Jamie Pacton - The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly

JAMIE PACTON

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

Copyright 2020 Jamie Pacton

First published in 2020 by

Page Street Publishing Co.

27 Congress Street, Suite 105

Salem, MA 01970

www.pagestreetpublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

eISBN 978-1-62414-953-5

Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension. 5442, or by e-mail at .

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948964

Cover and book design by Rosie Stewart for Page Street Publishing Co.

Cover illustration of Kit & Jett by Mina Price

F OR A DAM ,

who walks with me through worlds imagined and real.

T HE R ED K NIGHT ONLY FIGHTS ON W EDNESDAYS , F RIDAYS , and Saturdays. Much to the everlasting chagrin of my boss, King Richard the Bold, aka Len Schwartz.

Tonights Friday, and the Red Knight, my older brother, Chris, is running late. Again.

Please, please, please let me fight. I pace across Lens tiny office, my skirts swishing. I know all the moves, and Ive been practicing. For years!

Youre a Serving Wench! snaps Len, not looking up from theI shit you notgolden chalice he insists on drinking coffee from. Weve talked about this before. You serve the guests. Let the real actors take care of the story.

Serving Wench is my official job title, not just some sexist slur Lens throwing out. Well, it is sexist. But also correct in a history-is-painful-to-the-modern-feminist kind of way. When I applied, I had to list on the application what experiences I had that qualified me to Wench.

Sigh.

Len shuffles through a pile of papersschedules, bills, a stack of flyers from the Castle Corporate group festooned with Gothic script and lots of exclamation pointsthen shoves the flyers in my direction. Hand these out to the other Wenches, will you? Corporate wants all of us thinking about how to get more butts into seats for the shows.

Snatching the flyers from him, I bang my hand on Lens desk and lean in close. I even drop into my best medieval English accent. But Im a real actor too! Ive done drama for years. I go to forensic tournaments

Yes, yes, Len says, and sighs. Ive seen your rsum every week since you started working here freshman year. You were in The Crucible and The Secret Garden.

At the university, I snap.

Whatever, says Len. Youre not fighting as the Red Knight. Women werent knights in the Middle Ages. They didnt save the day then

Wrong! What about Joan of Arc? Matilda of Canossa? Khawlah bint al-Azwar? Brienne of Tarth? Or even Arya Stark? She killed the Night King, in case youve forgotten.

Len takes another swig of coffee. Some of it runs down his chin and disappears into the hipster-musician beard that hangs past his collarbones. Gross.

What about company policy, Kit?

Its the twenty-first century, Len.

Not in here it isnt. And you know the Castle has a very strict hierarchy. Squires become Knights. Youre not trained as a Squire

Because you wont let me!

Irrelevant. Plus, Brienne and Arya are fictional.

I inhale sharply, counting to ten in my head as I search for patience. Getting angry at a guy like Len only makes him think hes won an argument. Of course I know Brienne and Arya are fictional. And Len knows I know because Im the one who got him hooked on Game of Thrones in the first place. But even with the GoT ladies being made up, the other women were real. And badasses. They wouldve laughed if a guy like Len tried to stop them from fighting.

Dont you think, I say through clenched teeth, we should take every chance to show people what the Middle Ages were really like?

This is a favorite soapbox of mine. History books have gotten the Middle Ages wrong for so long. And white supremacist groups have run with it. Theyve gleefully painted the Middle Ages as this world where everybody sticks to gender roles, white men in the West are heroes, and everyone else are bad guys to be conquered, subjugated, or killed. All in the name of God and country of course.

Ridiculous. Dangerous. And totally unnecessary at a place like the Castle.

Len rubs the space between his overgrown eyebrows, really digging his fingers into his skull. As if he could somehow make me disappear if he massages hard enough.

Kit, he says in a weary voice. While I appreciate your efforts, this place is a fantasy. Its more theme park than history lesson. Weve got male Knights! A Princess! Serving Wenches! Horses! Turkey legs! Everybody has a job, and certain jobs are not open to everybody.

Thats unfair. And probably illegal. I cross my arms.

Len shrugs. Thats life, kiddo. Take it up with corporate when they visit next month if youre so worried about it.

Maybe I will. When are they coming?

Len narrows his eyes at me. His voice takes on an edge. Dont. Even. Think. About. It. I mean it, Kit. Theyre already gunning for reasons to close this branch. The last thing I need is for you to give them more ammunition.

I hold his gaze. As I do, a plan begins to form in the corners of my mind. I brandish the flyers at him. What if I can fill seats?

He snorts. Good luck with that. Theyre looking for easy solutions like coupon nights or senior brunch Wednesdays. If you want to keep your job, youll keep your head down, work your shifts, and let it go.

I cant believe youre being such a jerk.

Len stands up and adjusts the blue velvet cloak around his shoulders. Under the arenas torches, it almost looks regal, but here under the fluorescents, I can see all the places where the velvet has worn thin. Company policy also requires us to buy our own costumes, and even the King cant afford to replace his cloak more than once a year.

If you werent my niece, Id fire you for talking to me like that. Now get back on the floor. Youve got Eddy Jackson and his buddies in your section tonight. And the shows starting soon.

Eddy Jackson is a former NFL player who loves the Castle with an inexplicable passion. Hes here at least once a month, and he always brings his kids or a bunch of his buddies (usually more former pro athletes). Having Eddy in my section means good tips, but that still doesnt mean Im ready to give up the idea of knighthood.

Almost as if Len planned it, three loud trumpet bursts ring out from the speaker above our heads. Thats our cue to get into places because the show starts in twenty minutes.

Were not done with this, I say, shooting my uncle a look. Im gonna come up with a plan you cant veto.