Author's Note: I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update. This was much harder to write than I thought. Enjoy! Tamora Pierce created Tortall; I just have a lot of frequent flyer miles there!

Chapter 15: The Lion

She moved quickly towards the tower Thom occupied, but her twin met her halfway there. He looked as ill as ever, but his eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"So, sister, when did you learn to tiptoe around the truth?" he asked.

"When did you learn to meet someone halfway?" she returned, despite the blush that crossed her cheeks.

Thom's lips twitched into the ghost of a smile. "Jon has asked me to remain in the shadows. Best not make the poor man think there are three of us."

"The two of us is too much," Alanna replied, remembering the phrase the children's nanny used to sigh whenever they had caused some new chaos. Thom threw back his head and laughed, something that warmed Alanna's heart. It looked painful for him to do it, but usually he was so cranky and sickly, anything different was a ray of hope that whatever plagued him would disappear.

Thom, ever reading her thoughts, stopped mid-chuckle. "Stop worrying about me. Worry about yourself now. You're about to face a man whose spent the last few years making himself able to beat you, while you've gone soft."

"I have not gone soft," Alanna snapped, her fact hot, knowing it was true. After all those years of conditioning and pushing herself to be better than the boys, she had let being female get to her.

"Glad to hear it. Go out there and show the ass not to mess with Trebond." Thom grabbed her shoulders. "And do not get yourself killed." Their violet gazes met and Thom pulled his sister roughly against him. "Do not get yourself killed," he repeated, his voice low and hoarse. Alanna squeezed her brother, trying to ignore the heat radiating from his skin.

"I won't," she whispered.

She won't die, Faithful meowed, unless Dain gets so anxious that he stabs her at first glance. This is not a goodbye. Hurry up.

"Just because you are opposed to others who might have attachments to Alanna, Cat," Thom said as he released his sister. "You miss the days when it was Alan and Faithful."

You are ridiculous, Mithran Light. I just am opposed to you. And it was always Alanna and Faithful. Faithful swished his tail.

Thom scowled, but motioned with his head for Alanna to leave. "I'll be watching to make sure the Tusaine doesn't have any magic trickiness up his sleeve. But first, a little bit of…" He arched his eyebrow and Alanna felt a tingling around her bruised eye. She reached up and felt no swollenness. Thom winked as his eye took on the appearance of her black eye. With one last squeeze of her hand, he turned and walked away. Alanna watched his retreating form, her heart both aching and bursting with love for her eccentric twin. She was so lucky to have so many people who cared for her. But she was all Thom had. Every swing of a sword, every throw of a punch, every shot of an arrow in her direction was another inch closer to Thom losing the only person he loved. It made her melancholy.

None of this. You'll live to see your prissy brother again. Alanna rolled her eyes at her pet, but made her way towards the courtyard, making promises to herself and Thom.

-x-x-x-

She entered the court, swordless. After all, Thayet had hidden Lightening. Faithful was still perched on her shoulder. Many in the court gasped, struck by her transformation back into the lad they had thought she was for so many years. Gone was the queen that had smiled and laughed and tripped her way through the evening balls. Before them stood the man that Alan would have been, if only he had been truly male.

Buri turned to Raoul, whose mouth hung so far open she could see his tonsils.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." She poked him twice, and had to repeat her statement before Raoul blinked.

"He has," whispered Gary, leaning around the big man. Buri, used to Alanna as Alanna, scowled. But from the other looks the Tortallans were giving the red-haired queen, the K'mir realized that this was something of great significance.

Dain, scowling at the floor, missed her entrance.

"Dain of Melor," Alanna said, adopting a low register to her voice. What little conversation had been floating about silenced as the nobles of Tortall leaned forward to watch their queen and Champion.

Dain's head shot up and his eyes locked on her. The intensity in his gaze was fierce and Alanna nodded her head solemnly, one eyebrow raised.

"Alan of Trebond. You may not recognize me. I—"

"I remember you," Alanna said flatly.

Dain's eyes widened at the interruption. Alanna's tone said it all. She remembered his rudeness, his lack of chivalry. His defeat.

"Then you have no doubt as to why I have come."

"Actually, sir, I have doubts. I dueled you, yes, when I was a squire. By the laws of combat, you drew the first blood. But—" Alanna held a hand up to Dain's triumphant burst. "—the laws of chivalry clearly state that once blood has been drawn, one must accept defeat, which I did. You then continued to attack me. Forced to defend myself, our duel continued until I unarmed you. You would have killed me."

