Valiant Valerie (the Ballad of Valerie of Mor Book 1)

Chapter One

Valerie knew she had a busy day ahead of her, but could not bring herself to get out of bed. She was still sore from the previous day and thought she might get away with a few more minutes in bed before anyone noticed she was late.

There was a knock on her door. So much for that, she thought.

"Valerie! I know you're in there, because you're not anywhere else!" a familiar voice floated through the door.

"You can't have checked everywhere!" she called, hastily pulling her uniform on and pulling the door open.

"Well, you're most certainly not where you're supposed to be."

Jonathan smiled and held out a piece of bread smeared with jam. Wisps of his curly brown hair were poking out from under his hat.

"Just because you've nowhere to be and nothing to do, does not give you the right to check up on me every morning," she huffed, taking the bread from him and starting to walk to the training ground.

"Just because you're the king's cousin, does not give you the right to be late," he replied, following her. His long legs made it easy for him to keep up with her no matter how fast she walked.

"He's not the king yet. Besides, I'm sure it does. They give me concessions." She sighed inwardly at the taste of strawberry jam, her favourite.

"They most certainly do not give you concessions because you're the crown prince's cousin," he laughed, elbowing her playfully then opening the heavy outer castle door.

"You had better not be suggesting that it's because I'm a girl." Valerie was as tough as any of the boys and worked just as hard.

She nodded in greeting to the guards stationed outside the door.

"You are the only girl in the Junior Corp, let alone the whole King's Army. And you know there hasn't been great success with girls in the Army in the past."

"That may be. But I'm not just some girl. I'm Lady Valerie Redford, daughter of the Duke of Merrimont," she finished, feeling rather lame and took a bite of her bread.

"You're not really Lady Valerie though, are you?"

"Princess Valerie," she mumbled.

"Pardon?"

She sighed more loudly, "Princess Valerie. Though that's only a formality."

"Formality or no," Jonathan's tone was no longer mocking, and he looked at her tenderly, "you have still earned your place in the Junior Corp. Make no mistake of my jesting. Next year, you will have no trouble being promoted to Knight of the Senior Corp with the rest of the trainees of your age."

They had reached the training ground now, so Valerie shoved the last bit of bread in her mouth. She walked over to the training sword rack and went to pick one up, but realised she had remnants of breakfast all over her hands.

"I'll bet stupid Dermot deWynstryngham will have no trouble being promoted as soon as he turns eighteen!" Valerie grumbled, wiping crumbs and jam on her pants.

Jonathan's 'don't worry about that git' face turned into a sigh and he put his hand over his eyes. "Val, you cannot just wipe your grubby mitts all over your uniform."

"You're just jealous you don't have a uniform." Valerie waved her arm at him, indicating his floppy hat, shirt and baggy pants. He looked more ready to work in the field than play in front of the king.

"I do have a uniform. I'm just not wearing it at the moment, as you know full well." He patted his clothes self-consciously.

Valerie laughed and touched his arm gently. "You know I wouldn't tease you if you didn't make it so easy."