Disclaimer: This chapter includes dialogue from In the Hand of the Goddess
Author's Note: I know a few of you find it boring when I use dialog from the book, but I tried to balance it out with being Aly's side of everything. I just feel that her being revealed as a girl was too important to cut out.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Unveiled
There had never been a prouder moment in Aly's life than when Roald dubbed Alanna as 'Sir Alan'. She clapped louder than anyone as Alanna stood up, took her shield from Coram and settled it on her left arm. Rather than following, Aly allowed Thom and Alanna a moment alone when Alanna went to put her shield away while the rest of the court went to the second feast of the Midwinter Festival.
Aly and Gareth were sitting together at King Roald's table with the king, Lianne, and the Provost during the feast, when Aly noticed Thom excuse himself to Alanna and walked over to start up conversation with Roger. Aly noticed that Alanna, too, watched her twin talk to the powerful sorcerer. Unlike Alanna, however, Aly didn't look away after a while. She had come to accept that maybe Roger wasn't planning anything, but she still didn't trust him any more than she could throw him. Aly did eventually look away when she was sure that Roger wouldn't try anything, and turned her attention to Lianne. This morning was the first time Lianne had made a public appearance in over a year, and now she was sitting through a feast. Aly could tell many people were happy to see their queen well enough to be in public, but Aly did not miss the sweat on her friend's brow no more than she missed the way Lianne's fingers trembled when she attempted to lift her wine glass. Then she began to cough, and Duke Baird was at her side, tense and worried. She was too busy worrying about her friend to notice Alanna slip out of the room. Aly saw that Gareth was glancing at his sister worriedly as well.
"Perhaps Lianne should return to her chambers, your majesty." Aly suggested quietly to Roald "It is obvious that she is not well enough to be seen by the public eye."
"No," Lianne said weakly, "If I leave now, all the courtiers will think the worst. The rumors that will start will have me on my deathbed within the hour.
Aly didn't look away from Lianne, even once she stopped coughing, and Duke Baird returned to where he had been sitting, so she was surprised when she saw the king turn to look at someone. She turned to see who had approached him and saw Alanna, bowed low and flanked by Myles, Thom, and Jonathan.
"Majesty," she said clearly, "I have done a dishonorable thing." The great hall was suddenly quiet.
Oh Alanna..... Aly thought, What have you done Alanna?
Alanna drew a deep breath and went on. "I broke into a man's chambers tonight. I knew this was dishonorable, and I did it anyway. What I did was wrong. What I thought to find-what I did find-was far worse." She placed the veil and the images inside it on the table before the king. Lianne cried out in horror, shrinking away from the images made to represent her, her husband, her son and her brother. Aly also noticed images of Myles, Alanna, the Provost, and-unless she was very much mistaken-herself.
Alanna turned to Roger and looked him in the eye as she challenged him. "Shall I tell them where I found these, Your Grace? Shall I tell them about the little fountain in your private workroom where the queen's image lay under running water, wasting away little by little? Shall I-"
"Liar!" Roger snarled, "Majesty, Sir Alan has been jealous of my influence with you and my cousin Jonathan. He now seeks to dishonor me in your eyes by showing you these dolls he created and accusing me of casting such spells!"
"For what reason?" Alanna asked Roald, "Why would I wish the queen harm? She is the mother of my prince and my friend. She is the best friend of my own mother. She had been kind to me. I do not gain by harming her, just as I do not gain from veiling the sight of those who could stop me from stealing a throne that isn't mine!"
Aly made to push herself up to come to her daughter's defense, but Gareth forced her down. "Don't get involved." he muttered to her quietly.
Roger was now accusing Alanna. "You planned to kill Their Majesties, so that when Jonathan became king you would be the most powerful knight in the realm!"
"That is very interesting" Myles looked at Roger, his gentle eyes hard, "Carry that thinking a step further and suppose the death of Prince Jonathan. Who would gain? I submit, Roger, that you would gain as the next King of Tortall."
"It's a plot against me!" Roger cried, looking around him, "Myles tried to turn you all against me while this young man gives false evidence!"
The hall was deadly silent, and the only sound to be heard was Lianne weeping softly into Gareth's shoulder. Aly was out of her seat in a heartbeat and at her best friend's side, doing all she could to console her. He turned to glare at Roger. Her friend was sick! How dare he distress her when she barely has enough health to be seen by the public! And how dare he accuse her daughter, when the evidence was found in his chambers!
