Disclaimer: I own the plot, though I apologize if it's been done before. Everything relating to Tamora Pierces novels, obviously, belongs to her. (This fic was inspired by the second episode of the first season of Hercules, the Legendary Journeys, and I don't know who that belongs to, but its not me.)
Queen of the Amazons
Chapter 3: Secrets of the Lioness
By Jess S
"Well, these are much nicer accommodations," Myles of Olau pointed out as the rest of their party finally arrived in the 'common area' that had been set up for them, having finished settling into the guest chambers that were in one of the two corridors they were allotted. That was where three of the exits from the room they were in led, as one of the corridors came back around and the other was dead end. Another exit led to a small garden area that would certainly be quite pleasant to visit in the morning, though it was lovely at night as well. The final exit was the connection to the rest of the palace, and the only way out of their guest area. "Though their dungeons are certainly nicer then most, as well."
"Humph," one of the Tusaine men snorted, "you wouldn' think so if you'd been in there for more 'an a few hours."
The older Tortallian knights shrugged, but didn't reply as several of the other men who'd been 'guests' of the Amazons for a much longer time than he apparently agreed.
"But I just don't understand!" Prince Jonathon complained after a few moments silence, looking well and truly confused. "Why do they hate us so much?"
"Oh they don't hate us, per say," Sir Myles informed his future king.
"Yes they do! You saw them!"
"Yes. And I listened to them," he told his former pupil, meeting the younger man's bewildered gaze, "They don't hate us. They don't even hate any particular man. What they hate is what society says men and women stand for, and those who have abused their positions of power... And I must say that those that do hate men probably have every right to. The younger ones are probably caught up in what many of the older ones say, and those older ones probably can list a number of hurts the men in their lives have done them."
"Yeah, but... The men of Waterside didn't seem that bad..." Gareth the Younger shook his head, "I mean, not bad enough to merit all of the women leaving..."
"Perhaps some have them have seen the error of their ways...a few years too late. Or maybe they're very good actors," the knight-master of Olau shrugged, "Either way, we weren't really looking for it when we met them."
"We wouldn't, would we?" Duke Gareth murmured quietly, his eyes somewhat distant.
"What?"
"We wouldn't look for it. If anything, we would intentionally overlook it."
"Subconsciously, we might. But not intentionally, I think."
"Why?" Sir Raoul asked the older knights.
"Because we don't want to see it," the Champion of Tortall replied with a sigh. "So we don't." After a few moments of silent thought, he shook his head, before turning his attention to his nephew-in-law. "Is there any way out of here?"
Roger of Conté shook his head. "No. I've already checked, twice since we arrived. I tried when they let the others in too, but it didn't seem to affect the crafts at all."
"Can we use our Gifts here?" the Prince asked his cousin.
Tortall's most powerful sorcerer held his hand out and a ball of bright orange fire appeared in his hand, which he tossed at the wall. When it came within less than an inch of impact, a shimmering wall of light seemed to appear, absorbing the blow. "Only just. I can sense magic, and summon my own. We can probably use it for non-violent purposes, as they stated before. But nothing to escape. And I'm not overly keen on trying violent magicks..."
"Nor I," one of the older Gallan mages agreed, well several other mages nodded in concurrence.
Before anyone else could speak, one of the Tortallian soldiers cleared their throat, and they turned to see that many of the men had risen to their feet, while others had remained rebelliously seated -- complete with a scowl -- and they rose themselves when they saw the reason. Three women had entered the room. Judging from their attire, which was more like that of a common maid's than the warrior-women they'd been seeing as of late, that was they were.
"Her Majesty hopes that you find your new arrangements more comfortable?" the oldest of the maids inquired quietly, as the younger two moved past her, setting the trays they'd been carrying, one of which bore fruit and the other cheese and crackers, down on the tables nearest the center of the room.
"Much, thank you." Duke Gareth replied, quickly cutting in before any of the younger, more imprudent men could speak. "Please give her our thanks."
The maid nodded, "I am Iris; this is Elle and Bella," she told them, gesturing to each of the younger maids as she introduced them. " We cannot let you out of this area, only one of the guards or guardians can do that, so please don't ask us to. We will bring your meals and snacks regularly. If you need anything else, you may ring the bell by the main-entryway, and one of us will attend to you if we can." As the maid Elle left the room behind her, apparently not the least bit affected by the shimmering force field that covered the way into the main palace, and the maid Bella took her place behind her again, the older maid spared the room a quick glance, "Do you need anything for the time being?"
"No, than--"
"Could you answer a few questions, Lady Iris?" Prince Jonathon asked quickly, shooting his uncle an apologetic look.
"We can try."
After receiving a quick, approving nod from his uncle, the prince continued. "Why do the Amazons hate men so much?"
"We don't," Iris smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Not as a rule. Some Amazons hate men..." she paused, a slight smile gracing her soft features, before she continued a moment later, "I understand you were brought in by Lady Elise?"
"Yes."
"She is the leader of one of the more...radical Amazon movements, the Lacaena." After a moment's thought, the older woman continued. "We all came to the Amazon nation to be free of the Patron's World, but some had more reason to than others. Some suffered a great deal more abuse than others, and many of those women joined the Lacaena when they became Amazons."
"Is this an extreme minority?" Sir Myles asked curiously.
"It is one of the larger movements, but it has no actual authority or power in its own right. Beyond being a high-ranking member of the Queen's Council and Commander of the Elite, her ladyship has no immense power."
"She is also one of Her Majesty's closest friends," the younger maid offered.
"What about the men of Waterside?" the prince asked, more than a little surprised at the look that past over both women's faces in response. "What? Why did all of the women leave?"
"All of the women?" Lady Iris repeated, shaking her head sadly, while stepping back a few steps and slipping an arm around the younger maid's shoulders. "They didn't all leave... But there are none now?"
"We didn't see any..." Raoul replied, frowning at the pained look that had settled on the younger maid's face.
"That does not surprise me," the older maid shook her head again.
"She warned them..." all eyes turned to the younger woman, Bella, who was also shaking her head, though she didn't appear to be entirely with them in thought, as her eyes were rather distant.
"What?"
"She warned them... Her Majesty... She told the girls tha' didn't want to leave that it would get worse after the Amazons departed...they didn't listen. They thought it'd get better, and they'd be rewarded for their fidelity..." a tear slipped down one of her freckled cheeks, before she brought a hand up to wiped it away. Then she turned on her heel and ran from the room with a quick, "Excuse me..."
The older maid shook her head again. "I apologize... Bella was born in Waterside, so she knew many of the women that stayed behind..."
"What happened to them?" one of the younger men from Scanra asked, a confused expression on his beardless face.
"Some may yet be alive. A fairly large group of Amazon's went to Waterside, under Her Majesty's command, and offered the women there an escape from the lives they had been suffering. Her Majesty warned the women that didn't want to leave that, in light of the trouncing the men had received from Her warriors and the number of women that would be escaping, the scale of abuse reigned upon them would almost certainly escalate. Perhaps not in many more physical beatings, but the few that remained behind would be expected to handle all of the chores that the other women used to. And many of the ones that remained were old women, grandmothers or near to. The strain would probably have been too much for them. The few young ones that stayed behind would have faced the worst of the physical abuse, and some – or all – may have died as a result."
