The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly

by Jamie Pacton

  “Welcome!” says Austin. He stands with the Yellow, Black-and-White, and Blue Knights. “We’re here to help you get suited up and settled on the horses. If you have any last-minute questions, let us know.”

  “I have a question,” calls out Alex. “How are you all so cool with this? Won’t we be taking shifts away from you if we get hired as Knights?”

  Austin shrugs. “Some of us have been wanting to move on to different jobs—I actually have a degree in finance, and I want to work downtown.”

  “And there’s more than enough work to go around,” adds Chris. “It’s exhausting doing two shows a night. I’d love to cut down to just one.”

  “Same,” says the Yellow Knight. He’s a white guy in his midthirties who’s been fighting as a Knight since before Chris started. “I’m getting too old for two shows a night.”

  “Plus, it’s just the right thing to do,” adds the Blue Knight. “All of us feel that way. Except for Dalton. But he quit this afternoon, so that’s kind of a win.”

  The other Knights laugh, and we laugh with them. It’s like we’re one big happy knightly family.

  I look around the room. There’s someone standing in the Green Knight’s area, getting dressed. His faux chain mail hood is pulled up over his head, but when he lowers it, his red panda mullet hair is visible to all. I groan.

  “Is Eric riding out tonight?” I ask Chris.

  “As the Green Knight. He’s the only one who wouldn’t give up his spot.”

  “Of course,” says Layla, rolling her eyes. “It’s okay though. I can’t wait to pulverize him out there. Do you know the kinds of photos he was texting me before I blocked his number?”

  I scowl. “I’m very comfortable with all of us going through the routines we practiced. And also making it our personal mission to defeat Eric Taylor.”

  “Hear! Hear!” Mags and Alex say together. Eric shoots us a death glare and continues getting ready.

  There’s a loud trumpet of fanfare, telling us it’s ten minutes until showtime. We all hurry to get dressed.

  “Showtime.” I put my helmet on. “Let’s go storm the Castle.”

  43

  “WELCOME ONE, WELCOME ALL! TONIGHT WE HAVE A very special show at the Castle!”

  Somehow Chris has finagled his way into the MC’s role tonight. His voice booms out over the loudspeakers after the last bunch of fanfare has ended. Len and his court, including Jett, are already in the royal box. Layla, Alex, Mags, Penny, Lizzy, and I wait in the arena hallway. Our horses whinny, nervous about the new riders. Eric Taylor, in full Green Knight gear, doesn’t bother hiding his scorn as he twists around on his horse to stare daggers at us.

  “You are going to make fools of yourselves,” he says.

  “Maybe we should’ve practiced on these horses,” says Lizzy doubtfully, as her horse shakes its head. She looks wobbly in the saddle.

  “Steady, Silver Knight,” I tell her.

  She insisted I ride out as the Red Knight, saying that way people will recognize me from my video, so we pulled her costume together out of what Jett ordered for me online and other bits and pieces from the locker room.

  “You can always quit,” scoffs Eric. “I’m sure they won’t miss one more Girl Knight.”

  “We’re more of a gender spectrum of Knights. And I’m going to relish knocking you off that horse,” says Alex loudly. “Think Roller Derby meets the Middle Ages.”

  “You’ve not got much more experience out there, Eric,” calls out Layla. “Try to stay on your horse.”

  Eric blanches at that thought. Before he can say anything, Chris calls out: “First, fair folks, we have the Green Knight!” Chris sounds almost bored and the crowd cheers lightly.

  Eric digs his heels into his horse and gallops into the arena.

  “Wish me luck,” says Layla, who’s up next. She pulls her helmet on and sits up tall in her saddle. The Blue Knight’s tunic is big on her, but she holds the reins steady, looking like she belongs there.

  “You’ve got this.” I smile at her.

  “Next, let’s give a boisterous Castle welcome to a fierce warrior who’s better at horsemanship than anyone in the far reaches of the kingdom, THE BLUE KNIGHT!” Chris’s voice is louder this time and he revs up the crowd.

  Layla’s grin is electric as she digs her heels into her horse. She rides into the arena, confident and radiant.

  We cheer with the crowd as she does her first loop.

