I don't own any of the Tamora Pierce characters

Thanks to all of my reviewers, love you all! blows lots 'n' lots of kisses

I know Raouls a bit OOC, but it's really hard to keep another persons character IN character, its so much easier with your own. . . ah well. I'll keep trying, though I have a feeling hes very out in this one!


Matthew stared at Raoul. "How was Kaddar overthrown?" He gasped. "I thought he had ten armies at his command with his ten most trusted friends as the Generals? How the hell could he get overthrown?"

Raoul sighed and brushed his sleeve, forgetting the sick covering it. His face contorted with disgust, and Matthew instantly threw Raoul a shirt that lay beside the bed. Raoul smiled thankfully and he changed into it, talking as he did so. "A new guy, name of Rageo. Paid all of the Generals some unearthly amount of money and now he has control of the whole of Carthak. But it's not just that. Something the guy has said has made the whole country hate Tortallans." Raoul rubbed his neck. "And it seems like Rageo has a grudge against Jonathan, he didn't even send a letter asking for a negotiation, he's just camped on our border and sent a messenger earlier saying that they're going to war against us. We would have asked more questions, but as soon as the messenger had said it, she collapsed and died."

"She?" Matthew asked. "That's not normal, its usually men isn't it?"

Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Well knights are usually men too as far as I know!"

Matthew grinned. "Sorry." he shook his head and recomposed himself. " It's just most other countries, Carthak included, don't think women can protect themselves so they wouldn't trust a woman to getthrough the Tortallan capital without getting hurt." He shrugged. "It's just odd." He paused, then went on. "What about Princess Kalasin?"

Raoul shrugged. "We don't know. Nobody's heard anything, but it doesn't look good." He sighed. "We're leaving on saturday at dawn. Sort it out with Ivy. I want to know that if I die a man's going to look after her."

Matthew gulped. "What if I die?" He felt suddenly young and scared.

Raoul stood and rested a hand on Matthews shoulder. "Then I want to know that you were on good terms with my daughter."

Matthew nodded. "And what about Ivy and the other Squires? Are they coming with us?"

Raoul shook his head. "We can't afford to lose people, we need them to become full knights before we send them out there. They'll just do duties in the Palace, help teach the Page's and practice their own weapons skills." he sighed. "Sometimes I wish Ivy had gone to the convent."

Matthew smiled. "But then who'd carry on the family tradition of famed fighters?"

Raoul hesitated, then spoke. "As long as Ivy had met you, I think I could have had a very famed fighter as a son." He turned and left. Matthew stared after him. Son of the Giantkiller? Him?


Ivy wasn't in Buri's rooms when Matthew went to find her. She wasn't in the practice courts either, or any other place that seemed obvious to Matthew. Eventually he gave up, heading to the city and planning to get as drunk as possible. He was entering the Dancing Dove when he saw Ivy sat down an alley with alook of utter depression on her face. Matthew felt a sudden sinking in his chest, knowing that he had caused it. He closed the half open door to the Inn and hesitantly walked over to her.When he was a few metres away he stopped, wondering what he wasgoing to say. When Ivy looked up at him, he bit his lip and opened his mouth repeatedly, then closed it again. Ivy looked at him with tear-filled eyes, then scrabbled to her feet and moved to run away, rubbing her shirt across her eyes to get rid of the tears.She was just about to run off when Matthew arms wrapped round her waist.

"Hang on!" He said quietly. "I want to talk to you . . ." Ivy struggled, trying to get away, then broke down and buried her face in Matthews shirt without thinking. Matthew hesitated, then wrapped his arms round her, rocking her until she had stopped crying and shaking. He reluctantly loosened his hold on her, and looked down at her. "Can we go somewhere and talk?" he whispered. Ivy nodded and let him steer her into the Inn, to a secluded corner. Matthew went to the bar and bought them both drinks, watching her as she wiped her eyes on her shirt. He felt guilt wash over him and turned away.

