Chapter 17

Author's Note- in celebration of Roger's death, I am throwing a party. Feel free to join in! (You get a COOKIE… chocolate chip that I baked last night to be exact! (Oh, and PLEASE check out my homepage. I added stuff about my PLAYLISTS for Jon, Alanna, and Alanna/Jon.)

"Do you really have to go?" Eliena asked, looking up at Leo.

It had been a week since Roger's death—meaning it was the last week in February. The roads were clear enough that Leo could visit his parents at Pirate's Swoop. It was his mother's birthday on March fifth, so he was staying through that.

"Yes," Leo replied, kissing the top of her head. "But I'll be back by March fourteenth, promise." She kissed him.

"Good." Leo hugged her close, gently rocking her.

"Do you have our gift for your mother?" Alanna wanted to know.

"Yes, your—Aunt Alanna." Leo smiled. In private, he called the king and queen Uncle Jon and Aunt Alanna.

"You'll be calling us mother and father soon, I'll bet," Alanna said. Eliena gaped.

"Mother!" she exclaimed, turning pink. "Don't be embarrassing." Alanna flicked her hand dismissively. She embraced Leo in a motherly fashion.

"Stay safe, Leo. Too many people close to us depend on your for your life to be taken so young," Alanna told him. Eliena turned a deeper pink. Her mother could be so embarrassing! Jonathan hugged Leo.

"Don't let Raoul talk you into doing anything stupid," he warned. "I don't need my squire getting killed chasing pirates."

Leo smiled impishly. "Oh, but your knight commander and friend can be killed doing so?"

"Knight commanders and friends can be replaced," Jonathan explained.

"Hey!" Raoul interjected.

"But a truly great squire and my daughter's love can't be replaced as easily," Jonathan finished. Raoul sulked and Alanna slapped him upside the head.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"For being a baby," Alanna retorted.

"If you weren't the queen, I'd challenge you," he said.

"You mean if you weren't leaving?" Alanna asked. "I'd be more than happy to beat you, Goldenlake."

"Enough," Jonathan told them. "Raoul, you'd best get going. George and Rose want Leo there as soon as possible."

Raoul bowed. "As you wish, Sire."

"Don't call me that and don't bow to me. There aren't people around," Jonathan said.

"So we're not people?" Alanna and Eliena asked together, smiling at each other. They were really similar. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Why, Goddess? Why?" He sighed and looked skyward. "Why have I been cursed with a daughter and a wife who think the same way?"

Everyone laughed. Eliena and Leo hugged once more before Leo mounted the everyday riding horse Jonathan had given him—Raven for his black coloring—and rode off with Raoul and the Third Company of the King's Own.

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At around noon the next day, Eliena and Daine were in Eliena's room, lounging around after a morning with the Riders. They were trying to gather the strength to go to lunch, but were tired. Neither girl had gotten much sleep the night before. Someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Eliena called.

"Its, ah, Eli—your highness, its Neal," a voice replied. Daine clapped her hand over Eliena's mouth.

"Come on in!" Daine instructed. Eliena glared at her. "Give him a chance!" the Wildmage hissed. Neal came in and Daine hurried out, muttering something about how hungry she was, shutting the door behind her. Eliena sat up, and turned her back to Neal.

"So you're going to ignore me, then?" Neal inquired.

"In case you didn't notice, it wasn't me that invited you in," Eliena answered. "Just say what you have to say and get out."

"Well when you put it that way… will you look at me, please?" Neal requested. Eliena turned to look at him, violet eyes stony.

"Well?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," Neal replied. "I'm sorry for whatever I did to tick you off, and I know it's more than just talking to Kel. Don't pretend, I know it's more than that. I'm sorry for being cheeky in practice or giving you a hard time—and, yes, Lord Wyldon did tell me to say that. All I want is a truce—no more fighting, at least on speaking terms. I don't need to be friends."

A smile spread across Eliena's face. "Since when did you start sounding proper? What happened to the Neal I knew and loved?"

"Loved?" Neal asked, raising an eyebrow. Eliena hit him.

"You know what I mean," she replied. With that, the division between them was broken. They hugged and laughed like old friends.

"I missed you your highness," Neal told her. Eliena rolled her eyes.

"Please, its Eliena. Or Eli. Or El. Whatever you want," she said.

"How about 'Tigress'?" Neal suggested. Eliena smiled.

"Not that. Direct shortenings of Eliena, please," she clarified. Neal laughed.

"Want to eat with us? I'm sure Kel, Merric, Seaver, Cleon, Esmond—" Eliena cut him off by holding up her friend.

"Goddess, Neal, you don't need to prove how popular you are by listing the names of all your friends!" she joked. "I get it already!" Neal laughed and offered Eliena his arm.

"Will you do me the honor of letting me walk you down to the mess?" he asked politely. Eliena brushed past him.

"Don't push your luck, Queenscove!" she called back.

Author's Note- if it seemed like Eliena was too quick to forgive Neal, I'll explain it next chapter. Again, check my homepage. And I'm very excited to say that I got a new computer! All my files will be transferred either tonight or tomorrow, so I think the next update will be from my BRAND NEW LAPTOP! And, for anyone who read Lady Alanna and the Prince, I think that when I finish writing "Another Chance", I'll be writing a SEQUEL to "Lady Alanna". REVIEW.