Today Castelloza, my older sister, met the man she will marry. Mother and Father chose her husband as soon as Castelloza was born! And now Castelloza is fourteen, old enough to get married.
All day, while waiting for the meeting to take place, I wondered: How could Mother and Father tell—just from looking at a baby boy—that he would make a good husband? How did they know he would be handsome, strong, smart, rich, from a fine family, and have a large castle? I could hardly wait to meet Philippe and see for myself.
To pass the time until the great feast, I sat and listened to songs. Then I watched our knights play battle games, running at each other with huge swords. (Thank goodness they remembered to wear their metal masks!) When I tired of that, I worked on my tapestry—I do love sewing.
Finally, it was time for me to go down the spiral staircase to the Great Hall, where the feast was starting. Walking down the steps, I suddenly knew why my new embroidered shoes are called slippers: they are slippery !
At the feast, the troubadours (they're actors who entertain us), sang songs about love and battles. An acrobat dressed in orange tights balanced his whole body on his partner's head. A tall, elegant lady troubadour played the lute. It sounded more delicate than a guitar. She had shimmery gold ribbons in her hair—and on her lute. Now I want to be a troubadour. But first, I must learn to sing.
Finally, Philippe arrived! How handsome he was—chestnut hair, just like my favorite horse. I will feel sad in springtime when Castelloza leaves home to be with him. How I'll miss her! But how much adventure it will be to visit her new castle!
