AN: It's been a while. Ok, that's an understatement. It's been forEVER since I've updated. For any of my readers who stuck with me, sorry I left you hanging. I began work on an original novel and fell down the rabbit hole. I had left off with two finished chapters of this fanfic held back to post, and those have been lost somewhere in old hard drives. After an unexpected fav and watch (thank you Belgarath), I remembered that the fanfic even existed, and that I should be much more grateful to the big chunk of writing that made me decide to create a story in my own universe (and to supportive readers who made me feel like a writer). So today, I reread the entire thing, and decided to keep it going.

The real note here is this: it's been a while since I last wrote for this fanfic. It's been a while, though not quite as long, since I read Tamora Pierce. I may misspell names, places, or get some of my finer details off. I'd much rather write for ya'll than fact check. Feel free to correct me in reviews as long as it's not the only reason you review :p I will say that in my head, this story was finished long before I stopped posting the chapters – so the story's end game hasn't changed, how I write it might have. I hope someone likes it any way!

**I'm bridging a huge gap in updates, give me some wiggle room as we dive back in...try not to hate me for rushing this chapter out**

She wasn't sure quite how much time had slipped by as Aiden's mouth enveloped hers, their hands roaming more and more boldly over each others' bodies. Even though they'd managed to stumble together to the relative privacy of her room, both seemed content to stop at the bare traces of skin exposed by his own clothes and her nightgown, neither daring to push the wrinkling fabric away. Aizen's mind was slowly catching up to his body, and he knew this was the exact thing he'd sworn wouldn't happen. He liked to think he was the sort of man who could be trusted with a young woman – trusted to respect her virtue, however much she seemed not to care. It made him think of his brother's reputation with women. His philandering, drunk of a brother.

"Did I do something wrong?" Aaurie breathed, taking the chance to gasp for air when he stopped kissing her abruptly. He didn't move away, but she could see the sudden distance. He shook his head, stepping back.

"Would you be doing this if I wasn't a Prince?" He couldn't say where that thought had come from, or what had possessed him to say it out loud. As soon as he saw the reaction play across her face, he knew he'd made a grave mistake. It was Aaurie's turn to take a step back, her mouth opening and closing as if she was trying to remember how to speak.

"This was a mistake," she said finally. Her words stung, but he could see her eyes starting to glisten. They'd been doing so well, right up until he started talking. He was supposed to be diplomatic and regal, not petty and insecure – he couldn't blame her when she reeled back from his attempt to take her hand and apologize. "You should go, it's not proper for us to be here alone, your majesty."

"Aaurie, please... I didn't mean it like that. I just," he was even more flustered now, helpless as she moved further back from him, clutching her robe around her.

"I'm common, and I'm Scanran. And I will be a knight of Tortall one day. So yes, I would have done it if you weren't a Prince, and I won't because you are. Please, just go."

He couldn't imagine any response that would have made him feel worse. Up until the moment she said it, he thought her wanting him for his crown or for the alliance would have been the worst thing. How could he be wrong so many times in one morning? He really was at a loss for words now, barely able to look at her as he straightened his clothes, and left her rooms.

Alanna frowned, watching the flustered young Prince make his way to his place at the head of the long table already filled with Galan and Tortallan nobles enjoying breakfast. The way he stopped to finger-comb his hair before sitting made her even more worried at having left the young couple alone together. The Lioness watched the door, expecting the squire she'd come to see as one of her own cubs to come walking through to join them.

Several moments passed with only servants coming or going, and Alanna glanced back at the Prince. He was sitting somewhat rigidly, pushing food around his plate. When he looked up and met her gaze, the older woman could see the mix of hurt and guilt in his face. He opened his mouth as if to explain himself, but they were seated too far apart for it to do any good.

"Where's Aaurien, then?" Neal wondered aloud at last. He wanted a word with his young squire after speaking with Kel the night before – the sooner the better.

Aizen looked sheepish as he opened his mouth to answer, but Alanna beat him to it.

"Must have overslept – I'll go get her moving," she smiled. Neal frowned – he'd been Alanna's squire long enough to know when she was being secretive.

"I'd be happy to escort you," Neal replied, making clear that he wasn't fooled. Alanna responded with a tight smile, the pair bowing as they excused themselves from their hosts.

"Never seen one girl need so much coddling."

The whispered comment from Lerant was only audible to the rest of the Tortallans seated around him, but still earned him a glare from Raoul who made mental note to straighten out his standard bearer as soon as the meal was finished.

"He's not wrong, you know, she does take a lot of work doesn't she?" Liam said quietly, earning a fierce and unexpected smack from Thom that silenced the whole room. Liam had gone white, while Thom was red with anger. Raoul had frozen, looking between the two young men with no idea what to do next.

The rest of the room was oblivious to the conversation, but had seen the young Tortallan noble strike Prince Liam, and fell hushed as they waited to see what would happen next. Liam stood, well aware that all eyes were on him, but only concerned with Thom who was glaring daggers.

