Chapter Twenty Eight; Entrance.

Hi!

Remember me? I'm sorry for the length of time it is taking me to update- life is getting busier and more complicated all the time. I am also, and have been for some time, dropping out of the fandom. I will do my utmost to finish most, if not all of my stories, that much I promise you!

Thank you so much to everyone who reviews- you are the ones who spur me on to writing more!

Diana. xo

"It's nearly time, isn't it?"

She could hear the carriages of the nobility and the chatter of the rich lords and ladies as they entered the palace. The stone corridors acted as a funnel for the sound of the latecomers as she sat in the dressing room in the Queen's quarters.

George and Eleni, the only ones in the room with her, nodded. Sighing, she stood from the chair in which she had been sitting for the past few hours whilst various women painted her face and pulled her hair into an elegant style. Wincing at her stiffness, Alanna straightened and made her way to the mirror. Eyeing her reflection, she had to admit that the maids knew how to do their job well. Staring back at her was no Princess of the Rogue, nor a capable Shang warrior, but a Lady. The Lady Alanna of Trebond she could have been had Alanna bowed to her father's commands when she was a child. Smoothing her hands over the long skirt, her sword and bow calluses caught on the soft material. To the surprise of the others, that brought a soft smile to her lips; Alanna was no ordinary Lady of the Court and nor would she ever be. The words of the Doi seers she had met throughout her journey echoed through her mind. The first had travelled to Maren, where she had been training with Eda, to speak to her; the second she had met when a travelling market had passed through a town they had been staying in; the last, a man, had stopped her after she was reunited with Jon in Persepolis. All of them had spoken to her of the past, the present and the future and of three possible paths converging into one. Perhaps this was the crucial moment they had spoken of, the moment in which the Noble Lady, the Princess of the Rogue and the Shang Warrior were all one person. She had been all of those at one time or another, but she had fled from her life as a Noble a lifetime ago, she had abandoned the court of the Rogue when she had run away after the Great Palace Battle and she was resigned to being condemned by the Shang Elders for deceiving them about her Gift. With an ironic smile she absently accepted Eleni and George's good wishes and embraces as they left her to her thoughts, hurrying away to their positions. It was strange, for someone who prided herself in being so brave, she had run away from a lot of things in her life. She no longer fitted into the roles she once had, perhaps it was time to start anew again, although this time, without running away.

A knock startled her from her musings. With another sigh she turned to the door. It was no good dreaming on what might have been, if her experiences had taught her anything, it was to concentrate on the present and to stop second guessing herself. It was time to end all deceptions. Only when she had revealed who she truly was, when she no longer had to recall whether she could be herself or had to pretend to be someone else to different people, could she have a clear mind once again. Since she had left her home in Trebond as a child, she had been living a lie in one form or another. It was time to reveal all, and finally learn who she was again. Alanna had no idea what she wanted to do after the ball, she knew she loved Jon and her family and friends here in Corus and didn't think she could leave them again, but she was also a realist; how could she stay within the city and still be herself? Another knock, this time firmer, roused her out of her musings once more. She called for the person to enter and was relieved to see it was one of the Queen's maids.

"Excuse me, my lady, but her majesty sent me to tell you that you have some visitors in her drawing room." With a curtsey she turned, intending to lead Alanna to the appropriate room. Rolling her eyes at the unexpected disturbance, Alanna grabbed her outside cloak from the chair on which it had been carelessly thrown and wrapped it around herself, concealing herself and her dress from sight. When the maid looked back to check that the guest of honour was following, she received quite a shock, for the beautiful lady had been replaced by a slightly menacing figure in a dark cloak, hood pulled low over her eyes.

The lady's gentle prompting brought the girl back to her senses quickly, dropping her eyes once more, she led the way to the Queen's suite of rooms.

She opened the door and, curtseying, urged Alanna to enter. Slightly cautiously she stepped into the room, to be pleasantly surprised by her brother and all her friends at the palace gathered into the one room. It was surprisingly cramped.

