A/n: Probly my most interesting chapter title yet, I'm pretty sure you all will like this. Once again I'm going somewhere with this.
Chapter 8: "You're Pregnant."
Justin paced the hallway thinking about tell Tia he liked her and what would happen if she didn't like him back after all there was that annoying Thom kid and Justin had heard lots of rumours about them but they were rumours.
Eventually Justin decided to just go in to her office and tell her, as he was turning the door knob he heard a sound it sounded like snoring did Tia snore? Justin asked himself. He opened the door and was about to say "Tia I like you." When he saw that Tia had a visitor: Thom and from the looks of things they just had made love as they both wore no clothes and Tia's head rested on Thom's chest.
Justin felt anger bubble up inside himself: he didn't have the chance to tell Tia that he liked her and now he was in her office staring at her and her lover Thom, he wanted to hit Thom and demand to know why? Instead he just slammed the door and stomped into his own office right beside Tia's.
Tia and Thom jumped awake at the sound of a door being slammed and listened as she had predicted she heard footsteps moving and rested inside Justin's office and cringed as she realized what he had seen.
Thom asked, "Who was that?"
"I believe that was Justin my assistant." Tia said trying to figure a way to force Justin not to tell anyone.
"Oh was that all? I wonder why he's stomping around like that?" Thom asked himself.
"Because he just saw us sleeping together and I pretty sure he likes me." Tia said staring at the wall.
"That's all?" Thom laughed.
"Don't laugh! He just saw me sleeping with my own-" Tia stopped as she realized that she was speaking very dangerously.
"Your own what?" Thom yawned, suddenly interested.
"Messenger." Tia quickly made up.
"Listen I have some work to do so...I think you should go." Tia said thinking.
"O.K I'll go but one question how long will I be staying here?" Thom said looking in Tia's amethyst eyes.
"As long as see fit I think." Tia said not really paying attention to Thom.
Thom started to get dressed as ideas shot through his head.
Tia herself was getting dressed when a knock on the door made her flinch.
"Who is it?" Tia asked with her general voice on.
"Messenger." The voice replied.
"Just a sec...I'll be out in a minute." Tia said general voice still on, in a different tone of voice Tia whispered to Thom "You better leave through the window, the last thing we need here is rumours." Thom nodded and climbed through the window and disappeared still doing up his belt.
Tia quickly put on the rest of clothes and straightened up her office and opened the door. "Yes? She asked the messenger politely.
"The Lioness is on her way and just wants you to be ready for her." The messenger relied panting clearly he had run a long way.
"Thank you, you can get some refreshments from the kitchen." Tia told the worn out messenger. The last thing I need on my mind is the lioness staying here. Tia thought and went to Justin's office and asked if he had done the supply reports, Justin handed them over without saying anything.
Looking at them Tia realized that this incomplete fortress had enough food to last through winter and spring.
The lioness sat on her mount Darkmoon and told the soldiers behind her to hurry up, even though they were going at a fast pace the Lioness was eager to do something about the swamp people. The soldiers began to complain about the fast pace Alanna silenced them with a hand and listened carefully, the soldiers began to hear what there mistress heard: the trampling of horse hooves and ordered the supply wagons to go back. All the soldiers stood ready on their mounts swords and lances drawn.
The rumbling steadily increased and over the rise of the hill the saw battered Tyran soldiers mounted on warhorses lance in hand, as soon as they saw them Alanna ordered the charge.
The two companies smacked into each other each side loosing soldiers and horses, Alanna threw her lance into a soldier that looked like the commander and quickly drew her sword and unclipped her shield and began slicing swamp soldiers.
The battle was over quickly the Tyrans were no match for fresh Tortallan soldiers or the King's Champion.
The warning bell gonged and roused Tia from her paper work, she quickly ran down the hall, down the steps and into the courtyard and saw battered Tyran prisoners and not so fresh Tortallan soldiers being ordered around by the Lioness.
"You call this a welcoming committee?" Alanna asked.
"Not exactly, as you can see this fortress is only partly completed." Tia said her general voice on. "What happened?" Tia asked.
"I was 'ambushed' by some Tyrans." Alanna said absently, clearly tired.
"Enough chatter, I do hope you have hot baths here we've been riding all day and some cells for these." Alanna gestured towards the Tyran soldiers as soon as they saw Tia they began chattering excitedly in their own language.
Alanna frowned at that then smiled and frowned again as she saw her son Thom walking towards them.
"Mother I thought the king penned you up at the capital with something." Thom said equally exited as the Tyran prisoners.
"He can try but he decided to send me here, just out curiosity what are you doing here?" Alanna asked Thom.
"I was to deliver a message to Tia." Thom said.
"I see. Don't you have something to do why I talk to the general here?" Alanna asked.
"Err...yeah I better go." Thom walked back to the stables and began to hammer nails in a wooden frame.
"Have you told him yet?' Tia and Alanna asked at the same time, they laughed nervously and Alanna asked Tia again.
"No I haven't yet." Tia said thinking about what happened a few hours before Justin woke Thom and her.
Tia had no idea that Thom planned to do the same thing tonight.
Over the next few weeks Alanna and Tia completed the fortress and finished all the necessary paperwork to tell the other forts that is was complete.
When the Tyran prisoners were interrogated they would say nothing except polite requests to speak to the Shang Pegasus.
Tia rejected all the requests, no doubt that the king of Tyra had sent them to talk to her personally.
The next morning when Tia was doing some paperwork she felt vomit surge up her throat and had to quickly dash to the privy.
When she returned to her paperwork she found the Lioness staring at her strangely and with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"I guess last night's dinner didn't agree with me." Tia muttered and returned to her paperwork.
Alanna curiosity got the better of her and she used her gift to check something and to her surprise she saw what she didn't expect to see another's heartbeat inside of Tia.
"You're pregnant." Alanna whispered.
Tia's head shot up "W-what?" she asked.
Alanna couldn't believe it either but there it was growing inside of Tia, unmistakable.
"You're pregnant." Alanna said again.
"H-how would you know?" Tia asked sharply.
Suddenly it made sense to Alanna Thom being happy around Tia and where he snuck of to at night and there were countless rumours about them floating around.
Alanna shook her head.
"What?" Tia asked irritated.
"You and Thom." Alanna couldn't believe it even though the evidence was there.
"How would- that's stupid!" Tia said hoping to convince Alanna that what she said wasn't true.
"I can't believe it! Even after you knew the truth you still did it!" Alanna shouted.
"Did what?" Tia said helpless in front of her mother's rage.
"There's only one way to settle this now!" Alanna stood up and withdrew her sword not caring that she was taking on a Shang and her own daughter.
"Wait let me explain!" Tia said hurriedly standing.
"No I won't! I explained my actions, your actions make no sense, only to drag an innocent man along!" Alanna shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Even if I have to kill my own daughter to protect her I will!" Alanna continued shouting, she pushed over the desk forcing Tia to move.
Alanna's eyes were filled with deadly fury her sword up and ready to kill.
Tia didn't want to face her mother and took the easy way out: quickly running to the window and jumped landing on the stable roof and rolled down landed on her feet ran to horse Epona, saddled her and rode out of the fortress, she didn't know where she could go in Tortall, all she knew was that she had to leave Tortall if she stayed she would be killed.
The only place that would willingly accept her was Tyra as she rode towards the country of her birth, she planned to see the King and hopefully get chosen for planning not fighting. She forgot the letter that King Jonathan had sent her that she would be hanged for betraying Tortall if anyone told the king.