By Angel of the Storms
daughter told her it was time to find a husband at the palace, and then they had to basically drag her away. But none the less here she was, staring out the window to freedom. She sighed again the only good thing about
coming here was that she could see her brother Thom and she had missed him over the past six years. Even though she still envied him for getting the chance to be a knight, she had wanted to be a knight, in fact she still did.
************
Thom of Trebond sat in his room thinking about books (a/n: I don't care what you think about this bit cause it's my story!) until the door to his room burst open and Jonathan of Conte (Jon) came in followed by Roaul of
Goldenlake, and Gareth (Gary) the younger.
Jon started talking first "Thom you didn't tell us your sister would be coming to court!"
Thom jumped, he'd forgotten about that. "Oh yeah, she'll be sixteen now looking for a suitor at court, she'll be as mad as fire." He smiled and said, "I've missed her, and it will be good to see her again."
His friends instantly bombarded him with questions about her "Is she pretty? What colour eyes does she have?"
"How am I supposed to know, I haven't seen her since we were ten, but she does have violet eyes, and a temper as bad as mine worse even." He sighed "When I made her angry when we were little she ducked me in the fish
pond!"
Jon and the others burst out laughing. Jon finally managed to choke out "How did she do that?"
Thom shrugged, "She was stronger then me and better at archery, horse riding, sword fighting, unarmed combat, fencing etc, etc."
The boys were staring at him in open shock.
"What?" he asked defensively.
They just started laughing again.
****************
Alanna had been looking out the window for about an hour now just thinking about how nice it would be not to have to wear a dress. Suddenly figures on the road came into view one was slumped over a horse it looked like he didn't have the strength to sit up and the other two were walking tiredly on weary legs.
She looked out of the window and called "Stop." to the driver. The carriage lunged to a halt. She got out all three people were looking at her suspiciously.
"Relax," she said "I only want to offer you a lift, you look tired and you-" she looked at the man on the horse "- look ill." She gestured to the carriage and said, "Where are you heading?"
The women replied "Corus."
Alanna smiled "I can take you there if you want."
The women held up her hand "Let me talk to them. Alone." She added.
Alanna sighed and walked away. There she stood watching them from a distance, reading their lips. (A trick she'd learnt at the convent, the women were always whispering about something.)
The women was saying, "We need the rest, and George you can't go on much longer, you need a healer." The man nodded.
But the other man protested "Majesty, she'll charge us, and she'll probably hand us in to Lord
Provost."
The women shook her head "We can always kill her at the end of the ride if she tries anything." They talked for a while then finally the man called George nodded and said "Let's take our chances with her."
Alanna walked towards them "Come on then." She said, "Get in," she looked at the men and said "Free of charge, and I won't hand you in to My Lord Provost." She smiled when he looked at her shocked "I promise." And with that she got in.
"What about the horse." The women called.
"Give him to the driver." She replied.
Sitting on the seat as the three strangers got in she said "I'm Alanna, you're George and I don't know your names."
They looked at her in surprise again "Rispah." The women finally said.
The man nodded to her and said "Light fingers, fingers for short."
She smiled "Nice to meet you oh and George sit here, I want to look at that wound."
When he looked at her suspiciously she said, "I'm a healer, I won't kill you if you don't kill me." George sat looking worried.
Rispah looked at her "How do you know all of this." She asked
Alanna shrugged "I can lip read, I learnt at the convent they were always talking about me behind my back."
She lifted George's arm up and examined it whilst saying "Can I call you George or is The Rogue today."
He looked at her sharply "How do you know?"
"Finger's called you majesty and you're wanted by Lord Provost." She paused "I'm not completely stupid you know."
He winced as she straightened the arm. "How long have you had this?" she asked,
He shrugged "A week give or take a few days"
"You silly idiot." She whispered "Oh and don't look at me like that." She snapped. "Don't you know how serious this is?" She touched the wound and said, "This is going to hurt, mind you, you deserve it."
