A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in forever...I at least know some of you have been impatient for my lack of updates and my 2 random one-shots coughAditicough)! I hope this chapter is to your liking, and I hope it was at least sort of worth the wait. Please review!
ENJOY!
Aly turned over and stretched her arms up, but instead of hitting the headboard, her fingers pressed against something softer. She quickly brought her arms back in shock and turned her head so she could see what she had touched. To her astonishment (and horror) she saw a sleeping man next to her.
But not just any man...Braden.
What! She tried to get up but an arm was protectively draped over her middle. What in Mithros' name? Talk about mixed signals... She looked around the room and noticed that this wasn't even her room. She rubbed her temples and slithered slowly out of Braden's grip. She made sure he was still sleeping, put on her shoes and quickly brushed her hand through her hair. She walked over to the door, and adjusting her Sight looked through the wood to make sure no one was walking in the halls at such an early hour.
"Where are you going?"
Aly jumped up and turned around to see Braden sit up in the bed...shirtless. How had she not noticed that he was shirtless before?
"Where are you going?", he repeated, since she hadn't answered right away.
"Braden, why was I in your bed," she gulped - why was she suddenly so embarrassed? - "with you?"
Braden blushed slightly. "You came in here crying about your mom, and you fell asleep. I didn't want to wake you, so I let you sleep in my bed."
"With you."
"With me."
"Right..." She sat down in the chair next to his door and put her head in her hands. Braden could barely hear her, but he could hear the pain in her voice. "Braden, why do you keep sending me all of these mixed signals? First you kiss me, and pull away, and then kiss me again but then keep your distance...and now this?"
Braden got up from the bed, (still shirtless), and came over to the chair. He lifted up her chin with a strong finger and looked deep into her hazel-green eyes. "Aly..."
She stiffened, bracing herself for another letdown.
"I was scared."
She looked back into his own grey eyes. She could almost see the different shades swirling together - like a storm. "Scared of what?" she whispered.
"I-I don't know." He slowly and hesitantly brought his lips to her own. Such a chaste kiss soon, however, became more passionate and heated, and only after they stopped to breath did Aly bravely ask, "Is this for certain now? No more kiss-and-run?"
He smiled broadly. "No. This is definite." He kissed her again, his one hand on the small of her back, and the other caressing her cheek as both of her hands were tangled in his dark hair. She smiled into the kiss. This is definite...
Alanna paced her rooms, her hands moving in front of her in wild mannerisms and her mouth moving. Every couple steps she'd rub her head and groan softly. Raoul popped his head through the opening of the door, saw this strange behavior and stepped back outside.
"She's been like this all morning."
"All morning? What has gotten into her?"
"I'm telling you, she's finally cracked."
"Gary - not funny." Jonathan sighed and rubbed his chin. "Ouch. Beard - right."
"I think our King's cracked too..."
"Raoul!"
The three men walked slowly back to their meeting room. "Maybe we should call in George."
"Hm...yes." Jon turned around just as a Page was walking through the hall. "You, boy!"
The small boy turned around meekly and when he saw that the King had addressed him, quickly and deeply bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Please find Baron George of Pirate's Swoop and tell him that he is to meet Lord Raoul, Sir Gary and myself in this room. It's urgent."
The boy nodded, bowed again and ran off in the direction of the Baron's rooms.
George walked into the meeting room just as lunch was being served to the three men. "Nice of you to join us, George."
He smirked. "Please forgive me, Highness," he mock bowed, "but it took awhile for the boy to tell me what exactly you wanted. Seems as though he had some sort of breathing problem after running so much."
Raoul covered a smile as Jon coughed. "Oh."
"Now what was it that you lads wanted?"
"Alanna is pacing around her rooms, talking and gesturing to herself like a crazed loon."
"Thank you, Raoul, for being so - blunt."
George picked up a small sandwich and chewed thinking. "All morning?"
"All morning."
He thought for a second and then declared, "Oh, she's thinking of ways to apologize."
He was met with blank stares.
"Apologize?"
"Who, Alanna?"
"Apologize?"
George grinned, his eyes dancing. "I know. Didn't believe it myself at first, but she got in a big row with Aly last night and - "
"Oh, no."
"What?"
"George, what was the fight about?"
"About Aly's plan to be a Player and spy. Alanna wasn't too happy but - "
"Oh gods it's all my fault! I was trying to help and - "
"Jon! It's not your fault! Alanna's glad Aly's finally doing something with her life, and even though it might not be as respectable as she had wanted, she knows she was wrong."
"Oh." Jon lightened up and resumed eating his lunch.
The four friends continued to eat in a friendly silence when George stood up. "Well, I better go see if Alanna's apologized yet - before she's worn the rug out."
The three men nodded and George left.
Aly put a foot into her tub cautiously. When the temperature felt right she slipped in and soaked. She left Braden's only an hour ago after kissing and going back to sleep since they had only waken up at 4. She smiled as the warm water pruned her skin.
She like Braden...
Alanna was standing outside her daughter's room, raising her fist to knock, thinking better of it and lowering it again. Finally she raised her hand and before she could lower it again, she forced herself to knock.
Gods, who is it? She decided to continue sitting in the tub and ignore the knocking. They'd go away eventually...
Alanna knocked louder this time and said, "Aly!"
Aly hit her forehead. "Why?" she asked to no one in particular, stepped out of the tub, wrapped a towel around her and walked to the door. "What, Mother?" She adjusted her Sight to look through the wood at her mother.
"Aly, I've come to apologize?"
Aly's mouth opened widely in shock, and even wider when she realized that Alanna wasn't lying. "Oh, um, okay."
She opened the door, and ushered her tired-looking mother to a chair. Aly sat on the end of her bed.
"So..."
"So."
After a few seconds of awkward silence; "I thought you had something you wanted to say."
"Yes," she coughed. "Well, this is kind of hard, but."
"But?"
"I wanted to apologize." (More silence).
"For what?"
Damn. "I waned to apologize for being such a horribly mean mother to you. I didn't have a mother myself, and I guess I never really realized how hard it would be for you to be a Knight after me, and I guess I always knew you were bound to be a spy, but I never wanted you to. I guess I was just selfish."
Aly waited. She made sure her face was calm and emotionless. Alanna looked at her, waiting for her to say something.
"And yes, I know you'd be a wonderful Player, but admit Aly, nobles are never Players."
Aly smiled. "Yes, mother. I know. I'm the first then. Dad was the first King of Thieves turned respectable Baron, you the first Lady Knight in hundreds of years, and I'm the first Noble Player. We're a family of firsts."
Alanna smiled. "I suppose you're right." She paused and then asked gently, "Do you still hate me?"
Aly got up off of her bed and hugged her mother. "I never hated you. I was just angry. But yes, I forgive you."
Alanna fiercely hugged her daughter back and smiled. "Good. I'm glad. And I promise to never give you a hard time about your career-choice ever again."
"Thanks, Mother."
"And I'll let you get back to your bath." Alanna let herself out as Aly walked back to the tub.
A/N: Love it? Hate it? PLEASE REVIEW! I think I might end this story soon, before they go to Maren because I feel like it's being dragged out...BUT if I get enough reviewer response, and enough ideas, I may write a sequel...
-AE