A/N: Heyyyy everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in forever...and thanks to everyone who reviewed Daft One! Alot more than I had expected considering it randomly popped into my head, and it was completely random...so hm. Thanks again! If you're really into random one-shots, read Pretty Boy, also by me...it's randomness between Joren and Garvey, and while no slash, some hints towards it. So thanks again!
ENJOY!
-
A few weeks had gone by since Aly had her first practice with the Players. Alan and Aliya were still courting, and Aly couldn't have been happier for the two. She became fast friends with Ronnie and Aliya, and talked frequently with Chris and especially Braden. While he made no other moves on her, she couldn't help but notice that he was often watching her during practice or spy-training.
All in all, everything had been going well for Aly. She tried not to think too much about Braden or the fact that she couldn't hold on to a man for too long.
And thankfully Alanna was still unaware that she was part of the Players, as well as a spy. That would be an interesting day...
"So when are you going to tell Mother?"
"Tell her what?" Aly was in Thom's room at the University, visiting him for the first time since she had come back to the palace.
"That you're a Player and a spy?" Thom cocked an eyebrow at his younger sister and tapped his foot against the floor. "I know you've been thinking about it...so what's the plan?"
Aly sighed. "I have no idea. But I'll somehow have to make sure she has no weapons on her beforehand."
"Want me to come. I think I can handle disarming her. My Gift is stronger..."
Aly looked at her brother. "I know. Everyone knows. You don't have to be so haughty." She laughed. "But your Gift is no match for my Sight..."
Thom chuckled. "And that's why your the spy Aly, and not me."
Aly grinned. "Come to dinner tonight? I'll tell her then. Alan's coming too."
Thom nodded. "Maybe between the two of us we can subdue her."
"Good luck with that," she mumbled.
-
"Nealan! NEALAN!" Aly rapped frantically on the knight's door. "Open up, Meathead!"
"Call me Meathead again and I'll kill you through the door."
"Neal, please! I need your help!"
He opened the door and she almost fell through the opening. "Thanks," she grumbled and sat.
"Please, sit," he rolled his eyes, "now what is it?"
"You know how I'm a Player now?"
"Doesn't everyone..."
"Well, not exactly no..."
"Oh, Mithros. You haven't told her yet?"
"Not yet. Tonight at dinner. You think you could give me some sort of shield thing or something to put in her drink to subdue her just a little."
"Are Alan and Thom going to be there?"
"Well, yes. And I know they have strong Gifts, but I can't be too safe. I mean, she is the Lioness."
"This is true." He rummaged through a draw. "Alright, just slip a drop into her drink, and her temper will be subdued - but only a little. So make sure she's disarmed."
Aly grinned. "I'm one step ahead of you already."
-
The family of Pirate's Swoop sat at a table in one of the smaller banquet halls of the palace. They had asked Jon and Thayet if they could use it for the night. It was the first actual family dinner in a long while.
All was silent except for the few spoons hitting the bowls as the family ate their soup. Once the bowls had been cleared, Aly cleared her throat.
"Mother?"
"Yes, Aly?"
"You know how you and Dad are always asking me what I'm going to do with my life? When I'll find a respectable job, a husband, and all the things that you and Dad have?"
"Yes." Alanna's eyes gleamed. Where was her daughter heading with this?
"Well, with the permission of Uncle Jon, encouragement from Aunt Thayet and Grandpa, as well as Sir Myles, and Uncle Raoul..." she cleared her throat, "I've joined the Players."
Alanna dropped her glass. "Excuse me? I could have sworn you just said you've joined the Players."
"I have Mother." Aly kept calm, practicing what Kel had been teaching her about 'being stone'.
"WHAT?"
"Mother! In case you haven't noticed, everyone in the entire Kingdom thinks I'd make a wonderful Player!"
"But, Aly! A Player? I will not allow this!"
Aly pushed her chair back from the table in the same motion that she stood, her hazel eyes turning the same color as her Mother's. "I'm sorry, Mother. Was it allowed for you to become a Knight? How many ex-King of Thieves become respectable Baron's and Spy-masters? In case you were unaware, I was not going to follow your footsteps and become a Knight. It'd be too much pressure for you, Dad, and me. I wanted to be a spy, and I'd make a terrific one! I learned everything from Dad and Grandpa, and you know it! And that's why I'm a Player, and why Uncle Jon appointed me as a spy. And there's nothing you can do to stop me. Uncle Jon wrote a decree and there's nothing you can do about it!" She pounded her fist on the table. "So unless you're going to encourage me with my life-decision, don't talk to me!" She dodged a servant with food trays and stormed out of the banquet hall, breathing heavily.
Tears started to stream down her face and she couldn't see where she was walking. She stopped in the middle of a random hallway about to breakdown, but kept thinking, "I'm stronger than this, I'm stronger than this," when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"Aly? What happened?"
She wiped her eyes and stared into Braden's steel grey ones. He gasped slightly when he saw their amethyst hue. "Are you ok?"
She nodded, but stopped halfway through and threw her arms around his middle and buried her face into his chest. "Hey, hey come on now. What happened?"
She sniffled and he helped her back to his room where he sat her down on the bed and handed her a few tissues. When she calmed down a little, she gave a quick version of her story.
"Oh, Braden! Why do I care so much?"
He knelt down before her on the bed, and let her cry into his chest again. "Because she's your mother and you love her, and you want her to be proud of you." He smiled slightly. "I know I care all the time about what my mother must think of me."
Aly stopped. "Where is your mother?"
"In the Realms of the Dead."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Braden!" She hugged him tighter as he rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her. And that's all she remembered...
A few minutes later he noticed that she was asleep, and looking out the window, decided it was pointless to bring her back to her own room. He sighed, thinking of the only possibility, and laid her on his own bed. He gently took off her boots and pulled the blankets over top of her when she shivered. Then he went to the bathroom, took off his own boots and shirt, and climbed in next to her...something he had dreamt of doing for a long time...just laying beside her. He reached over and put his arm around her middle, protecting her from whatever might try to hurt her, and she in turn cuddled closer.
-
"You knew about this?"
"Alanna, we all know Aly was going to be eventually going to be a spy," George replied calmly.
"But she's 17!"
Alan couldn't take anymore. "And so am I, and I'm going to be a squire soon! You were 14 when you were a squire! I could die, just as you could have, just as Dad could have while being a thief, or just as Thom could with an experiment gone awry."
Thom nodded in agreement. "While unlikely, we all could. You could bleed to death from a paper cut for Mithros' sake!"
Alanna pounded her own fist on the table. "That doesn't allow Aly to disobey me and become a Player AND a spy!"
George cleared his throat, "Jon asked her before speaking to me about it. She's going on a mission. A few spies are going as Players to Maren. It's the perfect job for Aly, and she should be perfect at it."
Alanna fumed, knowing this was true. "Still! Jon should have asked us!"
"Why? So you could say no and ruin Aly's life? What else could she be if she wasn't a spy or Player? She couldn't possibly be a knight! How could you be a girl and follow the Lioness's footsteps? It's impossible!" He got up from the table. "Mother, you need to bury your own pride and think about Aly's life, and let her make her own choices. Especially since they're the right ones."
Thom got up as well. "It's a shame Neal's tonic didn't really work out, hm?" He joined his brother at the door and the two left without another goodbye.
Alanna put her head on her hands. "All my children hate me."
George rubbed her back. "No, but maybe you should let Aly do this. You know she's going to anyway."
"I know." She sighed. "As soon as her eyes turned that shade, I knew I had no choice but to accept it."
George laughed. "Lass, you never had a chance."
-
Love it? Hate it? PLEASE REVIEW!