"But there might still be some there?" Sir Raoul asked, angry that something like this could have so close to his home holdings. "We asked..."
"If there are any there they probably aren't all that well off." The maid shook her head, "If they were overly exhausted or bearing injuries, they wouldn't be fit to be seen."
"And that wouldn't have helped their cause much..." Duke Gareth realized, nodding slightly in contemplation.
"Yes..." the maid also nodded, before shaking her head sadly and raising an eyebrow at the assembled men once again. "Do you have any other questions?"
After a moment of speculative silence, Tortall's crown prince spoke up again, "Yes... Why do you abandon the boys to Waterside? Wouldn't it be better to raise them away from there?"
"What?" the maid blinked, looking sincerely confused. "Abandon? We don't abandon our sons..."
"But the men of Waterside that they were left by the riverbank near the village."
The older woman's expression darkened slightly, and she shook head, her lips pressed in a thin, disapproving line before she spoke to them. "If that is true, then I shall let Her Majesty know of this immediately, she forbade that nonsense years ago."
"What nonsense?" Gareth the Younger asked, clearly probing for more information, though the maid didn't seem overly disposed to conceal anything from them.
"Some of the women... Some of the Lacaena," she sighed, "That suffered a great deal of abuse while part of the Patron's World, believe that men and boys have no place in our world. Therefore, if they give birth to a son, they feel he should be thrown to the mercy of the Patron's World. Some even go as far as saying they should be killed…" the maid shook her head, sighing once again, "Her Majesty heard their case several years ago, and allowed the women from Waterside that didn't want their sons to return them to the men that had sired them, but she forbade infanticide and outright abandonment. If some of the Lacaena are still dedicated to it, long after any of them have come in contact with Waterside, Her Majesty is going to be very angry with them..."
"Well that's good to hear," Sir Myles offered after a few moments of silence, he shrugged when the maid looked at him. "Forgive my saying so, Lady Iris, but that custom seemed rather barbaric to me..."
"Yes, it is," the mild-mannered Amazon agreed, "Is that all?"
"Why are you so much nicer than the other women?" one of the younger members of Tortall's Elite asked.
"I was assigned to help you."
"But you're still an Amazon?"
"Of course... Being Amazon is not about hating, or fighting or anything else you may have speculated in the last few days. It is about freedom; independence; choices. Having the right and ability to make my own choices, and being willing to fight for that right, makes me Amazon."
"So you can fight?" Prince Jonathon asked.
"Yes. All Amazons are trained in combat. I'm nowhere near as good as some of the others you have seen, who are professional warriors and soldiers, but I can defend myself and others if need be."
"What about the Lioness we keep hearing so much about?" One of the men from Tusaine asked, sneering.
"What about her?"
"What is her job here?" Sir Myles inquired, before the sneering man could utter anything insulting. "Is she a soldier?"
"No. She is a warrior. And the Champion of Agerlea, the best fighter among us."
"Humph!" Dain of Melor snorted, shaking his head. "The wench won't last five minutes against me!"
Somehow the old maid's presence seemed to become distinctly colder and more forbidding, though a few did not the spark of amusement in her eyes. "Perhaps... we shall see on the morrow. Now, I really do need to be going, my lords. If you need anything, ring the bell. Good night."
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"Alanna," the former Sarrain Queen's tone demanded the attention she desired, but it was a demand the younger Queen chose to ignore. "Is this really necessary?"
"For myself?" The Queen of the Amazons replied, as one of her many celeres' removed the glittering crown that had rested atop her head to symbolize her power and gently set it down in the case it had been taken from earlier that evening. "No." Before her mentor could complain, however, she quickly continued. "But for our people?" Here she finally met the older woman's gaze, though she did so in the mirror as two of the celeres' began unraveling the intricately organized mess her flame-colored locks had been arranged into earlier. "Absolutely."
"You are the Queen of the Amazons!"
"Yes. And my duty, as I swore to Our Great Mother when she nominated me, and to Our People when they elected me, is to them. To their happiness, freedom, safety, well-being and prosperity."
"Yes!" Kalasin exploded; making many of the younger members of the Celerum start, though neither the Queen herself, nor her older guards reacted in the slightest. "You are Our Queen! Your duty is to us! And you have no right to take chances with your life!"
Here, Alanna finally reacted, a glimmer of surprise clear in her violet eyes as she blinked a few times in thought. After a moment's silence she replied. "I beg your pardon? Chances? What chances?"
"You are going to face a fully-trained and tried knight tomorrow! Probably the best they have!"
"And?"
"You could be killed!"
"It's possible, I suppose. I am mortal, after all."
"Alanna!"
"It is possible, Kalasin. But not likely."
"That you're going to be facing their best knight come morning? You told them they would fight the Lioness, and I doubt you'd let someone take your place regardless of how much you should!"
"No. I will duel with one of the men in the morning." The Lioness agreed, before redirecting her annoyed gaze to the celeres that was currently brushing her hair. "How long do you have to do that, Hanako?"
"Just a few more moments, Majesty," the former Yaminian Lady replied. "I just reached three-hundred."
Normally the slight twitch on the younger woman's brow would greatly amuse the older Amazon, but not now. "And what are we to do if you come to harm? If you are killed!"
"I won't lose."
"Alanna--"
"I won't."
"You might!"
"Fine," the redhead agreed, rolling her eyes; and not noticing when several of the other Amazons in the room mimicked the action. "I might lose. It's unlikely, but possible. I might lose the duel, which will undoubtedly be to first blood. Wh--"
"'Undoubtedly'? You're going to demand it?" Kalasin inquired, sounding skeptical but slightly releived.
"No, but I doubt they would suggest anything else. It already goes against their Code to even try to harm physically a lady, which they will probably be circumventing by assuming the Lioness is not of noble blood, but they won't want to risk angering us. And I, of course, won't insist on a duel to the death."
"But they might."
"Or it could escalate, I know. If it does, I'll deal with it." Then her attention shifted back to the celerus that systematically segmenting her hair. "All right, Hanako, that's enough for now--"
"But I've only reached four-hundred-and-seventy-four, My Queen. I--"
"It's fine. Let's move on." Though she noted the signs that the older celerus were highly amused, she ignored them.
"But--"
"Now, Hanako."
"Yes, My Queen," the newest of her Celerum, recently arrived from the Yamini Isles, replied obediently, setting the brush on the vanity shelf with a slightly trembling hand.
"Hanako," Alanna spoke to the younger Amazon again, now using a much gentler tone. "I appreciate your dedication and effors. Really, I do. But there are many other tasks you could do with your time. And I am tired."
"Yes," Janna, the oldest of her Celerum and Captain of the Celerum spoke up. "All of us have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, Her Majesty especially. And I'm sure the Queen's Council has a few things they need to go over before tucking in. So we shall leave them be." As the other members of the Celerum bowed their way out of the room, the Gallan-born Amazon also bowed, closing her eyes in a show of complete trust and respect as she did so. "Iris shall be reporting momentarily, My Lady. Would you like me to meet with her, and wait till morning--?"
