A/N: This idea has been running round in my head for a while now, so I wrote it down.
"My champion should be here soon, so now we have to wait," King Jonathon said to everyone in the room. Thayet, Buri, both Gareths of Naxen, Raoul of Goldenlake, Gammel the blacksmith from the Bloody Hawk and Myles were sat waiting for the last member of their party.
Suddenly a voice echoed around the room. "I have a person. He has prayed to me and has asked to return to the living world until midnight tonight. He wishes to know of his children. Alan of Trebond will arrive in a matter of seconds," the voice said.
"Sir Alan of Trebond…" came the murmur round the room.
Alan of Trebond appeared next to the king. He shook his head to clear it.
"Sir Alan of Trebond, I am King Jonathon," said Jon, turning to look the newcomer. "I will say now that many things have changed since you died ten years ago."
"Okay. I'm sure he told you, but I wish to see my children. How are Thom and Alanna?" A whisper went round the room. He doesn't know.
"I think it is better to wait for my champion rather than me tell you myself. They know your children inside out," Jon said, glancing at Thayet. "But first, tell me what you expect of Alanna and Thom."
"Well, Thom should be a good knight and has found a good wife. Alanna should be a perfect lady and has found a good husband that will look after her."
"I will say now, that you are in for a shock."
Somebody knocked on the door.
"Open up, Jon, we're waiting," said a strangely familiar voice. Alan recognized it immediately but couldn't place it.
Gary was sat nearest the door and opened it. He let two people wearing riding cloaks come in and then shut the door, a spell flickering at the lock.
"It's good to be back, I can tell you that much," sighed a male voice from the second cloak. Both people shook of their cloaks and nodded to everyone.
"Alanna…?" whispered Alan. Alanna turned around, her eyes connecting with her father, and her knees gave way. George caught her before he hit the ground, picked her up and placed on a chair, sitting down on the chair next to her.
"What's going on?" Alanna asked, looking Jon in the eye.
"Your father prayed to the Gods to return to the land of the living and see his children," Jon explained. "I told him it was better to wait for my champion so they could explain it."
"Just explain it to him Jon. I'm not in the mood. We've just ridden all the way from Pirates Swoop," Alanna collapsed back onto her chair.
"Fine, I'll explain it. But please don't interrupt. Anyone." Everyone nodded, most of them already knowing the full story.
"I'll start at the beginning. Thom never entered page training. He went to the City of Gods to become a sorcerer. Alanna, meanwhile, disguised herself as a boy and entered her page years. She saved me from the sweating sickness and, together with me, defeated the Bazhir demons in the Black City. During her squire years, she won a duel against a full Tusainian knight. She saved my live in the battle at the Drell Valley."
"She passed her Ordeal of Knighthood and that same night discovered my cousin Roger plotting to kill both me and my parents. He wanted trail by combat. During the duel, he uncovered Alanna as a girl. She killed him."
"During this time, Thom passed the Ordeal of Mastery, becoming the youngest Black Robe mage in history. He came to the palace and Alanna went south into the desert. She and Coram were adopted into the Bloody Hawk tribe. Some time later, myself and Myles travelled south after I was presented by the opportunity to become the Voice of the Tribes. Myles adopted her as his daughter. She trained the first female Shamans. During her time in the desert, she also knocked back my proposal."
"After returning from the desert, she went north, to the roof of the world. She met the legendary Shang Dragon, Liam Ironarm, and fetched the Domination Jewel. She also kept Thayet save on the way back and introduced her to me. While she was away, Thom brought my cousin Roger back to live, but it corrupted his gift. During my coronation, she single-handedly killed Roger again, meanwhile grieving for the death of Thom, who Roger killed. After that, she found out that Liam had died protecting me."
"She went back south to the desert and George soon joined her. I announced I would marry Thayet and she told George she would marry him." He paused for a second. "Is that everything?"
Gary shook his head. "Not quite. Do you want to hear the list of titles she has? Lets see…The Kings Champion, Lady Knight Alanna of Pirates Swoop, Trebond and Olau, the Burning-Brightly-One, the Woman Who Rides Like A Man, but above all, the Lioness."
"But…having a Lady Knight…" stammered Alan.
"She deserves it, Alan," said Gareth. It was the fist time he had spoken. "You said yourself that no-one was better with a sword than I and yet she is better than me. She even bested the Shang Dragon with her sword."
"So… did I get anything I wanted for my children?"
"Yes, you did. Alanna has a wonderful husband who cares for her," Raoul said, gesturing at George.
"Nice to meet you. I am George Cooper, Baron of Pirates Swoop."
"I wish to know how did Alanna meet you?" Alan asked, turning to face George.
"Ahh, well it's a long story," started George. "When she first met me, I was King of the Rogue, the head of thieves in Tortall. I was a wanted man. I got Alanna her horse and taught both her and Jon hand-to-hand combat and how to fight with knives. I loved her since I first met her and comforted her, when things went wrong. I loved her, but I knew that Jon also loved her. I was willing to let them be together, but Alanna decided against it. Shortly before Jon's coronation, he pardoned me and made me Baron of Pirates Swoop. That's about it."
"I still don't think…having a Lady Knight…"
"She has done things for everyone in here, over and over again."
"She saved me and Buri from being killed and brought us to Corus. She introduced me to Jon, thinking that I would be perfect for him," Thayet said.
"She defeated the nameless ones and saved my tribe," said Gammel.
"She is better with a sword than anyone else," said Gareth.
"She opened the door in the ruins and withdrew a sword made by the Old Ones," said Myles.
"She has saved countless lives," said Raoul.
"She has saved my live in particular, I don't know haw many times. Gary, weren't you keeping count? I know what of you was," said Jon, looking from Gary to Raoul.
"I was," said Gary. "But I gave up. There was at least two times in her page years, twice in her squire years and I don't know how many times since."
"Who is Lord of Trebond, if Thom has died?" asked Alan suddenly.
"Coram. After Thom died, Alanna gave the title to him," said George.
Jon's hand, which was resting on Alan's shoulder, dropped. Jon turned in surprise. Alan had started to fade. He looked over to Alanna, who had fallen asleep in her chair.
"Tell Alanna…when she wakes up…that I'm…proud of…her…" he said weakly, before disappearing completely.
"That was strange…" said Buri.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I had better get Alanna to bed," said George, standing up. He picked up Alanna gently and walked over to the door. Gary stood and opened the door, the spell disappearing. "Goodnight!" he called.
"I suppose we should be following her example," sighed Jon, stretchig his arms.
"Yeah."
"Goodnight…"
"Night…"
"Night…"
"Night…"
"Night…"
Jon walked with Thayet to their rooms.
"You don't know how much she has done for you, until you have to tell someone about it…" said Thayet, quietly.
"Yeah…but the main thing is she is there for you, whoever you may be…" Jon replied.
A/N: Another story that I've written in one sitting. Anyway, tell me what you think.