George had no idea what to make of this strongly beautiful noble woman, nor apparently did Rispah or Finger's. He looked at Rispah, she just smiled and shrugged, he looked at Finger's just in time to see him pulling a knife
out, scowling. The lady muttered something like "This is going to hurt, mind you, you deserve it." He looked down and was about to tell her to look out when a bolt of white hot pain shot through his arm, it lasted for about a minute then was replaced by coolness. He looked at the wound and, to his amazement, the wound was smaller.
But there was still the matter of Finger's who was fighting Rispah's hold. Alanna could see him in George's perfect hazel eyes, she rounded on him purple fire in her hand.
She said, simply "Just because I'm a healer it doesn't mean I won't hurt you."
Finger's ignored her comment and continued to advance saying "What would you know you're just a noble born tart of a women who couldn't give a dam about us, you're just a slutty little cow with no prospects in life -." He
never finished his sentence as a very angry Lady Alanna had backhanded him across the face with all the strength she could muster then she dumped a sleep spell on him and he sunk to the floor in a dead faint.
"Silly man." She muttered darkly and went back to sitting by a now staring George and an opened mouthed Rispah.
"What?" She said defensively.
But George just shook his head smiling faintly, finally he said, "That was quite a slap Lady Alanna."
She blushed "He made me angry, and don't worry I'll wake him up before we get there because he owe's me an apology."
George just laughed.
*************
2 hours later an embarrassed looking Finger's and company were dropped off at the dancing dove, the local thieves pub. In the 3 hours they spent travelling Alanna and George had become friends and he told her that
whenever she needed to talk she could just come there and he'd be waiting.
It was a nice thought but those happy things soon went out of head as she approached the training area. She sighed oh well she thought I've had a crap life so far but hey how bad can it get?
She got out of the carriage and had a shock she was met by one of her favourite daughters at the convent Lav, and she was a welcome sight.
"I'll be making sure you wear a dress with no holes and that you kept out of trouble until you find a suitor." She told Alanna sternly then burst out laughing.
Unfortunately her friend was extremely good at her word and when Alanna walked into the ballroom she looked beautiful with her hair in ringlet's and a long violet gown on. However Alanna was in a sour mood.
"Alanna of Trebond." The herald introduced her into the ball.
She spotted Thom talking to a bunch of Knights (She wasn't impressed at all) She walked over to him.
"Thom." She said angrily "Too busy to come over and say hello to your sister?"
He looked at her "Oh my god." He finally managed to say, "You're wearing a dress."
She scowled "I know, don't I just look stupid!"
One of Thom's friends gave a discrete cough. Thom looked at him then said "Alanna this is Prince Jonathan of Conte, Gareth the younger and Raoul of Goldenlake."
Jon bowed and said "Nice to meet you Lady Alanna."
She looked at him with a expression of dislike and then said "Whatever, I need a drink." And walked off to the drink table.
Thom sighed, "I've missed her."
Jon just looked at him "Is she always like that?" He asked.
Thom shook his head "No, she doesn't like you, but she's in a mood as well."
Alanna came back with a drink looking grumpy. Thom smiled and said "So why so nasty today?"
Alanna rolled her eyes and looked at Jon and said in a sarcastic voice "Please forgive me highness, I'm just so fed up here, and I'm wearing a dress and high heeled shoes when I'd rather be doing something useful, now if you'd excuse I'm going to go outside and scream." She walked off.
Jon raised an eyebrow and Gary and Raoul tried not to laugh. Jon crossed his arms and looked at Thom "What! She doesn't get it from me, she's just naturally nasty."
He smiled when they heard a scream outside.
"Oh my God, she actually screamed!" Gary said awed by her confidence.
"Oh yes." Said Thom smiling "When Alanna say's something she usually means it."
****************
(A/n okay this bit is set 3 weeks later and Alanna and George are very good friends, in other words George has fallen for her really badly, and Alanna has fallen for him too. She just doesn't know it yet. Oh yeah and
people are starting to think Alanna's a bit in the head, not that I can blame them.)
