Hello I thought I should finally post something even if it is short and sweet. Apologies for delays but I am having a serious case of writers block. As ever none of this actually belongs to me.

It was the last night of the midwinter festival. Jenny had given her knight master the slip to spend the evening with her friends. Matthew was now a knight and although he had seemed battered by ordeal he was now confidently stepping out as a man who could do whatever he pleased. Having very little in the way of family had its advantages especially for a Duke. They were at one of the many gatherings held throughout the palace at mid-winter. This one as attended by all the usual courtiers and hangers on but it was in a pleasant room and provided good refreshments unlike many parties they had attended in the last week. In case Jenny was found by her knight master she had chosen to wear a dress so he'd be reluctant to press her into service. It was a bright red which set off her dark features and had drawn many admiring glances. Jasson was in high spirits because he had just heard that there was a possibility he wouldn't have to go on Liam's mini progress and so wouldn't have to spend any time with his brother. He and Liam didn't consider themselves brothers so much as arch enemies. Alan however was obviously worried about something although he was reluctant to talk about it.

As the night went on the conversation flowed freely between the four and Alan seemed to relax. It was late in the evening (but not late enough for anyone to make their way to their beds) when Jenny felt someone tap her shoulder. She sighed and turned. She had spent a good deal of time tonight sending those with wanted to dance with her away however when she turned she was surprised to see her two stepbrothers and a very blonde girl beside them.

'Samuel, Fredrick' she greeted her bothers with a small curtsey. They bowed in reply and Samuel the elder brother spoke, 'We are sorry to interrupt your evening like this but our sister Lady Rose' and here he pointed to the girl with them 'wished to be made known to you.' Jenny was surprised. Familial feeling did not precisely flow between her and her step family. She turned to look more closely at the girl. She was of average height with blue eyes, blonde hair and skin like peaches; she wore a beautiful pink silk dress. She was in other words the archetypal fairy tale princess, it almost made Jenny laugh to think that she was related to someone so…well so blonde really. Lady Rose made a sweeping curtsey and Jenny replied in kind although not quite as low reflecting the girls differing circumstances. Rose didn't seem like she was about to start speaking so Jenny began with, 'How do you do my lady? It is a pleasure to finally meet you.' Rose had been at school during Jenny's early years and later Jenny had been busy trying to win her knighthood so the two had never met.

'It is a pleasure to meet you to Lady Goldenwood.' Jenny was a little startled at the use of her proper title. 'I have wanted t ever since I met your younger sister.'

'You mean Maria?' Lady Roe nodded. Jenny wasn't really surprised. If only most people met Maria before her she suspected she would be much better liked. Maria made friends everywhere and with anyone. Recalling her manners Jenny realised she hadn't introduced her friends. She turned slightly and saw all three of them peering curiously over her shoulder.

'Lady Rose, please allow me to introduce my friends this is his highness Prince Jasson, his grace the Duke of Holyhead and Squire Alan of Pirate's Swoop. Gentlemen this is my step-sister Lady Rose of Sellion. I believe you know her elder brothers.' As all the bows and curtseys were duly made Rose, Samuel and Fredrick were drawn into her friend's circle. It was Alan who began the polite conversation that they were doomed to for the rest of the night… 'Have you been long at court m'lady?'

It went on for hours. It wasn't until the dancing started and Samuel and Fredrick left to find partners that Matthew took Rose away as well. They went off to dance. Matthew seemed to have been charmed by Rose. He had certainly laughed more than was necessary at her jokes. 'Thank goodness they're gone.' Jenny sighed. 'I can't stand polite conversation.' Jasson laughed and Alan gave the cat like smile he kept for occasions he found funny that he shouldn't. It was like the one he gave whenever Jenny told him about one of her pranks. 'So who's Maria?' Alan asked.

'She's my sister.' Jenny answered in a tone of voice which suggested this was blatantly obvious.

'I thought you had a dozen. How'd you know she meant that one?'

'Well the others are her sisters too. Maria's my only… well all the others are step sisters or half sisters. She my only plain old boring sister type sister. She's closest to me in age a well. She's only a year younger than me.'

A silence fell and the three friends withdrew further towards the edge of the room and into the shadows. They all fell into the sofas scattered about the room. It was a while before anyone could find the energy to talk. Jenny watched Matthew dance with Lady Rose. He seemed bewitched and she was a very pretty girl. It was Jasson who broke the silence. Obviously his curiosity had got the better of him. 'So Alan, what's going on?' Alan shook his head as if he had no idea what Jasson was on about. Jenny decided to help him out 'Come on Alan something's been eating at you all night. We've all seen it now spill.' Alan sighed, he couldn't hold out against an attack from the two of them.

'I saw my grandfather today.' He looked at both of them to check he had their undivided attention. He did. '...and he was talking about some of the problems the King was having with his nobles.' Jasson nodded as if he knew what Alan was talking about but Jenny was clueless. 'What trouble?'

