“I always notice.” Duke's voice was warm, intimate. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “You work too hard, you know. Have you eaten today?”
“I grabbed a protein bar?—”
“Not good enough.” Duke shook his head in mock disapproval. “After this is over, I'm buying you a proper lunch. My treat.”
“You don't have to?—”
“I insist.” Duke winked at her.
Maddie looked absolutely flustered. She shot Viv a look that screamedSOS.
“Please stop harassing my assistant, Duke.”
Duke laughed. “Someone sounds hangry. How about I buy you lunch, too?” He looked at Rowan. “Honestly, you need to feed these lovely ladies more often.” He winked at Maddie again. “Ciao, bella.”
Maddie kept her eyes on his as he walked away.
Viv shook her head. “The nerve.” She put her hand on Maddie’s shoulder. “I hate to give him the point, but you do need to eat something more substantial than a protein bar. Why don’t you take a break until it’s time for the joust? Grab something to eat, have a look around.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely! I’ll text you if I need anything.”
Maddie looked relieved. “Thanks, Viv. I’ll be back before the game’s over.”
The stage manager appeared. “Five minutes, everyone. Let's do a quick run-through.”
They gathered in a loose circle while the stage manager explained the setup. The game was calledChronicles of the Realm. It was aBattleLore-specific strategy card game where players took on character roles from the books. Ben would be the Game Master—the Chronicler's Voice, they were calling it—narrating and adjudicating the game. Duke would play Caiden the Chronicler of course. Rowan had King Aldric.
“Which of you ladies is playing Sir Mariel and which is Princess Evelaine?” the stage manager asked. He looked Charlie up and down. “As if I don’t already know.”
“Actually,” Charlie spoke up. “If it’s all right, I’d like to be Evelaine.”
Yup. I made the right decision with the dress.
“Perfect! I wanted to play Mariel,” Viv said.
“Fine.” The stage manager made a note. “We’ll pick the random audience member to play one of the Embersworn knights right off the bat. Now, play for drama and laughs. Engage with the audience. We've got cameras on everyone, and the livestream chat will be on the monitors stage right if you want to glance at reactions. Questions?”
No one had any.
“All right. Break a leg.” The stage manager grinned. “Or, you know, don't. We need you all intact.”
The curtain began to rise.
The roar from the crowd was immediate and deafening. The open-air theater was packed—every bench filled, people standing three-deep at the back.
Ben stepped forward to the Game Master's podium, and the crowd quieted. He slipped easily into Benjamin the Blacksmithmode—the persona he wore at the Faire, confident and theatrical.
“Good people of the Realm!” His voice boomed, amplified by the sound system. “Welcome to the Chronicles! Today, legends walk among us. Kings and humble chroniclers. Lovely princesses and bold warriors. And one lucky soul from among you will join their ranks!”
The crowd cheered.
“Who among you is brave enough to face the challenges ofBattleLore?”
Hands shot up across the theater. Ben scanned the crowd, then pointed to a young woman in the third row wearing a homemade Embersworn tabard. “You! What's your name, brave warrior?”
“Beth!” she shouted.
