Pretty Is…

Building Blocks

By Cat

Copyright 2001 © Cat

This story may not be reproduced without the direct written consent of the author.

*****

“Damn, I’m sorry,” Eric Constantine apologized to the small woman walking up the stairs in front of him. He’d been pushed from behind and nearly knocked her down onto the hard concrete of the next step. “Are you okay?”

Hazel eyes, framed by long, thick dark lashes, looked up at him as she got her balance back and straightened up. “I think so, nothing damaged.” She smiled at him then turned and started back up the steps of the outdoor amphitheater.

“What’s the matter?” his wife Sally asked as she came abreast of him.

“Some jackass pushed me and I nearly made the girl in front of me take a header into the steps,” he answered.

“Was she okay?”

“She said she was. And she looked okay. I swear you’d think some of these people have no manners at all,” he griped as he took her hand and they walked up to the top of the amphitheater together.

*****

“That’s the girl I nearly knocked down last night,” Eric stated pointing across the grass as they sat listening to a reader in the park the next day.

Sally followed her husband’s pointing finger and saw a small woman sitting on a quilt. She had waist length brown curls and was wearing a tank top and long gauzy peasant skirt. A large brimmed, straw, sun hat rested on the blanket beside her and she had a large book on her lap.

For a moment the blonde woman felt a streak of jealousy run through her. It wasn’t often that her husband remembered someone else so easily after only a few seconds meeting. But while she was watching the other woman, she saw her run a finger over a picture that was resting on the pages of the book and then brush a hand across her eyes. Sunlight flashed off a ring that graced the left hand.

“Honey?” Eric asked as his wife stood up.

“I’m going over to see if she’s alone and would like to join us. It’s the least I can do since you nearly made her on intimate terms with the theater steps,” she grinned.

Her blonde husband laughed and nodded. He watched as his wife walked across the grass and took a seat on the edge of the other woman’s quilt.

***

“Hi, I’m Sally Constantine, my husband Eric nearly ran you down on the stairs last night,” Sally said as she sat down on the other woman’s quilt and held out her hand.

The brunette looked up surprised from being caught off guard, but finally reached out a small hand to shake Sally’s. “I’m Nicky Sullivan, it’s okay no harm done.”

“I’m glad, he was pretty pissed at the person who pushed him and made him bump into you. I couldn’t help noticing it looks like you’re alone. Would you like to join us?”

The brunette looked at her nervously, then across the grass to where the big blonde man from last night was watching them. “I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding,” Sally replied. “Anyway it’s not really safe for a woman alone at the festival, not everyone is here just for the Shakespeare.” She nodded at a group of drunken young men a little further away who seemed to be eyeing everything in skirts and making a general nuisance of themselves.

Nicky nodded and sighed. “Yeah I already had a run in with them earlier. They must have started drinking right after breakfast.”

“Come join us, really it would be nice to have someone else to talk to. And I think Eric would like to make up for nearly turning you into road kill,” Sally grinned.

Nicky studied the other woman for a moment. She looked friendly and sincere. And it would be nice to have some company. “All right, thank you. I’d like that.”

She closed her book using the picture as a bookmark. She stood up picking up her hat and an almost empty bottle of water, while Sally bundled up the quilt. They walked together across the grass to where Eric was waiting.

“Nicky Sullivan this is my husband Eric Constantine, Eric this is Nicky Sullivan the girl you nearly ran over last night,” Sally introduced them.

“Nice to meet you Nicky,” Eric beamed holding out his hand. “I really am sorry about last night. I hope you really are okay.”

“I’m fine, truly,” Nicky smiled back. “Sally says you were pushed.”

“Some jerk behind me who had more important places to be I guess. Or too much to drink,” the blonde man said running an appreciative eye over the brunette.

He had to admit that next to Sally, Nicky was one of the prettiest women he’d ever met. She was smaller than Sally’s own five foot eight and had a kind of fragile vulnerability about her. It called to his own natural protectiveness. Something his parents had instilled in him a long time ago.

“That’s pretty,” he said motioning to the wide black velvet choker with silver embroidery around her neck that matched the velvet tank she was wearing. “A bit seventies, but it looks really good on you.”

Nicky blushed and smiled. “Thank you. I make them for a living. Well, jewelry, chokers, necklaces, bracelets, that sort of thing. I design them. Not metal, like rings or things. But cloth and bead jewelry. I design the piece and create the original, then there’s a company that makes the final product for retail sale.”

Sally looked at her impressed, then her eyes widened. “Oh God you’re Nicky, as in Jewelry by Nicky. I have lots of your pieces. I love your stuff, it’s so feminine, but perfect for people like me with big bones. I’m surprised you can wear your own stuff.”

The brunette ducked her head, flushing. “Thank you, I’m glad you like them. I modify the design a little for myself, make them a little smaller.”

“Sally’s an artist too. She designs and builds doll houses,” Eric stated proudly. “She creates them for specialty shops all over California and the West Coast.”

“Really!” Nicky said excitedly. “I’d love to see them. I’ve always loved doll houses.”

“When the reading is over we’ll go back to our place and I’ll show them to you,” the blonde woman told her. “We just live on the other side of the park.”

“Oh that must nice while the festival is going on,” the brunette sighed.

“Are you married?” the big blonde man asked motioning to the rings on Nicky’s left hand.

The small woman smiled softly. “Fifteen months.”

“Where’s your husband? Is he not a Shakespeare fan?” Sally asked.

Nicky’s smile slipped. “He’s back east at a family reunion. They do this every year at this time.”

“You didn’t go with him?” Eric asked frowning slightly.

“His family doesn’t approve of me. It’s just easier all round if I don’t go,” Nicky murmured.

“Damn stupid of them,” the man retorted. “What’s not to approve of? You’re pretty, a successful entrepreneur, most in-laws would be drooling to have you as part of the family.”

“I guess I’m just not what they were expecting for their son. They’re rather conservative,” the brunette answered softly.

“So you dress a little different and wear your hair a bit less conservative. They must be blind not to see how lucky their son is. I hope he knows,” Eric replied.

Nicky looked up at the blonde man with wide surprised eyes then smiled a huge beautiful smile. “Thank you. He does, it took six months for him to notice me. But we’ve been very happy.” She opened the big Shakespeare book in her lap and passed them a picture. “That’s Jason.”

Sally whistled at the picture of a large man dressed in jeans and a button down white shirt. He had shoulder length stylishly cut chestnut brown hair. He looked like he was maybe ten years older than his wife.

“Nice!” Then she turned and planted a kiss on her husband's lips. “We both got lucky.”

The brunette smiled watching them. “How long have you two been married?”

“Four years last month,” Eric grinned and wrapped an arm around his wife. "I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.”