"No, thank you, Janna." The Queen interupted smoothly, smiling at her old friend's thoughtfullness, "I will hear what Iris had learned. It may be important... where is Thayet, by the way?" she asked, glancing at the head of her council and the others around the room curiously. She'd seen her foster-sister leave the throne room along a different path from the way back to her chambers with all the others, but she had thought the exiled-princess would have returned by now.
"She thought it would be best to check the indoor practice courts and make sure everything was ready for the morning's match," Kalasin replied with a sigh. Before her Queen could reply, she continued with a weary tone. "Is there no way to dissuade you of this course of action?"
"No, my friend." Alanna shook her head, "It is necessary. I'm sorry, but it is."
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"So, how was it?"
The Prince of Tortall looked up, smiling and shaking his head slightly as he found his Squire looking at him expectantly, and accepted the goblet of wine he'd brought over with a nod of thanks. "...Like everything here. Weird..."
"And exciting?" the squire inquired, with a coppery eyebrow raised in speculation.
"Yes, I suppose it was," Prince Jonathon admitted with a nod.
"And their Queen? What was she like?"
The prince didn't answer for several minutes, thinking back on his supper with the Amazon's leader... "She's nothing like the ladies at court...but she's still a lady, I think. She's stronger than them, and just... I don't know... different, I guess. It's hard to explain."
"Yeah," Gareth the Younger agreed, as he and Sir Raoul joined the two around the small table his cousin had claimed earlier. "Definitely different..."
"You really had to be there, to get it," Raoul told their younger friend, taking one of the empty seats around the table.
"So that's all you can tell me, she's 'different?'" Thom asked, an eyebrow now raised in amusement as he took a sip from his own goblet. "Nothing else?"
"She's a true queen." The younger knights looked up as Sir Myles came over to join them, in his second cup of wine in hand.
"What'd you mean?"
The History Master was quiet for a few moments of thought, before he replied. "She has the presence of a queen. Commands the attention of everyone nearby without actually needing to do so. It's not something you see very often anymore."
"Huh?"
"Strong queens, or ladies," the older knight elaborated, "We've grown accustom to looking to the king for strength, not the queen."
"But the Amazon Queen is unmarried?" Thom guessed.
"Most likely, yes. But even if she does one day marry, her husband will not be the King of the Amazons; he will be the Amazon Queen's Consort. That used to be more common in the past as well. The crown stays in the royal family, and only someone born to that family could rule. These days, if there is only a princess in line for the throne and no prince, that is usually dodged by the then King naming his son-in-law as his heir, and ignoring his daughter's birth right."
"Oh..." the future-King-of-Tortall's squire puzzled over this a moment, frowning, before he looked at them again. "What does she look like?"
"Umm...She had red hair," Raoul offered, shrugging at the squire's disgruntled look, which was shared by many of the men/boys who had been listening into their conversation. "Kind of like yours, actually, but longer..."
"Hey! She even had purple eyes!" Gary realized, looking his younger friend over with a critical eye. He shook his head, "Any of your kin go missing lately?"
"What?"
Gary shrugged, "That guard from earlier said that a lot of the founders of the city were Tortallian-born noblewomen. And Thom could easily pass for the Queen's brother or a close cousin. So maybe they are related..."
"No," Thom shook his head. "I only have one female cousin, twice removed."
"So it could be her?"
The Squire snorted, "I doubt it, she's only four years old. And a brunette."
"What about your sister?" Raoul's squire, Douglass, asked quietly.
"She's dead."
Jonathon frowned, "But her body was never actually found, right? She was just assumed—"
"Unless she found a way to severe our twin bond and survive doing so, which according to every master mage or healer that has ever studied the bonds between twins – especially Gifted twins – is impossible, then she is dead." The other squire snapped, his eyes going cold. "I felt her die."
"But—"
"Besides, my sister is no older than I am. How could a seventeen-year-old—"
"You're almost eighteen, now—"
"Fine," the squire snapped, irritated both at the point that he would soon be of age to face the Ordeal, and he was talking about the beloved twin sister he had mourned as dead for nearly six years, "do you really think an eighteen-year-old could rule a kingdom?"
"Actually, it'd probably make more sense to call it a 'queendom,'" Sir Myles suggested mildly, "though I've never heard the term used. If a kingdom is ruled by a king, then a nation with a queen—"
"Kalasin of Sarrain would be no stranger to politics." Duke Gareth cut in, his tone no less mild, but more speculative. "She would undoubtedly make an excellent advisor. Exactly the kind a ruler would need if they were crowned at a young age."
"She's been missing since she was eleven!" Thom growled, glaring at the other men around him.
"Yes," Myles agreed, "but we don't know how long the Amazons have been here, or how long they have had a queen. Perhaps they relied on a tribal system, like the Bazhir, before they all recognized a single queen."
"Perhaps the Lioness we are going to meet tomorrow is the one who brought them all under one ruler?" The Duke of Naxen suggested.
Thom of Trebond's temper finally snapped, and with a growl he jumped to his feet and storming over towards the door, quickly ringing the bell that had been placed there to call for the Amazonian maids.
"Thom, what are you doing?" His knight-master asked, frowning in confusion.
"It seems the only way you are going to let my sister rest in peace is if I can prove that she is not an Amazon—"
"Thom," Myles interjected gently, waiving one of the younger guardsmen over to pull the knight-to-be away from the door. "You said yourself that the last time you spoke with her she was interested in becoming a warrior maiden. Well, that is, in part, exactly what these Amazons are. Do you really think she would pass up the opportunity if it were presented to her?"
"And you really do resemble her awful closely," Gareth the Younger pointed out, shaking his head. "It's kind of weird. I mean, I thought she looked familiar when we met her, but I just couldn't place it then."
"You meant to say that this boy is the wench's brother?" demanded Count Jemis of Tusaine.
Several cold looks were shot his way in response.
"Do not speak of my sister in such a way," Thom ordered the foreign royal coolly, glaring at the man. "Dead or alive she is undoubtedly a much better person then you could ever hope to be."
"Why you—!"
"You called, my lords?" the quiet voice of the one of the younger maids, the one who wasn't born in Waterside; Elle, somehow managed to silence the room.
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Alanna sighed, shaking her head as the Gallan-born Amazon she had assigned to the foreigners keeping finished her report. "How reliable do you believe this information to be?"
"They seemed quite relieved to hear that it was a thing of the past, and that only the Lacaena ever really supported it." The Amazonian Spy-Mistress replied carefully, shaking her head just as tiredly as her queen had only moments before. "And, if you care to recall, I have received numerous reports that hint at continuing Lacaena extremist movements," she pointed out.
"Yes," the Queen of the Amazon's sighed again. "I suppose we should have investigated all of this much sooner."
'Yes, you should have,' the cat that sat in her lap agreed, turning a glare eerily similar to her own in her direction when she stopped petting him in response.
"I would have, Faithful, but I'm afraid we've been rather busy lately... I don't suppose you sent anyone for further investigations?" she asked, while continuing the attention that made her Goddess-given familiar, advisor and pet purr.
"I have several agents within Lacaena headquarters, all of whom report regularly. But some of the more experienced ones think there are a few more levels they need to infiltrate to really be aware of everything... I did, however, take the liberty of sending two umbra to Waterside before reporting."
"Excellent. I will expect their report by tomorrow evening, if they don't have anything by then I want to know why."
"Of course, My Queen."
