"First of all I should not become queen because... I am so crazy that I am making this speech, therefore I should become queen!" Alanna announced with look of puzzlement on her face, soon she realized what happened and the puzzlement became anger and annoyance, "Ok! That's it! Who swapped the parchments? Come on speak up, or you'll be in more of a pounding than you're already going to be in!"
Everyone in the room were on the verge of bursting out with laughter, they tried to hide it, but it wasn't hidden very well and in a few minutes they were on the floor holding their stomaches and laughing their heads off
"Since no one is owning up, and everyone looks suspicious I will take this out on everyone, get ready for a little beating"
"Oh... but you don't need to beat us your highness, you can easily call up you guards to do that" chuckled Gary
"Well, I'd rather beat you up myself for pure pleasure and revenge"
"That's no way for a queen to act now is it?" teased Raoul
"And what do you mean by that hmm...?"
"Oh don't you remember the little promise that whatever you say is true?" asked Myles still laughing
"God damn it! I can't believe I fell for it! It was so lame!"
"Well, you did and that's that, tomorrow we'll spread the news through the country," declared Theo
"Wow, wows aren't you going a little too far? I mean what happens when a war starts between another country and ours, I mean I can't rule! I don't even know how to rule!"
"That's why you need a husband?!" interrupted Gary
"What! No way am I going to get a husband just for becoming queen! It wasn't even my choice to become queen; the only person I might even consider marry would be Jon. But unfortunately Jon is dead so I am marrying no one!"
"Uh uh you need an heir for after you die or we'll have to choose another monarch which we'll be very hard," stated Raoul
"Oh god! Do I have to get married?"
"Alanna, there's got to be someone out there that's like Jon, come on how hard could it be?!" questioned Raoul
"A lot harder than you think, anyway since you think it's so easy then why aren't you married yet hmm?!"
"Because I don't want to"
"Gods! Why does he get more choice than me?"
"Because you're the queen," answered Myles
"You're point?! I thought royalties could do whatever they wanted apart from committing treason and have absolute power"
"They can accept they also have to live by the rules of the first monarchs, come on Alanna, there has got to be a man you wouldn't spending the rest of you're life with somewhere" said Theo
"That's it! When I become queen, I'm going to make to make every one of you marry and live a miserable life like the one I will lead"
"Come on Alanna, there has got to be someone out there for you"
"There is accept he's in the dark god's realm"
"Apart from Jon!" shouted everyone in unison
"And what exactly are my chances of getting him if there is someone like that out there somewhere which I totally doubt because I'm very hard to impress but anyway?"
"A thousand to a thousand, put on a sexy dress, let me do your hair and you've got him right under your spell" commented Cynthia laughing like everyone else as Alanna blushed and gave her a ferocious look
"And what makes you think that will happen?"
"Because the same thing happened at every single ball through the past year" chuckled Gary, "the only reason the hundreds of men haven't proposed already was because they knew you were Jonathon's lover and they were afraid of the king"
"Ok, ok you've won the war, congratulations! Now I must go into the garden to make some crazy plans to turn Tortall up-side down," said Alanna as she walked out of the room and towards the garden
*~*~*~*
In the garden~
Alanna sat on the same chair that she left her coat on, on her seventeenth birthday as she looked at the moon
Gods! I've driven Jonathon, my one true love to his death, now all of a sudden I have to be queen of Tortall. I'm not fit to be queen, I'm barely a lady, how am I going to get through this one! Not to mention I have to get married to some noble jerk that has to help me rule the country. Anyway if I become queen what about my role as king's champion. I'll probably be so hung up on that I won't even get time to practice swords play and I'll turn into some brainwashed lady. Oh god I can't do this! There's only one way out of this, RUN AWAY! But then again, how can I let my friends down, they're counting on me, I've got to go through with this. No I don't, I can just run away to some far off country to the north and just live there. But I have to go through with it, if I don't all of Tortall will be lost. Great! I'm arguing with myself again and losing at that, I got to stop this or people will think I'm crazy, that's it! I'll pretend to be crazy so they'll get a new queen, yes
that's fantastic! But wait a minute; Myles will probably see right through me. Anyway its not likely people'll fall for it. Gods! What am I going to do?! Thought Alanna desperately
"My daughter" said a soft, musical voice from behind her, Alanna turned around to find the Goddess. She immediately dropped to her knees
"Great mother goddess"
"Yes my daughter I am here for you," said the goddess, she wiped a tear from Alanna's eyes
"I suppose that you have heard the news"
"Yes dear, I have" the goddess looked at Alanna as she burst out in tears once more, "you have to be strong my daughter"
"But mother, what am I to do? Jonathon is dead, I'm lost and confused"
"That is why I have come my dear"
"It is?"
