Chapter Eight: The Kiss
Three months after King Jasson said Aly was to marry Alan, she was in the gardens with Lianne, who was, at this point, very pregnant. Aly would have remained in her room, if it wasn't for the fact Lianne had ordered her out.
"So? Have you and Roald settled on a name yet?" Aly asked. "Or a godsmother, perhaps?"
Lianne nodded. "Elspeth...and you are godsmother, without a doubt."
"So Elspeth if it's a girl, what about a boy?"
"It won't be." Lianne said. "I can tell it's a girl. I don't know how I can tell, but I can."
"You two don't have a boy's name picked out?" Aly asked.
"No, but that won't matter, because as I said, it will be a girl."
Aly smiled at Lianne. She knew how much her friend deeply wanted a little girl to dress up and play with.
"I am actually a little surprise you are allowed to be moving around with your due date so soon. Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Yes, I should be. The healers don't know I am not resting. Neither does Roald."
"I'm guessing the king and queen don't know either?"
"Nope." Lianne said.
"Lianne!" Aly said. "If you are supposed to be resting, you should be!"
"I needed some fresh air and exercise." Lianne responded, shrugging her shoulders.
"You need to get back in bed, for the sake of the baby." Aly said.
"She's right, sister."
Lianne and Aly turned around. "Hello, Gareth." Aly said.
He smiled at Aly "Lianne, you need to rest, for the sake of our prince or princess."
"Gareth, I think I know what I need to do for my own child's protection."
"You need to listen to the healers" Gareth said sternly "Now either you get back to bed, or I will go strait to their majesties and tell them you are not obeying orders."
Lianne huffed "Fine. I'll see you later, Aly."
"I'll come by and visit" Aly said.
Lianne turned, and headed back to the palace.
"Are you still mad at me?" Gareth asked Aly.
"Mad at you? For what?"
"What I did to Alan, three months ago...with the duel."
"Oh...no, I had actually forgotten about it" Aly said.
"I see...so, how have you been?" Gary asked "I haven't seen you around much."
"My parents and Alan's parents have been arranging chances for us to get better acquainted, in the hopes we'll at least be friends when we walk down the aisle."
"And?"
"And what?"
"What do you think of him?"
"He is sweet. He is constantly bringing me flowers, or buying little trinkets and he is very smart. He's not even a quarter of the swordsman that you are, but I have a feeling he'll be a noted scholar one day."
"Do you want a noted scholar?" Gareth asked.
"Well, I'll always be well informed about things." Aly laughed.
"I'm serious, Aly." Gareth asked. "Do you want the noted scholar that Alan will be one day as your husband?"
Aly sighed. "No…at least not now. Don't get me wrong, I think Alan is a great man. But...he and I are just becoming friends, and even that is being a bit forced."
Gareth looked at the ground, kicking a tiny stone on the gravel path. "I hate knowing you won't be my wife someday."
I am not going down this road. Aly told herself. It is time for a change of topic. "I can easily be content with Alan as my husband. I'll have a comfortable life with him. Our children will have the advantage of a scholar who can help them with their studies."
"Children? You are already planning to have children with him?"
"I have to. It's my duty as his wife."
"Did he tell you that?" Gareth asked, a dark look coming across his face.
"No...the convent and my grandmother told me that. It is my duty to keep the house in order, to see to the servants, and to give him an heir."
The two walked together quietly. Many couples walked past them holding hands, laughing and smiling.
The silence soon became too much for Aly. "Sometimes arranged marriages are very happy marriages, once the couple get to know each other. I just...I think part of me will always wish it was you I was marrying in three months."
"Do you love him?" Gareth asked.
Aly sighed softly. "Maybe...after a few years...I'll learn to love him."
Gareth pulled some stray hair out of Aly's face. The next moment, Aly was shocked to find her lips and Gareth's touching. The kiss was very shallow and gentle at first, but soon built up to one of heat, passion, and love.
"Alright," Aly said when she and Gareth finally broke apart and she had caught her breath. "Now I know there will always be a part of me wishing it was you I was marrying."
Gary smiled, his chest heaving. "I know I wish I was Alan at this moment...and I never thought that day would come." he leaned in for a second kiss.
"Gareth," Aly said softly. "Someone might see us."
"Look around, Aly, the garden is deserted." Gareth said.
Aly looked around. They were alone, with the exception of the flowers, stone path, and benches...and none of those things would tell anyone. Aly nodded, and in a second, Gareth and Aly were in a second deep kiss.
In the bushes lining the path they were on, two very wide blue eyes were staring unblinkingly at the forbidden couple.
Later that evening, Aly returned to her family's suite of rooms, and saw it was as full as it had been the night she was betrothed to Alan.
"I wasn't aware we were getting together this evening." Aly said. "I would have been back earlier if I had known."
"It wasn't planned." Lord Thomas said, his arms crossed, and a frown on his face.
"What's wrong?" Aly asked.
"Alianne, I am going to ask you this once, and I want the truth." Lord Thomas said. "Did you or did you not kiss Sir Gareth of Naxen earlier today in the gardens?"
Aly's eyes grew wide. The garden had been deserted! How did he know about that?
"Are you spying on me now?" Aly asked, outraged at the very idea. "Do you have so little trust in me that you hire people to watch me?"
"See?" Jane said. "I told you, I told all of you! I saw her kissing Sir Gareth."
"Aly?" Lady Jennaya asked. "It's not true is it? Tell me it's not true."