"George also told me that we should expect several newcomers from the Isles soon."
"Yes. We know of at least one larger party on its way here. From the Yamini Isles. The border guards met them just after sundown this evening. They should arrive around midday tomorrow." After another moment's pause, she continued. "The group is headed by a Princess Sayuri, and her younger sister, Princess Miko. There are several noblewomen with them, and many more common-born. All in all, they needed five vessels to bring all of them, totaling up to nearly two-hundred women..."
"That must be the second largest group we've ever had. Or, actually the largest, independent at least."
"Independent?"
"Yes. The K'mir came here with my invitation and Amazonian escort. These sisters from the Isles come on their own. Hoping against hope that they will not be turned away."
The older Amazon nodded, "Of course they will not be...?"
"Of course not." Alanna agreed. "I've never turned any new sisters away before. But the rituals will take a while..."
"When should the celebratory feast be?"
After a few long moments to consider it, Alanna nodded. "There will be a welcoming festival for them tomorrow, with a luncheon. And the nobles and leaders will all be welcomed to my table for a welcoming feast that night, after they are settled. We will hold negotiations, and all of the initiation rituals until the follow day."
"Or days?"
"Gods, I hope not." Alanna shook her head, and then offered her spy mistress a warm smile. "Thank you for your diligence, Isis. Report back as soon as you hear anything, I will summon the Lacaena Leaders."
"All of them, my Queen?"
"Yes." The Queen of Amazons scowled, "And you might want to discretely make it known that if they are not all in attendance I will be most severely displeased."
"Of course, my Queen. Sleep well."
"And you, Isis. Good night... Well," Alanna turned her attention to the two former royals that served as her closest advisors. "Do you think this week can get any worse?"
"I should hope not, 'Lanna." Thayet shook her head. "We already knew there was a larger party coming from Carthak. And smaller groups from all over the world coming every day..." The K'mir beauty sighed, "Honestly, I'm starting to think we'll have to expand the city again soon. And I'd really rather not."
Alanna nodded in agreement, thinking back on all the work it had taken to form the Outer City. And to expand it would take even more! She sighed, "But we will almost certainly have to, sooner or later. They have to be trained here. If we sent them to any of the other Amazon cities..."
"There loyalty to the Amazon nation, and you, might not come before their loyalty to the Amazon city that will become their home." Kalasin agreed with a nod. Then she shook her head. "However, most of the Amazons that are trained here don't want to leave. So we have troubles with space."
"Do you think, perhaps we could set up training camps nearby?" Thayet suggested, frowning in contemplations. "Rather than more city or cities?"
"We already have training camps."
"Yes, but maybe they shouldn't spend all their time training in the city. They should be trained near enough to it that will be a treat to come and they will learn to love it."
"But they will become accustom to the pleasure of visiting it." Alanna nodded, "Yes, some would undoubtedly move in after they completed their training, but probably not as many..."
"But we'll still need to expand soon."
Alanna sighed, "Probably, but I'm hoping we can put it off for a few years." After a moment's thought she glanced at her foster sister. "Thayet..."
"Yes, My Queen?"
"Keep in mind while you're organizing the preparations and whatnot that some of the delegates of the patrons' world may be attending."
The self-exiled princess raised a surprised eyebrow; "You think they will take the defeat of their champion so well?"
"Maybe not. But if they do..."
"We will be ready."
"For either response, to be sure," the Leader of the Lacaena interjected as she entered her Queen's chambers. "Besides, the Tusaine man's best knight isn't very good. He's too sure of himself and too quick to anger. Both can easily be turned against him, along with his other faults."
"Yes," Kalasin agreed, nodding her head before turning her still worried expression to her foster daughter. "But perhaps someone else should fight in your place. Any one of the Elite could—"
"No. I am the Lioness and I said that was whom their Knight would be fighting." Alanna shook her head, "And I'm sure the gossip mill has already caught that bit of news and spread it around."
Her Head Advisor shook her head, "But you'll be expected to attend as the Queen—"
"You will tell them that I am watching."
"But—"
"They will assume that we don't trust them with weapon and the Court doesn't want any of them near me armed." The Amazon Queen and Lioness shook her head. "We already talked about this, Kalasin. And I will not change my mind."
"Alanna is the Lioness, Kalasin. You've seen her fight." Elise assured the older woman. "She's the best there is. She won't lose." When the K'mir said nothing in response, the Commander of the Elite turned her attention to her Queen. "You summoned me, my Queen?"
"Yes. Elise, I did." Alanna nodded, not looking at one of her oldest friends as she made her way over to the pitcher of hot, mulled cider the made had brought in earlier. Carefully pouring a cup herself and taking a small, soothing sip before continuing. "I want you to summon all of your lieutenants."
"My lieutenants?" Elise blinked, "They're all already here, my Queen. Laura returned just this evening."
"Not the Lieutenants of the Elite."
The blonde looked confused for a shore moment before her pale blue eyes cleared. "The Lacaena?"
"Yes," Alanna replied, taking another sip of cider, this one longer than the last few.
"May I ask why?"
"Some rather unsettling rumors have reached my ears."
"Such as?"
"You will find out when all of your lieutenants and yourself report to Court the day after tomorrow." Alanna told her, ignoring the annoyance that suddenly filled her friend's pale eyes as she set her now empty cup aside. "I will expect them here for supper. Followed by a closed Court session."
"Closed Court?" the Tortallian-born radical shook her head, frowning, "Alanna, what's going on? Wha—"
"Summon them, Elise."
Recognizing from the finality in her old friend's tone that the Queen was a great deal more annoyed than she was letting on, and that she wouldn't learn anything from her now, Elise bowed just deeply enough to show an acceptable level of respect, before spinning on her heel and storming off, ignoring the young celerus that held the door open for her and flinched back slightly as she past.
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"Uh, yes," Thom thought a moment, looking at the young maid's neutral face for a moment before nodding his head, "Lady Elle, right?"
"I am no lady, sir. But my name is Elle, yes. What do you need?"
The young heir of Trebond was quiet for several more moments, obviously unsure of just how he should ask his questions, but eventually he did. "Yes... umm... I was wondering... Do you know all of the other Amazons?"
The maid blinked, "Know them? All of them?"
"Yes."
"Certainly not personally, no. There are far too many for that!" Elle shook her head. "Especially in the last few years; there have been tens of thousands arriving all at once. I can't hope to ever know all of my sisters."
"Tens of thousands?" one of the Gallan mages repeated, clearly shocked, as were many of the other men around the room.
"Yes. Agerlea is very large..." after a moment's contemplation, she nodded, "At least the size of Tusaine and Tyra combined."
Ignoring the outbursts of shocks and some of outrage from around the room, Thom pressed forward, half determined to prove his twin really was dead, half hoping she was not, and both overlapped with the uncertainty of what either one should now mean to him. "If I gave you a name, might you be able to find one of them? My sister disappeared under unusual circumstances a few years back, and was assumed dead... but I was wondering..."
"If she might be here, milord?"
"Yes," Thom nodded, his quick mind catching the immediate shift to nobility she offered by way of address.
"I can ask, if you like. But you must keep in mind that if your sister did flee to our lands and become one of our sisters, she would be an Amazon now. And afforded all the rights, privileges, responsibilities and protections that entails."