"Yes, I feel the love you had for him my daughter and now the sorrow, but there is a way to rescue him from the realm of the dead"
"What's that?"
*~*~*~*
9. THE RETURN OF FAITHFUL
“You could always travel to the realm of the dead and back”
“But, goddess, there is no way to travel from here to the realm of the dead”
“Ah… but you are wrong there my daughter, there is always a way. There are places in your world where the barriers between the two lands are weak and those who find it may cross from their world to the other. From there you will embark on a journey to find your one true love and bring him back to our world, there will be times when you will think that it is impossible but you must keep on going. The time in the dark god’s realm is different from the time in your world. In the dark god’s realm; time travels faster, one year there is an equivalent to one month here. But there is no need to worry about the affects the time there will do to your body, you were born in this world therefore your body will still go by the time in your world. I hope you have a safe trip, I will be watching over you. But remember always my daughter, blue is for safety, yellow for warning and red means danger” said the Goddess as she disappeared
“Wait! Great mother goddess, where are the barriers between the lands?” cried out Alanna as she heard the wind whisper ‘follow your instincts my daughter’
Alanna walked back to her room thinking about what the goddess had said. She opened the door to her room and found a certain annoying, purple eyed, black cat on her bed.
“Faithful?” asked Alanna astonished
Yes, I’m back, and please don’t get all mushy with the welcome back thing. I just got my coat groomed and I’ll appreciate it very much if it stayed dry
Alanna gave Faithful a wow-you-certainly-haven’t-changed look, then leapt onto the bed and gave him a ferocious hug
Weren’t you listening when I said I just got my coat groomed?
“I was listening, I just wasn’t paying attention to you, did the goddess send you after me again?”
Yep! Be ready for a brand new generation of annoyingness
“Wow, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Alanna as she rolled her eyes
So when do we set off?
“For what?”
What? Aren't you going to rescue Prince Charming anymore? Oh yeah, I forgot how could anyone resist me
“About that! Did the goddess tell you anything of where the barriers of the two lands meet?”
Nope!
“Great! Come on, we’re going take a visit to Myles, Gary and Raoul”
Alanna carried Faithful to the library hoping that they were still there, they were.
“Alanna, you’ve come back, tell us what crazy plans have you got to turn the whole of Tortall upside-down?” asked Raoul smiling
“Where’d Theo and Cynthia go?”
“Oh, Theo went back to his room, muttering something about you’ll never agree to become queen and Cynthia went to work on one of your dresses I think” answered Myles looking up from his papers
“So, now tell us what crazy plans you’ve made, and no Alanna, don’t look at me as if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I should know you well enough by now to know that you would become queen without a serious fight,” said Gary
“Ok fine, you’re right! I was making crazy plans in the garden to see how I would get out of this, none of them worked out so yeah. But… don’t think you’ve got me because I’ve got a secret weapon, get ready to be shocked because the new generation of annoyingness is here” said Alanna as she held out faithful
“Faithful?” chorused Gary, Raoul and Myles
Yes it’s me
“But… how?” asked Raoul astonished, he was always sort of a reality kind of person
“I had another visit from the goddess, there is a way to rescue Jon from the dark god’s realm, I have to find a place where the barriers between the two worlds are weak and I cross into the other world. If, you’re wondering about Mr. Annoying here, the goddess sent him on my tail because she thought I would need some company when I’m on my trip”
“Uh huh” said Gary
“Where are the barriers between the two worlds weak?” asked Myles, curious
“Uh… that’s the problem, that’s why I came to you guys. The goddess said to follow my instincts”
“You know I’m starting to wonder? Why doesn’t she ever give a straight answer?” asked Raoul annoyed
Because she’s the goddess, if you talk to any god or goddess, you’ll know that they never give you a straight answer. After living with them for over 50000 eons I’m use to it chimed in Faithful
“Well, that’s one question answered, ok what about mine?”
