply had closed. Alanna figured that she would just throw the dress away and get another one by that evening.

Jon's heart skipped a beat as he saw Alanna glide down the stairs in the great hall. She looked amazing. A long black dress, cut low at the back served to highlight Alanna's slim figure. Her fiery red hair cascaded down past her shoulders in smooth ringlets. Charcoal accentuated her eyes and her lips, slightly parted as she looked around the room, were glossed. Jonathon's eyes met with hers and she smiled at him, her pretty face lighting up as she did. Jon beamed back like a love struck squire as she curtsied to the King and Queen.

Thayet was next to descended the great staircase, Jonathon's eyes didn't flicker even once, he was transfixed by Alanna. In two strides he was at her side,

'You look amazing' Alanna turned to see the face behind the voice, as she turned her hair swung gracefully round to the side, Jonathon longed to reach out and stroke it.

'You scrub up pretty well yourself your Highness'

Jonathon laughed, 'Coming from you I will take that as most high praise indeed'

Alanna's eyes twinkled, 'Alanna, about the other night, I am so sorry it's just that....'

'Jon, its okay, I understand and I thank you for it. It wouldn't have been the smartest thing to do!'

Jonathon smiled with relief at least she wasn't angry with him, he so wanted to be with her but knew that if she got pregnant Alex would call off the marriage, his own parents would never allow him to marry Alanna if she was with child, so she would be left alone with a child to support.

Alanna stiffened, Jonathon turned to see what the problem was, Sir Alex was descending the stairs. Alanna instinctively stepped closer to Jonathon, in an attempt to comfort her Jon held her tightly round the waist. They both bristled at the closeness of his touch.

Alex made his way confidently towards them.

'Lady Alanna, I hope that you are keeping well, I have returned from the border and hope that soon you will do me the honour of being my wife.'

'Sir Alex,' Alanna replied dropping into a curtsy, 'I am very well thank you, I hope that you did not encounter too much trouble during you're time away from court.'

Alex sighed, dropping the traditional act he said, 'Alanna, I seriously think we need to talk, last time we saw each other I don't think that we left it on the right terms, if our good friend Jonathon here would release you then I think it would be best for us to talk now rather than leave it.'

Until that moment neither Jonathon nor Alanna had realised that he still held her, it felt so comfortable, reluctantly Jon moved his arm and Alex extended his. Alanna accepted and with an unhappy glance over her shoulder at Jonathon she allowed herself to be lead to the side of the room.

'Alanna, im so sorry about my behaviour last time we spoke, I was rude, pushy and I am very sorry, I just hope that you will find it in you to forgive me. I had a lot of time to think while I was away and I realised that you are the sort of woman I would love to marry. You are your own person and I admire that about you.'

Alanna stared at him in utter confusion, was this the same man who had tried to force her to bed with him?

'Alex, im so confused. There are times when I think I could love you and be happily married to you and then there are other times when I don't think I could cope with living with you and would never learn to love you.'

'I understand I have not treated you with the respect you deserve as a young Lady of court and indeed I am truly sorry. I have to leave now and go and talk to the members of court about the situation on the Scanran border, you would be bored senseless, but I will want to talk again, before our wedding.'

With that Alex took Alanna's hand, kissed it and walked away towards a group of fierce looking noble men.

Alanna stood in utter amazement, some of things he said made Alanna think she liked him and then in the next sentence he could say something so insensitive or nasty that Alanna thought she would rather have her father disown her than be married to a man like him. One thing she knew for certain was that if he continued to talk to her like a small child then he would have to be taught a lesson.

'Care to dance Lady Alanna?' Jonathon bowed to Alanna. Alanna fluttered her eyelashes. 'Of course good Sir' They both started laughing as they walked onto the dance floor. Jon spun Alanna around both chatting and laughing. To everyone else in the room they looked more like lovers, than the heir to the throne and a betrothed Lady. It did not escape Thayet's attention, she realised the reason for Alanna's hostility towards her and for Jonathon's lack of attention. They were in love with each other. Thayet frowned, she wondered if either of them knew that the king and Sir Alex were arranging a wedding date for Alanna very soon, she knew that she had been sent to this court to try and attract the attention of Prince Jonathon, she knew that she did not stand a chance against his love for Alanna. Thayet didn't want to get in the way, she didn't want to be Alanna's opposition, and she certainly didn't want to make any enemies while she was here. The best idea that she could think of was to talk to Alanna and clear the air.

The band started a slow tune; Alanna laid her head against Jon's shoulder and allowed him to take full control of the dance. Jonathon pulled her close, he had not asked her about what she spoke to Alex about, he didn't want to distress her. However, this did not stop him from thinking about it. Alanna on the other hand was content to spend this time with Jonathon as she realised that this was one more evening she got to spend in his company and she was not going to spend her time with him thinking about Alex and her upcoming marriage.

Alanna turned her head up to see Jon's face and was surprised to see his eyes filled with tears, they looked twice as blue as normal. Jonathon looked down and quickly laughed.

'Sorry, I was just thinking that this is probably the last dance I will ever have with you, ignore me I'll be fine'

Alanna rubbed her head against his chest, like a cat does when it purrs.

'Don't be silly, im sure we have loads of time left' Jonathon smiled down at her, and said in a voice to small for her to hear,

'I wish I could be so sure my little lioness'