A Tournament Knight

by A Tournament Knight (lit)

  Jacqueline cringed at her mother's words. She had known Lady Elizabeth was not a great supporter of what she was doing, but she had not known she looked upon it with such misgiving.

  "Mother, try to understand. I will not be put off. I am going to this tournament with or without your consent."

  Picking up the tunic she had been stitching, Lady Elizabeth let her daughter know she would not speak further. Eyes downcast, her needle flashed in and out of the material she worked.

  Turning to Beth, Jacqueline looked at her beseechingly. "Do you feel the same? If I am to really do this properly, I need you by my side. As William's wife, you will make it more believable."

  The younger woman quickly looked at her mother-in-law, seeming to mentally apologize for what she was about to say. "I will help you, Jacqueline. A part of me wants to see William revenged as much as you do."

  * * * *

  The tournament chosen to be Jacqueline's final test before facing the earl was being held at Portchester Castle on the mainland. The castle was situated near Portsmouth's harbor, one of the more used landing spots when leaving the Isle. It was a royal castle, but neither King Richard nor his queen would be in attendance. The castle constable would be presiding over the tournament.

  Now, with the day of the event here, Jacqueline was second guessing herself. Was she capable of really doing this? It had not helped her nerves any when her mother had refused to see them off. A blatant show of her disapproval. Getting Beth to cut her hair close to how William wore his had been the last straw for her mother. She now chose to ignore Jacqueline as if she was not even in the same room.

  Reaching up, Jacqueline pulled at her hair, which now just brushed the top of her shoulders. Only to herself would she admit she did in some small way regret having to cut it, but it would grow back. After she completed what she set out to do.

  The ferry transporting them across the water to Portsmouth, bumped against the landing. Waiting for the rest of her company to disembark, Jacqueline took a deep breath to steady herself, then followed.

  She was not alone, including the two men-at-arms as protection, Beth and Sir Guy traveled with her. Having Sir Guy accompany her had been an unexpected surprise. She just hoped her mother would not make it hard for him upon their return. He seemed not at all worried about what Lady Elizabeth's reaction would be. He simply stated that he would not allow Jacqueline to compete in her first tournament without him at her side. William had had no squire. So Sir Guy decided to fulfill some of the duties a squire would be expected to perform, not trusting the men-at-arms to do a proper job of it.

  Upon reaching Portchester Castle, their small party slowly converged on the area set up where the tournament was to be held. Picking an empty space amongst the already pitched pavilions, the men-at-arms started to unload the baggage cart. After their pavilion was taken from the cart, Sir Guy began directing the two men as to where it should be erected.

  With not much to do but stand by and wait, Jacqueline scanned the other pavilions. Each one had a standard with the knight's coat of arms standing before it showing who presided within. She did not recognize any who were close by, which was understandable. She had only been to a couple of tournaments in the past before this one.

  Beth quietly came to stand beside her. "I am here for you. If a knight William was acquainted with confronts you, I will make sure to be by your side. But at present, it should be no real concern. William did not know any who are camped near us."

  "If you had not agreed to come, I am sure I would have made a complete fool of myself."

  Looping her arm through Jacqueline's, Beth felt her start in surprise. "Remember, you are William and I am your wife. You cannot jump at a mere touch from me."

  Jacqueline smiled down at Beth. "You caught me off guard. I have not yet started to think that far ahead."

  "Well start acting the part of William, now. You are about to go through your first test."

  Beth was correct. A squire from the pavilion across from where they stood was heading in their direction. He was smiling, and seemed not able to take his eyes from Beth.

  "Good day to you." The squire bowed. "Might I have your name, sir. My master may wish to engage you in the list."

  Clearing her throat, Jacqueline tried to make her voice as deep as possible. "I am Sir William Montacute. And might I inquire who your master is?"

  "My master is Sir Terric Aubrey, and I am Edwin." Grabbing Beth's hand, he placed a kiss on the back of it. Beth quickly yanked it back.

