Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters- they're all Tamora Pierce's creations. The five I own are the four Daughters and the current Dragon. (Liza, Alexa, Elena, Lela, and Saisha Laowl) One thing in case it wasn't assumed: Alexa, being the writing instructor, is therefore also the reading instructor.
A/N: See previous chapter- this story is Alanna/Roger- that's the main pairing anyways. Feedback always welcome.
Whatever Happened to Dreams?
Chapter II: Corus and the Palace
Alanna stood beside Saisha, watching as her two trunks were placed on the top of the carriage. Her gifts were inside the smaller, more lavish one, and Saisha had already placed her bags inside her older one.
When Daughter Lela had come to get her this morning, she had presented Alanna with a trunk much more richly designed then her own, though smaller. She had said that it was a gift from her, and the other three daughters had other gifts for her. She had then explained the strong protection spell she had placed on it the night before. Allowing Alanna to place her bags in her normal trunk, and leaving the other one next to it, they left both in the hall for the servants, and she led Alanna to the stables.
When Alanna entered the stables, she saw Moonshine, her mare, standing in the center, outfitted in a brand new saddle and bridle. The rich leather had amethyst and ruby dust sprinkled all along the reins and saddle, at least that's what she guessed it was, and silver thread embroidery all along the bridle. Approaching her mare, she saw Elena step from behind her. Elena smiled as Alanna hugged her.
"Thank you so much, Elena. I'm so glad I'm allowed to take Moonshine with me."
"Well, after all the trouble I went through to get an appropriate horse for you, I couldn't let you leave her here." Elena smiled. When she had first seen the mare, her silverish-white coat and golden mane and tail had stood out. However, it was her eyes that had stunned Elena- golden flecks throughout the brown iris. When she had presented Alanna with the mare, Alanna had named her Moonshine. "Now, I want you to know that you are correct in your assumption of the jewel dust. It's indeed amethyst and ruby. As for the gear itself, I've cast an illusion spell upon it, so it'll appear only as a rich leather saddle. We should head towards the courtyard now. Lela and I are to guide you to your carriage, where Daughters Liza and Alexa are waiting."
Alanna had guessed that they were all giving her gifts appropriate to the class they taught or their level. Walking in between the two priestesses, of whom Elena was leading Moonshine, she wondered what the Head Daughter was going to give her.
When the trio reached the carriage in the courtyard, they approached Liza and Alexa.
Alexa came forward first.
"Alanna, this leather satchel contains spelled scrolls which only you can read. Almost a diary if you want to call it that, so you can record whatever you want on them. Inside are several different quills and various colored inks as well." She smiled at the young woman, who had tears in her eyes.
"I feel so inadequate just saying thank you."
Liza approached the foursome then, holding a gold sheath the exact size as her sword, Whistler, named for its sound when it cut through the air. "This is a new sheath for your sword. The runes are written in a special ink and cast a powerful protection spell, protecting anything touching you or near you with ancient magic." Liza placed the beautifully wrought piece in Alanna's hands.
Alanna couldn't help it anymore. She cried, happy that the four daughters cared so much for her. "Thank you all so much," she said, her heart in every word.
The four daughters smiled at their favorite student. They knew this young lady had a very difficult path ahead of her, though the obstacles were unknown.
A throat cleared behind them, followed by a second. The five turned to the voices. Saisha Laowl stood in front of them, a grin on her face, two small bags at her feet. One of the servants stood behind her with the two trunks at his feet.
"Ah, good." Liza commented. "Saisha, I assume you'll want to put whatever bags you may have inside Alanna's trunk."
"Correct as always, Liza."
"As for the smaller trunk," she turned to Alanna, "your gifts are going to go inside it."
Carefully, Lela opened the trunk, and watched as Elena removed the decorated gear from Moonshine and, with Saisha's help, placed it inside the velvet-lined case. Next, Liza placed the sword sheath inside and Alexa placed the satchel on the side. Lela then closed it, and opened the bigger trunk, waiting as Saisha placed her bags on top of Alanna's before closing it again and directing the servants on where to put the two trunks.
Alanna turned away from the carriage to hug her teachers one last time. "I'll miss you four so much in the next months. I'll send you regular letters, I promise."
All four smiled. "We know you will," they chorused together. Each daughter then took a turn hugging her before letting the two women bound for Corus start their journey. As soon as Saisha had gotten into the carriage, the Head Daughter and the three other daughters headed back inside the convent.
Alanna watched Liza, Elena, Lela, and Alexa walk away, glad and yet upset. Though she now didn't want to leave the convent, she knew in her heart that they wanted her to find a worthy man and prove she could "fight" the path ahead no matter what the obstacles were that came with it. As she settled into the carriage, the servant poked his head inside.
"Ladies, we have a ten to eleven day journey ahead of us. We'll stop just outside Corus to alert you to our imminent arrival at the palace. Also, Lady Alanna, do you want your mare to just trot alongside the carriage?"