The blonde woman laughed. “I was the hold out. It took me about five minutes to know I loved him too.”

Nicky grinned, for the first time during the weekend she was happy. And glad that there were three more weekends of the festival to go. She was going to enjoy getting to know these two. She couldn’t wait to call Jason and tell him.

“Would you two like anything? Beer, soda, wine?” Eric asked standing up.

“Lem…” the two women said at the same time and then laughed grinning at each other.

The big blonde chuckled. “Three lemonades coming up.”

After her husband walked away Sally looked down at her hands then back up at Nicky her eyes slightly embarrassed. “I have to admit I was a little jealous earlier.”

“Jealous?” the brunette asked confused.

“Yeah, Eric almost never remembers someone as easily as he did you. Especially after only meeting them for a few seconds,” the blonde admitted.

“Oh,” Nicky felt some of the happiness fading.

“Please, it was only for a moment,” Sally assured her new friend. “Silly of me really, but you are very pretty.”

The brunette blushed. “Thank you. But believe me you are very pretty yourself. You don’t have to worry about him looking, I can see he knows how lucky he is.”

It was the blonde’s turn to blush. She pushed her hair back behind her ear self-consciously. She knew she wouldn’t break mirrors and Eric was always telling her she was beautiful. But next to Nicky’s delicate frame she almost felt bulky. To cover her discomfort she picked up the picture of Nicky’s husband and handed it back.

“He looks older than you,” she stated.

Nicky laughed. “He is. He’s ten years older than I am. But I’ve always been attracted to older men. The young ones are still trying out their wings. I was ready to settle down.”

Sally laughed. “Eric’s a couple of years older than me. But I think he was born old and stable.”

The brunette giggled at the image that provoked in her mind. “The problem is that most of the ones like Eric are already taken. I just got lucky.”

“I don’t believe that for a minute,” Sally chided. She looked up as she saw her husband coming back across the grass with a cardboard tray.

Eric sat down and handed tall plastic cups of lemonade to each of them. He’d also picked up a large container of cinnamon twists. He placed the crispy cinnamon and sugar coated twists in the center of the blanket where they could all reach them then stretched out where he could watch the man reading sonnets on the small stage and still talk.

“What does your husband do, Nicky?” he asked sipping his lemonade.

“His family owns an Investment Banking firm. Jason runs the West Coast office out of San Francisco. His Dad still runs the head office in Boston where the majority of the family lives. His younger brother Jack handles the Central office in Colorado.”

The big blonde whistled. “Big company.”

“It’s been in the family since 1947. Jason’s Grandfather started it when he moved here from Ireland. What business are you in Eric?” The brunette asked picking up one of the sweet treats and nibbling on it.

“I’m a Technical Writer, the company I work for does contract work for the business industry. Usually I stay with a company six months to a year during a project and then move on to a new company,” the blonde man explained.

“Do you move a lot then?” Nicky asked worried her new friends might not stay around long.

“No, sometimes I have to commute into San Francisco for a job. But we keep pretty busy with the companies in the Sacramento area,” he stated.

“That’s an awfully long drive from Knights Landing,” the small brunette said in surprise.

“Luckily with those jobs, I do a lot of the work from the main office in Sacramento and spend a lot of time on the phone or the computer. But I do usually have to make at least a couple of trips a month or so for meetings and that sort of thing. It’s not too bad.”

“Nicky, where in San Francisco do you live?” Sally asked.

“Actually we live in Half Moon Bay just on the south end of San Francisco. We moved there just after we met,” she told them. “Hmm looks like the readings are over for today,” she smiled ruefully. “I think we missed most of it.”

Eric chuckled. “That’s okay, we’ll probably hear them again next year if we don’t hear them next weekend.” He stood up and the women joined him. They bundled up the blankets and their other items and started across the park.

“Why don’t we go by your hotel and you can drop off your blanket. You can grab whatever you want to wear to the play tonight and change at our place. We’d love to have you join us for dinner,” Sally stated.

Nicky smiled. “Thank you, that would be nice. It hasn’t been much fun being here on my own.”

“Will you be back next weekend?” Eric asked as they walked along.

He held one of Sally’s hands swinging it back and forth between them. His gaze kept being pulled back to the little brunette over and over. He realized that if he didn’t love Sally so much and they had both been unmarried, he could really be attracted to her.

Nicky nodded. “I love Shakespeare and his plays. I hate being way from Jason, but it’s only three nights a week for a month. And he doesn’t like me to coop myself up in the house waiting for him all the time.”

“It’s too bad he couldn’t come with you at least one weekend,” Sally replied.

“I’m trying. I’d love to get him to come either the third or fourth weekend,” the brunette sighed as they walked into her hotel. “If I can’t get him to come this year then I’ll just have to work on him again next year.”

“That’s the spirit,” the blonde woman laughed. “You just keep after him. He’ll have to give in sooner or later.”

*****

Sally perched on a stool and watched Nicky as she wandered around the studio totally enraptured by the different dollhouses that were either waiting to be shipped or still under construction. She knew her work was good, it sold quickly, for very expensive prices. But the idea that another artist, one that she truly admired for her inventiveness and eye for detail and quality, was this absorbed with her work was a wonderful complement.

Nicky brushed her fingers over a beautiful Victorian manor that was waiting to be crated and shipped. A sticky note on the tile roof told it’s destination and even that it was already sold. Unlike the factory made children’s toys, this house wasn’t just a bunch of rooms stuck in side by side. There were hallways and staircases, doorways and closets. Every detail had been carefully attended to, from crystal chandeliers to brass fixtured bathroom facilities.

“Sally these are beautiful,” the brunette murmured turning at last to look at her.

The blonde grinned happily. “Thank you, coming from you that means a lot.”

“No way,” Nicky replied. “Next to what you do, I’m just playing with beads.”

“Oh hush, that’s not true and you know it. Mine’s just bigger,” the other woman laughed.

“But the detail and the time you must have to put in to make these. Sometimes I can whip mine out in an hour,” the smaller woman insisted.

“But it doesn’t mean that they aren’t as good and creative as this. It’s just a different form of art. And with mine, I sometimes make three or four a year just like that one. Every time you create something it has to be different,” Sally stated firmly.

“Sally can I order one of these from you? I would love to have one,” Nicky questioned, her eyes returning to the Victorian that was waiting to be shipped.

“I’ll do better than that. I’ll teach you how to make them yourself. You buy the supplies. I’ll give you a list of what we need first. Then every weekend we’ll work on it until it’s done,” the blonde answered.

“But we’d never finish it in the three weekends we have left,” the brunette replied.

Sally grinned. “I know. It just means that you’ll have to come back and visit. Or we’ll do what we can now and then do more when you come for the festival next summer.”

