“Ah well, you see…” Alanna murmured, thinking of an excuse, any excuse. She couldn’t tell him what she’d seen. She didn’t understand it herself, and she wasn’t willing to share it with anyone else. “Fire can be very unpredictable!” she finished, with a smile.
Alex chuckled. “It certainly can.” he commented dryly. “Would you take a walk with me, Lady? The ball’s almost finished, anyway.”
They left together, Alanna feeling a warm rush as he watched her. “Who was that man?” he asked suddenly, as they strolled through a courtyard, feeling the cool night breeze.
“I don’t know. He was wearing a mask, wasn’t he? How was I supposed to know?” she snapped.
“I was only asking! I just didn’t recognize him, that’s all. I was wondering if he was the Shang warrior who was supposed to have arrived today.”
“A Shang warrior?” Alanna gasped.
“They visit the palace now and again. They stay a few weeks, and then move on.”
“That’s the way of Shang folk, “ replied Alanna. “We had one at Trebond, not long before I left for the convent. He taught my brother a lot about hand-to-hand fighting.” She missed out the fact that he had taught her more than Thom, and that she already knew a large amount of Shang fighting.
“I can’t remember his name,” muttered Alex. “I suppose it could be the same one who taught Thom.”
“It could well be… I don’t remember him that well.” she wanted to change the subject. This was dangerous ground. She didn’t want anyone to know about her knowledge of the fighting arts… not yet. As well as Shang fighting, she could fight with a dagger and use a bow. She’d taken being a warrior maiden very seriously, when she was younger. In fact, she still did.
They strolled and talked casually for a while, until Alanna started shivering. “Alex, I’m getting cold, and I’m tired. By your leave, can we go inside now?”
“Of course.” he put an arm around her, making her feel a bit warmer. “You’ve avoided being alone with me since that time I kissed you.” he commented softly. “Why are you afraid to face me?”
Afraid to face him! How dare he! She struggled to control her temper, feeling that familiar anger welling up inside her. “I am not afraid to face you! I just wanted time to think about things, that’s all.”
“And have you thought about them?”
“I suppose so,” she said. They were outside her chambers, and suddenly the corridor seemed to shrink. “Is this the right time to discuss it?” she asked.
“Can you think of a better time?”
Yes! Her mind screamed out. Why don’t we never, ever talk about it? Her traitor mouth opened, and she said, “No.”
He kissed her, and she wished she’d never spoken. “Not so bad?” he asked, his eyes smiling.
She shook her head, and pushed him away. “G’night, Alex.”
“Sure you don’t want accompanying?” he asked her.
The only reply he got was a glare, and a closing door. He shook his head. She was harder to break than he’s thought she would be.
----
The next day, Alanna, with a lot of things on her mind, went in search of the new Shang warrior. She followed directions from a servant, and found the warrior out on the practice courts, surprisingly, alone. Another surprise was that the warrior was not the sex Alex had thought her to be. It was a woman, to Alanna’s delight.
“Hello.” smiled the tall, strong-looking young woman, with short black hair. “I’ve heard about you. Alanna of Trebond, that’s right, isn’t it?”
“How did you know?”
“Your twin. He helped me with my luggage when I arrived yesterday, as one of his duties as a squire, apparently. He said that his sister would be pleased to see me. All mysterious, he was. I made him tell me what he was talking about.” she looked curiously at Alanna. “I hear you know some Shang fighting.”
“I do. The Shang warrior who visited us at Trebond taught me, although my father didn’t know about it! I think he was called the Shang Bear.”
“I know him.” smiled the lady. “I’m the Shang Leopard, and by the sound of it, you’re very different from the other court ladies I’ve met so far.”
“I like to think I am.” laughed Alanna, thinking fast. “I was wondering, if you’re not too busy, could you teach me some more Shang fighting. I know I’m a girl, and I’m too old, but I’d like to learn.”