"Of course," The Prince of Tortall's Squire nodded, quickly swallowing a lump that was trying to form in his throat.
Elle held his gaze for several moments, before nodding her head and smiling slightly, apparently satisfied with what she had seen therein. "What is your sister's name, milord?"
"Alanna," Thom told her watching her carefully, and fully aware that most of the other -- intelligent -- men in the room were doing the same. So a few of them were bound to notice the slight widening of the young woman's eyes, and the subtle setting of her jaw. "Alanna of Trebond. We're twins, so she'd look a lot like me. Or she did when we were younger. But I think she'd still have hair like mine, and eyes. And we have the same nose, our father's, an--"
"Thank you, milord," Elle nodded, gesturing for him to halt in his ramblings. "I will ask after her. Alanna of Trebond, with red hair and... purple eyes?"
"She usually thought they were violet. I always thought they were a bit darker though."
"Yes. Dark violet eyes, red hair; born Alanna of Trebond. Correct?"
"Yes, that's--"
"Then I will ask. Is that all, for the time being?"
"Yes, thank you." Thom nodded, before watching her hurry from the room with a somewhat dejected spirit.
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Prince Jonathon sighed as he watched his squire and friend's shoulders sink just a little. He knew that this had to be hard for Thom. Gods knew it had taken him months to recover even the will to feign recovery after hearing of his sister's supposed death. And even now, years later, he wasn't sure the younger noble had ever really recovered. He knew his uncle and Sir Myles agreed with him, they'd always kept sharp eyes on his squire, like they were doing now.
Anyone with half a brain had noticed that the maid had recognized the name Alanna, and that the description Thom offered fit. And those that had been served supper at the Amazon Queen's table knew that that description fit her quite well, too.
'And we never did hear a name, did we?' Jonathon realized, shaking his head in puzzlement. He hadn't realized it at the time, but they'd never heard the Queen's name. She'd just been repeatedly referred to as 'the Queen of the Amazons,' 'Her/Your Majesty,' and so on. Which made it all the more likely that she was whom they now suspected her of being.
Of course, that didn't mean much at the moment. She still had plenty of power over them. If what Mistress Elle said was true, and the Amazon lands were almost -- or maybe more than -- a third the size of Tortall, with a populace in the tens to hundreds of thousands, growing by thousands of immigrants each year, it was not a nation that the international community could afford to ignore.
Which was probably why they were here. The Amazon's had hidden behind the Queen of the Gods protective barriers, gathering their strength before coming out to declare their place in the world. That was what they were now doing. And they had captured a number of high-ranking men from the surrounding nations in order to organize treaties and the like. Hopefully to resolve everything peacefully.
Tusaine probably wouldn't be willing to hold to peaceful terms, but that was why Count Jemis had been allowed to run around, ramble and rant as much as he had. He was making enemies of his neighbors. Or, he was at least ensuring that Tusaine's neighbors would side with the Amazons if Tusaine ever invaded Agerlea's borders.
Even without the graceful manipulations the Amazons were executing, he would encourage his father to side with them. Once he had accepted that these women really were trained warriors and soldiers in their own right -- he found that it rather helped to think of all of them as Shang, since the Shang had had women in their ranks for centuries -- his pride faded enough to recognize just how well trained they were.
If all of them were boasted skills even half as sound as the sentries -- or whatever the women who'd brought them in were -- then Tusaine, and indeed Tortall, wouldn't stand a chance against them. He had seen Shang warriors fight, and these women had obviously received Shang training somehow, and made it common among their people.
He knew from the battles in the Drell River Valley a few years before that Tusaine's armies weren't anywhere near disciplined enough. And, though it was somewhat vexing to admit it, it had taken Tortall's armies, led by himself, his cousin and his uncle nearly two years to drive them out. So Tortall probably wouldn't fare well against the Amazon's prowess in combat, either.
Ignoring that, they would have to take the rather obvious advantage the Amazons' had in magic. Their Queen was probably the most powerful mage he'd ever met, he could see it in the way his cousin and the other mages respected her.
Her city, country and people were supposedly actively supported and protected by the Queen of the Gods. All of the Mortal Lands worshipped the Great Mother, but none had ever held her complete approval and all it apparently ensured...
Perhaps that was why the Queen's magic -- assuming they were right, and she really was born Alanna of Trebond, Tortall -- was not like her brother's. Indeed, perhaps that would explain the peculiar silver hue her violet colored Gift boasted... Without that additional power, possibly from immortal amplification, her Gift would probably be the same violet shade as her twins, as Thom had said it had been throughout their childhood, and history said it had always been among Gifted twins...
Turning his immediate attention back to his forlorn friend, the Prince still couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Thom would soon be leaving his service, by way of the Ordeal of Knighthood, the final step in a noble's quest to become a knight of the realm of Tortall. He remembered his own Ordeal quite well. Like everyone else who had faced it and survived he didn't remember the experience itself fondly, but he would never forget it.
Would Thom's sister's 'return' to the world of the living, or at least reappearance in her brother's life hurt his chances at becoming a knight? The Prince certainly hoped not, and somehow he didn't think it would. Especially considering how the loss of his sister had always dragged him down. Once he recovered from the shock of her being alive, he would be overjoyed...
Wouldn't he?
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Six years. Almost seven. That was how long Alanna had been missing. She ran away from the Convent not long after she had arrived. So she hadn't even been eleven, though she'd been closer to that than ten years. And it had been more than five years since he'd last had any hope she might still be alive.
When the Sweating Sickness had struck Corus, he'd been infected. And then he'd miraculously recovered. Just before the Prince had, supposedly at his hand. But he didn't remember a moment in between when he'd collapsed from Chubby's back during one of the horse master's lectures in class and reawaken in his bed in the pages wing -- ten days later.
Apparently, Jonathon had fallen ill a few days after him. And, according to Sir Myles and Duke Baird, he'd risen from his bed and convinced the two to let him help the heir. The Duke had left to tend to the Queen, but Myles had stayed. Myles had watched as he changed certain things in the prince's room; had Myles and the Duke send all the prattling, incense bearing courtiers and priests away, built up the fire, changed the blankets and added several to the pile that had already been pressed on top of the prince. Then he'd taken a packet of vervain from his pocket, dumped it into the roaring fire, and Called on the Great Mother Goddess, Queen of the Gods. Myles claimed the Goddess had answered his Call, and evidently possessed him, to Call Jonathon back to the Mortal Realm, and send Her Brother, the Dark God Himself, away...
But it hadn't stood to reason that he could do all that -- with next to no Mage-training, beyond what Maude had pushed on him as a child, but she'd always warned against using vervain for anything, especially summoning Immortals -- he could do all of that, and not remember a thing. After also, apparently, curing himself!
So, Duke Baird and Sir Myles had reasoned that he hadn't really summoned the Goddess at all. They thought she might have been there the whole time, using him as a vessel to save the Prince and Tortall.
But it had always been Alanna that the Goddess had favored, according to the priests and priestesses they'd met as children. And a visit to the Goddess's Temple priestesses in Corus had revealed that although he had come into contact with the Great Mother, 'Her hand was not on him,' he was not one of Her Chosen.
