An Apple A Day
Chapter 1: Happy Birthday
( A/N: This fic is rather AU, as it takes place after Baden Hill as Tristan is obviously alive. It's going to be rated M, because there will be swearing, violence and one (possibly two) scene of sexual content. Pairings: TristanXOC and you know, Bors with Vanora, Arthur with Guinevere etc. Please review as this is my first attempt at a story.)
Ophelia walked into the cozy hut she shared with her mother, Andromeda, a basket of washing in her arms. A streak of orange, two screams and Ophelia found herself on the floor, washing strewn about her.
"What was that racket, Lia?" her mother called as she rushed in from the only other room. Ophelia gazed guiltily at Andromeda. The two women could have been twins; besides the fact Andromeda being about seventeen years Ophelia's senior. Both were petite blondes with silvery blue eyes and high, aristocratic cheek bones. One wore a look of wide-eyed innocence, the other a look of someone who had known true happiness.
"I tripped over the cat, again." Ophelia spoke softly, eyes downcast.
"Well, there's no use being upset about it, come, leave the washing, I have a surprise for you." Andromeda spoke kindly, helping her daughter off the floor. They walked into the other room of the house. It was small with two beds, trunks and chairs. The two chairs were arranged around a small table. Andromeda sat down and grinned, waiting for Ophelia to take her seat, which she did quickly, wondering what her mother had in store for her.
"I have two things for you dear. First off Happy Birthday! Seventeen already? Now your Uncle Denis has been dying to see you, so for you birthday, I've decided to send to Hadrian's Wall for a month to visit him." Her mother exclaimed happily. Ophelia was ecstatic. Her Uncle Denis was her father's brother and she didn't get to see him much. The last time had been at her Father's funeral. She smiled;
"Oh! That's wonderful, thank you mum. I haven't ever been to the wall."
Andromeda nodded. "Now for you other surprise." She reached around the back of her neck and unclasped a necklace she always wore, and handed it to Ophelia. "For you, your father gave it to me as a wedding present. I want you to have it while you're away." She said quietly, slightly saddened, thinking of her dead husband.
Ophelia studied the piece of jewelry she'd seen many times before. It was a delicate silver chain with five fixed pendants, each a detailed like hawk wings. She fastened it around her slender neck.
"Thank you mum, I will keep it safe." She murmured, softly.
The next morning, before dawn even, Andromeda sent Ophelia off with a kiss to the forehead. She was to join with a caravan of traders headed for the Wall. As Ophelia stumbled along in the early morning half-light, nearly falling into a rut in the road for the seventh or eighth time, she heard a chuckle from behind. Turning her silvery eyes fell upon an ancient crone, perched on a rickety wagon.
"Good morning, Grandmother." She said, using the name as she was taught to use around her elders to show respect. The old woman beckoned her forward.
"Come here dearie, share my wagon with me." Ophelia nodded mutely and climbed up the wagon, none to gracefully. She sat next to the old woman.
"Thank you, Grandmother, please, share my breakfast with me." She insisted, knowing it was just plain polite to offer something back in return for the wagon ride. The crone nodded accepting Ophelia's offer. As they rode thoughout the morning her companion asked many questions of Ophelia, who answered back amiably. Soon the woman, Julia, was telling her of her daughter, Vanora.
"Yes, I'm going to visit her and all her children. She's the lady of one of the great Sarmatian Knights, Bors, I think. She has eleven children! Can you believe that?"
"Will the Knights really be there?" Ophelia asked with excitement and curiosity.
"But of course the Knights will be there. Hadrian's Wall is where their commander, the future King, Arthur operates from. Oh look! There's the wall as we speak." Julia said, pointing. And sure enough though the trees the massive gray stone wall could be seen, stretching across Briton. As the caravan entered the dusty fort courtyard, Ophelia clambered off the cart and helped Julia down.
"Can I accompany you anywhere, Julia?" she asked, unaware of the looks she was getting from soldiers, peasants and Knights alike.
"No, dearie, I see my grandson, Gilly, right over there." Julia smiled, patting Ophelia on the shoulder, she walked off to see her grandchildren and daughter. Ophelia looked around, unsure of where to go next. Did her Uncle know she was coming? Would he be waiting for her? Or would he be completely surprised to see her? One thing was obvious, he wasn't in the courtyard. She wandered around aimlessly, sticking to the bigger, busier streets, afraid of those that might contain dangerous men. As she walked about, getting continually dustier, she began to despair. What if this was the wrong town? What if her Uncle Denis had moved? What if she never found him? Ophelia slumped down on a door step, resting her head on her knees and hugged her long legs to her body. She idly noticed her light blue dress was muddy and starting to fray around the hem.
"Lady, are you alright?" Ophelia looked up to see very large roman, with dark, wave, brown hair and kind green eyes. He was smiling from inside the door way, whose step she was currently despairing upon. She immediately leaped up, tripping slightly over the hem of her dress.
"I'm sorry to intrude, Sir. I was just…lost." She finished lamely.
"No need to apologize, Lady. Perhaps I can be of assistance, tell me, where did you need to go? I can take you there."
"I was sent to visit my Uncle Denis, he sells apples, I think." She mumbled, slightly embarrassed that she didn't even know for sure what her uncle did for a living. The man smiled.
"I think it best to start looking in the marketplace then, this way." He stated calmly.
As he led her back through the town her asked simple question about Ophelia, to make conversation, her name, where she was from, her family, etc.
"Ah here we are –"
"Ophelia!! There you are, dear girl!" He uncle ran up from behind his stand, embracing her in a tight hug. "I thought you'd been abducted by Saxons! Lord Arthur! Thank you for bringing my niece to me." Denis said, looking to the kind man that had helped her. Ophelia quickly turned, gaping at him. This was Arthur? Oh Gods! She had been such a pathetic little girl around him. Ophelia blushed deeply and quickly looked away, muttering her thanks. After a moment of conversing with Denis, Arthur excused himself to take care of some other business. Denis hugged Ophelia again.
"So, fancy helping your Uncle Denis mange his apple stand for the next month?"
Fin Chapter 1