Nicky smiled hesitantly. “That would be nice, I’d like that.”

“I’m going to go down and start dinner. This is a catalog of the houses I do,” Sally handed her a heavy three ringed binder. “Why don’t you bring it down to the kitchen and look through it while I’m cooking. That way you can ask me questions and maybe we can pick one before we go to the play. If not then we’ll keep going through it next weekend until you find the one you want.”

Nicky hugged the heavy book as she followed the other woman downstairs. Her creative mind was already whirling with ideas of what she’d like and she couldn’t wait to find out if they’d be possible.

*****

Nicky opened her hotel room door and grinned brightly at Eric and Sally who were standing on the other side.

“Ready to go fight the tourists for a seat, to watch the musicians?” Eric asked as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

It was the third weekend of the festival and considered music and dance weekend. The Constantine’s had become her regular companions over the last two weekends. They had even invited her to come and stay at their house instead of the hotel but she’d already booked the room for all four weekends of the festival.

“Hey you, remember, I’m a tourist,” Nicky laughed bumping Eric as they walked down the hallway.

“Didn’t you know,” Eric replied. “To be an official tourist you can’t know anyone in the town your staying. And you absolutely can’t be good friends with any of them.”

Nicky looked up ready to make a disbelieving rebuttal of that statement and was met with the bigger man’s wicked grin. “So what does that make me?” she asked tilting her head and gazing at him questioningly.

“I think he’s saying that makes you family,” Sally smiled from the other side of her husband.

“Family?” Nicky murmured.

“By Jove, I think she’s got it,” Eric laughed and looped one arm through Nicky’s and one arm through Sally’s.

The brunette blinked rapidly as they walked out of the hotel together, a smile of pure happiness touching her lips. Then her eyes grew pensive. She needed to talk to her friends. There was something she hadn’t told them. At first she’d simply been waiting to see how things went. But now she felt it was time, she couldn’t hide the secret from them anymore. But she was afraid. Afraid of how they’d react. She didn’t want to lose this friendship that she’d found. She thought Eric already knew. He’d been watching her since the first day they’d met. Whether he was embarrassed to mention it or just too polite she wasn’t sure. But whichever the reason he didn’t seem put off by knowing her secret and for that she was very grateful. There weren’t many men that were so accepting.

They walked along Main Street, Eric patiently waiting every time she or Sally spotted something in a booth that they just had to look at. By the time they reached the park, Nicky’s little canvas bag was full of things she’d bought. Sally, hadn’t been able to resist either. Once they had the blanket spread out on the grass they dumped their purchases on it to look at them.

“Oh these are nice,” Sally enthused looking at a container of Celtic beads Nicky had purchased.

The brunette smiled. “I saw them and got inspired. I have the card for the company that makes the beads. I thought I’d design some pieces with them and then see what the company that makes my jewelry thinks. If they like them I’ll give them the card so they can make a deal with the people that make the beads.”

The blonde woman shook her head. Nicky never really stopped working on her jewelry. She carried a small notebook with her in her bag and was constantly making little drawings and notes in it for jewelry ideas. From anything and everything she might see that struck a creative chord.

“Is this for Jason?” Eric asked looking at a silver tie clip. It was Celtic knot work with an emerald set in the center.

Nicky shook her head. “It’s for Mr. Sullivan. He’s first generation American but he has very strong ties to Ireland where his family comes from. This is for Mrs. Sullivan.” She held up an intricately carved wooden candleholder with a deep green candle carved with Celtic symbols. “They’re anniversary is next month. Jason can send them for me.”

Sally patted her friend’s hand. It was hard to believe that the woman’s in- laws didn’t like her, she was constantly picking up little things for them. “They’re wonderful, I’m sure they will love them.”

“I hope so,” the brunette sighed. “This is for Jason.” She held out a wooden plaque with a heraldic shield painted carefully on the front. “This is his families crest. I’ve been eyeing it for the last two weekends.”

There was a loud caterwauling from the stage and Sally clapped her hands over her ears, grimacing. But Eric and Nicky grinned turning to watch the bagpipe troop that was filling the stage and tuning their instruments.

“How can you stand that?” the blonde whispered as the group began to play.

The brunette chuckled. “They say you either love the bagpipes or hate them. I’ve always loved them.” Her hands clapped softly along with the rhythm of the dance tune.

They watched as four young women in traditional garb danced onto the stage, each one carrying a short staff. They moved around the center of the stage in an intricate dance and the crowd cheered its approval, as their use of the staffs became more and more synchronized.

After the bagpipes there was a vocal group singing old Irish/Celtic favorites, which all three of them enjoyed. They even joined in on a few of the songs that they knew, singing softly and laughing at each other when the group would surprise them with a change in key as they sang. The group ended their set with a song where the chorus built in length as a new line was added after each verse. They encouraged the crowd’s participation and by the end everyone was laughing as even the singers began to make mistakes by forgetting lines. The group promised they would be back later in the afternoon and passed among the crowd for donations.

“Nicky, I need to run to the ladies. Would you like to come along?” Sally asked as a minstrel took the stage and began to weave the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

The brunette looked down at her hands then finally back up with a small smile. “Sure.”

“Honey, we’ll be back as soon as we can,” the blonde leaned down and kissed her husband.

“Why don’t you and Nicky grab drinks and a snack on the way back?” Eric suggested as he pulled out his wallet and handed it to Sally.

“Okay,” she grinned and kissed him again.

The brunette followed her friend slowly across the park towards the restrooms. This was probably the best time to break the news to her and maybe the easiest way. And since she was pretty sure that Eric already knew but just wasn’t saying anything it would be a good time to talk to Sally about that as well.

Sally started to get in the line that stretched outside the Ladies restroom and turned to commiserate with Nicky about how long it was. But the brunette wasn’t there. Looking around she spotted the other woman making her way to the other side of the restrooms.

“Nicky? Over here honey,” Sally stepped out of line and hurried to follow the brunette catching her half way between the two. When the woman looked up Sally was surprised to see fear in the hazel eyes.

“I can’t Sally.”

The blonde looked at her confused. “Can’t? What do you mean?”

“Sally, I’m not really a woman. I… I’m a … I’m a man Sally. I just like to dress like a woman,” Nicky murmured staring down at his feet.

The blonde’s eyes opened wide. “You’re kidding right? No way, you’re too perfect. I’d notice.” The she began to think about it. Nicky almost never did bathroom breaks while they were out. Not unless they were close to home or Nicky’s hotel and then the other woman would just run inside alone and come right back. And Nicky was always careful to dress for the plays either in the bathroom of their house or at her hotel before meeting them. Sally had never seen her without clothing. “You’re a man?”

