Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter, it really encouraged me to keep writing! Please review again Xxx

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Flashback Three Months…

"Jon, you lazy excuse for a King, get your sorry behind out of bed right now!" Alanna had been summoned to the palace, for what the messenger had assured her were perfectly good solid reasons. Only to find when she'd arrived that Jonathon actually wanted her to come to a ball! There was no fighting to be done, no duels to be fought. Ohh she was going to kill him!

Jon poked his head out from under the covers, it appeared that the rather loud banging on his door and threats had ceased, perhaps she had forgiven him… Even as this thought passed though his head he dismissed it, he was forcing her to attend a ball in place of the Queen, there was no way she would give up that easily.

Alanna peered around the doorway; she was willing to bet that Jon hadn't heard her come in. A grin spread across her face, the king was sitting up in bed, his jet black hair tousled and blue eyes sleepy, perfect! She let out a war cry and lunged at him; his eyes widened in shock as he was taken completely by surprise and fell backwards.

Alanna had managed to straddle his stomach and was pummelling his chest when he flipped her over, suddenly the tables were turned and it was her who was being sat upon. "That's not fair! You deserve every single hit!" Jonathon grinned down at his struggling Champion, "Really Alanna, you need to work on your wrestling, despite the fact that you attacked me while I was half asleep and I get very little practice, I still managed to beat you!"

Of course this lead to another round of wrestling, with insults being traded along with punches, at some point Alanna noticed that Jon was only wearing breeches and that his chest was bare, (and despite little time spent on the practice courts, very toned). This didn't particularly bother her, after all it was only Jon, he was her best friend, or ex best friend after forcing her into this gods dammed ball!

Over an hour later when they had both tired themselves out, (and Gary had waded in and pulled them both apart), Jon got round to explaining exactly why it was that he needed Alanna to attend the ball in Thayet's place:

"As you are well aware, the Carthaki delegation has arrived and I can't attend a ball without my Queen as there are some real man eaters present, who will see it as a sign of weakness, of all things we can't afford to show weakness! Besides if I invite another lady of the court she might get the wrong idea." Alanna tried and failed to prevent a smile from escaping at the thought of Jon running from these so called 'man' eaters. She was pulled back from her musings by the sound of her friend's voice, "please Alanna, I need you…"

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Alanna reached for another glass of wine, normally she would avoid it but tonight there was no George to keep her amused, instead she was surrounded by conservatives and Carthaki women, tonight of all nights she needed a drink. She was also amused to notice that Jonathon seemed to be consuming a lot more alcohol then usual, apparently talking to the ambassador was boring him to death as well. Just then he looked up and caught her gaze, he smiled at her and she waved back. Maybe she should go rescue him…

Later that night a very drunk Lioness and King could be found stumbling along an otherwise deserted passage. They came to a halt outside Jon's rooms, Alanna stumbled on a rug and was sent flying towards him, he managed to catch her before she fell. She looked up and met his eyes, it was as if he had cast a spell, she couldn't look away, and then he leaned down and tentatively kissed her. She moaned and wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss…

Jon woke up the next morning with a serious hangover, his head was pounding, 'I'd better go find Alanna and beg her for that wonderful cure of hers.' It was just then that he noticed the red hair that was poking out above the quilt, upon further investigation he discovered that it was the Lioness, and that neither of them were wearing any clothes…

Just then the events of last night came back to him in a flash, 'oh gods she was really going to kill him!" As Alanna woke up she was shocked to find herself snuggled up against a chest that wasn't George's, as she in turn remember what had happened the previous evening and the events that had followed, she emitted a small groan, 'she was going to have some explaining to do…'

As it turned out, both King and Champion decide that it was equally both their faults and that as no real harm had come of it; there was no point in telling either George of Thayet….

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Please review, constructive criticism appreciated!