A/N: This story is for Clarencestew who requested that I write an Arwen story with angst/suspense/romance and adventure.

Once upon a time….

Beautiful girls in fairy tales are as common as stars in the sky. Girls with perfect skin, flowing locks and starry-eyed princesses lived beside gorgeous maids. In this world every girl was blessed with stunning good looks.

Every girl read fairy stories wishing that they could be the beautiful princess whisked away to the castle by the handsome prince.

Guinevere Leodegrance was not one of those girls. Whilst her brother Elyan had grown tall and broadened, Gwen had remained her short height. She'd despaired when her breasts grew and she felt they were too big for her petite frame. She longed to be able to wear the same clothes as her brother. She hated the restrictions of 'girls' clothes' as she practiced her sword skills.

She was sat in her friend Mary's house with the girl behind her with a pair of scissors. 'Are you sure Gwen? You have such beautiful curls are you sure you want me to cut them off?'

'Stop fussing about my hair and cut it off!' Gwen exclaimed.

Mary pulled Gwen's gorgeous hair into a ponytail and cut straight through it causing Gwen's curls to drop to the floor. Both girls froze for a moment. Gwen had a moment of regret but then thought about the reason why she was doing this and hardened her resolve. Mary gasped, 'Oh Gwen your hair!' as she looked at Gwen's chin length hair.

'It needs to be shorter Mary I still look like a girl,' Gwen complained.

'Oh Gwen I can't I just can't cut it any shorter,' Mary protested.

'Give me the scissors then,' Gwen responded.

Mary handed Gwen the scissors and then Gwen shaped her hair around her face and cut it as short as a boys. None of Gwen's curls remained it was now cropped so short that her curls were gone.

'Right that was step one – no more waist length hair now we need to make my body look like a boy's,' Gwen said.

'We'll have a problem with your breasts you have a really full chest,' Mary responded.

'We won't have a problem,' Gwen said as she handed Mary a length of cloth, 'you're going to bind my breasts so that I appear flat.' Gwen undressed and Mary began to bind Gwen's breasts but Gwen protested, 'you need to bind me tighter.' 'You're going to hurt if I do it any tighter,' Mary said. 'I don't care do it tighter!' Gwen said.

Once Gwen's breasts had been bound they both looked at her chest carefully looking to make sure they'd achieved the task. 'Yes that's it you're as flat as a boy but it's going to hurt to do that every day and fight,' Mary said. 'Doesn't matter,' Gwen said again thinking of what she wanted to do.

'Okay you're hair is done and your breasts are bound but you still sound like a girl,' Mary commented. 'I'll deepen my voice to sound like my brother, it shouldn't be too hard.' Gwen responded.

'Well this is the best we're going to do. Gwen, are you ready to be a knight of Camelot?' Mary asked.

'Yes I am. I want to prove everybody wrong about me. Elyan doesn't think it's a good idea as he said Arthur will punish him if he finds out about me,' Gwen said. She thought about when she'd approached Arthur to ask to join the knights he had just laughed and told her that women could never be knights. She'd come home told Elyan what she was going to do, packed her bags, picked up her sword and left moving in with her friend Mary. Gwen loved her brother, but she was tired of being thought of being incapable just because she was a woman. Being disguised as a boy and joining the knights was an enchanting proposition.

'Step one completed now you have to show Prince Arthur that you're strong and good enough to join the Knights. In order to do that you have to fight him and do your best to disarm him that is going to be hard he's known as the best fighter in the land.'

'Mary you forget that I've watched the Knights train for years I've watched Prince Arthur fight since he was 10 I know what his weaknesses are I just have to get through his defenses,' Gwen replied.

'As long as you believe in yourself you'll do it. Go out there and prove to everybody how you can be a great Knight,' Mary encouraged. Gwen pulled on the clothes she'd taken from Elyan and adjusted to fit her own size.

'How do I look?' Gwen asked.

'Like a boy I wouldn't know it was you unless I really knew you well,' Mary said.

'Good, right time to prove myself,' Gwen said strapping on her sword to leave the house and go find Prince Arthur.

'Come on Merlin,' Arthur complained as he knocked his servant to the ground once more, 'you're not even trying.'

