William sat down. "Adhemar... has a brother?" His voice was hoarse.
Cora nodded.
"What exactly is your plan?"
She bit her lip, silent in thought. "Gerald still likes me, but..."
William thought he saw her eyes flash at him. He rubbed his own eyes. It was late, he must have imagined it.
"I am through with him. But... if you want, I could get information out of him."
"To help William learn his weaknesses?" Geoff asked excitedly.
She nodded.
"That's an awful plan," Kate said.
"It's the only one we've got." William said quietly.
"She'll be using him, Will!"
"Do you want Will to succeed or not?" Wat snapped.
Kate threw Wat's arm off of her shoulder, glaring. He smiled weakly and stopped talking.
"Is he better than Adhemar?" Roland asked.
She nodded again. "Much. He is younger, more agile. He is very brave."
"Yes, well, so is our William." Geoff said, patting his friend on the back. "Looks the opponent straight in the eye."
"Like a hunter," Cora muttered.
William turned to her quickly. "Excuse me?"
She sighed audibly. "Gerald does the same thing. He keeps his eyes on the target. He would rather lose an eye than a joust. I'm not saying that you can't beat him Will," she said, noticing his alarm, "but it will be difficult. I'll help you, if you'll let me."
"And why would you want to help me?"
She let her eyes fall from his gaze. "You want to joust. I can see it in you. Besides, you want to help your father, and I never really knew mine. "
He 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 and nodded. His disapproval had seemed to vanish.
"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're okay 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."
Cora nodded.
"What exactly is your plan?"
She bit her lip, silent in thought. "Gerald still likes me, but..."
William thought he saw her eyes flash at him. He rubbed his own eyes. It was late, he must have imagined it.
"I am through with him. But... if you want, I could get information out of him."
"To help William learn his weaknesses?" Geoff asked excitedly.
She nodded.
"That's an awful plan," Kate said.
"It's the only one we've got." William said quietly.
"She'll be using him, Will!"
"Do you want Will to succeed or not?" Wat snapped.
Kate threw Wat's arm off of her shoulder, glaring. He smiled weakly and stopped talking.
"Is he better than Adhemar?" Roland asked.
She nodded again. "Much. He is younger, more agile. He is very brave."
"Yes, well, so is our William." Geoff said, patting his friend on the back. "Looks the opponent straight in the eye."
"Like a hunter," Cora muttered.
William turned to her quickly. "Excuse me?"
She sighed audibly. "Gerald does the same thing. He keeps his eyes on the target. He would rather lose an eye than a joust. I'm not saying that you can't beat him Will," she said, noticing his alarm, "but it will be difficult. I'll help you, if you'll let me."
"And why would you want to help me?"
She let her eyes fall from his gaze. "You want to joust. I can see it in you. Besides, you want to help your father, and I never really knew mine. "
He 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 and nodded. His disapproval had seemed to vanish.
"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're okay 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."