“The goddess said ‘follow your instincts’ right? Then we can’t help you because we don’t have the same instincts as yours”
“Great! That wasn’t much help!”
“I’m sorry Alanna,” said Myles
“Don’t worry about it, can I borrow one of the larger maps of Tortall that you have?” asked Alanna
Myles scurried to one corner of the library and pulled out a map and gave it to Alanna
“Thanks, can you tell Cynthia to pack my bags and Stephen to saddle my horse. Don’t bother getting up in the morning to see me off; I’ll be gone by sunrise. Once I know where my instincts tell me to go, I’ll have a short rest, then I’m off,” said Alanna as she turned towards the door
“Alanna”
“Yes?”
“Have a safe trip,” said Myles
“Try not to get your self killed, we don’t want to loose you too” said Gary trying not to cry
“I swear, if you do, I’ll never talk to you again,” joked Raoul
“It’s not like I’ll be able to answer back anyway,” kidded Alanna as she walked out of the room with Faithful
*~*~*~*
Alanna studied the map of Tortall late into the night
Where could I go? Follow my instincts, follow my instincts! I don’t give a damn about my instincts so how do I follow my instincts?! Ok I got to keep my temper down, I can’t think if my temper is high. And if I can’t think, I can’t help Jonathon! God damn it! Thought Alanna until a certain cat interrupt her thoughts
I suggest when the goddess said follow your instincts, she meant follow your heart since this is a matter of the heart
“That’s it! Why didn’t I think of that before! It’s so simple! Thanks Faithful! Ok follow my heart, follow my heart! Where’s a place that Jon and me has been together, wait how about my 17th birthday? Ok, the palace gardens, but that can’t be right! Everyone’s walked past the palace gardens and none of them have been to the other world. Damn! I’m getting frustrated!” yelled Alanna
Ah… the palace gardens might be the place where you canoodled with Jon on your 17th birthday but it wasn’t the place that he first showed his love to you now is it?
“First showed his love to me? That’s it! The Drell River! Ok Faithful, we’ll have a couple hours of sleep but we’re off before sunrise. Got it?!”
Yes, yes, whatever! Should’ve known you’ll drag poor, little me along with you. Shouldn’t have mentioned it in the first place.
Alanna eyed him with a look that seemed to say don’t-test-me-you-haven’t- been-around-for-some-time-and-I-doubt-you-still-remember-my-temper, “well, if you don’t want to go then you don’t have to, the only reason I said that was because the goddess sent you after me AGAIN!”
Well, I guess I have to, ok let’s get some sleep, we cats are delicate things and need their rest
Alanna snorted and turned to her bed
*~*~*~*
10. THE JOURNEY BEGINS
A few hours before sunrise~
Alanna nudged Faithful, trying to get him to wake up; the black cat stirred, turned around and fell back asleep.
“Faithful wake up or be splashed by water!” shouted Alanna as the cat instantly sat up
Why do you always have to wake up so early?
“I’m not going to answer that, now come on!”
Oh Fine!
Alanna took a shower and then dressed in her normal white shirt and tanned leather breeches. She tied her silky, copper hair in a loose ponytail at the back, attached lightening, took her lioness shield from the back of the door, grabbed Faithful and walked out the door.
Alanna walked to the stables to saddle Moonlight, to her surprise, her friends-Gary, Raoul, Myles, Cynthia and Theo (A/N: you’re probably thinking to yourself, ‘since when was Theo a friend?’ well I didn’t know what to do with the him so I just put him here, it’s not like I’ll just click my fingers and Theo’s gone just like that, WEIRD!) –were waiting for her at the stables with Moonlight already saddled.
