A Week with a Prince

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝕺𝖓𝖊

"Your father is not at home, my lady. Have you not heard about the Saxons? The army gathering in Celidon Wood? His Majesty left two days ago to join King Uther's men."

Ginny sighed, angry with herself. Of course, her father would have left already. And what was she to do now?! She should have asked about her father the moment she reached the castle and then insisted that Garreth take her with him... If only there was a way to escape Arwen's supervision, Ginny could ride to Warwick alone and find Garreth still there if she left now... If she waited too long, he would vanish into his magical fog, and she would never catch up with him... But there was no way to conjure a proper plan with Arwen's constant prattling disturbing her thoughts.

"...the wedding. There are so many things to do still, and so little time left!"

"What? How can you think about the wedding with the Saxons..." Ginny started to protest, but Arwen did not let her speak.

"Your father is sure that this will be just a quick battle; he told us to continue with the preparations. The invitations have been sent, spices, wine, and fabrics for your new gowns ordered from Londinium... isn't that exciting?" the old woman gushed as she made Ginny sit at a small round table by the window to wait for her dinner.

It is awful, actually, Ginny mused, running her fingers lightly along the edge of her table. "I wonder how big would have to be a round table to accommodate all the wedding guests..." she muttered, the corners of her lips lifting into a smile at the memory of the night she had spent by the Temple of the Sun, with her knight.

The thought paused Arwen's chattering for a couple of seconds before she shook her head, declared it a very silly idea and took a deep breath to continue her monologue, even as someone knocked on the door, and she hurried off to open it. 

"Lord Myrddin is here to see you, my lady," Arwen spoke from the door, opening it wide to allow a maid carrying Ginny's meal to walk inside.

"Please let him in!" the princess called excitedly.  Myrddin would surely be able to tell her something about the Sword, advise her how to avoid the wedding... "You can leave, Arwen," she added, dismissing the nurse and the maid, "I need to talk to Lord Myrddin, I won't need you now."

The two women courtseyed and left the chamber silently, even as Myrddin approached Ginny's table by the window.

"Princess Guinevere," he said, bowing politely before he sat on a stool at her table, which she had pointed out to him.

He looks ancient, Ginny thought, observing his incredibly long silver beard, a shade or two lighter than his hair... Just how old and wise is this man?

However, her awed musings and admiration took a less serious turn fast.

"Did you have a good... flight, my lord?" she asked, giggling, her eyes glued to a blue-gray feather she spotted on the sleeve of his long robe, which was nearly the same colour as the plumage of the peregrine falcon that had followed them around the countryside.

He grinned at her as he brushed the feather off nonchalantly; she was a clever girl. Then, he forced himself to sound serious as he spoke to her.

"Finally, you are here, child. Your father is at the war council in King Uther's castle; most likely, they are all marching to Celidon Wood right now..."

"But I need to talk to him, my lord, I have something urgent to discuss with him," Ginny said, picking at her food. She poured out a cup of wine and passed it to the old man who accepted it gladly.

"I'm sure it can wait until he comes home for the wedding," Myrddin muttered, sipping at his wine.

"No, it won't! There will be no wedding, I'm not marrying Prince Arthur, never!" Ginny called, making the wizard nearly drop his cup. He did not expect that.

Myrddin looked at the girl sitting at his side, puzzled. What had they done now? He saw Arthur kiss her just yesterday morning, and she seemed to be more than happy about it; had they quarrelled since?

"I'm sure that... whatever happened, you will make up..." he started tentatively, but she did not listen.

"No! I don't want to marry Arthur, and I don't have to. I have the Sword," she said, watching his confused expression turn to surprise, shock, then incredulity questioning her sanity.

Sighing, Ginny stood up and crossed the chamber to her bed, where she kept the Sword hidden under the covers.

The old wizard watched her take a sword out of a dark blue blanket adorned with gold, the colours of the Pendragons'... could it really be... the Excalibur? Yes... the dull glimmer of the gems set it the silvery hilt, the strangely dark metal of the leaf-shaped blade... How? Feeling utterly confused, he touched it reverentially as she held it out to him. He would have never said that someone would pull it out of that stone.

"Did you...?" he asked, his eyes boring into Ginny's.

She nodded. "What will happen now, I don't need to marry the prince, right? I... I want to marry Sir Lancelot."

Myrddin gaped at her. He had no idea really what this all meant, how the girl got the Sword out of that age-old stone, and why... And what was this nonsense about marrying young Lancelot of the Lake?! He needed time to think, to talk with those who knew more-- the folk of Avalon to whom the Sword belonged.

Looking at her seriously, he said, "I... I don't really know what this all means. I need to think. Surely I'll be able to tell you more in the morning, before we leave."

"Are we leaving? Together? Will you take me to Celidon Wood, my lord?" she asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement like the Excalibur's gems.

Handing the Sword back to her, Myrddin replied, "No, not to Celidon. Your father told me to accompany you to Warwick and leave you with your aunt before I'll join the men in the battle. You are to stay there, in safety, until he will come for you."

There was no point in telling her what he had said to King Leodegrance, how his Sight showed him that King Gwynedd of Combrogia refused to join the army and fight the Saxons. If the vile man had ever considered attacking Albion, this was his perfect chance. Neither Myrddin nor Leodegrance thought that he would dare to do it, but they prefered to hide the girl in Warwick under a veil of protective magic nonetheless.

Ginny sighed. There was no reason to argue with him, she was quite happy to see Aunt Ealaisaid again... and it would be much easier to escape her aunt's supervision than Arwen's, should she decide to travel to Celidon Wood alone... She smiled at the old man, nodding obediently.

He caressed her cheek fondly, "We will leave after breakfast. And Guinevere... I'm sure that you'll be happy with Arthur, he is the right man for you..." he added, observing her carefully.

She said nothing, only closed her eyes briefly. She loved Sir Lancelot. She would never love anyone else. But old Myrddin could not understand.