Welcome back to Sweet Saturday Sample!  All excerpts here are rated PG-13 or milder.

Here’s another sample from my medieval WIP, Time Enough to Love:  Book 1 ~ Betrothal. My editor is working hard on it, so I’m hoping for a release date sometime this spring.

Disclaimer:  This work is still going through the editing process, so please forgive any flaws.  

This series is set in England and France in 1348.  Part 1, Betrothal, takes place at the court of King Edward III.

This excerpt comes just after last Sunday’s 8 sentences (If you’d like to read them, they are here.)  Alyse is discussing her possible choices for the Round Table knights and ladies she and Geoffrey might play in the coming procession.

“What about Sir Tristan?” Lady Anne ventured another opinion. “Quite a bold knight. And Lady Isolde was beautiful.”

“But what a scandalous relationship, Anne!” Alyse’s indignant voice drew smiles from the other ladies. “Isolde was married to King Mark.”

“But Tristan married an Isolde too. You could be her. Of course they did not have a very happy marriage, but they were married.” Anne’s snide tone echoed her sour face, her mouth puckered in disdain.

Without a doubt her chambermate once again waxed jealous and was trying to bait her. Well, she had become used to ignoring the girl by now. “I had actually thought about Sir Erec and Lady Enid,” she ventured instead, looking to the Princess for her approval.

Joanna nodded, then frowned and asked, “Why Sir Erec, Alyse? He is one of the minor knights, is he not?”

“Oh no, Your Highness. Sir Erec is second only to Sir Gawain as the best knight at the Round Table. And he falls in love with Enid, marries her and spends so much time with her the other knights say she has bewitched him and his prowess has waned. So they go on an adventure together and he proves to her that his prowess is as great as ever.”

“Well, Alyse, I can certainly see why you would choose that couple. Trying to make your marriage fit the legend?” Anne sniggered, earning a stern glance from the princess.

“Lady Anne,” Princess Joanna admonished the girl, “you should look to Alyse as a model of behavior in this matter for she is thinking how to put Sir Geoffrey into the best possible position before the king and the court.” Joanna nodded approvingly at her. “I certainly commend your choice, Alyse. I believe Sir Geoffrey will be pleased with it as well. He obviously trusted you greatly to give you this important task, and I think his judgment sound in doing so. Your choice will confirm that you will be a good helpmeet to him.”

“I thank Your Highness for your most kind words.” Her face heated again at the fulsome praise. “I pray that Sir Geoffrey agrees with you.”

I hope you enjoyed this latest sample from  Betrothal.   And be sure to click here to visit more Sweet Samples.