"Enlighten me, Wat. Why are we spying on Cora?" William whispered.
They were crouched behind a fruit stand, watching Cora hugging Gerald. Wat made a noise of disgust and turned to Will.
"Have you ever heard about the special bond between brothers and sisters, Will? "
"No."
"Well, it's when the brother is completely overprotective of his sister and makes himself look like an idiot while he makes sure she doesn't get into trouble."
"But, you always make yourself look like an idiot."
"Har har." Wat ducked down lower as Cora walked by with Gerald. "He's handsome. I'll give her that." He whispered.
"Sure, but can he joust?" William asked. Wat looked and William and Will shrugged. Wat rolled his eyes and turned back.
"Can you see them? I'm being blocked by a very large woman," Will asked.
"He's buying her a bracelet. A really nice one." Wat's voice was hard, and intimidating. He was challenging Gerald to prove himself worthy.
"This is ridiculous. I need to practise! Shouldn't I be on my horse right now?"
"Shush!" Wat stepped out from behind the stand and stretched his legs in the street. "He's gone."
William followed and stood beside him. "What? Where did he go?"
Wat nodded forward. Cora was walking towards them.
"You two... I can't believe you spied on me. That is the most untrusting, disgusting... nicest, most considerate thing anyone has done for me." She stood on tiptoe and kissed Wat on the cheek. "Thank you for being a nutter."
"Where did Gerald go?" Will asked.
"He had to go see a man about a dog."
William and Wat looked at each other.
"Gambling." They said in unison.
"Gambling?" She put her hands on her hips. "How do you know?"
William sighed. "That's another tale."
She looked over her shoulder, as if she expected to see Gerald cheating at a game of dice. She shrugged when she turned back around and then looked at her wrist.
"Here," she said, unclasping the bracelet. "Give it to Kate." She handed the bracelet to Wat, whom, she was pleased to note, was very pink in the ears from the sudden fortune.
"I've never given Kate jewelry before! Maybe a hammer or two, but never something she actually liked!" He grinned and put the bracelet in his pocket.
Cora grinned in return and then looked at William, who was looking back quite seriously.
"Did you find out anything?"
"He is doing well. His squire, Peter, is running him ragged, so he is tired." She took a step closer to William and lowered her voice, as if she were committing a sin to reveal the information. "I am a little worried for you, William. Watch yourself, all right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just steady on, all right?"
He looked concerned but nodded. "All right."
She stepped away quickly and looked at the two men. "What are you going to do now?"
"Eat!" Wat said joyously, rubbing his stomach. "We worked up quite an appetite spying on you!"
"Yes well I think I lost mine having to talk to Gerald."
"You must be a good actress, then. You two looked cozy."
Cora turned to William sharply. His tone sounded almost accusing. Wat hardly seemed to notice, though.
"Accompany us, to eat?"
Cora shook her head. "No, I think I'll be heading back to rest. Remember what I said, Will. There are people who want to see you fail."
"That's what makes my father so great," William said as he started to walk away with Wat. "He never will."
They were crouched behind a fruit stand, watching Cora hugging Gerald. Wat made a noise of disgust and turned to Will.
"Have you ever heard about the special bond between brothers and sisters, Will? "
"No."
"Well, it's when the brother is completely overprotective of his sister and makes himself look like an idiot while he makes sure she doesn't get into trouble."
"But, you always make yourself look like an idiot."
"Har har." Wat ducked down lower as Cora walked by with Gerald. "He's handsome. I'll give her that." He whispered.
"Sure, but can he joust?" William asked. Wat looked and William and Will shrugged. Wat rolled his eyes and turned back.
"Can you see them? I'm being blocked by a very large woman," Will asked.
"He's buying her a bracelet. A really nice one." Wat's voice was hard, and intimidating. He was challenging Gerald to prove himself worthy.
"This is ridiculous. I need to practise! Shouldn't I be on my horse right now?"
"Shush!" Wat stepped out from behind the stand and stretched his legs in the street. "He's gone."
William followed and stood beside him. "What? Where did he go?"
Wat nodded forward. Cora was walking towards them.
"You two... I can't believe you spied on me. That is the most untrusting, disgusting... nicest, most considerate thing anyone has done for me." She stood on tiptoe and kissed Wat on the cheek. "Thank you for being a nutter."
"Where did Gerald go?" Will asked.
"He had to go see a man about a dog."
William and Wat looked at each other.
"Gambling." They said in unison.
"Gambling?" She put her hands on her hips. "How do you know?"
William sighed. "That's another tale."
She looked over her shoulder, as if she expected to see Gerald cheating at a game of dice. She shrugged when she turned back around and then looked at her wrist.
"Here," she said, unclasping the bracelet. "Give it to Kate." She handed the bracelet to Wat, whom, she was pleased to note, was very pink in the ears from the sudden fortune.
"I've never given Kate jewelry before! Maybe a hammer or two, but never something she actually liked!" He grinned and put the bracelet in his pocket.
Cora grinned in return and then looked at William, who was looking back quite seriously.
"Did you find out anything?"
"He is doing well. His squire, Peter, is running him ragged, so he is tired." She took a step closer to William and lowered her voice, as if she were committing a sin to reveal the information. "I am a little worried for you, William. Watch yourself, all right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just steady on, all right?"
He looked concerned but nodded. "All right."
She stepped away quickly and looked at the two men. "What are you going to do now?"
"Eat!" Wat said joyously, rubbing his stomach. "We worked up quite an appetite spying on you!"
"Yes well I think I lost mine having to talk to Gerald."
"You must be a good actress, then. You two looked cozy."
Cora turned to William sharply. His tone sounded almost accusing. Wat hardly seemed to notice, though.
"Accompany us, to eat?"
Cora shook her head. "No, I think I'll be heading back to rest. Remember what I said, Will. There are people who want to see you fail."
"That's what makes my father so great," William said as he started to walk away with Wat. "He never will."