The brunette nodded slowly. “I didn’t want to say anything at first. But now we’re friends you need to know before it goes any further. I don’t like deceiving my friends. I’m pretty sure Eric already knows, but he’s either too polite or too embarrassed to say anything.”

Sally was still trying to process the idea that Nicky was a man. Her eyes swept over the brunette critically and she shook her head. “I don’t understand, how — I mean you’re just so perfect.”

“I’ll answer any questions you have if you still want to even be around me. I just didn’t want to say anything, until I knew we were really going to be friends. It’s…It can be really dangerous coming out to strangers. So I have to be careful,” Nicky explained looking up with eyes full of distress.

The blonde smiled slightly and shook her head. “God I can’t believe I didn’t notice. I mean you’ve worn shorts and jeans, heck you went braless last week with that little strapless tank top. I’m going to grill the hell out of you, I want all your secrets,” Sally grinned. “After we go to the bathroom.” She started to drag Nicky towards the line that had gotten even longer while they talked.

“Sally I can’t,” Nicky hissed digging his heals in.

“Yes, you can and you better. You can not go into the men’s room. That group of totally drunken jerks just went in there. You’d get hurt,” she insisted firmly.

The brunette looked towards the men’s section of the building and could hear the men that had been drinking steadily behind them all morning. It wasn’t until Eric stood up and told them to back off or suffer the consequences that they’d stopped pestering Nicky and Sally. He paled realizing what could have happened if Sally hadn’t stopped him.

“But Sally I can’t go into the women’s room either.”

“Why not! It’s not like anyone is going to see anything. You look like a woman and the stalls all have doors. And I doubt seriously your going to be peaking under the dividing walls,” the blonde admonished. “Come on, Honey. I’ll protect you.”

Nicky chuckled, even as his lower lip trembled slightly. “Okay but you have to promise to slap your hand over my eyes or something if someone is like trying to clean up or readjusting or something.”

Sally laughed at that as she pulled the small man into the back of the line with her. Then she realized that Nicky was crying. “Oh Honey, I didn’t mean to laugh and embarrass you.”

“It’s not that,” Nicky whispered brushing his hand across his eyes. “It’s just that so many people when I tell them…. I was afraid that you wouldn’t want to… to be friends with me anymore.”

Sally shook her head. “Nicky, I don’t really care what’s under the clothes. I know what’s under the skin. That’s all that counts.” She hugged her friend tight. “Why do you think Eric knows?”

“He’s been watching me since the first day. And sometimes he seems a little nervous around me. Especially last weekend, I was afraid he was going to tell me to hit the road and not come back. But he didn’t. Then this morning… I knew I had to tell you then,” the brunette replied.

Sally nodded. “His parents were always great. They liked everybody no matter what. They used to go with us on the Aids walks every year. They always said no one should be punished for loving. They taught all their kids the same, tolerance was a key word in their house.”

“They sound like really special people. I’d like to meet them someday,” Nicky smiled.

The blonde smiled sadly. “Eric’s Dad died last year of heart failure. His Mom was just never the same. She passed away in her sleep about two months later. They had so many friends that the church where the funeral services were held couldn’t hold them all.”

“Oh,” the brunette murmured sadly. “That is so sad. It must have been horrible for Eric.”

“It was, but I think it makes it easier for him knowing that they are together. It was worse for him watching his Mom just kind of slip away everyday,” Sally answered. “So is Jason real? Well I guess of course he’s real if you’re buying gifts for his parents.”

Nicky smiled slightly. “Yes, he’s real. And we are married, sort of. I do volunteer work at St. Vincent's mission in downtown San Francisco. Father Mike is a friend. He kind of married us on the sly,” he grinned mischievously. “Marriage certificate and all.”

Sally chuckled and tugged her friend forward as the line moved. “Well heck you could pass easy enough. I can’t wait to hear how you pull all of this off.”

The closer they got to the door of the restroom the more nervous Nicky got. Sally was actually gripping his hand tight to keep him from bolting. “Oh God, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” the brunette whined softly.

“How do you deal with it when you and Jason go out?” the blonde asked looking down at him.

“We usually go places that are gay friendly. Not hard in San Francisco or Half Moon Bay,” Nicky murmured shakily. “And when we go to the parties he does for his employees, we always stay at the hotel over night. So I just slip up to our room. If we have to go somewhere where I can’t avoid it then I dress in kind of a feminine suit, but it lets me use the men’s room without worrying about creating a scene.”

The line moved inside the room and the brunette turned so that he wasn’t watching, his face a bright red. Sally patted his arm. “We’re going to have to do this more often and get you used to it. If you’re going to be a woman then you’d better.”

“Oh God, I’ve created a monster,” he moaned.

Sally just laughed and pushed him towards an open stall as she went into the one next to it. By the time she finished, the brunette was already gone. She found him leaning against the wall outside taking deep breaths.

“There now see that wasn’t so bad,” she grinned.

Nicky just stared at her, then shook his head in disbelief. “Come on. Eric is going to get worried.”

Sally followed along chuckling, as he dragged her towards the concession stands. “You haven’t had the operation?” she asked.

“No, I don’t really want it. I don’t want to be a woman. I just like to be pretty. I’ve just always been a little more fem than male,” he explained.

“Why not? You make a beautiful woman. And you’re right you are very fem. You don’t seem male at all,” the blonde admonished.

“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that Jason would kill me for discussing our love life. I don’t kiss and tell,” Nicky looked up his eyes laughing. “And if I’d had the operation he wouldn’t have wanted me. It took six months to catch him because he thought I was a woman and he wasn’t interested.”

Sally caught his meaning and blushed a fiery red. “Okay, gotcha. So how long have you been cross dressing,” she asked.

“Fulltime since I was eighteen. It was just always something I wanted,” he told her anticipating her next question. “I knew by the time I was ten I wanted to be pretty.”

“Is this natural?” Sally questioned touching Nicky’s hair as they got in line for drinks and food.

The brunette nodded. “I’ve always had curly hair. I started letting it grow when I was sixteen. And because of being an artist, doing what I do nobody really thinks twice about it being so long.”

“I guess I understand where the problem with Jason’s family comes in now. That’s really pathetic that they can’t see past the surface and realize how lucky Jason is,” Sally stated. “What about your own family?”

The small man looked away, but not before his friend caught a glimpse of the heartache in the hazel depths. “My… my parents hated it. They disowned me when they found out what I was doing. I haven’t had any contact with them in three years.”

“I’m sorry,” the blonde murmured. “That must be hard for you.”

“Yeah,” Nicky sighed softly, plucking at the light cotton skirt he wore, not looking at her. “They are nice people, really. They just couldn’t handle this. I was their only child and it was a big disappointment I guess.” He drew in a deep shuddering breath, then forced himself to smile. “Enough of this though. We’re supposed to be enjoying a wonderful sunny day at the festival.”

