A/N: Wow, so I like haven't LOOKED at this account in a very, very, verrrrrry long time because I've been busy with school and kinda writing a Harry Potter fic (see my other account: Tate Dean), but I haven't actually been writing that either. Anyway, I re-read all my stories on this account and I REALLY liked "All the Interesting Player", but this story…wow, totally sucks. Aly's quite the pain, eh? Anyway, I've figured I'd give it another go, finish up this story (I really don't remember where I was going with this…) and then perhaps write another Aly story or maybe another Kel? I'm not sure…Aly is fun to write because she can interact with ALL of the other characters from Alanna and Kel….So, if anyone's still reading this/excited for an update, I hope you enjoy this?

Thanks!!

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Kel was in their chambers when Aly rushed in and shut the door with a snap, making Kel look up from her book with a start, "Mithros, Aly, what's going on?"

"I was just talking to Delmore-"

"Talking?" Kel interjected, raising an eyebrow just enough for Aly to notice.

Aly rolled her eyes, "Yes, actually. And he told me that they don't plan on attacking us anymore."

"Anymore?"

"Yes."

Kel furrowed her eyebrows, "So they had been planning on it?"

"I suppose so, yes." Aly was clearly impatient, "Don't you think you should tell Jon?"

Kel was slightly startled to hear Aly say their King's first name so nonchalantly, until she remembered that he was her adoptive uncle. "Yes, I suppose I should tell Neal and Dom and we should tell the King through that mirror-thing of his…"

Aly laughed, knowing that because Kel did not have a Gift of her own, she was very skeptical of anything magical, especially after having to deal with Bryce's "Killing Machines".

"And maybe you should find, Aliya? I haven't seen her all day."

Kel left the room, presumably to go find Neal and tell him the latest (and nearly only) news that they'd gathered from the Marens. Aly sat down on her bed, wondering where Aliya and Kenton would be now, probably in his chambers.

Aly was almost furious with Aliya. How could she do this to Alan? She wondered how Alan must have felt when they had decided to break off their courtship before she left. Or how he'd feel when he found out that she was romancing the Prince…

Aly stood up, realizing they had a performance in an hour, and still angry with Aliya, changed her clothes quickly before walking down to the stage.

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"Aliya where have you been???" Rhys screamed at her as she waltzed backstage 15 minutes late. "You're on with Aly and Ronnie in 2 minutes!!"

"What scene are we doing?"

Rhys threw his hands up in the air, "Why do I even bother??"

Ronnie, looking over at Aly and nodding, said to Aliya, "Hey, we're going to improvise a short little scene, you think that's all right?"

"Sure, sure," Aliya waved her hand and fixed her dark hair in a mirror.

"Ok, ladies, you're on, please be good," Aly walked by Braden without even looking at him. She was so intent on what she was going to improvise, she didn't even feel his hand on her arm.

"What did you do today, Liza?"

Ronnie pushed her hair behind her ear and leaned in towards the table that had been set up on stage, "Well, I heard that there's a maiden here involved in some scandalous relations…"

"No!" Aliya faked gasped, sitting back in her chair.

Aly put a finger to her chin, "You know, Mary, I saw you today with Sir Caden."

Ronnie sucked in a breath, "Susan, don't make such statements until you know that they're true! And this can't be true! Mary's courting that page, aren't you?"

Aliya looked at both of her friends, "I don't know what either of you are talking about…"

Aly stood up, pushing her chair back with the sheer force of her standing, "I knew it! You're cheating on Paul with Sir Caden!"

"NO!" Ronnie gasped.

"Paul's my own brother! How could you cheat on him with a Knight? Who's 10 years your senior?"

"I-I'm not! How could you accuse me of such?"

"Mary! You have been with Sir Caden almost every hour of every day! And poor Paul! He's been heartbroken and confused!"

"I can't believe, Mary, that you would take part in such an implicit and wrong relationship with a Knight! We are but mere maidens! You can't be caught with a Knight! The King could have you executed!"

"And think of my brother! He might be on his way to being a Knight, but he's not near as powerful as Sir Caden!"

"But Sir Caden loves me!" Aliya was on the verge of tears.

"Please, Mary, we're just worried about you…"

"I know, I know, but I love him and he loves me! He told me so!"

"Mary, he's just telling you these things so you'll…" she whispered the last bit, "sleep with him!"

"Liza!"

"It's true, Suan!"

"Mary, please, you have to stop seeing Sir Caden!"

"But I can't!!"

"You have to, Mary! For your own good!"

Ronnie looked off to the side of the stage, "Oh, girls, here comes Sir Caden now…"

Aly and Ronnie ran to the opposite side of the stage as Aliya stood in the center, Chris walking on to the stage, looking as regal and suave as ever. "Maiden Mary."