The warrior grinned. “If you’re willing to learn, I don’t mind teaching you. It’d be fun. Let’s see…” she frowned. “It would have to be in private, away from people who would call you unladylike. I teach the pages and squires in the afternoon, so how about early mornings? I’ll arrange a meeting place later.”
“Wonderful! Thank you so much!” Alanna grinned, and ran off back up to the palace. The Shang Leopard watched her go, thinking.
----
“You hate him, don’t you?” George watched Alanna, as she flicked through a book of magic.
“I… Yes, I do. But I just don’t know why. I have no proof, no nothing!”
“But if he’s the one that’s making the Queen ill, surely he should have a wax figure somewhere? Some object that he’s enchanting?”
“He should have, yes. But if I try and find out, and it’s not him, then I’d be hung for treason. I’m pretty sure that he’s up to something, but it might just be some stupid experiment. I can’t tackle him until I have some evidence.” She frowned.
“What if he’s the one guilty of treason?” George’s voice was concerned. “Why do you have to get yourself tangled up in this?”
“Because I can tell there’s something going on! And it’s my duty as a noble to find out what.” Suddenly, her face darkened. “And if he is guilty, then it’s my duty to sort him out.”
“Alanna, you’re being stupid! He’s too powerful; he’s got half the court falling at his feet! How can you fight against him? He’s a powerful sorceror, he can fence…”
“I may not be a man, and I may not be able to fence, but that hasn’t stopped me yet! The Shang Leopard says that my Shang fighting is very impressive for a noblewoman, I can use a dagger, bow and arrow.” Her eyes flared. “I have my Gift, which may not be as strong as his, but….” she paused, “The Goddess watches over me. How can anyone argue with the Gods?”
George shook his head. “It’s the same with all nobles, stubborn.” He looked at the magic book she held. “Have you found what you’re looking for yet?”
“I think so.” She showed him the page she looked at, and her eyes met his. “What do you think?”
The page was titled ‘Imagery magic’. George took one look at the page, and nodded. “It fits, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” she replied, twirling a lock of hair between two fingers. “If he has them all under the same spell, as it seems he does, there’s no way they can see what he’s up to, and no way they can fight back. He casts the spell on his wax image of the Queen, so she catches typhoid, and then he pulls wool over the eyes of anyone who might see through him. Except me.” she looked at George, her face pale and nervous. “He forgot me.”
“Now all you need is the proof.”
“That’ll take a while to get. And when I have it… I’ll have to have all my strength, and all my power ready. Who knows what Roger will do?”
----
Eleni, Chief Daughter at the Mother of Mares and Mountains convent, sat behind her desk, waiting for a knock at her door. There was a silence all around, apart from the drip of melting snow. Here in City of the Gods, it took longer for spring to arrive.
Alanna of Trebond had been gone two months, and still no one had got used to life without her. It seemed stupid, come ridiculous, but there was so much less laughter and fun now that she wasn’t around. Most of the Daughters had come to love the unruly girl, although they’d tried not to show it. Except the Daughter who taught deportment- the Chief’s second-in-command. She had hated Alanna, and made absolutely no attempt to hide it.
“You’re here to learn the art of being a lady, Alanna of Trebond! You’re not here to have fun!” That’s what she’d said, again and again. There was no laughter in her classes. Eleni had never agreed with this, but there was no point in arguing with a fellow Daughter.
One thing worried her though. The Deportment mistress had been ‘ill’ for days, and there was a feeling of heavy magic in the air, that seemed to be coming from Corus. Eleni was a powerful mage, and she could tell when evil magic was being worked from a moderate distance. There was a dull ache in the back of her head.
She couldn’t help but fear for Alanna. Something told her that things did not bode well for the fiery girl.
“I trained her myself for six years!” she muttered, frustrated. “What in the name of the Goddess is going on?”
She threw some vervain into her fire, and crouched down in front of it, muttering a spell. She was going to find out who was working this magic, and why.
