Despite the gnawing ache left by George's absence and the January cold, the trip to Trebond was a pleasant one for Alanna. She had seen her other friends at the Dancing Dove from time to time, but they didn't quite know how to interact with her as Ella.
Now they relaxed, made jokes, and teased her about what a terrible lady she would make in one breath and then threatened grand romantic gestures with the next.
"You know I am still good with a sword," she threatened back. "And my brother may just be the most powerful sorcerer in the land."
"I am dying to fence with you again," Raoul said, completely missing the point of her threat. "Think we'll be able to manage that at the palace?"
"We'll have to take her on long, romantic rides to the heart of the forest so that we can pound each other in privacy," Gary said.
The others chortled. Alanna just shook her head and repeated, "Realm's most powerful sorcerer."
"Mithros, this feels right," Jonathan said as they approached the inn where they planned to spend the first night. "Having you back by my side and talking openly about who you are. I'm glad you decided to give this a chance."
She smiled up at him. "So, I've come of age, but I haven't taken the Ordeal. Does that mean I'm still your squire? Shall I care for your horse when we get to the inn, Highness?"
Jonathan sighed dramatically. "I suppose you've graduated, even if you skipped your final exam. I'll just have to learn to do my own chores."
"I hear it builds character," Alanna replied.
Jonathan laughed. "We'll have to figure out a good way to slip out and visit George at the same time. I suppose you'll have to have Thom escort you. I would, of course, but I'm not sure if you want the gossip about slipping off to the lower city with the Prince."
"That won't be an issue," Alanna said. "He's leaving the city for a long time."
"That's unexpected. Did he say why?"
"Officially, rogue business. Unofficially, he wants to give me space to figure out whatever it is I need to figure out," Alanna said flatly.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I know you two were...are...close."
"Were. With that particular type of closeness, anyway."
"I am sorry, Alanna. That's never easy."
"Thanks," she replied, and they slipped into silence.
Jonathan kept a carefully concerned look on his face while she remained close, but as her horse started to outpace his, he couldn't resist a broad smile.
Once at Trebond, Raoul had the idea for a mock funeral for Alan. It started out silly but became quite sweet as they recounted their favorite memories of their time together. It also provided a kind of closure that Alanna hadn't realized that she had needed. Pretending to be someone else was in the past. It was time to embrace life as Lady Alanna.
Their three-day visit was over quickly, and their parting was much happier than the last time they had left her at Trebond to return to the palace.
Alanna spent her first week talking with Coram and the man he was preparing to be Trebond's steward after him. Coram had told him the truth, and the man understood that continuing the story about Alan's death was an essential part of his duties.
Even disguised as Ella, Alanna managed Trebond from afar and made important decisions while Thom studied. Now that the siblings would finally be together, they could make decisions jointly, but Alanna had a sneaking suspicion that the hard choices would still fall to her.
The next week Thom returned, and they enjoyed ten days of calm before embarking on their new life.
Alanna's heart was beating too fast. She just wanted this over with. She had known this trial would come, but she still felt unprepared.
Finally, the herald called loudly, "Master Lord Thom of Trebond and his sister Lady Alanna of Trebond."
They walked arm-in-arm down the staircase as the entire Court looked on. Alanna's eyes locked on Jon's. She tried not to stare at him, but his reassuring look kept her eyes from drifting to the King's. Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs. The mourning black the twins wore made their already vibrant hair and stand out that much starker. If Alanna had been less nervous herself, she might have realized that Jonathan was trying just as hard not to stare at her as she was at him.
Thom bowed low, and Alanna curtsied deeply. She still hadn't managed the other ladies' level of poise, but at least her practice with Jon and Myles kept her from embarrassing herself.
"Welcome to my Court, Master Lord Thom and Lady Alanna. We congratulate you on your impressive achievement of Mastery at such a young age, Lord Thom, and offer you both our sincerest condolences for the loss of your brother."
The King addressed Thom, but Alanna couldn't help but notice that his eyes flicked to her when he said "sincerest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Thom said simply, then led Alanna into the crowd.
