All the World (Hand in Hand Chronicles)

Chapter 2: " Thy worth is far above my gifts, to equal it, receive my heart"

Yes, I definitely wish he'd just killed me. I haven't been properly dressed up in months and my tunic is tight over the muscles in my shoulders. I've been doing little but tilting against the idiots, running, and swimming. I thought I'd be leaner given the English food isn't to my taste. But that is not the case, and my best tunic feels too tight. I rinse off and brush my hair but I don't think it does a whole lot of good. I curse Prince Edward's name more than ten times while getting ready.
Blessedly a servant arrives to escort me in. I had no idea where I was going and things do go better if I don't talk to people.
Supper is another fine hall. Once again minstrels are playing, and there's many greyhounds wandering about. Prince Edward looks lovely as ever, gold curls slicked out of his face, soft silk clothes, he's obviously in his element, and is used to fine things and being clean. I bow properly, this time.
"Piers! I'm so glad you came," Edward says, smiling a winning smile that likely has a great effect on his court.
"Well the deal was it was this or I die right? Something like that?" I ask, sitting down, and wincing a little. This dinner will go better if I don't speak.
"No I mean—I suppose I should be cross. But you're only a knight you don't talk like a courtier," Edward says, sitting back down. Food is already being laid out. Cooked meats, well roasted fruits, drizzled in honey. An array of cheeses. All for us we're the only people here.
I nod a little. Just shut up and things will go better.
"Piers, can I call you Piers? Do you go by something else?" He asks.
"My family, growing up, called me Perot, nobody calls me anything here. What you saw yesterday, and this morning, and when I walked in—this is all very typical, I don't get better, honestly," I say.
"What?" He frowns.
"I don't get better—like I don't improve upon association," I say.
"You don't care?" He frowns.
"No. I mean I suppose I tried once but—I like being me. Even if that's going to get me killed probably tonight. I like myself," I say.
"I'm not going to kill you tonight," he says, quietly, studying me.
"Let's get through supper first. Wouldn't want to hold you to anything, prince," I say.
"Oh, um yes," he says, taking food for his plate. It's an absurd amount of food for just two people but he clearly plans to eat heartily, "Ah, tell me about yourself. Do you have family here?"
"My father serves yours. He did. Me and my brothers, fought for the king in Scotland, well, I wasn't meant to see combat. Did anyway," I say.
"I'm so sorry you were endangered—,"
"It was intentional," I say, "I wanted to. It's how I got this job actually. The king was told I'd entered combat against orders and he laughed apparently. Asked if I was the one always jousting, my father said yes. Sold me here."
"You make it sound like slavery," he says.
"Well I'm in your service at your disposal," which up to this point has been doing nothing. "I didn't have much choice. I'd sooner be in the tournaments, I've been for three years, since I turned fourteen."
"Why? I mean why do you love jousting so?" He asks, chin on hand.
"Why don't you?" I ask, smiling a bit, "You haven't even tried from what I'm aware."
"Oh I did once with my uncle it's just—getting on a horse to ride not fifty paces then trying not to fall off or lose your nerve," he shrugs.
"That's the point," I laugh.
"It's dangerous."
"I love all dangerous things. I'm sure it's why there's something wrong with me. Anyway that's probably best, you're the prince you're the one who's meant to stay alive, for people. Not me," I say.
"Don't say that! Surely you have family," he says, entirely upset.
"I've got two older brothers, who went with my father they're knights. And I've got sisters back home. Oh and ah got an illegitimate sister as well. Aimee, my father was over here in 88 as your father's hostage and yeah. My father's sort of been supporting her, but I'm here now so she's staying with me, in the rooms. She's probably assuming you've killed me by now, honestly," I laugh.
"That's awful!"
"Not really."
"I'll have word sent to her and food—John—yes thank you take care of that," he beckons to one of his servants.
"It's completely fine," I say. When a royal servant shows up at the door she will think I've been murdered.
"No, it's not. I've got—oh innumerable nieces and sisters they're all lovely and they all like me. Suppose that's why I think they're lovely," he says.
"Doesn't everyone like you?" I ask.
"I didn't think you did?" He frowns.
"Ask any of your men they'll assure you I'm a dog," I say, "But, arrogant french asses non-withstanding, doesn't everyone like you? You're the prince and you smile all the time and you're nice to everyone."
"Why do you say that?" He asks.
"Well not one member of the staff has one bad thing to say about you. When I stormed up here yesterday three of them tried to stop me just so you wouldn't have your—whatever that was you were doing—interrupted and it clearly was not important," I say.
"It was. I listen to the minstrels at that hour and don't think of anything in particular," he says, as though that's a valid thing to do for an hour.
I try not to laugh, putting a hand over my face.
"Well go on! What do you do for enjoyment?" He asks.
"I joust."
"Well I mean when you want to relax."
"I joust."
"I mean when you're not jousting."
"I usually wind up getting in fights with people."
"What, that's it?" He asks.
"I'm not very complicated, I'm afraid I'm poor company for a prince," I say.
"Oh don't say that. I enjoy everyone. It's part of being prince I think. I enjoy talking to all my subjects," he says, arrogantly. Like we're all his little pets.
"That must be nice for you," I say, eating some cheese so I'll stop talking so much.
"I've got an idea. Why don't we go rowing tomorrow? You like—exercise—and that's enjoyable. We can go down the river," he offers.
"Why would we do that?" I ask.
"Because there's the bee hives down there and I like to go and check now and then it's enjoyable, and I like rowing it's good activity and you like activity," he says, pleased with himself for coming up with this.
"I should be training—you should be training actually," I say.