'Oh come on you can't really have missed it. It's over the new inheritance laws. Hundreds of male heirs have been disinherited. In a big family where there was hardly enough money to begin with there's now even less. Those laws will change our way of life and the discontent is growing – fast.' Alan let it all out in a rush.

'Well ok I agree that civil strife is generally a bad thing but what's it got to do with you?'

'If there's a civil war it'll have a lot to do with all of us.'

'But surely that's not going to happen.'

'It could be heading in that direction.' The three of them sat back. They all realised what a civil war would do. It would destroy the country. Jenny looked at Jasson as an heir to the throne his life would be directly in danger or perhaps he would be put on the throne after all many said that he would make a better leader than Roald. Already he showed more of the war like qualities that conservatives wanted in a King and he was young so he might be open to control. His dislike of Liam and lack of warmth concerning the rest of his family took on sinister undertones. This was why Jenny hated politics suddenly a family feud was cause for civil war. Even her friendship with Jasson was dangerous because when his great grandfather had named the four great houses of Tortall it had been the four houses that stood together to keep her family from rebelling. A threat which hadn't disappeared even although the south had been part of Tortall for 80 years the Bazhir had made peace and the provinces Gods had been changed wholesale to those worshipped in the rest of the country. As the Herman's (Jenny's family name) had once been rulers off the area they were suspect's number one in any rebellion. 'You know there's unrest in the south.' Alan said addressing himself to Jenny.

'There's always unrest in the south. We're famous for it.' Jenny waved her hand at him dismissively.

'No' Alan replied shaking his head 'I mean real trouble. The smugglers have begun to implement the "old laws".' Both boys looked at Jenny curiously for an explanation.

'The old religious laws' Jenny replied. 'Most smugglers come from the hill tribes in the north and they were pretty zealous.'

'I thought all the old religion was gone.' Jasson said.

'No because it was repressed so vigorously it went underground but there are even nobles out there who still keep the old practices.' Jenny could see both boys wanted to ask but it was Alan who spoke up. 'Do you?'

'Not personally but it's never talked about at home so any member of my family could. In the south it's a taboo subject, you just don't ask. Normally you can tell though because those who do don't come to Chorus, they stay down south in Tradesbay mostly. They aren't rebels they just have no interest in joining main stream Tortallian culture.

'But they could become rebels, if they feel no allegiance to the country.' Jasson stated. All three went back into their own thoughts. Jenny supposed as a southerner who directly benefited from the rules about female inheritance she would have a very different perspective on the subject. 'Anyway' Alan said shaking his thoughts away 'the reason I know all this is that when the progress goes it's going to do a tour of the south.' It was unspoken but Jenny knew he probably been asked to spy on her, she really didn't want to know if he'd agreed to it.

'It also means I've got no chance of avoiding coming.' Jasson said regretfully.

The friends were subdued when Matthew and Lady Rose returned but neither seemed to have eyes for anybody else. 'I was just asking if Lady Rose would be coming on the progress but she said that her stepmother has to go home to prepare for its visit. She says that her mother-in-law is useless at such tasks.' Matthew didn't seem to have made the connection the Lady Rose's mothers mother-in-law was Jenny's grandmother. Jenny didn't really care much as her step mother was right about her grandmother having no interest in welcoming Tortallian royalty. She was surprised that she would be going home. 'That will be the first time in seven years I've been home.' Rose managed to rip her attention away from Matthew for a moment 'But that's not possible. Maria spoke as if you see each other all the time.'

'We write but I haven't seen her for seven years.' Jenny informed her.

'You must be good correspondents.'

'She is.' Matthew seemed displeased that Lady Rose's attention was not on him and soon the left the party with her to go to another. The three friends also decided to call it a night. Jasson left by a different door from Jenny and Alan as he lived in a different part of the palace. They wandered slowly along beside each other. The rooms slowly got less grand as the approached the Squires rooms. The silence didn't seem as comfortable as usually did between the two. Both knew what they were leaving unsaid. When they reached Jenny's room Alan turned to face her. 'Do you think I would have told you if I'd agreed to do it?' Jenny turned towards him. 'So you didn't agree to spy on me?'

'No!' he seemed angry at the suggestion. 'Jen you could plot to kill the King in front of me and I wouldn't tell. I wouldn't let you do it but I wouldn't give you up for a traitor.' Jenny looked up at him. She had never seen Alan so earnest about something. She wasn't sure he should be about this. She wouldn't trust him if the situation was reversed. Then again she couldn't ever see the situation being reversed.

'So you trust me' she said. 'Well I suppose we'll know if I'm worth it after the summer.' and if a loud group of people hadn't come in at that moment she was sure she would have kissed him. They both froze in the moment as all the noise went past. Jenny fully intended to turn into her room but she was caught by his eyes. They seemed golden at the moment. She became aware that the corridor was quiet again but they still stood almost nose to nose. It was Alan who gave in and kissed her. They stood for ages wrapped in each others arms until Jenny stepped backwards into her room taking Alan with her.

Yay its finished – the chapter not the story unfortunately. Happily I think I know where I'm going for the time being so I may update in the near future. I am so sorry to anyone who's still reading this.