Dain's shoulders rose and fell with his anger. "How dare you insinuate I would besmirch the code! You dog!"

His hand went to his sheath, ready to run Alanna through when Jonathan stood. "Sir knights, peace. Dain of Melor, it seems that you have forgotten, once again, that you are not at home. In Tortall, we wait until both knights are armed before commencing a trial by combat." Dain quickly lowered his hand. "As you can plainly see, Sir Alan is not armed. Sir Alan, may I ask why this is?"

"He dares to mock me!" roared Dain, like a bear restrained.

Jonathan cocked an eyebrow at the Tusaine. "Melor, do not forget that I was a witness at your first duel with Alan. I am not inclined to rule in your favor. Sir Alan, I repeat, where is your weapon?"

"I seemed to have left it in my chambers, my liege." Alanna looked first at Jon, but then turned her attention to the only person who would know where Lightening was: Thayet.

Jon chuckled. "Did your sister not inform you that you have been challenged to a duel?"

The court, knowing that all weapons had been hidden from Alanna, laughed with their king. Alanna even caught several conservatives struggling to contain smiles.

"She mentioned something of the sort to me, but I thought to see for myself."

"Well, as you can see, Dain of Melor, from the kingdom of Tusaine, is here."

"And very ready to cross blades with you, Sir Alan of Trebond." Dain's teeth were gritted together.

"In due time, Sir Dain," Jon told him sternly. "Why don't you lay your challenge before us, while I have Lady Thayet fetch Sir Alan's weapon? Thayet, you are familiar with Sir Alan's living arrangements, are you not?"

Thayet blushed at Jon's request, knowing that he had created an insinuation about herself and Alanna's alter-ego, but said nothing as she scurried away. Alanna knew that Jon would be in for some form of hell, and she would gladly help her friend against her mischievous husband. She remembered the mind games Jon used to play, forcing her to dance with simpering females, like Delia of Eldorne, and then accusing her of flirting with said females to keep up her pretense.

"Now, Dain, speak."

Dain gave Jon a respectful bob, before returning his gaze to the purple-eyed man. "I have come to regain my dignity. When we fought, you were but a squire. I demanded to fight the champion, but your knight master provoked me into fighting a mere boy."

"Before Mithros, it would appear that you have a conflict with my knight master, instead of me," Alanna suggested, motioning towards Jonathan.

"I was beaten by a squire. I have returned to challenge a knight. A true contest of talent. To prove that you have indeed bested me."

"I will oblige you, Sir Dain of Melor," Alanna replied formerly, noticing Thayet returning out of the corner of her eye. "But if you are to be so kind, pray tell me, what do you hope to prove by this trial by combat?"

"Prove myself the better knight."

Dain's and Alanna's eyes met and Alanna could hear her words ringing through her mind.

You're lucky I'm a better 'knight' than you are...

The unspoken remembrance burned between them. Alanna wanted to roll her eyes.

"I see, Sir Dain. I accept your challenge. Princess Thayet, my sword, if you please."

Thayet brought forward Lightening and sheath, and carefully handed it to Alanna. She could not help but frown at the light that gleamed from Alanna's eyes as she reached for her faithful blade.

The moment her fingers enclosed the handle of Lightening, she felt a power rising through her. It felt as though pure light was flooding her body, as though her Gift was replenished threefold. She turned to Jon and nodded. She was ready. Jon inclined his head, trying to hide the smile he had. Alanna was wearing that same unconscious merciless grin she had turned on Dain so many years ago. Dain swallowed, remembering.

"Both of you need to remove your shoes and should probably stretch," Jon said, his eyes on Alanna.

Alanna bent to her feet, unlacing the boots she wore. Faithful took this opportunity to alight from his perch. Timon, the same servant, rushed over with her gloves. She slipped them on, expecting him to scurry away. But he stood there, staring.

"I feel like I've gone back in time, Your Majesty," he whispered to her.

She smiled at him. "So do I. It's nice, isn't it?"

Timon only stared at her. "I…guess it is."

"Run along, there. The knight should have some room to breathe beforehand." Arram appeared next to Timon, who quickly scurried away. To Alanna, the tall man said: "And you told me that you wouldn't be dueling a foreign guest tonight."

"It wasn't on the original plan. Are you disappointed?"

"In the few short hours I've been here, you've yet to disappoint me, Your Majesty."

"Alanna, please. Or Alan for the moment."

