Alanna didn't know what was happening, but someone was shaking her, she merely rolled over under her covers. She then heard a familiar voice, and then…

"What in the Goddess' name!" She called as she was splashed with ice water.

Jon, Gary and Raoul were grinning at the foot of her bed.

"What time is it?" She growled.

"Just after the eighth hour…" Raoul grinned wider.

"Why did you feel it necessary to drench me then?" She glared.

"Well it was actually Numair who drenched you, it was Jon's idea though. He said he could never wake you up when you were a squire…and…"

"Does Jon also have a death wish?" Her voice was dangerous.

"Jon does not, however the king wanted you to join her in the practice courts for a session. Of course, since you weren't awake we decided to accept for you."

"I will get my revenge.." Alanna muttered, as she squeezed out her sopping wet hair.

They grinned, "I'm looking forward to seeing that…"

Alanna looked at Jon with big eyes, "Particularly because I know some rather decent poems from your squire hood, shall I serenade you? Gary, perhaps Cythera would like to know about Delia's glove, or maybe some of your delightful poems? And Raoul…ahh Raoul, don't even let me start on what you did in your page hood, I'm surprised that the Own doesn't know, I'd be delighted to tell them in great detail!"

They all glared at her.

"I will see you all later, and tell Numair I will exact swift and clean revenge."

Alanna went out onto the practice courts, deep in thought. She'd have to think of something original to get the boys…er men. She smirked, who would've thought that they would be so immature. It was a stone room with benches scattered on the outside. There was a wall made of stone on the inside and wood lined the inside. Inside the ring was soft sand and cloth mats (for wrestling). Alanna saw that there were racks of equipment inside the ring, holding several things that she recognized, some she hadn't seen in years, and some that were completely foreign to her.

The King of Galla was stretching on the field.

"Ah, so the Lioness joins us?" She smirked.

Buri was in the corn stretching too, she grinned, "We've been waiting."

Alanna rolled her eyes, "I have a nasty encounter with a bucket of water…"

Mimrath laughed, green eyes dancing, "You Tortallans will never cease to amaze me. I used to play pranks when I was your age too…" She smiled.

Alanna wrapped her hands slowly, like Liam had taught her, "Really, I'd like to hear of some of them later."

Mimrath then gestured to some staffs, "Will you indulge me?" Alanna noticed that Buri had slipped out, but she pushed this thought to the back of her mind.

Alanna nodded and tested some of them. She deftly picked one up, and balanced it on her forefinger. She then twirled it and caught it.

"I haven't fought with staffs for a while…" She murmured.

"I have heard of your page years…" Mimrath smiled, and then bowed, gesturing for her to do the same. Alanna did.

Then Mimrath twirled her staff into an offensive position, Alanna waited for an attack, bracing herself. The oak staff quickly rapped down on her, Alanna's staff met it, and Mimrath bore down on her. Alanna pushed with her left hand to make Mimrath fall to the right.

The king was steady and tried to then go under and whack her stomach. Alanna met her again and this time twirled around, letting Mimrath fall ungracefully. Alanna then sidestepped and let the king fall over her hip.

The king still had her staff in her hand, and instead of being thrown she rolled over and kept her staff over her head to block Alanna's next attack.

Alanna kept her ground, her mind was screaming that she was too close, but if she gave up ground that would be a sign of weakness that her opponent could prey on.

Mimrath jumped to her feet and circled Alanna. She thrust her staff in the ground and jumped up, leaning on it, to kick Alanna.

Her foot caught Alanna's stomach and knocked her backwards, but Alanna still held her staff. The king then practically flew towards her, spinning the staff so fast the Alanna couldn't see it.

Alanna drew in a breath a thought. She noticed the king's knee was weak. If she could get around it, she could kick in the back of the knee and get the king down. From there she could use her staff to throw the king's weapon away and thus win…

The king was nearing her and Alanna was running out of time.

She instinctively went into guard position and was ready when the king bore down on her. She slid to the right and quickly moved behind the king, using the butt of her staff to hit the back of the Mimrath's knee.

Mimrath crumpled her hands still clutching the weapon. Alanna spun to put her foot on the king's staff. She put her own staff over the king's throat and put slight pressure.

"I yield…" The king's voice was raspy and breathy.

Alanna wiped sweat off her forehead and onto her shirt. She too was panting, but not as hard as the king.

"I'm sorry, I have a lot of aggression..." Alanna said, "I shouldn't have been so aggressive."

"Aggression is a good thing sometimes Alanna. If you hadn't of been so…quick, I may have taken this match. You saw about my knee, which was good. It shows you're cerebral too."

Alanna vaguely heard clapping from the side of the rink. She turned to see her friends, a couple of the Gallan nobles and to her surprise her old training master.

Duke Gareth walked into the ring and smiled at her.

"I see you haven't gotten rusty Alanna…"

Alanna shook her head empatically, "No your grace, I've been practicing."

When he was close enough he gently took the staff from her. He tossed it from one hand to the other, as if weighing it. He then spun it in a drill that Alanna recognized from her page years.

"Very nice…" He murmured.

The king had slipped out by now, and more people came into the ring.

