Maud: the Daughter of the Count of Nocturne

Chapter 2: Sir Guy of Aquitaine

      The door to the Inn opened and out flew a young man. Maud jumped back as the man hit the ground at her feet. She looked up at the door to see the Master of Arms standing in the doorway, obviously talking to someone inside. The young man on the ground hauled himself to his feet as a tall knight came out of the Inn towards him. The knight was a good foot taller and was thicker in the shoulders. The young man yelled something in french before getting punched by the knight and being sent sprawling back on the ground.

      Maud screeched as the man fell into her, almost knocking her over. She glared at the knight who threw the punch for a moment before recognizing him. "Xavier, why must you get in fights everywhere you go?"

      Xavier stared at her for a moment before speaking with a voice that was full of boredom. "It's fun to torment the competition," he said, staring down at the five foot tall Maud. He smirked before speaking again. "Besides, your father is going to need all the help he can get today. i might as well eliminate one of the people who could kill him."

      Maud glared even more at Xavier before turning to the Master of Arms. "Sir Avery, shouldn't this be a disqualification?"

      Avery looked from Maud, to Xavier, then to the young man before speaking. "Since it was not in the arena i cannot disqualify Sir Xavier or Sir Guy."

      Maud huffed and glared at the grinning Xavier as he walked away, followed by Avery. She turned to study the man she now knew was Sir Guy. The french knight had shoulder-length, light-brown hair and green eyes. He wasn't broad shouldered or too tall. In fact, he was built more like a stable boy than a knight.

      Guy once again hauled himself to his feet and saw Maud studying him and bowed his head to her. "I apologize for almost knocking you over." He paused for a moment staring at her. He inhaled sharply as he recognized the sharp jaw line and eyes that were a match to Sir Amadeo's.

      Maud glanced over at Sheridan and saw that his usually care-free demeanor had changed and that he was now as tense as a cat ready to pounce. Guy noticed this too and quickly turned and headed to the stables. A moment later he rode out on a chesnut stallion with his squire running behind. Maud sighed and turned to Sheridan, who was a bit more relaxed than he had been a moment before. He looked back at her for a moment before turning and heading for the jousting arena. Maud followed him and took her place among the upper-class people in the audience.

      Everyone was a buzz of activity. Children complained to their mothers about the wait and women complained to their husbands about having to endure the slight drizzle of rain that fell constantly. Maud herself was anxious for the joust to start. She wanted her father to finish things quickly so they could head back to Italy. What she didn't know, is that the outcome of the joust laid in the hands of the young Sir Guy, and that the fight to come would uproot her from her easy life. After that day, she could never set foot back in Italy again.