Dedication: this chapter is dedicated to princess of the rogues, a fellow Phantom of the Opera lover, and whose review I loved so much on the last chapter!

Chapter 17

Alanna was almost afraid to get into bed that night. With a vision in the middle of the day, who knew what that night would bring? But, she had to go to bed if she wanted to look nice in the morning. She changed into her nightshirt and crawled into bed, silently asking the Goddess not to send her anymore strange dreams.

Alanna: The First Adventure, pg. 2

"Face it," Thom told Alanna. "Tomorrow you leave for the convent and I go to the palace. That's it."

"Why do you get all the fun?" she complained. "I'll have to learn sewing and dancing. You'll study tilting, fencing—"

"D'you think I like that stuff?" he yelled. "I hate falling down and whacking at things! You're the one who likes it, not me!"

She grinned. "You should've been Alanna. They always teach the girls magic—" The thought hit her so suddenly that she gasped. "Thom. That's it!"


From the look on her face, Thom knew his sister had just come up with yet another crazy idea. "What's it?" he asked suspiciously.


Alanna looked around and checked the hall for servants. "Tomorrow he gives us the letters for the man who trains the pages and the people at the convent. You can imitate his writing, so you can do new letters, saying we're twin boys. You go to the convent. Say in the letter that you're to be a sorcerer. The Daughters of the Goddess are the ones who train young boys in magic, remember? When you're older, they'll send you to the priests. And I'll go to the palace and learn to be a knight!"

"That's crazy," Thom argued. "What about your hair? You can't go swimming naked, either. And you'll turn into a girl—you know, with a chest and everything."


"I'll cut my hair," she replied. "And—well, I'll handle the rest when it happens."


"What about Coram and Maude? They'll be traveling with us, and they can tell us apart. They know we aren't twin boys."

She chewed her thumb, thinking this over. "I'll tell Coram we'll work magic on him if he says anything," she said at last. "He hates magic—that ought to be enough. And maybe we can talk to Maude."

Thom considered it, looking at his hands. "You think we could?" he whispered.


Alanna looked at her twin's hopeful face. Part of her wanted to stop this before it got out of hand, but not a very big part. "IF you don't lose your nerve," she told her twin. And if I don't lose mine, she thought.


"What about Father?" He was already looking into the distance, seeing the City of the Gods.


Alanna shook her head. "He'll forget us, once we're gone." She eyed Thom. "D'you want to be a sorcerer bad enough?" she demanded. "It means years of studying and work for us both. Will you have the guts for it?"


Thom straightened his tunic. His eyes were cold. "Just show me the way!"


Alanna nodded. "Let's go find Maude."

Alanna sat straight up in bed. Her chest was heaving, and she was shaking slightly. That had been six years ago… sort of. She hadn't proposed the switch. No one had. Alanna and Thom had sadly agreed to their father's wishes. Alanna slowly lay back down, eyes wide open. What if she and Thom had switched? Would she be where Thom was?

She sat up again. That was it! All those dreams… her fighting Duke Roger, that one earlier with Jonathan… they were as if she and Thom had changed places! Alanna leapt out of bed and grabbed her violet silk dressing gown with her name embroidered on the back. She wrapped it tightly around her and tied it tightly. She had to talk to someone about this.

As she reached the door, Alanna froze. Who could she talk to? She didn't know anyone that would know what was going on, like why the dreams were being sent to her, or who was sending them. She slowly made her way back to her bed and sat down, feeling defeated. She needed to talk to someone. Jonathan would be asleep, as would Thom. And they would both think she was mad. Gary and Raoul wouldn't be happy; Alanna knew they weren't morning people. Cythera and Fiona would tell her she was stressed, and she wasn't friendly with Delia anymore. After figuring it out, Alanna felt a seed of distrust toward to Conté Duke. She couldn't go riding into the City at this hour of night, which ruled out George. Who else was there?

She jumped to her feet again. Gary had introduced her to one of his former teachers, a scholar. If she could remember the way to his rooms, Alanna knew he would be perfect. Hopefully, he wouldn't be upset…

Alanna threw on a dress and grabbed her cloak. She wrapped it around herself and grabbed a candle. The castle was easily navigated if you knew the layout, which she had learned easily.

Minutes later, Alanna knocked on a nondescript door. A shaggy, disheveled man opened it sleepily.

"Lady Alanna?" he asked, bewildered.

"Alanna," she corrected. "I need to talk to you." The knight-scholar stepped aside to let the lady in. She went in with a quiet, "Thank you."