----
“Kick with the left foot! And turn, like this!” Kalianna, the Shang Leopard, kicked and spun in a swift movement, while Alanna gaped.
“I can’t do that!” she moaned.
“If I can, you can.” said the young woman, “Go on, try. The only way you’ll get better is to practise.”
Alanna did the movement, not quite as fast as Kalianna, but her teacher was impressed. “Very good!” she nodded approvingly. “Now you can do the practice we did yesterday, all the way through.”
Alanna grimaced, but said nothing. She launched into the intricate kicks and punches of the training practice, eye-catching, but deadly, if used at the right time.
“Well, well, well. What have we here?” said a male voice, taking them both by surprise.
Alanna swung round. “Thom! How did you get here? No one’s supposed to know!”
“Stefan told me you were here. Why so secretive, anyway? You never told me what you were up to!”
“As if you didn’t already know that I’d try and learn more Shang fighting!” grinned Alanna. “But, really, Thom, if anyone sees…”
“What?”
“I’d be a disgrace to the Trebond line… Goddess knows what they’d do with me.”
Kalianna smiled. “You are wise, to educate yourself in the fighting arts, if only for self-protection. As a woman, who knows what you may encounter? They say woman can’t fight…” she shrugged. “I suppose Lady Alanna and I are just exceptions to the rule.”
“I seem to be an exception to almost every rule that I’m supposed to comply with.” Alanna said, matter of factly.
“Is that a bad thing?” asked the Shang Leopard, throwing a high kick into the air above Thom’s head; making him duck.
“I don’t know.” Alanna murmured, thinking. Yes, she liked being different… but sometimes, just sometimes, she wished that trouble would follow someone else around, instead of her.
----
“Eleni!” Rowena, Second Daughter at the convent, shook her head. “You can’t go making random accusations like this! He’s a powerful man.”
“I’m not making random accusations. You, of all people, should know that magic never lies! I saw this in the fire, Rowena.” Eleni drew herself up to her full height. “Or do you not remember the last time you advised me to ‘let well alone’? I believe that you told me Trila was just sulking, but by the time I came to my senses and doubted you, she was dead. I’m a healer- I could’ve saved her! I’m not going to let something terrible happen in Tortall, all because you tell me it won’t.”
“Nothing terrible is going to happen. You’re being silly, Sister. I think a good night’s sleep would do you good.” the tall blonde woman said, crisply.
“Be quiet.” answered Eleni.
Outside the door, Mari and two other Daughters pressed their ears to the door. There was nothing more entertaining than the Chief Daughter and her deputy having an argument.
“Honestly, Eleni. You always have to make a mountain out of a molehill! Trila’s death was a slight misjudgement on my behalf-“
“Slight?” interrupted the Chief.
“-But I think that in this instance, I am right.”
“If you will kindly listen to me for a moment? What I saw in the fire does not bode well for Alanna of Trebond., or for the royal family. He is plotting, and Alanna has got herself in too deep.”
Mari gasped. “What- I… how does she know?”
“Alanna of Trebond always has herself in too deep. If you’d listened to me, we would have got rid of her long before she got to the palace to cause trouble there.” Rowena’s voice was cold, and she made no attempt to hide the hatred in her voice.
“It is not the custom at this convent to send young ladies with potential away before giving them a chance. I am well aware of your grudge against the said young lady, but I personally thought that you were old enough to get over a tiny feeling of resentment.” replied Eleni, her voice equally cold. “And, if you three behind the door would like to come in please?”
“Her and her Gods-cursed Sight!” murmured one of the Daughters. “We forget about it every single time!”
----
Unaware that, not for the first time, she was being discussed behind her back, Alanna marched into her room, followed by Lady Cythera.
“Well, I said to Delia, go say that to the Prince, and you should’ve seen the look on her face! She looked fit to murder!” laughed the pretty brunette.