"'aven't s'en y'u in 'ere la'ely Ma''y. Tha' ano'her one o' your' hear'breaks is i'?" The landlord said, motioning to Ivy in the corner of the room. Mathhew sighed and shook his head.

"No, or at least its not meant to be. . ." he shook his head again. "It doesn't matter. I need to talk to her." He picked up their drinks and walked over, setting Ivy's juice down in front of her, then slipping into the booth beside her. "Listen . . .about what I said earlier . . ."

Ivy shook her head. "Don't Matthew . . . please don't bother." she edged away from him.

"Don't what?" Matthew said flabbergasted. "Don't try and sort out a mess? Don't tell you I'm sorry? Don't . . ." He was interrupted when Ivy shook her head.

"Don't do anything!" Ivy said. "I should have remembered I was always going to be too young for you!"

Matthew put his hands on her shoulder and forced her to look at him. "You're not too young for me!" He tilted her head to look at him. "I love you alright? And all that stuff earlier was stupid, I didn't mean any of it! I don't want to be just friends!"

Ivy shook her head. "I'm too immature, thats what you said. And you were right. I am. We should just be friends." she got up to leave wiping her eyes and trying not to show her sadness. Matthew grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"What do I have to do?" he asked. "Just tell me and I'll do it alright. I don't care what it is just . . .please?" his eyes pleaded with her. Ivy shook her arm, trying to shake him off, but his gentle grip was surprisingly strong. "Ivy!" Matthew said quietly. "I'm not letting go until you tell me what I have to do!" Ivy stared at him, then sat down again, burying her face in his shoulder. Matthew was surprised, thinking that she would stay resistant, but he wrapped his arms around her anyway.

"You don't need to do anything." Ivy said between sobs. "I just keep on thinking all the stuff about us being soulmates is wrong and that you'll go out when I'm on my period and find some other woman who'll .. ." she stopped and continued to cry. Matthew rocked her.

"Don't think that." he said quietly. "It's not true. I could never cheat on you! I'm in love with you alright?" He hesitated, then kissed her forehead. Ivy's arms slid round his back and gripped his shirt. Matthew sighed and tightened his grip on her. He felt a sudden lapse of realisation that he had slept with all of the women who were presently in there. He shuddered and pulled back. "Come on, lets go back and talk there." He let go of her and slid out of the booth, offering a hand as she slid out after him. Ivy took it and wiped several tears from her eyes.

"I've never felt so girly." she muttered under her breath, sniffing slightly. Matthew chuckled and lead her to the door of the Inn, only to find that ten women who he remembered little more about than their names stood in between him and his way out.

"Who's she?" One of them said.

Another looked at Ivy. "I'd broom him now little girl, he'll only play you like he's played every other woman in this Inn. One night and you'll be out of his life for good. Never lasts much longer than a night with you does it Matty?"

Ivy frowned, nobody she knew had ever called Matthew 'Matty'. She looked at Matthew and was surprised to see a smile on his face. "Well not with any of you, no. But then again none of you were really very good, were you? And all of you were sluts." Ivy stared at Matthew, surprised by his sharp tone to women that he had once slept with. "Now if you don't mind, we have to go." He pushed the women out of the way, not letting go of Ivys hand. Ivy didn't say anything, she let him pull her through and they walked back to the palace in silence. When they got to their rooms, Matthew pulled Ivy to him and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry." he said quietly. "I mean that you know, and I promise I won't get so stressed again. . . or I'll try." he leant down and kissed her lips softly, when he pulled away he went on. "I love you. No matter what happens, I'm always, always, always, going to love you." he kissed her hair tenderly. "Whatever happens, I'm not going to stop loving you. I want you to know that."

Ivy sighed and hugged him back, breathing in his scent and trying to ignore the hint in his voice that said something was wrong . . . very wrong.


Short . . . I know, yeah, this one probably is more likely to be deleted than all the other ones, but oh well, you lot will need to tell me if you want me to delete it, and if you don't you should as well, cus if loads of people do and nobody says that they don't its byebye to chappie 18!

Mage Of The Heart