Oooh, wow! Lots of really nice reviews from people! I'm writing this starter bit now, and will add in anybody who reviews before I stick Chapter 3 up. Don't know how long it'll take to write it; the last one only took a couple of hours.
Reviewers:
Jenn jenn2: thanks for making me feel good about my writing abilities... I need people telling me that now and again!
kiwi(): I don't know if George is going to come into the story[ :( ]... it's problematic because who knows how much exploring Thom would have done if he'd been the one at the palace? You'll just have to wait and see.
Chapter three, here we come...
'Those darn bandits,' Alanna said absentmindedly as she surveyed the drawing room. 'What's in the Trebond apartments at the palace by way of furniture, have you looked?'
'You won't need anything from here,' Thom said. 'There's enough there. I think that was one of the last things Mother did before she died.'
'Mithros, there's so much to think about,' Alanna sighed. 'Clothes alone aren't enough. Oh, and all of mine will look positively countrified and dowdy beside those women at court.'
'So just take a few of your nicest clothes,' Thom said slowly, 'then have more made whilst you're there. Surely you thought of that?'
'Money's short, Thom,' Alanna said. 'I'd have to sell things here if I want to afford new dresses.'
'We don't need a well-furnished Trebond that badly,' Thom sighed. 'Sell a few paintings, if you can.' And so some of the portraits and landscapes which had been in the Trebond family for years were carefully crated up to be taken to Corus when Thom and Alanna departed.
On her last night at Trebond, Alanna sat pensively beside the window, gazing out at the huge full moon which hung high above in the sky. Whatever awaited her in Corus, she wasn't sure she wanted it. Thom hadn't really said much about any potential suitors over the previous couple of weeks, and Cythera of Elden hadn't written from court. Alanna knew she was there; she had been due to leave a month before, and so by now would be fully embracing court life.
'Whatever happens,' Alanna whispered quietly to the stars, 'I will be myself.'
The journey to Corus was long and uncomfortable. Before leaving, Alanna had rushed to see Maude, the healer who had advised the twins against changing places. Whilst being bitterly upset at the time, Alanna had respected Maude's feelings on the subject; but in the years since she had often wondered how they would have fared had they switched places. Maude had kissed her forehead and wished her well, and her final, wicked comment as Alanna was leaving, was that she knew Alanna would be back with a husband by midwinter.
'Hah,' Alanna had said. 'A Trebond? I think not!' When she repeated these sentiments to Thom in the carriage as they bumped slowly south, he shook his head.
'No, no, no,' he said. 'You can't go in there with that attitude. You have to be positive, and smile a lot, and be confident.'
'I don't need to have a husband by midwinter, Thom,' Alanna sighed. 'I'll start worrying if I haven't found one in two years time, but now... I'm just going to have fun and enjoy myself with Cythera.' Thom frowned at her. 'Oh, you know what I mean,' Alanna said flippantly. 'Play with young, impressionable knights, break their hearts into tiny shards...'
'No, Alanna,' Thom said warningly, but his sister was already giggling.
'You take me far too seriously,' she said. 'As if I'd jeopardise my chances like that!'
Thom was still worried when they arrived at the palace, but the moment he saw Cythera of Elden greeting his sister with an affectionate hug, all thoughts of his sister's frivolity vanished. Cythera was truly beautiful; small, delicate features, huge green eyes and long, long blonde hair. Alanna faded to plainness beside her.
'Thom,' Alanna said teasingly, 'this is my friend from the convent, Cythera of Elden. Cythera, this is my twin brother, Lord Thom.' Cythera dropped a low curtsey to Thom and said,
'Such a pleasure to be finally meeting you, your lordship.' Alanna was desperately trying not to giggle as Thom stood there, eyes out on stalks at Cythera's beauty. 'Alanna, would you like me to show you to your apartment?'
'Thank you, Cythera,' Alanna said, politely, and as soon as they were out of sight and earshot of Thom, the pair promptly collapsed into each other.
'Your brother's priceless,' Cythera wept with laughter. 'Did you see the look on his face when I said 'your lordship'?'
'Oh, Thom's such a wonderful, naive little boy,' Alanna snorted. 'Gods, it's good to see you again Cythera. I was going mad at Trebond.'
'I bet. Oh, Alanna! It's so wonderful here,' Cythera said, grabbing Alanna's hand excitedly. 'Finally getting to put into practise everything we learned; and don't pull a face like that, you know as well as I do that you want to curtsey and use the right knife and fork for each course at the banquet tonight... there's no point in learning something if you're not going to use it, right? Oh, and I expect you can't wait for the ball next week...'
'Ball?' Alanna said, faintly.
'Yes, the annual ball for introducing young women into society. That is why Thom brought you now, instead of in two weeks time...' Cythera looked hard at Alanna. 'He did tell you about the ball, didn't he?'
'No,' Alanna said, pulling herself together. 'If he brought me in time, it's chance, not Thom planning ahead.'
'Well, anyway, there's the ball, which I can't wait for. You should see my dress, it's gorgeous... dark purple! I can't wait for to wear it...'
As they half-ran down the corridors of the palace, Alanna realised that being at court had evidently gone straight to Cythera's head, rather like a well timed glass of wine. She wondered if it would have the same effect on her; at the moment she was very tired and just wanted to rest; the prospect of a banquet that night was not a pleasing one.
But when they arrived at the Trebond apartments, Alanna breathed a sigh of relief. The bed looked comfortable and inviting; the parlour was beautifully decorated and furnished in a nod to her mother's excellent taste, which had never quite reached the drawing room at Fief Trebond, and the only problem was the rather large portrait of her father which hung above the fireplace.
'That will have to go,' Alanna said firmly when she stepped inside the door. 'I can't live with having my father watching the whole time.' Cythera sent for a couple of footmen, who took down the offending painting. Alanna hid it in the back of the wardrobe, and then as she stood in the middle of the parlour, trunks and packing cases being placed everywhere, she sighed.
'This is home, then.'
