He walked back to his work, still laughing. I made my way back to the chair I’d been working from.
“I can take a compliment!” I retorted.
“Just not from me, eh? I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.”
Even from across the room, I could see that he was chewing on the inside of his lip. I knew he would lay off the flirtatious banter if I told him to. But I wasn’t sure that I wanted him to stop.
“No, it’s all right, Cor,” I told him, flashing him a small but sincere smile. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“Thank you for being you, Poppy. I’m glad you’re in my life. ”
The sincerity and affection he felt for me was clear in his voice. It washed over me and I felt the same feelings for him rush through me.
We had been friends for a long time. Lately, though, it seemed as if he wanted something slightly different than my friendship. And I enjoyed the changes to our banter. It was a little more flirtatious and I got to see all the parts of Cormac that I didn’t usually. But I didn’t know if I was ready to potentially change the path our relationship would take for the rest of our lives.
If we tried out a romantic relationship and it didn’t work, I was worried about how we would go back to the closeness we’d shared since he moved to the capital.
At the same time, I wondered what it would be like to be held romantically again, and by someone I cared for so deeply already.
Looking at his large gentle hands and his sweet smile under a rough but tamed black beard, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have sex with the much larger man.
Biting my lip, I turned back to my work. Those were things I needed to save thinking about for later.
3
CORMAC
I had spent the last two weeks adjusting to knitting with heavy wire. It had been frustrating at first because of the strength needed to twist the metal into the shape that I needed, and then because of the sheer amount of wire that I had wound up needing. Finn had gone all over the city buying up the right gauge of wire, and we still hadn’t had enough to finish the swatch to test to see if this would even work.
I never thought I’d be grateful to my granddam for teaching me to knit when I was a boy, but here I sat in Poppy’s well-lit shop. My wrists were killing me from the strain of the repetitive motion, and Finn had made more wire than I’d ever tasked him with in the four years he’d been my apprentice.
But finally, we were almost finished with what would be the torso section of Ser Genevieve’s gown. If this didn’t work, we were back to the beginning and I might wind up having to tell the knight that we couldn’t make this work. But if it did… we might be on to something great.
I finished the end of a row and counted. We had enough to be usable for a test.
“Finn, my boy! I am ready for you!”
The boy, nearly a full grown man by now, jerked awake from the lounge chair where he had been dozing.
“Huh? Wha-?” he blinked rapidly. I could almost see the cogs in his brain starting to turn as he actually woke up. Poppy laughed and the ringing sound was like music to my ears. Finn’s ears turned pink from what I could only guess was embarrassment.
“Time to wake up. It’s your turn to test this out.”
Poppy set down their work and together we waited. Finn started the now familiar routine of setting up for a test. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to loosen them from the day's work and his uncomfortable sleep position. It was a very different workout swinging a sword at chain mail instead of his usual hammering at the forge.
Finn was nearly old enough to enroll in the army if he’d wanted to, but I suspected that if there was a war both of our skills as blacksmiths would be more useful than anything we could provide as soldiers. I knew he had been enjoying playing with the swords, axes and crossbows as part of our testing method.
Today we were using a longsword, because Poppy’s shop didn’t have enough room to do a full swing of an axe without breaking anything, or the right range for a crossbow.
Finn pulled it from the sheath he had laid on the floor next to him. I nodded approvingly as he oiled the length of the blade from tip to hilt and then wiped it clean again.
He placed the blade on the table we’d made our staging area and adjusted the leather mannequin so that it was centered in the room. I draped the chain mail cloth around its neck and torso and nodded at him before getting out of the way.
Rolling his shoulders one more time for good measure, Finn picked up the sword and settled into a battle stance. He spread his feet to balance himself on the packed dirt floor, and turned himself slightly sideways. He looked carefully at the mannequin, as if he were aiming for the places that an enemy would most likely strike in a real battle.
Please let this work. Please let this work, I thought.
“Would you like to try, sir?” Finn asked hesitantly, sword in hand.
I shook my head and smiled.
“I’ll let you put those young arms to use.”
Finn grinned and focused on the mannequin.
Five well-placed blows later, he stepped back and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead with the back of his gloves. Grabbing a lantern from the wall behind him, he looked carefully at the chain mail. I stepped up behind him, another lantern in my hand so we could see every facet of the swatch of knitted chainmail.
We stood in silence, looking hard at the fabric. Several rings glinted where the sword had struck them, but none of the rings had detached. None of them were even terribly damaged.
“Well, did it work?” Poppy asked from their chair.
“We just might have done it,” I whispered, awestruck. Raising my voice, I called to Poppy. “Come and take a look for yourself!”
They walked briskly into the room a moment later, and both Finn and I stepped out of the way for them to take a long hard look.
They gestured with two fingers at Finn, and he stared at them blankly for a moment before handing over his lantern. Stripping the glove off of their right hand, they ran their pinky finger and the side of their hand down the cloth a few times.
