Hello, back again!
Reviewers: Mango Sam: Maybe Jon, maybe not. If it is Jon, it won't be an obvious courtship on either part. And yes, I've updated fast!
Eridani: I can't tell you the pairing, that will spoil the story! And trust me, it won't be rushed.
Razzberrycat: yeah, I was trying to keep it an original start... and I guess I succeeded!
Lilyfan: the Alanna going to the convent thing is always tricky, and from what I've read from the books, Trebond didn't seem to be an important or well known family, so it would be hard for Alanna to make a successful match at court. I decided not to start off at the convent because there was very little description of it at all by T.P., so it would be hard to set a story firmly there.
Right, on with the show...
After dinner, Alanna and Thom sat in the drawing room together, drinking coffee. Thom looked at his sister, and realised just how much she had grown up in the last few years. She had grown into her red hair, and her pale, almost translucent white skin made her seem brittle and frail. He knew, of course, that she was just the opposite, and that the men at court would probably go wild over her- if, of course, they could get past the fact that her family was barely known.
'So,' Alanna said, almost teasingly, 'out of all the young men at court, which ones are the most eligible?' Thom looked at her, feeling momentary shock. His sister was so blunt about these things.
'Erm, well,' Thom said, struggling briefly to think of whom there was. 'There's Raoul of Goldenlake. He's nice. And then there's Gareth of Naxen, who's also... nice, and Alex of Tirragen...'
'That's all you have to say about them?' Alanna giggled, her eyes dancing. 'Come on, Thom; what do they look like? Are they rich? Do they have lands? Are their families in the Golden Book?'
'Of course,' Thom said, flustered. 'Well... Goldenlake, I mean Raoul, is very tall, and quite broad as well.'
'Do you mean that he's fat, or do you mean merely muscular?' Alanna queried.
'Muscular,' Thom replied after a moment's hesitation. 'He's got dark hair, dark eyes. He's a good fighter, but he's not very clever. He comes from a good family; well, they all do at court.' Thom paused. 'Then there's Gareth of Naxen. His father, who's also called Gareth, is one of the King's greatest friends. Gareth the Elder is in charge of the pages and squires; he's a good man. His son is very like him, and he looked after me a lot in the first few weeks. If it hadn't been for Gary, Alanna, I would have been back here within a month.'
'What does he look like?' Alanna yawned.
'Tall, but not as tall as Raoul. About my height. He's got longish brown hair and light eyes, and he's an excellent fencer. Not quite so good with a proper sword, though, but he makes up for it by also being good at archery. Oh, and he's very clever. He should really have gone to the university, but his father wouldn't hear of it. His son was to be a knight, like him, and that was the end of the story.'
'He sounds like a barrel of laughs,' Alanna said, rolling her eyes. 'What about the others, Thom?'
'Patience, patience!' Thom said, grinning at his sister. 'I hardly think the young men of the court will appreciate my taking them to pieces like this; or indeed, the fact that you are listening quite so intently.'
'Oh, shush,' Alanna muttered. 'You know I have to make a good match, it's entirely necessary for the future of this fief, what with Father dead, and you... well, you not really very rich at all and having to spend all your time on border patrol.'
'Who else is there?' Thom said, choosing to bypass the accurate appraisal of the situation by his sister. 'Alex of Tirragen... he doesn't say much, really. He's the best swordsman at court, better than me. He's one of those people for whom actions count more than words. He's a good man, but I'd prefer to see you with someone else, to be honest.'
'What's Prince Jonathan of Conté like?' Alanna said, unable to keep the question inside her any longer. Thom looked at her in surprise, and Alanna swallowed, and said, 'Look, all the girls at the convent know there is a royal prince, who, at the moment, is about the right age for marriage.' Alanna looked at her brother's stunned face. Thom looked back at her steadily, before roaring with laughter.
'You girls are priceless!' he said. 'I bet you already knew everything I've just told you about Gary and Raoul and Alex, just by the convent word-of- mouth. I expect you know more about Jon than I do, and I was his squire!'
