Disclaimer: Hey its me again and I... wanted to say that I... OWN IT ALL! (sceams out while running from angry mob of laywers) ok, ok, I lied!

Authors Note: Sorry for taking so long, my computer wouldn't let me sign in but I have had this ready since Friday night.

On another Note:

Jules-Gemma: Thank you for reviewing and I hope this is up to your standards.

Gretta99: I read your story and do to the fact I couldn't sign in I couldn't write and tell you that your story is VERY interesting and I cant wait to read more. OH and to your questions: Yes she is going to be a knight but she might Shang too! Im not sure. The pairings are scepitical right now but she WILL end up with George because I am a sucker for A/G pairings and I can't help that. ANYONE: If you think this is wrong just review and tell me why!

NOW TO OUR FEAUTRE PRESENTATION:

Chapter 2: Meeting Royalty

She looked around the small, cold, stone room which had been her prison for the last 4 ½ years. "So long, not like I'm going to miss it but it was still home." She thought as she walked over to the tiny, filthy window. She went to the railing and vaulted over the edge of the railing. "So long suckers!" she thought as she crept past the guards.

She was walking through the city when she saw a few of her men around a girl. She walked up behind them to hear them say, "So you want to have some fun? We do, come on don't be shy, we know you want it." The girl had long brown hair that was pulled up in a leather thong on top of her head, she was wearing a run down, brown, dirty dress, and no shoes. She looked like she was 15 and very frightened, which you could tell by her shaking and the trembling terror that filled her voice. "Please don't hurt me, I have to get home. My mother is very sick and she might die. I really need to get her a healer, Please!" She was trembling and trying, and not succeeding, to stop the tears from flowing from her bright, blue eyes. The 3 men circled her and said, "Oh no, I think we won't keep you away to long, just long enough for us to play a game. Do you want to play little girl?" with a drunken slur. Alanna was disgusted and knew that they would have to be punished for breaking the rules. She hated it but she knew it had to be done.

She stepped out from the shadows and said, "Oh I don't think she wants to play right now, but I would love to play a game. You see this is were if you do something wrong I punish you. I thought I told you the three strikes rule but you seem to not understand. Now let me remind you before we finish this game. First you weren't supposed to drink more than 2 drinks, all of you have had more than 4. Secondly, you weren't supposed to abandon your postions, but what do you do? You do the exact opposite of what I say! Last but the most important you realize is that you wrongfully tried to attack, and I might remind you might have succeeded, toHARM and unwilling INNOCENT! And don't mean trying to steal something from them because that is not wrong, well, not to me. Now time for the punishment boys, do you remember what I told you was the punishment?"

The men looked at her and they all bowed and the leader said, "Please your Lordship please don't! I can't write with my left hand!" She looked at him and a dagger showed up in her right hand. She started fingering the dagger, it was a long, gold, well-polished, and inlayed with an black opal, while she said, "Well I guess you will have to learn know won't you? I'm sorry but this is the last straw and its not like you knew I wouldn't do it. You should leave now but you will pay tomorrow. If you have a complaint with me you can take it up with his Majesty in Corus but until then you had better be ready. I'll send my men tomorrow and they will send me the payment, but if they don't get it then I will come and find you myself. And believe me you don't want that to happen do you? I might just find that I need a set of extra hands instead of just one." The 3 men looked terrified and said, "Of course your Lordship we will just be leaving now." And ran from the scene, just as fast as their feet could carry them. She looked at the girl and said, "Now what was this about your mother needing a healer?"

The girl watched the figure in black wondering whether or not to trust her. She watched as the figure stepped out into the light and gasped. There in the light stood a girl, in black breeches, a black tunic, a black cape with silver clasps and black boots with silver clasps as well. Also, to finish the ensemble, she was wearing a black veil that covered her face and hair, except for her piercing, violet eyes. "Uh…oh…. Yes… my mo mother is is very si…ck. She…. She needs…. A ….a….. healer."

"Well then we wont keep her waiting now will we?" asked Alanna. She had listen to the girl stumble over her answer and knew that she must be desperate, seeing as how she had actually answered her. She turned, put two fingers in her mouth, and gave a piercing whistle. Suddenly she heard the clomp, clomp, clomp, of a horse running and jumped onto the horse that had just came into sight. She then turned towards the girl and said, "Come on, I'm not going to save you and then kill you now am I?" The girl just stared for a moment and then climbed on in front of Alanna.

Alanna told the girl, "Tell Moonlight, the horse, where you want to go." The girl looked at her strangely and then complied with her wishes. She watched in amazement as the horse started in the direction of her house. She turned around when she heard her savior start to talk. "What is your name?" She looked at the girl with the piercing violet eyes and said, "Learia, and who are you?" Alanna laughed and said, "Oh don't worry, everyone around here knows me as 'her Lordship' or 'the Lioness' but as you can tell neither are my name. I don't think anyone really knows my true name and if they do they don't know that it is me."

Learia stared in awe as she watched 'the Lioness' and replied, "Aren't you the one that has been protecting the innocent from being hurt? Then why are you hanging out with those thieves?" Alanna laughed and said, "I stop the INNOCENT from being HURT not the idiots who mess up. And technically being stolen from is a way of life and not really hurting those who have a lot to give." Learia looked at her amazed by this person she was riding with. She felt the horse stop and gazed at her surroundings. She saw where she was and gasped. "This is where I live!"

