Throne of Hearts (girlxgirl)

Chapter 3

West of Wishborne Castle, Tournament Grounds. Silva, Ahigarth - 2106

Rose

It was finally here. The tournament.

I watched from a castle tower--too early for me to be expected down there--and it was easy to see the turnout for the tourney would be a good one. There was a steady flow of people walking around the grounds, more than any of us anticipated. The people were slightly too far away for me to make out their features; indistinct figures bustled about the field and groups of people huddled together here and there. Vendors were setting up their booths to sell goods, small clouds of smoke flowed into the air where food was being prepared, and tents popped up where people would be sleeping for the next week.

So much was going on and it thrilled me that this was my idea. My excitement was almost palpable in the air. I can't wait to get down there and be with my people, to be surrounded by their joy and pride, and to experience the fight for glory with them.

The last two months had been hectic with planning and performing my daily duties around the castle. Once the Kett guards found out about the tournament, their hostile attitudes toward me dimmed, at least for the moment. It was too early to hope they were accepting me but it was a small reprieve all the same. There were still a few that didn't hide their hate but I was ignoring them for now. There would be time to deal with them after the tournament if they didn't change their ways.

"Are you ready, my lady?" Ryder asked from my right.

I turned to him, grinning. "Yes, very much so. I am very excited."

"I can see that," he said, smiling. "You looked happy for once."

I laughed softly. "I don't want to hear another word about my sad state. Today is going to be a good day, full of events and new people. When will we be expected down there?" I pointed out the window toward the field.

He looked down at this notebook. "It looks like...you are expected in about an hour. For now, let's get some breakfast. You are going to have a long eventful day."

In the dining hall, my mother was already seated and waiting. Cora beamed when she saw me, her excitement evident. She looked beautiful today, her brown hair peppered with gray and styled elegantly into a braid that crowned her head, and a long-sleeved green dress. It was good to see her looking healthy, lately, she looked tired and had been keeping to her room a lot.

"Hello, Mother. You're looking well this morning," I smiled at her.

"Thank you, Rose. You are looking well yourself today. Are you excited about the tournament? Can you believe it's finally here!"

I chuckled at her exuberance. "Yes, I am. I'm looking forward to seeing some new talent on the field and to see who we might recruit for the Kett."

"And all the handsome men won't hurt to look at either," Cora winked.

I knew she meant well but she didn't know the whole story with what Bain put me through. I don't want anything to do with men right now. But I won't tell her that, not today. I just smiled, humming noncommittally, and quickly moved past the remark. Servants brought out trays of hot food and we filled our plates, chatting about this and that. Thankfully, Cora either didn't notice the change in topic or chose not to press the issue, either way, breakfast turned out to be lovely.

A little over an hour later, I sat tall in the saddle, as I rode onto the tournament grounds. My horse Rune, a large Destrier mare, seemed eager to strut among the people. I had two guards on each side of me, and the High Chief of the Kett guard, Lord James Darcy, riding slightly ahead of me. Ryder rode behind me, and behind him were half a dozen Kett guards marching on foot.