𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐭.

She can be rather stubborn * he had witnessed that first hand when she was angry at him. it was actually kind of nice not to be on the receiving end of her wrath for a change * You have my word, Lancelot, that I will do the best I can. For both you and for Mirya. * he was going to need a miracle to convince his father to allow the princess to stay, but he would try *

@gloriousoceans ⠀⠀ i do not have my hopes set on anything, your royal highness. i know my place, but if i refuse mirya, i’m afraid there will be a public execution in my future.  [a harmless joke, because surely mirya was not that cruel.]  and even if the princess and i cannot be together, the least that i could do is try— for your other half’s sake.

Why do you have any interest in keeping the princess around? * was Arthur a little confused? yes. it wasn't like Mirya would be asking a knight of all people to help her with her plan. unless.... * OH. So that's the reason you've been so distracted lately. * he had not seen that one coming. a knight and a princess? his mind couldn't even fathom * Then I suppose you also have a personal interest in keeping her around. I will see if I can persuade my father. But Lancelot? Don't get your hopes up. A princess had a duty.

* option one was to faint. had she been any other princess, she may have swooned from his words in whatever ladylike manner that was deemed. unfortunately for Lancelot, Ayleth was not that kind of a princess. a challenge was to be met head on, and she found herself stepping forward until she could place her hands flat against his chest, chin tilted up so she could continue to stare at him. he felt real underneath her touch, his heartbeat a steady rhythm * You have no idea how long I wanted to hear those words from you. When I first met you, I expected you to be like any other knight. But you proved me wrong straight away. You were different, the one person who could keep up with me. And I wanted you from the very start. I may have come here for the prince, but I never stayed for him.

@winterstragedy ⠀⠀ until your best friend decided to whack me upside the head ten thousand time with her slippers, i did not intend to tell you because i did not think it was me that you were referring to when we last spoke.. hence why i gave you space, which apparently made you think that i held hate in my heart for you.  [he took a small step closer, as if allowing her time to run if that was what she chose.]  if i was to do what she said, to tell you how i feel, i needed it.. to be personal. i needed you to know that i meant it, even if it took a beating. i do love you, ayleth.. and i’m sorry that you felt as if i hated you because of my actions. that was not my intention.

* she would have had a snappy retort about that one, if it wasn't for the fact he used her name. not her title, but her name. for a moment, the princess stilled, staring at the knight, her mouth forming a little o shape, unable to form any coherent thought * You.... I.... * the few words she did have trailed off almost immediately, still staring up at him with those wide eyes * You've never called me that. Not really. * her dreams were a little different. she had heard her name countless times on his lips, but never when she had been awake *

Yes. * she replied simply, not even pausing for a moment to think * He is worth it all and more. But I don't think he quite realises it. Maybe one day I can convince him that he's worth so much more than he thinks, that he truly deserves this place that he found.  In another life, I would have said yes without question. If I wasn't a princess, with all these expectations of what is right and wrong. Maybe I still would, if he ever did ask.

@winterstragedy ⠀⠀⠀ i think love drives everybody a little bit crazy.    [  love wouldn’t have been worth it otherwise, at least to him. because let’s be real, the woman he loves drives him mad too. in the best way, of course.  ]    it sounds like you’re really going through it with him. is he at least worth the craziness? morals aside, of course.    [  not that he really wanted to know, given it was clear she was never going to pursue this man of non-noble blood.  ]

* his little joke did have her smiling slightly, though the situation itself wasn't much to smile about * He is ridiculously self righteous to the point it drives me crazy. * where all she wanted to do was kiss him senseless until he forgot about all those moral arguments he would have used. Maybe it would have only lasted a moment, but to her, it would have been enough for her whole lifetime. But that wasn't going to happen, not anytime soon *  But it's just one of the reasons I love him.

I don't think luck had anything to do with it and you know it. And would you please stop looking over your shoulder every five minutes? You're more distracted today than Merlin normally is.

@gloriousoceans ⠀⠀ now you’re just hurting my heart, arthur. you got lucky two times in a row, you won’t get lucky a third time.

She hesitated for a moment at his question, not entirely sure answering it would be a good idea. What if he decided to use that information against her in the future? Namely by ensuring her guards knew about her tricks. But considering he had given her a choice to begin with, something very few people would have done, regardless of her statue, she decided to throw caution to the wind. "It is a big castle. It is easy to slip into the shadows and avoid people you don't want to see. They did not expect the princess to run after all," she told him, closing the distance between them as she fell into step at his side. "I didn't grow up completely sheltered. My father made sure I knew how to look out for myself, should I ever need to. He, of course, hoped that wouldn't be the case, but it does make a very useful trick when you don't want to be trailed by guards or knights." Though, her father certainly wouldn't be very pleased if he ever found out what she was doing. Not that her guards would tell him out of fear of reprimand.

@winterstragedy, ⠀⠀ of course he offered her a choice. he may not have had the most ideal childhood, actually far from it, but he knew how to treat women, whether they were of royal blood or not. "if you decided you didn't wish to go into the castle? no, i wouldn't tell anyone. i may be a knight that answers to the king, but i also know that this is unfamiliar territory and can be quite overwhelming." even if that wasn't the case with the princess, it would be what he would tell the king if he ever found out. he straightened his posture just a little more when he heard his name fall from ayleth, out of instinct more than anything else really. "well, right this way then, ayleth." the knight brought his own smile to his lips, content with the fact that she would be going inside with him. he would have hated lying to the king, even if it was to save the princess from the trouble she would probably be in. he did not talk much, that much had been pointed out many of times already, but he supposed he should make an effort now if she was to be treated normally. "how did you manage to slip past your guards anyway?"

She found herself staring at him for a moment, not entirely sure what to make of this particular knight. Anyone else and they would have dragged her back kicking and screaming the entire time, but he had offered her a choice. "You wouldn't tell anyone?" she asked slowly. Personally, she didn't care what Uther thought, nor did she care much about what her father thought either. They were both the reason she was in this mess in the first place and to say she was furious at them would be an understatement. But her guards were not to blame for this predicament. They were just doing their jobs and she did feel a twinge of guilt for leaving them behind. "I'll go with you." It only took her a moment to reach her decision but given that he had been willing to overlook this, Ayleth figured there would be no harm in it. And besides, what other opportunity would she get to solve this particular mystery of a man? "But Lancelot? My name is Ayleth, not princess. I'd rather someone in this castle treats me normally."

* somehow, she doubted anyone would consider themselves uncomfortable around him. maybe a little to start with, simply because he seemed so stern compared to some of the others. the stories she had heard spoke of his timeless honour and rigid code that he followed. but other than that, Lancelot seemed like a nice enough person. genuine even, in a court full of snakes * Do not stress. You won't even know I'm here.

@winterstragedy, ⠀⠀ * lancelot shook his head and gave a laugh, quiet and rather short-lived, but at least there was one. *  you may be used to the uncomfortable situations, princess, but i don't want to be the cause of any of the ones you'll experience here.  * after all, he's been in quite a few of them himself and he could understand her desire to want some peace and quiet, for he often wished for the same thing whenever he spent too much time with the rowdy knights. *

And the gesture, while appreciated, is not necessary. I'm a princess, I'm used to being placed into uncomfortable situations all the time. And given I only wanted a moment of quiet, away from the rest of the court, I see no harm in sharing a room with someone who doesn't speak all that much anyway.