A Week with a Prince

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

"Good afternoon, my lords. We mean you no harm," the man standing closest to them said with a deep bow, "we are only collecting the toll for crossing the borders of our county and the passage of this ancient road."

"There are no tolls approved by the king in this land; you have no right to ask anything of us. You are breaking the laws!" Prince Arthur called, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

His gesture called for similar moves within the group of the men on foot now fanning out in front of the four riders in a semicircle, blocking the road.

"Approved by the king or not, the toll is valid here. So, unless you want to turn back, you'll have to pay, my lord," the man insisted, calm and polite.

Looking at the dark-clad figures who started closing on them when even Garreth and Lancelot reached for their swords instead of backing away, Ginny realised that she wasn't carrying any of her arms today; Garreth had attached them to the saddle of their spare horse. But she didn't plan to use them.

She snatched the reins of her horse from Lancelot's hand and rode up to Garreth, remembering that, like her cousin, she was supposed to act as a guard of the royal guest. As she approached the semicircle of men, the princess noticed how threadbare their cloaks and shoes were. It seemed that these people really needed the money they were asking for.

"Where are we?" she asked them, drawing everybody's attention to herself. "You said that we have just crossed a border..."

The man who seemed to be the leader of the group turned to her and walked within reach, bowing again. He raised his hands in the air, indicating that he was not armed and meant no harm, when Lancelot appeared at Ginny's side, a half-drawn sword in his hand.

She put her hand on the knight's and looked in his eyes pleadingly, begging him to put the sword back. He obeyed reluctantly, sighing in disapproval even as the man replied, "Welcome to Wiltshire."

Ginny nodded, trying to recall what she once heard about this county from some of Aunt Ealasaid's guests. Garreth was quicker.

"Your duke died in the spring, leaving no heir..."

"Yes, my lord," the man replied, looking at Garreth. "And most of our lords, his followers, are still fighting among themselves for ascendancy."

"And in the meantime... they fail to notice how hard life has become for their people..." Ginny mused in a half-whisper.

Lancelot's hand left the hilt of his sword and came to rest, quite unconsciously, on Ginny's hands, which were closed tightly around the reins of her horse.

Another dark figure separated itself from the group, smaller than the others, and stood next to the man. "You are as much of a man as myself, my lady," the woman said, curtsying to Ginny. Pushing her hood back, she revealed a long blonde braid falling over her left shoulder.

Ginny giggled and jumped off the horse before Lancelot could stop her. She approached the woman, the pouch full of money she had won from the prince in cards in her hand.

"Here you are. I'm sure you... and your family?" she said, looking from one hooded figure to another, "need this money more than I do."

"Thank you, my lady." The woman curtseyed again as she accepted the money, then added, "This is my husband and our sons. But now we insist that you come to the village with us and be our guests for the night."

"Village, you say?" Ginny heard the prince ask. She turned back towards her companions, finding Garreth looking quite pale, and Sir Lancelot even paler. They had both dismounted and stood not far behind her protectively, with the prince only a few paces further away.

Just what is their problem? These people are not dangerous, they are just poor... Why do men see enemies everywhere? she mused.

The woman replied, "Yes, my lord, the village of Saintsbury. Thanks to the toll we collect and share, it is more prosperous than the rest of the county, and we have an inn..."

"That's settled then. We accept your invitation, and of course, we will pay well for your services," Prince Arthur announced, his regal voice leaving no space for argument.

Ginny smiled at the woman, and while she and her family turned and led the way down the road at a brisk walk, the princess walked back to her horse.

"Don't. Do this. Ever. Again. Please." Lancelot said seriously when she approached him. "They could have been dangerous."

"But..." she protested, frowning. Was he... worried about her? Did he... care to keep her safe...?

"Sir Lancelot is right," Garreth agreed as he mounted his horse again, making Ginny's frown deepen. They were exaggerating. "I think this was one of the silliest, most dangerous things you have ever..."

"Stop it, Garreth!" she whisper-shouted at her cousin, her eyes flicking between him and the now grinning Sir Lancelot. The last thing she wanted was these two talking about her.

"It seems that your cousin might have quite a few interesting stories to tell, Lady Gwendolyn." Lancelot said, his lips twitching with a barely contained laughter, even as Garreth's eyebrows raised slightly at hearing the name.

Prince Arthur interrupted them then, as he passed by, in his pursuit of the group headed towards the promised village. He laughed heartily at seeing Lancelot lift Ginny into the saddle as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"It is an honour to meet you, my lady," the prince told her with a slight bow, before he looked at his knight, adding cryptically in a half-whisper only intended for Lancelot's ears, "And so the ward became the guardian..."

"Just... Don't say anything," Lancelot warned, finally mounting his horse too. But his friend did not hear him, he was far ahead of them by then, followed by Garreth.

Ginny settled in the saddle as comfortably as she could. She let her horse be guided by Lancelot's steed and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and offering her face to the pleasant caress of the sunshine.

So her secret was unveiled, they all knew she was a girl... It was... liberating.

She looked at Lancelot as she took her silly hat off; there was no point in wearing it now. He smiled at her, shaking his head, and she giggled happily. It was such a good day. The only thing that could make it even better was shedding the heavy, shapeless, men's clothes and wearing a dress... But that would be asking too much.

"What are you thinking about, Lady Gwendolyn?" Lancelot asked as they trailed slowly behind the group.

The long, yellowed grass covering the meadows swayed like a sea in the cool breeze hinting at the approaching autumn, whistling, whispering, and they could already see the first houses of the village huddled close to each other, like the two of them, in the distance.

Ginny shook her head and met his eyes, "I wasn't thinking, really. I was just... feeling happy." She couldn't explain it to him, but this was one of those simple but unique, unrepeatable moments she would remember forever.

The knight kept looking at her long after she looked away, her cheeks burning from the sun. Or was she blushing? Was he making her feel... shy? The thought made his heart stumble-- was she intrigued by him the same way he was intrigued by her?

This was... great. And it was so... wrong at the same time. It was too late... or was it?

He would see his father in a few days. Would he listen to his son's plea to break the engagement? The knight took a deep breath as he ran his hand through his black hair. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"Hurry up, you two!" The Prince's voice reached them just then, followed by a not very pleased look in their direction.

Ginny sighed; she wondered if this man she would marry in a few weeks' time could somehow perceive what she was beginning to feel for his knight and friend...

She looked up when Lancelot's hand rested on the small of her back as he urged her to catch up with the group, making her feel that tiny touch reverberating through her entire body.

How could he make her feel that way?