  “Next up, all you folks over here in the Yellow section, make some noise for your champion, the very tough, very talented, very tenacious Yellow Knight!”

  Alex pops their helmet on their head and grips the reins. They ride out to loud cheers and do a flashy circuit around the arena.

  Next is Mags, fighting as the Purple Knight. Then Lizzy as the Silver Knight. Then Penny—looking amazing in the Black-and-White Knight costume with her hair streaming silkily down her back.

  Finally it’s my turn. My horse—the ever trusty Shadowfax—and I are alone in the dusty hall that leads to the arena. For a moment, it’s two weeks ago and I’m waiting for my first gallop into the arena.

  But this time, excitement, not nerves, grips me.

  Chris riles up the crowd and I can feel the buzz of their voices from here. “Last, but never least,” he practically screams into the mic. “You’ve seen her videos. Now it’s time to see her fight again! Ladies and gentlemen, KIT SWEETLY, FIGHTING AS THE RED KNIGHT!”

  I kick my horse forward and ride out into the dazzle of the arena. Screams and cheers surround me, amplified a thousand times in the large space. I guide Shadowfax around the arena in a loop, past my grinning friends and a scowling Eric.

  “Time to start the show,” Chris yells into the mic. “First, let’s joust!”

  HORSES GALLOP DOWN THE PITCH. ERIC JOUSTS AGAINST Mags. She bites her lip, steadying her hand. Although we have the moves and who-wins-what choreographed and planned with each other, Eric’s a wild card. Our primary objective tonight is to stick to our own routines and knock him down as many times as possible.

  Which should be fun.

  Mags steers her horse down the pitch, lance balanced so precisely it almost skims along the top of the tilt. Eric’s arm shakes as he holds the lance, but his mouth is set in a grim line.

  They smash together with a great thud. Eric sways in his seat for a moment and then he slides out of the saddle. Mags’s section goes wild, shouting for her and waving their purple banners.

  Eric’s horse goes riding off, and he slinks to the side of the arena.

  Layla faces Alex next. They grin as their horses run toward each other. As they did with pool noodles at the laundromat, Alex and Layla come together, their lances barely missing each other. They do two more rounds and then Layla unseats Alex, as they’ve practiced dozens of times.

  Next it’s my turn, and I’m supposed to ride against Penny, but somehow she’s slipped into a round with Lizzy. Once they battle, Eric lines up his horse again. So, okay then. Me versus Eric. We’re doing this. I settle my lance against my side and Shadowfax and I fly toward Eric.

  It feels like déjà vu—me versus the Green Knight in the arena—but I knock him off his horse on the first try. This time he doesn’t slink away. This time he charges toward me, swinging his sword. It’s not technically time for ground fighting, but if Eric wants a fight, I’m game.

  Before I can leap out of my saddle, Lizzy and Layla are at my side. They chase Eric to one side of the arena, and both of them do the complicated dismount and roll that Lizzy’s been practicing for so long. Lizzy charges Eric first, but then she steps aside, so Eric and Layla can swordfight.

  Layla’s smaller than Eric, but she’s faster and not shy about tripping him. They fight, swords clattering into each other. Layla sweeps out his feet and then Eric’s on the ground.

  The Blue section erupts in cheers as Layla stands over Eric, hands over her head. She yells her triumph and we cheer with her.

  We put on a magnif
icent show. The crowd is totally into it and they roar their approval as Penny catches all the rings with her lance, Alex dominates the melee, knocking all of us down, and Lizzy pulls off a fancy horse trick that I didn’t know she’d been practicing.

  I even manage to throw a favor to Jett.

  He grins at me, and I swear my heart turns to pudding in my chest.

  There’s a grand fanfare when we’re done, and then all six of us slide off our horses and turn toward where the people from Corporate sit. Chris hands me the mic and I wave to the crowd as we all take our last bows.

  “Hello, Chicago! I’m Kit, the Girl Knight!” I shout to the crowd. “We hope you enjoyed the show! People of all genders have been fighting for centuries, in places all over the world. But you’ve not heard their stories. Here at the Castle, we think it’s high time for a change.”

  Layla, Alex, Penny, Lizzy, and Mags wave from their horses. The crowd goes wild, and the five of them grin so widely I’m certain their faces will hurt tomorrow.