They turned slowly, an expression of abject delight on their face.
“Cormac, Finn, you did it! This is more or less undamaged! We can make this gown!”
They grabbed me around the waist and squeezed as tight as they could. I let my hands rest on their shoulders and they began to laugh.
“We really did it,” I said wonderingly. Proud tears had begun to well in my eyes, and I wasn’t the least bit ashamed. “Well, ain’t that a thing.”
I gestured for Finn to come closer, and he did, setting his lantern on the table next to the sword. I wrapped him in my arms right next to Poppy, happy to have them both as part of my team.
“Ain’t that a thing,” I whispered.
GENEVIEVE
“You want me to do what now?”
Alys looked so much like our mother in that moment. Her blonde eyebrows arched into her artificially bright orange hairline incredulously and her Cupid’s bow lips were spread into a smirk that would have been appropriate for a mustache-twirling villain at the theater. I hated that smirk.
“Oh, come on, Alys, it’s just an introduction! That wouldn't be so bad, right?”
Alys laughed.
“You need me to do something for you? I don’t think this has ever happened before, sister dear.”
I grimaced. She was right. It was rare for me to ask either of my siblings for help.
“Yeah, it's been that kind of a season. Just tell me, can you help me or not? Mama thought you might be able to, but if it's an imposition…”
“What, you’ll just die lonely? Is Duke Avery the only man in the world for you?”
She faked a swoon mockingly.
“Oh my goddess, Alys, don’t be ridiculous!” I snapped, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger in annoyance. “This is why I don’t ask you for things. You make a big production out of ever
ything.”
“You’re the one asking me to introduce you to the Duke, like you aren’t in the same position I am at court, if not a better one,” Alys shot back. “Seriously, this is the first crush you've ever mentioned to me, and it’s on the King’s scandalous son.”
“Look, you know Duke Avery. You went to school with him. You're going to the same ball I am, and several others besides. Is it too much to ask for you to talk to your old friend and say, ‘Hey, you should meet my sister’?”
I could hear my voice rising an octave with each sentence I spoke and I hated it, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“And what if he says no? What if he's not into women or not into anyone at all? What will you do then?”
“I’ll survive,” I nearly screeched. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I continued. “I don't need a man to be happy in my life, and if he's not interested, then he's not interested. That’ll be that and I’ll move on.”
I flopped onto the bench in the hallway with a huff. There would be no convincing her.
“If you don't want to do it, that's fine. Just tell me and we’ll be done with it. I'm done arguing with you about this.”
Alys was silent for several heartbeats before gathering her skirts around herself and sitting gracefully next to me.
“That was pretty bratty of me, wasn't it?”
I only snorted, shifting away slightly. My sister sighed, and I felt the air move as she ran her fingers through her fiery hair.
“I got caught up in the moment a little bit.”
“No kidding. We’re both adults now. I thought we were done acting like little kids, Alys. There’s no reason for it.”
The younger woman squirmed in her seat before she spoke again.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Avery for you. I was always going to.”
“Then why… You know what, never mind. Thank you, Alys. Let me know when and where I need to be to meet him. I’m going to go practice with the guards.”
I rose from the bench, walking into my open bedroom without another word. Closing the door behind me, I pressed my forehead against it for good measure.
My face was hot against the cool wood of the door, and I could feel the texture of the grain in every wrinkle in my forehead. I took deep breaths that were supposed to be calming. I wasn’t sure if it was working or not, but I felt like I could breathe easier after a few of them.
I could never figure out why every request I made of my sister turned into an argument. As far as I could remember, it had always been like this. I almost wished I’d asked Mama to make the request for me, but at least it was over for now.
Pulling myself away from the door, I began unfastening the side clasp of the simple dress I wore. I intended to go practice with the guards Papa had brought with them. It would help to beat out the worries that were floating around my consciousness. Until my new gown was finished, practice required trousers.
AVERY
My mother and I had been to three balls already this week, and it was only Thursday. I had yet to see any of my former classmates or fellow scholars at these balls, and I was starting to get cranky about the inordinate amounts of time that I was wasting.
It had turned out to be convenient for Bayard and Ines to have two people who could attend balls with similar social standing to their own as stand-ins for them. My mother had been happy to accept their well-planned pleading requests, but I had no choice but to stand in for my father, who had declared that he had had enough balls for three lifetimes during his reign.
So there I stood, back to the wall and desperately wishing that I had thought to bring a book with me, when a familiar voice called out from the throng of silk-clad nobles.
“Why, Duke Avery of Wolvington! I should have known to check the corners when I couldn’t find you.”
A fiery-haired woman dressed in green and black silk stepped forward from the crowd. A lazy smile spread across her painted lips and I couldn’t help but grin back.
“Alys of Teagan. It has been far too long.”
I meant it. She presented her hand to me politely and I clasped it warmly, pulling her into an impromptu hug that she returned with a ringing laugh.