Alanna grinned at her new friend. They had both been having tea with the Queen, a few days ago, and had discovered that between the two of them, they could find a lot to talk about. Cythera, although she looked it at the balls, was not a dense court lady. She was funny, and always had plans to play practical jokes. She was also very good at not getting caught, which is always a bonus.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Gary of Naxen recently.” Alanna teased. “Don’t get too interested in him- have I shown you the poem he sent me, a while back?”
“Shut up! Well, what about you and Alex? You’re pretty close, aren’t you?”
Alanna pretended not to hear, and shuffled through a pile of notes on her desk. “I should really clear these out,” she murmured. “I never read half of these romantic poems anyway.”
“No. The only notes you read are the ones from Kelianna, telling you when to meet her and practise. You do realise what would happen if someone finds out?”
“No one’s going to find out, Cythera. Look, here’s the poem.”
“Roses are red, violets are a sort of purpley blue
My knees go weak every time I look at you
Your skin is so milky,
Your hair- so silky
It would really make my day,
If you would look my way!” read Cythera, her smile becoming more and more profuse as she spoke. “D’you think he realises how bad his poetry is?” she asked, while Alanna laughed. “Have you got any more?”
“I-“ Alanna stopped, hearing a knock on the door. “Who is it?”
“Alex.”
“Come in!” called Cythera, grinning at her friend, who glared behind her blush. Alanna felt that same rush of adrenalin she always felt when he was near her. Stupid girl, she thought. You’re not going to fall in love!
“I should be somewhere else.” said Cythera, her grin mischievous. “See you later!”
And she was gone, leaving Alanna alone with her feelings… and Alex.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I just wanted to ask you something. ” said Alex. “Pretty girl.” he nodded at the door, where Cythera had gone.
“She makes me look like a bootblack.” murmured Alanna, wondering why she suddenly cared that her friend was prettier.
“No one can make you look like a bootblack, Alanna of Trebond, and you know it. Stop fishing for compliments!” He walked over and sat beside her, taking her hand and kissing it.
“What was it you wanted to ask me?” she laughed, turning to face him.
“You know there’s a ball next week?”
Alanna’s gazed over his shoulder and out of the window behind, watching the sun begin to set behind Corus. The rooftops glistened with spring rain. “Is there?” she replied, eyes not moving. “Why?”
“Jonathan’s leaving the Palace for a while. He’s going to Galla, that’s what I heard, but no one knows why yet. The ball’s a sort of leaving party.”
“I don’t understand how you get the palace gossip before I do!” she said, meaning it. Between George, Kelianna and Cythera, she normally heard about things before they happened.
Alex laughed. “Anyway, I was wondering if you’d be my partner.”
“You need a partner? I thought that we just… went to balls, and-“
“This one’s different, apparently. But will you?”
“What?”
“Be my partner?”
Alanna looked into those dark, unreadable eyes, and smiled. “I suppose so.”
----
Mari drew in a breath, and looked across the table at Rowena, whose face was straight, but her eyes were triumphant. For some reason, she seemed to find this amusing.
“So that’s what’s been going on.” finished Eleni. “And now, what are we going to do about it?”
“I think we should do nothing.” Rowena replied, tartly. “If Alanna of Trebond has as much talent as you seem to think she has, Sisters, I can’t see how she can be in any danger.”
“She has a powerful Gift, and a strong spirit, we know that! But this is Duke Roger we’re talking about here! He’s not just any old sorcerer, is he?”
“I still don’t understand why he missed her out of his enchantment.” murmured Mari. “Surely he should’ve known about her.”
“I think that is one thing that we will never understand, Mari. The Gods choose our destinies.”
“But why does Alanna have this particular destiny?”
Eleni shook her head. “If only I knew. Anyway, we must inform Alanna of the danger she is in… or at least give her enough information to solve the problem.”
“What if she has solved it already?” snapped Rowena.
