A Week with a Prince

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖞-𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊

Ginny woke up as the first streaks of daylight made their way into her room, through the glass of the mullioned window, sneaking beyond the curtains of her bed.

Her thoughts rushed to the tapestry hanging on the wall immediately, as if she had not stopped thinking about it the whole night, and it had become a part of her dream about hidden doors and secret passages leading to Arthur.

She got up and reached for her still unpacked saddlebags, which lay at the foot of her bed, thinking how they both needed a day off from life, alone together, before he left. Searching through the bags, the princess pulled out the comfortable clothes she used to wear in Avalon-- the long, wide skirt and a matching shirt dyed in the hues of the meadows and the forest surrounding the castle-- and got dressed quickly.

She was ready-- her thick, russet hair restrained to a braid falling over her left shoulder, her right hand caressing the smooth hilt of the Excalibur tied to her belt, its crimson jewels glowing softly in the grey, still shy light of the oncoming day-- when Arwen walked in, yawning and still clad only in her night dress, woken up by the noise Ginny was making.

"My lady... why are you up so early... and these clothes are not suitable... they make you look like a peasant girl. And why would you need to carry that heavy thing around?" she demanded, pointing to the Sword half-hidden in the folds of Ginny's skirt.

"Arwen, you know me too well to ask such questions. I'm just going down into the kitchens to have breakfast."

"But we are not at home here, my lady. I thought..."

"I was always more at home here than in my father's castle, you know that, don't you?" Ginny told her. "Now go back to bed and don't worry."

The princess scanned her chamber quickly to find something for the old nurse to do later, to keep her busy the whole day.... She walked to her bags again and pulled out her blue gown.

"Would you mend it for me, please? I rather like it, but..." she said, shaking the dress out in an attempt to make it look less pitiful.

She felt a little guilty when she saw the silent reprimand in Arwen's eyes as she took it from her with one hand, the other covering her mouth.
The gown looked crumpled and wilted, lifeless like the dry rose from Tintagel.

"My lady, how..." the nurse asked, her voice laced with shock and reproach.

"Well, it was too uncomfortable to wear while travelling on horseback, and there wasn't much space in the bags. But I'm sure you'll fix it, right?"

Arwen, frowning at Ginny, nodded silently. Pressing the gown to her chest, she marched towards her room, closing the door behind her this time, taking Ginny's feeling of guilt with her.

The moment the door closed between them, Ginny was on the other side of the chamber, smiling, inspecting the ancient tapestry.

It was heavy and a little dusty, but once she peeled it off the wall and pushed her way beyond, she found a narrow door nearly the same colour as the surrounding stone wall. It did not have a latch or a handle and did not move one inch when she pushed it with her hand. But when she laid her shoulder against its surface, followed by the weight of her whole body, it gave way slowly, reluctantly at first, creacking loudly, and then, suddenly, it jumped from her all at once, making her stumble, giggling, into Arthur's room.

He sat up on his bed, startled awake, and looked at her in surprise, his blue eyes still unfocused by sleep.

Ginny ran over to him, giggling. "Come on, hurry up, if we are fast enough, we will be out before anyone notices that we're gone. There are so many things I want to show you!"