Therefore, he had reasoned, who else could it have been but his beloved twin sister, Alanna? And he had studied every available hour, meditating and struggling to find everything he could about magical bonds. Until finally he thought he might be able to contact his sister. He'd stopped sensing her feelings when they'd parted ways at Trebond, but had assumed that to be a result of distance. According to every book that spoke of the matter, distance should mean nothing when they were in deep meditation.
So he had asked the Duke of Naxen and his Knight Master, Jonathon, for a few days off, and under Duke Baird's watchful eyes, he had entered a deep meditative state. And gone in search of his sister.
He'd found nothing.
No path. No light. No string. No door. No window. No stairs. No road.
Nothing.
None of the things the mage-books had recorded as possibilities had been there.
Nonetheless, he'd summoned all of the Gift he could and sent it outward, intent on finding his sister. If it found her, it would come back, their connection reawaken, as mages said lack of contact could be cured by this.
But none of it had come back. He'd sent out so much of himself and his Gift, he'd apparently tapped his own life force, and Duke Baird had nearly drained himself when he underwent the process of forcing the young squire's conscious back into himself, ensuring he wouldn't die or become comatose, before letting his sleep.
He'd awaken a week later.
Dejected, depressed and sad. Certain of only one thing.
His sister... the only person he'd ever truly cared for... his beloved twin... Alanna... was dead.
He'd managed to move on eventually. He'd forced himself to let her go, prayed that she would forgive him when they met in the Dark God's Realm, and he'd finally let her rest in peace.
Only to discover, five years later, that she might be alive...
So he had many reasons to look forward to the morning's coming. Even as he had just as many to dread it.
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"I hope your night and breakfast were as satisfying as they could be expected to be?" Lady Kalasin inquired as she led the much larger party of the patron's world to the indoor fencing courts.
"Indeed they were, thank you, milady." Duke Gareth replied, bowing his head slightly before looking her over quickly and frowning. She seemed to be awful tense. Much more than he would have expected, considering the control she had shown thus far, and the confidence all of the Amazons had in their Champion. "And yours?"
"Quite. Thank you." The former queen glanced back towards their party, her eyes locking on the men from Tusaine for a moment, before quickly turning back towards the hallway they were moving swiftly through. "And your champion is ready?"
"Tusaine's champion is ready, milady," Sir Myles interjected quickly, meeting her slightly surprised eyes when she glanced back at him. "I shouldn't like to be tied to closely to him. He is from another nation, after all, and one my homeland has been on poor terms with for quite some time."
"Of course," the Amazon Queen's advisor nodded, her head and eyes once again turned forward. "That is understandable." After a few more moments of walking, she inquired, "Do you have any more questions this morning?"
Myles immediately began asking after the castle and city's architecture, as it was a favorite hobby of his.
Speaking of the sweeping staircases and corridors, the hallways artfully filled with paintings, tapestries, mirrors, lanterns and mage-lights, seemed to calm her somewhat, but not much. As they neared what appeared to be their final destination, the now heavily guarded fencing courts, her back was ramrod straight and her lovely, full lips were set in a firm line of disapproval.
"Is something wrong, milady?" Myles asked as they passed through the archway into the courts. He supposed she might not like the idea of a duel between one of their delegates and their Champion, but it still seemed odd that she would be so tense.
"No. I'm just a bit distracted, Sir Myles, thank you for asking." Lady Kalasin gestured the tables and chairs that had been set up with pitchers of wine, goblets to serve it, breads, cheeses, crackers, and the like. "You may help yourself to whatever you like, the Lioness should arrive soon."
Knowing that they had agreed to come to the courts a bell early, and hoping the more irritable members of their group would also remember it, they made their way over to the table.
"Isn't it a bit early for wine?" Prince Jonathon asked, meeting his uncle's eyes with a raised eyebrow as several other men quickly poured themselves goblets of it. They'd already found that the wine the Amazons offered was always superb, but the sun had only risen a short while before.
"What'd you expect from savages?" Sir Dain, the Tusaine Champion, sneered, even as he poured himself a second goblet to 'sample.'
Several sets of eyes rolled in response, though none answered. Many of the men were honestly surprised that none of the Amazons took greater offense at any of the Tusaine braggarts' words and called him on it. Though a few of the younger Amazons obviously didn't care for their presence, shown by the glares they direct their way and the stiffness present in their shoulders, none really reacted to what the men were saying.
The time itself was difficult to mark, as they couldn't see the sky from this particular court. But they supposed they would be able to hear the bell that marked the hours, and it's toll had not reached their ears by the time another party, this one all of Amazons of obviously high rank, though many were masked, entered the room. It was, nonetheless, enough time for the more astute men to note the subtle manipulation the Amazons had once again so artfully displayed in setting out wine with the fruits, breads and cheeses that had been set out for them. By the time they arrived, Sir Dain, who they now all recognized at an alcoholic, or apparently a perpetual drunk, had ingested four whole goblets of wine. And he was quick to finish his fifth before any of the Amazons spoke.
"Good morning," Lady Thayet nodded to them as she poured herself a goblet of wine.
"Well, where is your champion?" Sir Dain demanded, sneering derisively.
"Is Her Majesty not attending?" Duke Gareth inquired, his tone a great deal more courteous, even as he spared the younger knight a sharp glare before looking back towards their hostesses.
"Her Majesty will be watching." The Sarrain-born Amazon assured them. "And the Lioness is ready." She said, nodding towards the figure that had just entered the court.
The 'Lioness' was attired much like the other Amazon guards around them were, the only difference being that the armor she wore over the leather-like garments was almost entirely gold, and not just lined. Her mask also appeared to be made of gold, though it was probably a great deal stronger underneath. The mask, unsurprisingly, was that of a golden lioness, roaring proudly to allow its bearer breath, with many amethysts around the eyes. Her hair was covered by the golden helmet the mask was attached to, so they could only really see that she was fair skinned. And a bit shorter than most of her sisters.
After looking her over, and obviously finding her lacking, the knight from Tusaine sneered, "You want me to fight her?" he demanded, sneering in the golden lady's direction. "I've fought in ten duels! I've been killing mountain bandits since I was smaller than her," Dain sneered, shaking his head. "If I ever was smaller than her!"
"Perhaps," Lady Thayet replied, shaking her head, an obviously amused smile gracing her fair features. "You wish to reconsider your challenge? You seemed rather set on dueling our champion earlier, but if you're afraid--"
"I fear nothing!" the Tusaine knight sneered. "'Specially no wench!"
"Then prepare yourself," the Amazon that had brought the Tortallians into the city, Lady Elise, ordered. "My lieutenant, Laura, took the liberty of preparing your sword," she nodded to the Amazon that was setting a large, Tusaine-made sword out on one of the tables that did not bear any food or drink. "If you care to recall, she was the one that took it from you in the first place."
Several of the men from nation's other than Tusaine couldn't help but snicker at the look on the Tusaine knight's face when he was reminded that he, like all of them, had already been bested by a woman in combat. None of the Amazon's reacted directly, but some of the younger ones became a little less tense at the older woman's words.
"Prepare yourself," Lady Elise repeated, nodding towards the 'Lioness' who stood in the middle of the fighting circles, "Then join the Lioness in the Center Ring."
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She would have to remember to thank Thayet later, for ensuring that the fight took place on her favorite court. There weren't many differences between each of the indoor fencing courts, but there were some.