“Well then, it will hardly do her harm to have it confirmed, will it?” the Chief Daughter frowned for a moment. “Hmm. Ah, of course! My son, George! He… works in Corus. I will send him a message, and hopefully he will manage to get it to her.” Again, Eleni shook her head. “If Alanna fails us, Tortall is in mortal danger.”
“Well, let’s just hope she doesn’t fail us, shall we?” said Mari, more confidently than she felt.
----
Duke Roger paced his chambers, twirling his wizard’s staff round and round. His study was littered with papers, spell books, and seeing crystals… hardly anyone had seen it, except his few friends…. spies….
Impatiently, he slammed the staff down onto a desk, sending papers flying.
Suddenly, a seeing crystal lit up, sending shards of magical light flying round the room. There was a picture inside the crystal, but it was unclear until Roger picked the object up, and spoke to it.
“Yes?”
“Your Grace… I have news. Not good, I fear.”
“Ah, Rowena. I was wondering when I’d be hearing from you.” he said, softly. “What has happened?”
“Eleni… she suspects you, Duke.”
“How can she have? I put strong guarding spells on my workings… no one should’ve been able to penetrate them.”
“I don’t know.” The blonde haired woman in the crystal frowned. “She is going to tell Alanna of Trebond of the danger she is in.”
“Alanna of Trebond? That meddling fool! She would be in no danger if she was not so nosy…”
“Eleni seems to think that you haven’t enchanted Alanna. She says-“
“I have enchanted Alanna! I remember doing it, just like I enchanted everyone else who might spoil my plans… But she’ll have meddled, and if she isn’t stopped, she’ll ruin everything!”
Rowena frowned. “You’re not thinking of… well… killing her?”
“We shall see. In the meanwhile, find out as much as you can about the powers Alanna of Trebond has. If it comes to it, I need to know how I can defeat her. She is hardly a threat to me, but I cannot take any chances.” He scowled. “How is Daughter Eleni going to tell Alanna of my plans?”
“Her son, George Cooper works in Corus. She is hoping that he will be able to contact Alanna.”
The Duke ran his fingers through his hair, thinking hard. “What is his job?”
“I don’t know, Your Grace. I could try and find out for you….”
“That would be excellent, Rowena. Then I can…deal with him appropriately.”
Rowena nodded, and her face disappeared, leaving Roger staring at an empty crystal, a half grin, half grimace, on his face.
----
Alex spent a while with Alanna that afternoon. As they sat in the gardens, admiring some flowers and guessing why Jonathan was going to Galla, they were joined by Cythera and two knights- Gary and the Prince. Alanna avoided talking to the Prince all the time he was with them, but gave him a polite curtsy when he left.
“What’s wrong with you? You didn’t need to be like that to Jon,” said Alex, watching her closely.
“I wouldn’t have been like that to him if he wasn’t such a prick! (*A/N Definite A/J romance here, can’t you just see it?!*) He’s had too much attention from the other ladies, it’s gone to his head.” she said, obviously not caring that she was talking about the heir to the Tortallan throne.
He kissed her warmly, and hurried off, claiming he had to see the Provost. She walked back up to her chambers, waving at Kelianna, who passed her on the way, talking to one of the training masters.
Thinking vaguely of clearing out the pile of poems on her desk, she picked one up from the bottom of the heap, and absent-mindedly began to read.
Then, suddenly, the afternoon didn’t seem so nice any more.
----
The Dancing Dove was quieter than usual that night, and George climbed the stairs to his chambers quite early, stifling a yawn. He bade goodnight to Solom, and entered his bedroom. At first he didn’t notice her. She sat in a chair in front of his fire, watching him with dancing green eyes.
“What d’you think you’re doing?” he grabbed a knife, and held it to her throat. She seemed undaunted. With a flash of magic, the knife fell to the floor with a clatter. She smiled.
“I wouldn’t bother, George Cooper. I have no wish to harm you… we used to play together as children.” She flicked a strand of dark hair plaited with beads behind her ear, and waited for him to recognise her.
