A/N: Again, thanks for the good reviews. I won't hold you up from this chapter any longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the books written by Tamora Pierce.

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"George!" Alanna said as she jumped to her feet. Jon rose slowly, eyeing the King of Thieves. It was easy to see that he had been drinking, Jon just couldn't tell how much. George Cooper continued to stare at Alanna. The anger in his eyes began to lessen while the hurt strengthened. "How much did you hear George?" Alanna asked, struggling to keep her voice even. George turned to look at Jon. "I should have known yeh would have come back for her eventually." The thief turned to Alanna. "I heard that he thinks he's unworthy of yeh, which is true. But I can see in yer stubborn face that yeh are convinced he is the one for yeh. Unfortunately for yeh, Jon, she'll be wedded to me because she is with me child." George turned back to Jon and smirked. "So yeh can just go back into recluse now." Suddenly Alanna's sad eyes lit with fury.

"You knew all along that Jon was hiding from the world didn't you? You didn't tell me because you thought that I would think he was happily betrothed so I wouldn't go to see what was wrong! Then you would be secure in your proposal to me! Well, I've got two things to say to you! First of all, Jon is good enough for me even if I'm not good enough for him. Secondly, I have every right to marry anyone I please, even though I'm with child! Now I wouldn't marry you even if this was your child." Alanna began to breathe heavily as her anger escalated. Jon slipped his arm around her waist to comfort her. Normally this public show of affection would have upset Alanna but she needed the moral support as George's ignorant smirk fell into an understanding scowl. "So, yeh laid with him while I was fixing up a deal up North." It was a statement not a question. "He impregnated yeh and yeh didn't think it right to correct me assumption that the child was mine." Again he was stating the facts he had learned. "And finally, yeh think yeh love him. Yeh think he loves yeh too and yeh are blinded by the fact that he just wants yeh to stay in the palace with him until yeh die. He is ignorant and wants to tame yeh into a noble not a knight." Jon's sapphire eyes lit up. "I've learned my lesson from the first time, I asked her to marry me and tried to control her. I nearly lost her forever." Jon looked down at Alanna. She smiled timidly at him and he looked back into George's hazel eyes. "I will love her for who she is. I will not try to tame her into a noble. After our child is born she can roam as she pleases. Just as long as she always returns back to me." Jon looked back at Alanna. "I love you." He stated simply.

George stared at Jon at Alanna for a moment as they looked into each other's eyes. It was too much for him. He pulled his dagger and ran at Jon. "No!" Alanna gasped as Jon drew his and blocked George's blow. As they fought Alanna moved slowly towards her sword. Jon saw the movement out of the corner of his eye. "No Alanna, the baby!" He managed to yell before his scream of pain. George had taken advantage of his distraction and plunged his dagger deep into Jon's side. Alanna watched as Jon fell to the ground and snapped back to life as George raised his dagger for the kill. "No!" She screamed as she picked her dagger, which was closer to her than her sword. She charged George who was distracted with killing Jon and pushed her dagger into George's arm. He looked at her and she kicked him hard and low. As he leaned over, screaming in pain, she brought the hilt of the dagger down onto the base of his skull, knocking him unconscious.

As George fell to the ground, Alanna raced to Jon's side. He groaned and smiled up at her. "Before the Dark God comes for me, I want you to know how much I love you." He said weakly. "Don't be silly." Alanna said as she used her Gift to summon her healing bag to her. "I've saved you from his clutches before and I'll do it again" Alanna began to clean the wound. As she did this, she had Jon tell her how all her old friends were faring to keep him conscious. As soon as the wound was clean, Alanna tried stitching it up. But the thread dissolved as soon as it touched the wound. George bewitched the blade so that normal healing procedures wouldn't work on the wounds the blade caused. Alanna thought, grimly, to herself. Good thing I'm not normal. Jon's eyes began to droop. He had lost a lot of blood. Without thinking Alanna began to heal him with her gift. The air around her turned an amethyst and, to her surprise, a light sapphire, the color of Jon's magic. Soon Jon's wound was mended and he was stirring.

"Hey." He said softly. Alanna began stroking his temples and forehead. "Hey." She responded. George let out a groan and Jon looked over to him. George began to stir. Suddenly, Jon was sitting up next to Alanna. "Pack the things you need." He said. Alanna stood up and silently packed her saddle bags. Faithful pounced through the window and mewed at George. "No, Faithful, Alanna did it." Jon said to the cat. Suddenly, a realization hit him. He looked at Alanna. "I understood him." Alanna looked up from her last bag, smiled, and said, "He must sense that you've realized my worth and that you really, truly care about me. Let's go." Jonathan grabbed her two of her bags while Alanna carried Faithful and the third bag. Jon attached her bags to Moonlight and Faithful jumped into his cup. He hugged Alanna tightly and whispered "I love you" into her ear. Then Alanna climbed onto Moonlight and settled into the uncomfortable sidesaddle position with a sigh. Jon was already on Darkness and he let out a chuckle. Then they rode off towards the royal palace.