This particular court, like the one on either side of it, was roofed and walled on all four sides, but open-air windows on the upper levels, that kept the area cool by allowing heat to escape, vented it. In the wintertime those windows were shielded by mage-walls, which kept heat in. And the angle of the roof outside ensured that the rain never leaked in, nor did sunlight. Therefore the only light was provided by the numerous mage-lights on the walls, which reflected off of many mirrors on the ceiling and walls.
The 'center ring' that Elise referred to was one of the many circles outlined by the intricately patterned tiles on the floor, which formed a total of five rings. Some overlapped and interlocked one another; others were completely trapped in other ones. The center ring was made entirely of gold tiles, and it was the only on that overlapped all of the other rings; the silver ring was more of an oval that followed part of the golden ring and stretched away from it on the right side. A purple ring overlapped that side of the gold, but didn't touch the silver rings sides. A red and blue ring both overlapped the gold on the left side.
It was an interesting design. All knew of the challenge it presented to the higher minded, though none had, as of yet, solved it. The Great Mother herself had set the rings down in the floor, but none had yet deciphered what exactly it meant.
With a carefully repressed sigh of nostalgia, Alanna turned her attention of the man she would be fighting in a few moments time. The knight from Tusaine was a head taller than she was, with broad shoulders and strong arms. But all three were challenges Amazons were used to facing, and their training reflected that expectation. As Elise had said earlier, he was overconfident, and he had obviously fallen for the trap Kallasin had set out, in drinking more than a few goblets of rich wine. She nodded to let all those who were watching her know she was, in fact, ready.
An encouraging yowl from one of the entryways drew her attention to her faithful, goddess-given cat, who was watching contently from Thayet's arms. She nodded to him as she remembered the advice he'd given earlier, 'Let the Hosticus be stupid. It shouldn't be hard. And don't get yourself killed!'
A glance back towards the men revealed that her opponent had finally deigned to ready himself, as he was sitting at one of the tables, stretching his arms, legs and upper body, though he was still not putting much mind into it, as he was joking with some of the other men from Tusaine.
'He'll learn,' she thought with a shrug. 'Or die sooner then his betters.'
After a few more jests with his friends, the Tusaine knight rose to his feet, grabbed his sword and stalked into the fighting rings. He seemed to think better of not returning the salute she offered him, and raised his sword to her, though he dropped it quite quickly.
"Are you prepared?" Kalasin called, her voice echoing around the now silent courtyard.
Both nodded, bowing -- very slightly -- to one another, before raising their swords and moving forwards until their sword blades were crossed and they were just one sword's length apart.
"A duel to first blood, or surrender. Any opposed?" When no one answered, the Queen of the Amazon's advisor nodded, and continued, "Then do honor to the laws and customs of your lands. Guard!"
Before Dain could draw his sword back to swing at her, she twisted her own around it and redirected it in the opposite direction with a strong jerk before breaking away to swing at him as fell forward. It was some proof of actual skill and experience that he was able to hold his footing and block her blade at the same time, making a clear, ringing sound echo around the room.
When he tried to force her blade back with brute strength she allowed it, stepping to the right and letting her blade slip down till she could swing under his, forcing him to leap back. She suppressed the satisfaction she felt at final seeing some wariness enter the man's eyes.
Watching her closely he scowled, "Prepare to die, wench!"
Alanna did not reply. Amazons did not believe in the patron's world's customs of yelling insults and challenges at an opponent. It was a foolish waste of breath. And many seemed to find their silence unnerving, just as Dain obviously did. Instead, she watching him steadily, watching his torso for the more obvious movements that would give his next thrust away, and watching his eyes for more guarded directions of where he might strike.
When he whipped his sword down and in, Alanna struck it away and slid her own blade towards Dain's heart, ready to pull back if she had to. When Dain stepped back hurriedly, she also lunged back before she went off-balance.
"A child's trick!" the man scoffed.
No one needed to point out that that 'child's trick' had nearly worked, for all those experienced in sword play present could easily see it.
Dain circled her, talking nonstop as he tried to keep her distracted until he spotted her weakness. He lunged in and back with great speed, searching for her one failure to fend him off.
Alanna parried his blows and watched for an opening she could use to knock the sword from his hand: though the man was an idiot she did not want to start Agerlea's interaction with the patron's world with bloodshed.
She ignored the sweat that was trickling down her neck, knowing that her helmet inner-eye guard would protect her eyes from her treacherous forehead. She was a little amused to see that the big Tusaine knight's shirt and tunic were soaked through on the chest and between the shoulder blades, and that he was breathing in deep, heavy gasps.
Alanna grinned slightly, knowing full well that her mask would conceal this expression. 'He should take better care of himself... and if he's the best Tusaine has, they obviously aren't trained for much endurance!'
As Dain grew more and more weary, he became increasingly frantic. He began insulting her in every way he could think of, obviously trying to make her loose her too-cool head. He insulted her ancestors, her mother, her father, her looks... none of which he could possibly know anyhow, so she found it more amusing then anything else, even as she ignored him, watching intently for an opening.
Eventually the man was too short of breath to risk it insulting her, and the only sound in the large room was that of their feet on the floor, the clang of their swords, and Dain's harsh breathing.
After a few more exchanges, Dain obviously thought he'd spotted an opening, as he lunged forward, trying to push her sword -- and her with it -- down to the floor. After a moments resistance she broke away, kicking his feet out from under him as she half-rolled, half-jumped to the side and back to her feet. He landed hard on his face, and she quickly darted forward, pushing him down to the floor with a foot on his back before bringing the tip of her sword to his throat.
A few moments of silence past as the knight froze, before Alanna ordered frostily, "Yield."
The man's reply was obviously very forced as he acquiesced, still tense with her blade at his throat and his ego demanding an alternative. "...I yield..."
After another moment's silence she nodded, stepping back before withdrawing her sword and turning way. She turned towards the main door, sparing the other men a quick salute, before walking away.
When startled-fear suddenly replaced the proud look on Thayet's face, she was already rolling forward, in response to the sound of the man rising and moving towards her. She wasn't quite quick enough, as the tip of the knight's sword managed to just barely scratch her right arm.
As she rose to her feet again, she spared the scratch a look, quickly shrugging it off as she sent some of her Gift to work on it before turning her full attention back to dishonorable opponent.
"This is pointless," She told him coldly, "You have already lost. And you are the only man here with a weapon. Even if you were able to kill me, neither you or any of your companions would leave this room alive."
A sane man would have noted the validity of this statement. All of the Amazons present -- with the exception of Kalasin and Thayet, for they wore summer gowns and were unarmed -- had drawn their blades and were watching the man closely. Many of the men were obviously outraged at the Tusaine knight's actions.
A sane man wouldn't have attacked just after yielding in a room surrounded by armed enemies and defenseless friends.
"Stop this!" One of the knights of Tortall, Gary she thought it was, the Duke of Naxen's son. "Only a fool would continue now, Dain! And that was a foul!"
Several other men obviously agreed, calling for the other man to stop, and detesting his foul play.
Dain ignored them as he circled Alanna, searching for an opening once more.
