You are getting this chapter a day early, because tomorrow (my usual update day) is booked solid. Special Thanks go out to my new Beta, SOPROL! Thanks again!
Chapter Four-Betrothal
Aly and Gareth got closer every day she was at court. Lianne and Roald got closer daily as well. By the end of her first year, they were best friends. Soon into Aly's second year at court, Lianne and Roald were married. Soon after, Aly and Gareth began a secret courtship. The only people besides the two of them who knew about the courtship was Lianne and Roald. Lianne and Roald both constantly asked why they were keeping it a secret, and Aly and Gareth responded with "it is more fun this way...fun and romantic". In the beginning of the third year, it was announced to the court that Princess Lianne of Conté was with child.
Aly and Gareth enjoyed having a secret courtship. They would go on rides and picnics in the Royal Forest during the spring and summer. During the fall, they would go have lunch down in the lower city at an eat-house. During winter, they went ice-skating. Aly was happy.
On her 19th birthday, Gareth took Aly out to lunch in the city to celebrate. She told her parents that she was with a friend, like she always told them.
"Happy birthday, Aly."
"Thank you, Gary." Aly said
"Here, I have a present for you."
"Gary, you didn't have to! The lunch alone would have been fine. All I wanted for my birthday was to be with you!"
"What is the fun of being a suitor if I don't spoil you a little?" Gareth asked as he pulled out a large package. Aly took it and carefully opened it. She gasped when she opened it. It was a small, oak box with an intricate design carved into it. It had a small, golden clasp on the front.
"Open it up" Gareth said
She obeyed, and saw it was a jewelry trunk lined with silk. It had a few necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in it as well. The inside of the trunk was surprisingly shallow for the size of the trunk.
"Oh, Gareth" she breathed "It's beautiful. Thank you, I love it"
"Actually, the jewelry is my gift to you." Gareth said "The jewelry trunk is from a certain royal couple we know."
"I'm guessing it's not the king and queen."
Gareth chuckled "No, not the king and queen"
"I don't care if the trunk isn't from you. I think the jewelry is the best part anyway"
"Let me show you something about this trunk." Gareth said. Aly handed it over, and leaned against him to see what he was doing
"If you pull back on the silk right here-" he said as he showed her a small corner on the lid where the silk wasn't fully attached, "-there is a little clasp. If you flip the clasp-" he demonstrated, and most of the bottom of the trunk popped out to show a secret drawer "-you have a little place to keep your secrets"
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Aly's parents were talking about Aly's future.
"She must find a husband soon" Aly's father said "If she doesn't, the court gossips will start speaking of her. Her name and reputation will be ruined"
"She's just having some fun in her life, Thomas" Aly's mother said "She may have been presented to court, but she is a child"
"She is not a child, Jennaya" Lord Thomas said "She is nineteen today"
"As I recall, I was twenty before we met, and twenty-two before you started courting me" Lady Jennaya said "We didn't get married until I was twenty-three, and you were twenty-six-"
"And people gossiped!" Thomas said "Do you think I want that for our only daughter-our only child?"
"Is that what really concerns you? Our daughter's reputation? Because if you ask me, I think all you want is to have her give you a grandson sooner, just so you can boast about how proud of him you are."
"That is ridiculous, Jennaya." Thomas said "I can be proud of a granddaughter as well. She would make a beautiful lady of the court."
"Thomas!"
"What?" Thomas asked "I want a grandchild."
"Well, I want our daughter to be happy." Jennaya said
"I do too...so we'll marry her off to a handsome, generous, and nice noble."
"Now we are marrying her off?!"
"Yes," Thomas said "As soon as possible." With that, Thomas left the room.
Gareth and Aly spent most of the day together. The sun was just beginning to set when they returned to the palace.
"I was going to go see Lianne. We were going to go for a walk. Want to come?" Gareth asked
"No, I should probably go see my parents. Tell her I'll stop by tomorrow though and thank her and Prince Roald for the jewelry box, please"
Gareth smiled "I will"
When Aly returned to her family's rooms, she found it full of people. Her parents and grandparents were there, along with Jane of Trebond, and people Aly recognized as Jane's parents and twin brother, Alan.
"What is going on?" Aly asked
Lord Thomas turned to look at Aly with a huge smile "I have wonderful news, my dear."
Aly smiled "What is it?"
