Ok, so this is just a short little filler chapter. I am taking a lot of thought into a few reveiwer's advice, and the story is under a bit of re-construction. Don't worry, I have a week off of school next week, so I will have plenty of time to do the re-write. This won't affect updating time too much. Although I am going on a vacation for a few days, so you'll have to wait a little because of that.

Chapter Nineteen: Lightning

Aly cornered Alanna one day in early May, "Duke Gareth told me you were restricted to the palace for two months, but he wouldn't tell me more. Care to explain?" the tone in her voice made it clear that Alanna had no choice.

"Not here." Alanna pleaded. "In private."

Alanna and Aly walked to Aly's rooms in the palace. She had given up in buying a townhouse, much to Lianne's delight, and was now settled in her own suite in the nobles' wing of the palace.

Aly put up a protective wall, then turned to Alanna, and crossed her arms. "Alright. Talk."

"I had to find a healing woman, and it had to be someone out of the palace. It was urgent."

"I need more than that." Aly said with a frown.

"My...my fertility cycle started this morning. I woke up this morning, and there was blood all over my bedding, and I panicked and...why are you laughing?"

Aly was fighting to keep from laughing at Alanna, and failing miserably/ "I'm sorry, Alanna. I should have started talking about all of this when your chest started to grow." Aly stroked Alanna's hair gently. "Why not come to me when you woke up this morning?"

"I was panicking. I didn't know this was normal! I don't tend to think clearly when I panic."

"So, this healing woman...did she talk to you about the cycle? Explain everything to you?"

Alanna nodded.

"Did she talk to you about bathing and bandaging yourself and-"

"Yes, mother, she told me everything."

Aly sighed. "I missed such an important part of my job as your mother."

Aly and Alanna chatted for a while, and Aly tried a few times to find out more about this healing woman and Alanna's mysterious friend. All she was able to get from Alanna before she left was that her friend and the healer were related.

One evening, soon after Alanna was let off restriction to the palace, Aly was sewing when her door opened, and Alanna came in, grinning.

"Someone looks happy." Aly commented.

"Sir Myles has invited me to ride with him up to his Barony and look at his ruins, and Duke Gareth said I could go!"

"You and Sir Myles have gotten very close." Aly observed. "Sometimes I feel like you are closer to him then me."

"We play chess sometimes, and Duke Gareth gave me the duty to wait on him at dinner. He knows things I don't understand, and I can talk to him."

"Things you don't understand and that I wouldn't?" Aly asked.

"Mother, I still love you. You are my mother, and no one can replace you with me. But Myles is a good friend."

Aly sighed, "I know you and Myles are friends, and I'm not upset over it, Alanna, really. I'm glad you have found a friend and mentor in him. Have fun at the Barony with Sir Myles. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow, according to Duke Gareth."

Aly and Gareth spent a lot of time with each other while Alanna was gone. She began to reminisce about when he was courting her, and felt like a teenager again. She loved the feeling.

When Alanna came back, she had a sword with her. Alanna told her, Prince Jonathan, and Coram the truth about how she got it. Aly wanted to know more about what compelled her daughter's friend to part with a sword like Lightning, as Alanna called it.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Alan." Myles said when she asked him. "I was compelled to bring him."

"Excuse me?" Aly asked.

"I was compelled." he said patiently. "For seven nights in a row, I had the same dream. We were exploring the ruins dressed as we were the day he found Lightning. When I asked Duke Gareth to let him accompany me, the dreams stopped."

"And did you dream him finding Lightning?"

"Your son asked the same question. No, I didn't dream him finding the sword, but I still knew he was suppose to have it." Myles said. "While we were up at the ruins, he managed to open a passageway I could never open, despite how hard I tried. Something happened when Alan was down where the passage led, and the sword protected him, and I'll never forget the storm that appeared. I can take a hint, and the hint said Alan was supposed to have that sword."

Aly nodded. "Surprisingly, that makes sense, Sir Myles. Thank you for talking with me."

"Any time, Lady Alianne." Myles said with a smile. "I am unmarried, and have no children. It is nice to have company every once in a while."

"I can see why Alan likes you so much." Aly said.

"He's a smart boy." Myles said. "And a special one."

"Special?" Aly asked "In what way?"

"You know how he is special. He is your son, after all, is he not?"

Aly was startled. What was Myles hinting at? "Y-yes, he is. You're right. Alan is very special...in many ways"

"You know, Lady Alianne, I see a lot of you in him."

"A lot of me? Sir Myles, you hardly know me."

"I know enough. I was here when Gareth courted you, and I was a friend of his. He couldn't stop raving about you. When you left to marry Alan, he spent hours at a time here, for months, trying to get me to help him plan a way to get you back for him."

Aly was shocked. She had no idea Gareth had gone through so much trouble over her.

"Plus there is Alan. He talks about you all the time with me. He looks up to you, Lady Alianne."

"Sometimes it is hard to tell if he does or not." Aly said.

"Well, he does." Myles said. "Don't forget it."

Aly smiled. "I won't, Sir Myles. Thank you."

Disclaimer

If you recognize it, it is not mine.

Review Reply

dares to dream: George will eventually be in the story, however, it won't be until Alanna is a squire. So you still have a little bit of a wait.

elf warrior princess: Yeah, Aly is just as suspicious of Roger as her daughter is. A lot of people miss George. But like I told dares to dream, Aly won't meet him until Alanna is a squire. However, there will be little hints of where George plays into the story, but if you don't keep an eye out for them, you'll miss them.

ShadowMoonDancer: Well yes, I am taking this to the end, and I will think about that, because that was a good idea. And thanks for the suggestion about disclaimers

Internal Failure: Ok, thanks for the suggestion about the text. I was trying to use the text to make it clear where in the books I was, but I see your point about the story getting boring when it is too much of the book. I'll try to cut back a little. And your suggestion for going away from Alanna's plot got my creative juices flowing. Thanks for reviewing, and don't make yourself a stranger to reviews for this story! I use what my reviewers say to write this story, so every little bit helps.

brezzybrez: I am glad you understand on the whole Jane matter, and I promise not to be too over the top with her.

inktounge: As you find out in the above chapter, your guess was not quite accurate. Hopefully you thought it was a good way to handel it.

Susan: Thanks for the review, Sue

lacking a better name: Alright, thanks for your advice. I had a few others say the same thing, so I am currently thinking about it, and putting this stroy under slight reconstruction.

spazzysassyangel: I'm glad!

OathKeeperKeybearer: You still have a little bit of a wait before Aly and George meet, but I am hoping to make the chaos worth the wait. I am glad you liked it.

Kate of Carlay: I am glad you liked it.

Khelc-sul Renai: I remembered the spell...and I also have another trick up my sleeve that will keep Aly from getting too close to guessing Roger's plot...but you have to wait for that! And I am glad you liked the bit between Aly and Jane.

Sazerac: Thanks for your imput. A lot of people are saying I need to break away from the book, and I agree, so I have a few little tricks up my sleeve to put in. (Insert evil laugh here)

a happy camper: George is coming, I promise. But Alanna is going to be a squire before Aly meets him, I'm afraid. You'll have to keep reading and waiting to see how Aly's suspicions play out...and whether or not it ends in Aly's favor. You'll also have to wait and see how Aly and Myles come together.