Alanna walked down the spiral stairway to visit Jon. George was on one of his jobs, spying away. He wouldn't be back for a couple of days. She needed to help Jon concentrate.

Alanna couldn't beleive what Jon had told her about what he had seen in the fire. It was horrible. Thayet was her best friend and she knew it wasn't like her to be doing these things. Thayet had changed. It was partly her fault, though. She was part of the whole scandal. She had let Jonathan get carried away and kiss her that night. She still loved him, and maybe she always would, but that wasn't what she was coming here to think about. It was to help Jonathan. He was a mess, and she needed to straighten things out.

She walked through the dorrway to Jonathan's office. He was stooped over a pile of papers about the palace and Tortall. It seemed like he hadn't turned the page. He was still on the top of the first page. His puzzled expression gave away what he was thinking about, and Alanna came to sit beside him. She put an arm on his back, trying to soothe him. He looked up.

"Alanna..."

"Jon, you have to concentrate. You haven't even finished the first sentence on the first page of the pile of papers. You're country needs you. You're their king, remember?"

"I know... I just can't seem to concentrate. I just keep thinking about..."

"I know who you're thinking about, and you need to get your mind off of her." She said wisely.

"How will I do that?" Jonathan got up to pace the floor. He was worried for his wife, Alanna knew that, but he had a country to run, and he needed to run it properly. "There's no way for me to get my mind off things. I can't read, I can't run my country. I'd rather be dead."

"Jon, don't say that. Come, sit down. You need to relax. Take your mind off things in a different way." He sat down and looked at her with love. He moved in closer, moving in to kiss her. He felt her lips on his, but they broke away. "Jon, what are you doing?" She stood up in alarm. He stood up also.

"I'm getting my mind off things." He said almost too calmly.

"Not this way! We vowed never to do it again. I don't want to cheat on George again, and you won't cheat on your wife. I will not let you."

"Alanna, I know you still love me, and I still love you; I always will. That will never change." He moved closer to her. It was true. She still loved him, but she also loved George. She couldn't betray him again. She wouldn't. "Thayet is gone, she will never come back. She'll also never find out. George is gone. He'll never find out. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of my guilt. I don't want to do this." He moved even closer, pressing his body against hers, moving his hands around her waist. It made her giddy, and it made her shiver with glee. He kissed her, this time, even more passionately, exploring her whole body with his hands. He walked her to his bedroom door and opened it.

"I want you in my bed tonight, Alanna." He said between kisses. I give in. She said to herself. It was no use saying 'No' to the king. Just this once. No one would know.

Thayet had awoken expecting a handsome, dark haired king next to her, but instead, she woke up to a scruffy, dark haired stranger that she didn't remember. Who was this man in her bed? Then her surroundings came into focus, and she didn't know where she was. This wasn't even her bed or her room. The strange man moved silently and opened his twinkling eyes slowly. Those eyes were what had captivated her. Those eyes, she remembered in a moment. She remembered what she had done.

"Good Morning, sweet." He called her sweet, for only knowing her for half a day. That was pretty quick. She had already captivated his heart. What about hers? Had he captivated her heart? Before she could answer her own question, he spoke, taking her attention away from her thoughts. "What's the matter?" She remembered his charm, the way he had made her laugh and think about certain questions; questions that she didn't recall being asked before.

"Oh, I'm just thinking." She said as she stretched and crept out of bed. She was exhausted from the nights work and was extremely hungry, recalling the day before. She had had hardly anything to eat the day before. "I'm starved, are you?" She asked playfully, hoping to get the mans attention. He smiled at her, and she grinned back.

"Of course. I'll get us some breakfast. Wait here. I'll be back." He brushed himself up against her, making her shiver gleefully. She loved that man. Of course she loved that man. Why would she ever doubt herself?

Before too long, he returned with a plate of bread, cheese, assorted fruits and vegetables, and juice for them both. They sat at the table, Thayet waiting anxiously to get her hands on the sweet smelling food. She took some, trying not to look so eager, and ate silently. He did the same.

"Where are you staying at the moment?" She asked him between mouthfuls. She didn't want to sound greedy, but she neede somewhere to stay, and she definately couldn't stay here. She didn't have more than two changes of clothing, and didn't have enough money to stay at the inn.

"At my house with my wife, why?"

"Your - your, what?" Thayet asked, startled by the answer. She didn't remember him talking about any wife.

"My wife... what has gotten into you, Kaden?"

"My name... my names not, I mean, what I mean is that you never told me you had a wife. And, well," She said, standing up. He had never said anything about a wife. "In the first place, what are you doing with me if you have a wife? And, why aren't you at home with your wife, why are you renting a spot at an inn?"

"Whoa, whoa. Too many questions! Sit down, Kaden, there's nothing to get upset about." He took a deep breath as he waited for her to sit, and then continued. "First of all, I told you all of this last night. I told you I had a wife, I told you that I work for a traveling spy company and I also told you that I'm renting this place because my wife lives in Port Caynn. I needed to rent it because I can't travel all the way there in one night. I'd get there too late." He paused and looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you asking me?"

Thayet calmed down and realized that she must have been thinking about Jonathan when he had told her all the most important things she needed to know. She thrust her husband from her mind and answered him as calmly as possible without sounding demanding.

"I need somewhere to stay."

"Oh." He said quietly. Then he looked away and thought for a long time. Thayet felt uneasy, sitting there in complete silence. Then he looked up with a big grin on his face. "Well, in that case, we're going to find somewhere for you to stay."

"No," She said quickly, as if it was a terrible thing to do. "I mean, I meant to stay with you..." She blushed, or at least tried to, and succeeded.

"What of my wife, Olesia? Surely she will find out."

"No, she won't. I would very much appreciate it, if you'd let me stay. I've nowhere else to go." She looked at him pleadingly, begging for him to accept.

"No family? No friends?"

"Only you, Jack." She smiled reassurringly.

"Okay. It will have to do. I cannot leave you to the streets of Corus." She squealed with joy and he swept her in his arms. They kissed for a moment and then Jack set her back down, a serious look on his face. "Only, you and I will have to be extra careful of the silliness, alright?"

"Of course, my love." She smiled then swiftly kissed him again and again until they sat back down. Thayet was still extremely hungry. She ate until she felt bloated. Life was good living with the one you love. Did she love him?