"Where did you think I was taking you, the graveyard?"

"No, I just thought…."

"Just thought what?"

"I don't know… I just…."

Alanna laughed and then said, "Didn't know if you could trust me?"

"That's not it! It's just…."

"Of course that's it but I don't blame you for not trusting me, seeing as you are missing your purse but come now let us look at your mother." Alanna said, jumping of the horse in one fluid motion.

The girl just stared at her in amazement, before climbing of the horse and tripping on the cobble stone street. "Whoah, there easy does it. Don't want you killing yourself do we?" Alanna asked as she walked towards the house she knew was Learias.

"How did you know that is my house?" Asked Learia. "I have my ways, now come on, I do have other things to do!" and she had barely finished saying that when she was ushered through the front door and into the small house.

Some three hours later, Alanna reappeared outside of the house after healing the girls sick mother. She saw a shadow to her left and knew that her messenger had arrived. She looked over and said, "Come out now, I'm alone and I have some business to take care of." The messenger came out and said, "Yes well Damian sent a letter to Corus alerting his Majesty that you would be coming."

She looked at him and said, "Good, good, well tell Damian that he is in charge but make sure that he knows that he is still second in command, and if he tries to become ahead of me I will pay him a little visit of my own. Now I need a left hand of Mr. Johnson and two right hands from a Mr. Cole and a Mr. Frenid. Now I want them sent to me and if one of them has left let me know. That will be all." And with that the messenger disappeared into the night, only bowing before he left.

Alanna sighed and said, "So much for making it there soon. I might as well be off, better late than never!" With that she jumped onto Moonlight and disappeared into the shadows of the night.

5 Days Later:

There was a pause as all in the Inn got quiet when a small figure dressed all in black appeared in the door way. Then someone shouted, "Look at the poor lad, he wants to be a assassin, all dressed up in black!" Everyone in the Inn gave a roar of laughter and the figure just watched silently. Then one of them finally stopped laughing and said, "What is a young lad like you, doin' being here at this time of nigh'?"

The black figure said from the shadows, "I'm here to talk with his majesty." The rouge who had said the first comment roared with laughter and managed to shout, "it is naugh' but a wee lass!" Then everyone in the entire Inn started laughing again. There was a sharp whistle that hurt everyone's ears and then a brief silence. Alanna stepped into the light and said, "Now that's better." She turned and looked a man that had dirty blonde hair and sparkling with amusement and mischief, hazel eyes and said, "You should teach you men to have respect, your Majesty, mine certainly do."

George, other wise known as 'his Majesty', him being the King of the Rouge and all, said, "And who are these men, 4 year olds?" He was joking when he said it, contemplating who this could be. She, he could tell it was really a lass said, "No but then maybe I should show you instead, since you don't think a wee lass like me could possibly be any trouble." She looked and then saw a familiar face and said, "Gregory I see that you have my package, right?"

The messenger, who was 6'3 looked at her and said, while bowing as he would to 'his majesty', "Of course I would your Lordship, do you think I would face your temper without it?" She looked at him and laughed and said, "I think not, are you still remembering last time?" He looked at her and said, "How could I forget? Pardon, your Lordship but it tis hard to forget how you took the payment that was owed to you from the last messenger since he couldn't find the person who was to be paying it. And then you proceeded to take twice the amount from Jackson himself. I don't think he has ever tried for your spot since. Damian said he wasn't going to face that punishment and he was fine with being second in command."

Alanna looked at him and said, "Good, now where is the package?" By this time the entire Inn was quiet, wanting to know who this was. She looked at George and asked, "George I thought you might want to see this as the idea came from your liking of ears." He looked at her and laughed saying, "Alright!" and took the box. He looked inside and then looked up amazed.

She looked at him and said, with a straight face, "Myself, I am always in need of a few more hands." He looked at her and asked, "Which part are you in command in?" She looked at him and said, "But didn't you get the letter for my arrival?" He looked at her and said, "So you are the famed Lioness we have been hearing about. I heard that you seemed harsh but what is this?" He pulled out a letter.

She looked at him and said, "Oh that is a sworn oath to me bound by the Gods and Goddesses saying thatsince they broke 3 of my rules they cut off their own hand and willinglygave them to be added in my collection.Most of the time after the first hand the decided thatI'm serious andthat theydon't want to loose another hand. There are onlyabout 3 exeptions like with Jackson, I don't think he can write anymore, he seems to have misplaced his hands." (A/N: Sorry for the discusting part but we all know that thieves are ruthless and as it says in the books George does take ears! I didn't want to killthem so I thought this would work!)

George looked at her andsaying seriously, with only his eyes sparkling with the amusement he felt, "Welcome to my humble abode. Stay as long as you'd like, although, I would prefer to keep my hands." Smiling as he said so. Well this is defiantly going to be interesting, he thought, watching her.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Remember to REVIEW!

Also these are polls so make sure you REVIEW and tell me your answers:

1. Should Alanna be the Shang Lioness?

Yes or No?

2. Should Alanna end up with George?

Yes or No? If no tell who you think she should end up with!

I MIGHTuse these results depending on how many answers I get.

Thanks

-impishness-