Gwynnever - Queen of Camelot

Chapter 16

"I just do this?" said Emilia fending the air with her wooden sword.

"No, no, no." repeated Gwen. She was a patience teacher and girls were loving the way she taught them, with care and calm while their mother stood on a chair embroidering without looking at them, just listening.

"You need to look at my feet, Emilia. Look at how they move. Keep them in your vision at all times but do not stare only at them. It's the body that will speak for them, it always betrays them."

"But you, you are too fast! I can't read you!" Gwen smiled understandingly. She was indeed fast, she recognized but she was already doing the best she could to be as slow as possible to show them.

"I'm sorry." She apologized and proceeded to grab the bow. "Let's move to archery. Maybe it'll be easier."

"It is not your fault Gwen. My daughters never touched a sword in their life. It'll be hard as I told you, to train them this old." She had a point but it wasn't impossible. It just needed a little dedication from her and encouragement.

Gwen notched the arrow and with one elegant movement aimed and shot to one the bottles she previously fixed on different highs, breaking it.

Amelia tried twice and eventually managed to knock one out. Emilia was better with the blades, she figured.

"Very good Amelia!" she clapped couple times and then asked her to try again until she was perfect at it.

She heard it before she saw it. Horses coming their way and she raised her head just when two Guards stopped near their gate and announced. "The king of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon." And there he was, dismounting with one swift jump off the horse, and making his way toward the house.

The girls and the mother curtsied the king but Gwen couldn't move.

"My ladies." Charmingly saluted Arthur as he tilted his head slightly. She didn't recall him being this breathtaking. "Gwynnever." His clear blue eyes flung toward hers as she stopped moving.

"Sire, can we offer you anything? Would you like to have a cup of tea in our humble home? We can't offer much."

Arthur was afraid they'll be offended if he refused so didn't dare and just signal them to precede him.

As the mother hurried the two women inside, Arthur took that brief window to get closer to Gwen and whisper to her ear: "You look lovely as ever Gwynnever." She blushed and moved toward the house not answering his tempting voice.

Arthur sat on one of the chairs near the small fire and Gwen heard the woman call for her.

"Here." She gave her the kettle and the cups. "Show me what you learned." The many years of training, the challenges, even the many deaths she managed to take during her whole life were of no use in that moment. Her mind was blank and her hands cold as ice. She deadliest woman on this earth, probably, was not able to serve a simple tea to a man. God help us, thought Gawain's mother as she stumbled almost spilling.

She successfully reached the table and move to the Arthur side to set the cup and fill it with the warm tea. Arthur was staring intently, making the simple task terrible difficult for her.

"Would you like to try one of our sweets, sire? We made them just today!" offered Emilia and then, with a wicked smile right when Arthur was about to politely refuse, she added. "Gwynnever made them, they must be very flavorful."

Gwen shot a deadly glare to Emilia who was almost chocking in the attempt of not letting a laughter escape her lips. She had made those and as a thank you, she was to help them learn how to fight. It was a mutual agreement. Those cookies weren't made to be tasted, she was sure they were bad, she felt it in her bones she had missed something but couldn't know what.