"Alan? Think long and hard about that nom de plum?"

"It was my name for eight years."

"I'd like to hear that story."

"You haven't heard it?"

"The legends about you, Alanna, are of your doings as the first female knight in two centuries and your doings with that title. How you got your shield is still a mystery. One that I'd love to solve."

"Go ask someone else. I've better things to do than spin yarns. Why are you over here?" Alanna asked.

"Jon requested I talk to you. He would join you, but because of the long-winded diplomatic he tried to give me, he must remain over there. This particular opponent has no Gift and there is none about him. Unlike your other enemy from this morning."

Alanna rolled her shoulders, working to loosen the muscles. "Well, that's good. I can't say I'm an expert at dueling with magic."

Arram laughed at her sarcasm. "Well, good luck, Alanna."

You'll be fine. Do not die. I hate growing attached to humans for them to die foolishly.

"Love you too."

As the tall mage left, followed by her difficult cat, Alanna smiled. It would be good to have a friend like Arram around. If she survived tonight. She shook her head and continued with her warm-up. As she began to work to stretch, she watched Dain as he elaborately went through a routine that had obviously been perfected. Beads of sweat were already dripping down his face. The outcome of this match obviously was of great importance to him. He had a lot riding on it, she supposed. She shook her head as she worked her calf and thigh muscles. He was overdoing it, for one should not tire oneself out before one even got onto the field. It might be an advantage. Another advantage would be his desperation to win—but his level of preparedness might be a severe disadvantage.

With a final shake, Alanna looked to Jon whose eyes were fixed on her. She raised her eyebrows at him. Understanding, he gestured for the two opponents to take their positions.

As Alan and Dain walked, Thayet took the opportunity to whisper in Jon's ear.

"Can she do this?"

Jon didn't look up, his brain half on how warm her breath was on his ear and half on his warrior wife striding towards danger.

"I think so. Mithros willing, Goddess willing, I hope so."

Thayet, who felt it her sacred duty to worry about the monarchs simply because they didn't seem to, frowned. "She shouldn't be doing this. She's not ready."

"And whose fault is that?" Gary, overhearing, asked crossly. He did not like how close Thayet and Jon were.

Thayet's eyes snapped. "Do not blame me, Naxen. If she had had her way, she would have given birth in the middle of a battlefield."

"Alanna is more sensible than that," Buri challenged.

"We can't change the past," Jon cut in. "It would be better, for this moment, that Alanna had gotten back in shape earlier. But her talent has not left her. She will be fine."

"But will she win?" asked Alex, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Gods mote it be." Jon did not look at his cousin. Everyone shifted to face the court, both knights standing blades pointed at the ground. With each step, Alanna had felt as if she were aging backwards. She was fiddling with the lump that her stone created under her shirt as she remembered that she had done the same thing.

Jon stood, proving once and for all that the redhead had not been transported back to her squire years. Roald wasn't king; Jon was. And she was queen.

"Are you prepared?" Dain and Alanna bowed and saluted him with their swords. They turned inwards and bowed to each other, saluting the other as required. They then moved a sword's length apart. "Cross your blades." As the two shining blades touched, Alanna steadied her feet and watched Dain.

"Do honor to the laws of chivalry and to the customs of your lands. Guard!" She had only a moment to blink before Dain threw himself at her, sword swinging. To the observers, the two duelists were a blur. The blades swung so fast that it was difficult to discern whose sword belonged to whom. For Alanna, Lightening moved fluidly in her arms, moving automatically to parry Dain's blows. Her mind was left to calculate what her next moves should be.

Despite the energy she had, she knew that her muscles would not last as long as she would need them if she didn't disarm Dain quickly. But he was stronger, surer than before, and most determined to defeat her. He offered no insults, nothing but his fanatically gleaming eyes and quick movements. He was better than before, Alanna had to admit. And she was only par, if not worse, than she had been as a squire. Her muscles remembered hours working and pounding and sweating and twisting and they put this memory to good use, but she knew she was not up to a knight who had been constantly training for over four years.

Her lucky turn came when Dain got dangerously close to her ear. He had twisted his wrist, causing Alanna to lose some of her grip on Lightening. She stepped backwards to allow herself time to get a better handle back on her sword, but he lunged forward, step-in-time with her. With a yell, he swung forward. She swerved to the right, hearing his blade go whistling by. The triumphant look in his eye diminished when he realized he had missed his target. Dain's mistake came because he allowed himself to be angry. He cursed under his breath, his sword hanging from his hand. Alanna took initiative and immediately went on the attack. She hacked away at him, her sword never ceasing in a relentless drive to find a way through his defense. Dain, however, held his own against her.

