Free Betrothal (Time Enough To Love) by Jenna Jaxon Page B

boon of my company from the king himself, and the king has granted it. So I will ride with him toward the end of the procession, he thinks.” Her pride at Geoffrey’s regard of her swelled as she spoke. For once being the center of attention pleased her. She sat straight and smiled as she answered the ladies’ excited queries.
    “Which knight will Sir Geoffrey be, Alyse?” Maurya repeated her question louder in order to be heard over the chatter. “Did he tell you?”
    Alyse had been delighted at breakfast to find that her friend now also attended Princess Joanna and would accompany them to Spain with her husband and brother.
    She tried not to smile too broadly, lest she seem boastful, but could not keep the satisfaction out of her voice. “Sir Geoffrey has asked me to choose which knight and lady we are to portray.”
    The room buzzed like an excited hive at her words, each lady expressing an opinion about who Alyse should choose.
    “Oh, choose Sir Lancelot, Alyse, with you as Elaine.”
    “Anne, you know Prince Edward will be Lancelot.”
    “What about Sir Perceval? He sought the Grail in some of the legends,” Maurya reminded her. “He has always been my favorite.”
    “Sir Perceval could be a good choice,” Alyse admitted, “but he is sometimes portrayed as uncouth or loutish. I would not want Sir Geoffrey seen as such. Nor would I want to play his sister, Dindraine.”
    “But you could be Gawain’s sister, Elaine,” Maurya reminded her. “She loved Perceval and helped him defeat the Red Knight.”
    “What about Sir Tristan?” Lady Anne ventured another opinion. “Quite a bold knight. And Lady Isolde was beautiful.”
    “But what a scandalous relationship, Anne!” Alyse’s indignant voice drew smiles from the other ladies. “Isolde was married to King Mark.”
    “But Tristan married an Isolde too. You could be her. Of course they did not have a very happy marriage, but they were married.” Anne’s snide tone echoed her sour face, her mouth puckered in disdain.
    Without a doubt, her chamber mate once again waxed jealous and was trying to bait her. Well, she had become used to ignoring the girl by now. “I had actually thought about Sir Erec and Lady Enid,” she ventured instead, looking to the princess for her approval.
    Joanna nodded then frowned and asked, “Why Sir Erec, Alyse? He is one of the minor knights, is he not?”
    “Oh no, Your Highness. Sir Erec is second only to Sir Gawain as the best knight at the Round Table. And he falls in love with Enid, marries her and spends so much time with her the other knights say she has bewitched him and his prowess has waned. So they go on an adventure together and he proves to her that his prowess is as great as ever.”
    “Well, Alyse, I can certainly see why you would choose that couple. Trying to make your marriage fit the legend?” Anne sniggered, earning a stern glance from the princess.
    “Lady Anne,” Princess Joanna admonished the girl, “you should look to Alyse as a model of behavior in this matter, for she is thinking how to put Sir Geoffrey into the best possible position before the king and the court.” Joanna nodded approvingly at her. “I certainly commend your choice, Alyse. I believe Sir Geoffrey will be pleased with it as well. He obviously trusted you greatly to give you this important task, and I think his judgment sound in doing so. Your choice will confirm that you will be a good helpmeet to him.”
    “I thank Your Highness for your most kind words.” Alyse’s face heated again at the fulsome praise. “I pray that Sir Geoffrey agrees with you.”
    Now she could hardly wait for the evening meal when she would meet with her betrothed again and tell him her choice. Anticipating his reaction would keep her thoughts occupied until then. Oh, pray he would be pleased!
    “Now, ladies.” Princess Joanna rose, prompting the others to do likewise. “After this flurry of excitement I think I would like to walk in the