  I introduce each of them, and it warms my heart to see a bunch of Girl Scouts on their feet, screaming and cheering for us.

  “We’re the new face of the Castle,” I say. “We hope you enjoyed the show and for now, good night to you all!”

  We all bow one more time, except for Eric, who stands on the sidelines scowling. Then we ride off.

  44

  “THAT WAS AMAZING!” LAYLA SAYS ONCE WE PUT OUR horses away. We head out into the Grand Hall to greet the crowds. Squires, stable hands, and Wenches cheer for us as we pass.

  “You were perfection out there!” I wipe my sweaty hair out of my eyes and laugh.

  “I can’t wait to do that again!” says Penny.

  “No one is doing that again,” thunders Len, pushing through the crowd. His face is red. “Kit, I gave you—just you—permission to ride out. All of you except Eric are in—”

  Before Len can say more, Isabel pushes through the crowd. Behind her is a tall, skinny dude carrying a huge camera. The light of the camera shines on us and Isabel puts a microphone in my face.

  “Tell me, Kit, what inspired you to bring others into the arena?”

  I put an arm around Layla, who puts one around Alex, who puts one around Penny, who puts one around Mags, who puts one around Lizzy. Other members of the Castle staff rush in, cheering and buzzing with excitement.

  “Ask my friends here how it’s felt to watch cis men get all the glory for so many years,” I say, handing the microphone to Layla.

  She, Penny, Alex, Mags, and Lizzy talk about how they’ve wanted this for so long, how exhilarating it was to be out there, and how they can’t wait to do it again.

  Isabel turns to Len, who’s finally made his way to us. “And you, King Len, what did you think of the performance?”

  He pulls at his beard, his eyes shifting between the Corporate people and us. I lift an eyebrow at him expectantly.

  “Well, erm—”

  Before Len can say more, one of the women from Corporate steps in front of him. “I’m Alisha Day, head of Castle PR and brand management, and we just wanted to put our full support behind these Knights! They are a magnificent part of our new show, which we’ll be unveiling soon at the Castles throughout the nation.”

  My eyes meet Len’s. His are wide with surprise, but then he shrugs. He’s a company man through and through, so if Corporate says this is how it goes, he’ll go along with it. He gives me a thumbs up, and I can’t help the smirk that splits my face. Way to jump on board at the last minute there, Uncle Len.

  I return the thumbs-up, hoping he at least got the promotion he wanted.

  My friends and I spread out to talk to the guests and get our pictures taken with them. My mom comes up to me and pulls me into an enormous hug. “Thank you for getting the divorce papers signed,” she whispers as she squeezes the air out of me. “That was incredibly chivalrous.”

  “Mom, stop, you’ll make me cry,” I say, beaming at her.

  “I’m serious,” she says, wiping away a tear. “I’m so proud of you. And even though I know you’re going away to school next year, you’ll always be my baby.”

  I roll my eyes a bit at that. Moms. Good grief.

  We take a selfie together, and then I tell her the news I’ve been sitting on for too long. “Speaking of college I’ve been meaning to tell you: I got into Marquette.”

  “Oh, Kit! That’s amaz—”

  “But I’m not going. It’s too much money, and I got a full ride to the community college. I’ll be going there in the fall.”

  She pauses for a moment. “Are you sure? We can figure out something else. I’ll have the money from selling the house and Chris’s medical bills will be covered.”

  “We’ll talk more about it later,” I say. “But my mind is made up. This is a better fit in every way. And it means you can still chase some of those dreams of yours.”

  She hugs me again. “Love you, Kit-Kat. Don’t stay out too late. I’ve got tomorrow off and we should do something fun. Just you, me, and Chris.”

  I wave to her and then sign an autograph for a small girl wearing a Red Knight costume. As I talk to fans, smile for pictures, and laugh with my friends, some small part of me still mourns letting the Marquette dream go. But maybe that’s just one version of my dream. Maybe I can find a new path that will help me end up where I want to.

  Once all the guests are gone, Len comes out of his office, wearing civilian clothes. The guitar Chris and I gave him is strapped to his chest. The Corporate folks are long gone, but only after getting contact information for me and all the other Knights and promising to have contracts for those of us who want them.

