Chapter 7 #2
When she walked away, Rook looked over to Jonathon and shrugged.
“Mayhap my father has a reason for his madness, I don’t really know.
But even if he doesn’t, it will be amusing to watch my sister’s reactions with you at her side at the dais.
I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Rook chuckled and walked away.
“Are you really going to sit up at the dais with the nobles?” asked Avery. “Above the salt?” He sounded very jealous.
“I have no choice. It is what Lord Corbett wants.”
“I wish it were me instead. I’d love to eat the food of the nobles and have white bread instead of brown.”
The nobles ate food that the others didn’t. One of the prime things being white bread, and another being that they had ornate cellars filled with salt on the table with which to season their food. These things were expensive and not given to the commoners or anyone who didn’t sit at the dais.
“I wish it were you as well,” mumbled Jonathon, handing his brother a travel bag with tools that he’d removed from his horse. He slipped another bag over his shoulder. A groom ran out from the stables to take care of their horses.
Jonathon headed to the smithy to change back into the uncomfortable clothes of a castle guard, hating every minute of this charade. Since Raven’s disposition changed so quickly, he had the feeling that everything was about to go downhill from here and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
By the time Raven washed up and made her way back to the great hall with Lark, Jonathon was already in the great hall dressed like a guard again, standing at the end of the dais waiting for her.
She stopped in her tracks, her hands balling into fists, and with her teeth clenched.
This wasn’t right. Her father and brother were only doing this to make a fool out of her, and she didn’t like it.
“Cousin, why are ye so upset?” asked Lark.
“That man has got to go.”
“Oh, ye mean Jonathon? What’s the matter with him? Didna ye have a good time at his family’s home in town today?”
She let out a deep sigh, her eyes still fastened to Jonathon. Even though he shouldn’t be wearing the castle’s crest, he did look handsome with it on his chest.
“Actually, I enjoyed that part very much,” Raven admitted. “His family was so nice to me. Their food was naught but simple pottage and brown bread, but it was comforting eating with them, for some reason. They all seemed so... happy.”
“Then why are ye so angry?” asked Lark.
She turned her eyes away from Jonathon and looked directly at her cousin.
“It’s fine for me to socialize with a commoner when I’m in town and none of the nobles or castle occupants can see it.
But to flaunt the fact he’s supposedly my personal guard and now is going to be sitting at my side atop the dais is preposterous.
Everyone will be staring. What will they think? ”
“What difference does it make what anyone thinks?” she asked Raven. Lark’s smiled faded. “I’ve had my entire clan starin’ at me for years since I am unwed and have a bastard child. I’ve learned to accept it.”
“This is different,” said Raven, feeling a knot growing in her stomach.
“How so?”
“You did something to deserve those stares. I didn’t.”
“You didn’t what?” asked Jonathon, walking up and hearing the end of her conversation.
“Nothing. Never mind.” Raven looked the other way.
“May I escort you, my lady?” His damned arm was out again, and part of her wanted to take it.
Yet, another part of her knew that this whole thing was most likely some kind of punishment for her since she’d been caught jousting.
Well, her brother and father were not going to get the last laugh as far as she was concerned.
“Out of my way,” spat Raven, pushing past him and climbing the stairs to the dais herself.
She plopped down in her chair, feeling like screaming.
“Can you believe him, Lark? He’s pretending he’s a noble now.
Lark?” She thought her cousin had been right behind her, but she wasn’t.
When Raven looked up, she saw Lark sashaying up to the dais, smiling and laughing and holding onto Jonathon’s arm.
“Ugh,” she grunted, holding out her goblet, nodding for the cupbearer to fill it. When the boy did, she chugged it down.
Jonathon started to seat Lark next to Raven, but her father stopped that quickly.
“Nay. You sit next to my daughter, Jonathon,” called out Corbett from the center of the table. Once Jonathon was seated, Raven’s father stood up and made an announcement to everyone that only twisted the knife he’d already embedded in her back.
“I’d like to make a toast to my daughter, Lady Raven,” said Corbett, holding up the goblet in the air.
“In a few weeks from now she’ll be married to the lucky winner of the tournament.
