Sorry that took so long, but I kinda abandoned it until I got an ultimatum and have nothing better to do, I also didn't know whether Alex should be allowed to go home or not, but I think she will, I'm sorry, but she's gonna have enough problems so I might as well add the stress of a double life. ...hehehe....

Disclaimer: oh must I? Well I guess it has been a while: I own nothing but the characters you don't know from Tamora's books (which I think might be most of them at this point, but that's ok!)

A bell rang overhead, waking Alex up with a start. Where was she? Then it all came flooding back, along with her cloudy depression. She heaved a sigh and went over to her mirror to check out what damage had been done by a night of crying. She was red eyed and puffy, her hair was a mess and the arms of her shirt looked as wet as her pillow had been. She had to clean herself up. No one could know how weak she had been crying. Especially not Lord Quindin of Marti's Hill.

By the time a second bell rang and Alex was mildly ready to face the rest of the world, a tap came on her door. Putting on the "Yamani Mask" she had worked so hard to perfect ever since the Protector of the Small books came out, she opened it to face a bleary eyed Lily, who didn't look much better off then her. Alex doubted Lily would notice if Alex had walked out with a Scream mask over her head. Jason had done that once...

Alex shook her head to clear the thoughts away and followed Lily in their funeral procession down the hallway to breakfast. This seemed to be normal for Lily because no one commented until they sat down. They were seated with the same group as the night before, except this time, Alex had managed to sit in between the twins and across from Eleni.

"Are you okay?" Eleni asked, concern in her voice as she recalled their parting yesterday.

"Fine," Alex mumbled, having no such recollection. She just hoped Eleni wouldn't question her further.

"It's no big Ellie," said the twin on her left (she couldn't tell them apart). "Alex here seems just like Lily. It'll be an hour or two before she's properly woken up."

"Look," The twin on her right added. "She's exhibiting all the symptoms. Dark circles under her eyes. Bleary gaze. Picking at her food. All that's missing is the death glare that should be headed at us for even speaking to her."

"But yesterday, last night...."

"I'm fine" Alex repeated, finally remembering what happened last night. She scanned the table looking for something to change the subject with. "Where's Jonathan?"

"He's sitting over there." The left twin said.

"His father told him that he shouldn't favor a particular group of people, so Jon does what he did and sits with a different group every meal, so as not to show favoritism." Right twin continued

"I don't know why he bothers. He's more like His Majesty anyways, outspoken and direct. His Majesty just sat with his friends when he was a page." Left twin added.

"And everyone knows he likes us best anyways." Right twin concluded.

Alex nodded, dazed by the whole switching thing more than she had ever been by Trish or Eleni's fast pace. She barely listened as the conversation continued on around her until someone directed a question at her.

"Hey, wasn't that the shirt you were wearing yesterday?" The boy with the brown curls...had he given her his name?... asked.

Alex glanced down at her now wrinkled shirt and nodded. "Mmmm, yeah, sorry 'bout that, but I don't really have anything else right now. Lily promised she's take me to the Palace tailors today to get some new threads."

"Threads?" He asked with a smile.

"Clothes," she supplied. "It's slang where I come from."

"Learning gutter talk are we Ridge?" A sneering voice came from behind them. Great, Alex thought, from Ralon to Joren to this sucker.

"You wanna make something of it?" The boy's previously friendly attitude had disappeared in an instant and he rose, glaring at the owner of the voice. He was short, but built like a fighter, already thick waisted and broad shouldered. He had brown rust colored hair that came down to is shoulders and what looked like a permanent sneer on his lips. His eyes, as icy as Lord Quindin's, looked patronizingly down on the group. Before Alex's new friend could punch him though, the twins grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Daemon," they hissed simultaneously. "Sit down. It's not worth it."