'I'm trying! What is that buzzing noise?' he questioned.

'That's the empty thoughts in your head,' Arthur responded. 'On your feet, Merlin.'

'Sire,' Sir Leon broke in to Merlin's relief. 'There is a boy who wishes to become a Knight of Camelot he wishes to duel with you to prove his worth.'

'Where?' Arthur questioned.

'Over there,' Leon said pointing at Gwen who was standing confidently ready for her fight.

Arthur's eyes widened, 'him? Look at the size of him he'd probably fall over with a sword' he said taking in Gwen's diminutive form. 'Fine bring him over this should provide some amusement.'

As Gwen walked past the knights Elyan knew straight away that it was Gwen but was shocked at the lengths she'd gone to. She'd chopped off all her hair and obviously made herself look like a boy. Did she really think she could defeat Arthur and keep up the charade?

Gwen reached Arthur who noticed that this boy barely reached his shoulder but had enough swagger in him that Arthur knew this boy believed in himself. Arthur smiled smugly there was no way this boy was going to be able to put up any type of fight.

'What is your name boy?' Arthur questioned.

'Will,' Gwen responded thinking of the first name that popped into her head.

'Well Will are you sure you want to take me on?'

'Yes, sire I'm sure I want to challenge you,' Gwen responded pulling her sword out. Arthur was surprised that the boy was still standing with such a heavy sword.

'Okay then if you can show me that you are a true fighter I'll consider you for a knight,' Arthur said raising his sword.

Gwen raised hers and clashed her sword with force against Arthur's. Arthur immediately realized that this was someone who was well practiced in fighting. Gwen pushed her weight against the sword and pressed hard against Arthur's sword she stamped on his foot and pushed the hilt of her sword into his stomach winding him. Arthur fell back surprised at the violence of the boy's attack. Gwen swung her sword ready for him once more. Arthur attacked swinging his sword down on her and again she clashed against him with all her might. This time Arthur managed to push her back with his attack but Gwen was holding her own against him.

All the other knights had stopped training to see this small boy challenge their leader. Elyan was watching open mouthed as he couldn't believe Gwen was still standing let alone fighting. Suddenly Gwen attacked again drove the hilt of her sword into Arthur's stomach causing him fall back when he tripped over a helmet and fell down to the ground. Gwen pressed her sword to Arthur's chest. All the knights were silent but Merlin was laughing.

Gwen backed off and Arthur clambered to his feet. 'Shut up Merlin,' he barked out. 'Well Will you've certainly proven yourself. Come back tomorrow and you'll have my answer.'

Gwen ran off excitedly eager to tell Mary what she'd done when Elyan caught up with her. 'Gwen I can't believe you managed to fight Arthur but I don't know how long you can fool him.'

'Elyan this something I've always wanted to do. I don't want to sit at home sew, cook and marry someone boring. I want more than that for myself,' Gwen complained. 'Elyan, promise me you won't tell Arthur the truth,' she said.

Elyan looked doubtfully at his sister was he doing the right thing by hiding the truth from Arthur. If they were found out they'd both be in the cells and then in the stocks. But seeing the excitement in her face he changed his mind. 'Okay Gwen I'll promise to not tell him but if something happens to you or if he asks any questions about it I'll have to tell him.'

Gwen frowned at this answer but at least Elyan was willing to help. She reached out and hugged her brother. 'Gwen you're meant to be a boy you can't go around hugging me!' he exclaimed. 'Thank you Elyan.'

Gwen went back to Mary's to tell her what had happened and that she had a chance of becoming a knight.

Meanwhile Arthur had seen Will speaking to Elyan. 'Elyan,' Arthur called. 'How do you know Will?' he questioned. 'Umm we used to work in my father's forge together when we younger,' Elyan responded which was truthful as Gwen used to help out in the forge. 'But where does he come from I've never seen him in Camelot before.' 'He used to live here when he was younger but moved away with his family but now he has come back obviously he came back to be a knight of Camelot.'

This answer seemed to satisfy Arthur who had to consider everything he knew about Will and whether he was going to make him a knight. He'd have to think carefully but first he had to find a new way to punish Merlin for laughing at him when he'd fallen.