"But I don't want to do that! I want to do this!" He says, as though that settles it. It probably does. He's likely never been told no in his life.
"Well, what do you need me for?" I ask, "I'm jousting, remember? Nothing else."
"Well you can be something else for one morning. It's fun! And I want you to come, so you are," he says.
"No, I'm not my job is to train I'm a knight I don't—visit honey bees that's a weird thing to do. I've not met a lot of people but I think it's weird."
"You're doing it. I command you to I'm your prince you said yourself you don't actually have a choice," he says, haughtily.
"Don't you—," and then I realize no. No he doesn't have anyone better to go with or he'd ask them and not me. Clearly he doesn't who would want me about when they had the pick of anyone else? I'm miserable. He is a prince and everyone probably on hangs out with him in order to get things from him. So he orders people about that's the only way he has friends. And that's really sad. "Yes, all right. I mean yes I've never done it before might as well."
"Excellent! We'll leave as soon as I get up," he says, happily.
"All right I'll be up here at dawn then?" I ask.
"At what?" He looks confused.
"What?" I'm confused as well.
"What you witnessed—when you stormed in here and threw all those metal things at me—,"
"Oh my god that's your armor!"
"Whatever—,"
"No not 'whatever' you should know that!"
"I do—when it's not flying through the air. Anyway what you witnessed there—that was me immediately after getting up," he says.
"You weren't up," I say.
"I moved from my bedroom there."
"It was mid-afternoon!"
"I know."
"Is this why you miss jousting? You're still asleep?" I ask.
"No. I also don't want to do it," he says, "But yes I'm usually asleep that's part of the reason I don't want to do it. Not all the reason not even half. But part. I did wake up unintentionally in time and I watched you from the window. You knocked one of my cousins from his horse."
"I knock a lot of people from their horses—why did you not come down if you were—unintentionally awake?" I ask.
"I didn't want to."
I sigh, putting my head down on the table.
"Has your eye always twitched like that?"
"No it's new," I say, rubbing my face. I can't believe this. He really could have just had me executed that would have been polite. It would have been the polite thing to do. I don't know why he didn't.
We finish supper and I bow properly before I go. Someone blessedly shows me out, and I beat it quickly back to my rooms. It's just a couple of mostly bare rooms with just enough beds for us, and my trunks hastily pushed in.
Aimee and Jean are waiting up, annoyingly impressed that I'm still alive with my tongue attached. There's a fire going and they've clearly been done eating for hours.
"He didn't kill you? Did you pretend to be mute?" Aimee asks.
"Ye of little faith," I say, despite that being accurate.
"Is he jousting with us tomorrow?" Jean asks.
"No, sorry it's so late, here I saved you both sweets," I say, taking candied almonds I smuggled in my pockets.
"A messenger came to say you were alive so we assumed the worst," Aimee says.
"You're hilarious," I say, holding out my hands with the treat, "Go on take that, I've had my fill at dinner."
"Thank you," Jean says, filling his cheeks like a chipmunk.
"Oh they're good," Aimee grins, as I fill up her little hands.
"Yeah—I'll see you in the morning, Jean, don't let us keep you up," I say, taking off my cloak and going to wash in the basin. I'm not really that dirty but I feel it. The entire dinner felt odd.
Aimee senses my mood and follows me like a sheep dog, just sitting down at the end of my bed when I collapse to contemplate everything that's ever happened to me.
"What?" I ask.
"What did the prince say?" She asks.
"Nothing. He doesn't want to joust. I have to go out rowing with him tomorrow."
"Rowing?"
"Rowing."
"Rowing?"
"Rowing, it's whatever I think he feels guilty he's not using me to joust with," I say.
"So what? Easier for you. You weren't looking forward to having to be knocked off your horse by some spoilt prince anyway," she says.
"No. I suppose not," I say, "But even so. I don't know. He just felt—,"
"What?" She frowns.
"Sad. Like why's he wanting to talk to me? He must not have other friends," I say.
"You seriously think the only reason someone would want to be friends with you is if they had no other option?" She asks, tugging on one of her own braids.
"Yes, I seriously think the only reason a PRINCE would want to talk to me is if he had no other option, yes, he's a bloody prince," I say.
"I think you're nice."
"I'm supporting you you're biased."
"Perot! You're a good knight, the King thought so," she says.
"I was bought like a good racing dog, for his son who doesn't even want to run me. It's—degrading as fuck," I sigh.
"What do you want?" She asks, tipping her head against the wall.
"I want—to joust," I say.
We both laugh.
"Well what do you want Aimee? What we don't get, we're not royals. And we're not in Gascon, the name 'Gaveston' doesn't mean anything," I say.
"At least you're legitimate," she says, quietly.
"I guess we've both got 'better than the alternative' for our best encouragement, eh?" I ask.
"I don't mind being in service," she says, quietly, "I can be a rocker in a noble woman's nursery, or something."
"You don't want to—work for those fuck wits day in and out, waiting on them. They're disgusting. At least me doing this, I can support you, and make enough money to where you can be a lady to someone decent and have decent clothes or you marry someone you actually love," I say, "I can do this. Despite my—whining it's not bloody hard he doesn't even show up."
"What about you?' She asks.
"What?"
"Fall in love and marry someone," she says.
"Not going to happen. I'm not conditioned to liking people. Also I don't foresee a woman talking to me," I say, "You however may be swept off your feet by some handsome knight. You can't do that if you're in service to someone."
"I just know you hate it here," she says, softly.
"I hate lots of things. Doesn't really matter," I smile, "Get some sleep. You can brush down my horse for me tomorrow."
"I thought you were going rowing?"
"Oh that's not going to happen in the morning."