"We have just signed a marriage contract for you. Alianne, meet your betrothed, Sir Alan of Trebond." Her father said with a elegant arm sweep in the direction of Alan.
Aly's smile fell "What?"
"Alianne, you could show a little more excitement." her grandmother said.
"Why?" Aly asked. She turned to her father "Why would you do this to me?"
"Alianne!" her grandmother snapped.
Thomas turned to the Lord and Lady of Trebond "Our daughter, she is such a joker. Aly, come say hello to your betrothed."
"No!" Aly said "I'm not betrothed to anyone!"
"Aly" Lady Jennaya said in a low voice "Please, we'll explain everything after the Trebonds leave"
"No!" Aly yelled at her parents "I refuse to marry him, or anyone else you two decide for me! I'll marry who I please, and when I am good and ready to be a wife! And NOT a moment before!"
"Alianne, you are being very rude." Lord Thomas said in a disapproving tone.
"I have done everything you have ever asked of me!" Aly yelled at her father, starting to cry. "I have never questioned anything you wanted for me, knowing you were doing what was for the best!"
"And this is what is best for you!" Lord Thomas said.
"No! This is what is best for you! Not me!" Aly hollered. "I am not a child anymore, father! I am nineteen! I am a fully grown woman, and a lady of the court!"
"Then you might want to start acting like it" Lord Thomas asked, raising his own voice. "Right now, you are acting like a small child who was told they couldn't have a sweet!"
"If you try to force this marriage on me...gods help me, I'll-"
"Don't you dare threaten me, Alianne!" her father yelled.
"Fine!" Aly said none too calmly "I won't threaten to run away. I'll just do it!" and Aly turned on her heel and ran down the palace corridors, tears streaming down her face.
"Aly!" she heard her father roar. "Alianne of Blue Harbor, come back here this instant!"
Don't turn back! Aly thought to herself. Don't stop! Don't look at him, just run!
"Alianne!" she heard her father yell as she turned a corner.
Aly ran all the way down to the stables, and, with tears in her eyes, saddled her horse, fumbling with the buckles on the saddle. Soon, stable hands came.
"My lady, are you sure you want to ride on this saddle? We have side-saddles if you'd rather."
Aly wiped her eyes and saw she hadn't grabbed a side-saddle like she thought, but one meant for the rider to ride stride in. She considered asking fro a side-saddle, but that would take time, and it would give her father a better chance of finding her.
"Yes, I want this saddle." she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. The stable hands hurried to saddle her mount. She tried to get up in the saddle with her dress on, but couldn't get her leg over. Cursing the constraints of gowns, she dismounted, and tore at the dress, but it wouldn't rip
"Does one of you have a knife on you?" Aly asked.
One of the stable hands produced the requested blade for her, handing it to her by the hilt, and she cut her dress on both sides from mid-thigh down. She then rushed into the saddle, and rode as fast as she could out of the stable.
She rode hard and fast until she reached the clearing that she, Gareth, Lianne, and Roald always had picnics in. She quickly tied her horse's reins to a tree, and ran. She had gone five steps before tripping on a tree root popping out from the ground, and falling forward. She wasn't hurt, and didn't bother to get up. She just lay down on the ground, crying uncontrollably.
She didn't know how long she had been there when someone softly said her name "Aly?"
Thinking it was her father, she snapped, not even looking at him "Go away. I never want to see you or speak to you again!"
"That's hardly the way to talk to your suitor." said the voice. It was then that she realized the voice didn't belong to her father. She looked up.
"Gary!" Aly gasped, lifting her head. She turned and saw Gareth, Prince Roald, and Lianne all beside her. Their three horses were tied up with hers. Lianne, with her slight bulge of a belly, was kneeling next to her on the ground. "I'm sorry; I thought you were my father."
She felt Gareth take her arm "Come on, Aly, sit up." he said gently. Aly allowed him to get her in a sitting position on ground, and he sat down next to her. Roald helped make Lianne more comfortable, and then joined her.
"Aly, what's wrong?" Lianne asked softly.
"Nothing." Aly said.
"That is a lie, and we all know it." Lianne said. "You are lying on the ground, in tears, and telling someone you thought to be your father to leave. Now what happened?"
"My father...he...he's married me off." Aly said, as fresh tears came to her eyes. "He's married me off to Jane's twin brother."
