Title: Best Warrior
Author: Heiress
Rating: PG
Pairings: Not yet decided
Story Summary: Everyone knows how Alanna's secret was revealed through that one stroke in the duel with Duke Roger. Well what if that stroke had been completed in another battle, at another time?
Chapter Summary: A new mystery-point-of-view, a candy-obsessed lord, and a conniving and slutty(er) Delia, whatever will our hero(ine) do?
Disclaimer: This all belongs to Tamora Pierce. I own little of the plot at this point, just embellishing on what was already there, I do however, hold full credit for the different points of view at the beginning.
Suggestions for further plot developments are welcome and much appreciated. Flames will be doused with my muses' tears.
Chapter the Fourth
My feet marched down the corridor, unheeding of the orders of my mind. I was never sure which were worse; the times like these, when my body worked on someone else's orders and I was just a helpless spectator, or the times I couldn't remember. There were blank spots in my memory, great gaping holes of hours, or once, even days. I'd wake up in a crumbling wing of the old palace, or in some rank alley of the lower city, with knife coats on my clothes and arms and blood dripping from my hands. I was never sure whether the blood was mine or someone else's and I didn't really want to find out.
My body turned a corner sharply, gaining forward momentum, I willed it to move faster and to my surprise, it did. I prepared to change directions, to go to the King's chambers, to tell him-
"Slow down, damn it!" exclaimed an authoritative, if out of breath voice. Its owner appeared around the corner, her face flushed above the low neckline of her green dress. "I can't be seen running to the banquet like I'm some witless serving girl.
"I could go ahead, " I suggested, trying to sound indiffere4nt to her response.
"Nonsense," she said, her face the image of shock. "I can't arrive without an escort and that has to be you for the plan to work."
My shoulders slumped beneath the ornate indigo tunic. I hadn't expected anything different but I had hoped. I looked up as we rounded the next corner. Lights were shining every few feet on the walls and two men, in the full uniform of the King's Own guarded the huge double doors at the far end. A dainty white glove settled itself on my black clad arm while I nodded to the guards and acknowledged their jealous expressions. I whispered our names to the herald positioned just inside the door.
He turned away to face the elegantly dressed horde and rapped his ornamental staff against the floor. "Announcing..."
~*~*~
"No no, it's quite all right, I really don't need it," Alanna stood, half in, half out of a room, gesturing emphatically. She finally understood why Myles had been so amused when he sent her with the documents on Gallan sheep breeding to Lord Dannedan of Hohenzollern.
"Oh don't be foolish young whippersnapper!" cried out the elderly lord, his volume control as limited as his hearing. "They're good for you. With his right hand, he gripped Alanna's arm, with his left he shook a bowl half-filled with sticky orange candies at the captive squire. The man leaned forward and said, in what was supposed to be a whisper, "They also help with the ladies, or so I've heard." He waggled his eyebrows at his unwilling audience.
"I'm very sorry sir, but I have been ordered to attend the prince at..." The redhead craned a neck around the man to see the clock on the far wall, "two-o-clock. I dare not make his highness late."
"No, of course not," agreed Lord Dannedan, looking disappointed. "But you take these along with you now." He shoved a handful of the sweets at her and shut the door.
Alanna looked bemusedly at her gooey handful, then shrugged, dumped them in the nearby plant box, and went on her merry way. She didn't see the color ooze off the candies, staining the soil a disturbingly blood-like hue.
Alanna walked the familiar corridors of the palace, wondering if she had enough time to visit Stefan in the stables before she really did have to help Jonathon. Deciding that if she hurried she could chat and then meet up with Jonathon as he finished his daily ride, she started to cut across one of the many courtyards.
"Oh! Squire Alan!" trilled a sickeningly sweet soprano, "fancy seeing you here."
: Damn it Damn it Damn it Damn it: thought Alanna as she pasted a smile on her face and walked over to the courtly beauty.
"A remarkable coincidence my lady." She replied, bowing from several feet away. "I'm on my way to help the prince prepare for a meeting so I'm afraid that-"
"Oh don't be so silly Alan," she giggled, leaning conspiratorially towards the squire. "Jonathon isn't going to be done for at least another ten minutes. "Now," said the older girl, a wicked smile coming to her lips as she looked at the 'boy' in front of her. "I'm afraid that I have a bit of a problem." She walked towards Alanna, her hips swinging far more than was strictly necessary. "You see, I think that my dress has come a bit unlace, right there." She spun around in an enviable swirl of dark red skirts, her hand coming to rest at the right side of the low-cut neckline.
Really not a suitable dress for the weather thought Alanna irrationally as she went bright red with embarrassment. Far more suitable for an evening seduction than an afternoon walk.
Thinking furious thoughts at the gods-cursed code of chivalry, Alanna obediently raised her hands to untie the elaborate knot, trying to touch the Eldorne girl as little as humanly possible. However, the ties were rather fantastically tangled. Alanna didn't even hear the voices approaching or notice Delia's smile growing. That is, until an all to familiar voice called out.
(A/N I seriously considered just leaving it here and seeing if anyone yelled at me, but alas, I'm far too nice to do that.)
"Now Alan, didn't we already have a discussion about molesting the young ladies?" Underneath the veneer of humor in the prince's voice, Alanna could easily hear the jealous anger.
She half-turned, so her head was facing Jonathon and the young knights that stood to his either side. "Thank Mithros you're here," she said gratefully. "Lady Delia seems to have gotten her ties knotted." Alanna turned back to the amused beauty. "I'm sure that they'll be able to sort your problem out, after all," the squire added, glancing back over her shoulder, "they have more practice with this sort of thing." The redhead held the ribbons out to her friends.
Jonathon would understand what was going on, but she was afraid that Gary and Raoul would think she was denying being any competition for Delia to their faces and then wooing her (or more) behind their backs. She gave them both an exasperated smile, receiving a tentative one from each of them in return. That is, until Delia opened her mouth.
"Oh don't be so silly Alan," she purred, loud enough for the knights to hear. "Their hands are so big and rough, small hands would be so much better for this sort of thing, don't you think?" The three men and Alanna stiffened.
"And if you're a bit clumsy, well, that's nothing that a little practice won't cure." She had drawn closer to the squire as she spoke and now turned a coquettish smile to all of them, blinking innocently.
Alanna turned toward her three friends, hands outstretched in entreaty. Their eyes stared back at her, wide with betrayal, jealousy, and in Jonathon's case, anger.
:I could really learn to hate that woman!:
Next chapter: Another Alanna and Jon argument and a talk with Myles
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