"I demand my rights! I demand a trial by combat, myself against my accuser." Roger pointed to Alanna, "If I lie, Sir Alan will win by the will of the gods. But I say, I will win, because I am innocent!"
Everyone looked to Roald for a decision. He picked up the wax figure of himself and turned it over in his fingers. "You may have the combat."
"As the accused, I may choose the time," Roger said quickly. "Let it be now, before Sir Alan's lies spread and poison people's minds against me."
Aly was outraged. Roger would have an unfair advantage! Alanna was still worn and injured from the Ordeal this morning! Alanna's response to what Roger had said shocked Aly.
"This time or another is of no matter to me." she replied in a bored voice, "I believe Duke Roger to be plotting against the lives of my prince and my friends. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner they will be safe."
"In one hour," Roald ruled, "We meet in the Great Throne Room."
The entire court was now assembled in the Great Throne Room. Aly was sitting next to Gareth, who was next to Lianne. Aly had spent a good part of the hour trying to convince Lianne to return to bed, promising to tell her how the combat ended, but in the end, Lianne ordered Aly to back off and allow her to see the trial of her nephew who was being accused of putting her in the sick position she was now in. Aly had no choice, but to obey when Roald came up and said he supported Lianne's decision.
A cold chill ran down Aly's spine as Roald quietly said, "Let the combat begin."
Aly watched as Alanna and Roger brought their swords up and circled, watching each other carefully. Roger feinted a few times at Alanna, but she never lunged in response.
Please Goddess, Aly prayed, Please let justice be served here, and let Alanna walk away safe.
Roger suddenly attacked in earnest, but Alanna was ready. She blocked his swing and dodged to the side. Aly saw Alanna wince. Since Roger had never touched Alanna, she figured it had to be that her hand was feeling sore. Anger billowed up inside her. This... this demon was causing her daughter pain! The warrior inside Aly, which had appeared after spending so much time in the past eight years with Gareth and hearing Alanna talk about training, told her that as a knight, Alanna would feel pain. It came with the territory. But the mother inside Aly argued that Roger was different than the bandits and criminals that Alanna would face. Roger was the foulest of the foul. It was Roger who had tried to kill Aly's best friend and godsson and then frame her and her children. If anyone should be feeling any sort of pain, it was Roger, not Alanna!
Suddenly, Thom jumped up from his spot beside Aly, "Foul!" he shouted, "He's using an illusion!"
Aly glanced up and saw what Thom meant. It looked as if Roger was now wielding two blades, but he had only had one when he arrived. Which blade was the real one? Aly strained her eyes trying to see. Usually, if you looked closely, you could spot a little magic residue on an illusion, but she couldn't see any. She shook her head at her own foolishness. Of course she wouldn't see anything. Roger was a very good sorcerer. He wouldn't let his magic have any residue left over to give him away. Aly watched as Alanna blocked on of Roger's swords. Aly took a deep breath of relief when it turned out to be the real sword. If it had been the illusion, Alanna could have-no, would have been dead. Alanna thrust back, coming body-to-body with Roger. He used his height and strength to his advantage here and slowly forced Alanna down to her knees. She gasped and broke away, then dropped to the floor and rolled away. Roger struck, cutting her shoulder as Alanna came to her feet, and the fight continued for what seemed like an eternity to Aly.
Please, please Great Mother and Mithros, Aly begged silently, Please, just get my Alanna out of this alive and soon. I don't know if I can keep sitting here helplessly for much longer.
Roger lunged at Alanna, and she stumbled. The tip of his blade cut down Alanna's chest from collarbone to waist. Aly's hands flew over her mouth as Alanna's chest became visible through the material of her shirt. Roger dropped his blade and stood back, his eyes wide with shock.
"Halt!" Roald roared, coming to his feet. The crowded room buzzed as Roald also stared at Alanna "What is going on here?"
Aly watched as Alanna ducked behind a hanging, and Thom began to explain things to the court. It took Aly a moment to get up, but as Alanna came out from behind the hanging, Aly rose from her seat and went to stand with her two children.
"Who knew of this?" Roald's voice was low and dangerous, "Who knew?"
"I knew." Jon's voice was strong and clear. "I've known since the Black City."
"I knew." Coram admitted in a shamefaced mumble.
Gary stepped forward, "I knew."
Gareth stood up, "I recently found out, your Majesty."
