Calm Before The Storm: Crimes Against The Crown book 1

Assumptions

I ran back up to my rooms and found a small jewelry box I could stuff the ring into and burry it deep in my vanity. I collected my good navy cloak and headed towards the Great Hall.

"Colette." I heard Margo's raspy voice. She dressed nice as well, in a deep dress of burgundy that looked great against her rich skin and black hair. She was stunning with her dark eyes and thick eyebrows. She had high cheek bones and a full mouth.

I gave her a warm hug and kissed both her cheeks. "What did Emmeline tell you we are doing today?" I said referring to her uncharacteristic attention to her appearance. Margo was prone to more simple working gowns and rarely did much to her hair.

"She tried to convince me we are entertaining but I've been coerced into this before so I wasn't fooled."

We both turned when we heard Emmeline giggle. "I would never coerce anyone." She feigned though that sent all three of us laughing because we all knew it wasn't true.

Gisla came out of the kitchen with a tray of pitchers. She was also freshened up and wearing a gown of yellow and lace. "If we're to be a diversion there's no point in not making it a pretty one." Gisla's reluctant tone was also a bit accusing.

She set the tray down on the grand table. Emmeline and Margo each grabbed a pitcher so I followed their example. Emmeline lead us out the side exit and along the alley towards the training fields.

Men were everywhere. Warin had a large group of them gathered around a fighting ring with a low fence. Two men were grappling barehanded. Emory was leading another group through a series of sword formations. There were men at the archery field. Others scattered around with the guards practicing their skills and learning positions. Draden was there as well, working with a few men. He was showing them how to hold their swords and how to pull them from their scabbards. It looked like chaos to me but there was a system to it.

Sure enough when the four of us walked out onto the field there was a noticeable shift in concentration. There was a shaded pavilion for us to work. I focused on our task and started pouring the ale into glasses ignoring the men. I heard Emory shout out at a few men dragging their attention back to their formations.

We had to make a few trips to fill all the glasses. By the time I had made my fourth trip men started to take breaks in small numbers and get a drink. The four of us stayed inside the pavilion serving the soldiers. A few of the kitchen staff brought us full pitchers and took the empty ones.

"Thank the gods women are not allowed in battle, Ascot or you would be a dead man three times over." Warin yelled at one of his recruits. Margo and I caught each other's eyes and had to turn away to stop ourselves from laughing.

Gisla was not impressed. She was a quiet woman but she took her job seriously and wasn't prone to flirting. One of the soldiers grabbed her hand to kiss her knuckles. She jerked it from his grip and stuffed a glass into the affronting hand. "Here. Slobber on this." She snarled.

The man just laughed and drank. He was not discouraged so easily and continued trying to get her to talk to him. She wasn't having it.

Margo would flirt a bit but she was quick to turn away their advances. I tried to keep my distance and not join in conversation. It was getting harder the more our small pavilion was getting overrun. We had to have breached at least a few barrels of ale at this point.

Emmeline was polite and encouraging though only in a regal capacity. She was the Queen and they were trying to impress her with their abilities and not their charm. Which was smart on their part considered Theodrid was overseeing their training. He was riding back and forth along the field on his horse, watching each section with a crude eye.