Alaric Stormdew was here to watch and learn the palace ways and for now, he was not interested in actively taking part in any of the palace ways.
A movement caught his eye, and he glanced at the smaller window near the window that the noble ladies were looking out from.
Four heads peered out from the window beside the large one.
Alaric slowly scanned the faces.
They had the same look as the others. They were noble-bred and it was clear to see just from the tilt of their heads. They seemed hidden from view and although they were dressed in the same breezy night dresses as the other ladies, they were hidden from view by the ledge of the window.
Alaric could see a redhead, a blond rather sternlooking woman and a brown-haired with wide eyes and a blush on her face. The women looked surprised by the scene in front of them, but Alaric could see the hungry look in the eyes of two of the ladies as they surveyed the knights on the field below them.
One of the four looked down with sparkly, curious eyes and hands wrapped around her body as though she were cold.
Alaric was just about to look away when he caught sight of her again.
She had long, unruly curls that were frizzing up in different ways as though she had had had a tussle with a stallion and her eyes were as curious as a cat as she looked down at the scene that her fellow ladies were sighing and swooning at.
There was a hiss from the blond woman, and the four women abruptly left the window and out of sight.
Alaric smirked.
What an entertaining minute.
He heard the captain of training shout at the men who were still glancing lustfully at the noble women that were seated rather sultrily by the window.
"Hey! Get back to training! No slacking or you will miss breakfast while the rest of us eat!"
The knights quickly stood to attention before getting back in position to train with each other.
The captain hurried over and Alaric pushed off the stone wall that his strong body had been leaning against.
"Alaric Stormdew?" The older man called loudly as he neared him, "what a tall young man you are."
Alaric nodded, he kept his hands by his side and looked at the older man who approached him, "I was ordered to join the knights at training in the morning."
His low voice caught the attention of the knights nearby. There was a gravelly tone to it that fitted his build and physique but still turned heads.
"Yes, yes." The middle-aged man nodded. He was the captain of the knights and in charge of their morning training. "You are the winner of yesterday's tournament from what I heard."
Alaric nodded and the captain beamed.
"That is good to hear. I am afraid I was away and only got to the palace this morning."
There was a nod from Alaric at that.
"You have the whole palace buzzing with how you won last evening," the captain chuckled with a raised eyebrow. "Even my superiors are talking about it, my boy. I will tell you this as a sort of warning: All eyes are on you."
Alaric stared ahead of him.
He forgot to answer as the man's words penetrated his mind.
All eyes were on him.
A crazed look came into his eye, and a twisted smile touched his lips.
Perfect.
That was exactly what he wanted.
Phoebe hurried down the stairs. She was dressed in the most gorgeous black dress with lace covering her arms and her red hair had been coiled up into a tight bun.
She was the first to finish getting dressed and was now to run down and inform the maids that a tiny accident had occurred.
The other maids were too busy dressing the others and so, she had decided to quickly snip down to the head-maid's office to let them know so that the girls would not be late. Elizabeth had snipped her finger on one of the blades by mistake and blood had budded from the tip of her finger.
Her finger would be fine, but a small cloth needed to bandage the cut before the girls could go to breakfast and Phoebe could not afford to be late on the very first day of the test. Tardiness never got anyone anywhere good.
She smacked straight into a hard chest.
Phoebe stumbled back before looking at who she has rammed into.
Smoldering green eyes caught her attention before she realized it was a man with a sharp graying beard and a handsome face. He was certainly an older man, but he had broad shoulders and a strong build.
"My apologies," he said elegantly but his eyes were trailing down her neck to get a scan of her body.
"I must protest and offer my own," Phoebe said quickly. She straightened regally and gave the man a small curtsy, red ringlets of her hair slowly escaping her bun as it always did, "I was in a hurry, but I should have paid more attention to my steps."
The man smiled gently before giving her a gallant bow.
The stairway was quite narrow. Only one person could truly fit in the stairway and Phoebe was rather upset that she would have to go all the way upstairs and then return. It would make her rather late.
Although it was chivalry for the gentleman to step down and let her pass, it was clear that he was older than her and was probably much higher than her in rank as well.
Phoebe hesitated before she spoke, "Let me head upstairs so you can go your way-."
She gasped as the man gripped her waist.
He put his back to the wall and slowly moved Phoebe's body past his, brushing her flush against his strong chest and set her on the step below him.
Phoebe stood still in surprise, only upset when the strong hands removed their grip on her waist.
She looked up at the gentleman in surprise. Her ears were tinted pink as blood began to flush up to her face.
He was smiling down at her, a glint in his green eyes.
"Good day," his voice was like velvet as he walked away and upstairs.
Phoebe's chest heaved in her tight-fitted dress as she looked away from his retreating back.
What a handsome man.
And what a stunner.