Shock

Disclaimer: i do not own any of the characters found in Tamora Pierce's books.

A/N: sorry it's been a while, but I'm still alive.Merry Christmas, HappyHanukkah, and everything else to everyone else! sorry, i don't thgink it's a great chapter, but tell me what you think. I haven't forgotten the Tusaine War either.Just wait for it.

The next day Alanna went to see Gary, to see if she and Douglass could switch masters. By the next week she was in service to the Naxen knight, and though it wasn't as exciting as with Raoul, it was satisfactory.

Alanna told gary of why she left Raoul, and he managed to get his friend to stop drinking. Often the two visited Raoul, and saw no more traces of an alcoholic. Though Alanna was proud of Raoul, she never wanted to be alone with him. It was just as well; Raoul had started to court lady Isabelle.

An uneventful year later, Alanna was walking through the palace with Gary when news came from Stefan: George wanted them to come down to the city for something.

They were going at a brisk pace to the Dancing Dove, when Gary asked the question that was going through Alanna's mind, "what do you think he wants? Normally he tells why he wants us to come."

Alanna couldn't think of a reply.

LINE

the Dove was almost empty when the knight and squire got there. Normally people were celebrating because of George's love affair with Morgan, but now everyone was gone. "In search of money I'll bet," guessed Gary as they stabled the horses.

They went their separate ways, Gary to play some dice, and Alanna to see George. She gently walked up the stairs towards Georges bedroom, and hear muffled voices.

"What if he doesn't approve?" the female voice inquired.

"I think he will," George's voice was clearer, but it didn't sound confident.

Alanna was dying to know who was talking in there. She knocked three times, hard.

"Yes?" answered George.

Alanna walked in to see Morgan standing next to George, his arm around the Naxen lady's waist. The girl squire smiled at them.

"Well, at least we know she approves and she doesn't even know what's going on," said George dryly, "I'm sure your brother won't be any different."

"I don't know," replied Morgan uncertainly. "He can be pretty protective and Alanna isn't a blood relative and she isn't the one about to be-" she stopped abruptly.

Curiosity sparked in Alanna's mind. "To be?"

George smiled. "Engaged."

Alanna's jaw dropped, her eyes went wide and she almost started to bounce with excitement. "Are you serious?"

Morgan smiled weakly. "Yes, do you think he will approve?"

She didn't know who "He" was, but she assumed it was her father because Gary would be happy his sister was in love, and with George. But Duke Gareth. He was related to King and Queen! There was little chance that he would approve of such a romance. His daughter, a Naxen who's aunt is the Queen, married to the King of Thieves.

"I don't know," Alanna told her. "I mean, you're related to royalty, and well, no offence George-" he nodded solemnly-" he's not on the right of the law, per say, and what will become of you? You will lose all credibility. You will have to tell how you met George, giving away myself, Gary, Raoul, Jonathan, Isabelle, Jessica and Douglass. The only one's who won't be punished are you, Jon and Gary!"

Morgan's shoulders slumped. "I know. But I want this so badly. More than anything else in the world."

A knock on the door stopped all conversation. "Hello?" called Gary.

"Come in." it was George who replied this time.

"So, what's wrong?" Gary looked in a better peace of mind right now. His pockets were jingling meaning he had been gambling.

His sister took deep breaths. "Gary, I am about to be-" she swallowed hard-" engaged."

Gary brightened even more. "To whom?"

Morgan took another deep breath and said, "George."

For a second Gary looked stunned. "This George? The King of Thieves? The Rogue?"

"Yes."

Gary rubbed the back of his head. "Does Father know?"

"No." she said quietly. "I wanted to know what you think first."

"I think it's a wonderful idea, but you'll have to say how you've met him and you'll give away-"

"I know, our dear Alanna told me," she demurred, looking at Alanna (who was forgotten until this very moment).

Gary sighed, "ask Father, but whatever you do, do not tell him how you met. Make up a lie and tell everyone else involved in this. If you don't, the consequences could be fatal for the ones who brought you together."

With Morgan's final nod, Alanna and Gary rode back to the palace.

LINE!

The ember stone at Alanna's throat started to grow hot as she neared the palace. Men in black robes sent chills down her spine, and she knew they were priests of the Black God. Who had died?

A loud howl of sorrow split the air and made Alanna tense. The cry got louder and louder until she could finally realise that the person was yelling "No!" repetitively.

Alanna felt sick. She knew who was crying. Without warning to Gary, she kicked her horse into a gallop. "Alan!" Gary shouted, using her alias because men of the Palace Guard were standing close to the pair.

Alanna went deaf to everything but the cries. When she reached the stables she whistled and Stefan dropped down from the hayloft. "What's wrong with th' young master?"

"Why are there priests of the Black God here?" Alanna demanded.

The hostler's face fell. "A lady from the convent killed 'erself."

Alanna blanched. "Which one?" praying it wasn't Jessica, she was going to marry Douglass when he passed his Ordeal. It can't be Morgan, and none of the other ladies gave any impression of depression.

"Th' lady that courts sir Raoul."

The squire's hand ran through her copper hair. "I need to see the body!" she said, a thought striking her.