  Settling into her role, Jacqueline warned the squire away. "I would appreciate it if you would keep your hands off my lady wife."

  To give him credit, Edwin blushed while he backed away, only to be brought up short as he backed into the knight standing behind him. Grabbing the boy's shoulders to steady him, the knight gently moved Edwin aside.

  "I see my squire has introduced himself. I hope Edwin was not bothering you too much." Sir Terric sent his squire a meaningful look.

  Jacqueline felt her jaw drop open. She could not tear her eyes away from Sir Terric. The man was too handsome for his own good. His blonde hair and unusual colored eyes, a beautiful shade of violet, she found appealing. But it was his height which drew her the most. Being taller than most men, finding one she actually had to look up at was a novelty. Even though she was supposed to be acting a part, Jacqueline could not help but rake Sir Terric's body with her eyes. The man was all muscle. Jacqueline had to stop herself before she reached out to see if his body was as hard as it looked.

  Realizing Terric was watching her, waiting for some kind of response, Jacqueline mentally gave herself a shake. "No harm done, Sir Terric."

  Flashing her a smile, which caused her to take complete leave of her senses, he said, "Good. I could not help but overhear your name. I am glad to see you have recovered from your wound. I was at Windsor and watched when your father unseated you."

  ?

  Chapter Four

  She froze, her mind drawing an absolute blank. Jacqueline had not expected to face this particular question so early on in her deception. Luckily, Beth sensed her dilemma and took control of the conversation, drawing Terric's attention to herself.

  "My husband's recovery was faster than we had anticipated. This is his first tournament since receiving his wound in Windsor."

  "I must say, Sir William has made a speedy recovery. I had thought a wound to the neck would have laid him up much longer. But I am happy to see he is well enough to grace the list once again. If you will excuse me, I will leave you to finish your camp preparations."

  With a nod of his head, Terric motioned for Edwin to follow him, then left the two women alone.

  Jacqueline let the breath she had been holding out in a rush. "He is going to be a problem."

  "He can easily be avoided. Just carry on as you have planned. If you let Sir Terric get to you, you will fail. Ignore the man."

  "If only it were that simple."

  Beth looked at her, finding her watching Sir Terric's retreating back. "Jacqueline, you are attracted to him, are you not?"

  Feeling her face turn red, Jacqueline tore her gaze away from Sir Terric and looked at Beth. If only her friend knew what was running through her head concerning that particular knight. With a shrug of her shoulders, she replied, "It is of no import if I am. It is not like I can do anything about it, now can I?"

  "Just remember that. We do not need you losing your head over that one. I remember Sir Terric from Windsor, though I did not know his name at the time. He flirts with anything in a gown."

  Jacqueline chuckled, then acting the part of a husband, offered Beth her arm. "Have no fear, dear wife. There are bigger stakes here. Much more important than any passing fancy I might have. Let us see how the men-at-arms are doing setting up the camp."

  * * * *

  A pavilion was quite an easy thing to erect. All it consisted of really was a heavy waterproof canvas, which made up the outer walls, and the inner wooden supports.
The supports themselves were a sturdy center post that a wooden circular shaped wheel with inner spokes, sat upon. It looked much like a cart wheel, only much larger. The canvas fitted over the whole thing, spreading to the ground where it was firmly pegged down. So it happened the men-at-arms had completed setting up their camp when Beth and Jacqueline returned.

  Sir Guy awaited them inside the pavilion. When they arrived, he rapidly fired questions at them. "Who was the knight? Did he ask to challenge you? Did he accept you as a man?"

  Jacqueline held up her hand and shook her head, halting his barrage of questions. She could not help but find humor in his query. "If you would let me answer one question before asking the next, I will tell you all that passed between us."

  Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Sir Guy said, "I was just curious, lass. It is no test run here. If you do not pull this off, at this tournament, there will be no other tournament for you."

