A/N: So sorry for the long wait, kids. :cowers in shame: This chapter, unfortunately, is not particularly amusing, which is part of the reason why it took me so long to write. It might get a bit confusing, so you've been forewarned. They next should be better, though. Maybe some A/G fluff if I'm feeling nice. coughreviewcough ;-)
The next day dawned bright and cheery. Tavia and George arrived at the Naxen Stables with the bulk of the crowd, keeping as low a profile as possible. As soon as they showed up, Gary ran over to them, or rather, to Tavia.
"I'm so glad you made it," said Gary. "I thought you weren't going to come."
"I'm sorry, Gary," said Tavia, batting her eyelashes at him and looking contrite. "We got caught in the crowd and could not get here any faster no matter how hard we tried. Please don't be angry with me."
"Of course not!" exclaimed Gary, "How could I ever be angry with you, fair lady? Your eyes are like gems, gleaming in the autumn twilight…"
Oh boy, thought George. Here goes the poetry. I wonder what Tavia will do. He knew that she hated those gushy love poems as much as he did, perhaps more.
She smiled thinly and interrupted him by saying, "Hey, Gary! Is that Blizzard?" She jumped up and down, pointing at the magnificent white stallion.
"…like the ocean on a—What? Oh, yes. That's him. Would you like to get a closer look?" he asked, forgetting about his poetry altogether. Gotta give her credit, thought George, grinning to himself. Knows just how to shut the guy up, or maybe he's just too dense to notice? He shook his head, still smiling in amusement as he walked after them at a slightly slower pace.
They made it to the front of the crowd where everyone was gathered to watch as some people tried their luck at staying on Blizzard. So far, the longest time had been just barely past eight seconds, but the person who had done that ended up unconscious with a broken leg in three places.
The current rider was thrown almost as soon as he got on. There was a pause as the people in the crowd hesitated, each daring his neighbor to get on, but afraid to go himself.
"I can ride this horse," Tavia muttered to George.
"Really?" replied George in equally low tones. He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Prove it."
Tavia smiled. "My pleasure." She stepped out into the center of the circle.
"What are you doing, Tavia?" asked Gary, having not heard a word of their conversation.
She ignored him and, in one bound, was into the saddle. Blizzard bucked with all his might, using all the tricks he knew. The horse spun to the side, reared, and bucked as soon as it came down. Tavia flew off, landing on her rear. She glared daggers at the horse, who stood over her, looking smugly down at her. She ignored Gary as he rushed over to help her up and leapt back on. Blizzard ran around in a circle, kicking out at the unlucky spectators who were standing too close. He bucked and reared, but this time, Tavia held on.
"She's perfect," George heard Gary sigh dreamily as he watched.
Suddenly, a trumpet sounded and the herald announced the arrival of Lady Heranna and Lady Alanna of Trebond. George, and most of the male population, turned to look. She wore a plain, yet elegant blue day-dress and had a veil on over her face, hiding all but the faintest hints at her profile.
George felt an elbow in his chest and turned to look at Tavia with annoyance. "What did I do this time?" he demanded.
"Why are you starin' at her like that?" she asked him shrewdly.
"What are you talkin' about?" he said again. "Everyone's starin' at her."
"Yeah," she said. "But not like you."
"Give me a break."
"Hmph," she sniffed. "I don't get what's so great about her ladyship anyway."
"You can't expect all girls to be like you, can you?"
"What's wrong with being like me?" she demanded.
George didn't reply, only shuddered.
She hmphed again. "What do you think?" she demanded from Gary.
Startled by her question, he said, "No."
"What!"
"Well," he explained hurriedly. "Everyone can't be like you because then you wouldn't be the unique person that you are."
Tavia, surprised, smiled and blushed slightly.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Naxen hurried forward to greet the newcomers. "My Lady Heranna, you look stunning as ever," he said.
Heranna smiled graciously and said, "Nice to see you haven't changed a bit. Still the same old sweet-talker."
Gareth the Elder laughed and turned to take Alanna's hand. "Ah," he said. "You've grown up so much, Alanna. I remember you when you were just a small child and were out playing with my Gary and the young prince. Gods, you children were a handful to look after. I'm glad you grew out of that stage."
Alanna gave a polite nod and smiled thinly. She was glad for the veil that hid her face from the Duke. She liked the duke, but somehow the mention of her childhood put her in a bit of a sour mood, which actually felt strange to her because she hadn't had any strong feelings of any sort in a long time. She puzzled over this in the back of her mind while giving demure answers and slight, lady-like nods to whatever the duke said.