'No, no!' Alanna protested. 'I only know his name!' Thom was still laughing on the sofa opposite, and she picked up a cushion and threw it at him. 'If you're going to be like this, Thom, I'm going to bed,' she snapped, getting up.
'Peace, sister, peace!' Thom said hastily. 'Sit down and I'll tell you about Jon.' Alanna sat back down, the misgiving on her face apparent. 'He's handsome enough,' Thom said, 'for a prince. Dark hair, dark blue eyes, but his nose is a little funny. He's tall, too, but he's not a truly brilliant knight, as Duke Gareth would say. 'No, he's just... he's Jon, and he's the heir to the throne. I think you'd get on with him, and as I was his squire, I can get you a better introduction than most of those desperate clingers you'll find at court.'
Thom sat back a little, and looked at his sister. 'But come. You have told me nothing of the last few years. Did you manage to persuade the sisters to let you practise archery? And are you still using your Gift?'
Alanna grimaced. 'Yes, they let me practise archery, after I talked them round into thinking that it was actually a very lady-like thing to do. Miraculous as it may seem, of course. And no, I've stopped using my Gift, Thom, what a daft question. I never liked using it, and you know that.'
'I actually found it was easy enough to use mine at court,' Thom said, leaning in conspiratorially. 'You know when the Sleeping Sickness struck Corus? Well, I used some of the tricks Maude taught us to help save lives. And after that, the King's brother, Duke Roger, came and trained those of us who were Gifted.' He grinned lazily. 'I'm in demand, sister, as a knight who can fight and use magic.'
'Lucky you,' Alanna yawned. 'I, on the other hand, am merely a lady with airs and graces far, far above her situation, who in two weeks time has to go to court and charm a witless man into marriage.' She stood up. 'And on that note, Thom, I'm going to bed. Goodnight.'
'Goodnight,' Thom called after her as she left the room, then muttered under his breath, 'Naxen or Conté... one of them, if she plays her cards right...'
Please review... and more will come. And I promise they'll get to Corus soon.
Reviewers: Mango Sam: Maybe Jon, maybe not. If it is Jon, it won't be an obvious courtship on either part. And yes, I've updated fast!
Eridani: I can't tell you the pairing, that will spoil the story! And trust me, it won't be rushed.
Razzberrycat: yeah, I was trying to keep it an original start... and I guess I succeeded!
Lilyfan: the Alanna going to the convent thing is always tricky, and from what I've read from the books, Trebond didn't seem to be an important or well known family, so it would be hard for Alanna to make a successful match at court. I decided not to start off at the convent because there was very little description of it at all by T.P., so it would be hard to set a story firmly there.
Right, on with the show...
After dinner, Alanna and Thom sat in the drawing room together, drinking coffee. Thom looked at his sister, and realised just how much she had grown up in the last few years. She had grown into her red hair, and her pale, almost translucent white skin made her seem brittle and frail. He knew, of course, that she was just the opposite, and that the men at court would probably go wild over her- if, of course, they could get past the fact that her family was barely known.
'So,' Alanna said, almost teasingly, 'out of all the young men at court, which ones are the most eligible?' Thom looked at her, feeling momentary shock. His sister was so blunt about these things.
'Erm, well,' Thom said, struggling briefly to think of whom there was. 'There's Raoul of Goldenlake. He's nice. And then there's Gareth of Naxen, who's also... nice, and Alex of Tirragen...'
'That's all you have to say about them?' Alanna giggled, her eyes dancing. 'Come on, Thom; what do they look like? Are they rich? Do they have lands? Are their families in the Golden Book?'
'Of course,' Thom said, flustered. 'Well... Goldenlake, I mean Raoul, is very tall, and quite broad as well.'
'Do you mean that he's fat, or do you mean merely muscular?' Alanna queried.