Sally smiled back at him as they stepped up to get their order taken. They were walking back across the grass as a thought occurred to her. “Nicky, we usually refer to you as her and she. Is that okay or do you prefer the male terms?”

“Actually it’s safer if you get used to using the fem terms. Even Jason uses them when we’re out among strangers.” He stopped and turned to her his eyes deadly serious. “Sally, I have to be very careful. Gays are beaten all the time, even killed because of the choice they’ve made. Sometimes it’s worse for gay cross dressers. I had a friend who was beaten to death when a straight guy came onto him. He declined his offers of dates and things, but the other man kept it up. Somehow he found out my friend was really a man. He followed him home one night and beat him to death,” Nicky murmured sadly.

The blonde woman paled, she’d heard the stories. But it was the first time they’d been so close to home. “We won’t forget Nicky. I swear. And if you come to the festival alone next year, I want you staying with us where we can make sure you’re safe. Don’t you ever try to do something like this alone again. If Jason can’t be with you, you call me and Eric.”

The small man smiled softly at her, warmed by the concern. “I can’t hide, but I promise if I’m doing something like this I’ll call and see if you want to come. It’s nice to have the company.”

“Hey I was about to send out the Nation Guard,” Eric told them half jokingly as they walked up to where they had the blanket laid out.

“Sorry they need to like double the size of the women’s restroom, the line was a mile long,” Sally explained. She watched her husband and saw a slight lift to his eyebrow in surprise and realized that Nicky was right. Eric did know and just hadn’t said anything. She wondered if she should talk to him later, but decided it might be best to wait until he was ready to discuss it himself.

*****

“Still no Jason?” Sally asked as she hugged her friend and tugged him into the house.

Nicky sighed sadly as the other woman led her into the living room. “He has to work this weekend. He took Tuesday and Wednesday off this last week to take me to Carmel and Monterey for my birthday.”

“Birthday!” Sally exclaimed as they sat down together on the couch. “Why didn’t you say something?”

The small brunette shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “Didn’t want to seem like I was fishing for gifts. And we’ve only known each other a little while.”

“Oh hush,” Sally scolded. Then she grinned. “So how old are you? Or are you already at that stage where you’ve stopped counting?”

Nicky chuckled and tucked his legs under him as he leaned into the corner of the couch. “Twenty-two, I’ll stop counting when I hit twenty-eight.”

“Oh God, your just a baby,” Sally groaned her eyes twinkling.

“Right, like your what all of twenty-four?” the brunette laughed.

“You sweet talking angel you,” the blonde grinned. “I’m twenty-seven.”

“Really?” Nicky asked wide-eyed. “I was being sarcastic I didn’t think you were any older than I was.”

His friend leaned forward and hugged him tight. “Don’t I wish.”

“Hey Nicky,” Eric called from the doorway as he set his briefcase on the floor by the door. “Did you have a good drive up?” he asked as he loosened his tie and came in to join them in the living room. He walked over to the couch and kissed Sally deeply.

“Not bad, the traffic was heavy as I got closer to Sacramento but not horrible. I’m surprised, I don’t normally beat you here on Friday nights.”

“Last minute emergency meeting. We may have to cancel the contract I’m working on right now. The company’s funding for their project suddenly fell through,” Eric sighed as he stretched out in a chair.

“That’s too bad. What happens to you?” Nicky asked.

“I’ve already been reassigned to a new contract, if this one really does get pulled,” the blonde man stated and started to stand up. “I think I’m going to go get changed.”

“Into something nice, Nicky’s birthday was this week. I thought we could go out to dinner to celebrate,” Sally told him.

Eric grinned. “Hey happy birthday, Nicky.” The blonde patted the young man’s shoulder. “Give me a couple of minutes to change and we can go.”

*****

“Heaven,” Nicky sighed as he and Sally shared a piece of French style cheesecake liberally covered with raspberries.

Eric stifled a groan. “I’ll be right back,” he muttered and slid out of the booth walking back towards the bathrooms.

Between them, Sally and their friend were going to drive him around the bend. As far as he was concerned the way the two of them ate a slice of cheesecake should be illegal. He ducked into the bathroom and leaned against the wall. Maybe if he stayed here long enough they’d be done by the time he went back.

He chuckled ruefully, glad that the brunette was still staying in a hotel at the moment. He had a feeling that he and Sally might need the privacy once they got home. No, he amended. They were definitely going to need the privacy.

Sally pushed the dessert plate away and looked around for her husband but didn’t see him. She pulled a credit card out of her purse and laid it on the little tray with the bill for dinner.

“I wonder where Eric got too?”

Nicky snickered and blushed. “I think he went to hide in the restroom.”

“Hide?” the blonde looked at her friend quizzically.

The brunette played with his napkin, unable to look her in the eye. “I think we were enjoying the cheesecake just a bit too much. Jason’s done the same thing sometimes when we’re out and I’m eating an ice cream cone.”

Sally frowned trying to figure out what the small man was saying. Then suddenly her eyes went wide. “Oh,” she flushed bright red.

She suddenly had a picture of other times that Eric had gotten up and left the table suddenly when the two of them had been out to eat. The blush faded as a smile grew on her face. Nicky’s, knowing chuckle pulled her out of her contemplation and she grinned widely at him.

“Nice to know we can still effect them like that isn’t it?” he whispered.

“After four years. Yeah it is,” the blonde replied her eyes glowing. She tried to smooth her face out seeing her husband coming back towards the table. But at last minute she giggled like a schoolgirl and the brunette joined in.

Eric looked back and forth between them. “I’m not even going to ask,” he said with a put upon look, which set them both off again. He quickly signed the bill the waiter brought him adding a big tip, then looked at the flushed, happy pair. “Come on you two.”

They followed him out of the restaurant still giggling. Out on the sidewalk he linked arms with them. They wandered slowly down the street watching the booths being set up along Main Street for the final weekend of the festival.

“Where will they do the jousting tomorrow? They don’t try to do it in the park do they?” Nicky asked as they strolled.

“No there’s an arena just on the south side of the park. Would you like to walk over and see it?” Eric inquired. It was still early with lots of daylight left.

“That would be nice. Does it stay up all the time or do they set it up just for the festival?”

“It stays up all year round. They use it for horse shows and four H, as well as other things during the rest of the year,” Sally answered.

They turned around and headed in the other direction, cutting through the park. Just across the road from it on the south side Nicky spotted the arena that Eric had mentioned. A wide expanse of grass ran around the outside edge of the arena and there were three large horse trailers already parked off to one side.