Suddenly, a commotion interrupted their little conversation. Crown Prince Jonathan of Conté and his train could be seen in the distance, approaching the house of Naxen. The prince looked resplendent in a simple, but well-made white shirt with a gold tunic on top and buckskin breeches. The sleeves of his shirt were hemmed in an intricate gold design and he bore the crest of the royal house over his heart. He looked almost immortal in his splendor.
At his side was his regent, Duke Roger of Conté. They looked very similar, both with coal black hair and deep blue eyes. The duke wore a dark blue cloak of velvet and fine silk breeches. In his hand was his sorcerer's rod, a sapphire stone set into the end. The king had died years ago when Jonathan was only a child. Jonathan's cousin, as next in line to the throne, had stepped in as regent. However, the prince was of an age now, to take the throne. He had made no public move to do so yet, but there had been rumors that Roger had grown uneasy of late and that the young prince was chafing at the restrictions that were placed upon him by his cousin.
Jonathan's young sister, Amelia rode her white palfrey slightly ahead of her brother. She had plain features with freckles on her nose with a pale face and the dark hair of the Conté line. Her eyes were a muddy brown, instead of her brother's piercing blue. She wore a green dress with a slit up the side for easy maneuvering and riding. The palace servants had learned long ago that she would refuse to wear a dress unless she was able to move around in it just as well as she could in breeches. Roger had been adamant in his insistence that she wear a dress to public occasions and so the seamstresses had compromised. She still preferred to wear breeches when at home though, to the endless exasperation of her brother and cousin.
"Try to act lady-like today, will you, Amy?" Jonathan said to her Roger gave a little smile of amusement, but otherwise showed no sign of overhearing their conversation.
She sniffed. "I'll act as I want. If you don't like it, then you can disown me. I'll have more freedom that way anyway." Slapping her horse's rump, she galloped ahead, speeding toward the duchy. When they got close, the horse became suddenly aware of the large crowd of people and became nervous. It balked, side-stepping suddenly so that Emily had to grab onto her saddle horn for purchase. In the process, she pulled the reins to the side, causing the poor mare to turn a tight circle and then charge, confused and dizzy, down the road toward the crowd. As soon as it got to be almost upon the mass of people clustered around to see what was happening, it began to prance nervously from side to side while Emily tried desperately to control it and hold on at the same time. Suddenly, it broke into a sort of trot, slow for a horse, but fast for people who, dressed in all their finery, were surprised by the sudden commotion.
George was watching like everyone else, quite surprised and more than a bit interested if the princess would be able to get the horse calmed down all by herself. Then, when the horse began its blind trot, he realized where the horse was headed: straight for the two ladies of Trebond! The two ladies drew back in horror, realizing about a half a second after he had.
Without a thought, he stepped out in front of the horse, causing it to rear in fright. He easily avoided the flailing hooves and grabbed hold of the reins that had been dropped long ago. "Get down!" he shouted harshly, not caring at the moment that it was to Princess Amelia of Conté.
Despite her situation, the girl shook her head stubbornly. "No!" she shouted back. "I can take care of myself!"
"I'm warning you," he said, his tone impatient. "Get down!"
"No!"
Grabbing her wrist, George easily pulled her off the horse and flung her a safe distance from it so that she landed, none to gently, in the dirt. Her expression was one of surprise, quickly overtaken by outrage, but he didn't notice.
He had leapt onto the animal and pulled back on the reins, causing it to half-rear again, but he maintained his balance and loosened his pull on the reins slightly. He crooned to it softly, soothing the animal. The creature still pranced nervously on its feet, but soon settled down. It even bent its head and began to eat the grass, as if by behaving as if he hadn't done anything wrong, everyone would forget.
George dismounted and cocked an eyebrow at the creature. Yeah, right, he thought. Nice try, but I don't think that innocent look is goin' to cut it this time. The horse studied him with one liquid brown eye before returning to its grazing. George smiled and patted it on the neck.
Turning, he walked over and bowed to Lady Heranna. "My lady," he said, "I hope that you were not harmed in anyway?"
"We are fine," she answered. "Thanks to your bravery. What is your name, young man?"
George smiled. "The name of a simple commoner is of no importance," he said. "Good day." Abruptly, he stood up and left, disappearing among the crown instantly.
"Now that's a character that you rarely see," murmured Heranna, mostly to herself. "He saves members of a noble family but wants no credit for it." Alanna heard her, but said nothing. She was staring at the spot in the crowd where he had disappeared. She had been unsure at first, when he had leapt onto the horse, because she couldn't catch a clear glimpse of his face. Even when he came to speak with them, he'd kept his head down, hiding his features, but when he'd walked by, she had caught a glimpse of him and he'd winked at her, hazel eyes twinkling merrily for an instant before he was gone. Who was he?
