Page 4 of The Knight’s Reward

Though his senior by nearly thirty years, Lady Cora had no parallel with the longbow. No matter that he was one of the most decorated tournament knights in all of England.

“Offering advice to the competition,” her husband said from Neill’s other side. “One might think you will the boy to win.”

Neill’s hands froze in place. “Neither the constant chatter nor your reference to my age will take me off this mark.”

Adam tsked, clearly disagreeing.

Cora’s arrow had skewered the target just slightly off-center, enough of a miss for him to capitalize on. Listening to her instructions, he did lower his aim ever so slightly, and let loose.

Every head in the training yard turned to watch Neill’s arrow land just outside Cora’s.

“Well met,” she said. “Though it seems you’ll be forced to return to Langford for more lessons.”

Neill turned to Cora and forced a smile, but her words had pained him. He’d known no other life but Langford and tournaments since he’d arrived here as a young, and very lost, boy. Adam and Cora had not just fostered him into knighthood, they had become his parents these past years.

But they weren’t his only family, and his siblings needed him now. They needed him to fulfill the end of the bargain he’d made.

“Perhaps on the way back to court I will come for a rematch.”

Cora frowned as Neill handed his bow to a squire. “She is lovely.”

“That hardly matters.”

“From a good family.”

“I did not choose her.”

Since returning from Windsor, he and Cora had gone round and round on this very topic. At least Adam had spoken up for him, though now he remained silent.

“Few choose their spouses,” Cora continued. She glanced at Adam, a small smile on her lips.

“Not true,” he interrupted, the sound of clanging swords punctuating their conversation. Now that they’d finished their competition, the men’s training resumed around them.

“Adam and I—”

“Were not ordered by the king to marry.”

“The queen,” Adam offered at last. “I do believe the match was her idea. DeBeers is only a minor baron, but the daughter serves the queen. Likely this is her doing.”

“King. Queen. What does it matter? Either way, Lady Alina will be my wife.”

Though he argued against it, Neill’s only choice was to make peace with that fact. A small price to pay, to marry a woman he knew only from description, for the boon King Edward had granted him.

A small price to pay for peace.

“More importantly,” he said as they made their way back to the keep. “Caxton will be removed as warden.” He’d planned to go home months ago, back when the Day of Truce had first fallen apart, but the Tournament of Peace had been announced. It was then he and Adam came up with this plan. Ask for the one thing that could restore peace along the border.

Caxton’s removal.

“That should have happened long ago,” Cora said.

“Aye,” he agreed. But now Edward had finally ascended as king, and it seemed he was willing to make some changes. “Once it’s done, the Day of Truce restored—”

“You will visit often.” Cora stepped over a mud puddle in the center of the courtyard.

Neill laughed. “Your daily reminders to come back are unnecessary.” He stopped walking and turned to face his foster parents. “I will never forget what either of you have done for me.”

Under Adam’s tutelage, he’d become a champion.