Ashes of Lost Love

The last joust

                      Edwyn's room  was on one of the top floors of Raylea castle but even from his chamber he could hear the whinnying of destriers and warhorses and the nickers of skittish mares, the knights admonishing and cajoling their steeds into jousting costumes in preparation for the joust that would be held today. He got up, his head throbbing with an insufferable headache. After Alys had departed for the Illuminated Sisterhood, he had gone back to his old routine of  going to his classes, reading in the library, and roaming the halls of Raylea like a ghost. It had been two weeks since the spark in his life known as Alys had left. Two weeks of that unbearably dreary routine.  Normally, he found jousts a great nuisance and a complete waste of time and coin but now he welcomed the distraction from his own loneliness and hollowness.           

      He was dressed by his man in waiting, who he barely spoke to but now was having an animated chat with. Edwyn quizzed him on the joust, asking questions he would've previously deemed trivial and irrelevant. The poor boy was only to ready to comply to his master's request, ecstatic at the prospect of actually having a proper conversation with the royal prince. Edwyn inwardly smiled, surmising that the servant was dreaming of a promotion and closer proximity to the royal family, and did not even entertain the possibility of the boy simply being pleased at being closer to the prince for the sole purpose of friendship. When he was ready, he stood in front of full length looking glass.  He did not look as skinny. That was a relief. He appreciated the choice of clothings as the sea green coat with silver lining brought his eyes and made him look more comely than he actually was. He waited for the servant to put on his boots before  he left the room.

        He climbed down the steps and to stifle a laugh when he heard Ryder screaming at his poor servant to get him the correct coat and insulting him all the while with colourful vocabulary that would make King Leander curious as to where his eldest son was learning such things from. He climbed down the steps. There were no handrails but the steps were wide and spacious to accommodate a crowd. He exited the edifice and roamed around the castle grounds. Servants were rushing in all directions, desperate to get things ready for this huge event. Some he recognised but he did not know most. He could smell the aroma of sweets and savoury dishes being prepared from the kitchen. Some of the smoke from the fire wafted towards him and he coughed a little. He heard the crunch of leaves under his boots and he looked up at the oak tree in the training. It still managed to look proud and dignified despite it's lack of leaves. The chilly wind swept his curls this way and that. He swept them from his forehead and carried on his way.

        He saw a mountain of a man sharpening his sword on a whetstone. Edwyn knew him by reputation. It was a man simply known as Sir Edmond. He was a fearsome fighter and thirsted for fights. He had not been selected as a Protector but he was the commander of the Cityguard who made sure the citizens of Aelbourne kept in line. His destrier was enormous, like his master and snorted impatiently, moving it's head to keep itself warm against the biting wind. Sir Edmund steadily ignored Edwyn's presence and Edwyn left.

        Unable to resist his hunger, Edwyn went to where the servants were preparing food. He saw an absent minded read head lady in waiting who was only a bit older than Ryder was. She swept Edwyn with a respectful glance and cordially curtseyed to him. When she rose , he thought he knew her. "You don't seem to be working in the kitchens. Your dress is too fine for a mere cook. You must be a lady in waiting. I believe  we have not met before. An introduction on my part will not be necessary, I presume." The girl giggled and Edwyn felt his heart jump just a little. Not as much as when Alys spoke to him that time in the library but it was something. The redhead piped up. "Begging your pardon, your highness, my name is Ivette. I'm a lady in waiting to Lady Carthenn." Edwyn nodded. "That means you'll be watching the joust with all the other guests. I look forward to seeing you there, Ivette." Ivette looked pleased and Edwyn had to mentally rewind until he realised what he had just said. Did I just charm a girl? Isn't that Ryder's type of thing? Ivette seems to like it though. I was just being pleasant.