Princess Amelia, who had recovered by now, made to run after him, shouting, "Hey! Come back you low-leveled, rotten scoundrel! How dare you throw me from my own horse! I'll—"
"Enough!" came a commanding voice. The crowd parted to let the Crown Prince through. "Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?" he whispered quickly to his sister.
"But—"
He gave her a look and she said no more, turning instead to scowl at anyone foolish enough to look her way.
Moments later, the Duke of Naxen had arrived to greet the prince. "Jonathan," he said. "It's so good to see you, nephew."
"Jon smiled. "Uncle," he said. "Always a pleasure. It's been far too long since I was here last."
"Come now," said Gareth the Elder, laughing. "A year is not that long. And besides, you know you are always welcome here."
"Alas," said Jon, "Were it that I had no duties to attend and I would come to stay with you for a summer like I used to when I was a squire." He sighed. "Those were the good ole' days."
"Jon!" exclaimed Gary, coming up and embracing his cousin.
Jon laughed and clapped him on the back. "I missed you too, Gary," he said. "What have you been up to?"
"I'll tell you after the race," he said, grinning broadly. "You're staying, right?"
Jon nodded. "Only for a night, though. Tomorrow I must return to the palace."
"That's right," said Gary. "Getting ready for the big day. Excited? I tell you, Lady Alanna is a real catch. I saw her the other day and…"
Heranna cleared her throat and Gary, seeing her, blushed hotly. "Oh, excuse me, my lady, I was only…"
Heranna smiled in amusement but ignored him. To Jonathan, she dipped a low curtsy, murmuring, "Your majesty." Alanna, behind her, followed suit.
"Come now," said Jonathan, gesturing quickly for them to rise. "We're almost family now. No need to stand on ceremony with me."
Heranna smiled and gently pulled Alanna forward. "Alanna." He said her name like a prayer and she felt strange at the reverence. "I'm glad you came. It's been such a long time. You're looking well. How have you been?"
"I have been fine, and his majesty?" she asked.
"Busy," he said. "And please, just call me Jon. Did you like the gift I sent you?" he asked anxiously. He suddenly looked like any youth anxious to get the approval of a girl. She almost laughed at the thought.
Instead, she said, "Yes, it was lovely." She thought of the hairpin and the image of that strange man came unbidden to her mind. She quickly banished him from her thoughts, just as Gary gave a whoop.
"Is that a blush I see on his royal highness's face?" he teased. Jon punched him on the arm and others chuckled good-naturedly. He smiled at her causing Alanna to look away shyly, glad that the veil covered her blush so that she didn't receive the same kind of torment the prince had. A short while later, Jon excused himself so that he could prepare for the upcoming race and everyone else moved to take their seats to watch the event.
From afar, George watched them speak, feeling strangely betrayed as he saw her smiling and being flattered by the handsome prince of the realm. What did you expect? he asked himself. For her to fall in love with you, a lowly commoner? Come now, you know better than that. Sighing wistfully, he found himself a seat on the other side of the racetrack, away from the others who would be watching and concealed behind a thin stand of shrubbery.
The contestants had lined their horses up behind the starting ribbon. Lady Heranna rose and said a small prayer for luck and then murmured a spell that sent a burst of light into the air that let off a loud Bang!
The horses were off.
It was a magnificent spectacle to see the crowd of horses surge forward like a wave. They ran flat out across the plain for a few yards before they hit a minefield. Riders and horses had to be highly skilled to bypass the mines that were hidden in the ground. They didn't do any real damage, but a cloud of smoke and dust was sent up each time one of them was activated. A poorly trained horse would balk and if the rider could not control it, they would be thrown or taken off on a wild ride. It was a dangerous sport, but one that trained the horses and riders for battle as well as provided fine entertainment for those who watched.
As the smoke got thick, everyone struggled to see what was going on. Alanna sat with her grandmother, Gary, Tavia (as Gary's guest), and Princess Amelia on a special platform that had been set up for them. The princess was cheering loudly for her brother and everyone else was watching eagerly to see who was in the lead. Even Alanna had gotten caught up in the excitement. However, a stray thought crossed her mind as she wondered how her mysterious rescuer would compare with them and her smile faded slightly.
Finally, two horses emerged out of the smoke: the prince and Raoul of Goldenlake. They were neck and neck, each urging their horses on toward the finish line that was approaching fast.
Right before the end, Jonathan's horse, Darkness broke out in front with an extra bit of speed kept in reserve for the last stretch. He reached out and grabbed the flag that had been stuck at the finish.
The crowds cheered loudly for their prince. Jonathan galloped his horse back to the start with the flag flying behind him in a victorious train. Duke Gareth the Elder congratulated him at the start and Raoul met him there shortly afterward. The two clasped hands good-naturedly.
