Chapter One
A messenger quickly made his way down the tall staircase of the Hadrian Wall. He hurriedly continued on his way towards the large Roman fortress that sat at Badon Hill just beyond the wall.
Arthur and Guinevere stood in the main hall talking to some Roman officials when the messenger approached. Guinevere gave the man a small smile as she and Arthur turned towards him.
"Three riders are approaching, my lord." The man said.
"Can you tell who they are?" Arthur questioned.
"They wear unknown colors, my lord, brown and green."
Arthur looked down at his wife. He noticed her eyes grow wide.
"It's Arcadia!" Guinevere almost shouted before she rushed from the fortress and down the stone steps. Arthur and the messenger quickly followed. When they had caught up with Guinevere she spoke to the messenger. "Have the gates opened immediately." The messenger quickly made his way back to the wall to give her command.
Guinevere stopped when she could see the gates were opening. "I can't believe she made it." She whispered. Arthur stood by his wife completly oblivious as to who this Arcadia was. Had his wife sent out an invitiation without his knowing? He looked on with curiosity as the three riders rode closer to the wall.
Arcadia stopped on the crest of the large hill before the Hadrian Wall. She waited for the two riders following to catch up.
"They have seen us?" Dameon asked.
"I'd be surprised if they haven't already. They have guards posted all along the wall." Arcadia replied before jolting her horse forward into a fast trot. The capuchin monkey sitting calmly on her shoulder was startled by the sudden motion and clung to its owners shoulder. Mila and Dameon quickly followed.
Arcadia did not slow her pace as the gates opened before her and she sped between them. They slowed as they neared the large fortress. Mila and Dameon came up on each side of Arcadia as they came to a holt.
Everyone grew silent as they watched the three riders speed past them toward the fortress. Curious stares continued to follow the riders as they dismounted their steeds.
"Dia!" Guinevere ran up to her best friend.
"Heya Guin!" Arcadia replied as they embraced.
They parted and a curious glace came to Guin's face. "And who might this little guy be?"
"This is Cicero. Cicero meet Guinevere." Arcadia laughed when the monkey jumped onto Guinevere's shoulder.
"Hello Cicero!" Guin said to the small monkey with a smile. Arcadia whistled and the monkey jumped back onto her shoulder.
Lancelot and Galahad were just walking out of the stables when they heard the usual roar of the village cease. The remaining knights had decided to stay with Arthur for a time before they were to make their way back home. Everyone had begun rushing towards the fortress to see the three riders. Lancelot and Galahad came around from the side. They watched as the riders dismounted their horses. The rider in the middle looked to be a young women around Guinevere's age. She wore two short swords on her back much like Lancelot's, along with a dark, brown colored cloak. She wore brown leather pants with boots and a brown leather top with cotton sleeves that grew wider as they came to her wrists. He dark hair was pinned in a bun at the nape of her neck.
Another young women in mostly the same attire except in dark green stood to the right of her. She had tight, blonde curls that hung loosely down to her slim waist. A scabbard hung low on her hip along with a dagger. The other rider was a well built man with a shaved head and goatee. He wore black leather pants and a cotton black shirt along with a cloak and boots to match. A scabbard also hung from his belt along with a dagger.
"Must be guests." Galahad said. Lancelot had not noticed for he was watching the young women talking to Guinevere.
"Guin, this is my stepbrother Dameon and this is my friend Mila." Arcadia introduced them.
"It's nice to meet both of you." Guin gave them both a large smile before looking back at Arcadia. "I will show you to your rooms. We have much to catch up on."
Arcadia turned back to her horse and unstrapped her small bag as well as her bow and arrows. After Dameon and Mila had done the same Guin grabbed her best friends arm and briefly introduced her to her husband before making their way up the stone steps. Mila and Dameon followed behind along with Arthur. He and Dameon had started up a lively conversation about battle stuff and Mila was more then happy to intervene at times herself. Arthur excused himself and made his way to his wife's side when they reached the fortress. "So this is the Arcadia I have heard so much about?" He looked to his wife then to Arcadia.
"Oh gosh! What has she been telling you?" Arcadia looked at her friend and laughed. "I hope it's good."
Guin joined in on her friend's laughter. "Oh stop! You know I only talk good of my friends."