“Kethry! What in the name of the Crooked one are you doing here?” he gasped, hugging his childhood friend. She was almost as tall as him, she always had been.
“We need to talk, George. I have a message from you mother.”
“A message?” George looked at her, worried. “What’s wrong? Is the message so urgent that she couldn’t write it in a letter?”
“Yes, unfortunately. I’ve been attacked twice on the way here. I’m all right!” she said, seeing George’s worried look. “I managed to fight them off. This is one message that someone didn’t want you to get.”
“I’ll go and get a drink. And then you can give me the message, and tell me how you’re getting on.”
“So, you’re working at the convent?”
“Sort of.” Kethry took a swig of ale. Her dark hair was braided with multi-coloured beads, and her eyes, though ringed with black, were a bright, piercing green. She wore the robes of a mage. “Actually, I teach some of the ladies magic, when I’m not off on my travels. They’re all under-achieving airheads, of course, the ones I teach. Your mother instructs the ones who show promise.”
“Like Alanna?” George asked, absentmindedly. Kethry looked at him sharply for a moment, and continued.
“Yes, like Alanna. If you ask me, she was too good to be sent to the palace and catch a husband, but there we go.”
“What do you do when you’re not at the convent?”
“Wander around, protecting women who’re in danger with my Gift. I’m a Sorceress of the Mother… a bit like a Daughter of the Goddess, but not tied down to a temple. It’s great fun. Anyway, I should give you your mother’s message. “
George looked at the serious expression on his friend’s face, and nodded for her to begin.
“Well, it concerns Lady Alanna of Trebond-“
Just at that moment, George’s door flew open, hitting against the wall with a bang. The King of thieves leapt up, silently scolding himself. He’d forgotten to lock his door!
“George, I’m sorry to come so late at night, but I only just found this, and… oh, I’m sorry!” A flustered looking Alanna backed into the doorpost, taking in the scene, and obviously thinking she’d walked into something far more intimate than in reality it was.
“Hello lass. We were just talking about you,” lilted George. “Come and sit down.”
She did, gripping a sheet of paper between her hands. She said nothing, however, and her eyes flicked to Kethry and back.
“You must be Alanna of Trebond. I’ve heard a lot about you, from the Daughters at the convent. I’m Kethry of… Eldorne.” A shadow fell across the young woman’s face, as she mentioned her fief. “You might know my sister, Delia. I don’t talk about her much.”
Alanna shook Kethry’s hand, noting the sadness in her voice.
“Keth and I used to play together, when we were younger. She used to sneak down from her parent’s town-house, and visit me.” George smiled for a moment, then turned concerned eyes back to Alanna. “What brings you here so late?”
“Things are starting to make sense. I picked this up a little while ago.” she brandished the paper she was holding. “It’s written by Duke Roger.”
Both Kethry and George leaned forward, interested.
“It… it’s to Alex. Alex of Tirragen. He’s a friend of Prince Jonathan, and of mine. Read it yourself.” She tossed it at George, not able to read it herself. She’d been lied to, and it hurt.
“Alex~
I can’t say that I am happy with you. I asked you to start the plan last week, and I don’t seem to have seen much progress. I know that the Trebond girl is not easy to deal with, and that she already has plenty of suitors falling at her feet, but that gives you no reason not to charm her. I expect you to have taken action when I next see you. Bed her if you will, but as long as she is distracted from my cousin, and from my business, I will be pleased. Delia is playing her part well, but she is an idiot, only wanting power. Perfect for the job, I must say. I am persuading my uncle to make an alliance with the royal family in Galla… we will talk more about that soon.
Give no one any reason to be suspicious of you, and dispose of this note as soon as you have read it.
Roger.” George read, his face grim.
