His eyes held hers across the grassy field.You shall be my wedded wife, Gabrielle. A Yuletide bride, just as you wished. Dear Goddess, please grant me victory today.
The herald’s trumpet signaled the beginning of the second round of jousting, and spectators rushed back to their seats to view the thrilling event.
Eight challengers charged in four consecutive tilts. Bastien triumphed easily by unseating his rival—Sir Bergeron of Fougères—in the first run.
At the conclusion of the second round of the Yuletide Joust, the number of contenders was reduced by half. The semifinal round saw the elimination of two more challengers, and the final match was reduced to two competitors.
Sir Étienne de Tréguier, the Black Knight champion of Ugolin le Clou.
And Sir Bastien de Landuc,le Marquis de Cornouaille.
During the second intermission, actors in vivid theatrical costumes performed a bawdy farce, eliciting raucous laughter and lurid cheers from the appreciative audience. Musicians entertained with lutes, dulcimers, rebecs and flutes, and dancers performed with bright silk ribbons as they whirled and twirled in the wintry wind.
Finally, the trumpet sounded to announce the final joust, and Max led Bastien—atop a caparison clad Drach—to the starting position for Lancelot to inspect his blunted lance.
Bastien eyed the solid mass of his formidable, hulking opponent. The magnificent plate armor, gleaming in the afternoon sun. The splendid black ostrich plume unfurling over hisheaumeand thechanfronheadpiece of his enormous black destrier. Sir Étienne de Tréguier, the Black Knight of Nantes, was daunting indeed.
His heart hammered in his chest. Adrenaline surged in his veins, making his mouth parched and his limbs taut and shaky. Bastien pulled the lance close to his body, adjusting the vamplate protection over his gloved hand.
The red flag dropped.
His heart lurched, and he shot off the starting point like a perfectly released arrow from a tightly drawn bow. Gripping his thighs against Drach’s powerful sides for balance and increased striking force, he prepared to propel Tréguier from the saddle.
And was stunned by the explosive impact of the Black Knight’s lance, which shattered against his metal helmet, jarring him nearly senseless.
Stars blinded him. He shook his head to clear his vision as he returned to the starting position. His pulse pounded in his throat, and a wave of nausea rolled over him. His head throbbed painfully.
Inhaling deeply, he willed himself to focus. Tréguier had scored a point.
And had nearly unseated him.
He had to land a blow this time. And score a point to even the odds.
Gabrielle’s face floated before his eyes. At the thought of losing her to Ugolin le Clou, possessive fury surged in his veins, and he focused his entire being on striking Tréguier’s shield.
The flag dropped.
Bastien became one with his powerful horse, absorbing every drop of raw, equine strength, channeling it with violent force into the coronal tip of his long, pointed lance.
And shattered it soundly on Tréguier’s shield with such impact that the Black Knight whipped backward in his saddle.
But did not fall.
Bastien returned to the starting position, and Max trotted over from the tent to hand him a new blunt tipped weapon. Lancelot inspected it, gave a nod of approval, and Bastien lined up for the third and final run.
This was it. He and Tréguier had each scored a point. This final tilt would determine who won Gabrielle’s hand.Goddess, please grant me victory.
The final red flag dropped.
Thunderous hooves churned up the solid ground, clumps of black earth flying high into the air, as Drach pounded forward, gaining momentum and speed.
Stabilizing his solid core against the high cantle back of his saddle, gripping his powerful Percheron with the brute strength of his muscular thighs, Bastien bolstered his warrior body and braced himself for impact.
And squarely struck Tréguier’s shining shield.
Without shattering the star-shaped coronal tip of his accurate, unerring lance.
Both competitors returned to their starting positions while the two governing officials from Paris conferred. A point was scored by shattering the lance against an opponent’s shield or armor, which each contender had done. Yet, if a lance did not shatter, but the rival shield had indeed been struck, would that result in a point being scored?