Both warriors were panting now, sweating running freely down their faces. Alanna's stomach was cramping and her arms were protesting with each movement. She could tell that Dain was spent as well, but he was not going to give up. She backed away from him, to allow herself an opportunity to breathe and gather her strength and wits about her. There would be one final fury in this duel; neither could last much longer.

Dain seemed to be grateful for the moment, but decided that he could not appear so. "Tired, Trebond?" He jeered. Alanna smiled at him. Frustrated, he began to insult her: her looks, her parents, her fighting technique, her age. "You fight like a female, Trebond!" Alanna was tempted to thank him, but chose to remain silent; it was enough that the audience snickered. After all, it would not do well to break the anxiety Melor was trying to offset. However, the man's fatal mistake came in due time when as he prepared to launch himself at the short red-haired knight. He insulted her children. Mind you, it wasn't Kalasin and Thomas that he had in mind when he slighted the fruit of Alanna's loins, but any affront of the beings that were Alanna's whole world… Alanna flew out him in a rage, her mother lion instincts kicking in. Her sword seemed to dance, around and behind and over and under and through. There was no stopping her.

Jon smirked to himself. Dain had, once again, found the wrong button on his best friend and was now feeling the fury of the lioness.

Finally, panting, Alanna forced Dain backwards so fast that his feet flew out from under him and he fell onto the ground, his sword skittering away from him.

"You have had your trial by combat, Sir Dain of Melor. And you have lost. I am the better knight."

Dain froze, the agony of his defeat immobilizing his limbs. How could he have lost? He was right, by the gods! It had simply been luck for the little squire. But now this man… the gods must favor him beyond all others. No! How could he accept defeat so easily? With a roar, he leapt to his feet.

"This is not over, Trebond!"

He snatched up his sword and threw himself at Alanna with the same intensity she had attacked him. But now, the lioness was exhausted. Nevertheless, she threw up the best defense she could. Every thrust was met by a parry. Out of her peripheral she could see Gary, Raoul, Buri, Jon, Arram, and Thayet on their feet, yelling hoarsely. Only Alex sat calmly, watching.

Dain swung and Alanna twisted away. He lunged and Alanna blocked. Enough sweat was pouring off their bodies to have filled several pails. Alanna's strength was waning and thus, Dain was able to land a blow. His sword bit down into her right shoulder. He gave a triumphant yell, as he moved his blade into position to stab her again. Slumping to the ground, Alanna threw her elbow into his manhood, forcing him away. She scrambled to her feet, holding her arm close to her side. As last time, she was forced to switch to her left hand. It seemed that Dain was hell-bent on repeating their first encounter. Grunting from the pain, Dain charged her, but Alanna swung, parrying his blow. Both injured, both continued to meet each other's pass. The swords clanged and crashed and whistled through the air.

"This is madness," whispered Thayet, clutching her heart.

"We have to find a way to stop it," Gary agreed, reaching for his own sword. "Dain wants her dead; Alanna won't give up."

Jon did not speak, his blue gaze intense on the face of his best friend.

Alanna could feel the blood slipping from her shoulder; she winced as she dodged another blow aimed at the same spot by Melor. Her head was beginning to grow light from the exhaustion; her vision was beginning to swim. She would have been proud to know that her expression did not give it away. All Dain could see on her face was a fierce determination. Alanna gave her head a shake. She could not allow herself to give in to the weakness that was threatening to envelop her. Her heard momentarily clear, she saw an opening and swung. Dain managed to avoid most of the blow, but Lightening bit into his right bicep. The big man groaned and stepped out of her reach. He paused for a moment, during which Alanna lunged. With no choice, Dain switched hands.

Immediately, it was clear that Dain rarely used his left hand. His swings were clumsy, slow, and with less force. With an easy flick, Alanna made the Tusaine's sword to fly through the air. Dain went after it, tripping as he grabbed the blade as it clattered to the ground. He was about to leap to his feet when his eyes saw their reflection as cold steel touched his nose.

"Get up and you will die," Alanna hissed. "I have won this fight. Once again, you ignore the laws of chivalry under which you and I were given our shields." Dain clenched the sword tighter, but Alanna kicked it out of his hand. "Don't tempt me, Melor."

