Chapter Twenty Six; Revelations.
Well, seeing as my exam today went well, I guess you can have this update a little earlier than planned…
Gary pointed to the keys hanging from Alanna's forefinger.
"Those keys are for..."
"Yes. His Grace, the Duke of Conté's rooms." Jon's face was pale. Alanna prised her arms out of his stone like, unfaltering grip. "I'm sorry Jon, but there is proof."
He set his jaw.
"Show us then."
Alanna nodded,
"This way." She led the way through the palace to Duke Roger's suite of rooms.
She opened the door quickly and ushered them in before securing it on the inside. As they looked around the main room, Alanna crossed the floor and opened the smaller door to the work room.
"In here." No one spoke as they filed into the room. It seemed a lot smaller to her now, less mysterious and alien, now she was with the taller knights.
She brought them over to the screen and wordlessly pulled out the doll of Queen Lianne. Gary took in a sharp breath as he lifted the perfect model of his aunt from her hand.
Her heart ached as she saw the pain on her Prince's face. She knew only too intimately, the pain of being betrayed unexpectedly by one you loved, and by one who you thought loved you.
"I'm sorry. But there's more." This time she lifted the entire bowl of water from the sandstorm. Then silently, one by one, she withdrew the other dolls. The men named them as se carefully laid them down, not causing any more harm to the wax.
"The King, Duke Gareth, The Provost," They called the man she did not know "Sir Myles." Alanna had heard that name before, Raoul explained who he was, when he caught her expression.
"He teaches the pages and squires history." She nodded in thanks, then removed the last doll and gave it to the person who it represented: Prince Jonathon.
Jon gasped, his cousin's treachery was now complete. His face was ashen and grey, his eyes angry, but at the same time desperately sad. His mouth had tightened into a thin line.
"I'm sorry Jon, I know you loved him, but I had to stop him. He was killing your mother."
His voice was weary.
"I know Alanna, I know. But..." He looked up at her from the effigy in his hands. "You still know more about this." He stated it as a fact, not a question
She agreed.
"Yes. But this proof you need to come and read."
He nodded, and in the shocked quiet they put the dolls back so Roger would not suspect his secret had been discovered, and walked to Alanna's room. She unlocked the door and let them into the room, then, as she unbolted the trunk, Jon opened the door connecting their two rooms.
With the stack of books in her arms, she followed the young men into the Prince's room.
"Where do you want to start?" She asked. They each selected a book from the pile, but when Jonathon picked one up, she stopped his hand.
"You should have this one." She placed the red journal into his hand. He saw the resolve he felt mirrored in her eyes, she was just as eager to bring Roger to justice as he now was. Alanna had known about this treason for some time.
It pained him to know that the man who had taught him how to ride and how to use his Gift was now plotting to kill him. How long had his cousin been pretending? Had he always had treachery at the back of his mind? Or had it recently surfaced? If so, when had his laughter, his smiles become fake?
Jon looked up from where his gaze was resting on the leather cover of the journal, to see Alanna's deep violet eyes filled, not with the pity he had half expected to see, but with sorrow for being the harbinger of such evil news, and compassion along with understanding for his internal torment.
With a smile that felt weak even to him, he accepted the book and went to sit in his favourite chair. Alanna began setting up the wards, only to find a sapphire blue film already covering the walls and doors. She released the lavender fires building around her hands and arched an eyebrow at Jon.
"You?"
He nodded, she rolled her eyes as a response and sat next to his chair, on the floor using a pillow as a seat. She pulled one of the books she had taken earlier today onto her lap and leant against the side of the chair, legs crossed tailor style.
All that could be heard in the room was an occasional sound of disgust or disbelief and the rustle of pages. Alanna sighed, this new book was stuffed full of research notes for the Gate of Idramm and the Sweating sickness. To Alanna, who was almost completely untrained in the art of scholarly magics, it could have been written in another language for all she could understand. She twisted to see if Jon could help, he was Gifted after all, when the book on her lap, and its twin on the floor beside Alanna, burst into flames. She cried out in surprise as she jumped to her feet, beating at the flames frantically. Gary and Alex rushed to hit the books, both now on the floor, with a cushion and the remaining pillow, in an effort to crush the flames. Raoul ran to the washroom and brought back a full jug of water, pouring it over her still burning clothing as she and Jon tried to stop the fire spreading from the front of her skirt up to her shirt. With a horrible smell and a loud crack, the flames went out.
Alanna shook her dripping and singed skirt out in disgust.
"Look at the other books!" Gary called, pointing. They were all glowing a steady orange colour, but the mist hung just over the covers, unable to touch it while the protective amulets were there. Alanna breathed a sigh of relief; thanking the great Gods that most of their proof hadn't been destroyed. As the orange mist faded, Raoul asked
"What in Mithros' name was that?"
Her answer was grim.
"I guess his Grace just discovered that some of his books were... removed shall we say, from his rooms.
"Will he know that we've seen the dolls?" Jon wanted to know.
"I don't know, but I think not. I doubt he will even consider that someone would try to break into his private workroom. He has been very careful not to make enemies and to cover his tracks."
"But you noticed." Alex pointed out quietly, "When we didn't suspect a thing."
"I have good sources of information." Alanna let the subtle compliment roll off her. "And an outsider's perspective." She paused, then added, "Also an extreme dislike of sorcerers and nobles." That cracked a smile from her companions.
"What about us?" Gary said, pretending to be offended. "We're nobles! You cant get any more noble than the heir to the throne here." he nodded his head towards Jonathon, who looked unsure as to whether he should be insulted or pleased by that comment.
"Well." Alanna mock shrugged, "there are bad ones in every breed."
"Excuse me?" The men began to encircle her. "'Bad ones'?"
"Yes." She said, a smile playing around her mouth, "The 'bad ones' are those who forget their station and fraternise with those of a lower class."
"Like you?" Jon looked incredulous.
"Like me." She confirmed.
"But you're a Princess." He objected. Alanna laughed out loud.
"Well then, in that case, maybe you and I should shun these boys who are so far beneath us." She lifted her nose into the air and ducked underneath the grasping arms of the knights, as they tried to catch her, laughing uncontrollably.
"Maybe you are right." the Prince agreed.
The others exchanged a glance.
"That's it!" Raoul declared, the others nodding in agreement, "Get them!"
The three launched themselves and the royal pair. Alanna ducked behind Jonathon quickly, pretending to faint. The others quickly piled on top of Jon, crushing him and making him pleas for mercy. Even the usually dignified Alex joined in, trapping Alanna in what he thought was a secure hold. However, he soon found himself beneath her, with Alanna sitting casually on his stomach.
The two large knights let Jon out from under them as she found himself unable to breathe. Soon they were all collapsing in laughter onto the floor. Some of it was mirth, some laughing so they didn't cry, and the rest was pure mirth.
When they finally subsided into quiet, sides and chests aching, they found themselves sprawled all over the floor of Jonathon's room.
"Snobs." Raoul declared. They were too exhausted to fight any more, so Alanna just made a small affirmative noise. It was Alex who brought them back to the more serious matter at hand, their brief escape into laughter gone.
"When do you think he will attack Alanna?"
"When everyone he wants out the way is together." She said, thinking out loud. "Probably at the midwinter ball."
"But that is in two days!" Jon exclaimed.
"He won't want to waste time now." she reminded him. "he knows someone has his books who shouldn't have. He may think he destroyed all the evidence against him, but he doesn't know who read it. He will want to work fast."
"So what are we going to do?" Gary asked.
Alanna dropped her head into her hands to avoid seeing all their expectant faces.
"I don't know. I just don't know."