Page 78 of Picking Up the Gauntlet

Chapter 19

“Brother, wake up. You’re missing the archery competition that has already started.”

“What? Nay.” Jonathon had fallen asleep at the table last night, fully dressed. He’d been dreaming of Raven all night long... married to another man. It was the worst nightmare of his life. “I need to talk to Raven’s father. Where is he?”

“He’s sitting up on the platform watching the competition,” said little Gerold.

“Out of my way.” Jonathon hurried to the door.

“Wait! Why do you want to talk to him?” asked Avery.

“I have to stop this competition. I’m going to tell him that I want to marry his daughter.”

Jonathon raced out to the practice yard, trying to dodge the many people who had showed up to watch the tournament. How the hell did he sleep through all this? It must have been from his lack of rest while making Raven’s armor. He’d been so exhausted. If not, he never would have overslept.

Strolling minstrels dressed in parti-colored clothes wandered the courtyard playing lutes, and passing the hat for coins. Not only the nobles and competitors were there, but also the servants and the villagers, since everyone was invited to watch the spectacular competition that would determine which man would win Raven for his bride.

The thought sickened him. He should have gone to Lord Corbett days ago, weeks ago, asking for Raven’s hand—she was right. Being a commoner, he knew this would only mean trouble for him, but he had to try. If not, he would never forgive himself.

The noise level within the castle walls was heightened. He could hear the spectators cheering from the area where the archery competition was already in progress. Children ran by chasing each other, and he almost stumbled over a few stray dogs and even a goat and pig.

“Damn it,” he mumbled to himself, not able to move quickly or even see what was happening through the crowd.

“Fresh pies. Get your fresh pies,” called out a vendor carrying a tray over her head with small hand pies filled with fruit.

“Two herrings for a shilling,” called out a fishmonger.

There were many vendors with their carts set up in the courtyard today, trying to make a living.

“Ale or wine. Ale or wine,” called out a man with a long tray filled with mugs of the drinks. He carried them high over his head.

“Jonathon, wait for us,” called Avery from behind him. Jonathon stopped, trying to look through the crowd to find Raven, but he didn’t see her. His brother and Gerold caught up to him. Avery held a hand pie in one hand and a mug of ale in another.

“Care for something to eat or drink?” asked Avery, taking a bite of the fruit pie and holding it out to him.

“Nay,” said Jonathon still not seeing Raven anywhere. He could see Lord Corbett and Lady Devon up on the wooden dais watching the sport, but oddly, Raven wasn’t with them. “Why didn’t you wake me, Avery? I don’t have time to stop this now. I’m already too late.”

“Brother, you were up pining over Lady Raven most of the night, so I thought you’d want to sleep late today. The last thing I figured you’d want to do is to watch the competition.”

“I’m going to sneak through the legs of everyone and make my way to the front to watch the archery,” said Gerold.

“All right, go on,” said Avery. “I wish we could get close enough to at least see what’s happening. There is such a crowd here. And so many competitors.”

“Don’t remind me,” growled Avery, knowing each one of those competitors was a potential husband for Raven. Right now, Jonathon felt like killing them all.

“Jonathon, I was looking for you and wondering where you were.”

Jonathon turned around to find Rook standing there with one arm around a serving girl, clutching a tankard of ale in the other.

Why did no one ever say a word when a nobleman wanted to have a fling with a peasant, but if a noblewoman did it, she was punished severely and sometimes even killed?

“Get back to work,” said Rook with a chuckle, hitting the girl on the rump. She giggled and blushed and hurried off through the crowd.

“I’ll catch up with you later, Brother,” said Avery, following the girl.

“I wanted to give you your pay now, since you’re no longer needed as my sister’s personal guard. After today, she’ll be betrothed, and hopefully her husband will keep her in her place. You won’t have to worry about it anymore.” He handed a pouch of coins to Jonathon, but Jonathon didn’t take it.

“I don’t want the money,” he told Rook.