I told many of you early on that I had plans for Ralon and Alanna...and this is the chapter it is revealed in!

Chapter Sixteen:

Ralon of Maven

The next afternoon, Aly and Gareth were talking with each other when there was a knock on the door to Gareth office. It was Timon. "A page is here to speak with you, your Grace."

"Who is it?"

"Page Ralon of Malven, your Grace."

Aly looked sharply at the door, as if she'd be able to see through it and get a good look at Alanna's bully.

"Did he tell you what it is he wished to speak about?"

"No, your Grace, but he looks like he is in pretty bad shape."

Gareth sighed, "Tell him he will have to wait, I am hosting company."

Timon bowed, and was about to leave.

"No, your Grace, it's alright. Talk with the page." Aly said.

"Are you sure?" Gareth asked.

"Positive." Aly said.

"Alright, you heard Lady Alianne, Timon, send him in." Timon bowed, and left.

"I am sorry about this." Gareth said.

"Don't be." Aly said. "I have been longing to meet this Ralon of Malven for a while."

Gareth looked at her, "Why?"

Aly didn't get a chance to tell him not to worry about it. Ralon walked into the office. Timon had been right, he was a mess. He had two black eyes, a split lip, a bloody nose, and his clothes were torn and dirty.

If Gareth was surprised to see Ralon in such a state, he kept it to himself. "What happened, Page Ralon?"

"It was Raoul of Goldenlake, your Grace." Ralon said. "He cornered me and beat me up."

This time, Gareth did look surprised, "Raoul of Goldenlake beat you up?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"Were you fighting?"

"No, your Grace, I was just minding my own business, and he attacked me."

Gareth to study Ralon carefully, watching how the boy moved, and making sure that he was keeping eye contact. Aly smiled. Gareth had caught her lying several times during their courtship by doing the same thing he was doing to Ralon now.

"Very well, go to the infirmary and get yourself cleaned up." Gareth said.

Ralon bowed, and left. Gareth sent Timon in search for Raoul.

"You didn't seem surprised to find Ralon was beaten up, and you seemed surprised that he told you who did it." Aly observed. "Why is that?"

"It is an unwritten rule that you never tell on another page. It is a rule that is strictly observed by every page, much to the annoyance of the training master."

"I see," Aly said. "Well, I will leave you to the discipline of young Raoul. Just remember, at his age, loyalty to friends is very important. I seem to remember you saying something about being willing to kill my husband to prevent him from marrying me, and you were older than Raoul."

Gareth looked at her. "Are you insinuating that Raoul was defending Alan, or that he was doing this for a girl somewhere in the palace?"

Both, Aly thought, but merely shrugged.

Gareth smiled at her, "Am I still escorting you to supper tonight?"

"I'll be insulted if you don't." Aly said, smiling back.

Four days after Ralon told Duke Gareth he had been beaten up by Raoul, Aly received a request that she come and see him.

She soon arrived at Gareth's office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in." he said.

Aly walked in and curtsied. "You summoned me, your Grace?"

"I thought you would like to know that your son-"

Aly held up a hand for Gareth to be silent. "Let me guess...Alan and Ralon?"

Gareth nodded.

"Alan said he fell?"

Gareth nodded.

"How bad was it this time?"

"He was in a sling." Gareth said. "My guess would be a broken arm."

Aly sighed. "Where is he now?"

"Probably in his rooms," Gareth said.

Aly nodded, and curtsied to him before leaving. She went straight to Alanna's rooms, and knocked on the door.

"Alan of Trebond, I know you are in there." Aly said, trying to sound angry, rather than worried. "Open up! You do not want all the pages hearing this conversation!"

Coram opened the door, and Aly rushed past. She threw up a protective wall.

"Oh, Alanna!" she gasped when she saw Alanna's arm.

"Mother, it's nothing." Alanna said. "I fell."

Aly pursed her lips, "What did you fall off of? The palace's roof?"

"No. If I had fallen off the roof, I'd be dead." Alanna said. "I just...fell."

"With the help of Ralon." Aly said in a cold tone. "Alanna, you had better figure out a way to solve it, because if this continues much longer, I am going to solve it my way. I don't care if it embarrasses you."

"Mother, please." Alanna begged. "Coram is teaching me. With a little more work, I'll be able to beat him."

