Practise Courts and Royalty
Disclaimer: i own nothing you recognize.
thanks to all who have reviewed. if i knew you i would continue to ramble, but i dont so thank you is all i cal say.
Oh goddess, this is too much! Why'd you do this to me? I know you said something about a hard life or similar to that, but come on! This is unreasonable! Alanna thought as she raced down to the practise court.
It took her longer than usual to reach them, all because she lost her footing on the stairs. Grumbling about having sore backside while fencing and, Alanna shuddered, jousting with Raoul. While Alanna was a good fencer, there was no way she could beat her largest friend.
Raoul stood in the centre of the court, tapping his foot and shaking his head. As she approached him, she realized he was smiling; she sent him a mock glare and started stretching.
"Squire, must I teach you the importance of punctuality? Because I can assure you I don't appreciate it, I have better things to do with my time,"he said, jokingly.
Alanna rolled her eyes, "like what? Attempting to court ladies, except being too shy to go after the really beautiful, although snotty, ones."
He widened his eyes in mock hurt, "I resent that comment. But I must admit, you do know me."
Alanna smiled as she finished stretching. Taking out Lightning she moved herself into the "guard" position. She quirked an eyebrow in challenge.
Raoul dramatically sighed. "Must you always start with fencing?"
"Of course."
He grinned, "you're just one short yet incredibly large pain."
"That's why you took me as your squire, isn't it?"
His sword was out and ready for the fight. When they heard the sound to begin Alanna down and in, bringing her herself under Raoul's attack. Unfortunately he saw it coming; he had moved back and brought his sword up above her head. She brought Lightning up, barely blocking his assault; and tried to move back. His height and weight made it nearly impossible for her to move, so she threw herself forward, rolling as she went. Raoul turned and almost got hit with her sword. He jumped back and brought his sword downwards, closing onto her head again. She moved back, sideways, and forwards bringing herself within striking distance. His sword caught in the momentum of the swing led him unable to stop her from bringing Lightning to his throat.
He lowered his sword with a grimace and complained, "this is why you shouldn't start with fencing! Whenever I fence you or Alex I always want to hang my head in shame and never raise it!"
Alanna smiled wearily, "nice to know I'm better than most people."
"Yeah, and anyways, jousting," was Raoul's reply.
"Yay, flying lessons," Alanna murmured.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," alanna sighed.
The two readied their horses, Raoul happily, Alanna sullen. She hated jousting, she was so small and didn't have enough force behind her hits that she always went flying. When they reached the tilting lanes, Raoul shook her hand and trotted his horse to the other end of the field. Alanna took deep breaths and told herself they were only going to have a few bouts, then they could move onto archery. All the more fun. At least I don't fly during this exercise.
The call sounded and Moonlight surged forward startling poor Alanna out of her thoughts. She quickly set herself up and hoped for the best.
The splintering crash rang in Alanna's ears as she got slammed back against her saddle.
"Ready for another one?" Raoul called across the field.
"No, but I have no choice in the matter, "she replied.
They laughed and got ready again. Four more bouts later, three of them ending with a red-headed squire landing on the ground, they stopped. But only stopped jousting.
He guided the dazed Alanna to the archery area. They had a shooting contest, best three out of five. Alanna won, though barely.
Finally they got to wrestling. Alanna almost charged off to her rooms before she got a chance to be squished under her giant knight-master.
By the time Alanna had been beaten repetitively in almost every contest they had, the sun was setting, giving Alanna the time to race to her rooms and rest her aching muscles.
"Wow, I thought my new mistress was good at such arts," Faithful said sarcastically.
"Shut it!" snapped Alanna. She had been abused in the courts, and now she was being made fun of it by her cat? How is this fair?
He merely trotted towards her bath and jumped onto the stool where she left her towels. "But I really thought you were talented. You know, with the fighting and the jousting and all the other thing you love."
She death glared him. " you know what, little cat? I don't have to listen to you. I can merely you shove under my dirty bath water and leave you! So don't try me!"
He rolled his eyes at her outburst. "If you are going to be testy, I might as well just leave you here to fend for yourself. Never helping should worse come to worst and someone powerful like Roger of Conte find out about you."
