Prelude
Maude had looked into the fire for them. What she saw did not please young Alanna. Though she would not tell her exact vision, she had grown annoyed when the small girl pestered her.
"Young one, you might not want this, but you shall go to the convent." She kissed her forehead and Alanna pulled away, near tears. She did not want to go to the convent that much was clear, she wanted to go to the convent, no more than Thom wanted to go to the palace, but both would go. What she had seen in the fire assured her of that, and if they tried anything else, they would be stopped, caught and both of them would be harshly punished, of course it would be worse for Alanna.
"Thom, you shall still be a mage," the old woman asked. Thom, the quiet one, looked up his eyes cold amethysts while Alanna's were angry purple fires.
"How?" he asked with his quiet anger, not even looking up at her. Maude withed and shook her head. The small boy liked none by himself, and his twin sister. Though he pestered her for lessons in magic, the more he annoyed her. He loved magic, when his powerful twin sister avoided coming to see her. If he would only forget about himself for a moment, he would be much happier.
"There is someone at the court that can help you. He's strong," she whispered. "Very strong, he can help you," she repeated herself, just to assure him. Thom growled and folded his arms, obviously not believing a word she had just said.
"But I don't want to go!" he thundered. Alanna glared at her brother and shook her head. "Neither do I!" his twin chimed and they both glared at Maude. Alanna turned around and went to walk out the door, but Thom stopped her, grabbing her hand. He turned and glared at Maude as if accusing her of lying. He waited, silently, his odd eyes boring into her. Finally, Maude decided to put her foot down.
"No I will not help," she said, raising her hands. "I won't go against the will of your father, or that of Gods." She stood up and put out her fire. She had grown angrily, and turned her back to the two noble children, busied herself with chopping herbs for her dinner. The two twins both left, comforting one another without saying a word, once they realized they would not get one more word from her. It made the old woman sigh, and close her eyes. How she had been hoping for them, both of them would be perfect for the lives they wanted, but it was not to be.
After they left, Maude again looked into the fire. Nothing, nothing that had changed, nothing to help the twins with their cause. Thom would go to the palace with Coram, the old guard, and Maude would accompany Alanna to the convent, dealing with the small girl's temper the whole way there, she was sure of that.
Years would pass, and the spunk and fire in Alanna would remain, but it would morph, fed by hate and fueled by things that would happen at the convent. She would change, no longer dreaming of taking the world by force with a sword in her hands and riding on a stallion. Instead, she would take the world with charm, and from the courts and sit behind, and never be noticed, but she would do it!
Maude clucked her tongue and sighed, "I'll deal with tomorrow when it come," she whispered and sat down, making her dinner.