"You can't joust. You're crazy to even try!"
William leaned against the wall, staring intensely at his friends assembled around the room. The atmosphere changed at Roland's indications, and Will felt the old heat of an argument rising up inside himself.
"Are you going to stop me, Roland? My father needs my help. Let me repay him for all he has done. Besides, what happened to the faith that you used to have in me?"
Roland ran his hand through his thinning hair. "You haven't been in training and the tournament is in a month."
"That never stopped me before."
"You haven't even been on a horse in over a year. I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all."
"And I don't want to see my father get hurt." William turned away from Roland. It pained him, to be fighting. He wanted his friends approval. He needed it.
His eyes rested on another familiar face. "What about you Wat?"
"I think it's brilliant."
Roland muffled a curse. William glanced sharply at Roland but continued.
"And you, Kate?"
"It's the best chance we've got."
Will nodded. "Geoff?"
"How else will you be announced?" He asked with a grin. William smiled back.
"Well," William said, his voice reserved. "That settles it. I'll begin training in the morning."
There was a large shadow on the wall as someone appeared on the stairs. "I think you're an idiot."
William turned to the voice. Cora was looking around the scene before resting her eyes on him.
"Excuse me?"
"It's ridiculous. Roland is right. You'll be obliterated."
"You don't know me, Cora. You've never seen me joust."
"Yes, and do you know your competition? Have you seen them joust? You haven't judged your odds. Find your opponents weaknesses, and then compete."
William forced a laugh and dropped his crossed arms, stepping away from the wall.
"How do you suppose I do that? 'Excuse me sir, but what is your handicap?' Right. Nice plan, Cora."
"I was thinking of something a little more subtle."
"Out with it then. What is your plan?"
"The plan is for me. Remember I didn't come to London just for the gardens, William. Gerald will also be in the competition."
He was starting to catch on. "And you'd see him fail to help me?"
She shook her head. "I'm not crazy, William. I love Gerald, and I want to see him win just as badly as I want to see you win. But it would be easier to get information about the other competitors through him. You could learn their weaknesses, find out what makes them tick."
"And why do you want to do this for me?"
"Just because I never knew my father, William, doesn't mean I want to deprive you of yours."
William turned to Roland. "Roland? What do you think?"
Roland sighed. "God save you William."
They grinned at each other, and William nodded. "Right." He looked at Cora. "How good is Gerald?"
"He looks his opponents straight in the eye. Like a hunter. He'll be your greatest competition."
He tensed and nodded slightly. "All right." He turned to Kate. "I need you to fix up my old armor. It fits, but there are a few spots where it is thin. Roland," he said, turning to his friend. "I am going to need a new tunic. And please don't make it out of a tent this time."
Roland laughed. William was glad to see his disapproval was completely gone.
"Geoff, start working on your speeches. I want you to win their hearts once more."
"And Wat..."
Wat looked up, smiling. He enjoyed the excitement.
"Go get some rest. We'll start with the sun."
He opened his mouth to protest but then smiled again. "Right, Sir William."
"And Cora-"
"I'll find him tomorrow."
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He asked.
"Yes." She said, voice strong.
Maybe only William had noticed it, but he didn't think she sounded very convincing.
"Right," he said. "See you in the morning, then."
William leaned against the wall, staring intensely at his friends assembled around the room. The atmosphere changed at Roland's indications, and Will felt the old heat of an argument rising up inside himself.
"Are you going to stop me, Roland? My father needs my help. Let me repay him for all he has done. Besides, what happened to the faith that you used to have in me?"
Roland ran his hand through his thinning hair. "You haven't been in training and the tournament is in a month."
"That never stopped me before."
"You haven't even been on a horse in over a year. I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all."
"And I don't want to see my father get hurt." William turned away from Roland. It pained him, to be fighting. He wanted his friends approval. He needed it.
His eyes rested on another familiar face. "What about you Wat?"
"I think it's brilliant."
Roland muffled a curse. William glanced sharply at Roland but continued.
"And you, Kate?"
"It's the best chance we've got."
Will nodded. "Geoff?"
"How else will you be announced?" He asked with a grin. William smiled back.
"Well," William said, his voice reserved. "That settles it. I'll begin training in the morning."
There was a large shadow on the wall as someone appeared on the stairs. "I think you're an idiot."
William turned to the voice. Cora was looking around the scene before resting her eyes on him.
"Excuse me?"
"It's ridiculous. Roland is right. You'll be obliterated."
"You don't know me, Cora. You've never seen me joust."
"Yes, and do you know your competition? Have you seen them joust? You haven't judged your odds. Find your opponents weaknesses, and then compete."
William forced a laugh and dropped his crossed arms, stepping away from the wall.
"How do you suppose I do that? 'Excuse me sir, but what is your handicap?' Right. Nice plan, Cora."
"I was thinking of something a little more subtle."
"Out with it then. What is your plan?"
"The plan is for me. Remember I didn't come to London just for the gardens, William. Gerald will also be in the competition."
He was starting to catch on. "And you'd see him fail to help me?"
She shook her head. "I'm not crazy, William. I love Gerald, and I want to see him win just as badly as I want to see you win. But it would be easier to get information about the other competitors through him. You could learn their weaknesses, find out what makes them tick."
"And why do you want to do this for me?"
"Just because I never knew my father, William, doesn't mean I want to deprive you of yours."
William turned to Roland. "Roland? What do you think?"
Roland sighed. "God save you William."
They grinned at each other, and William nodded. "Right." He looked at Cora. "How good is Gerald?"
"He looks his opponents straight in the eye. Like a hunter. He'll be your greatest competition."
He tensed and nodded slightly. "All right." He turned to Kate. "I need you to fix up my old armor. It fits, but there are a few spots where it is thin. Roland," he said, turning to his friend. "I am going to need a new tunic. And please don't make it out of a tent this time."
Roland laughed. William was glad to see his disapproval was completely gone.
"Geoff, start working on your speeches. I want you to win their hearts once more."
"And Wat..."
Wat looked up, smiling. He enjoyed the excitement.
"Go get some rest. We'll start with the sun."
He opened his mouth to protest but then smiled again. "Right, Sir William."
"And Cora-"
"I'll find him tomorrow."
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He asked.
"Yes." She said, voice strong.
Maybe only William had noticed it, but he didn't think she sounded very convincing.
"Right," he said. "See you in the morning, then."