Secret Assault
Prologue
In this universe, the Goddess had not noticed Alanna. What seemed very apparent to the god in one universe was not so in the next, and so in this world she neglected to see how much power this girl wielded, and did not see how Alanna was one who would shape the future. As the Badger God would later say, "Even the gods make mistakes."
Instead, the Goddess concentrated her efforts on one Roger of Conte, and easily brought his downfall early in Prince Jonathan's life. Thus, many might think that – in the particular universe – the Royal Family was very safe, and Alanna's life, though great, not extraordinary. But these people would think wrong, as in the absence of Roger's power, another grew.
In direct opposition to the Court of the Rogue grew a malicious group: the Hart Court. Started as a small gang of bitter enemies of the Rogues, the Harts grew in size as those with little to no morals gathered from around the realm. Eventually, other countries rocognized the power of the Harts, and some, particularly Carthak,began to see the Harts as a subversive way to gain power in Tortall, and eventually overthrow the agrarian country to claim their rich resources as their own.
When Alanna was fifteen, in the palace known as "Alan" to her male squire comrades, Carthak tapped the Harts for the first time. The Hart Court, whose ranks now swelled with marauders and whose battles with the Rogues increased continuous through the years, saw that this connection with the powerful southern country would give them a definite edge over the other underground Court – enough, maybe, to overthrow them once and for all. The Harts would rule the Tortallan Underground. Sure, Carthak might attack – the Harts knew as well as everyone else that Carthak itched to seize their bountiful, weaker Northern cousin. But whether the Carthakis or the Tortallans controlled the city was of no matter to them.
Both nations had a seedy underbelly. The Harts would just need to rule it.