  "Will you stop your worrying? As you can see, no alarm was raised. And the answer to your questions, the knight is Sir Terric Aubrey, he did not mention anything about a challenge, and he believes I am William."

  "But Jacqueline has neglected to tell you one other small thing about her meeting with Sir Terric." Beth said oh so casually. Having gained Sir Guy's attention, she grinned. "She forgot to tell you she is smitten with him."

  Sir Guy rolled his eyes in disgust. "Besides that utterly useless piece of information, do you have anything else to say about him?"

  Beth grew serious. "Aye, there is. Sir Terric remembers William was wounded at Windsor. He was there and saw it all."

  "Then we will all have to be cautious around him. It may be best to keep our distance from him entirely."

  Knowing she would be questioned if she did not agree, Jacqueline nodded. But if opportunity did arise to get to know Sir Terric better, she would not openly shun him. Just the mere sight of him caused her body to ache and wetness to form at her very core. She had finally met a man that she wanted in the most intimate of ways, and as fate would have it, she had to make him believe she was just as male as he.

  * * * *

  The next day the tournament began. Jacqueline had not gone to the castle the previous evening. It had seemed prudent, after the questions Sir Terric had posed to her.

  The list was set up just outside the castle walls. Bleachers had been erected on the sidelines for the ladies and men of rank who were not participating in the tournament. There, they could watch the competitors make runs at each other. Beth was seated amongst them.

  Jacqueline had to admit her nerves were getting the better of her. Standing in the middle of her pavilion as Sir Guy helped her don her armor, she could hear the roar of the crowd outside. She resisted the urge to wipe her sweating palms on her thighs, which were already encased in iron.

  After he finished fastening her breastplate and backplate, Sir Guy attached the plate armor worn on her arms. Jacqueline accepted the metal gauntlets from the older man. She tried her best to hide her nervousness from him when he placed her helm upon her head. But she of course failed miserably. He put his hand under chin, forcing her to look at him. It was hard to see him clearly through the eye slits of her helm.

  "You will be fine, Jacqueline. Just remember what I taught you. Ignore the crowd, and focus on your opponent."

  "I will remember. I just have to get through my first run. It is the unknown which is making me feel this way. I have never jousted against a real knight. I know naught of what will happen."

  "It is not all that much different from the quintain. Only with this, the object you are aiming for is moving, as well."

  "I beg to differ." Jacqueline said gruffly.

  Laughing, Sir Guy passed her shield to her. "You are correct. I am only trying to make you feel better." Growing serious again, he strapped her sword around her waist. "You will get through this, my girl."

  She smiled weakly at him, adjusting her shield, which had her brother's, the Montacute coat of arms painted upon it. Painted completely white, it had three large red diamonds in the center. Three black circles, above the first and third diamond and the third just below the second diamond, made up the coat of arms. The sword strapped around her hips was her own, having been made especially for her a few years before.

  Taking a deep breath for courage, Jacqueline stepped out of her pavilion. Her steed, also armored, stood patiently nearby. The man-at-arms who held the animal's reins walked it to where she stood. Sir Guy helped her mount then, passing the reins up to her, he took hold of the horse's bridle and started to lead it to the lists.

  Her first competitor was Sir Hugh Blakely. All Jacqueline could see was an armored knight who sat upon his horse opposite her, with lance in his hand. Allowing her mind to go blank, she accepted her lance from Sir Guy. Everything fell away, the roar of the crowd, the jingle of her horse's harness.

  Once the flag was lowered that signaled the start of the charge, Jacqueline shoved her spurs into her steed's flanks and barreled toward her opponent. When they met, her lance shattered as it came into contact with Sir Hugh's shield. She hit it squarely in the center. His lance grazed her shield, but remained intact. The first point was awarded to Jacqueline.

  She turned her horse about and returned to her end of the field. Accepting another lance, she prepared for her second charge.

  This time both lances shattered, but her hit was hard enough to fling Sir Hugh backwards over his horse's rump. He landed with a loud clang when his armor clad body hit the ground.