“It’s good to see you again,” she told me, sincerity clear in her voice. “I wasn’t sure when I’d actually get to see you this season, but if King Bayard can’t seem to get time away from his dealings with the Fraisians, at least we get to see more of you.”
“I don’t see how I’m much of an asset at a party like this, but it’s good to see you, too. I was just lamenting my lack of a novel to dive into.”
She smirked at me.
“How about we go grab a drink instead? I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.”
“Is that so? Ladies first, then!” I laughed.
She led the way through the astonishing number of well-dressed dancing nobles, straight for the bar. I was surprised to see my mother standing there, happily chatting with Duchess Vivienne of Teagan. That was unusual. My mother was usually surrounded by groups of noblewomen looking to curry favor with her as the wife of the King Father.
Duchess Vivienne didn’t need any help that Father would be able to do anything for. She had enough clout on her own. So why were she and my mother talking like old friends?
Alys cleared her throat and both women turned to her.
“Alys, my dear girl! You found him!” Mother cried.
I narrowed my eyes. Something odd was going on here. I bowed.
“Hello again, Mother. Your Grace, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
Duchess Vivienne dipped a light curtsy. My mother just smiled at me.
“The same to you, dear boy! I’ve just been discussing your marriage prospects with your dear mother.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I understand that you are interested in a potential arranged marriage? I had a candidate in mind if that is the case.”
Raising an eyebrow, I turned to Alys in surprise.
“If you were looking to get married, you could have just asked me yourself. I wouldn’t have said yes, but…”
“Ew!” she cried, swatting me playfully. “Don’t be gross, you’re my teacher. We’re not here to talk about me.”
I scratched at my cheek and frowned in confusion. If they weren’t here to talk about Alys, then why were she and the Duchess involved? Alys rolled her eyes at me.
“My older sister, Genevieve, has expressed an interest. You’ve met a few times.”
I vaguely remembered her as a tall and muscular woman with tanned skin and brown hair that she kept braided. We had talked a few times over the course of Alys’s time studying with me and I had enjoyed each conversation, but I hadn’t given her much thought since Alys had graduated from the Academy in the fall.
“It would be an acceptable political match,” Mother said. “The Duchess said that your terms would not be a problem in their house.”
“I would not be opposed to such a match,” I offered tentatively. “I would like to spend some time with her, though. I don’t want to marry someone who I can’t talk to.”
Vivienne chuckled and exchanged a knowing look with Mother.
“I see why you’ve been having trouble finding him a wife,” she joked. “Lucky for him, Genevieve is just as difficult. I think we can make that happen.”
Mother’s eyes gleamed as she nodded to me. Maybe the social season would be more exciting than I had anticipated.
4
GENEVIEVE
I rubbed my thumb and forefinger over my eyebrows, trying not to scream. We had been at this all morning. My mother seemed to be intent on me learning everything that I had failed to learn in my etiquette classes in one day. I desperately wanted someone to come in and interrupt, but I knew no one would. Mama had made sure to tell the servants not to interrupt us unless it was urgent, and Papa had taken Peter to go see a new artist in town.
“Oh, for the Goddess’s sake, Gen, you know h
ow to walk properly,” my mother wailed, slumping back in the overstuffed chair she favored. “You walk like a Knight, which is fine, but it is not sexually appealing in the least. Most of the art of seduction is in your body language and you are giving me nothing to work with.”
Honestly, I wanted to learn it, too. It had all seemed so silly in class, and it definitely still was, but it was a weapon that I didn’t have in my arsenal. Not to mention, I knew I needed all the help I could get. The knighthood process might have been opened to all genders more than a century ago, but it was still very traditionally masculine when it came to etiquette.
That was why Mama had enrolled me in etiquette classes designed for noblewomen. Except none of it had stuck. There had been enough overlap that I had gotten away with a lot over the years, but flirting was not covered in either of those classes.
Alys burst into the room carrying a massive pile of fluffy material.
“Mama, I’ve got just the thing. No one can resist being sexy in this!”
She lifted her arms and revealed that the mass of light pink fabric in her hands was, in fact, a very puffy skirt. I backed away, hands up in front of me.
“Oh no. No way am I wearing that.”
Alys shook the fabric at me and I shuddered.
“It would just be for practice,” she laughed. “You wouldn’t have to wear it out in public.”
“There’s just so much of it,” I whispered in horror. “I don’t even know how you would walk in that.”
Alys laughed a little.
“I will have you know that this is one of the latest fashions from Fraisia,” she told me in her loftiest voice. “It will even make you look like you have hips!”
“My hips work perfectly well, thank you very much,” I retorted, making my point clear by placing my fists on them.
“Yes, and they blend in with your extremely muscled torso,” she explained patiently. “This will give you a more feminine shape to work with. It has built in shapers that will move with you while expanding your silhouette.”
A Knight to Remember Page 4