There were people sitting on the grass watching men inside the fenced off area. The three of them walked over to join them. The men they were watching were dressed in heavy padding with partial armor on their arms, legs and chests. They appeared to be sword fighting with padded sticks.

“What are they doing?” the brunette asked.

“Practicing for tomorrow,” a big man nearby explained. “They started about half an hour ago.”

Nicky moved over to lean on the railing watching. One of the fighters looked up, pausing suddenly and received a vicious blow to helmet from his opponent. The spectators chuckled sympathetically.

“My lady, I think you might want to move back a bit out of visual range or that particular Knight may not make it to the joust tomorrow,” the big man called loudly enough for the fighters to hear him.

The spectators laughed again and the fighter who had been struck bowed to them. “But what a happy way to go,” he called back.

The brunette flushed rosily and stepped away from the railing, giggling self consciously to join Sally and Eric on the grass. The blonde man was laughing and his wife just grinned and wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder and hugged him.

*****

“My Lady might I beg a favor of you.”

Nicky heard Sally giggle and looked up from his volume of Shakespeare directly into the face of an armored knight. He looked around quickly, then realized the man was speaking to him.

“A…a favor?” the brunette asked faintly, recognizing the knight as the man who’d been distracted the night before.

“Aye, a token to show that I fight for you this day,” the young man replied with a smile.

“Oh,” Nicky murmured and thought hurriedly. But the only thing he had was the lavender scarf tied around his throat. Which he realized looking at the knight was perfect to go with his purple livery, almost as if they’d dressed to match on purpose. He nodded slowly not wanting to make a scene by refusing.

“Your name my Lady that my herald might announce it?” he asked as the brunette slowly untied the scarf.

“Nicky, my name is Nicky,” he told him hesitantly as he handed up the scarf.

“Thank you, Nicky.” The knight took the scarf, smiling, then his eyes registered surprise and he abruptly dropped the scarf and began walking away.

Sally and several spectators around them gasped in surprise. The brunette turned white as a ghost then bright red in embarrassment. Eric picked up the scarf and followed the knight before Sally could stop him.

“I think you made a mistake and dropped this accidentally,” he said conversationally as he caught up with the other man.

“No, I think you made the mistake,” the knight replied, throwing a bitter glance back over to the blanket where Sally and Nicky sat.

“You know, I only allow someone to make the same mistake once,” Eric stated calmly. “You’ve made it twice now.” Without warning his fist connected with the man’s chin and the knight went down.

Spectators sitting around them, who lived in the town, or who had seen the other three over the last several weeks applauded. The big blonde turned on his heel and walked back to the blanket. He knelt down and gently tied the scarf back around Nicky’s neck.

It pissed him off, that the other man had hurt his friend like that. Obviously along with doing his job as an entertainer, he was also trolling for available women. He must have seen Nicky’s wedding ring and realized she was off limits, but that didn’t give him the right to be rude.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Nicky whispered. “He might press charges.”

“I doubt it,” the blonde responded. “Anyway, he deserved it, the asshole. He ‘doesn’t’ deserve a token from someone as beautiful as you though.”

The brunette choked on a sob, as Sally sent her husband a grateful look. “Come on, Honey. I’m not in the mood to watch knights with no chivalry,” she said softly taking Nicky’s hand and drawing him up off the blanket.

Eric nodded and gathered up their stuff. He was surprised when he looked up and realized a large portion of the people around them had done the same. The knight was back on his feet and watching with a stunned expression at the mass exodus from his quarter of the arena.

“Sir!” A voice stopped him as he started to follow his wife and their friend. He turned to see yet another knight, this one dressed in white livery with a black lion on the front, coming towards them.

“I’d like to apologize to the lady for my friend’s rude behavior. If that would be all right?”

Eric nodded and walked with the other man to where Sally and Nicky were waiting. He watched as the knight took Nicky’s hand and bowed low kissing the small fingers.

“I’m very sorry for what happened. I don’t know what’s the matter with him, but I would be honored if you would let me wear your scarf as token,” he said to the brunette.

Nicky shook his head tears starting to form on the edges of his long lashes.

“Please my Lady, let me make amends for his bad manners,” the white knight pleaded.

With shaking hands the brunette untied the scarf knowing that he was about to be hurt again, but afraid to refuse. He handed the scarf over and the knight took it. The big man smiled, then just like with the first knight a small amount of surprise filled his eyes. His smile grew wider.

“Thank you my Lady. Would you come with me? I’d like to seat you in my quarter,” he asked winking at the brunette.

Nicky nodded wide-eyed, then a small smile touched his face. He let the knight take his hand and lead him through the crowd. They stopped for a moment, when the man paused to whisper to his herald who ran off quickly. Then he was leading Nicky and his friends across the arena to where the ‘royal’ box had been erected.

“Isn’t this where the royalty is supposed to sit?” Sally asked in surprise as the knight seated them.

The big man smiled. “Edward, The black Prince of Wales, at your service my Lady. Or at least for the show,” he replied his eyes twinkling merrily. “It’s my prerogative who gets to sit here.“ He leaned down close to the small brunette’s ear. “You have a gallant Champion in yon blonde Lord, my ‘Lady’. And I must say Sir William is a fool to pass up such a beautiful person to fight for. I shall take great pleasure in trouncing him today in your name.”

The small brunette glanced up at him with a look of surprise. “But isn’t this all choreographed?”

The knight shook his head. “Only some of it. And actually we’re all members of a group called the SCA***. Not everyone is into jousting but our group is. This will be very real.”

“Don’t hurt him,” Nicky whispered nervously. “He can’t help the way he feels.”

“Yes, he can. And as a knight following the code of chivalry he should be above petty shit like that anyway,” he paused and shook his head. “Pardon my language, My Lady, I forget myself.”

The brunette couldn’t help chuckling a little at the combination of modern and Old World speech.

“If I bring it up before council he could lose his knightly status, and honestly I should. Plus he nearly ruined the show,” Edward said angrily. He took a deep breath to calm down and smiled. “By the way I see you’re committed, but I’d be pleased if you’d let me take you and your friends to dinner tonight.”

“I’ll have to talk to them and see what they had planned. And please don’t do anything. It’s okay, I’m used to it,” the brunette sighed sadly.

The knight tsked. “A man would have to be blind or a fool to cause such melancholy in the eyes of so beautiful a flower.”

“Are you sure you’re not really a poet, instead of a knight?” Nicky asked smiling.

Edward grinned back. “That’s much better. A pretty maid should never be allowed to remain unhappy.” He sat back on the banister that ran around the royal box. “Actually a fighter must prove his knowledge of many things before he can become a knight. The gentler arts is only one of them.”

A trumpet sounded from somewhere outside the arena and the white knight stood up. “I’m sorry I must take my leave of you and get ready for the knights’ entrance. Don’t runaway after the show, please.”

