Page 18 of Chivalry in the Meadow (Hope Runs Deep #2)

Chapter Seven

M ia hurried back to Finn’s tent, once she was sure the knights wouldn’t see her.

Sir Alaric might have stayed in the barn to help care for his horse, but she was certain Sir Cedric wouldn’t have as he would soon leave that to his squire.

She suspected he would have dumped all the work onto his squire already and left, before she arrived, if he hadn’t been having words with Sir Alaric.

He seemed to take the squire for granted.

Much like a real prince might have the concept of different levels of classes and other people being beneath him.

I’m pretty sure European princes aren’t out in the barns mucking out stalls. That’s what their employees are hired to do

Though she admired the way Sir Alaric took care of his horse first and the way he treated his squire, she wouldn’t fault Sir Cedric for behaving like a prince. She could see him in a movie role as prince charming. It was a role he would excel at. And he was so very handsome.

The horses were cooling down in the barn now and drinking water, and that was what Mia needed to do. Hot, and stickier than she’d been while watching the lists, she couldn’t wait to reach the tent and cool down.

She and Lilly reached the tent at the same time.

“Well, hello,” Lilly said. “Great minds work alike.” She laughed. “Did you come back for water and to get out of this heat?”

“I did,” Mia said. “I’m hot, tired, and sticky.”

“You and me both.” Lilly stepped inside first.

Mia followed and let the tent flap fall, for privacy.

“Wow, it’s warmer in here than I thought it would be,” Lilly said.

“Shouldn’t a tent be cooler?” Mia asked.

“No idea.” Lilly looked up at the canvas over their heads. “Must be this heavy canvas. I bet it doesn’t breathe the way a modern tent would.”

Mia was ready to peel off her sticky clothes.

The heat was getting to her, bringing her usually high spirits down.

She dug through the ice in the cooler, and extracted a chilled bottle of water, then opened the cap, and took several swallows.

She flopped down and sat upon the cooler, brushing at the trickles of sweat snaking down the valley between her breasts.

This was supposed to be her vacation, her man-hunting, romantic, fall madly-in-love-with-some-gorgeous-guy vacation. Here she was, believing the promise of finding her soul mate. Thinking Sir Cedrick might be the one. But now she was unsure.

Right now, she was discouraged. Discouraged, sweaty, and thirsty. She glanced in the mirror and saw how red faced and sweaty she really was. How her red hair was full of tangles from the wind and that her lips were now chapped from their time in the sun.

“I’ve had too much sun,” she said. She also had a headache moving in and wasn’t up for any more time with the knights, handsome though they were. It was never going to work out. She and Lilly would go home Monday night, and she would again be without a boyfriend.

These men are just playacting. None of this was real.

She dropped her aching forehead into her hands as she moaned. “Oh, Lilly, why did you talk me into this weekend? What was I thinking? Life isn’t a fairy tale.” she said morosely, wanting to believe, but knowing fairy tale like things never happened to her.

“Because you can’t sit around waiting for the love of your life to swoop in to carry you off,” Lilly said with a shake of her head. “And because this weekend is supposed to be fun for you and me.”

But that’s exactly what Mia had been doing before this weekend. Passively waiting for her prince to arrive.

“Why not? We’re surrounded by knights in shining armor,” Lilly said. “Two of them seem to be interested in you, so maybe one of them will carry you off into happy ever after.”

Usually, it was Mia carrying this line of thought, but right now she just didn’t have it in her. She was surprised that Lilly had picked the fairytale up and was carrying it for her, as if it was something important to Mia that she had dropped.

Lilly usually the practical one. She’d had to become practical after her mother died when she was young, and she’d become the one to cook and to look after her other siblings, to help her father. The eldest, she’d become mature at an early age.

The only time she cut loose was with Mia. And Mia didn’t know what she would do without her. Lilly was the best friend she had ever had.

“I’m not saying it can’t be one of them,” Lilly said. “But you expect the perfect man to drop into your lap without lifting a single finger. That’s not going to happen. You must let the guy know you’re interested. Try to get to know him. See if things can grow from there.”

“They’re all just,” Mia sighed. “So intimidating. And being argued over makes me want to run away from them.”

“But it hasn’t made you run,” Lilly pointed out. “You’ve stood still and handled it well.”

“It’s not exciting, the way it is in my books,” Mia said. “This rivalry between them. There’s something which feels bad about it. Something is off here, between these knights.”

“Really?” How would you know this,” Lilly said. “I think you’re letting your imagination run you into a different direction than usual. Think what are the facts.”