"Nice race," said Raoul. "I'll get you next year, though."
"Of course," said Jon, laughing.
Two stable hands walked up, leading Blizzard, who'd been groomed until he gleamed in the midday light. Raoul whistled appreciatively. Anyone with a half an eye for horseflesh could tell that they were looking at something special.
The Duke of Naxen chuckled. "We had a time catching this little fellow. He's a wild one, but worth every minute. He was to be a present for the winner of the race, but now I think that I shall give him to this fine lady over here, for both will be yours soon enough. What think you, nephew?"
Jonathan looked at Alanna, who blushed shyly, and he smiled. "Of course. Nothing would please me better."
Gareth the Elder, smiling, turned and offered the reins to Alanna. "Milady," he said.
She took them and smiled at him. "He is a beautiful horse," she said admiringly. "May I take him for a ride?"
Immediately, at least ten people spoke up in protest.
"It's not safe, milady."
"It has not been tamed."
"The horse will throw you for sure!"
However, faced with the opposition, she seemed to become even more stubborn in her decision. "He seems mild-tempered enough," she said, stroking Blizzard's nose lovingly. "I'm sure he'd make for a wonderful ride."
"Lady Alanna," said Jonathan, looking slightly nervous. "At least let me accompany you. It's not safe for you to go all by yourself."
"I assure you, I'll be perfectly all right," she said, slightly peeved that he didn't think she could handle it. Never mind the fact that she hadn't ridden a horse since she was a little girl and even then, it was just her tame little pony, Chubby.
"Let her go, Jonathan," spoke Lady Heranna and all turned to look at her in surprise.
"But…Lady, it is a wild horse!" Raoul protested.
"Alanna can handle herself. She has a knack with creatures," was all the old woman would say. He truth was, this had all been planned out the night before. The horse was a beauty, but it was not Blizzard. It had been born and raised at Trebond. Wil and Lar had been responsible for the switch. Alanna's job was to draw people's attention away from Jon so that Lady Heranna would have a chance to slip Jonathan the sword.
Jon looked at the woman for a moment, his expression unreadable. The Lady was planning something, he knew. Finally, he nodded.
"Of course," he said. "Will you need anything?"
"No," said Alanna. "Thank you, I'll be fine."
Everyone else still seemed to want to argue some more, but no one would dare to go up against the prince's decision, so Alanna was allowed to go on her ride.
All watched in wonder as the animal, so rambunctious before, became as placid as an old mare under her hand. Alanna clicked and the horse began a brisk walk through the gates and onto the path through the forest surrounding Naxen.
A/N: Well, thanks so much for those who've stuck with me and everyone who reviewed. You're probably the only reason I finished this chapter at all. I know that this one was not really up to par, but I promise that things will get better for the next one. I think that things may have gotten a bit confusing at the end. If anyone needs clarification or has suggestions on how to make it easier to understand, feel free to speak up. R&R, please! Thanks!
Peachy: Hola!
Nelka Taomi/SoccerrSweet: So sorry for the long wait. I really am! Thanks so much for reading and not giving up on me completely. )
Azdaha: Thankee!
Kore Yan: Trying! Thanks for reading!
Vera: Shoot, you're right, I did forget that part. Oh well, too late now. Maybe when/if I finish, I'll go back and fix things…And what can I say? Writer's block for this is very common. Translating just gets to be so tedious.
megster: aww, that sucks. I'm really sorry about not updating sooner. I'll try to get the next one up faster. Hope you feel better!
crazylittlekiwifruit-is-too-lazy-to-log-in: Thank you…I think. Ah, laziness. It gets us all sooner or later
Emerald Dragon4: Really? I didn't know that. I would be angry too, especially since this whole Harry Potter fiasco has been blown WAY out of proportion if you ask me. Good book, but not good enough for all of this publicity. Anyway, I'm honored that you reviewed, then. I will try hard to get the next chapter up soon.
musicgirl141: Thanks1 Ah, his paradise. I'm not too good at describing paradises, but I'm glad you liked it.
snow.fantasy::blushes: gracias!
TPfreak: You know, I'm sure that if all the students rose up and mutinied, success would be a sure thing. It's like socialism; the work force should rule and overthrow the ruling class! (of course, that leads to communism, so….) Anyway, thanks for reviewing and sorry again for the wait.
Annmarie Aspasia: Aww, if you die, I'll lose a reader! You can't die! I promise I'll try really hard to update this next one soon. Thanks for reviewing!
The-Princess-06: Haha, I feel special! A/J would have fit at first with the burning brightly one and dark something. That was cool, but their personalities just don't match and George is just so much cooler than Jon! Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope I will not disappoint.