A Week with a Prince

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖞-𝕾𝖎𝖝

They reached the shores of the Lake just as the sun started to set.

Ginny squinted her eyes against the low, slanting light and the wind rushing to her face, around her ears, muffling the sounds of Rhosyn's potent wings, as the dragon continued to sail through the gilded air. She tried to discern the hill on the other side of the enormous Lake, swathed even now in a layer of mist, where the old Roman fort stood. The princess just caught a glimpse of an enormous white castle, its many walls and towers spilling from the hilltop, down its sides halfway to the Lake, when Rhosyn dived suddenly, making her squeal and tighten her grasp around Arthur's waist, making him chuckle, as she neared the water's surface to drink.

"Do you like it?" Arthur asked, his voice trembling slightly. He had built the castle for her; it was his gift to his Queen. "On misty days, a cloud of fog rises from the Lake, making it feel... out of this world, like Avalon itself... I can't wait to show you..."

"Of course I like it!" she said, lifting herself slightly to be able to kiss him on his cheek from where she sat on the dragonback behind him, thankful that he could not see the tears welling up in her eyes. Camelot was beautiful, wonderful, and perfect, just like the man who had built it for her. She had never seen a castle with such white walls, with so many thin, elegant towers reaching out to the sky... "It's lovely, and huge," she managed to say after a while, voice breaking with emotion.

He nodded, caressing her arm wrapped around his waist. "And believe it or not, it's always full. The country already sees us as their High Queen and King. People come down here from all the corners of Britain, from all the islands, for advice and help. Look! Can you see all those tents on the hillside and the shore? So many visitors have already gathered for the wedding that they won't fit within the walls!" He laughed, making Ginny's heart flutter, and a couple of tears overflowed her eyes.

He was happy, she was happy and they were in love. There was nothing else she asked for; this was perfection. Yes, the future lying ahead of them was full of duties and responsibilities and dangers... but they were together, and they would manage everything well, and their happiness would spread throughout their kingdom, and Avalon, and the entire isles would be happy and safe once and forever... or at least as long as they would live.

"Hold tight!" Arthur called, even as Rhosyn, finally reaching the other side of the Lake, started to fly above the castle, circling lower and lower, in always tighter circles descending over its rooftops, followed closely by Garreth and Lancelot's dragon, until she finally landed on a tent-free meadow, in front of a gate in one of the castle's walls.

Ginny looked towards a grove growing nearby on this side of the hill, attracted by a sound, a sort of a welcoming snort to Rhosyn and her companion coming from several other dragons... She was about to ask Arthur just how many dragons he had when he jumped off and stretched his arms to her to help her dismount, even as someone rushed through the open massive wooden door making her forget her question.

"Arthur! Finally you are back, I need your help, she won't listen to me!"

Arthur smiled and shook his head at Ginny infinitesimally, suggesting she shouldn't be alarmed by the newcomer's overexcited behaviour, before he deposited her safely on the ground and turned around.

"Cai, meet my Queen, Lady Guinevere. Ginny, this is Cai, my foster brother," he said, taking her hand in his, leading her closer.

Cai nodded, bringing her free hand to his lips. "It is a pleasure to meet you again, my lady," he said, even as Garreth and Lancelot reached them.

"What happened this time, man? Every time Arthur leaves you in charge..." Lancelot asked Cai teasingly.

Cai frowned at him and opened his mouth to reply, but Arthur interrupted them. "Don't listen to him and tell us what's going on, Cai, please."

Cai turned back to Arthur and opened his mouth again, but this time, it was a person appearing behind his back who interrupted his speech.

Morgaine, dressed in her long robes of a priestess of Avalon, making her look like a nun who forgot to put on her wimple, walked out of the door.

Ginny ran towards her, happy to see at least one of her friends whom she left on the island hidden in the mists of the Lake. Morgaine drew her into an embrace even as Arthur asked, reaching them and kissing the woman on her cheek, "Maybe you can explain to us what he is so upset about, sister?"

"I brought you a wedding present and he doesn't like it," Morgaine said simply, the corners of her lips lifting in a half smile, eyes twinkling with amusement as Ginny freed herself from her arms and stepped close to Arthur again, his arm coming to rest on her shoulders even as hers wrapped around his waist. They were a rather perfect couple, she mused, Lady Nimue and old Myrddin knew it all along, ever since Morgaine first arrived at Avalon, and these two were still mere children...

"It wasn't exactly like that, Arthur," Cai's voice disturbed Morgaine's thoughts. "She magicked her present out of thin air in the middle of your Great Hall, filling it entirely! It really is too huge, there's hardly any space to move around, and where will all your guests dance..."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at Morgaine, still not understanding much of what Cai was complaining about.

"Come have a look!" Morgaine said cheerfully in lieu of a reply, but she didn't have to, Lancelot and Garreth were already rushing inside, followed by the distressed Cai.

Arthur shrugged when Ginny looked up at him, and taking her hand in his led her inside the castle in Morgaine's wake.