“Guys, what are you doing here? I told you I’ll be gone before sunrise,” asked Alanna surprised that her friends would do this just for her
“Yes, that’s what we’re here for before sunrise, to see you off, we can’t just let our lioness go without a proper goodbye, for Mithros’ sake, we don’t even know if you’ll come back” cried Gary, teary all of a sudden
“Thank you all for coming but there was really no need”
“No need! No need! Alanna, this might be the last time we’ll see you,” cried Raoul
“I doubt it! You can’t get rid of me that easily! The next time you see me, Jon will be right beside me,” laughed Alanna
“Have a safe journey Alanna, may the gods bless you!” said Myles
“Thank you Myles, now, I need to go, I have to set off before the sun’s in the sky or it’ll be too hot to go anywhere,” muttered Alanna, suddenly tears filling her eyes
“My lady, I hope we’ll see you soon, and when you come back, you’ll be even more famous! They’ll be talking about you for hundreds of years to come” praised Cynthia as Alanna smiled at her
“And if you die on your journey and make a goddess out of yourself, then let me tell you this, we will always worship you” joked Theo
“Thank you all! And believe me, I will come back with Jon” promised Alanna as some tears fell down her face”
“We hope so Alanna, and if you do make a goddess out of yourself, although as much as I want your happiness, don’t get yourself killed” cried Myles, now his eyes filling with tears
“Oh Myles, you are my happiness, you all are, I couldn’t be happier with the gods”
“We’ll all miss you Alanna”
“As will I, but now I must be on my way for I am afraid that I have already lingered too long, goodbye and farewell my friends. I will be back!” sobbed Alanna as she steered moonlight out of the palace grounds on to the great road east. They watched her leave; she turned back once more, waved, and disappeared in the horizon.
*~*~*~*
By nightfall, Alanna, Faithful and Moonlight were already 3/4s of the way to the Drell River. Faithful, as he normally was, had been very annoying all the way, Alanna had even considered gagging him and throwing him in quicksand half the time.
They set up camp and fell asleep nearly straight away; they were tired and worn-out from their journey.
As usual, Alanna woke up early in the morning; she woke Faithful, had some fruit for breakfast and then was on their way once more. By noon, Alanna and Faithful had arrived at the Drell River. They sat down and had some lunch.
“Faithful where do you think is the entrance to the dark god’s realm?” asked Alanna while they were eating
As much as I hate to admit it, but I don’t have a clue. For that Alanna, it is up to you, the goddess said trust your instincts, not mine, cat and human instincts are different, everyone’s instincts are different. I am sorry but I cannot help you, I can only warn you of danger.
“Well, since we have no idea whatsoever we might as well take a walk down stream and see if we find anything” said Alanna hopelessly
Alanna and Faithful walked downstream hoping to find the entrance to the other realm. By nightfall, they still hadn’t found the entrance. They set up camp once more for the second day in a row in a cave hidden by trees and shrubs by the river.
The cave was strange in a sense if you know what I mean, Alanna had a strange feeling but chose to ignore it for all she was too tired to think properly.
Half way through the night, Alanna woke up with a strange feeling. “Faithful! Wake up! Do you feel something strange about this cave, I can feel power, but it is not the sort I’ve ever felt before, it’s strange”
I’m sorry to tell you but I can’t feel it
“The power is strange, it doesn’t feel like the gift, neither the powers of the ysandir. It’s coming from over there, the back of the cave, come Faithful”
Alanna and Faithful walked to the back of the cave, Alanna held up her hand and created a ball of purple light. She looked around and noticed that a part of the back of the cave was a pit of utter darkness while the rest was sharp-edged rock. She touched the surface of the darkness, and it rippled much like what happens when you touch the surface of water.
“Faithful?! What is going on?!” asked Alanna
Well, it seems that you have just found the barrier between the two worlds, congratulations!
*~*~*~*
NEW!!
There was a long silence before Faithful said impatiently, We’ll set out on the next part of the journey at sunrise, you need your sleep, we have to have a good rest before we set out on our journey for if we fail, we may never see daylight again
“Faithful, I can’t sleep knowing that we ‘re only steps away from rescuing Jonathon”
Alanna, it’s not that simple
“What do you mean it’s not that simple, it was simple enough when I rescued Jonathon when we were pages”
It’s different, then he wasn’t dead, he was very close to death, yes but he wasn’t dead. It’s a lot hard than you think and we must be prepared in every way possible, I can tell you no more. Now go to sleep.
