Eliza's eyes flew open and she shot up in bed. Her maid,
Nicole who was already dressed, was taking out her dress. She
glanced at her and smiled. Eliza moaned and rolled off of her bed.
She hit the ground hard and then got to her feet.
"I was about to wake you up." Nicole said. Eliza trudged over to her bathroom, stripped and climbed into her bath. The steamy water slid up to her neck and she sighed. It felt heavenly. Minutes passed and soon it was time for her to get dressed. She stepped out dried off and slipped on her robe. She walked over to her bed and put on her undergarments and then her dress. It was dark yellow and dark blue, lined with gold with a low neck and wide bell sleeves. She sat at her vanity and Nicole did her hair as she put on her necklace. Her hair was brushed and Nicole picked up an impossibly long golden ribbon, and proceeded to wind it around Eliza's hair. She took some gold paint and applied it by Eliza's eyes and she was done. She stepped into her shoe and walked down stairs to the dining room. Her mother and father were already seated, along with Kate, Roland, Chaucer and Wat. They glanced up as she walked in. She gasped in surprised delight. When had they gotten back?
"Uncle Geoff! Uncle Wat!" she cried. They grinned and rose from their seat as she ran over to them. "When did you get here!"
"Just last night." Wat said smiling.
"And you father! Wicked man you didn't wake me up!" she scolded. As she jumped into Wat's arms, squeezing him tightly.
"I didn't want to wake you, I thought that it would be a nice little surprise." William said grinning.
"Little surprise!" she exclaimed embracing Chaucer as well.
"I just finished the-"Conor started walking into the room. He paused seeing the two new faces. "Geoffrey! Wat!" he cried.
"Conor, my boy!" Wat cried walking up to him and embracing him warmly.
"How are you lad?" Chaucer said walking up to him and clapping him on the back heartily.
"As well as you look." Conor replied.
"Oh, Conor what's wrong?" Kate said with fake concern. Chaucer glared at her, but kept his peace and the room erupted into laughter. Conor's laughter faded into a shocked expression as his eyes fell on Eliza.
"Eliza." He said.
"What?" she asked.
"You look like a girl." He said in amazement.
"That's what I am half-wit."
"Yeah but you look it!" he said, then after a moments pause, "Wench."
"Ooooh I should-" she started.
"What I think Conor meant was that you look like a lady." Roland said. "Isn't that right Conor?" he stared at him pointedly.
"Once again Roland you've read my mind." Conor said grinning. "That horses are ready Sir William." He said to William.
"Thank you Conor." William said grinning at the boy. Conor bowed out and walked down the hall. Eliza followed him with her eyes and then glanced down at herself.
"I feel silly in this thing." She said as she fiddled with her skirt.
"Nonsense. You look lovely." Said Chaucer.
" Do I really? I feel like a doll. A cheap doll."
"Well you don't look it and that's the important thing right?" Kate said, "Come on, sit down and eat your breakfast." Eliza complied and started on her peaches, her stomach in knots. She could wait for the tournament.
"I was about to wake you up." Nicole said. Eliza trudged over to her bathroom, stripped and climbed into her bath. The steamy water slid up to her neck and she sighed. It felt heavenly. Minutes passed and soon it was time for her to get dressed. She stepped out dried off and slipped on her robe. She walked over to her bed and put on her undergarments and then her dress. It was dark yellow and dark blue, lined with gold with a low neck and wide bell sleeves. She sat at her vanity and Nicole did her hair as she put on her necklace. Her hair was brushed and Nicole picked up an impossibly long golden ribbon, and proceeded to wind it around Eliza's hair. She took some gold paint and applied it by Eliza's eyes and she was done. She stepped into her shoe and walked down stairs to the dining room. Her mother and father were already seated, along with Kate, Roland, Chaucer and Wat. They glanced up as she walked in. She gasped in surprised delight. When had they gotten back?
"Uncle Geoff! Uncle Wat!" she cried. They grinned and rose from their seat as she ran over to them. "When did you get here!"
"Just last night." Wat said smiling.
"And you father! Wicked man you didn't wake me up!" she scolded. As she jumped into Wat's arms, squeezing him tightly.
"I didn't want to wake you, I thought that it would be a nice little surprise." William said grinning.
"Little surprise!" she exclaimed embracing Chaucer as well.
"I just finished the-"Conor started walking into the room. He paused seeing the two new faces. "Geoffrey! Wat!" he cried.
"Conor, my boy!" Wat cried walking up to him and embracing him warmly.
"How are you lad?" Chaucer said walking up to him and clapping him on the back heartily.
"As well as you look." Conor replied.
"Oh, Conor what's wrong?" Kate said with fake concern. Chaucer glared at her, but kept his peace and the room erupted into laughter. Conor's laughter faded into a shocked expression as his eyes fell on Eliza.
"Eliza." He said.
"What?" she asked.
"You look like a girl." He said in amazement.
"That's what I am half-wit."
"Yeah but you look it!" he said, then after a moments pause, "Wench."
"Ooooh I should-" she started.
"What I think Conor meant was that you look like a lady." Roland said. "Isn't that right Conor?" he stared at him pointedly.
"Once again Roland you've read my mind." Conor said grinning. "That horses are ready Sir William." He said to William.
"Thank you Conor." William said grinning at the boy. Conor bowed out and walked down the hall. Eliza followed him with her eyes and then glanced down at herself.
"I feel silly in this thing." She said as she fiddled with her skirt.
"Nonsense. You look lovely." Said Chaucer.
" Do I really? I feel like a doll. A cheap doll."
"Well you don't look it and that's the important thing right?" Kate said, "Come on, sit down and eat your breakfast." Eliza complied and started on her peaches, her stomach in knots. She could wait for the tournament.