"What are you all doing here?" She asked in pleasant shock, "I thought you were all in the ball room already!" She glanced around, taking in the sight of her friends dressed in their finery. They were a wonderful sight to behold, in the prime of youth, five strong young men stood before her. Jon approached her and dropped a soft kiss on her mouth, unexpectedly causing her to blush. Chuckling softly at her reaction, he moved from the room, ready to take his place on the dais in the ballroom.

When the door shut behind him, she turned back around to face the rest of the men. Catching sight of their amused, or in Thom's case, slightly disgusted and disapproving faces, she wrinkled her nose at them.

Gary, as ever, was the one to break the silence, giving an admiring wolf whistle.

"Look at you!" He circled her slowly, stroking his chin comically. "You clean up pretty well!"

Laughing, she swatted him away playfully.

"So do you all, Sir Knights."

"We are here to escort you to the ball room," Thom said, interrupting the fun and instantly everyone sobered. He stepped close to his sister and she saw his resolve firming. "If this is what you really want, Alanna. It's still not too late to change your mind. You can't go back after this."

Alanna didn't answer straight away; she would be lying if she said she didn't still have doubts about what she was about to do. After she revealed who she was to the entire court, her life would change, once more, forever. She would have to find a path between what she wanted for herself and what others expected of her. What Jon expected of her. She had no illusions that he loved her, nor that she returned his love equally, but Jon was the Crown Prince of Tortall and whoever he married would become Queen. Did she want to be Queen? To permanently have to watch what she said, thought, did? Looking around, she saw the expressions of those who surrounded her. They were filled with a mixture of anticipation, hope, fear and yet also acceptance. Whatever she chose, her friends would stand by her. It was that which firmed her resolve and made up her mind for the final time. She was ready, and her expression told her companions everything they needed to know.

With a bow, Raoul offered her a dress cloak to replace the one she was wearing and the party moved out of the parlour, a slender, small girl cloaked and veiled in the midst of a group composed of the finest knights of the realm and a great sorcerer, but more importantly, her friends.

Jon stood behind the doors of the Great staircase, taking one moment to compose himself. The ball was already in motion, he could hear the music coming through the doors and the constant chatter of the courtiers. They would be discussing what had caused the King and Queen to hold a Grand Ball on such short notice. He only hoped the guards who had been in the antechamber when he had introduced Alanna to his parents had kept quiet. From the looks he had been receiving from several of the court ladies however, he had a sneaking suspicion that some rumour had spread. He inwardly groaned; they were probably all hoping that this would be the night when he picked one of them for his wife. He hadn't even begun thinking about marriage with Alanna yet, although he understood her reservations. He took it as a positive sign though that she had allowed him to court her, and he had George and Thom's blessings, of sorts. Jon was by no means a fool, he understood very well what would be expected of him as a King and what would be expected of his wife. Alanna could make an excellent queen, he was certain, with time. But would she enjoy it? While she could play the courtier's game both in the Royal court and that of the Rogue, possessed a shrewd mind and a strong sense of justice, he had to accept that she would never be the queen his mother was. She was too strong willed for that. Due to her illness and, in part, to her temperament, his mother was not greatly involved in matters of state, save when Roald asked her advice, which was often. Alanna would be his co-ruler in not just name but deed…

He started somewhat when the announcer cleared his throat and enquired if he was ready to make his entrance. Straightening his tunic and moving between the doors, a thrill of anticipation and excitement tingling through his body, Jon nodded his assent. The doors opened and the show began.

Just to answer a couple of questions that have popped up;

Q- Will Alanna and George ever get together?

A- No. I know I said that I would write both a George/Alanna and Jon/Alanna ending if possible. With my characterisation of Alanna and George's father-daughter relationship, it's just not going to happen.

Q - Is this the second part of a trilogy?

A - No, I have no plans to write a third story in the Princess of the Rogue set. I have no ideas how to continue it, nor the time anymore.

Thanks again, and I hope my next update is sooner!

Diana xo