"Jane's twin brother?! As in Jane of Trebond's twin brother?!" Lianne asked.
Aly nodded.
"Alan?" Gareth asked. "You're betrothed to Alan?"
Aly nodded again. "They didn't even tell me they were looking for a husband! I arrived in my room, and they were signing the contract...what are you doing?"
Gareth had walked over to one of the closer trees, and was kicking and punching the trunk.
Gareth turned back to Aly. "I gave up my chance. I can't believe I gave up my chance!"
"What chance?" Aly asked.
"There is one piece of jewelry that I left out of the jewelry box, Aly." Gareth said. "One very important piece of jewelry."
Gareth dug in his pocket, and pulled out a small box. He held it out for her. "This was also bought for you."
Aly took the box and opened it. She gasped as she looked at what was in it: a small golden band with a simple diamond in the middle.
"Gareth, this is beautiful, but..."
"But what?"
"This looks like an engagement ring"
"It is." Gareth said. "I was going to propose to you at lunch, but chickened out."
"You were going to propose without me?" Lianne asked. "I thought we had an understanding! I would be with you when you asked!"
"Well, I thought it was a good moment, and the second I touched the box, I chickened out."
Aly started crying all over again. "I can't believe it! I have a chance to say yes to the greatest guy in the world, but I can't because my father had arranged my hand in marriage to a complete stranger! And I yelled at him! I have never yelled at him before!" Aly said.
"You're father? You yelled at your father?" Lianne asked, shocked. "But I thought you said he was one of your best friends!"
"He is...or at least he was." Aly said.
"After you yelled at him, what did you do when you found out?"
"I nearly threatened to run away, but he cut me off, so rather than threaten to run away, I actually ran away."
Lianne wrapped her arms around Aly. "You can't just run off."
"Why not?" Aly asked.
"It'll worry your parents."
"Good." Aly said. "Maybe when I come back, if I come back, they'll realize that they can't make me do something I don't want to do, then Gary and I will be free to marry...in fact, Gary, give me that ring. Propose to me, and then we can run off and get married! Lianne and Roald can be our witnesses."
Gareth kissed Aly. "You have to go back."
"Go back where?" Aly asked.
"To the palace…to your parents…"
"No!" Aly said, turning to look up at Gareth. "Gary, I'm not going back. If I do, I'll be forced to marry Alan, and I won't get to be with you."
"Do you think I want to lose you to Alan?" Gareth asked gently. "I don't, but your father would never agree to let me marry you if he knew I was the reason you rejected Alan."
"You don't have to lose me to Alan." Aly said. "We can run off. We can start our own family. I don't want to lose you, Gary."
"I don't want to lose you either." Gareth said. "But we have no choice."
"Unless..." Lianne started, then stopped.
"Unless what?" Aly asked.
"Aly, if we tell your parents that Gareth has been courting you for over a year, then maybe he and the Lord of Trebond will call off the deal and your father will agree to your marriage."
"But don't you need King Jasson's approval before you marry?" Aly asked Gareth. "Since you are a member of the royal family by marriage, doesn't the king have to approve the marriage?"
Gary grinned. "He already did. I went to him last week and asked. He granted it immediately."
Aly thought the plan over in her head for a minute. "It might work, but what if my father refuses to agree to the marriage?"
Gareth kissed Aly gently. "Then we lose, but at least we didn't surrender. Now, I say it is time to make out courtship known."
Aly sighed, but nodded.
Review Replies
SOPROL: I am glad you liked the story. And thanks again for beta-ing for me. I will have chapter five coming to you for editing by Tuesday or Wednesday, hopefully
Kate of Carlay: I'm glad you liked it.
LittleMissGiggles'94': Thanks!
Lady Leopard: As you can see in this chapter, ALy doesn't exactly reject Gary...she doesn'y really get a choice in the matter of who she married.
Merkaba7734:Thanks!
xxTunstall Chickxx: Nope, this story isn't about Jane. I am glad you like it!
dares to dream: Thanks!
The Shang Kudarung: Good, I am glad it's good. One of the reasons that I wrote this was because I had never seen anything like it before, so I am glad that it is a original plot line
Susan: Thanks sis
Evilstrawberry: I am glad you like the chapter. Yes, I have a beta, and my beta is my life-saver. This was her first chapter they did, so it should be better than it would have been if I had done it alone.