She sat up in the water, splashing Faithful in her rush. "Sorry, what was that about Roger? Does he know something? Tell me!"
"I can't exactly say. He knows there is something strange about you, but he doesn't know yet. Oh and I finally met those ladies you were talking to yesterday. They are indeed odd, particularly Morgan, Jessica and Isabelle. Try to stay away from Krista and that crowd."
"If you think I never realised that you really have no faith in me, " she said to him dryly.
The evening bell rang; Alanna cursed. She jumped out, barely grabbing her towel in her rush to leave the room and to get dressed for supper.
She rushed down to the mess hall willing her hair to lie flat. Apparently someone else had the same idea, but they didn't dry their hair enough. She fell to the ground and started cursing even more.
She looked up to see a pair of bright blue eyes. Jon stood above her, a bitter smile on his lips. Never before had Alanna been scared of those eyes. Never before had she been so intimidate by her prince and friend. Now she knew what Ralon felt like when jon snapped at him, when he called him cruel names, when he defended her from people like Ralon. "So, Alan, what a... pleasant-"the way he said it made Alanna think of Roger-" surprise. Surely you realize your master is waiting for you."
"Your Highness, of course I realise. Do you believe that I am merely lying in a puddle of water out of my own amusement?"
"You were always strange, so I did not know how to handle someone like you," he said calmly, but for some reason, Alanna would feel safer if he was yelling. "You have no patience as I have discovered."
"Are you implying that it is my fault that Raoul asked me first and that I did not keep my options open when a wonderful knight asked me?"
"Perhaps," he sighed and trotted off to his rooms.
Completely shaken and fearing entering the hall late, Alanna trembled. But she knew she had to wait on Raoul and whoever his guest, or guests were.
She entered the hall and walked to Raoul's table. She thanked the goddess that Raoul was so large that he was easy to see. She arrived at his table to her astonishment Gary, Morgan, Jessica and Isabelle were sitting with them.
"My ladies, and sirs, how may I assist you with dinner this fine evening," she inquired as the etiquette master instructed during her page years.
"You don't need to be formal or serve us tonight, Alan," Gary said, "we have servants tonight to celebrate the marriage between lady Krista of Seabeth and Seajen and Sir Adrian of Nond."
"Destini almost had a fit when she heard the news!" Jessica said gleefully. Everyone at the table knew how the three women sitting with them hated Krista, Destini and Delia.
Isabelle added, "I'm surprised Delia didn't start with her."
"Yeah, and also, do you any of you notice how Delia looks at the Duke of Conte?" inquired Morgan.
Gary looked thoughtful, "I haven't, but she does spend a lot of time with Jon."
Alanna and Raoul quieted and blushed faintly. Unfortunately, Morgan wasn't the only one who was good at noticing small details, for Jessica promptly asked, "why are those two blushing? Are you not on terms with the prince?"
Raoul snorted, "that's an understatement."
Jessica's lips formed the word "oh" and she looked down.
Alanna glanced around the room., "hey, Gary, where's Douglass? I thought he was your squire."
Gary grinned, "he is the one to serve us."
They laughed, poor Douglass hated serving more that two people at a time.
Their server arrived, and they all smiled at him, Jessica had a flirtatious smile on her beautiful face as she looked him over. Morgan and Isabelle smiled at their friend, who normally hid in corners unless asked to dance. Thankfully, no one but the ladies and Alanna noticed anything out of the ordinary.
"Doug!" cried Alanna, "it's been so long!"
Douglass raised an eyebrow with a crooked smile rivaling George's, "yes, I'm sure a whole two days was torture for you."
Jessica was the first to laugh, Alanna noticed she always was. The others followed suit, after noticing he had turned pink after the lady of Masbolle laughed.
"Have you spoken to Geoffrey lately?" asked Raoul.
Douglass shook his dark head. "He spends all his time with Jonathan."
"Just like Alex did when he was chosen by Roger" Alanna muttered, but was overridden by the sound of a fake laugh and joyous calls of "Good luck!" by random nobility.
"The celebrations have begun. Midwinter in fall is upon us," Isabelle murmured into Alanna's ear. "This is why I tried to keep Krista as downtrodden as possible, otherwise she goes all out like this."
Alanna could see the problem with a person like that.