[Tortall] The Chosen, 33/? [Alex/Alanna, AU]
The Chosen [33/?]
[Tortall AU] Alex/Alanna, Thom/OC
‘You fought with your maid.’
Alanna paused in her training - though she didn’t turn around - letting her shooting-arm hang limply at her side. ‘Am I not entitled to fall out with my friends?’ she asked quietly.
Alex slipped down from his perch on the fence around the archery range and made his way over to her side, silently correcting her hold on her bow when he got there. For once, she took his adjustment in stride; she raised her arm, drew back another arrow, and released - yellow, just about.
‘Good,’ Alex said, ‘but you could do better.’
She laughed humourlessly. ‘And are we talking about archery now, or my choice in friends?’
Alex sighed, and peered at her cautiously before winding an arm around her shoulders - if she turned to face him, she noticed suddenly, then her head would fit quite comfortably under his chin. ‘I don’t know,’ he answered slowly. ‘The archery, probably. Or maybe both.’
‘I need to get away from here. For a while, at least,’ Alanna told him suddenly, and at his curious expression she said, ‘It’s getting cold, and it feels like there are ghosts all around.’
She waited for a few minutes for Alex to respond, and when he did, she could hear the unfamiliar hesitance in his voice. ‘It’ll be warm in the south,’ he said quietly, ‘but the ghosts will always be with you.’
A small, sad smile spread across her face, and she twisted her head around to face him. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘For what?’
‘For being Alex.’
He laughed - the first sincere laugh she’d heard from him in a long while - and over the sound, she could hear the bells in the clock tower ringing for the six-o’clock supper. ‘We should go inside,’ he told her, smiling, but Alanna shook her head.
‘The food can wait,’ she said, and then raised her head to kiss him.
‘I’m filthy, and I smell!’ Alanna shouted from inside her chambers, while Alex banged incessantly on her door. ‘Can’t you at least wait until I’ve washed?’
‘Father will be arriving soon, Alanna, and it would be rude if you were not there to greet him,’ came the reply, ‘especially considering what you’re going to ask of him.’
Alanna flung the door open in a rage, and scowled at him. ‘What you’re going to ask, you mean,’ she said, but her anger dwindled slightly as she took in the hassled expression on her godsbrother’s face. ‘Just-’ she floundered for a moment, the wind stolen from her sails somewhat, ‘just let me make myself presentable. I’ll be quick, I promise.’
Alex nodded, sighing. ‘I’ll meet you at the next bell,’ he said, and then - just to emphasise the urgency of the situation, ‘Hurry.’
She nodded tersely, and then closed the door firmly in his face, hoping that the water in her bath would still be warm. It wasn’t, and Alanna spent the next fifteen minutes flinching at the chill as she washed and dressed herself with as much haste as she could manage, before heading out to meet Alex in the courtyard.
He was waiting for her, as promised, while discussing the journey from Tirragen with one of his father’s men-at-arms, and Alanna sighed in relief to see that Lord Arthur’s carriage could not have been there for more than a few minutes. Lord Arthur himself was stepping out of the carriage rather heavily - losing his dexterity in his old age - and he swore quietly as one of his joints clicked, but he smiled at his godsdaughter when he saw her, and embraced her.
‘It is wonderful to see you again, Alanna,’ he said. ‘And you look so well, considering. I must admit, I half expected you to be locked in your chambers, refusing all visitors.’
Alanna offered him a shaky smile in response. ‘Most visitors,’ she said, ‘but not you.’
‘And my son tells me that the two of you are getting along, for once,’ he said, raising an eyebrow.
She chuckled, with butterflies fluttering around her stomach. ‘We’ve managed to find some common ground.’
‘Well, when we get inside, you shall have to tell me all about it,’ he said, taking her arm and leading her towards the warmth. Alex followed, just a step behind.
[Tortall AU] Alex/Alanna, Thom/OC
‘You fought with your maid.’
Alanna paused in her training - though she didn’t turn around - letting her shooting-arm hang limply at her side. ‘Am I not entitled to fall out with my friends?’ she asked quietly.
Alex slipped down from his perch on the fence around the archery range and made his way over to her side, silently correcting her hold on her bow when he got there. For once, she took his adjustment in stride; she raised her arm, drew back another arrow, and released - yellow, just about.
‘Good,’ Alex said, ‘but you could do better.’
She laughed humourlessly. ‘And are we talking about archery now, or my choice in friends?’
Alex sighed, and peered at her cautiously before winding an arm around her shoulders - if she turned to face him, she noticed suddenly, then her head would fit quite comfortably under his chin. ‘I don’t know,’ he answered slowly. ‘The archery, probably. Or maybe both.’
‘I need to get away from here. For a while, at least,’ Alanna told him suddenly, and at his curious expression she said, ‘It’s getting cold, and it feels like there are ghosts all around.’
She waited for a few minutes for Alex to respond, and when he did, she could hear the unfamiliar hesitance in his voice. ‘It’ll be warm in the south,’ he said quietly, ‘but the ghosts will always be with you.’
A small, sad smile spread across her face, and she twisted her head around to face him. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘For what?’
‘For being Alex.’
He laughed - the first sincere laugh she’d heard from him in a long while - and over the sound, she could hear the bells in the clock tower ringing for the six-o’clock supper. ‘We should go inside,’ he told her, smiling, but Alanna shook her head.
‘The food can wait,’ she said, and then raised her head to kiss him.
‘I’m filthy, and I smell!’ Alanna shouted from inside her chambers, while Alex banged incessantly on her door. ‘Can’t you at least wait until I’ve washed?’
‘Father will be arriving soon, Alanna, and it would be rude if you were not there to greet him,’ came the reply, ‘especially considering what you’re going to ask of him.’
Alanna flung the door open in a rage, and scowled at him. ‘What you’re going to ask, you mean,’ she said, but her anger dwindled slightly as she took in the hassled expression on her godsbrother’s face. ‘Just-’ she floundered for a moment, the wind stolen from her sails somewhat, ‘just let me make myself presentable. I’ll be quick, I promise.’
Alex nodded, sighing. ‘I’ll meet you at the next bell,’ he said, and then - just to emphasise the urgency of the situation, ‘Hurry.’
She nodded tersely, and then closed the door firmly in his face, hoping that the water in her bath would still be warm. It wasn’t, and Alanna spent the next fifteen minutes flinching at the chill as she washed and dressed herself with as much haste as she could manage, before heading out to meet Alex in the courtyard.
He was waiting for her, as promised, while discussing the journey from Tirragen with one of his father’s men-at-arms, and Alanna sighed in relief to see that Lord Arthur’s carriage could not have been there for more than a few minutes. Lord Arthur himself was stepping out of the carriage rather heavily - losing his dexterity in his old age - and he swore quietly as one of his joints clicked, but he smiled at his godsdaughter when he saw her, and embraced her.
‘It is wonderful to see you again, Alanna,’ he said. ‘And you look so well, considering. I must admit, I half expected you to be locked in your chambers, refusing all visitors.’
Alanna offered him a shaky smile in response. ‘Most visitors,’ she said, ‘but not you.’
‘And my son tells me that the two of you are getting along, for once,’ he said, raising an eyebrow.
She chuckled, with butterflies fluttering around her stomach. ‘We’ve managed to find some common ground.’
‘Well, when we get inside, you shall have to tell me all about it,’ he said, taking her arm and leading her towards the warmth. Alex followed, just a step behind.