Dain closed his eyes and laid his head down on the floor, signaling his defeat. Alanna took her eyes off of the man to look at her friends, who had all breathed a sigh of relief. Timon approached and took Lightening from her. The audience, whose breath had been held for so long, roared their approval. Alanna smiled at her people, still trying to catch her breath. She barely registered that Dain had gotten up from the floor when she found herself making a very personal acquaintance with it.

Alex watched as Dain rushed the queen, watched as the queen went down landing on her injured shoulder, heard her scream of pain. He did not move as Raoul and Gary, with Jon at their heels, dashed over to her. With a wild yell, Raoul pulled the big knight off of Alanna and looked very much as the Raoul of old, about to deliver a thrashing to anyone that dared mess with his friends.

Jon wrapped his arms around Alanna, trying to find a way to lift her up without pulling on her arms. "Alanna, Alanna. Are you alright?" Faithful meowed, distressed, licking at Alanna's bloody hands.

"I'm fine. Just…get off my shoulder." Her face was white from pain and her eyes were shut, but Jon took her sour tone to mean she would be okay.

"Gary, send for Baird. Now."

"Here, Jonathan. Let me." Thayet knelt down next to Jon and lifted Alanna from his embrace. Carefully, she adjusted the redhead's position so that her head was in Thayet's lap and her right shoulder and arm were lying flat. Jon nodded his approval, then turned to face the Tusaine knight.

Raoul still held his arms behind his back. Dain's face was purple, mottled with rage. He opened his mouth to scream something, but Jon held up a hand. "You, sir, have nothing to say. You have lost this trial by combat. In the eyes of the gods, you are in the wrong."

"He cheated! I drew blood first!"

"But you were disarmed prior to that. Therefore, it is null and void. You have lost, Sir Dain of Melor. And you have not accepted defeat honorably."

"I am the better knight! Not the little tyke with red hair and gods-cursed eyes! I will murder you, Trebond!"

Raoul rattled him until he was forced to stop. "I swear by Mithros," Raoul growled, "I'll kill you if you lay a hand on the, err, lion." He stopped himself from saying "Lioness" because after all this, Alanna was still Alan to Dain of Melor.

"'The lion'? That's what you call that little knight?" Dain asked in disbelief. "What has he done that is so great to be called such? Besides defeat me!"

"Haven't you heard our stories?" teased Gary.

"Stories? I've heard rumors of a Lioness, some female knight that you fools gave a shield to. Blessed by the gods or something. But I've heard no stories of a lion."

Gary bent low to the defeated knight's ear, his dark eyes dancing wickedly. "There's a reason for that." Dain's brow furrowed in confusion, while Gary laughed. "Give him a minute," Gary remarked to Raoul, who despite his grin, rolled his eyes.

Jon turned and noticed Duke Baird attending to Alanna. He strode over. "Is she alright?" he asked the healer.

"She's fine. It's deep, but it did not severe muscle nor bone. It's more bruised than it should be. But that is because of the fall."

"'She'?" Alanna's eyes, which had been closed as the healer examined her, snapped open to see her opponent's jaw dropped open. "'SHE'?" repeated the astounded knight.

Slowly, Alanna pulled herself up. "Yes?"

"You lied! You said you were Alan of Trebond!"

"I am not Alan of Trebond. Alan of Trebond was my father."

"You are not who I fought!"

"In order to gain my shield, I was forced to disguise myself as a boy. Alan of Trebond was the name I used."

Dain gaped at her. In a low voice, as if he were addressing a ghost. "Who are you?"

"I am Sir Alanna of Trebond and Olau, Knight of Tortall and King's Champion. I am also Queen Alanna of Conté."

"The queen? The woman I just danced with?"

"The same."

"Also known as the Lioness," added Gary. "Now how does that make you feel?"

"That means…that means…I…"

"You were beat by a girl!" crowed Raoul, sounding exactly like his fifteen-year-old self.

A vein in Dain's temple pulsed violently and his eyes twitched. "You all conspired to deceive and humiliate me!"

"No, you did that yourself splendidly," Jon laughed, unable to hold himself above it. "You've provided our court with a great deal of amusement."

"You." Dain fixed his bloodshot eyes on the king. "You hide behind your female squire, now you hide behind your wife. You are not the lion to this lioness. You are not a man."

Evidently Raoul and Gary were having too much fun with this situation because Raoul cried "He can't hide behind her—he's too tall!"

Alanna passed out from laughing so hard.

Favorite line? Favorite part? Was it okay? Let me know!