Alexander "Alex" of Tirragen (TIHR-ah-genn) was a Knight of Tortall during the first half of the fifth century of the Human Era. He went through page training around the same time as Alanna of Trebond and was part of her circle of friends. He was a skilled mathematician and fencer. Duke Roger of Conté chose Alex for this personal squire, distancing Alex from his friends. Alex drifted away and was a part of the Duke's plot against the Crown. He was killed by Alanna in single combat during the Coronation Day Battle.
Biography
Early life
Little is known about Alex's early childhood. He was probably born around 415 or 416 HE[1] and grew up at Fief Tirragen, near Lake Tirragen, in Tortall's hill country.
Page Years
Alex likely became a page in 425 or 426 HE. It is presumed that he was a fourth-year page when Alanna of Trebond arrived at the palace, as he was made a squire that Midwinter. Alex and Gary of Naxen were very close friends as pages, and as such, Alex also became one of Alanna's first first friends at the palace. Gary once described Alex to Alanna as a "mathematical wizard". Gary also suggested to Alanna that if she ever needed help from Alex with mathematics, that she should offer to help him with his extra duty chores.[2] As a page, Alex belonged to a group of friends that included Gary, Alanna, Prince Jonathan, Raoul of Goldenlake, and Francis of Nond.
Squire Years
Alex was made a squire on the second day of Midwinter, 430 HE.[1] In March, 431 HE, Alex caught the Sweating Sickness, within two days of Francis and Gary. He was unable to attend Francis's funeral. In the winter of 432/433 HE, Duke Roger chose Alex as his personal squire, though Roger himself wasn't a knight (he was, however, a skilled swordsman).[1] After becoming Roger's squire, Alex was kept too busy to spend much time with his friends, and as a result was the only one in Alanna's close circle of friends who was never introduced to George Cooper at the Dancing Dove (Alanna didn't mind this because she didn't want anyone so close to Roger to meet George). His separation from the others was also a result of the fact that Alanna bested him in their studies and Roger encouraged his envy.[3] When the squires and Alanna traveled to Fief Meron, Ali Mukhtab described Alex as cat-like and secretive. He was one of only 5 boys (plus Alanna) who Mukhtab took to see the Sunset Room at Persopolis. As a squire, Alex proved himself to be an excellent swordsman and archer[4].
Knighthood
Alex passed his Ordeal of Knighthood on the third night of Midwinter in 433 HE. In June of 434 HE, the Tusaine Ambassador, Mikal of Danne, and several young Tusaine knights came to the Tortallan Royal Palace. While Alanna prepared to fight Dain of Melor, Gary revealed that his father had been teaching Alex and Alanna privately for months. At this point, Alex believed that Alanna was just a good a fencer as he was himself, and thought that some day she may be better. He and Alanna had a long-term "friendly" rivalry, each trying to best the other at fencing and archery. When Delia of Eldorne arrived at the palace, only Alex and his squire, Geoffrey of Meron, appeared to be unaffected by her charm. In March, 435 HE, Alex and Alanna decided to find out what was better fencer, and their practice bout ended with Alex breaking Alanna's collarbone. As a skilled fencer, Alex, like Duke Gareth, fought without signals that in normal fencers would give away their next move, making him deadly with a blade. After their duel, Alex was sent on a border patrol by the Lord Provost. In the summer of 435 HE, during the Tusaine War, Alex and Geoffrey stayed with Roger at Fort Drell. In January 437 HE, Alex bet Alanna that she couldn't skate once around the lake. She ended up falling through ice that had been pitted with salt. When Geoffrey passed his ordeal at Midwinter that year, Alex took on Henrim of Tirrsmont as his next squire. At some point, Alex inherited Fief Tirragen, becoming its lord.
High Treason
Later on he plotted against Jonathan with Claw and Delia of Eldorne to put Roger on the throne. On the day of Jonathan's coronation, the day of the July full moon in 439 HE, Alex smuggled fighters wearing the colors of his fiefdom into the city. He himself confronted Alanna one last time. Alex won the sword fight by disarming Alanna, but she continued to attack with unarmed fighting skills learned from Liam Ironarm and killed him.
Skills and Abilities
Alex was one of the most skilled swordsmen to be shown in the Tortallan Universe. During his time as a squire he was specially trained by Duke Gareth. He was able to defeat Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the King's Champion, in a single combat sword duel, by using a complex disarming attack. His weakness lay in his overconfidence and dependency in swordsmanship, Alanna was eventually able to defeat him by using hand-to-hand Shang combat techniques.
Physical description
As a page Alex is described as being a "slim, dark boy"[5] and Ali Mukhtab later refers to him as being as sleek as a cat.
Personality and traits
Roger had a bad influence on the prideful and ambitious youth. Alex even turns against his friends and tries to kill Alanna whilst she is a squire. He didn't take it well that she bested him and his pride got even more hurt when he learned that squire Alan actually was a girl.[6]
Relationships
During his page training Alex was a close friend of Gary's. Through Gary he became Alanna's second friend in the palace. He argues with the pages' teacher in History and Law, Sir Myles, on a regular basis about right and wrong.[7]
Later he became the squire of Duke Roger and as he grew closer to his knight-master his relation to his former circle of friends diminished.
Appearances
- The Song of the Lioness
- Alanna: The First Adventure
- In the Hand of the Goddess
- Lioness Rampant, dies by the end of the novel
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Tortallan timeline
- ↑ Alanna: The First Adventure, Cp. 2 (p. 34; Random House paperback)
- ↑ Randombuzzers: Chat with Tamora Pierce - Tortall - retrieved on March 11, 2011
- ↑ Alanna: The First Adventure, Cp. 7
- ↑ Alanna: The First Adventure, Cp. 2 (p. 30; Random House paperback)
- ↑ Random Buzz; "Alex"; April 2009
- ↑ Alanna: The First Adventure, Cp. 2 (p. 37; Random House paperback)