A Week with a Prince

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

In the morning, Ginny only woke up after Arthur whispered her name several times, his lips at her ear.

"If we want to camp by the river tonight, we must move," he said, an apology for having to wake her up, filling his voice, "it's a long way. You will ride Dragon alone today. He would never carry us both that far."

Ginny nodded, not saying anything, a smile playing on her lips as she lay still in his arms, clutching at his shirt as she would clutch at the vestiges of a beautiful dream, afraid to let go lest it never come back... But he, waking up next to him like this, was her reality now.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, meeting his blue gaze.

"Good morning," he said, smiling back and kissing her. "They need me outside, but you take your time, just let Garreth know when you are ready. He and Lancelot will take care of the tent once you'll have packed."

"Alright," she agreed, letting go of him, watching him disappear through the flap.

Deciding that travelling disguised as a man was her safest and most comfortable option, she found the set of Garreth's clothes she had used when she ran from Warwick to Glastonbury with Morag.

She packed all hers and Arthur's belongings after she was dressed, the blue gown taking up one entire bag, then wrapped the Excalibur into one of the blankets. She would ask Garreth to tie it to her saddle this way, she thought, it would attract as much attention on the roads as her rich gown, should she carry it at her waist, in plain sight. They had not met any danger the day before, but she could imagine what such a long war must have caused to the country. She knew that it was only a question of time before they met someone reduced to poverty and despair, willing to attack even a group of armed, travelling knights for a handful of gold.

Ginny dragged the ready bags outside the tent and looked around the chaos and confusion filling the camp-- tents were being taken down, food being packed, horses saddled-- for Garreth. She found him quickly enough and after she told him that the tent was empty and she was to ride Dragon alone today, she left him, and made her way to Arthur who stood surrounded by a group of knights next to the horses, consulting a map.

Ginny had to push her way through the tight circle of armoured bodies and pull at his arm before he noticed her-- she had never been among so many tall men, had never felt this short and invisible before.

Arthur laughed and pulled her in for a kiss when he saw her, making his men chuckle; their laughter reminding her of her disguise.

"You look just like the first night I saw you, Sir Geoffrey, only without that russet fringe hiding your eyes," he teased, tugging at the rim of her green velvet hat.

She blushed as someone chuckled again but forced herself to tell him what she had come for anyway, "I'll be at the well. Don't worry, I'll only be a few moments and then we can go. And no, you don't need to send anyone with me, I remember the way."

"Be careful, Ginny," he said, and she could feel his eyes following her as she left them again and crossed the camp until his attention was recalled to the map.

Seeing that all the knights, Arthur included, wore the armour today, she donned the heavy gambeson Garreth brought to her without objections before mounting the horse. They set off then, northbound, across the vast, grassy plain, Arthur at her side, Garreth and Lancelot close behind. If they were not surrounded by so many knights, it would have felt just like that trip when they first met.

Ginny looked at their brushing thighs, their joined hands, then raised her eyes to meet Arthur's, mirroring his smile, certain that he was recalling those same moments.

As they set off again after lunch, they came across a stretch of an old Roman road, the first sign of civilization they found since they had left the shores of the Lake. Arthur rode to the head of the group then, followed by Lancelot, giving Ginny and Garreth an occasion to talk undisturbed.

"So... somehow I think that you might have realised this before me, cousin, but I need to tell you anyway-- old Myrddin is my father. He and mother... " he looked at her, embarrassment colouring his cheeks. "Well, he is not that old, not all the time..."

Ginny giggled. "Yes, I know. Isn't it wonderful? He is a nice man. And you'll become a great bard and wizard just like him."

Garreth sighed, "All that magic... it's not as simple as it had always seemed, when we watched him do it."

"You'll learn," Ginny said encouragingly. "He's been around forever, and you have only just started..."

"Thanks, Ginny," Garreth replied thoughtfully. "It's unbelievable how I was always looking for my father-- of course I had heard the gossip about Mother getting married to the old Count of Warwick when she was with another's child already-- and he, in reality, was always there, close to me and Mother, always present, and I just didn't know... He was so much more around than so many other fathers..." he said, glancing at Ginny.

"Yes. Myrddin definitely saw more of you as you grew up than my father of me," she said pragmatically. She really felt closer to her aunt and her old nurse, Arwen, than her father. She missed them both now... "I'll always be grateful to your mother for substituting my own." She smiled at Garreth even as Lancelot approached them, taking Garreth's hand in his and bringing it to his lips the moment he was close enough.

"How about you two? What have you been up to while I was in Avalon?" Ginny asked, smiling at the couple.

"Apart from fighting at your Lord Arthur's side," Lacelot said on a sigh, his eyes becoming serious and unfocused as he recalled the war, "we've been good, thank you. And now that you are here to take care of him, we'll have even more time for each other," he added, making Garreth blush. They are so much in love, Ginny thought even as Lancelot continued, "I suppose I should apologise for all the confusion and misunderstanding..."

"Oh, don't. I guess it was supposed to happen exactly as it did," Ginny said.

The princess recalled the still very recent times when she was convinced that she would end up marrying a man out of duty, one whom she could never love, as her heart and soul belonged to another. She realised that they did not correct her in Avalon even though they must have known everything and saw her suffering. They let her follow through her training using her misguided belief as a part of her trial. Finally, she could see it, understand, and appreciate how it only made her grow stronger and happier now when she knew the truth. She valued Arthur's love even more, if that was possible, for all the tearful, sleepless nights she had passed, convinced that he was a knight she could never wed...

But that was all behind them now, she thought, shaking her head to disperse her rambling thoughts as she heard Garreth's voice, "Arthur's coming back, and he doesn't look happy. I wonder what's going on?"

She looked from her cousin to Lancelot, who was now frowning as he watched Arthur's approaching figure too.

But Ginny couldn't wait any longer for him to reach them. She needed to feel him close, longed to hear his voice, feel his touch. Pressing her heels into Dragon's sides, she urged him to carry her towards Arthur, Garreth and Lancelot in tow.