Sir Myles of Olau glanced around somewhat nervously and shut the door. "Now, Alanna, can you tell me why you're come to my room in the middle of the night?"

"Yes," Alanna replied. She explained all about her dreams. Myles listened intently, stroking his shaggy beard. He nodded sometimes, or said, "Mm" or "Interesting" or "Really?" When she finally finished, Alanna took a deep breath. "Can you help me?"

"Truthfully, Alanna, I don't exactly know. From what you've told me, I can make one assumption. Based on the fact that in one of your dreams, you said something about the Goddess telling you something, I have to think that the Goddess had a plan for you, which you disobeyed. Which also leads me to think that she had Her hand on you, and it is the Goddess sending you these dreams."

Alanna gaped at him. "You're saying," she said slowly, "that you think the Great Mother Goddess is interested in me, Alanna of Trebond?"

"Well, yes," Myles replied. Alanna fell back against Myles's desk chair.

"Great Merciful Mother," she breathed. "Could it be?"

-He is correct, my daughter- a voice that sounded like the echo of howling wolves running in the snow said. (AN- yes that IS from the books. I couldn't help it.)

"Who said that?" Alanna asked the silence. Myles looked at her strangely. "Did you hear that?" The knight shook his head.

-He cannot hear me, Alanna- the voice told her.

"Who are you?" Alanna asked, looking around.

-I am the Great Mother Goddess- the voice replied. Alanna's eyes widened.

"The Goddess?" she asked.

-Yes, my daughter- the Goddess replied. To Alanna, it sounded like the Goddess was smiling, and possibly laughing inwardly.

"Truly?" Alanna wondered aloud.

-Yes, my daughter- Alanna shook her head in bewilderment.

"My apologies, Great Mother, but I can't believe it." There was a glittering of white fire by the window, causing Myles and Alanna to watch with dangling jaws.

A woman materialized. She was taller than any earthly woman, with cascading raven curls and emerald eyes set in ivory skin. She was beautiful, dressed in a jade gown with scarlet fingernails. She smiled at Alanna.

"Hello, Alanna," the woman said.

"Great Merciful Mother," Myles muttered. "The Goddess!" Alanna looked from the knight to the Goddess.

"Th-th-th-the Goddess?" she stuttered. The Goddess nodded. "Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing here?"

"Sir Myles is correct, my daughter," the Goddess replied calmly. "I have been sending you those dreams."

"Why?" Alanna demanded. "Why? They've been plaguing me for days!" The Goddess looked amused.

"Why, my dear? Because that is the path you were to have chosen," she replied.

"Excuse me?" Alanna asked. The Goddess sighed.

"It was written long before your time that you, Alanna of Trebond, were to be a lady knight. It was in your destiny. That, among… other things. But, sometimes, paths go astray. When it came time, I was detained, and could not insure that you took the correct path. When you turned fourteen, I figured out that you were not who you were destined to be. I had to find a way to make it known to you that you were touched by the Goddess, but I did not know how. Sending you these dreams was the easiest way." Alanna looked stunned. "Alanna, these dreams are what should have happened."

"You mean that Jonathan and I were meant to be lovers?" Alanna blurted without thinking. When Myles looked at her, she turned pink. "I mean-" The Goddess held up a hand.

"Generally speaking, Alanna, you were meant to masquerade as a boy, save Jonathan's life, become friends with Cooper, save the Black City, be discovered, become Jonathan's squire, be kidnapped in the Tusaine War, and become the Prince's…lover all before your eighteenth birthday," the Goddess replied.

"What Tusaine War?" Alanna asked. "There was no war with Tusaine." The Goddess smiled.

"Ah, but there should have been. You not becoming a page has changed much else," she replied.

"But, we did go to Persopolis," Myles said. The Goddess fixed her green eyes on him. "And Jonathan and Thom did go to the Black City."

"And they freed it." The Goddess nodded. "That was meant to be Alanna, and she was meant to be discovered by Jonathan that night. You, Sir Myles of Olau, were to have guessed." She rose. "And I have revealed too much." She turned to Alanna. "Alanna, there is still time. There is still time for you to do what was written for you. Remember, my dear, I have my hand on you. I shall guide you, but the path you choose is yours alone to find. Do not fail me!" The Goddess slowly faded until she disappeared.

"I won't," Alanna promised the darkness. "I won't."

Author's Note- Now, I meant to make all that a cliffhanger, but decided against it to be nice. So REVIEW and tell me what you think!