“We won’t,” the small man smiled up at him. Edward smiled broadly and bowed before leaping over the edge of the banister and walking towards the far end of the arena.

“Was he hitting on you, Nicky?” Eric asked from behind him, looking as if he wondered if he might have to bruise his knuckles again.

“No, he was being very nice. I think he really just wanted to make up for the other knight’s behavior,” the brunette smiled back at him remembering the knight’s words about his blonde ‘champion’. “He did ask if he could take all of us to dinner tonight.”

“I think that’s up to you, Honey. What do you want to do?” Sally asked.

“I… I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it,” the small man replied softly. Then looked at Eric. “Thank you, for what you did, fighting for my honor.”

The big blonde chuckled. “Like I said he deserved it.”

Two trumpeters walked up in front of the ‘royal box’ and lifted their long horns to their lips. From the end of the arena, where Edward had exited, a line of people in medieval dress entered. Nicky and his friends watched as they came towards the seats where they were.

A robust man in lavish velvet robes and a crown walked at the head of the line with an elegant older woman. They nodded and smiled as they stepped into the box, followed by a young couple wearing circlets. Behind them walked a man in an Archbishop’s robes and hat. Then there was an assortment of Lords and their Ladies. The parade of people finally ended with the royal Magician and a jester, juggling apples and oranges.

The ‘King’, who was sitting in the throne next to Nicky’s bench seat, leaned over and smiled. “You must be the lady that Rob, I’m sorry, Edward and William are so hot under the collar at each other about. I can certainly see why.”

“Hot under the collar?” the brunette asked nervously.

The man grinned. “Oh yeah, we should have quite an interesting match today. He actually rearranged the way the lists are going to be played out so that he can be up against ‘Sir William’. They've been friends since childhood. They almost never fight each other ,unless another 'knight' is sick.”

“Oh,” Nicky murmured. “I don’t want him to hurt his friend.”

“He wouldn’t do that would he?” Sally asked from her seat behind Nicky.

“Well he can’t actually hurt him too much. Unlike a real medieval joust where they used heavy wooden lances with blunt tips, we use bamboo, which is lighter and splinters more spectacularly. And the tips are well padded with heavy foam rubber and duct tape. But he can still ring his bell for him,” the big man chuckled.

The trumpets sounded again, interrupting them. The gates at the end of the arena opened allowing the six knights to enter. The crowd cheered as they road in prompted by the squires who did everything, including dance precariously along the tops of the fence egging them on.

The men on horseback made a circuit of the arena coming to a stop in front of the royal box. They bowed low over the necks of their horses to the king and nobles in salute and the people in the box inclined their heads in acknowledgement.

Nicky saw that Edward, whose upper body was now dressed completely in gleaming armor, had his scarf tied about his helmet so that the ends hung down his back. The man lifted his visor and smiled at him winking again. The brunette blushed and returned the smile. The small man also saw that the purple clad night had found another person to champion. He was wearing a dark blue scarf tied around the armor on his upper right arm.

The riders separated three of them going to one end of the arena and three of them going to the other. Nicky noted that along with the knight in purple, a black liveried knight and a knight in red went to the East End of the field. A blue knight and a knight in green joined Edward in the West End.

A brightly clad herald walked up to the top of the steps and the crowd quieted somewhat waiting to see what he had to say. “My Lords and Ladies, we have a wondrous and most exciting tournament for you today. Prince Edward of Wales has challenged Sir William of Aragon, for the honor of a most beautiful dame, which has been accepted. The challenge match will commence directly after the winner of the tourney is decided among the four remaining knights, Sir Gareth of Eire, Lord Malcolm of Devonshire, Sir John of Elbertshire, and Sir Richard of Stoneleigh. Let the revels commence!”

Nicky turned horrified eyes on the ‘king’. “What will happen if Edward loses?” he whispered desperately, terrified of being outted in front of this huge crowd if the purple knight won.

“Don’t worry My Lady. Edward hasn’t lost a match yet. He’s not the Ruler of the Western Kingdom for nothing,” the man assured him.

“Oh,” he muttered not really reassured. He felt Sally’s hands squeeze his shoulders comfortingly.

The brunette turned his eyes to the West End of the arena. The white knight sat patiently on his horse watching as the first two contestants spurred their horses down the long central fence their lances lowered. There was a resounding thud as the lances struck and the sound of shattering wood. But both knights remained on their horses.

They made the turn at the end passing each other as they returned to their areas for new lances. On the second pass the blue knight, who the king told him was Lord Malcolm, unhorsed Sir Gareth who was dressed in the red livery. And the match ended with Sir Gareth out of the games.

Sir Richard of Stoneleigh in the green livery rode next against Sir John. Sir Richard winning in the end by breaking three lances against the black knight while the other man broke only two.

When the green knight and the blue knight faced off Nicky looked at the king. “Aren’t they on the same team?”

The king smiled. “Though we have done some tournaments where the knights act in teams scoring points. This one is strictly on an individual basis. Though I think that Edward’s knights fight a bit more determinedly today in support of his championship of you, my Lady.”

“Why?” the brunette asked watching as the two knights came together their lances shattering dramatically against each other.

“I think he intends to ask you and your friends to our end of the festival feast. I think they are hoping to curry favor with you in order to secure a dance,” the king grinned as the small man’s eyes widened and he blushed.

“I don’t… I don’t know if I’ll be able to go,” Nicky murmured watching as the two knights again spurred their horses towards each other.

“We would be very pleased if you’d come,” the big man said softly as they watched blue knight knocked from his horse by Sir Richard. “Most of us are not as narrow minded as Sir William suddenly seems to have become.”

He stood as the four knights who had participated in the contest appeared in front of the royal box. “Sir knights, a wondrous entertainment you have given us this day. Sir Richard step forward and claim your prize.” He held out a headdress decorated with ribbons and flowers. “Bestow this upon the lady of your choice that she may be queen for the day.”

The green knight rode forward and accepted the pretty coronet on the tip of his sword and then road slowly towards his own section of the arena. Finally he stopped and called a little girl forward giving her the headdress. The crowd cheered and the little girl beamed with happiness.

The herald returned to the steps and the crowd immediately hushed. The knights returned to their respective ends of the arena and Nicky turned worried eyes to the West End watching as Edward was given his first lance.

“My lords, my ladies. This challenge is for the honor of the beautiful Lady Nicky. Her champion Prince Edward of Wales demands an abject apology from Sir William of Aragon for behavior unbecoming a knight. This challenge begins with the lance and does not end until one knight or the other yields.”

“Oh God,” Nicky whimpered.

