Sir Gregory rubs his chin in thought.
"You want your maid to learn the art of battle?" he asks, no longer looking at me with that accomodating expression people have for children. The sudden fierceness behind his eyes frightens me, but it feels familiar as if I've seen it recently. My mind flashes to the disastrous Ladies' Court and I wonder if I might have seen his mother or sister there without knowing it.
Emma, who was dilly-dallying behind us and kicking at the grass hears his statement and looks up at me with big eyes, just as eager to hear my answer.
"Well, yes," I reply with a false braveness I don't feel, "I do want her to be skilled at the sword. And not just to protect me. But because this is something Emma wants to do. She is quick on her feet and rather smart. Emma also has a good heart, just like the heroes in the stories I like reading. Although she isn't noble, I think she more than qualifies to become a knight-in-training."
