Page 9 of Yearning Difficulties

I sat in one of the wooden rows in the small arena stands and watched as the knights lined up in front of me. I wrote down each potential cast member’s name but of course I knew most of them already. Lake Pristine was small and most of them were at school with me. Killian and his best friend, Anderson Lebray, stepped forward. I took their names and prayed that they’d move on without a sarcastic quip.

‘For the sword-fighting part of the show, can I pick the person I get to deface?’

I raised my eyes to wearily regard Killian Bergery. ‘No.’

‘It’s just, I have someone I’d really love to maim.’

Anderson smirked and I glared at them both. ‘Dave’s done quite a bit of stage combat, actually. He might maim you right back.’

‘Right,’ scoffed Killian. ‘I’m sure he has his own suit of armour. Passed down through generations of his blue-blood family.’

‘Knights weren’t necessarily blue-blooded,’ I said coldly. ‘But they were supposed to be chivalrous. So shut up. And stand over there.’

Anderson gave me an apologetic smile but Killian merely smirked. He sidled over to join the other prospective candidates and I spotted Dave with his rugby friends. He hadn’t even bothered to line up and put his name down.

I scribbled it on the clipboard anyway. The fuss he would make wasn’t worth the hassle of forcing him to abide by the rules.

‘All right, knights!’ Dad called out, causing the group to fall into a hush. ‘Pick up a wooden sword and find a partner. Swords used in the public performances will be more convincing, but for now, safety first. No actual stabbing attempts, please. That will earn immediate dismissal.’

Killian threw me a look and I gave him a sarcastically sweet smile. I watched him eye Dave and then think better of his earlier threat. He and Anderson started to duel and I could tell by how quick they were that Dad would be impressed. Killian was a natural with a sword.

Twenty minutes later, Dad had his cast. He handed me a half printed, half scribbled sheet of paper and I checked it over.

‘Agree?’ Dad asked me.

‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Do I really have to—’

‘Yes, kid. None of the girls wanted to be the princess. We’ve got grog wenches and a couple of knights but no one wanted to step into Jasper’s shoes.’

I groaned. ‘Lucky me.’

Dad sent home all of the auditionees who he wouldn’t be using and instructed the remaining few to line up and get their roles and further instructions from me. Dave was at the front.

‘White Knight,’ I told him flatly.

‘Quite right,’ he snapped, snatching a cast member pamphlet from my outstretched hand and stomping off.

I rolled my eyes. ‘Next!’

I met with the new court jester, two background knights and one grog booth barmaid.

Then—

‘Killian Bergery,’ I said without glancing up. ‘Black Knight.’

‘I’m the bad one? I can’t be the dashingly heroic one?’

I sighed. ‘No.’

‘Why were you eating alone at lunch?’

That again. I shrugged, smiling politely at two more of the grog booth volunteers as I took down their names. When they moved on, I finally answered. ‘Dave’s friends were mine while we were together, now they’re not. Not that it’s any of your business.’

Killian had moved into Lake Pristine just as Max had left. There was no point telling him that he and his friends had stolen our old table. Better he think of me as the weird loner girl than the girl who was no longer part of a pair.

‘Good thing we’re friends then, Red. You can eat with me from now on. And your dad mentioned you’re our new princess.’

God, he was irritating. Colour rose up my neck and I fixed him with a hard stare. ‘Guess I am.’