Once Upon a Faire {Excerpt}

Chapter 3

In the end, Valiant is determined to be the winner and receives the golden cup from the queen. After one last "huzzah" the crowd disperses to their cars. Some players head to the backstage area while others move to funnel patrons towards the exit for a final goodbye.

I follow Cat and the other players towards the campsite where the entire cast and crew stays during the festival weekend. Out of view of the guests, hats and gloves are pulled off, and phones are removed for every conspicuous hiding place I could ever have imagined. I tell myself I don't need to look for the Black Knight to catch a glimpse of him. I'm certain he's headed to the stables with the rest of the fight core to brush down the horses and put them away for their dinner. We only have forty-five minutes before we all have to be at the Blackfryr Pub for the evening's announcements and cast party.

Pirates, wenches, and nymphs stumble into trailers, and I hear a roar of laughter from somewhere in the woods. I love this part of the day when the pressure of the show is behind me. The sky is splashed in red and orange and yellow when I open the door to my parent's airstream. Cat follows me inside where she shucks her wings and flops down onto a devan that my mom recovered with a bright blue brocade. The entire trailer was gutted at one point, and my parents filled it with colorful wallpaper and a bunch of mismatched, thrifted furniture.

"What just happened?" I ask Cat. I hope I don't look too flushed. My face feels warm.

"I think you just got pulled into the best bit of the day." She reaches out her fist and I bump it with mine.

"Did you recognize that guy?"

Cat shakes her head. "No. Why? Did he just sweep you off your feet?"

I laugh and it's a high strained sort of laugh. "No. no. no. no. no. He's just new so I wondered where Greg found a guy like that to join the fight core."

"A guy like what? Hot?"

"You saw him. He could act circles around the other knights. The fight core is pretty much the jocks of the ren faire. We put up with their bad acting because they're willing to swing really authentic weapons at each other."

A wide grin spreads over Cat's face. "You like the hot knight."

I put my hands on my hips and give her an exaggerated eye roll. "I do not. I don't even know him. For all we know, he could be a total jerk when he isn't in character."

"Then just hook up with him. I would if I didn't have a loving boyfriend who thinks my love of renaissance faires is quirky and adorable." She sends me a cheesy grin.

"We just did a bit together. That doesn't mean we're going to hook up."

Cat watches me. "If you say so." She doesn't look convinced.

I got to the fridge, pull out two bottles of water, and toss one to Cat. She takes the cool plastic and places it behind her neck.

"I think I need to move my character in a new direction," she says.

"Away from the Fawn's Hollow?" I tease.

"No. Like, I think Joan Strangeways isn't a fairy. Fairies are so overdone."

"But you love working with the kids. Kids love fairies. And bubbles."

"I know..."

"Did you make a lot of tips today?" I ask. The street performers aren't paid as much for their day rate as the stage performers. Some street performers just do it for fun because they love being part of the festival, but the right character can make you a killing in tips.

"Yeah, I crushed it, but I'm just not clicking with Joan."

I nod, but I'm not entirely sure what I can do to help. "Maybe you need the right costume. The right costume can make or break a character." Please tell me to make you a costume. I would do anything not to sit idle during the week — not that I ever would. My mom will give me a million things to do around the shire, but I don't want to take any chances. I don't want to think about BSU and Cat going back without me at the start of September.