Free My Noble Knight by Laurel O'Donnell Page A

handed the next lance up to him. He glanced once at Layne who was leaning forward in anticipation. Then, he focused on the quintain. He removed his feet from the stirrups and nudged Adonis forward with his heels. The horse charged forward.
    “Let’s show her how dangerous this can be,” Griffin whispered to his horse. He leaned forward, couching the lance. He set his teeth, preparing for impact, aiming dead center.
    He struck the quintain at full speed, the impact resounding through his arms and down his torso, shoving him back against the cantle of the saddle. The lance crumbled against the quintain, shards of wood flying out. He ducked his head in protection from the pieces of wood as well as the weighted portion of the quintain.
    He tossed the destroyed lance aside as he straightened, turned and brought Adonis to a halt. The side of the quintain was gone. He had struck it with enough force to break the wooden side. It whirled around like a small tornado.
    He heard a holler and glanced toward it.
    Layne had leapt down from the fence and was in the field. Her face was a mask of awe and exhilaration. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open in utter astonishment.
    Griffin glanced at Carlton to see a wide grin on his face. He cantered Adonis back toward Carlton.
    Layne ran forward to greet him. “You smashed the quintain apart!” she said in excitement.
    He dismounted, ready to chastise her for being in the field. But there was something contagious in her excitement and he held his tongue.
    She rushed up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, gasping, “I’ve never seen anything like it!”
    Startled, Griffin could only catch her around the waist.
    She pulled back to look at him. There was true amazement in her large blue eyes and something else…admiration. She released him and turned back to the quintain, running her hands through her hair. “Look at it!” She spun on Carlton. “An entire side plank is gone!”
    Carlton could only mutely nod agreement, a grin on his lips.
    She spun to Griffin. “How did you do it?!”
    Griffin stared at her. If it were Carlton, or another knight, he wouldn’t hesitate to tell them what he did. But this was Layne. He was trying to teach her to be a woman. To act like a woman. Still… the elation in her was stunning. He enjoyed the radiance blooming on her cheeks, the glow of exultation glowing around her. He hated to say anything that would diminish her joy. And yet, this was exactly what had gotten her into trouble in the first place. “It is not a woman’s place to know the technicalities of the joust.”
    Her contagious excitement evaporated. Her face fell as the joy left it. It was almost a physical thing. Her gaze swept him and her shoulders drooped. Her hands dropped to her side. She bowed her head.
    Griffin regretted his words immediately. He glanced at Carlton.
    Carlton looked at the ground with a resigned acceptance.
    This only added to Griffin’s guilt. And this angered him. He was doing the right thing. He was protecting her. Didn't she see how dangerous jousting was? If he had hit her with full force like that in their joust, she would have been seriously injured or killed.
    Layne didn’t look at him as she nodded. “Sorry,” she mumbled and retreated to the fence again. But she didn’t sit on the top of the fence as she had before. She ducked beneath it and retreated to a large tree close by.
    Griffin watched her plop beneath it, facing away from the field of honor, without casting a look in his direction. He sighed softly. It was for the best. She shouldn't feel excited about the joust, and most assuredly, not be joyful he had destroyed the quintain. Yes. He was right telling her so. But when he remembered her radiant smile and the glowing excitement in her eyes as she looked at him, he found it difficult to justify how harsh he had been with her.

    Layne plucked a blade of grass from the ground. She thought back to the last time she had been made to feel so