Alanna woke up in George's arms. White light shone through the window, barely visible under the dark curtain that concealed the room from the street below. As she had expected, she heard no noise as she rose and dressed. No one in The Dancing Dove was ever awake so early, probably because of all the drinking. Not even George. George. Her betrothed. This was ridiculous. She wasn't ready to marry. She wanted to see the world, and to know for sure that she was making the right decision.

Alanna made no noise as she snuck out the door of the inn for an early walk. She needed to clear her head, and she could walk in the city alone this early. It wasn't like there was anyone about to endanger her. Not even the merchants, who normally rose early on market days were out yet. She guessed it was only a bit after dawn.

A cool breeze blew her hair back, cruelly reminding her that it was an unusually cold Autumn. I should have worn an extra coat she thought, and wrapped her scarf even more tightly around her neck, causing her now shoulder-length copper hair to cling to her face uncomfortably.

The city always looks more beautiful in the morning, she thought. If only it was warmer outside.

The cobblestones beneath her practical boots were smooth and even, and the patches between shops where gardens grew were covered in brightly-colored leaves. As she looked up from the ground, she realized a figure walking towards her, the only other person she had come across. This wouldn't have surprised her if the person did not have a distinct walk that she knew well.

King Jonathan of Conte was walking towards her, wearing the commoners clothing that he has used to put on when they visited George at the Dove. There was something haphazard about his state, something that vaguely reminded her of how he had looked during their first war. Something reminded her of what had happened in the tent that day. The first time I realized that I loved him. I loved him before, but I didn't know. And now I'm marrying another man.