"Aly

Disclaimer: I do not own Aly or anything other than Aly's children, Tamora Pierce is the supreme owner of this world…

"Aly?" Dove asked quietly, stepping into Aly's office.

"Yes?" Aly asked back looking up from her paperwork

"When did you last see Nawat?" Dove asked with a smile

"I could ask the same thing about Rudi." Aly said back, clearly amused. "Now you have something to ask me and I'd like to know what it is."

"Oh, you can tell. I thought I was being sneaky about it." Dove said and laughed. "Oh, I'd forgotten, you're trained to look for sneaky."

"What do you need your majesty?"

"It's about Keila. I heard her and Badi talking about her leaving. Going to Tortall. But I was sure I'd heard you tell her no."

"She still thinks she can find a way to get there, I would have let her go, but Nawat is hell bent on getting her married." Aly said

"Aly, don't do to her what your mother did to you. Let her be what she wants to be." Dove told her

"My child will not be a spy. I understand why my father said no. I understand why my mother agreed. Nawat and I have a plan. So as much as I respect you, she will not get her way." Aly said

"Aly, as a friend I agree, but as the queen I think you should look at what she could do for our country. She is almost as good as you are, and she has had to go other places for her training. But that's all I'm going to say on the matter. Have Amalia and Andy picked a date yet? She won't tell me anything."

"Not quite. Andy is so enraptured with her I'm sure that they will be married soon. I have to go Dove. Anna has an appointment with me. She told me to be in her room at 2:00 and it is almost 2. I will talk with you soon." Aly kissed her on both cheeks and swept out of her office. She arrived at her daughter's room after 2 and Anna was not happy.

"Mama? What's the point of making an appointment if you don't show up when you're supposed to?" the five year old asked, hands on her hips.

"I was talking to your Aunt Dove, I hope you can forgive me, now what did you want to talk about?" Aly asked

"I was wondering if I could go with Keila to Tortall, so I can meet Granda and Grandma." Anna asked

"No, Keila isn't going to Tortall." Aly told her youngest

"She says she is, tonight. She asked me not to tell, but I want to go."

Aly felt herself go pale. She turned and fled the room, aware that she would have to apologize to Anna later. She skidded toward the commanders chambers, Nawat had a meeting but he would have to end that, immediately. She burst through the doors, her long hair flying around her shoulders.

"Nawat, Keila is running away. Tonight." She said and Nawat jumped up.

"I have to go, my eldest daughter is giving us a run for our money." Nawat grabbed Aly's hand as they flew to the stables. Aly grabbed her mare as Nawat grabbed the nearest thing to him.

"Where do you think she went?" Nawat asked her

"She is getting on a ship, down to the harbor we go." To Aly it took hours to get to Rajmuat Harbor. They skidded to a stop when they saw the ship in the harbor. It had the seal of the Tortallan monarchs on it. "My Uncle is letting my daughter go with him?"

"I don't think he knows she's our daughter, she probably just signed on as a charter. We need to find her." Nawat said

"I have an idea, you stay here, with the children, I'll go to Tortall with her, but I'll track her, show her how it feels to be stalked by a crazed spy." Aly turned to look at Nawat

"I like the idea. Be safe my Aly. Come back to me." Nawat kissed her and Aly rode her horse up to the gangway. She slipped into her liars palace and went up to the commander of the ship.

"Could I have passage to Tortall on this ship?" she asked

"Name?"

"Aly Homewood." Aly told the man, he looked over her mare and gave her a room number. Aly stabled her horse in the keep and moved to find her room. She settled in for a long trip and wondered what awaited her in her old home… Meanwhile, Keila was in her room wondering if she had actually gotten away with it, then she felt the ship move and cried out for joy. She felt free to walk out on deck. Keila gasped as she hit the deck, the cold sea air was so much more than she'd expected. She noted a couple of Kyprin nobles and thanked the gods she had thought to change her appearance some. She had cut her waist length hair into a shoulder length bob cut. She had also made sure to wear the veils of a Carthaki noblewoman. She stretched her limbs and walked about, then decided, rather than temp the fates, to retire to her room, for a nights rest.

A/n: Here is another chapter, I feel it's slipping. I'm going to have the next chapter be them landing in Tortall. Review!