Excerpt: The King's Knight

Young William Atlee and his father were greeted by two of Sir Alan's grooms, who took their weary horses by the reins and led them off to the stables. William turned as he caught site of a knight and his warhorse hammering across the field. The sun shimmered off the knight’s helm as beams of sunlight bouncing of rippling water. At its indomitable speed a dark cloud of dust rose beneath the horse's feet as it scattered the earth below him. The stallion’s boundless strides covered enormous amounts of ground and rapidly approached the area near where he and his father stood. The rider lunged forward, leveled his lance, his warhorse redoubling its speed, and they barreled, steadfast toward their target. William marveled at the spectacle, his jaw gaping wide as the rider pushed his stallion full speed toward the quintain and with graceful and meticulous accuracy the knight pierced the center of the metal ring. Thunderous cheers of support and applause erupted from the throngs of pages, squires, and fellow knights; all of whom observed the display of such notable talent from the sidelines.
"That's tilting, me boy," Richard said, slapping William hard on his back.