Page 94 of An Enchanted Spring

Aidan watched him hie himself off the field to hollers and heckles. “For you,” he murmured, “’it most certainly is.”

Aidan gave a sweeping bow toward Emma, then returned to his horse amidst the cheers. He prepared himself for the next competitor…then the next, and the next, and the next.

When he stood on the field, victorious as the last jouster standing, he let out a relieved breath.

The horn blew again, and Aidan spun around. “What the hell?”

“A late entry, my laird!” one of the squires called out to Nioclas, who nodded regally and took his seat again.

“Bastard,” Aidan grumbled, knowing that Nick was only allowing a late entry to show the MacWilliams’ prowess. He had barely managed to keep his seat with his final competitor. His legs ached, his back was stiff, and his arm cramped in places he didn’t realize were even part of the extremity.

“The O’Malley clan!” the squire called out.

The crowd hushed for a moment, unsure as to what an O’Malley was doing there, but they apparently decided they didn’t care. Cheers, hoots, and boos intermingled as Reilly took his place at the end of the beam, waiting for Aidan to mount his steed and fight one more time.

Aidan cursed him. Reilly gave him a salute.

O’Malley was in earnest, then.

Aidan mounted, then brought his horse around and took his position once more. He snapped his helmet down, slowed his breathing, and waited, poised, for the sound of the horn. When it came, he encouraged the horse to faster speeds, hoping to knock Reilly off-balance with a quick joust to the shoulder.

Reilly slammed into him with a force Aidan hadn’t felt from any other, and he tottered on his seat as Reilly’s lancesnapped in half, wood shards spraying around him. His horse, bless him, took that moment to turn, which was all that saved Aidan from making his own cloud of dust.

Aidan swore and raised his helmet. He saw Reilly watching him closely. Reilly very subtly rotated his right shoulder—where Aidan had almost, but not quite hit directly—and held back his grin when Aidan’s eyes narrowed. He spun his own horse around to take the position again.

Aidan raised his shield slightly, as though to protect his shoulder, which left his left shoulder all but exposed. He traded his damaged lance for a new one, pleased that he’d made at least some contact with Reilly’s shield, which, even from where he sat, looked roughed up.

The horn sounded, and Aidan kept his shield over his right shoulder. At the last moment, he moved it to the left, deftly blocking Reilly’s blow, and caught Reilly full on in the stomach, where he hadn’t been expecting Aidan to be able to hit. Reilly fell spectacularly, and when the dust cleared, Ry remained seated, knees bent, with his forearms resting on his knees.

Aidan didn’t bother to get off his horse. Instead, he walked the beast over to Reilly and shook his head.

“Why did you let me win?”

Reilly squinted up. “Who says I let you?”

Aidan gave him a suspicious glance. “I get the feeling you don’t fail at anything.”

“Strange,” Reilly mused, “I get that same feeling about you.”

Aidan reached a hand down, and Reilly took it, popping onto his feet as though he hadn’t just fallen from a tall horse. The crowd cheered, and Reilly looked at him once more.

“You must realize that I’m not your biggest challenge. That is up in the stands, with very little idea as to what happens next.”

Aidan dismounted. “Do I have a choice, O’Malley?”

Reilly looked at him silently for a moment. Then, softly, he said, “I know not what the Fates have planned for you, MacWilliam. But I do know what’s happening very soon, and your bride may not realize what’s coming her way.”

Aidan swallowed past the dirt in his throat, and glanced up at Emma’s cheering face.

He wondered if she had any idea as to how serious the prize was at these tournaments.

And if she had any idea as to how serious he was about claiming it.

Chapter 18

When Emma finally tore her eyes away from Aidan, who was accepting help from clansmen to remove the chain mail, she grinned widely at Brianagh.

“I can’t believe he won!” she cried, excited. “I can’t believe I just saw a real tournament!”

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