AND I'M IN LOVE, AND I'M TERRIFIED, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THE LAST TIME, IN MY ONLY LIFE

The Lioness's famed violet eyes fluttered opened. She blinked, taking in her surroundings, before sitting up and stretching. "Good mornin'." She looked down at her husband and smiled. His dancing eyes were half-closed, but a sleepy smile played on his beautiful mouth.

"Good morning." She leaned down and kissed him gently.

"You're chipper this mornin'. Sleep well?"

She nodded. "I had the strangest dream."

"Want t' tell me about it?"

Alanna cuddled into George's shoulder. "Not really."

"All right. Want t' just lay here a moment?"

"Mm. That sounds nice." She groaned. "We're riding for Corus today."

"That's tomorrow. I'm worried about right now." He kissed the top of her head and she sighed happily.

"Jon… Jon…" He slowed opened his blue eyes, the image of Thayet clearing in his vision. Her black hair was mussed from sleep, her skin clear and radiant. He smiled at her. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased. "Sleep well?"

"I did." He tugged her arm, and she lay down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I had an odd dream."

"Did you? What was it about?"

He absently kissed her temple and stared up at the ceiling. "Alanna was queen."

Thayet paused. "How did that work out?" she asked inquisitively. He couldn't quite read her tone.

"Not well." He smiled, craning his neck to look at her. "You married George."

"Did I?" Thayet looked amused. "I'm flattered. If Alanna were queen, I doubt I would have ever met you."

"That's possible." They kissed. "I'm glad you did."

"Me too."

The following day, a soft knock came at Jonathan's door. "Come in!" he called, not looking up from his notes. "One moment. I just have to finish this line…"

"Hard at work as always, I see," a familiar voice teased. He looked up to see his King's Champion leaning against the door to his study. "Hello, Jon."

"Alanna!" He rose quickly, crossing the room to embrace her. "I wasn't expecting to see you for a while. Not after all I made you do for me lately."

She shrugged. "What can I say? It's hard to stay away from adventure." She grinned and hugged him tightly. "It's good to see you, though."

"Sit." He indicated a chair, which she dropped herself into. He sat behind his desk, leaning back. "What really brings you to Corus?"

Alanna grinned. "I can't just come back to be here? Am I not wanted anymore?"

"Of course you are." He smiled easily. "It's just that you said when you left two weeks ago you had no intention of coming back for awhile. Something about needing time to be a wife?"

"Did I really say that? Goddess, I've changed!" They laughed, remembering how many times she'd insisted she had no intention of ever marrying. "Anyway. Myles' birthday is in a few days, and I've missed all his other ones… plus, I think Eleni might have taken one of George's ears if he didn't show up. So, here I am."

"Ah." Jonathan nodded. "I had the oddest dream about you the other night?"

"Really?" Alanna settled back in her chair. "That's funny, because I had one about you."

"That's strange. In mine, we married, and-"

"Thayet married George?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I had the same one." They looked at each other for a moment, somewhat horrified. Alanna broke the silence. "Could you only imagine, us winding up married? We'd have been miserable."

"I like you just where you are, thank you," Jonathan told her. "I need the Lioness on my side."

She smiled wickedly. "You've seen what happens to those on my bad side."

Jonathan shuddered. "Don't remind me." He smiled at her. "Glad we're on the same page, then."

"What would you have done if we weren't?"

"I don't know." Jonathan considered this for a moment. "Run out of the room screaming?"

Alanna laughed. "That sounds about right. I might have done the same thing."

The friends smiled at each other, any moment of tension past them. In the Divine Realms, the Great Mother Goddess smiled. "Be at peace, my daughter," she whispered, her words echoing in the Lioness' head. "You made the right choice."

I'm sorry this sucked so badly toward the end. At some point, I lost it and just wanted it to end. I will admit that I still love Alanna and Jonathan together, but I think she made the right choice. Alanna as queen would be disastrous. I like her as Champion.