Chapter Fourteen; the Conté Duke.

"Who is that?" Liam gestured at the stranger as Alanna ducked out of sight, into the shadows.

"Duke Roger of Conté."

They slipped away as the man swept up into the palace, leaving Stephen and the other hostlers to calm the sweating horses. Servants scurried around unloading the trunks from the carriage.

"And it looks like he's here for a long time." A grim smile crept across her lips. "We'll have to keep an eye on him, won't we?"

"And how are you going to do that Kitten?"

"I guess the Prince has just got himself a new maid. What worries me is that he is totally oblivious to his danger."

"So why don't you tell him?"

"Why would he trust me over his own cousin?" she scoffed.

"He trusts you as well." Liam turned her to face him, "Don't tell me you are still renouncing love before you've tried it."

She pushed his hands away gently and continued walking, talking to him over her shoulder.

"You know how I feel about that Liam. I loved my father and brother and they betrayed me. Why should I want to trust love again?"

"Maybe it's not what you think. Maybe your brother misses you." Liam followed the girl, his longer legs easily eating up the distance between them.

"He doesn't look like it. He's almost got his Mastery now. I saw him at the funeral. He was totally oblivious to me. We used to be able to sense when the other one was near. Now it's as if he thinks I don't exist anymore."

"Were you in disguise though?" He asked quietly. She nodded as he drew alongside her.

"Of course, I used a glamour. There aren't enough violet eyed redheads around to miss an inquisitive person's notice. So I was a blond. I kept my hood up to hide my eyes."

"Do you miss him?"

"Who? Lord Alan or Thom? I should really miss both of them, but George is more like a father to me than he ever was. But I do miss Thom. Not so much now as I did at first, but I still can't believe he would let Lord Alan banish me." Alanna shrugged, "But he obviously did, so that's the end of it."

The Dragon took the hint and changed the subject slightly.

"So you'll be moving up to the palace then?"

"Possibly. If I can persuade Jon that he needs protection."

"If anyone can do it, you can. If not by persuading him, then by annoying him until he gives in."

"Hey!" She whacked him lightly on the arm

"Don't hit your teacher Kitten, he might fight back."

"Will he now?" She asked archly. "Will he also stay in Corus for a while longer to help his student now the Conté Duke is here?"

Liam laughed and swung an arm around his charge's shoulders.

"He will Alanna, he will."