Alanna glared after the black cat as he walked back to his spot in the grass and settled down to sleep once more.
All well, I guess I’ll have to sleep. Just wait a little longer Jon, I promise—I promise I will come pledged Alanna as she lie back down
*~*~*~*
It was around dawn when Alanna woke with a heavy weight on her chest; she looked and saw that Faithful was trying to wake her.
For one that was so eager to get moving, you certainly sleep a lot
“Shut-up Faithful” grumbled Alanna as she got up and dressed in breeches and a shirt
They some breakfast, then she packed her things ready to go.
“I’m sorry girl, but I’m going to have to leave you here, you’re not going to be of any use in the Dark God’s realm and I’m not going to have you killed. You stay here, I promise I’ll be back, I’m not going to abandon you, there’s grass and a few apples over there if you’re hungry, I’ll be back before you know it, I promise” swore Alanna as she softly caressed Moonlight’s mane
Come on, we better get moving, the sooner we go, the sooner we get back. Or have you changed your mind about rescuing Prince Charming? Hmm? asked faithful in his normal, annoying way
“Alright, alright already. Boy, do I feel sorry for the gods, putting up with you for 50000 eons, gods knows I can’t” said Alanna as she shuddered imagining having to put up Faithful till death and after
Are we going to stay here all day or are we going to get moving?
“Come on lets go Faithful”
They walked to the back of the cave and found the spot where the wall rippled; it wasn’t hard to find in daylight. Without a second thought they walked through it. Alanna and Faithful shivered as they walked through, it was a strange sensation, one that was cold and yet not, it was evil that was for sure.
Suddenly, almost without warning, a dark shadow swepted down from above. It was the same shadow that had come when she had healed Jon of the sweating sickness 8 years ago when they were only boys. She tried to remember back to what she had said to the God back then.
“Excuse me but I have come in search for the King of Tortall, he must come back with me”
The shadowy hands reached for her like they did when she had last faced him. Alanna was just about to put up a shield of protection when she remembered that it was no use that he could simply reach into it.
“He is coming back with me,” she said more firmly
“No, he has already been rescued by you once before, I will not give him to you willingly this time, it was his time and he came. I cannot let you do this, if he can get chances in life then why can’t others, before long everyone will be rescued from the dead, and no one will be left here. By letting you take your king, it will upset the balance of nature. I am sorry but I cannot let you do this, go back to your world, you do not belong here”
I know you cannot give her the king willingly, give her the ordeals. She will pass.
“And who are you?” asked the dark god
You have forgotten me already? asked faithful as he stared at the Dark God and he stared back. There seemed to be more going on between the two then just staring, Alanna suspected but kept it to herself. At last the Dark God spoke
“I am sorry for not recognizing you before, you were in a different form the last time I saw you” he clarified, then he turned back to Alanna, “Your annoying cat friend over there has just reminded that me that you can rescue your king by taking the ‘three delusions’”. Seeing the puzzled look on Alanna’s face, he continued “The ‘three delusions’ are three ordeals where you face you’re worst nightmares, it is in a way like the chamber of ordeal but much, much worse. In the Chamber of Ordeal, you are not aloud to make noise whatsoever to pass? Right? To pass these three ordeals, it is not a matter of not making noise. To pass each ordeal, you must face your fear and concur it, to understand it, to find the meaning behind it. But that only goes to the first and second ordeals, the third is quite different, you will see when you are up to it. So now choose, go back to your world and leave unharmed or go through with the ‘three delusions’? I can’t guarantee you’ll live”
“I choose to go through with the ‘three delusions’, I have come too far to go back now”
1 “I wouldn’t say you were wise but you’ve got guts. Good luck, may the first ordeal begin,” he said as he waved a hand and vanished. The room started to go blurry then it formed a picture, a person, a person she hoped never to see again. (A/N: Guess all you want but it isn’t ‘Roger’, I can tell you that much even though it would be interesting if it was).
*~*~*~*