"Sir Caden." She curtsied as low as she could possibly could, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to see you…come back to my rooms?"

Aliya looked back to her friends, "Yes, of course, Sir Caden."

And the curtains closed. Aliya walked off stage and did not stop, leaving the theater all together without a word to anyone.

"Seems as thought that just made her more mad than before…"

"Yea, thanks for pointing that out, Chris."

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"Kenton?"

"Yes, Aliya" he said in between kissing her neck, as they sat on his bed, for the second time that day.

"Do you really like me?"

He stopped kissing her, utterly confused, and looked into her eyes, "Of course I do."

Aliya smiled, "Good. So you don't mind answering one more question?"

"Of course not."

"What were you planning to do with Tortall?"

He stopped kissing her altogether and looked at her, his eyes suddenly turning slightly cold. "What are you talking about Aliya?"

She immediately realized her mistake and tried to hide her sudden fear, "Nothing, Kenton."

He grabbed her arm when she tried to stand up, "No, Aliya, what did you mean by that question?"

She tried her best to laugh convincingly, "Nothing, I'm just tired and should go to sleep."

"Aliya," he was serious, "I don't know what you think you know, but we're not planning on attacking Tortall," he paused and thought for a minute, "why? Was Tortall planning on attacking us?"

Aliya laughed, relieved, "Why would we when we're already at war?" She got up again, "Now if you'll excuse me, I really should be going to sleep…"

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Aly and Ronnie were talking quietly in their bedroom about what the King would tell Kel and Neal when Aliya walked in. The two girls looked up, flabbergasted. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I live here, don't I?"

Ronnie, trying to prevent a remark from Aly asked again, "But you haven't been in here in days."

"Well, I got information from Kenton, he finally let something slip."

Aly could tell she was lying. Not only because of her Sight, but because she wasn't looking Ronnie in the eyes.

"What did he tell you?" Aly asked, making sure to detect any more lies from Aliya.

"That they don't plan on attacking us," she said truthfully.

Aly nodded, "Delmore told me the same thing. We should tell Kel that now we have confirmation.

"One of us should tell Chris and Braden, don't you think? I mean, I feel bad that they haven't been able to befriend them."

Aly nodded, "Well we haven't really given them a chance. I feel like we haven't been doing our job at all."

Ronnie nodded as Aliya sat on her own bed, "It's just difficult. I mean, we've only been here a few days, and the rules are so strict on who you can talk to and all that."

Aliya nodded, "I'm sorry."

"What?"

Aliya rolled her eyes playfully, "Here I am, trying to apologize for being so rude and terrible to you two the past couple days, and you can't even say anything but 'what'!"

Aly tried to smile, but she waited for Aliya to continue.

"I was just so distraught over the whole Alan thing, and Aly, I hope you let me talk to him first. Don't worry," she saw the look in Aly's eyes, "I'm going to be straight with him and tell him the truth," she paused and took a breath, "and I just wanted to feel wanted and loved by someone, and Kenton claimed that he did. And I don't know why I believed him, I think because I wanted to, but oh!" She threw an arm around each girl, "I'm so sorry!!"

Ronnie laughed, "It's all right. We were just worried about you is all. I mean we didn't know if we could trust Kenton…"

Aliya smiled, trying not to tear up, "I know, and thank you. I feel so guilty being so terrible to you."

Aly smiled, glad to have her friend back and not angry, "Don't even worry about it, Aliya."

Kel came back to the room a few minutes later, surprised and happy to see Aliya back and getting along with Ronnie and Aly.

"What did the King say?"

"Well, he wants us to stay for another week like we had originally said, and he wants us to keep on the look out."

"Well Aliya found out from Kenton that they don't plan on attacking, so now we have confirmation."

Kel smiled. "We'll let the King know tomorrow, but for now we should head to dinner and than get some rest. You girls have another production tomorrow morning and I have to present my glaive skills…"

Aly patted her on the shoulder, "Aw, don't be scared, Lady Knight," she laughed.

Kel smiled, "Thanks, Aly. I'm just afraid of boring these Maren nobles to death."

Aly smiled wickedly, "You could always use Neal for the demonstration…"

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A/N: Wow, I just really want them to leave Maren. So I might flash forward the week they have left there. It's just so much easier/more fun to have them play around in Tortall, especially at the Castle. I'm not sure. I don't even know why I opened this story back up…Maybe I'll write more stand-alone fics. I have some basic ideas, like a little ficlet between Neal and Baird, Merric and someone because I feel he's so underused/underdeveloped, maybe some Neal/Dom bantering, I'm not sure. Also maybe a Dom/George ficlet. Not like smut or anything, but them talking about their Lady Knights. That would be fun….

Review? Please?

-AE