Disclaimer: Right, following a flash of inspiration, this is a disclaimer
for not only this chapter but the entire story. This means I get to stop
writing these dum things. Huzzah! ;)
A/n: Thank you to all my reviewers, and thanks for the advice! I'm not going to reply to all of you individually, because it bugs me when other people do that and I don't want to be hypocritical, but I will say that this fic is almost certainly have some Alanna/Gary in it, though it probably won't be the main pairing. We'll see. I'm thinking three chapters before the big plot is revealed. ;) I know, I know, I'm cruel. Oh, and the new title? The significance will (hopefully!) Become apparent.
Gareth of Naxen the Younger was rubbing his temples in a slow, rhythmic motion. His hair was flopping over his eyes, and he dashed it away irritable, closing his eyelids. His face was red, and there was a definite tension hovering for a good five foot radius around him. He was so absorbed in trying not to hit something- a most demanding task- that he didn't even notice the Prince squatting down beside him.
"I wonder if it's possible to erode your own brains out." Jonathon said to a bird that hovered nearby. The sparrow let out an enquiring cheep, making Jon chuckle before he continued. "Not that it'd be too hard with you, Gary, if you don't even have enough that all you can do on a day like this is sit in a courtyard and scrub at your own head like that."
Gary opened his eyes and scowled.
"She's arriving today."
Jon didn't have to ask who She was- Gary had only been moaning about her from the day his father had told him about his engagement. Gary spoke again.
"It had to be her, didn't it? A bloody Trebond. Mithros, father knows how much I hate her lot..."
Jon stood up quickly, springing away like a baited bear, eyes flashing.
"You don't even know the girl! She might be different! You're not even giving her a chance!"
"I don't need to, Jonathon! They're twins! How different from her brother can she be?"
Jon's hands came instinctively to her forehead, and then dropped as her remembered his own taunts about that habit. The problem was that he didn't really believe what he was saying. Thom of Trebond was a loner, obsessed with his Gift, spending all his time alone in his rooms. Several times Numair had complained that the boy's antics had disrupted his spells, sucking out all the magic from them, until the Great mage started putting wards round his work. Thom had no friends, was snappy and disruptive, and couldn't fight to save his life. It was hard to imagine any twin of his could be much different. And they said she shared his eyes...
He had no more time to ruminate, though, because before he could finish his mental sentence it was disrupted by the noise of a carriage arriving. Gary lurched to his feet, his face pale. Jon fled.
"Deserter!" Gary called out to his retreating back in a muffled voice, before turning to face his doom... A red-haired, violet-eyed doom.
A/n: Thank you to all my reviewers, and thanks for the advice! I'm not going to reply to all of you individually, because it bugs me when other people do that and I don't want to be hypocritical, but I will say that this fic is almost certainly have some Alanna/Gary in it, though it probably won't be the main pairing. We'll see. I'm thinking three chapters before the big plot is revealed. ;) I know, I know, I'm cruel. Oh, and the new title? The significance will (hopefully!) Become apparent.
Gareth of Naxen the Younger was rubbing his temples in a slow, rhythmic motion. His hair was flopping over his eyes, and he dashed it away irritable, closing his eyelids. His face was red, and there was a definite tension hovering for a good five foot radius around him. He was so absorbed in trying not to hit something- a most demanding task- that he didn't even notice the Prince squatting down beside him.
"I wonder if it's possible to erode your own brains out." Jonathon said to a bird that hovered nearby. The sparrow let out an enquiring cheep, making Jon chuckle before he continued. "Not that it'd be too hard with you, Gary, if you don't even have enough that all you can do on a day like this is sit in a courtyard and scrub at your own head like that."
Gary opened his eyes and scowled.
"She's arriving today."
Jon didn't have to ask who She was- Gary had only been moaning about her from the day his father had told him about his engagement. Gary spoke again.
"It had to be her, didn't it? A bloody Trebond. Mithros, father knows how much I hate her lot..."
Jon stood up quickly, springing away like a baited bear, eyes flashing.
"You don't even know the girl! She might be different! You're not even giving her a chance!"
"I don't need to, Jonathon! They're twins! How different from her brother can she be?"
Jon's hands came instinctively to her forehead, and then dropped as her remembered his own taunts about that habit. The problem was that he didn't really believe what he was saying. Thom of Trebond was a loner, obsessed with his Gift, spending all his time alone in his rooms. Several times Numair had complained that the boy's antics had disrupted his spells, sucking out all the magic from them, until the Great mage started putting wards round his work. Thom had no friends, was snappy and disruptive, and couldn't fight to save his life. It was hard to imagine any twin of his could be much different. And they said she shared his eyes...
He had no more time to ruminate, though, because before he could finish his mental sentence it was disrupted by the noise of a carriage arriving. Gary lurched to his feet, his face pale. Jon fled.
"Deserter!" Gary called out to his retreating back in a muffled voice, before turning to face his doom... A red-haired, violet-eyed doom.
