This is just a pilot episode. The story will not continue without the support of reviewers! Enjoy!

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Rose was bored with needlework. It seemed to her that she had been doing the same stitch forever. The embroidery never got any more finished. It would be so much easier just to put it aside and go to sleep.

'My lady!' Antonia said, for the fifth time. Rose looked round with a start at her lady-in-waiting, blinking stupidly, not very ladylike at all. 'My lady, you were sleeping,' Antonia informed her.

'Was I? I was doing needlework,' Rose mused.

'Not for the last five minutes, my lady,' Antonia replied in her faint French accent. She was the daughter of Roland and Christiana, just as Rose was the daughter of William and Jocelyn.

'Oh, great,' Rose grumbled,' Now I can't even sleep without dreaming of sewing. Whatever happened to the good old days, when I used to ride around the countryside and play swords with my brother?' Antonia knew it was best not to reply. 'Sometimes I wish I could just escape this place, and go off jousting like Father.'

They had often had this conversation, and as usual, Antonia was the one to point out all the problems –for starters, Rose just happened to be a girl.

'I know, Antonia! I have been a girl for most of my life, you know. But wasn't Father a peasant before he became a knight? I could do the same thing, within reason.'

'But what about being recognised? People would be able to recognise you,' Antonia countered, 'it's not like when Sir William masqueraded as a knight; nobody knew who he was. You're famous, and you go to tournaments all the time.'

'Yes, but not as a man. As a lady to be paraded in front of possible future husbands. I hate it Antonia.'

'I know, Rose, I know.'

Rose smiled at her handmaiden. She was only a few years older than her, and Rose thought her more of a big sister than a servant. She got on well with all the children of that original band, and the original band themselves.

'Would you follow me if I decided to do this?' she asked. She would never do it if Antonia wouldn't come with her.

'Always, Rose,' Antonia grinned. 'But it doesn't mean I won't try and talk you out of it.'

With her mind set, Rose wandered the corridors, looking for those who could help her. She found Jeff in his office, looking over papers. He looked up as she came in.

'Ah, Rose, how are you?' he asked. When the pleasantries were over, she got straight down to telling him her plan. When she was finished, Jeff was looking at her strangely.

'You are mad,' he informed her, 'Just like your father. He'd never let you do this, you know.'

'Who says I'll tell him?' Rose retorted. 'You won't will you?'Jeff looked uncertain. 'Oh, Jeff come with me. You could be my herald, and you know a lot more about it than I do. And I'll need a patent of nobility.'

'You've really thought this through, haven't you?' Jeff was impressed despite himself. 'But the answer is still no. I will be recognised, and I'm far too old to go gallivanting off in the French countryside.' Rose giggled at the use of the word 'gallivanting', but did not like the answer. Being the daughter of a knight meant she was used to getting her own way.

'What about Joe?' she suggested.

Jeff sighed, looking cross. 'You know Joe would follow you anywhere, Rose, but I forbid you to ask him. And I really should tell William.'

'Fine, I won't ask Joe to come, although I would like to keep this in the family,' Rose promised, thinking to herself that she couldn't ask him, but could mention it to the young Chaucer in passing. 'But please don't tell father. In fact, I forbid you to tell him – or Mother, or my brother, or anyone who will tell my parents or my brother. Actually, I forbid you to tell anyone.' Satisfied that even Jeff, who was as sly as anyone she knew, couldn't find a loophole in that order, she marched out.

Still determined, she made her way to the stableyard, where Roland and Greg were doling out straw into a large wheelbarrow. Rose was careful to lift her skirts above the horse dung that had not yet been swept from the yard. She went and patted her mare as she waited for the two grooms to notice her. Roland spotted her first.

'Lady Rose,' he said cheerfully, 'How long have you been standing there.

'Oh, not long,' she replied. 'I was just wondering something.'

'What?' asked Greg, Wat's son. She had a look in her eye that made him instantly suspicious.

'I was just wondering if you two would like to be my squires,' she said calmly, liking their stunned reaction. Greg fell off the straw pile.

'What would you need with squires?' Roland asked.

'For when I become a knight,' Rose replied. 'I'll need squires.'

'Are you mad? You're a girl!' Roland cried. 'My lady,' he amended when he saw Rose's unladylike scowl.

'So? Girls can be just as good as boys,' she retorted. 'Anyway, it's just a hypothetical suggestion, in case I ever felt like going.' Greg seemed to be considering it, but Roland was flatly shaking his head. 'Oh, come on, Roland!' Rose pleaded, 'Antonia's going with me, and so is Joe. It'll be like old times. The open road, adventure, a chance to live up to our father's names!' Greg was nodding now.