Mia took a deep breath. “The facts are, I went to the barn, was going there to see the horses, but then I heard Sir Cedric and Sir Alaric talking in the barn, so I hid.”

“Mia!” Lilly exclaimed. “You didn’t!”

“I did,” she said. “And I could hear them. They really don’t like each other. It’s not all for show. In fact, it’s probably the truest thing they’ve showed us. And they’re both interested in me. I feel like I’m accidentally stepped into some kind of private war.”

“Now you are being fanciful,” Lilly said. “These guys are hired to come here and act like they’re at war, play acting. They may both be interested in you and that’s causing friction, but I very much doubt there is some kind of actual war going on.”

“Well, I don’t like the way it makes me feel,” Mia said. “Like some prize thing to be won and lorded over the other man.”

“Then let them know that, and tell them to stop,” Lilly said.

She made it sound so easy. Her practical advice always did.

“I’ll try,” Mia said. “It’s so hot in here. I need to cool down.”

Mia stood up and removed her sweaty skirt, chemise and bodice. Standing in her underwear had never felt so good.

“We need more air. This unusually warm spring day would make anyone cranky, and no wonder you have a headache. Keep drinking your water.” Lilly cracked the back flap on the tent, on the side which faced the woods, so any breeze might enter.

“Thanks,” Mia said. “I don’t know why I thought this tent would be cooler. But then I’ve never stayed in a tent before.”

“I thought it would too,” Lilly said. She’d undressed down to her underwear. She pulled all the water bottles out of the cooler and took the cooler out through the back tent flap.

Mia assumed Lilly was going to dump the water. “I guess you’re not worried anyone will see you in your underwear,” she called as she started giving herself a fast sponge bath with a couple of bottles full of water.

The cool water felt so good on her overheated skin.

“Nope, not back here,” Lilly called back. Then she shrieked and Mia heard water being dumped on the ground.

“Anyone who heard you will come running,” Mia said as Lilly stepped back inside, soaking wet, and carrying the empty cooler.

“Well, that’s one way to cool down,” Mia said with a laugh.

“Indeed,” Lilly laughed too. “It was cold.”

Mia was correct that a shriek would draw attention, and soon, one of the knights who’d run up to the front of the tent. “Ladies?” He called in. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, we’re fine,” Lilly called out to him. “Don’t come in. We’re dressing.”

He coughed and then cleared his throat. “Very well then. Call out if you need assistance.”

They both silently giggled now, their eyes wide.

“Yes, sir,” Mia said, keeping her voice from giggling more. “We will.”

Lilly puttered around the tent, shivering from the cool water still dripping down her hair and back.

“No doubt you’ll be refilling the big water cooler with ice,” Mia said.

“Yes,” Lilly said. “I’ll ask Finn where to buy ice after we head back out. It’s a small price to pay to cool down in this heat.”

“Why have you and Finn not discussed showering?” Mia asked. “Surely these workers, especially the men, get cleaned up somewhere around here. It must get terribly hot wearing all that armor.”

“It slipped my mind,” Lilly said. “I’ll ask him when I ask about the ice. You’re right. They’re working here all summer and have to take showers somewhere.”

Mia rubbed her ribs. “It feels so good to have that bodice off at last,” she said. “I’m not keen on putting it back on.”

Lilly held up her sweaty clothing and sniffed it. “Everything is too sweaty. I can’t see us wearing these again. Let’s wear the gowns we wore last night. We only wore them for a few hours.”

Mis sighed with relief. “Yes, let’s do that. I’m glad I’ll be comfortable tonight. I won’t wear that bodice again. It’s made me too sore.”

“Likely from Sir Cedric using it as a harness to haul you on top of his lap!” Lilly laughed. “I don’t think they were designed for that.”

“No, I suppose not,” Mia said. “It also wasn’t helped by the wooden saddle either, which was quite hard.”

“Every time you are on your own here, something exciting happens with one or more of the knights,” Lilly said. “Have you realized that?”

“Well, it’s not my fault they come around when you aren’t with me.”

“I’m not saying it’s bad, Mia,” Lilly said. “It’s been good. And look at you being brave enough to sneak to the stables and then sneak back. You’ve become more daring!”

“Yes, I suppose I have,” Mia said.

“That is so much better than hiding in a book,” Lilly said. “Now you are starting to really live and have real life adventures. What will our next adventure be? Do you want to watch the third Jousting event for the day, do something else, or rest?”