"Wow Alanna, I'm never going to challenge you to a battle…" Gary gave a low whistle.

"What?"

"You don't know?"

Alanna shook her head as her friends led her out.

Gary dropped his voice, "The king used to be part of the guard, her weapon of choice was the staff…"

"So?" Alanna was still confused.

"Alanna, she didn't pause or flinch when she was fighting you. She wasn't just testing you she was giving you all she had…"

Alanna was more confused, "I wanted her to give me everything though…"

Gary sighed, as if it was painfully obvious, "Alanna she killed people with the staff, she's good…really good."

"And I beat her?" Alanna was soft.

"And you beat her…" Jon ruffled her hair lovingly and Alanna glared at him.

"You'd better wash up, now that your aggression is out of your system you should relax for a bit!" Raoul called.

Alanna resisted the urge to retort something and continued to walk.

"See you at dinner!" Jon called as they walked in the opposite direction.

Alanna thought to herself. Why did the king challenge her, was it to test her…if she hadn't taken the first move, would the King of Galla killed her?

"Myles, what do you know about Mimrath?"

Myles stroked his beard, and spoke slowly.

"The Royal family has a great lineage Alanna, but the Royal Couple are very different from the Tortallans. They are known to be…unfaithful, no one knows who the crown princes' father is. Apparently there were two children who the King had years ago, but they were taken by their father. They would two more crown princes, which is a pity really…"

"Why?" Alanna wanted to get Myles' opinion on this, even though she already knew all of the facts.

"Well the Crown Princess is often wandering about court, they say she's very unstable and has had tendencies to be…well depressed. She's also tried to deny any relation to the crown, her sister Liya is perfectly content as head mage. So the Mimrath has a problem on her hands. A lot of nobles are hoping that the two children come back to Galla and reclaim the throne."

"What's to say they're still alive?"

"I don't know, however I think that Mimrath would recognize her own children…Yes?"

Alanna sighed, "I don't envy any of them, it's almost as complicated as my life."

Myles laughed, "You're under the hand of the goddess, I don't think it even compares!"

"Thanks Myles…" Alanna rolled her eyes, this was then interrupted by a tug on her breeches, Ali was yawning.

Alanna said her goodbyes and took her child back to her room.

"It's past your bedtime…" She leaned down so she could hold Ali's hand as they walked.

Alanna was alone in her room, and she crossed her legs and breathed in. Ali was asleep and she had no meditated for days.

She let herself surrender to the impulses and fall into a dreamlike state.

Blobs of colours appeared before her. She could almost feel the magic rising off her in the room and it made her feel like sneezing. She focused on a light in front of her, and let the vision slowly morph in front of her.

Her father, the lord of Trebond…he was reading something, Alanna squinted to see who it was…she could almost make out the words.

M(blur)ther:

I'm sorry that I had to (Blur), Alanna and Thom are well. Yes, I did name them this, and I think they are happy in Trebond. Coram and Maude are well, (blur). My wife passed recently, they say it was from (blur) heart…

I will write soon, but I fear I will never again visit…(blur)

-Alan

Alanna then saw him scribble something on the cover and then he put the letter in a box, a mahogany box with gold latches. She had seen it in her father's room, but she had never once found what was in it.

She then saw that it was no longer her father, but Thom who was in the room. He was looking for something and came upon the box. He opened it to find several letters. He read them all, slowly. Alanna could not see what was on them. Thom then collected the letters and put them back in the box. He then took a piece of parchment from his father's, their father's desk, and wrote a letter. Alanna could read this.

Alanna:

In case you didn't know I am dying, I can feel it. Our smiling friend must know this too because he is growing stronger. In this box lies something that I did not know, I hope that you will find it one day. I have enchanted it so that His Grace cannot open it.

I love you Alanna, I always will. I have said this once and I will say this again, I will approve anyone you marry, whether it be the Rogue (although he was always slightly uncouth for my tastes, and his nose is slightly…well odd. He is kind and I love the way that he loves you), or the Prince, (you would have the prettiest children, pity that I'll never see them), or Ironarm (however I've seen that when I pass he will, I hope this isn't true, he'd also make very pretty children).

I have something I found months ago when I inherited Trebond, I noticed something. Our mother has no tombstone, I confronted Coram about it, who said eventually that our mother is still alive and well somewhere. I hope one day that you can find her and tell her only good things about me, you know that there are many.

Please forgive me for everything that I have done, I am proud of you, that you did everything I wished I could.

I will watch you from heaven (I hope heaven…), and love you forever,

-Thom (the Great)

He then put the letter in the box, and covered it with his magic, a faint purple. Then he kissed the box slightly and left

Alanna jolted out of meditation. She sobbed, for Liam, for Thom and for Faithful.

"I though I was over this…" she thought bitterly.

She felt someone sit near her. She recognized the scent and stiffened slightly…clean laundry…

"Sh…Lioness, it's okay.

"I miss them…" She said softly into his chest.

"I know, I miss them too…" His voice faltered and cracked. She could feel his own tears come down and mix with hers.

"It'll be better by morning…" The promise lingered in the air for a moment, but they both knew that it was a lie. It was never better in the morning.

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