“It all fits, doesn’t it? Next week, the Prince is going away to Galla. They’re holding a ball as a leaving party, but no one actually knows why he’s going yet, although they’ve made pretty educated guesses.” Alanna explained, “Roger must’ve persuaded King Roald to arrange an alliance between Jonathan and one of the Gallan princesses, and if I’m not mistaken, Jonathan would have a seemingly accidental death of some sort on the way to meet his future bride. That would’ve got rid of the heir to the throne, leaving Roger next in line.”
“Ah…” Understanding dawned on George’s face. “And y’say the Queen has typhoid, yet she ain’t started an epidemic. That’s fishy enough, but the most unusual thing of all is that the Palace healers haven’t noticed that she has anything more than a common cold. Alanna and I have already worked out that that can’t be natural.”
Alanna glanced at Kethry, wondering how the visitor would be taking all this news. To her surprise, the young woman leapt up and clapped her hands. “That’s it!” she said, turning to George. “Your mother sent me to tell you that Duke Roger’s up to something, and that if he succeeds in his plans, Tortall will be ruined. She said that Alanna had to do something… she was very mysterious about that, wouldn’t tell me what exactly Alanna had to do. Now, that and what you’ve just told me all fits together into one clever assassination attempt!”
George looked at Alanna, who had tears running down her face. “Lass, what is it?”
The girl shook her head, as he looked at her with such care and concern. She didn’t want to admit how stupid she’d been. How could she have fallen for Alex? Why hadn’t she seen through him? Tears streamed down her face, and she tried to wipe them away. “I’d better go.” she whispered. “I guess I’ve got some work to do.”
“Wait a minute… you and Alex weren’t just good friends, were you?” asked George.
“No.” she sobbed, as he got up and hugged her. “I should’ve known…”
“How? How could you have?” asked Kethry, her voice soft and comforting. “You weren’t to know that Alex was lying, were you?”
“I….” Alanna stopped, and looked up at both of them. “What am I going to do? If I have to stop Roger killing the Prince, then I’ll need a plan… I’ll need to find out more about how he’s making the Queen ill, and I’ll have to be able to fight him, if it comes to it, and….”
“That’s where we come in.” George took her hand, and grinned. “You’re not on your own.”
----
Early the next morning, just as the sun began to rise, Alanna hurried back to the palace, accompanied by a large, heavy book of spells. She knew what she had to do now, but knowing you have to do something is nothing compared with actually doing it.
She had talked with George and Kethry for hours, attempting to work out exactly how they could prevent Roger from carrying out his plan. It was so ridiculous, she thought, as she sneaked into the palace, hoping to be unnoticed. She’d come to the palace expecting life to be boring and totally uneventful, and she’d ended up uncovering treason against the crown.
Tears welled up from her eyes, rolling slowly down her cheeks. It was all too much… she’d thought Alex was genuine. She’d never thought, not for one moment, that what he was doing was a trick to pull the wool over her eyes. How could he have fooled her so easily?
“I hate love!” she yelled, slamming her chamber door, and hoping that she hadn’t just woken the whole palace. Now, not for the first time, she vowed never ever to love a man again.
She dumped the spell book on her desk, and sat down to read through it, hoping to find the uncovering spell that Kethry had mentioned. It was time for action. She’d get her revenge on Alex, and on Roger, if it was the last thing she did, which she knew it could well be. Alanna of Trebond was not going to let them get to her! But, as anyone who has ever stayed up all night and then tried to study the next morning will know, there was no point. Within moments, she was fast asleep, her head resting on the open book.
----
“Alanna!”
She rolled over, but carried on sleeping.
“Oh sister dear!”
“Thom, go away… I’m trying to get some sleep.” Alanna snapped, keeping her eyes tightly shut.
“What were you doing last night that was so important you didn’t get any sleep?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Possibly not.” Thom gave up trying to hide his laughter, and grinned.
“I was discussing how to save the royal family, with the King of Thieves and a Sorceress.” she answered, sitting up, and rubbing her head.
Thom sighed. That wasn’t quite the answer he’d been expecting, no, it was far more unusual. But then, with Alanna, nothing was ever quite what you expected.
----