"If you had any idea how much she's had to put up with - as if you have any right to talk about being coddled you spoiled, royal swat," Thom whispered from his chair. Dom was physically holding Thom back, a heavy grip keeping the squire from doing any more damage in front of the Galan nobles.

"You're right," Liam said loudly for the benefit of his audience, "I have been quite lax with my combat studies, perhaps we should find the practice yards?"

Most of the room seemed content with the feeble explanation for Thom's sudden violence – Liam's elder brother Roald was a knight after all, it couldn't be so unheard of to be struck by someone of lesser rank. For the two young men to be sparring partners was reasonable to most, and to the others – used to Aiden and Denny's squabbles – it wasn't worth interrupting their meal to muse over.

"I'll come too, all this lovely food is going to start stretching out my breeches otherwise," Dom replied loudly, pulling Thom up with him.

As the three men left they could hear the room return to it's previous hum, Raoul's voice carrying with a joke that only sounded slightly forced and seemed to reset the mood for those still dwelling on the strange moment they'd just witnessed.

"I'm sorry I did it here, but I'm not sorry that I did it," Thom said when they were at last outside and away from prying eyes.

"Look Thom – we've known each other our whole lives. As far as I'm concerned, rank isn't an issue between us. But this alliance matters, and I swear by Mithros if you jeopardize the strength of our position again in some misguided attempt to prove your feelings for some girl, I'll have you sent home. Besides that, I am sorry for how I said what I did. But this is my point, and Lerant's – how many fights have you gotten in over her? How many reprimands? How many times has someone had to go look in on her for fear her fragile feelings were at risk? Do you think your mum, or Kel, would have made it so far if they'd been treated like that?"

It was halfway through Liam's reply that Thom's temper had cooled enough to understand that the other man did indeed had a point. Thom had acted out on her behalf more times than he'd like to count – out of protectiveness, jealousy, indignation – the reason didn't matter when you added it all up. Even Aaurie had said he wasn't doing her any favors in starting fights that put her on display as the cause of discord between the male pages back at the palace.

Dom watched the younger men eye each other sheepishly, all three wondering what would come next.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just want to protect her," Thom replied finally, "and I can't. I just want to make sure that all this doesn't break her."

Liam met his friend's gaze, remembering what Aaurie had said about being broken, and his feeble advice that broken things could be mended, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. He couldn't blame Thom for trying to keep the pieces together, it may not have been the right way, by surely wanting to protect a friend was right on its own.

"We should probably get some actual practice in at the yards, I think I have gotten a bit slow with all this diplomacy business. And I think you need an outlet," Liam said finally.

"So you're telling me I left my breakfast back there to keep you two from brawling," Dom mused, "and now you're going to the practice yards to do just that? Brilliant, I get a go at the winner."

Alanna and Neal arrived at the common area of the Tortallan quarters just as a freshly dressed Aaurie stepped out of her bedroom. Alanna surveyed the young redhead quickly for any sign that things had gone too far with Aiden, and was almost impressed with the very Kel-like expression Aaurie wore. She was giving nothing away, but Alanna worried she was witnessing defeat rather than resolve from the squire.

"Hope you're not getting used to sleeping in – dawn exercises are going to be that much more jarring when we leave Gala," Neal said. He was watching her too, also noticing her withdrawn expression.

"No milord, I'll be glad to get back to lessons whenever I can," Aaurie replied quickly.

"Maybe not when you hear what I've come to say," Neal warned. Something that looked like fear flashed across his squire's face, and he wondered if he were really so hard a knight master that she'd react that way.

"You've decided I'm too much trouble, haven't you? I'm being kicked out of training," she breathed, going pale.

"No. But it's clear that this – coming here – was a bad idea. I should have taken my duty to you seriously and asked for a different posting. Coming here was a mistake – and far too much to ask of a first year squire."

Alanna listened in quiet surprise. She hadn't expected this from her own former squire, but couldn't help be proud of him taking his role as knight master seriously. The same way she'd dragged him from village to village – healing everything from the common cold to viscous battle wounds – he appeared to have made his own plan for ensuring that his squire would make it to her own shield.

"So I'm to be reassigned to another knight?"

Neal shook his head. "No, both of us will be leaving as soon as we can make our excuses and have received our new orders, I sent a message back to Corus last night."

He'd wondered if she'd sulk at the news, or perhaps even downright refuse to leave the clearly budding romance with the Galan prince. He wouldn't begrudge her if she did – he'd been a romantic at her age, and if Aiden could make her happier than knighthood, he prayed to Mithros she'd make that choice. But instead, she literally knocked the wind out of him, throwing herself forward to hug him tightly.

"Thank you, milord," she stammered, stepping back with red cheeks. "I'll be ready to go as soon as orders come in."