'Muscular,' Thom replied after a moment's hesitation. 'He's got dark hair, dark eyes. He's a good fighter, but he's not very clever. He comes from a good family; well, they all do at court.' Thom paused. 'Then there's Gareth of Naxen. His father, who's also called Gareth, is one of the King's greatest friends. Gareth the Elder is in charge of the pages and squires; he's a good man. His son is very like him, and he looked after me a lot in the first few weeks. If it hadn't been for Gary, Alanna, I would have been back here within a month.'
'What does he look like?' Alanna yawned.
'Tall, but not as tall as Raoul. About my height. He's got longish brown hair and light eyes, and he's an excellent fencer. Not quite so good with a proper sword, though, but he makes up for it by also being good at archery. Oh, and he's very clever. He should really have gone to the university, but his father wouldn't hear of it. His son was to be a knight, like him, and that was the end of the story.'
'He sounds like a barrel of laughs,' Alanna said, rolling her eyes. 'What about the others, Thom?'
'Patience, patience!' Thom said, grinning at his sister. 'I hardly think the young men of the court will appreciate my taking them to pieces like this; or indeed, the fact that you are listening quite so intently.'
'Oh, shush,' Alanna muttered. 'You know I have to make a good match, it's entirely necessary for the future of this fief, what with Father dead, and you... well, you not really very rich at all and having to spend all your time on border patrol.'
'Who else is there?' Thom said, choosing to bypass the accurate appraisal of the situation by his sister. 'Alex of Tirragen... he doesn't say much, really. He's the best swordsman at court, better than me. He's one of those people for whom actions count more than words. He's a good man, but I'd prefer to see you with someone else, to be honest.'
'What's Prince Jonathan of Conté like?' Alanna said, unable to keep the question inside her any longer. Thom looked at her in surprise, and Alanna swallowed, and said, 'Look, all the girls at the convent know there is a royal prince, who, at the moment, is about the right age for marriage.' Alanna looked at her brother's stunned face. Thom looked back at her steadily, before roaring with laughter.
'You girls are priceless!' he said. 'I bet you already knew everything I've just told you about Gary and Raoul and Alex, just by the convent word-of- mouth. I expect you know more about Jon than I do, and I was his squire!'
'No, no!' Alanna protested. 'I only know his name!' Thom was still laughing on the sofa opposite, and she picked up a cushion and threw it at him. 'If you're going to be like this, Thom, I'm going to bed,' she snapped, getting up.
'Peace, sister, peace!' Thom said hastily. 'Sit down and I'll tell you about Jon.' Alanna sat back down, the misgiving on her face apparent. 'He's handsome enough,' Thom said, 'for a prince. Dark hair, dark blue eyes, but his nose is a little funny. He's tall, too, but he's not a truly brilliant knight, as Duke Gareth would say. 'No, he's just... he's Jon, and he's the heir to the throne. I think you'd get on with him, and as I was his squire, I can get you a better introduction than most of those desperate clingers you'll find at court.'
Thom sat back a little, and looked at his sister. 'But come. You have told me nothing of the last few years. Did you manage to persuade the sisters to let you practise archery? And are you still using your Gift?'
Alanna grimaced. 'Yes, they let me practise archery, after I talked them round into thinking that it was actually a very lady-like thing to do. Miraculous as it may seem, of course. And no, I've stopped using my Gift, Thom, what a daft question. I never liked using it, and you know that.'
'I actually found it was easy enough to use mine at court,' Thom said, leaning in conspiratorially. 'You know when the Sleeping Sickness struck Corus? Well, I used some of the tricks Maude taught us to help save lives. And after that, the King's brother, Duke Roger, came and trained those of us who were Gifted.' He grinned lazily. 'I'm in demand, sister, as a knight who can fight and use magic.'
'Lucky you,' Alanna yawned. 'I, on the other hand, am merely a lady with airs and graces far, far above her situation, who in two weeks time has to go to court and charm a witless man into marriage.' She stood up. 'And on that note, Thom, I'm going to bed. Goodnight.'
'Goodnight,' Thom called after her as she left the room, then muttered under his breath, 'Naxen or Conté... one of them, if she plays her cards right...'
Please review... and more will come. And I promise they'll get to Corus soon.