"The bastards have spoken." The taunt came again, this time drawing a rise out of the two of them, who promptly dropped Daemon's jacket and lunged for the boy themselves. Alex decided that despite her bad mood she should intervene. Or perhaps because of it. She would love to take her mind off her current pain with some new pain. Wait, she breathed before she opened her mouth. Try friends approach first so this guy can't gripe about it later. He may be useful.

"Hi, I'm Alex." She said, plastering a (rather fake) smile on her face and holding out her hand. I'm new. You are...?"

Before she could react he slapped her across the face. "Don't even address me you Bitch. You're not worthy to kiss the ground I walk on." The first thing that came to Alex's ringing ears was the sound of Bekah, who would be covering her ears right now and yelling "Oh my virgin ears!" Instinctively, Alex drew her hand back and swung at the boy, sending him crashing into the tables behind them. This threw her friends, who had all lunged at him after that comment, off balance and into a heap in front of her. She glared at the boy, ignoring her friends for the time being. "You're lucky I'm not your mother." She informed him coldly. "Or I would smack you harder than that, then wash your filthy mouth out with horse soap."

With that she strode out of the dining hall, knowing that Quindin couldn't punish her without punishing her new rival, which she wouldn't mind so much. Once out of the hall, she took the time to nurse her wounded cheek and knuckles. There would be marks on both and she didn't have her sister's concealor to hide it from the world. Erg. She sister. Memories came flooding back again and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying. It was then that her friends decided to show up.

"What's wrong?"

"Did he hurt you?"

"That was brilliant!"

"I didn't need you to stand up for me"

"You shouldn't have hit him."

"Shut up Brenna, it was awesome!!"

"I'm sorry!" Alex interrupted. "Look, I was trying to stop conflict and then I lost my temper. Lily, can we please go visit the tailors?"

Lily acquiesced, still not entirely sure what was going on considering she was still half asleep. Luckily she could find her way around the palace half asleep and they found the place after another endless maze. Alex's search for landmarks was an utter failure, since all the hallways looked the same; immaculately clean with some tapestry or armor piece at a corner and servant working diligently somewhere in the vicinity. So frustrating.

"Skinny girl," The tailor murmured as he whipped a knotted cord around her body, then recording measurements in this little ledger book he kept with him. "Doesn't look like you're going to grow much for a while." He commented eyeing her chest suggestively.

Alex turned bright red and covered the area in question. "I'm only ten!" She exclaimed. This was definitely not something she wanted to talk about, especially with a forty-something strange MAN.

"Oh really?" He continued oblivious to both Alex's, and now Lily's discomfort. "I would have guessed twelve or thirteen. I guess you have some time then. I'll be seeing you only when you grow out of these though...you rip 'em you mend 'em."

Alex didn't even mention that she couldn't sew, she was in such an effort to get out of there. She and Lily rushed out and toward the tanner for a good pair of boots.

"He can't make any obscene comments I hope," Lily muttered, fully awake now.

"Yeah, it's a good thing I'm not a guy though," Alex responded.

"Why?" Lily asked, totally clueless.

"You've never heard the saying about the size of boy's feet and what it is associated with?"

"Ummmm...No"

"Never mind," Alex wasn't the one who was going to break this poor girl's innocence. Especially because she didn't even know if it was true or not. Her ears heated just thinking about it. I was so scandalized when Jason taught me that, think of what it would do to this poor girl.

Ahhhh! Could she not go half an hour without thinking of someone she lost? Was she destined to do this forever? With that her bad mood returned and they didn't speak much for the rest of their errands.

Sorry that took so long, and this chapter would have been longer but I really have to do my homework now. Much love to all my reviewers:

Alana: What did I listen to you on? Whatever, yeah you're welcome, here's your stupid update (actually i kinda like it, but we're keeping it all hush hush)

Leah: I did not say I was going to kill King Jon!! And such language young lady!! (see above comment to mean boy...I mean that thing about the horse soap!)

MistFox14: Thanks, and sorry this took even longer

TigerCatXXVII: can you define the word "zing" for me (if your waiting for something to happen, please be patient!!)