"A little more work, and you'll work yourself to death." Aly said. She shot Coram a look. "And why did you not tell me you were working Alanna even harder than her instructors already are? Did you not think that was something I deserved to know? What if Alanna gets overworked?"

"I'll be fine." Alanna said, saving Coram from having to answer. "I can handle this."

"And if you can't?"

Alanna shrugged, "Then I leave, and you can speak with Ralon's mother. You can even tell her I am a girl, because once I leave, I'll be so far gone no one at court will be able to stop me."

Aly glared at Alanna. She placed a hand on her heart. "I swear it in front of Mithros, that if I can't handle it, I'll come to you, and you can crush my dream of being a knight, and Thom's dream of being a sorcerer."

"Oh no, you don't." Aly said. "You are not setting me up to look like the bad guy here, by saying I'll be allowed to crush your and Thom's dreams."

Alanna gave her mother a pitiful look. Aly sighed. "Alright, I'll back down. If you can't fight your own battles as a page, how can you be expected to fight them as a knight?"

Alanna yelped with joy. "Thank you, mother! I promise, I'll handle this."

Weeks later, Alanna was visiting her mother the day after she finally beat Ralon once and for all.

"...the lecture Duke Gareth gave me was impressive though." Alanna finished.

"I'm sure it was." Aly said with a smile. "Where did you learn hand-to-hand combat that Ralon wasn't prepared for? He is a squire…" just then, there was a sharp bang on the door.

"What in the name of the Great Mother Goddess?" Aly asked, and went to open the door.

"Alianne, good, you are here." a woman's voice said. Alanna stood up. She saw a woman with light brown hair and cool blue eyes stormed past Aly without getting permission to enter. "Where is that boy of yours?"

"Which one, I have two." Aly said. "One is here, training as a knight, the other is in the City of the Gods, training as a sorcerer."

"The one training here!" the woman shrieked, she motioned to someone at the door, and Alanna stood up when she saw Ralon enter the room. "The one who dared to bully my poor dear Ralon! The one who has made it where he can never return to training, because of the humiliation your son caused him."

"Oh, you mean Alan." Aly said casually. She looked over at Alanna. "Alan, come here, please."

Alanna walked over.

"You!" the woman, who Alanna guessed to be Ralon's mother, shrieked. "How dare you hurt my poor innocent baby! I demand an apology!"

"Hold on a minute." Aly said, resting a hand on Alanna's shoulder. "Alan has done nothing to your son that he didn't deserve. He's lucky I didn't get involved! Your son has bullied mine since his first day here, picking fights in shadows where no one could see him! If either of these boys owes the other an apology, yours son owes mine one. Just as you owe me one for barging in here uninvited."

"How dare you stand up for him after the way he has been treating Ralon! He told me all about your son. How on the first day he saw him, he tried to greet him like a proper gentleman would, and your son insulted him."

"Your son lied to you, Jane." Aly said. "A trait that he obviously got from you, seeing as you told the entire convent a big fat lie about being so familiar with court, and how you'd seen Prince Roald many times. Your first time to court was the same as mine, and I recognized the prince before you did. Trebond is so far away in the mountains, that it wouldn't be worth it to make the frequent stops to court you claimed to make."

"Trebond?" Ralon and Alanna asked at the same time.

"Mother, what is she talking about?" Ralon asked. "What does Alan's fief have to do with anything?"

"Mother, am I missing something here?" Alanna asked.

"Alan," Aly said as she shot a cold look at Jane. "Meet your Aunt Jane, your father's twin sister, and your cousin, Ralon."

"Ralon, this is your Aunt Alianne, and cousin, Alan."

In the words of my beta...DUH DUH DUHHHHHHHHHH

Reveiw Reply

dares to dream: Thanks!

Susan: Thanks!

brezzybrez: I am glad you like this so much

elf warrior princess: Yeah, I liked the awckward moment too.

LittleMissGiggles'94': Thanks!

abyssgirl: Thanks!

imokit: I'm glad you liked it

Miakoda of Pirate's Swoop: I am glad you like it! I love hearing people put my story on their faves.

Kate of Carlay: I am glad you liked the pudding story. I added it in a totally random mood, so I am glad it was well done. As for the whole Alanna and George thing, I have a plan for that, don't worry. George WILL find out. I have already had people ask me about it.

The Shang Kudarung: I am glad you like Aly's character.