After screaming her head off in the palace gardens (She'd been doing that for 3 weeks at eight o'clock on the dot), Alanna decided that she was going to see George she hadn't seen him for a couple of day's, so she walked
out of the Palace and down the road to the Dancing Dove. When she walked in and people either looked at her like she was weird or just ignored.
"What does ye want in a place like this?" The bar, Solom asked.
"I'm looking for George, tell him it's Alanna and if he doesn't get down here now I'll curse him." She called.
She sat down at the bar to wait for George thinking how much she hated it at the Palace and how she wanted out of there. She sighed and that's when she noticed that someone was sitting next to her she looked at him and he grinned, "Oh go to hell." she muttered out the corner of her mouth. He moved closer and closer until finally she had enough. She elbowed him in the ribs and he collapsed on the floor weasing for breath.
"Alanna are ye okay?" Asked George's worried voice.
She smiled at him and said, "I think he needs a healer."
George smiled and said "Come on it's quieter upstairs." And with that he turned round and she followed.
***************
At the palace Jon, Gary and Raoul were trying to convince a laughing Thom that his sister may be pretty but she was mentally insane. He couldn't stop laughing. Alanna had that effect on people.
"Oh George it's horrible there, I can't stand it and people are starting to think I'm mad. not that's a bad thing but, oh George." She trailed off. He was hugging a very unhappy Alanna. "Oh I'm sorry I've brought this onto
you but I needed to talk to someone because I'm so unhappy." She burst into tears, crying on his shoulder. Eventually she fell into an uneasy sleep. George got up careful not to wake her and went to talk to Rispah.
She looked up when he walked into her room "Has Alanna gone?" she asked.
"No." He replied "She fell asleep on a chair and I don't want to wake her, she's so unhappy at the palace she really doesn't want to go back." He sighed, "I just don't know what to do."
Rispah sighed as well then said, "Tell her how you feel George and then tell her to come live here."
George looked at her "She's my friend and that's all." He said voice slightly wobbly "And even if I did love her." He sighed, "She would never love me back."
Rispah raised an eyebrow so her cousin was in love and it looked like he had it bad "Have you asked how she feels." Silence. "I rest my case, George I think she loves you just as much as you love her."
"Why do you say that?" He asked filled with curiosity.
"George she could have told her brother how unhappy she was or that daughter from the convent the one who's watching her, but no she came to you in a place she'd been once before where she wasn't protected by anyone so anything could have happened but she still came."
George looked at Rispah and then looked down. "I can't love her." He whispered. "I do but I shouldn't."
"Why not." Rispah demanded.
"She's noble born, she's looking for a suitor, and it should be a baron or someone with a title. It should be- " Rispah interrupted him "It should be someone she loves. What good is a marriage if you don't love the person."
Rispah looked at him and said "George you are The Rogue the fearless man among thieves, yet you are afraid to tell her you're feelings?"
"Yes." He replied. Suddenly his gift called on him he had a vision of Alanna hands over her mouth tears running silencely down her cheeks then she ran up stairs and into his bedroom.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it, Alanna she heard our conversation through the door she's been eavesdropping!"
Rispah shook her head "You should ask her to become a thief, she'd be a brilliant one."
**************
George walked out the kitchen and upstairs silently and he heard Alanna muttering to herself. He opened the door and Alanna turned round looking at him with those lovely violet eyes.
"How much did you here?" He asked.
"Hear what?" She replied.
"Okay how much didn't you hear?"
"I didn't hear anything, I just woke up." She lied.
George sighed "Did you here the bit where I said I loved you and that I was afraid to tell you?"
She gasped turned pale and sat down.
He continued, "Did you hear when Rispah told me to tell you that I loved you and that you could move in with me to escape the palace if you wanted?" He paused and said, "Because it was all true, I love you Alanna and I want you to stay here with me." He stopped then added "Please."
(a/n; okay I know it's a major mush fest but hey I like it that way.)
