Read Online Fatal Fairies (Renaissance Faire Mystery Book 8) by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene - Free Book Online

heels weren’t going to make it. I shed them in the trashcan as I went past the tree swing that was between the Dungeon and the privies.
    “Run, Jessie, run!” Merlin encouraged in his star-studded purple robe. He held his wizard’s hat on his head to keep the wind from blowing it away.
    “I wish you were a real wizard,” I said before I realized what the words could mean. “Just kidding. I don’t really wish that at all, if you’re listening. Cross that one out.”
    My feet were sore by the time I’d reached the Field of Honor . I ignored them. My soggy boots were at the Dungeon. I had big feet for a woman, but Chase’s feet were much larger so I couldn’t borrow boots from him. I was going to have to be a shoeless squire.
    He wasn’t in his dressing room when I got there. Huzzah! I immediately stripped down to my underwear and started putting on my britches and shirt.
    “I guess you got here just in time,” he said from behind me.
    What was it with men sneaking up on me? First Canyon and then Chase. Not that I minded Chase seeing me in my pretty pink bra and panties. After all, getting him to notice me was a big part of what I was doing.
    “Sorry. I’ve got clothes. I just needed somewhere to change, and Tony’s place is all the way over on the other side.”
    I purposely put on the blousy white top most people wore in the Village and left it open while I pulled up the britches. The pants were a tight fit—what was Portia thinking? But I got them fastened and was happy to see that Chase was still staring at me. I left the shirt open more than usual.
    “You need your armor.” I fetched it from the spot where he’d left it after the last joust. It hadn’t been cleaned, but it was going to have to do.
    I picked up the breast plate and fastened it on him. He wore light chain mail under it, on top of his shirt. There were many times when the fake jousts got a little too real, and jousters were most vulnerable in the chest area.
    “Let me get your helmet,” I said. “Sorry this is such a rush job. I’ll have your armor shining before the next match.”
    “Where are your shoes?” He glanced at my feet.
    “I had to ditch the heels and forgot the boots.” I shrugged. “I’ll be fine. It’s just dirt and sand.”
    “And heavy hoofs,” he added. “Find something you can wear. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
    “I won’t.” I handed him his gauntlets. “You have to be on the field right now. Let me worry about my feet. Good luck.”
    There wasn’t time to ask the other squires if they had any smaller boots they could loan me. I got Chase out of the dressing room and on his horse before I handed him his sword. His lances would be out on the field. I’d give them to him as needed.
    He was jousting against Sir Reginald, one of the older knights who was a royal favorite. He was the only knight who lived at the castle besides Chase. In my Village, he’d had a heart attack after jousting with Chase and had gone into semi-retirement, working as a sort of majordomo at the castle. His daughter actually became the first female jouster—a title I had coveted years before but had been denied.
    Of course that didn’t seem to be the case now. There sat Sir Reginald beside the grandstand, his squire carrying his standard.
    I grabbed Chase’s standard on my way to the field. It held a great lion on a field of green. I pushed it into his station where I would wait for him and his lances were kept.
    Our side of the field was full with spectators who shouted Huzzah! loudly as he took the field. He held his broadsword before him and smiled into the sun. He never put on his helm, as Sir Reginald had, until his fans had a chance to see his face.
    Chase’s cheerleader was more focused on watching him than leading her spectators to boo his opponent. She was besotted like all the other females, including me. Even Sir Reginald’s cheerleader had accidentally led her people into cheering for Chase.
    This wasn’t