Until then, she will practice having a man at her side at the dais, since I have invited Jonathon Armstrong to join us.
Jonathon is my daughter’s personal guard and also the temporary castle smith. ”
“Personal guard?” someone called out. “Who is going to protect him from her?”
Everyone laughed.
“Enough!” shouted Corbett. “Mr. Armstrong will also be reporting directly to me, anyone who so much as disrespects or says an unkind word about my daughter.”
“What?” Raven’s head snapped around and her eyes opened wide as she looked at Jonathon. “Is this true?”
“Well,” said Jonathon clearing his throat. “Not exactly. It was your brother who came up with that idea, although I can’t say I agree with it in the least.”
“You are ruining my life and I wish I never met you.” Raven sprang out of her chair and ran from the dais. Jonathon got up to go after her.
“Nay,” said Rook, grabbing his arm as Jonathon passed him. “Let her go. When she gets this way, it is best to let her calm down before anyone approaches her. If you go after her now, it’ll only make things worse.”
“But it’s my job, I have to go,” said Jonathon, looking back at Corbett. Corbett slowly sat down, shaking his head, not agreeing with what Jonathon wanted to do.
“Sit down and have something to eat,” said Rook, taking Raven’s empty spot.
The servants started placing platters of delicious-looking food in front of him on the table.
He spied an entire roasted pig on a platter with an apple in its mouth.
Around it was a variety of root vegetables and even roasted chestnuts.
Platters of fresh fruit were stacked so high he could barely see over the tops of them.
There were baskets of bread and rolls covered with seeds, all of them looking like they were made from white flour, which was considered rare and only for nobles, since it took so long to sift.
“What’s that?” asked Jonathon, as a servant put a huge steaming hot pie in front of him.
“That’s venison pie. My mother’s favorite is venison, so we eat a lot of it,” said Rook.
“That aroma,” he said, sniffing the air, always aware of different scents. “I’ve never smelled that before. What is it?”
“The pie is heavily spiced with cardamom and saffron and other exotic spices. I personally don’t like all the spices, but my father favors them.”
“Can I fill your goblet, my lords?” asked a cupbearer, coming up behind them with a decanter in each hand.
“He’s not a lord,” said Rook, holding out his goblet, letting the boy fill it. “Have you ever tasted Elderflower Summer Ale?” asked Rook. “It’s one of my favorite drinks.”
“Nay, I haven’t.” Jonathon noticed the fruity, floral scent coming from the ale and it intrigued him.
“Or the cupbearer also has pear cider. Your choice,” said Rook, taking a drink of the ale.
“Pear cider?” he asked, never having had that either.
“It’s all right, but it’s not even as strong as wine. I prefer the ale,” said Rook.
Jonathon really wanted to eat, but he couldn’t stay.
Not now. Not after what just happened with Raven.
He looked down at the rest of the trestle tables below the salt.
The food the others were being served seemed to consist of very little meat, but lots of cabbage, brown bread and vegetables.
Avery sat next to Gerold, conversing with the others.
His brother looked up, holding a hunk of brown bread in his hand.
His eyes devoured the fancier food sitting in front of Jonathon, especially the white bread.
He knew how much Avery wanted to try the nobles’ food, and that only made Jonathon feel worse about sitting up here.
He didn’t belong at the dais. He felt like a fraud, and as if sitting up here dressed like this was only making a mockery of him as well.
He started regretting accepting this job after all.
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” he told the cupbearer. The boy looked puzzled.
With a shake of Rook’s head, the cupbearer moved on to fill Lark’s goblet instead.
“You seem uncomfortable up here,” said Rook.
“I am. I don’t belong here and you know it.”
“I agree,” said Rook, taking another drink of ale. “However, it is my father’s decision and I have nothing to say about it.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to set up the forge so I think I’ll skip the meal. Unless you’d like me to wait for Lady Raven to return.”
“You can go, Armstrong,” said Corbett walking over to talk with them.
“My daughter will most likely be spending the rest of the night in her chamber sulking like she usually does when she doesn’t get her way.
I’m sorry for her outburst. The sun has set now, so you are free to work in the forge for the rest of the night.
Your service to my daughter is not needed again until the morning. ”