When the formal production was done, and the dancing began, Jonathan came straight to them.
"Lord Thom, it is an honor to finally meet you. I heard so much about you from Alan."
"The honor is all mine, Highness. Thank you for everything you did for my brother," Thom responded with deep sincerity.
Jonathan smiled sadly, still looking at Thom. "I only wish I had been able to do more."
"Your Highness, this is my sister Alanna. I am overjoyed that she decided to leave Trebond and accompany me here."
Jonathan kissed Alanna's hand and gave her his most charming smile. "Would you care to dance, Lady Alanna?"
Alanna did her best to give the appropriate curtsy and look demure. Then she followed him onto the dance floor.
"Not so bad, was it?" He asked warmly as he spun her gently close to where the musicians played so that they would not be overheard.
"It's odd," she responded as Jonathan pulled her in close. "I thought this was my chance to finally be honest, but it's just a more complicated set of lies."
Jonathan let go of her, and they danced across from each other before coming back together.
"Like just now," Alanna continued, "Your introduction to Thom was real." Jonathan gave her a twist so that they were dancing next to each other with arms intertwined. "Then what you said to each other was true but with a hidden meaning." He pulled her back in to face him. "And then we all pretended like I was just meeting you for the first time."
"That will pass soon enough," Jonathan promised as the music slowed and their steps slowed to match. "And you're doing just fine as a lady. Your curtsy wasn't quite as refined as mine would have been…" He flashed her a grin.
"That's just it!" Alanna responded. "As Alan, I would have rolled my eyes and shoved you a bit after a remark like that, and no one would have thought anything of it. But now I need to play the part of the demure young lady wonderstruck by your attention."
"Perhaps it's good for you to learn to be less violent then. And, of course, you're wonderstruck by me."
Alanna looked up at him, batted her eyelashes, and said in a high, breathy voice, "Oh, Prince Jonathan, you're the worst."
Jonathan laughed and pulled her softly to the left when her old muscle memory had started to lead her to the right. "We need to keep up the lie about Alan, but you don't need to act the way people expect you to." He spun her while keeping her close and explained, "You probably shouldn't start shoving me, but no need to feign shyness."
He dipped her gently as the song ended. "I, for one, like a girl with some pluck."
He walked her back to where Thom was standing just as Duke Gareth appeared next to them.
This was a meeting Alanna had been dreading. Duke Gareth was one of the men she respected most in the world, but he was a stickler for the rules. She hadn't seen him since before the Drell, but Jon had told her that the Duke was one of the few to whom he had told the truth.
"Lord Thom, Lady Alanna, it is a pleasure to meet you both," the Duke greeted.
Alanna nearly forgot herself and began to bow before Jon's light press on her shoulder reminded her to curtsy.
"Your brother was one of the most skilled young...people I had the chance to train," he said stiffly. "I was very sorry to hear the news. Despite the circumstance, I will always be grateful that he saved my nephew's life," he said, putting a hand on Jon's shoulder. Then he dropped his voice to whisper, "and the life of my sister."
Alanna's eyes went wide. She hadn't realized he knew that. "My brother thought very highly of you, Your Grace," Alanna replied. "I doubt he would have accomplished any of what he did without your guidance, and I'm sure he regrets any trouble he caused you."
"We have heard of your heroics after the Conte Duke's treachery was revealed," Thom added. "It is truly an honor to meet such an impressive defender of the Crown."
"He was a sight to behold!" Jonathan agreed, clapping his uncle on the back.
"It is good to see- meet you both," the Duke said, still clearly uncomfortable, and walked off.
Noticing the tears starting to form in Alanna's eyes, Jonathan whisked her back to the dance floor, letting her keep her face hidden against his broad chest.
When that dance was done, Jonathan made a great show of introducing Thom and Alanna to all of 'Alan's' closest friends, and they mercifully monopolized most of her time for the rest of the evening.
Two days later, she was already bored. She missed healing, but she couldn't go back to Eleni now. Perhaps it was time to find a new healer to serve under.