He looked at her strangely, but led her to the room where Isabelle's body was laying. Alanna gripped the ember stone when she saw a giant kneeling by his lover. His face was tear-stained and his whole body shook with the effort to keep himself from screaming. Alanna looked at the body, and only saw the barest hints of magic on her. One was the colour of Duke Baird's healing and one was orange.

"Alan?" Raoul beckoned for her to come closer.

"Oh Goddess, Raoul, I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically.

"I loved her, why would she do this? She was so happy earlier," he sobbed.

"I don't think she killed herself," Alanna told him, knowing he wouldn't believe her.

"They found her hanging in her room, a note on her bed. Now do you think she killed herself?" he asked.

Alanna looked at Isabelle. A red ring around her neck showed the marks of a coarse rope. "Maybe she was spelled."

"Who? Who would kill her?" he growled.

"Someone who wants to hurt you, or someone close to you."

He glanced at her. "I have no enemies who aren't dead or sorcerers."

"Nor does Gary. But Jon has a cousin who is a great sorcerer. I know he doesn't like me," she said.

"Would you stop with that! Roger doesn't want to kill you or Jonathan!"

Alanna started to lose her temper. Even though Raoul was in mourning that didn't give the right to yell at her like that! "Then tell me this, who's in line for the throne if our Prince dies?" she turned and took two steps before Raoul's hand clamped down on her arm.

"Maybe Roger would inherit everything, but he wouldn't kill Jon for it," he argued.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Why are you so mistrustful of him to begin with?"

"Because I know he is behind everything, Isabelle's death, the massacre of the King's Own, the Sweating Sickness, the list goes on and on," she explained in a hushed voice, her teeth clenched. She glared at him, refusing to back down.

"Excuse me?" a priest interrupted. "But how are either of you in any way related to the dead?"

Raoul answered first. "I am Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, and I was courting lady Isabelle."

"I am Sir Raoul's squire," replied Alanna automatically.

The priest looked from one to the other. "Surely you know that her soul cannot rest"

"Why not?" snapped Raoul.

"She has committed a horrible act, the act of suicide, and she will never be able to sleep eternally."

"That's unbelievable!" Alanna cried. How dare he say this about Isabelle? She was normally perky, always wanting to make people laugh. She deserved a good death.

The priest looked at them in disgust. "I know you are saddened by this, but you must have some self-control."

Alanna couldn't stop herself; the words were out of her mouth before she even knew it. "Has being a priest of the Black God deadened you so much that you have no more emotion? Only fake respect for the dead?"

The man drew himself up, indignant at this child and his questions. "I will not answer you."

Alanna was about to ask more, but Raoul brought a hand over her mouth and said, "I apologize for my squire's tongue, I have been trying to get him to control it, and it is starting to work."

"Starting to work? My dear man, surely you cannot see that this young boy can no more control his tongue than anything else around him!"

"I said I was sorry," Raoul replied steadily. "Now I must be going."

The priest nodded curtly.

Raoul didn't remove his hand until they were far away from the chapel. "What are you thinking? You can't challenge a priest the way you did!"

Alanna raised a red eyebrow. "I think I proved that he is a selfish"- Raoul coughed so no one would hear the insult- "and only cares for the money he gets from his job."

"Alanna, enough."

"No. I was friends with Isabelle to and he was not being fair to her."

Raoul winced. "I know he wasn't. But you didn't have to get into a fight like that."

"Maybe I didn't. But it made me feel better."

Raoul cracked a small smile. "Well, at least that's taken care of."

They stood in silence for a few long moments before Alanna asked, "I feel bad about leaving you right now."

"Really?" he didn't believe her.

"Yes. I want to go back to your service." where did that come from? Yes, she wanted excitement, but she wasn't sure she was ready to go back to Raoul.

"It all depends on Douglass. But to perfectly honest, I preferred you being my squire," he said absent-mindedly.

"Why? I was defiant, I have no self- control, I am friends with the King of Thieves," she said, and was about to continue but Raoul held up a silencing hand.

Raoul grinned. "You have connections, and it was always fun and more exciting when you were my squire, you would fight back, Douglass just takes it."

"Humph."

"And besides," Raoul went on, "I loved having you around. You're the reason I even met Isabelle. You're the reason I felt so wonderful."

"Oh," Goddess I sound so stupid! what else could I say? Thank you, I still really like you, and I was jealous when I heard about you and Isabelle? No! I never felt anything like that!

"Then why did you even bring it up?" wondered the Faithful-like part of her mind.

"Yeah, the day you left me, I stopped drinking."

"Sorry if I sound rude, but that's the best thing you ever did," she assured him.

"I know it is," he replied. "I know it seems like such a short time that you served Gary, but I would really appreciate it if you came back."

"You speak like a lover who just lost the woman of his dreams," she told him, she could feel the relief that he wanted her back in every vein.

"I did."

Crap. There went the relief.

"Sorry."

"You've said that before," Raoul pointed out dryly.

"I know, but I feel bad about bringing it up," she said quietly.

"You shouldn't," he replied. "I loved her, but I know she is now one of the better things."

Alanna smiled at him. This was a good start, she could tell. I'm sorry to bring this up again, but do you believe me about Roger?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen enough evidence to condemn a man so powerful," he said thoughtfully.

It really was a good start.

A/N: a little sad? please review.