'Antonia's going?' Roland asked. He didn't like the sound of his sister going out into the wide world with only Rose for company, and vice versa. Rose was too good at manipulation people, he decided. She had to get it from William. He reluctantly caved, and Greg followed, because he and Roland couldn't be separated. Rose smiled, and made them swear not to tell anybody. Then she went off to find Kevin, the blacksmith's apprentice. He was about five years older than Rose, but very loyal. He would be perfect.

Really, this was only a half-formed idea in her mind, and Rose wouldn't have actually run away if it hadn't been for a startling and unexpected incident that happened that very afternoon.

Jocelyn had just been to her daughter's chambers to tell Rose the good news, only to have Antonia tell her that her daughter was out roaming the grounds. Years of political intrigue had told Jocelyn that the girl had been hiding something, but she had been too excited to interrogate further.

She caught up with Rose in the corridor. She was talking secretively with Joe Chaucer, glancing about every now and then as if she didn’t want anybody to see them together. This had two meanings to Jocelyn, and neither was very promising. Either Rose and Joe were secret lovers, or Rose was hatching yet another of her hair-brained schemes. Jocelyn hoped it was the first, although that would be scandalous.

'Rose, I've been looking everywhere for you!' she cried when Joe walked away looking slightly confused. Rose cringed. 'Don't worry, you aren't in trouble this time,' Jocelyn laughed. 'Your father has done you a marvellous favour.'

'What is it?' Rose asked eagerly.

'You know that young lord who you always used to play with?'

'Yes,' Rose answered, cautious now. There was only one way this could be going.

'Well, he has made you an offer of marriage,' Jocelyn said, as though it would make her daughter happy.

'Not to my face he hasn't,' Rose retorted.

'Of course, he went through the proper channels, and asked your father for permission. But He will see you some time tomorrow I think, and then he will ask you. And you should say yes.'

'Why?'

'Didn't you always like him?' Jocelyn asked, worried now. Rose had always been strong-willed and stubborn, a dangerous combination of both her parents. Most of the time she was proud of her daughter, but sometimes she could be vexing.

'It doesn't mean I want to marry him!' Rose cried. 'He always treats me like an inferior, because of where Father came from. Sometimes I want to hit him for it.' Yes, Jocelyn thought, a very dangerous mix. She tried to console her daughter, but Rose pulled away, now thinking of her backup plan.

Gradually, word was passed around for a meeting in the barn. Everyone turned up, seated on hay-bales. Rose and Antonia were dressed in black so they wouldn't be noticed, but the others came dressed in their normal clothes; nobody noticed servants.

In hushed tones Rose told them all what had happened, and that now they were definitely going. Yet again the problem of being recognised came up.

'Who will recognise me? If I run away, my father will be looking for a girl, and so will anybody else. After all, the best place to hide something is in plain sight. I'll cut my hair, get a fringe and a fake moustache. Nobody will know.'

'What about your voice?' Roland pointed out. 'People will notice that you don't sound exactly male.'

'I'll growl,' she said. 'And only speak when I have to.' There was silence round the little circle, until Joe spoke.

'I suppose we have everything else we need,' he said. 'Kevin can make the armour and shoe the horse, you have squires, and I assume I'm the herald?'

Rose smiled at him. 'Can you write a patent of nobility for me?'

'Of course,' he replied.

'What's your name?' Roland asked suddenly.

'I don't know, err, Roy du Mer? How's that? I could come from the south of France. I speak fluently,' Rose mused, getting carried away. Roland still didn't think this was a good idea, but everyone else was caught in the tide.

'I suppose there's no changing your mind?' he hoped aloud.

'I already tried several times,' Antonia replied. 'It's no good. She's like her father.'

'So that's settled, then,' Rose declared. I think we should leave tomorrow night. I'll take father's horse. Antonia, you must ride my mare. The rest of you must take a horse too, my father can't miss them that much.'

The next night, Rose dressed in her brother's clothes, slipped a dagger into her belt and stole into the stable. Her mare whinnied in greeting, and after a swift pat, went over to where Sir William's warhorse, Barney, stood ready to go. Everyone else was mounted, apart from Roland, who held the stirrup for her. No riding side-saddle from now on.

'Let's go,' she whispered, gently squeezing Barney into a trot. They moved out of the yard, the horses' hooves muffled by strips of cloth, and into the night, only glancing back at the Thatcher estate to make sure they weren't being followed.

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So that's the pilot chapter of this little adventure. If you liked it and want to read more, please review so I won't think it's a waste of time!

Thanks for reading!

Shadowxwolf