A Tale of Belonging
Chapter One
Summary: When her true identity was revealed, Alanna's life took a turn for the worst. But what happens when she escapes the convent and trains to become a soldier in the Royal Army?
Author Note: Yes, it's another classic Alanna fic. Hopefully, the soldier part is a bit new and fresh. Anyway, just thought you should all know, I'm still a bit of a newbie when it comes to writing, so if you're expecting something fabulous, please make your way to my favourites page, where you shall be much more pleased. However, if you do make your way to the end of this chapter (or fic, which is where I'm hoping my attempts at writing these small parts will lead to), I am begging you to review and give me some constructive criticism. I will even accept flames, as long as they actually tell me what's wrong with the story.
Anyway, I'll end my blabbering so you can judge for yourself how poorly or well written the fic really is.
Also much thanks to Tuathail and HeartKel for some betaing/giving some feedback on the story. If anyone else is welling to beta, please speak up. The more, the merrier. :)
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Alanna of Trebond, restless and stiff from sitting perfectly still, tried to wriggle around on the backboard with no avail. Except for her face and neck, every other part of her body was strapped to the loathed device. A physical extrovert, sitting so motionless wasn't a pleasing task for Alanna, and the fact that she had been glued to the mechanism for more than a few hours made it all the more torturous.
The former squire was the only one in the Convent who had to endure such harsh training. Every other student in the school had their legs and arms free, with straps binding only shoulders and waists. At first, Alanna was liberated like the others, but when one of the Sisters found out that she would move her arms or legs in a way undignified for a lady, she strapped Alanna's limbs into the appropriate posture: clasped hands placed on the lap, and gently crossed legs.
"If you won't sit like a proper lady on your own will," the sister who was in charge of Sitting Etiquette had told Alanna, "we will force you do it. This is a Convent School, not that filthy bull-fighting arena you came from. Ladies will behave like ladies."
You can behave like a lady more than one way, Alanna thought bitterly. She sighed and looked to her side, were other students sat perfectly still without the extra strapping, backs straight and posture like a lady's. They flipped through pamphlets, read books, or chatted to each other as if sitting perfectly was natural.
All that interests them is image, wealth and marriage, Alanna thought disgustedly. They must enjoy this as much as I enjoy fencing.
One of the girls on Alanna's right gave her a smile when her eyes passed across her face. Alanna blinked for a second – in the month that she had been here, not one of the girls had ever offered her a friendly face. This must be some sort of trick, she thought, and returned the girl's smile with an expression of scorn and hatred. She could just imagine the giggling and gossiping that would have followed if she had actually smiled back – "and she actually smiled back. She thought I actually liked her! What a fool!"
I don't belong here, the girl thought bleakly as she sighed with exasperation. She longed to be at the palace, training with the other pages and squires toward knighthood. Sometimes, Alanna still desperately prayed that this was a bad dream, that one day, she would awaken and realize that all her horrible experiences at the Convent had never happened. Longingly, she stared out the window at the Great Road North. Just beyond it was the palace. If she could escape the Convent, and reach the palace, she might—
The bell that signalled that the ladies could leave snapped the girl out of her reverie. As the magical bonds that restricted her to the backboard came loose, Alanna shook herself out her wild fantasy. They would never accept her now, especially since they knew that their Alan was no longer the boy they had thought him to be. When she had been caught, she was escorted back to Trebond immediately, along with her fief being charged a hundred gold nobles for supposed treason. If that wasn't horrid enough, Coram had been hanged for the fact that he knew Alanna was a girl and supporting her. Jonathan could not be hanged, being the heir to the throne and of noble blood, and neither could Thom or Myles (whom, to Alanna's surprise, knew), as both were nobles. To spare their lives, Maude or George weren't mentioned.
Remembering her faithful guard, a tear slipped down Alanna's cheek, which she quickly brushed away before anyone saw. She gulped, to force down the rest of the tears that threatened to spill down, as the previous knight-to-be hurried to supper.