Gwynnever - Queen of Camelot

Chapter 4

She was awake before Percival and already out of the room when he finally raised, panicking because she was nowhere to be found.

He was cold sweating when she burst into the room, her mouth full what looked like a scone still hot, holding a basket full of them, the smell was amazing. Percival was shocked as he stared at her perfectly postured in the armor.

"I went to introduce myself to the cook. She gave me those and thanked me for I don't even know what." She explains as Percy still looked at her. "Did I wake you?"

"No-o." he couldn't believe his eyes. Did she told he cook she was a woman? How did she manage to? Alis was a very strict servant, she didn't give anything for free. She never gave any of the knights anything...

"How... when..."

"Here, eat. You'll feel smart again." She smiled. Percival noticed that she felt more at ease acting like a boy instead of being a lady. She was born to be a soldier or at least she was trained to be like that. He could tell by the way she eyed the weapon on the side of the room or the possible exists at all time while sitting on his bed. He pulled his legs back all of a sudden and she didn't even notice while eating her scone.

"Those are so good."

"You can bet they are. But how did you manage to convince Alice?"

"I didn't. I went to ask for something to drink and she took one look at me, complained that I was too underfed and skinny and gave me a whole basket to take with me. She even accused me that I will never honor Camelot if I keep being this skinny and bones."

That explained why none of them ever got anything out of the old lady. They were all well-fed and compared to them, Gwen would look so small she probably felt the need to protect her. Like her son, who died serving the kingdom, he was as small as Gwen, Percy recalled. Brave boy, he was.

"You remembered her of the son she lost." Percival explained and Gwen stopped eating. "That is why she gave you that." He pointed to the treasure in her hands. "Alis never gives away the food she prepares unless it's the king that visits."

"Oh." Was all she said. "Shall I return it?"

Percival shook his head and grabbed couple of the scones. "Now we go into the king's room and wave them in Gawain's face."

So, they did. Arthur was getting dressed when he caught the smell of freshly baked goods and emerged from the screen. "What is it? Which one of you stole from Alis, this time?" he demands to know and found a little Gwynnever holding a basket half empty of treats.

"Gwynnever!" he reprimanded her as he came closer, his chest naked. "What did you do?"

"Alis gifted those to her." Said Percy in defense of the lady. "I asked."

Arthur knew why the moment he looked at Gwen in the middle of his towering soldiers. She looked so small and defenseless. Alis didn't know she was deadlier than all of them combines. She couldn't.

"In that case." He reached for one of the treats and thanked the woman who smiled widely, making him choke on the first bite.

"Sire!" said Lancelot bursting into the door without knocking. "There has been report of activities on the south of Camelot.

"I'll be right out."

Arthur chose a black horse for the princess; it wasn't too tall but was good and well-natured. It wouldn't try to unhorse her. And he could tell that she liked animals more than she liked people because as soon as Arthur presented her with the horse, she reached out and touch his snout pressing her forehead to this. The horse simply snorted and nibble at her shoulder before let her slide on him.