  Hearing the crowd calling her name, William's name, Jacqueline slowly became aware of her surroundings. Turning her horse about, she walked past her fallen opponent. His squire had come to his aid and was helping Sir Hugh to regain his feet. He appeared not to be injured, most likely only having had the wind knocked out of him.

  Seeing Jacqueline, Sir Hugh spoke as she went past. "I will have the usual ransom money sent to your pavilion at the end of the tournament."

  Turning in her saddle, she replied, "That is acceptable."

  Once she reached Sir Guy, he led her horse back to her pavilion, then followed her in after she dismounted. "How do you feel?"

  Pulling her shield, helm, and gauntlets off, Jacqueline wiped the sweat from her face. The armor was hot, as well as heavy. She would be happy to have it removed.

  "My left shoulder feels a bit numb after that last charge. Other than that, I am fine."

  "Get used to it. There is more to come. I must say you have acquitted yourself quite admirably, my girl. You would have made William proud."

  Beaming from the older man's words, she smiled. "Thank you, kind sir. One down and only four more to go."

  "Did Sir Hugh make arrangements for paying the ransom? If he had not, his armor, sword, and horse are yours."

  Taking a swallow of water from a skin, she nodded. "Aye, he did. I do not want his armor, nor his horse. That is not the reason why I am here. Not to make money."

  "I know. But it would look strange if you did not accept the ransom. You did win the match, and it is customary to take such."

  "I know that. How long till I face my next opponent?"

  Unbuckling her armor, Sir Guy answered, "You have a half hour. Rest. By the time you face your last opponent, you will feel bruised from head to toe."

  * * * *

  Sir Guy had not stretched the truth when he had said she would feel so bruised. Her whole body ached. Her left shoulder was already a beautiful array of colors. Just getting herself dressed for the feast taking place this evening was proving to be a challenge.

  Watching Jacqueline's stiff movements, Beth took pity on her and helped to pull her tunic over her head. After taking a step back, she checked her handy work. Jacqueline would do, if no one really looked too hard at her. With her short hair and bound chest, she could pass for a young William. But there was no disguising the feminine curve of her hips. At least a cloak shielded them from behind.

  "What do you think, Beth? Do I look enough like Wil
liam?"

  The more Beth looked at her, the more the resemblance became. She had to blink back tears. She still felt the loss of William greatly. "Aye, you will do. Too much really."

  Jacqueline, sensing the other woman's sadness, moved closer to her and put her arm around Beth's shoulders. "If this is going to be too much for you to bear, we can bow out of the feast."

  Beth shook her head in denial. "Nay, you have to go. You need the practice. I will be fine."

  Not wishing to upset her any further, Jacqueline offered her arm to Beth. "Then let us go face the lions together."

  The great hall in Portchester Castle was just about filled to capacity by the time they arrived. Sir Guy had arrived earlier. Upon seeing Jacqueline enter the hall with Beth on her arm, he motioned them over to where he sat. He had managed to save them each a seat.

  Squeezing onto the bench, both women accepted a trencher from a passing pageboy. Filling them with food, they then settled down to the business of enjoying the food that had been prepared for the feast. Before they could finish eating a voice, coming from further down their table, interrupted them.

  "I am glad to see you could attend the feast, Sir William. This is the best part of a tournament."

  Leaning slightly forward to look down the table, Jacqueline found Sir Terric staring back at her. Silently groaning to herself, she replied, "How could I pass up such good food? After a day in the list, it is much welcomed."

  Taking her reply as an invitation, Sir Terric stood up. With trencher and goblet in hand, he came over to where Jacqueline sat. Smiling politely at Sir Guy who sat to one side of her, he squeezed in between them, which in turn caused everyone else on the bench to shift down, filling the empty space Terric had created by leaving his other seat.

  Placing the trencher and goblet on the table in front of him, he motioned a pageboy to refill his goblet with wine. "Hope you do not mind my intrusion, but I would rather be in your company."