"Yes thank you. Our appreciation for alerting as to our schedule." Alanna tossed a silver piece to the man. He bowed and soon thereafter the carriage started forward, leaving her home of almost eight years behind. Her companion shook her from pondering with a question.
"Alanna, I want to know about arrangements at the palace. I assume you've told your twin about your coming to Corus?"
Alanna smiled. "Yes, I have, and he's going to tell the Prince and his friends."
"Well then, Duke Gareth will know just before he gets the letter."
"Yes." Alanna proceeded to pull out a book on magic while Saisha took a nap.
A week later….
Thom of Trebond followed his knight master and friends to Duke Gareth's office. Jonathan knocked once before striding in, Gary laughing at his friend's haste.
"Well, my nephew, what can I do for you and your entourage?"
"My squire," he pointed to Thom, "has told me that he recently found out about someone coming to the palace soon." He sounded very frustrated at not knowing who it was.
Duke Gareth chuckled, grinning at Thom, before clearing his throat. "Well, if Thom won't tell you then I suppose I'll have to do it myself." He answered, holding up a letter with the official seal of the convent near the City of the Gods on it. "There is a new lady that will be arriving in about three days whom I believe Thom knows very well. Her teachers speak highly of her skills, although there are three Daughters who think that she's above all the rest of the ladies- even beyond Delia of Eldorne. Daugther Alexa, the convent's reading and writing instructor says she hasn't seen a better writer in years. Daughter Lela, who teaches the girls with the Gift, has been giving her extra lessons because her Gift is so strong. As for the riding instructor- Daughter Elena says that this lady can ride as well abreast as side saddle. Head Daughter Liza seems fond of her as well."
"Well, who is this fine lady?" Raoul, Alex, and Gary all asked at the same time.
"This fine lady is none other than Squire Thom's twin sister, Alanna of Trebond."
Prince Jonathan rounded on his squire. "You never told me you had a twin! Sure you mentioned a sister but never a twin sister. Now I know what you were laughing about that night! You received a message from your sister, didn't you?"
Thom grinned slyly. "Yes, a message of sorts anyways."
Alex looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean, 'of sorts'?"
"Since we're twins, we share a special bond, a mental one. We discovered it when we were really young and just starting to learn about the Gift. We've been sending messages to each other through the combined use of meditation and our Gift for the last few years, ever since I came here actually," he answered smugly, nodding at the stunned expressions on not only Alex and Jon's faces, but the ones on Raoul, Gary, and the Duke's face as well.
"Well," Jonathan said with a tone of finality, "that answers why you seem to be so deep in thought when we're studying sometimes. You're not studying at all, you're chatting away with your sister."
"Yup. Just a warning for you four- she's not by any means a typical lady. Before I came here, we both trained in weaponry with Coram. Alanna was the best. She was a better hunter and tracker than many of the grown men at the fief. Her skills with the sword were unsurpassed by any of the other village boys, and her archery was even better. The only thing I was better at was magic because she was afraid of hers, but not any longer. I'd say she's pretty much my equal now in that arena, but then again, I'm better at fighting with weapons now."
"What are you trying to say?" Raoul demanded.
"What I'm trying to say is this: Alanna knows how to defend herself well, with great skill to back her up. She can fight with her fists, a sword, daggers, and bow and arrow. Haven't you ever wondered why I got another bow and a full quiver last year? It's because the ones I was using were actually hers. As Duke Gareth said before, her three instructors at the Convent love her and she has an up on everyone else to boot. She's the pupil of Saisha Laowl." He smirked because he knew that at the very least, Duke Gareth knew the name.
"Your sister is being taught by the Shang Griffin?" Alex and Jon yelled at the same time.
He shook his head. "That's what I was really laughing about. Saisha is no longer the Griffin. She's the Dragon."
This time, the other five in the room had nothing to say.
Alexander of Tirragen headed to Duke Roger's private study. He had said goodbye to Thom and Jon in their rooms and was going to give his newest report to his former knight master. When he reached the door, he knocked and then entered.
Duke Roger turned from the window to face Alex. "So my friend, what have you learned about Squire Thom's behavior?"
"A lot, all of which worries me."
"Go on."
"Well, his twin sister Alanna will be arriving at the Palace soon."
"And?" Roger sounded a little impatient.
"Sir, to be blunt, Alanna is probably more powerful than her brother."
Roger looked directly at Alex. "Elaborate." His tone held no room for discussion.
"Apparently, when they still lived at home, Alanna was better at everything except magic, and though Thom's skills have improved over the last seven years, I'm willing to bet that she's still better. She's also a lot stronger with her Gift, having been taught by a Daughter Lela."
Roger interrupted him. "Lela! She was just finishing at the University in Carthak when I arrived. This is not good. Continue."
"Anyways, she can also fight hand-to-hand because of her training with the Shang Dragon."
Roger looked flustered for a second before regaining his calm. "Well, Lady Alanna will have to be tested when she arrives. I must determine for myself the threat she poses. Thank you Alex, you're dismissed."