She looked down " I love you too George, but people won't approve what with the whole noble, commoner thing."
"Excuse me for thinking that you were a noble women like no other, you didn't care what people thought." He paused then said in a sad voice "Could you give it up Alanna, could you give up the high life with all the jewels
and suchlike?"
Alanna frowned "Of course I'd give it up, for you I'd give it up." She smiled suddenly and looked into his eyes "They were bugging me to find a suitor anyway and I guess found one."
George smiled at her and said, "I guess you did." He shook his head to clear his smile then said "Now to business how are you going to get your clothes out of the palace?"
She shrugged "I'll sneak in and get them when they are all at a ball or something like that it should be easy the security is rubbish."
He looked at the clock, it read 4 o'clock "We had better get some sleep." He muttered.
Alanna blushed and smiled crookedly "Where am I sleeping?"
George knelt down and took her hand "With me I hope."
She smiled "Good" She replied.
****************
Lav was worried sick. Lady Alanna hadn't come back last and she had gone into the streets alone if something had happened to her she would never forgive herself. She ran to Thom's room and pounded on the door when he
finally opened it she burst out the story of Alanna going out and never coming back. He got worried as well oblivious to the fact that his sister was sleeping peacefully.
*****************
When George woke he got up and dressed careful not to wake Alanna and went down to breakfast where he found Rispah eating a piece of toast. She glanced at him and smiled.
"Where's Alanna?" She asked wickedly.
"Asleep" He said casually.
"Anything I should know?" Rispah asked innocently.
He swiped a bit of her toast, and then said with a shrug "She's going to move in, she's going to get her stuff tonight."
She scowled at him "Then what are you doing?"
He shrugged again "Mother wants to see me, I might take Alanna with me."
"Good, Eleni needs to speak to someone who isn't a thief, or a snotty noble."
"Alanna's a noble."
"She don't act like one."
"Good point."
*********************
That night Lav was still worrying herself sick over Alanna, so was Thom, but he was still made to go to the ball to perform his squire duty's but he was allowed to leave early he decided to go to Alanna's room.....
*****************
Alanna cursed she was wasting time writing notes why didn't she just go vanish into the city never to be seen again it was tempting but that would hurt Thom a lot if she disappeared completely, she sighed she just had
to much to think about. She was so deeply enravelled in her thoughts that she didn't he the footsteps coming closer or the door opening until a voice cried "Alanna." She whirled it was Thom. Oh dear....
"Thom." She whispered "What are you doing here, you, you were supposed to be at the ball."
"They let me out early, because my sixteen year old sister had gone missing." His eyes drifted to her packed bag.
"You're leaving." He said his voice little more than a whisper it's self. "Why."
"I can't stay here Thom, I hate it." Her voice cracked and she looked down. "I'm sorry, tell your friends I'm sorry too, and tell Jonathan that I do like him, and I'll be one of his people when he's king, also tell Gary to stop flirting. I'm already taken."
He was quiet for a moment then he said in an annoyed voice "You can't go, where will you stay? You don't have any friends in the city."
"No." She whispered, "I don't have any friends I've got more. I've got family." She whispered. Then she walked over to Thom and said "I love you, if you need to see me go to the dancing dove and ask for the Lady
Rogue."
She gave him a hug then quickly ran out of the room and crashed straight into Jon. "Sorry." She called back laughing.
George was waiting for her when she got back he gave her a tight hug and then said, "How'd it go"
She groaned and said "I met Thom, he found me while I was deciding whether to leave a note or not, I didn't bother he'll make up a story for me."
He smiled a bitter smile and said "Are you sure you want to do this Alanna?"
"Yes, I do. George Cooper I love you and I like it here, so much nicer than the palace."
"Well I'm glad you love me enough, I'm going to see mother tonight and I want you to meet her."
"You do? Say George, does your mother know what we do for a living?"
He smiled easy and said, "Of course, mother is in a more honest profession however, she's a healer."
Alanna smiled "Really? She might be able to teach me a few tricks."