  “One night only, final Ninja after-party!” Len yells. “Drinks are on me because I just got promoted, and we’re going to celebrate!”

  The Castle staff lets out an enormous cheer and someone switches out the medieval soundtrack for some EDM.

  The bar opens up, and Castle staff keep hugging Layla, Penny, Alex, Mags, Lizzy, and me, toasting us with shots someone’s pouring. Layla’s yelling at Eric, and then she gets tackle hugged by Maura, her pink-haired girlfriend. Penny and Chris are laughing near the break room. Alex, Lizzy, and Mags are showing a bunch of Wenches some moves.

  Jett moves through the crowd, grinning as he approaches me.

  “You were great out there.” He picks me up in a sweeping, swinging hug.

  I hug him back, squeezing him hard as my feet leave the ground, not wanting to let go. “Everything worked out according to plan! I can’t believe it.”

  “I can,” says Jett. “You’re a force, Kit Sweetly.”

  He puts me down and presses his forehead against mine. Gently, he pushes a piece of my hair behind my ear. The touch sends heat through me. Feeling exceptionally brave, I tilt my head and push my lips against his. His mouth opens and the kiss deepens as our bodies press together. And it’s good. Oh. So. Very. Good.

  Loud cheers and whistles surround us. Because of course our first real kiss is in front of the entire Castle.

  I pull away, breathless. “I thought you weren’t into me. Or that you didn’t date Serving Wenches.”

  Jett gives me the smile that makes the edges of his eyes crinkle. “I’ve been into you since the first time we met. But I didn’t want to screw it up and lose your friendship. So I said that about Serving Wenches, hoping you’d realize I was more into Girl Knights.”

  “You literally fled after I kissed you on Wednesday.”

  “I panicked. I’m sorry. But I’ll make up for it.” He kisses me again, this time slow, sweet, and lingering. It sends hummingbirds zipping around my belly.

  “GET IT, KIT!” shouts Layla. I glare at her, but then burst out laughing.

  Jett doesn’t look at all embarrassed. “I bet you’re starving. Let’s get pancakes. Want to meet me at your mom’s restaurant in half an hour?”

  “You have yourself a date,” I say. “Just let me change first.”

  45

  IT TAKE
S ME LONGER THAN EXPECTED TO SHOWER, CHANGE, and say goodbye to everyone at the Castle.

  “I’ll give you a thirty-minute head start,” says Layla. “But no guarantees we won’t show up. I’m famished after all that riding. Being a Knight is a real workout!”

  Maura whispers something in her ear and Layla laughs wickedly. She waves to me as they walk away.

  “SORRY I’M LATE,” I say as I SLIDE INTO THE BOOTH ACROSS from Jett.

  I want to sit next to him, like the adorable white-haired couple behind us, who lean over to share a magnifying glass as they do a crossword puzzle. But I don’t. Some distance feels necessary as we figure out whatever this is between us.

  “I ordered already,” says Jett.

  Right as he says it, Dot, a red-haired server who’s worked with my mom since I was in junior high, puts down plates piled high with pancakes, bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, and two cups of coffee. She’s an unabashed feminist who wears a “We Can Do It!” button on her uniform and has sleeves of tattoos full of political slogans from the ’60s.

  “I see that,” I say to Jett, pouring sugar into my coffee. My stomach grumbles.

  When all the food is on the table, Dot tucks her tray under her arm. “You all need anything else, Kit?”

  “Just some sugar.” I hand her our empty sugar container. She snags the one from a table next to us and hands it to me.

  “Thanks, Dot,” I say, pouring more sugar into my coffee.

  “No problem, sweetie.” She stands there a moment longer, and then she clears her throat. “And congratulations on your big night. Your mom told me all about your campaign, and she just sent me a video from tonight. I’ve always loved horses and my granddaughters have been begging to go to the Castle for years. I’ve never had the money to take them just to see a bunch of men fight, but after your performance, I think we can go see the famous Girl Knight and company.”

  I smile at her. “I’ll leave some tickets for you at the front desk next weekend. Try to sit in my cheering section. I’m riding as the Red Knight at least through the end of summer.”