Chapter 29

It all started when Uncle decided to hold a joust in honor of my return and in Count Torne’s memory. I would have offered him two barrels of moonshine for the latter, but nobody had asked me. Instead, Uncle told us the good news in a rather cringe-worthy tone.

“Andre, Alex, there will be a joust in ten days. I hope you won’t disgrace our family’s honor?”

“Of course, Father.”

In public, Andre played the role of a dutiful son.

“As you command, Uncle.”

“Come on, boys. Doesn’t it make you happy?”

“We’ll be overjoyed,” I said passionately.

Both Tommy and Rene reacted the same way to the news about the joust—by swearing like a sailor at my uncle. Fair enough; a joust required a set of armor, a weapon, a horse...

Getting them just ten days before a tournament, when half the capital was doing the very same, seemed impossible. Could one participate without that? One could. But judging by Abigail’s warm smile, there was going to