A messenger quickly made his way down the tall staircase of the Hadrian Wall. He hurriedly continued on his way towards the large Roman fortress that sat at Badon Hill just beyond the wall.
Arthur and Guinevere stood in the main hall talking to some Roman officials when the messenger approached. Guinevere gave the man a small smile as she and Arthur turned towards him.
"Three riders are approaching, my lord." The man said.
"Can you tell who they are?" Arthur questioned.
"They wear unknown colors, my lord, brown and green."
Arthur looked down at his wife. He noticed her eyes grow wide.
"It's Arcadia!" Guinevere almost shouted before she rushed from the fortress and down the stone steps. Arthur and the messenger quickly followed. When they had caught up with Guinevere she spoke to the messenger. "Have the gates opened immediately." The messenger quickly made his way back to the wall to give her command.
Guinevere stopped when she could see the gates were opening. "I can't believe she made it." She whispered. Arthur stood by his wife completly oblivious as to who this Arcadia was. Had his wife sent out an invitiation without his knowing? He looked on with curiosity as the three riders rode closer to the wall.
Arcadia stopped on the crest of the large hill before the Hadrian Wall. She waited for the two riders following to catch up.
"They have seen us?" Dameon asked.
"I'd be surprised if they haven't already. They have guards posted all along the wall." Arcadia replied before jolting her horse forward into a fast trot. The capuchin monkey sitting calmly on her shoulder was startled by the sudden motion and clung to its owners shoulder. Mila and Dameon quickly followed.
Arcadia did not slow her pace as the gates opened before her and she sped between them. They slowed as they neared the large fortress. Mila and Dameon came up on each side of Arcadia as they came to a holt.
Everyone grew silent as they watched the three riders speed past them toward the fortress. Curious stares continued to follow the riders as they dismounted their steeds.
"Dia!" Guinevere ran up to her best friend.
"Heya Guin!" Arcadia replied as they embraced.
They parted and a curious glace came to Guin's face. "And who might this little guy be?"
"This is Cicero. Cicero meet Guinevere." Arcadia laughed when the monkey jumped onto Guinevere's shoulder.
"Hello Cicero!" Guin said to the small monkey with a smile. Arcadia whistled and the monkey jumped back onto her shoulder.
Lancelot and Galahad were just walking out of the stables when they heard the usual roar of the village cease. The remaining knights had decided to stay with Arthur for a time before they were to make their way back home. Everyone had begun rushing towards the fortress to see the three riders. Lancelot and Galahad came around from the side. They watched as the riders dismounted their horses. The rider in the middle looked to be a young women around Guinevere's age. She wore two short swords on her back much like Lancelot's, along with a dark, brown colored cloak. She wore brown leather pants with boots and a brown leather top with cotton sleeves that grew wider as they came to her wrists. He dark hair was pinned in a bun at the nape of her neck.
Another young women in mostly the same attire except in dark green stood to the right of her. She had tight, blonde curls that hung loosely down to her slim waist. A scabbard hung low on her hip along with a dagger. The other rider was a well built man with a shaved head and goatee. He wore black leather pants and a cotton black shirt along with a cloak and boots to match. A scabbard also hung from his belt along with a dagger.
"Must be guests." Galahad said. Lancelot had not noticed for he was watching the young women talking to Guinevere.
"Guin, this is my stepbrother Dameon and this is my friend Mila." Arcadia introduced them.
"It's nice to meet both of you." Guin gave them both a large smile before looking back at Arcadia. "I will show you to your rooms. We have much to catch up on."
Arcadia turned back to her horse and unstrapped her small bag as well as her bow and arrows. After Dameon and Mila had done the same Guin grabbed her best friends arm and briefly introduced her to her husband before making their way up the stone steps. Mila and Dameon followed behind along with Arthur. He and Dameon had started up a lively conversation about battle stuff and Mila was more then happy to intervene at times herself. Arthur excused himself and made his way to his wife's side when they reached the fortress. "So this is the Arcadia I have heard so much about?" He looked to his wife then to Arcadia.
"Oh gosh! What has she been telling you?" Arcadia looked at her friend and laughed. "I hope it's good."
Guin joined in on her friend's laughter. "Oh stop! You know I only talk good of my friends."