A Week with a Prince

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖞-𝕱𝖎𝖛𝖊

"What is it?" Ginny asked Aunt Ealasaid, who brought the large, soft but surprisingly heavy package to her room, waking her up one morning.

"Have a look," the countess urged, smiling. "It arrived before dawn, through the fog, all the way from Camelot. Myrddin brought it for you. He is gone already, no need to rush," she added, seeing Ginny trying to disentangle herself from the covers and get out of bed to meet him.

Slumping back against her pillows, Ginny put her hand inside the brown linen bag, pulling out a corner of a large piece of fabric. It was as thin as gossamer, shimmering like gold leaf in the early morning light filling the chamber. It resembled the thick mists of the Lake, gilded by sunrise. She looked at her aunt, eyebrows raised in a silent inquiry.

"From your Lord Arthur. For your wedding gown," Ealasaid explained.

"But... why do I need it? Don't I have one wedding dress ready at home already?" Ginny asked, remembering the day when she arrived at her father's castle with Garreth, after their week-long trip around the country with Arthur and Lancelot, and Arwen told her how everything was ready for her then unwanted wedding. It seemed a lifetime ago...

"So you will have two. If your Arthur took his time to choose this fabric for you, with all the more important things he must bear on his mind, the least that you can do for him in return is to stand still while my women will sew the gown for you. Look at it, I've never seen any fabric as fine as this. There is no time to waste, Ginny. You better get up and let them work. He will be back here for you in less than two weeks."

Ginny smiled, getting out of the bed obediently. Arthur's imminent return was the only thing that really mattered to her.

"Oh, and Myrddin said that your Lord Arthur wanted you to know that he had sent your father back home, to supervise moving of your things and servants to Camelot. I think we should send Arwen there too, so she can collect her own belongings, travel with the others to Camelot, and wait for you there. You know Myrddin's and Garreth's means of travelling, the fewer people around, the faster the journey."

Ginny agreed, excitement spreading through her veins. It seemed that the time finally stopped dragging; great changes in her life were approaching fast.

Soon she would be with Arthur again, she mused later that day as she stood patiently in the middle of her chamber, her arms outstretched, her eyes following the trees moving in a gentle breeze beyond the window, while Aunt Ealasaid's maids measured her for the new gown, one of them writing numbers and drawing a sketch on a piece of parchment.

Ginny smiled and shivered with anticipation as she imagined the first kiss he would give her after the weeks of separation, and one of the women rushed to add wood to the fire, misunderstanding her shivers for feeling cold.

In no time, she would be with him in Camelot, his queen, his bride... Ginny sighed and blushed at the thought of their wedding night, thankful to the maid who disturbed her train of thought just then, telling her that they were done for the moment, and she could go.

She... didn't know how she felt about the wedding night... Whenever her thoughts strayed in that direction, she felt anxious and curious at the same time, recalling how she had felt every time he had kissed and touched her before, the... promise of something more concealed behind those innocent caresses.

She loved him. She loved him more than anything, than anyone else. She would accept the next phase in their relationship in whatever form it came; she was certain that it would only make them feel closer to each other, make their love grow... If only the wait was finally over, Ginny mused, biting her nails as she got dressed and reached Aunt Ealasaid in her chambers for lunch, who scolded the thoughtful princess promptly for such display of an un-queenly behaviour.

The dress was finally ready, folded, and wrapped carefully, the morning when they were expecting Arthur's arrival. It would be the only thing she would carry to Camelot personally, apart from the clothes she was wearing, the Excalibur, and a bag filled with food for their lunch-- in the letter she got from him a few days ago, Arthur promised that they would reach Camelot within the same day.

Garreth either learned to 'pop' between two places like his father usually did, Ginny mused, pacing across the Great Hall, unable to sit down and eat the last breakfast with her aunt, or Arthur found another way of travelling fast. She wasn't sure how they would be getting to Camelot, but the wedding was planned for tomorrow...

A strange noise from outside obliterated Aunt Ealasaid's words, who, losing the last traces of patience with her-- the three weeks had not been easy for the countess-- told her overly excited niece to sit down and eat something before the journey.

Instead of doing as she was told, Ginny rushed towards the door leading into the garden, just in time to see two dragons land on the sloping lawn, filling it entirely. Somehow, the beasts looked bigger than how she remembered them, hovering by the ruined walls of Tintagel.

The dark one landing farther away carried two riders-- Ginny waved at her cousin and Sir Lancelot who were already dismounting before she looked at the other, white and golden dragon, sitting closer to her.

It was Rhosyn, she recognised the beautiful beast immediately. Smiling, Ginny ran towards Arthur before he could jump off.

Countess Ealasaid, reaching the door even as Ginny took off, meant to call after her niece to behave with the dignity worthy of a queen, not to throw herself at Arthur like this... but as she saw all the great joy in Arthur's eyes at seeing Guinevere so happy, she shrugged. Her niece's spontaneity must be such a treat for him; if this did not show how much the girl loved him, nothing would. She waited for Garreth and Lancelot to reach her on the doorstep, then led them inside the Great Hall for breakfast, giving the couple a few moments of privacy.

Ginny noticed the two dragons folding their bat-like wings and settling on the lush grass contentedly, snorting like enormous horses, thin wisps of smoke issuing from their pink, trembling nostrils, as she made her way towards Arthur. But the moment his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him, pressing his lips against hers, the world, including the dragons, dissolved into nothingness. And it did not reform nor return until one of her aunt's servants approached them hesitantly, reminding them to join the countess for breakfast.

Then she followed Arthur back inside on unsteady legs, thankful for his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his side. He is back, her mind kept repeating. He is back and will never leave again.

She giggled as Arthur lifted her on his dragon's back a little later, Aunt Ealasaid, who had promised to reach Camelot with Myrddin tomorrow, in time for the wedding, waving at them from the door.

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her, demanding explanation of the sudden fit of giggles as he sat on Rhosyn's back in front of her, sighing contentedly as he felt her arms come around his waist, her cheek resting against his back.

"Nothing," she muttered, riveted by the feeling of the dragon spreading her wings and rising in the air, making her aunt grow smaller, then vanish, followed by the castle, the forest...

"Come on, tell me, Ginny!" Arthur insisted, the excitement of the flight, of sharing the experience with her for the first time, apparent in his voice.

"I just thought... My wedding dress. The fabric you sent me. It is white and golden and soft... just like Rhosyn." She giggled again, running her hand over the dragon's smooth golden scales. "I'll look like her tomorrow."

"Oh... " he muttered. "I couldn't put my finger on why I liked that fabric so much..."

They laughed and Ginny pulled herself even closer to him, then flew in silence, admiring the view and enjoying the thrill of Rhosyn soaring high above the world.