"Yes, mother." Aly said. "It's true. I kissed Gareth. He kissed me first, and I returned it. And I am not ashamed."
"Where?" Lord Thomas asked.
"What?"
"Where did you kiss him? Where did he kiss you?"
Aly met her father's gaze steadily. "On the lips."
Aly's grandmother groaned, as she fell into a seat.
"Aly, it is completely improper to allow a man who is not your betrothed to kiss you anywhere then on the fingers." Lady Jennaya said.
"I know." Aly said.
"Damn it, girl!" Lord Thomas yelled. "You need to forget about Gareth of Naxen. You are marrying Alan, it is agreed!"
"How can I forget about him? He is a friend of mine. A very close friend! And I do not recall agreeing with you on anything for the past three or four months!"
"Maybe if it wasn't so easy for you to see him, you'd have an easier time forgetting him." Lord Thomas said.
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe you need to spend some time away from the capital. Somewhere private, where you can get to know Alan better, without further interruption." Lord Thomas said. "Somewhere like...like..."
"Like Trebond?" Lady Alanna asked.
"Yes! Somewhere a lot like Trebond." Lord Thomas said. "In fact...Trebond is perfect."
"It is empty, except for servants." Lady Alanna said.
"Are you offering Trebond as the location?" Lord Thomas asked.
"It'll be Alianne's home in a matter of months." Lord Bradley said. "Why not let her have time to get the lay of the land?"
It was decided then and there that Aly and Alan were to leave for Trebond at the end of the week.
The day that Alan and Aly left, there was a bright, clear sky. Just as the last of the trunks were being placed on the wagon were loaded, Aly felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
She turned, and saw Gary behind her.
"Gary! You came!" Aly said.
"Of course, I came." Gary said. "I couldn't let you leave without saying good-bye. I also couldn't leave without giving you this." Gary said, holding out his closed fist.
Aly held her hand out, and a small ring dropped from Gary's fist into her open palm. She saw the silver band and gasped. It was the engagement ring.
"Gary, keep it." Aly said. "You'll need it when you find a woman to replace me with."
"I could never replace you, Aly." Gary said. "Besides, I bought this for you, so it belongs with you, even if it can't serve as an engagement ring. It can be a...a promise ring."
"A promise ring? What's the promise?"
"The promise is that we will always love each other, and that one day, we will be together again."
"Gary, I belong at my husband's side, and you know Alan doesn't like court. How can I come if he won't?"
"The gods have their own ways of making things happen." Gareth said. "I'll be praying to them that we can be together again one day."
"So mote it be." Aly murmured.
"Alianne? The carriage is ready." Alan said, walking over. "Oh, hello, Gareth."
Gary nodded to Alan, then turned to Aly. He bent down and kissed her gently on the fingertips. "Until we meet again, Lady Alianne."
"Until then, Sir Gareth." Aly said, bowing her head slightly. She followed Alan to the carriage, where he carefully helped her up.
Once at Trebond, Aly quickly became friends with two of the servants. First was the blacksmith and man servant, Coram Smythyson, and the Trebond village healer, Maude, was the second.
She kept in contact with Lianne, Roald, and Gary for the last three months before her marriage and for about five years after that. When Lianne finally gave birth, a month after Aly left the capital, the baby was stillborn. It had been the girl Lianne had wanted so desperately. The healers told Lianne, after she healed from the unsuccessful birth, the baby had done serious damage, and that if she were to try for another child, it would put her and the baby at high risk of not surviving. Within a year of Aly being sent to Trebond, the Duke and Duchess of Naxen had arranged a marriage for Gary to Aly and Lianne's best friend from the convent, Jocelyn of Macayhill. A year later, they were celebrating the birth of a son, who they named Gareth, the younger. A few months after Gareth, the younger, was born, Lianne gave Tortall their next king; a healthy, baby boy named Jonathan. Aly and Gareth were named godsparents, a role which they both adorned with honor. Aly's new life as the Lady of Trebond was a busy one, and it got busier when she gave birth to twins, who she named Thomas and Alanna.
Review Reply
Kate of Carlay: As to the scandal you mention...was the kiss scandal enough? As to the rest of Aly swaying to Alan or if she has other plans...well, you have to keep reading to see how that works out.
The Shang Kudarung: Kate of Carlay has good reason to like that, it was cool to see your reaction to a part of the story! Keep sending that!
brezzybrez: Thanks for the review
zropin: No, it's not that their mothers went to birthing class together. I start including Alanna in the next chapter, and a few chapters after that, you'll get the surprise.
Lady Leopard: Thanks!
Litara: Thanks! As to the question of who Gareth marries, it is in this chapter, look at the last paragraph of this story is you missed it.
ShadowMoonDancer: Yeah, Aly and Alan are a bit closer in the last chapter...and then there is the kiss in this chapter, which is probably going to throw a few peopl a curve ball. I am glad you read my story, I know how hard it can be to put down books.
KelAndDomLuv: Thanks! Yes, I am going to keep writing
a happy camper: It's not so much that she accepts not having Gareth, as it is she realizes she had no choice. Her hunger stirke stopped when Princess Lianne ordered her outside...or when her father dragged her out for dinner with the Trebonds in the last chapter. Alanna goes to court in a few chapters. I am glad you liked it, and maybe you won't have to give up on the couple all together...after all, Alanna will be at court soon, and the gods only know what might come from that (ok, ok, so I know too, but it's seems more dramatic the other way)
xxTunstall Chickxx: Thanks!
IchikoKitsuneKoumori: Glad you liked the last chapter!