"Your Grace," he returned, bowing before he exited.
Roger laced his fingers. "Yes, Lady Alanna will be tested."
For the first days of the ride, the two women slept in the carriage because there were no inns close to the Convent. When they were awake they either read or talked, the scenery not much to look at. However, as they neared Corus, the two women were allowed to stop at inns for the night.
Alanna of Trebond awoke when the carriage abruptly stopped. Were they already outside of Corus? She looked across to Saisha to find her waking as well. A knock sounded on the door before the servant poked his head back in.
"Ladies, we're just about to enter the outer city. We should be arriving at the palace shortly."
"We're already at Corus?" Saisha and Alanna chorused.
"Yes. I assume you slept for most of the day then?
The two nodded.
"Well, look out the windows as we pass. You should find the capital quite interesting," and with that said, he closed the door and the carriage started up again.
"Did you wake up at all?" Saisha asked of her trainee.
"A few times, but only to go back to sleep. I read a long time after you fell asleep the first time."
"Yes, well, I didn't wake up once. I guess it comes from needing sleep after so many years of constant early mornings."
The two women turned to the windows, watching as they passed through the main gate and the carriage made its way through the Lower City.
As they passed through the Temple District, Alanna looked for the one dedicated to the Goddess. What she saw were white steps, leading up to a white marble building with golden doors. She made a note to make sure to visit the temple at some point during the season.
Once the palace came into view, she couldn't help but gasp. It too was white and gold but on a much grander scale. Several blue and silver pennants were flying from many of the turrets and guards overlooked the castle gates.
As the carriage pulled into the courtyard, she heard a lot of yelling. Looking out the window, she saw several older boys race out of the castle and spotted a familiar redhead in the midst of six or seven others. The carriage stopped and Saisha stepped out followed by Alanna. As she looked up again, her eyes locked with Thom's and she ran to him.
"Thom! It's so great to see you again."
"The same here, Alanna."
Saisha cleared her throat and Alanna blushed. "Sorry Saisha." Stepping away from Thom, she introduced the Shang Dragon to the others and then elbowed Thom.
"Oh, right. Alanna, this is Duke Gareth and his son, Sir Gareth the Younger." Her twin pointed to an older man and a big chestnut-haired youth, who winced at his full title. "The dark-haired one is Sir Alexander of Tirragen, the giant there is Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, and this is Prince Jonathan." He finished, pointing to a handsome young man.
Alanna swept into a low curtsy. "Your Highness, it's a pleasure."
The Prince pulled her up before placing a kiss on her hand. "The pleasure's mine, Lady Alanna. Please, call me Jon."
"Then I insist you call me Alanna. If you would excuse me for a moment, I have to see to Moonshine."
The Prince moved back and watched as she moved to a beautiful mare and produced apple pieces. As the servants were taking the two trunks away, Duke Gareth approached Alanna and Saisha.
"Lady Alanna, I received the Head Daughter's letter and hope that you will be satisfied with the arrangements. Your brother can show you where the practice courts are later on."
"My thanks, Your Grace. Saisha and I appreciate it."
"Lady, may I make a request?"
Alanna looked up at him.
"Would you and Saisha be willing to teach the squires and pages some Shang?"
Saisha grinned at her and nodded. "We'd be happy to, Your Grace."
The group started into the palace and towards the Ladies' wing. Duke Gareth's son promptly requested that she call him Gary and added that Alexander probably preferred Alex.
Alanna stopped walking as she felt a strong aura approaching and looked up to see a man approaching them from another wing.
Saisha saw Alanna stop and put her hand on her shoulder questioningly.
Jon saw Saisha shrug her shoulders at him before he, too, looked up. When he saw the man approaching them, he cried out. "Roger, you decided to join us."
Jon turned to Alanna. "Alanna, this is my cousin, Duke Roger of Conte."
Alanna suppressed another shiver before sweeping into a curtsy. She knew this man- he was the strongest sorcerer in the Eastern Lands. "Your Grace, it's an honor."
Roger stared at the beautiful woman in front of him. Grasping her hand, he pulled her up and placed a kiss on the smooth skin. "I assure you Lady Alanna, it's more of an honor to meet a student of Lela's."
Alanna's gaze snapped up and locked with his. "You know Daughter Lela?"
"Yes, I knew her briefly at the University."
"Well, we'll have to compare notes at some point in the future."
"I believe that such a session would be quite intriguing. As I remember, Lela's protection spells were some of the strongest I'd ever seen."
"They're still strong. She's taught me some of them." She curtseyed again. "If you would excuse me Your Grace, it's been a long journey and I'd like to freshen up before dinner."
"My apologies for keeping you. Hopefully I'll see you at dinner." With that said, the Duke swept back towards where he had come from, this time with Alex.
The rest of the knights and Duke Gareth said goodbye and Thom told her he'd come by later.
AHA! You see, I finally finished this chapter! Aren't you all happy?