Alanna shook her head when she saw Elise and several elder celerus preparing to intervene. Slowly she stepped back and away from Dain, while quickly transferring her sword to her left hand and ignoring the twinge of pain her right arm offered in protest. Her Gift would keep it from bleeding any more, though she would have to end the fight rather quickly if she was to avoid draining too much of her Gift.
Faithful yowled encouragingly as Alanna lunged forward viciously, her sword meeting Dain's with a crash. She pulled back and thrust in again almost instantaneously. Dain blocked clumsily, falling back as she bore in on him. Her sword never stopped moving; just as she never stopped looking for an opening. Finally she saw it, and brought her sword down, under and up, catching Dain's hilt and yanking the sword from his hand.
As his sword went flying, Dain attempted to beat a hasty escape, and stumbled, falling flat once again.
Alanna darted forward and pressed her sword's brightly gleaming point into Dain's throat. With her back to the other men she brought her right hand up to raise her mask.
Whether or not the man recognized her was questionable, as he seemed quite cowed by the coldness in her eyes.
"Stupid," Alanna told him quietly, her voice as cold as ice. "That was very stupid. And you're luck I have a great deal more intelligence and honor than you, or you'd be dead."
With that she slowly stepped over him, the tip of her sword not leaving his throat until she was past him. Then she once again made her way for the door, leaving absolute silence, and a trembling knight in her wake.
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"Are you injured, Sir Dain?" Lady Kalasin asked, her voice decidedly cold, though her face was entirely blank.
The knight was silent for several moment's until one of the other men coughed loudly, and some of the other men from Tusaine made their way to his side, pulling him to his feet. "Uh... I -- uh -- no. No... I'm fine."
"Then Lady Elise and some of the Elite will escort all of you back to your quarters. There will be refreshments waiting for you... And those who are feeling up to it are invited to join the Queen this afternoon in welcoming a larger party from the Yamini Isles. There will be a festival this afternoon, after the ceremonies, followed by a supper and ball this evening. Good day."
The men were silent as they were led from the room and through the hallways once more.
"She was holding back," Sir Myles murmured thoughtfully, as he started to recognize more of the area they were in, enough to know they'd almost arrived at their destination.
"Yes," Duke Gareth agreed with a nod. "If all of them are even half as good their Champion, they must have a formidable army."
"Let's hope we're not the only ones who realize that," Prince Jonathon interjected quietly, sparing the men of Tusaine, who were half carrying their comrade, a glare.
"Indeed," Tortall's Champion agreed with his nephew and prince's assessment.
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Alanna was cleaning her sword in her room, her right arm freshly bound by one of the celerus, when Kalasin and Thayet found her.
"You didn't kill him," Kalasin commented, clearly confused. "He would have killed you, but you didn't kill him."
"He is a fool." The Amazon Queen and Champion replied quietly, "If I were to kill all the fools in the world, I wouldn't have time to sleep."
"He gave you every excuse to kill him," Kalasin persisted. "And with the way has been acting, none of the men would have protested if you had. Even if Count Jemis or any of the other men from Tusaine did, none of the other men would support him."
"Just because he behaved badly is no excuse for me to behave badly." Alanna replied, shaking her head sadly. "And it would be a terrible thing for history to mark as the start of our interaction with the patron's world."
Kalasin nodded, "There is that." Finally a small smile graced the older woman's face. "You're such a good person, Alanna. Exactly the kind of ruler our nation needs, strong, skilled, smart and kind. You give your elders hope."
"Nonsense," Alanna shook her head, her cheeks reddening slightly at the unexpected praise from her mortal maternal figure. "You aren't that old. And I'm not all that good..."
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"Thom?"
The young Lord of Trebond looked up as his knight master sat down beside him in the common area of their prison once more.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"You were..." Thom said quietly, shaking his head in bewilderment. "And I was too..."
"What? What'd you mean?"
"Alanna's alive."
"She is?" Jonathon frowned, "How do you know? The Queen wasn't there."
"She's not the Queen. She's the Lioness."
"What?" Jonathon's shocked exclamation was joint with Gary and Raoul's, who had just joined them, followed shortly by Duke Gareth, Sir Myles and Duke Roger.
"Didn't you see her Gift?" Thom asked, raising his hand and willing some of the fire of his own into it. A violet ball of flame blossomed in his hand. "She used it to seal off her wound till it could be tended. It looked and felt just like mine..."
"He's right," Duke Roger nodded, "I had thought the Queen might be nearby protecting her Champion, but it wasn't the same color. There was no silver, and it was nowhere near as strong."
"You're both wrong..."
The Tortallians looked up to see that the room had fallen silent around them, and it was the defeated Dain who had spoken. The first word's he'd spoken since assuring Lady Kalasin an hour before that he was uninjured.
"What'd you mean, Sir Dain?" Thom asked, frowning.
"If your sister's the Lioness, then she's the Queen too. I saw her face. They're the same cold-hearted w--"
"Lady who defeated you twice?" Myles interjected smoothly, raising an eyebrow at the younger knight. Several men chuckled, when he turned his attention back to his countrymen however; the prince's squire's face was a study of confusion.
"But..." Thom shook his head. "How is that possible?"
End of Chapter 3: Secrets of the Lioness
Next Chapter: (Tentative Title)
Chapter 4: The Old & the New - Where the Past, Present & Future Meet
Translations:
Thalami - abode of women
Agerlea - Land of the Lionesses
Astu-lea - city of lioness
Astu-leanenae - city of the lionesses
Lacaenapex - crowned women (Lacaena - technically Spartan women)
Thalamus/Thalami - A woman's dwelling
Hosticus/a/um - foreign; usually hostile
Side Notes/Credits:
1 - 'The patron's world' -- taken from a reference in "Trinity" made be "Wonder Woman"
2 - I can't remember if Prince Jonathon is related to Duke Gareth and Gary on his father or mother's side, but I'm assuming its his mother's, if that isn't true in cannon, sorry, but that's what it is here.
3 - I'm just using Latin as the language of the "Old Ones" -- writers license, and the fact that we don't really know much about them... Though I haven't read the newest of Tamora Pierce's Tortall series, so...maybe there is more in the canon? If so, please let me know.
4 - Celeres/Celerum -Early name for Roman nobles, esp. royal bodyguards -- Other than that, I'm making this up; "The Celerum" are the essentially the best of the Royal Guard, the Queens personal assistants and bodyguards, who also act as her ladies-in-waiting or handmaidens. A "celeres" is a person who is a member of the "Celerum."
AN: Hi everyone! Sorry about the wait... although I don't think it was quite as long as it was last time.
The meeting between Thom and Alanna should be in the next chapter -- sorry to those who were hoping for it to be here.
Unfortunately, I have to apologize in advance for the next chapter. As finals are coming up, I'm not going to have a lot of time to write. A few days after finals, I'm leaving for Europe, and I'm going to be spending a lot of time in places where I may, or may not, have internet access. Therefore, the next chapter might not be up until late June, probably early July. Sorry.
Other than that, I hope everyone liked this chapter.
As encouragement towards reviewing; yes, I may not be able to see many of them until I return from Europe. But, after that I should have a lot of free time. I'm much more likely to devote more of that free time to writing if I think there are a lot of people looking forward to the next chapter. If I don't, then I might, but I might not.
Bye for now.
Jess S