Alanna arrived at the palace infirmary and found Duke Baird. "My name is Alanna of Trebond, and I've only just arrived at the palace," she said while performing what she hoped was the appropriate curtsy. "May I speak with you, Your Grace?"
He ushered her into his office and gestured her to a seat opposite his.
"Your Grace-" she began.
"I tried to come to you, you know," he said, cutting her off. "Prince Jonathan's squire was gravely injured, and King Roald wouldn't let me help. I was livid. So he told me the truth."
"My past appears to be a far worse kept secret than I realized," Alanna replied.
"Gareth informed me about your involvement with the Queen as well. If Prince Jonathan had asked, I would have let you see her. I don't know how I feel about the matter of your deception, but as a healer, I have to be a pragmatist. All that is to say, whatever you came to see me about, you may speak freely."
"Thank you, Your Grace," Alanna began. "Last time I was feeling useless, you put me to work. I'm hoping I can ask for the same favor again. And what you may not know, or at this rate maybe you do, is that I have a lot more training and experience than I did two years ago."
"I think that could be arranged," the Duke replied. "Tell me more about what you've been up to."
It was not unheard of noble ladies to serve other nobles or the people of their fiefs as healers. The gift was too rare and valuable to be wasted. Baird asked many probing questions about her work as a healer and gave her a few small skill tests. At last, he told her to come back the following morning when he would have figured out how he could put her to good use.
"I'd like to have you with me four mornings a week," the Duke explained. "I could use the help when we have multiple patients, and I'd like to keep you with me when we don't. Your brother is proof of the great things your gift is capable of, and I wish to train you further on how to use it."
"That sounds perfect, Your Grace," said Alanna, genuinely excited about the opportunity.
"And I think you should keep seeing the two patients that you've already tended."
"Your Grace?" Alanna questioned.
"Since the Queen's illness, I've had a standing check-up with her three times a week. These are nothing serious, just monitoring her vitals and giving her an energy boost when she needs it. While I am honored to serve her, her health has been stable, and my talents can be better used elsewhere. I haven't had anyone I felt comfortable delegating this to, but as a noble lady, you're well suited to it."
"Does her majesty know about me?" Alanna asked timidly.
"I'm not quite sure what she knows. You'd have to ask Prince Jonathan, who, as it happens, is your second patient."
"Is he ill?" Alanna asked worriedly.
"No," Baird said with a smile. "But King Roald ordered weekly check-ups for both of them after Queen Lianne's illness. Jonathan hasn't been rude, exactly, to my man who attends him, but he clearly thinks the check-ups are a waste of time. He often arrives late or rushes the examination. I'm wondering if he might be more accomodating to a different healer."
Three days later, Alanna knocked gently on Jonathan's door, healer's kit in hand.
The Prince opened it while heaving an aggravated sigh. He stopped mid-sigh when he saw who his visitor was. "Lady Alanna," he said. "You're not who I was expecting."
"I am, actually," Alanna replied. "May I come in? I'm here to perform your weekly health exam."
Jonathan grinned and opened the door wider to admit her.
Duke Baird was indeed correct; Jonathan was a much more willing patient for Alanna. When the exam was done, she stayed and chatted with him, sitting in the same spots they used to occupy when she was his squire.
"Mithros, it's good to have you back," Jonathan said an hour after the ten-minute exam was complete. "I forgot how much I missed just having you here to talk to."
He picked up his boots and started putting them on. "I'm afraid I have an audience with a Carthaki ambassador that I must attend now. But tell Baird I was a good boy."
"I will," Alanna agreed. "But before you go - I'll also be attending to your mother. What does she know about me?"
"Father tells her everything, and she's been well lately, thanks to you, so I assume she knows everything he does." Seeing her face, he added, "Don't look so afraid. If nothing else, she knows you saved me from the sweating sickness. She'll like you for that reason alone."
"I'm not sure if that's more pressure or less."
He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and headed for the door.
"Good day, Your Highness," Alanna said, dropping into a low curtsy.
"Perfect," Jonathan said appraisingly. "You must have had an excellent teacher."