****************
Thom however was not having as much fun. He sighed he couldn't believe Alanna would do this. He wasn't sure what The Rogue was either he'd decided to ask Jon.
"Jon what do you know about The Rogue?"
He looked up the question had caught him off guard. "The Rogue? He is the king of thieves, he killed My Lord Provost's son. Why?" Jon asked curiously.
"Is there a Lady Rouge?" Thom persisted.
"No, not that I know of unless he got married. Why do you want to know?" Jon asked again.
"I can't tell you, not now, not yet, I promise I'll tell you later."
Jon sighed he knew it was something to do with Alanna but it was obvious it was still too painful to talk about with Thom.
*****************
Alanna walked up with George to the small house, which was his mothers. The sign of a wooden cup circled once in red and once brown marked that a healer lived there. Alanna was nervous. Really nervous. George, being well, being George could tell. He silently gripped her hand.
She smiled at him "What's your mother like?"
"Very nice, honestly."
He walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened and there stood a woman with the same hazel eyes a George, she had chestnut hair with only a streak of grey.
"George." She said with a smile on her face. "And who is this?" She asked looking at Alanna.
"Alanna." George stated simply. "She's the lovely noble women who helped heal my wound."
Alanna blushed and looked down.
"So you're the one. Thankyou, that wound would have been fatal if you hadn't burned the infection out." Eleni smiled and said "You have incredible power young lady." "Welcome to my home." She stepped out of the doorway and into a small kitchen that was full of herbs.
George walked in and she followed looking around in wonder. "Wow." She whispered "I wish they had, had this stuff at the convent." She muttered. "Actually I wish they had actually taught me something at the convent."
"They did not teach you anything there, but you cleaned up my son wound well."
"I taught myself. They said that no noble lady could be a healer." She shrugged "But then again I'm not a noble lady anymore."
Eleni looked up from making tea "Your not?"
"No." Alanna "I got a life now and it's so much better than my old one."
"But you have a brother do you not?"
Alanna shrugged a said look on his face "2 years he'll be getting knighted I intend to be there." She sighed, "I'll see him again, but he won't know it's me."
"How do you intend to do that my dear?" Eleni asked.
Alanna smiled "I can change my eye colour with my magic."
Eleni smiled when George looked at Alanna with a look filled of love and nothing else. She gave them the tea and said to Alanna "So you're The Lady Rogue."
****************
1 year later.
The Lady Rogue is known by all.
Thieves and Nobles alike.
The Lady is the known as the Queen of all thieves and the wife to The Rogue. There are many stories, however there is one so very close to the truth, it goes like this. There was a young noble women, she fell in love with
The Rogue. She gave up her life to be with him and she never regretted it. Only the thieves know what she looks like. They say she is a thing of beauty and she has a brother. He doesn't know where she is she say's she misses
him every day but he must hate her. It upsets her terribly.
Alanna was in the city deciding what food to nick when she saw him. Red hair, purple eyes. Thom. She hadn't seen him for at least a year and had missed him terribly. She sighed he wouldn't notice her she had blue
eyes in the city. Although her hair was the same colour. She gazed at him. He looked up.
Thom's heart stopped that women, she looked like Alanna, but she couldn't be Alanna had purple eyes that woman's were blue. She caught his gaze and brushed her fingers over her eyes they turned purple she smiled at him and put her fingers over her eyes again they turned back to blue. Then she turned to the store pick pocketed a mans purse, stole 2 apples then faded away into the crowd. All he could do was watch her go feeling the
horrible feeling of emptiness.
When Alanna got back to her room in the dancing dove she felt like crying either that or screaming. She walked over to her bed and lay down. She needed to think. For one thing she couldn't believe she'd given her cover away that. How could she have been so stupid? She sighed. It was just too much she decided to go for a walk a long walk. George wasn't here he couldn't stop her. She just needed time to think.
****************
1 hour later.
