The Changing of the Guard by J.S. Mawdsley

Author:J.S. Mawdsley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: political fantasy
Publisher: J.S. Mawdsley
Published: 2021-03-20T00:00:00+00:00

In Her Good Books

341 M.E.

Parry, thrust, duck, and turn. Parry, thrust, duck, and.... “Oh, bugger.” Robert Tynsdale stopped short, letting the sword hang toward the ground. He’d almost tripped over his own feet in the loose gravel of the guards’ training yard. The morning sun was high over the roof of the barracks and the great glass dome of Wealdan Castle, and the air was hot and stifling. Robert was getting tired, but he had promised himself he would finish this drill a hundred times before he went back inside.

Before he could start again, he heard applause from the steps of the barracks. Orla Montgomery was watching him there, and it looked as if she’d brought a waterskin with her. He wandered over for a drink, and she told him how brilliant his swordsmanship was.

“By the way, Robert,” she said, taking the half-empty waterskin back, “Did you hear that the king and queen are going fishing on the royal barge today?”

“Yes.” He lifted his sword. “That’s why I’m out here.”

She smiled brightly. “Oh, good. So you squires have the day off, as well. I was just wondering if perhaps you might want to, um...go for a ride somewhere.”

Orla was the queen’s newest and youngest lady-in-waiting. Robert liked her because she was easy to talk to and often told him stories about the queen’s daily life. But she sometimes had this habit of showing up unannounced and asking questions like this. He had no idea why she did it.

“A ride? Why?”

Her thin, freckled face turned pink. “Um...well...it’s a lovely day. And I thought perhaps, since neither of us has anything to do until this evening....”

He could see it meant something to her, even though he didn’t know why. So he gave her a consoling smile and said, “I have to finish my sword practice first. But then we can go out for a ride. In fact, why don’t we stop at my house, and we can get my sister Aurelia to come along, too?”

“Your sister.” Orla didn’t sound very enthused about that idea. “Very well. Finish your swordplay, Robert. I’ll be up in the queen’s apartment. Come find me when you’re ready.” She stalked away, looking a bit put out for some reason he couldn’t fathom.

He finished doing the drill a hundred times and headed back toward the palace. But as he turned the corner of the barracks by the armory, he discovered there had been one other person watching him. Lady Muriel Gramiren, wife of his half-brother Lord Broderick, was lounging on a decorative plinth with a book in her hands. She waved, then slid gracefully down from her seat to walk over and join him.

“Hello, Robert,” she said with a thin smile. “I saw you speaking with Lady Orla. Do you fancy her?”

“I...I don’t know,” Robert answered, as his cheeks and the tips of his ears burned.

“I happen to be very good friends with her parents,” Lady Muriel continued. “One word from me, and they could....” She raised an eyebrow.

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