Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all of these characters; I do not.
"Thayet? Are you looking for Alanna?" George Cooper, Baron of Pirate's Swoop, asked the queen. Thayet nodded. George could tell that she'd been crying, though he didn't mention it. The queen didn't like it when people tried to patronize her.
George led her to Alanna, who was lecturing Thom about the use of magic for experiments. The Lioness quickly excused herself.
"Thayet. What is it?" Thayet couldn't help but grin. Alanna could always tell when the queen was upset. No matter how hard she tried, Thayet could never hide anything from the Lioness.
"It's Jon," she told Alanna, feeling her eyes begin to water. Alanna looked at her incredulously.
"Jon? What is it?" she asked. The Lioness seemed genuinely concerned, which touched Thayet's heart. She had come here to tell Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau her troubles with her marriage, and she would do that.
The Lioness tucked her red hair behind her ear, waiting. Thayet couldn't procrastinate any longer. "I don't love him anymore," she blurted out. Alanna gasped.
"You don't love him?" Thayet nodded.
Alanna grabbed her arm and led her to a chair. "Tell me what happened," she ordered. "Jon is my friend, and so are you. You two need to work things out."
Thayet shook her head. "I don't love him, Alanna. I can't get around that fact." Alanna gaped.
"Thayet of Conté, you told me this same time last year that you would always love Jon!" she exclaimed. "And now…you say that you don't?"
The queen nodded. "We got into an argument. He doesn't seem to care about anything anymore, Alanna. He's just so distant. He's changed a lot, and I don't know if I even know him anymore."
Alanna chewed on her thumbnail. "Tell him," she told the other woman. "Jon is reasonable. He'll understand."
Thayet buried her face in her hands. Alanna patted her back.
"You have to do it, Thayet. You can't lead Jon on."
The queen looked up at her. "Do you think I should?"
Alanna nodded. "I do."
Thayet nodded. "Then I'll tell him."