He watched unable to tear his eyes away as the two men rode at each other, their lances lowered. He gasped as the long poles struck each knight almost dead center of their chests. He suddenly understood what Edward had meant, when he said that only some of the gaming was choreographed. The other four knights had not hit each other with any- where near the strength or intensity that these two just had. Both men swayed in their saddles as the lances shattered dramatically.

“Remember they can’t actually hurt each other seriously. The lances are padded and they train for being knocked off their horses in armor. They may come away a bit bruised, but that’s all,” the king reassured him taking his hand and massaging it gently.

They didn’t even wait to return to their own ends of the arena as the others had. They excepted new lances from the squires as they reached the end of the long central fence and went at each other again. This time William flew backwards off of his horse as Edward’s lance caught him high on the shoulder, almost on his helmet.

Edward immediately drew his horse to a halt and dismounted, waiting as William got to his feet. Squires ran forward with swords and the two men squared off.

“You said they wouldn’t hurt each other,” the brunette hissed turning to look at the king.

“They won’t, they are only allowed to hit with the flat of the blade. If either of them uses the edge the challenge immediately draws to a close,” the man assured him calmly. “We often use swords in the show. I promise they are both well trained and have probably fought just as hard during SCA tournaments and fighter practices.”

“But I watched last night they didn’t use real swords,” Nicky exclaimed worriedly, watching as the two knights traded blow after blow, feinting and parrying.

The crowd was cheering wildly, but the brunette could only watch horrified at the idea that all of this was over him. He suddenly wished he hadn’t come to the closing weekend at all.

William finally appeared to be tiring, as Edward began to land more and more blows with the flat of his sword. Most of them aimed at the purple knight’s upper body and helmet. A particularly savage upward swing finally knocked William off his feet and Edward laid the flat of his sword against the man’s neck. Words were spoken but the uproar from the crowd drowned them out.

The white knight stepped back handing his sword to a waiting squire then held down his hand to help the other man to his feet. William staggered slightly, but kept his footing as they both made their way to the royal box. Nicky flushed red as the king took his hand and led him down to the foot of the steps where the purple knight stopped and knelt down on one knee. He reached up and removed his helmet and the small brunette shook his head and reached out to wipe away a small trail of blood that seeped from a small cut over the man’s eye where his helmet had been forced back during the fight.

“I’m sorry, I never should have agreed to give you my scarf. I knew what could happen.” He looked at Edward and noted the other man was sporting a few bruises of his own along his jaw line and one cheekbone.

William bowed his head surprised. He’d expected a lot of things at the end of this rather rousing defeat, but an apology from the person he’d been rude to wasn’t one of them. Honestly he’d expected a snide remark or gloating.

He reached out and took Nicky’s hand, kissing it gently. “No, Lady. As has so aptly just been pointed out to me. Though I may still be lacking in the courteous manners necessary for a knight, you are lacking none of the sweet manners of a noble lady. I beg your forgiveness for the hurt and embarrassment that my rudeness caused you. I wasn’t worthy of the token you tried to give me. You had a much nobler champion in King Robert of the Western Kingdom.”

Edward, King Robert, chuckled. “Your loss, my gain, my friend.”

William smiled ruefully. “I’m discovering that quickly.” He stood up and drew Nicky away from the royal box, more towards the center of the arena. “Let it be known that through rightful challenge and truth in victory won by the grace of God and through her own gentle manner. That Lady Nicky is a true and noble lady of this kingdom, deserving of all courtesy and respect due that station. Any who would challenge that must face me and her champion, Edward, Prince of Wales.”

The crowd cheered madly and Edward and William bowed then escorted Nicky back to the royal box. They waited at the steps as the Royal party stepped down and joined the end of the long procession with Sally and Eric. The two knights linking arms with the brunette as they walked out of the arena.

“I would like it if the three of you would join us tonight at the feast we’re having for the end of the festival,” Edward asked. “It starts early enough that if you have plans for going to the play tonight you would still make it on time.”

“Nicky it’s up to you,” Sally told her friend.

“I know I’m not your favorite person, but I would be happy if you would accept the offer,” William stated. He stopped suddenly forcing the others to stop also. He reached over Nicky’s head and snagged the scarf off of Edward’s helmet then tied it around the small man’s throat. “I don’t think I’m up to fighting anymore challenges today. And the scarf looks much better on you than Rob.”

They all laughed as they started walking again. Nicky finally nodded. “All right, I’d like to come and see what you do for a feast. Should we dress up?”

“No,” Edward smiled. “What you and your friends are wearing right now is fine. And thank you, it will be a pleasure to have you sitting by my side tonight. I’m always a bit at a loss as I’m one of the few Kings in the SCA who doesn’t have a queen.”

“By your side!” William exclaimed. “I was going to ask her to dine with me.”

“Excuse me who was the champion and who was the challenged?” Edward inquired looking around Nicky at the other knight.

“Umm guys I hate to break this up, but Nicky is married so it might be better if she sits with Sally and me.” Eric stated from behind them.

“I saw her first and it’s only for dinner,” William replied giving Eric a look that said he never had anything else on his mind.

“Hey remember the your loss, my gain?” Edward argued.

Nicky slipped out from between them and moved to walk with Sally, while the three men argued about who got to have his company for dinner. He couldn’t help the grin that curved his lips. For an afternoon that had started out badly it looked like his last day at the festival was going to be one of his best. He just wondered how he would be able to tell Jason about it.

End Building Blocks

***SCA stands for Society for Creative Anachronism.

I have taken a few liberties in this story. <shrug> That’s why they call it fiction. <gg> According to my brother a knight cannot be removed for falling down in the chivalry category but then if I’d made the rulebook they would have. LOL Also I know there are one or two groups that practice jousting but it is very limited. Also all the characters are fictional, I’m not actually sure who the ‘King’ of the Western Kingdom is this year.

People in the SCA relive the Middle Ages. They hold tournaments, feasts, and even wars between kingdoms. This is a worldwide phenomenon the Kingdom of the West includes not only Northern California but also as far away as Japan is included in that also. It used to also include Australia but that Principality recently became it’s own Kingdom.

Along with fighting they also learn heraldry, art, costume making, medieval cooking and a goodly number of other things. As Edward told Nicky even in the SCA, though anyone can be a Lord or Lady if that is the persona they wish to take on. To be a Knight takes a lot more.

The King of each kingdom is chosen on a yearly basis through tournament elimination. So Edward or Robert as king of the Western Kingdom won the title by being the best fighter of that kingdom. The king then chooses a lady to be the queen. Not always his real life wife or girlfriend if they happen to not be a part of the SCA. I think you can all guess why Edward had no queen, though I think if Nicky had been a member of the SCA and Jason would have allowed it, he would have made Nicky his queen.

If you would like to learn more about the SCA or find a group in your area go to http://www.sca.org or SCA .