Alanna cursed under her breath it had just started raining. Typical, just typical. She found a tree and sheltered under that. She must have been there about 10 minuets when a tiny, tiny cat walked up to her. She picked it
up expecting to get dripped on but oddly the kitten wasn't wet, at all.
Weird.
It was an underfed stray it must be. She made it look at her. She gasped the cat eyes were the exact same shade of purple as her eyes. Now that was weird. The kitten settled in her lap purring contently.
Alanna was starting to get cold. She didn't like the cold. So she found some wood which sort of dry and started to build up the fire to be. She lighted it with her gift and sat very close to it. She jumped when a beautiful voice spoke.
"I'm sorry but I'm a weary traveller in need of some warmth. Will you permit me?" The stranger wore a hooded cloak. Alanna could not see her face.
"Oh of course." Alanna said looking at the stranger closely at the stranger. Her voice was so familiar yet she couldn't place it.
"My child we must talk." The lady flipped her cloak back to reveal a very white face with emerald eyes and red lips. Her long black hair flowed down her back freely. Alanna recognised the face instantly. It was the face
of the Great Mother Goddess.
Alanna backed away "You- you- you can't be-."
"You know who I am, and you know that you are one of my chosen ones. I have come to you before in your dreams. I am here only now because you are lost with no one to guide you."
"I'm not lost." Alanna retorted.
"Oh but you are, my child and I am here to help."
"With what? I can find my own way." Alanna said stubbornly.
"Love, marriage dealing with your pain and anger." The Great Mother Goddess.
"I'm in love, I don't want to get married, but I am in a lot of pain and I feel some anger." Alanna admitted.
"I can help you decide Lady Rogue. You must go, George is waiting he is very worried." The Great Mother Goddess reached into the fire and pulled a very hot coal out she held it out Alanna. "Take it." Alanna was slightly
unsure that coal was hot. But then again the goddess wouldn't hurt her, would she?
Alanna took the coal ready to feel it burning her hand but no pain came in fact her hand was cold. She looked down something was covering the coal like glass but better she could still see the coal burning inside. She
looked up to say thankyou but there was no one there. The kitten yowled. Remembering the cat she looked down.
"Oh well." She sighed, "I guess your mine." The cat agreed willingly but then told her to go home because it was cold and he was hungry.
**************
"Alanna, never scare me like that again." George said worriedly hugging her tightly then kissing her before putting her down.
"George you worry to much, I'm fine really." Alanna said.
"I don't care if worry to much, if something happened to you I'd never forgive myself, never. I love you so much Alanna." He hugged her again.
"I love you too George and I've been thinking I'm known as the Lady Rogue but I'm not am I?"
"Of course you are."
"No I'm not, not really so." She trailed off.
"So." George prompted her on.
"I've I made up my mind I want us to get married." Alanna said finally.
"You want us to get married." George repeated faintly.
"Yeah." Said Alanna smiling. "So then I can be queen of the lady rogues and with you for the rest of my life. So I'm saying yes to that proposal from all those months ago."
George must have been hearing things he could have sworn he'd just heard Alanna say she wanted to get married.
Well George definitely looked like he was in shock. "Well." Alanna demanded losing her patience.
"Who do you want to invite?" George asked smiling, A dirty trick. Alanna's temper evaporated immediately.
"Not that many people, oh and by the way we have a new cat. Called Faithful."
"Why Faithful?"
"That what the cat told me to call him."
"You talk to the cat."
"Actually the cat told me and I listened."
"Who are you, and what have you done with my Lady Rogue."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You listened to someone you."
"And."
"I have never known you to listened to someone."
"Thankyou so much." Alanna said sarcastically.
*****************
The wedding wasn't that grand. What with Lord Provost slightly suspicious of all the Rogue's gathered in one place. Alanna was happy enough anyway.
The ring was quite nice. When Alanna asked George if it was nicked he said "Yes, but I nicked it from a stall not from someone's finger." Alanna shrugged, she didn't particularly mind.
(a/n can't be arsed to put chapters if you're wondering.)