"And I knew," Myles said. Aly was caught off guard by the old knight's confession, "I guessed when Alan-Alanna-cured Jonathan of the Sweating Sickness, Majesty."
"I would be a fool to try and convince you that I did not know, your Majesty." Aly said.
Roald looked at Alanna "What have you to say for yourself?"
Aly rested a hand on Alanna's shoulder as her daughter met the king's gaze. "I hated lying to you." she admitted, "I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. Would you have let me win my shield if I had told the truth?" Roald said nothing, and after a moment, Alanna continued, "I've tried to be honest about everything else. And I can't regret what I did."
A sudden snarl from Roger surprised everyone. "You demon!" he screamed, "You lying, cheating-" he lunged at Alanna, his sword raised.
"ALANNA!" Aly screamed in terror even as Alanna blocked Roger and began to fight. Every one of her senses were locked on Alanna, and she did not notice Thom pull her out of harm's way. Nor did she feel it when Gareth gently took her from Thom and wrapped his arms around her.
Alanna was attacking Roger with full force, first slicking off a lock of the duke's hair, then slicing his belt and ripping his tunic open. Suddenly, a large orange cloud formed around Roger. The watching nobles gasped and moved out of the way as the cloud reached for Alanna, Jon, and Roald. Even as Aly gathered her magic together to form a cloud of protection around Roger's intended victims, as well as herself, Gareth, Lianne, and Thom, Alanna yelled, "The Goddess!" and used her sword to slice open the orange cloud, finding Roger at its heart. The orange mass flared, blinding everyone watching, and then Roger's scream filled the room. Aly blinked to see what had happened, and was shocked by what she saw.
Roger was staring wonderingly at Alanna as he slowly fell to the floor, and Alanna jerked her sword free from Roger's shoulder. It was then that Aly noticed that Alanna swayed and was shaking, but Aly couldn't make her feet move to help her daughter. As much as it killed her to admit it, she was-at that very moment-terrified of her own daughter.
Author's Note: Next chapter! Aly and Gareth's wedding! (then for those of you who like original work, there will be a lot coming because this is Aly's story, and she is not joining Alanna on her adventures, which means I have to make up for Woman Who Rides Like A Man.)
Review Reply
Elfsquire 90: Thanks for the review
Soraya the All Speaker: I am glad you like how I portrayed Gareth....I had been thinking he took it a little too easily, and a few of my reviewers had thought the same. I just couldn't see Gareth, as much as he loves her saying "I don't want to marry you anymore" but at the same time, I couldn't see him being all "I love you, so it's ok, don't worry about it"
Sarcastic Loner: Thanks for the review
Trisana Sarrasri: Yep, she finally told them....and not a day too soon!
spazzysassyangel: I know you said you don't think she should have told the court the same way as it was in the book, and I am sorry if this chapter let you down because of it. But I really think that the best way to go was to stick with the original plan. Thank you for the review.
SeekDreamsAndFindHope: Yeah, I was thinking that I made Gareth take it a little too lightly, but I was having a hard time finding a balance between him blowing it off and canceling the wedding, and I couldn't see Gareth doing either.
xXthenextbookwormXx: I am glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review.
Tischica: Well first off, Roger is in this chapter, but don't worry, I plan on having him come back, just like TP did.....and I have plans for him.
LittleMissGiggles'94': I am glad you liked the last chapter. Thanks for the review.
DomLuver: Yeah, I know he got over his madness quickly. I was thinking he got over it a little too quickly, but I was stuck between the extremes of him not caring and him never wanting to see her again, and neither of those would be him....I am glad you still liked it.
Mistyrious One: Yes, Alanna will be there for the wedding. Not to worry. Thanks for your review.
Miakoda of Pirate's Swoop: Thanks for the review
Whitepoint Star: Thanks! I am glad you liked that part.
iloveredshoes: I am glad you like what I did, but sadly no, I will not be adding more to what Alanna did in Roger's room.
a happy camper: I know it moved fast, and I have a lot of people agreeing with you that Gareth moved a little too fast into forgiving Aly, including me...but I am glad you liked it still.
MystayaRose: Thank you for the review, I really am glad you feel like I am doing Tamora Pierce justice. And really, you have my beta to thank for the spelling and grammar....she does all of that for me.
Blind Padawan: I will be going to chapter 40 and then past that....I have this story completely written, and there are fifty chapters and an epilogue.