DESCRIPTION: Arinda was the princess of Aldaway, a close ally to Albion/Camelot, (sorry not sure which one the kingdom is really called, i'll stick with Camelot from this point on) she and her father visited Camelot often, but when she turned 8, her mother kept her in Aldaway, so she could begin her teachings in being a proper lady, and Arthur would not be able to see or even hear from his best friend again until she was considered a "proper young lady." by the time her mother considered Arinda to be a proper lady, ten years had passed. (i'm assuming Arthur is at least 19-21 i don't remember his age so this is what i'm going with, if it's wrong, i'll change it later) Arinda was making arrangements with her father to travel to Camelot once again, to surprise her childhood friend, but before they could make their trip, Aldaway was attacked, by an enemy they shared with Camelot, and most of the kingdom was destroyed, Arinda was the only member of the royal family left, and everyone else that had survived had family elsewhere that they could go to. Arinda had only her maid Eveylynn, her husband Conrad, her stable boy, John, and her Herald Toby, whom had a brother in camelot. For a month, she made the trip to Camelot, training for the upcoming annual jousting tournament King Uther held. her servants would help her pull off entering and hopefully winning, the joust, so she could prove to the King of Camelot, she could help him fight, so she could avenge her family.

CHAPTER 1

i sat in my tent, and waited for the tournament to start.

"My Lady, are you sure you want to do this? you could get hurt." my servant Evelyn, asked as she helped me with my hair so it wouldn't fall out of my helmet.

"i'm sure i want to, it's the only way to prove myself... i need to prove to one of these kingdoms that i can fight, and where better to start then camelot, other kingdoms share my enemy, but none as mush so as camelot. it's the only way i can avenge my kingdom." i said, hoping there was no one close enough to hear my voice.

"Evey is right Lady Arinda, why can't you just ask his majesty for help?" conrad said, making sure my armor was tight.

"i said i want to do this. if i just ask him, he won't let me fight along side his armies, he will make me wait at the castle while his men fights my battles. i have to do this." i said sternly.

"of course my lady." they both said, bowing their heads at me, and backing away.

my herald, Toby walked over to our tent with my stable boy John, whom was playing the knight of my kingdom.

"everything is prepared your highness. no one will even know it's you." toby said. "please lady arinda, be careful out there."

"thank you for worrying, all of you, i will be fine, we have been preparing for this for months."

i smiled as John handed me my helmet, and evey helped me put it over the braided crown she had created, gently, sure not to destroy it.

the days tournament rounds was over, and i went back to the tent, and quickly handed the helmet to john.

"go greet your crowd." i smiled, as Evey handed me a cup of water.

"that was wonderful My Lady." she smiled.

i chugged my water, and caught my breath. "so far so good. lets hope i have just as much luck tomorrow."

conrad walked in and helped me remove my armor. "Lady Arinda, John has just been asked to dinner by the king's ward Morgana."

"so tell him to go, we must keep up the image shouldn't we?" once my armor was off i went behind my screen and undressed, Evey soon followed and handed me one of my dresses.

"no Evey, allow me to wear one of yours, go to dinner as John's sister, you've been working hard, all of you have, all of you go." i said.

"i will tell john." Conrad said, as he left the tent. Evey handed me one of her dresses.

"will you be attending my lady?" she asked as she helped me into the simple gown.

"no i will be staying with Toby's brother, if any of the royal family sees me, they'll know who i am. i'll be fine." i said. once i was dressed, i walked out from behind the screen, and sat on a stool.

evey undid the braided crown, and let the braid fall down my back. "would you like me to bring you back any food?" she asked, as she grabbed my hooded cloak.

"no, i will be fine Evey, thank you." i tied the cloaks strings in a bow, and pulled the over sized hood over my head. "i will send toby to the castle as soon as i am settled."

evey nodded, and walked me out of the tent. "i will see you tomorrow lady Arinda."

"do you need help with the dress?" i asked, waiting for toby.

"no i'll manage, and if i do need help, i'll just ask conrad." she said with a wink.

i smiled, "alright evey, have fun tonight, i shall see you in the morning." i saw toby, in the crowds of people, and waved to evey, then walked to toby, pushing my way through the crowds.

"are you ready my lady?" toby asked offering his arm. i nodded and wrapped my arm around his, so i wouldn't get lost in camelot, i hadn't been here since i was 8, and i didn't remember much of its paths any more.

we arrived at toby's brother, mason's house, and walked in.

"now my brother said he would be gone for the week, but we have full permission to use anything we need."

"thank you toby, now, go meet the others at the castle, join the feast, you deserve it." i smiled as i removed my cloak and hung it on a nail. "i'll be fine."

"are you sure Lady Arinda?"

i nodded. "go on, you don't need to worry about me here, the royal family isn't in this part of camelot, they're all up in the castle, preparing for a feast. no one will notice me."

"if you insist my lady." he nodded. "i shall bring you back some food, since i do not know where mason stores his..." he said with a small chuckle.

after he showed me where i would sleep, he left for the castle, and i was alone.

"well, it's been a while since i've roamed the paths of camelot, maybe i'll go explore a bit, see what i remember." i thought to myself.

i walked out the door, and took in the surroundings of Mason's house, so i knew where to go when i needed to return.

once i thought i had it memorized, i walked away, and started exploring the little town.

arthur's POV

i sat at the window, wishing i could go out, but knew if i did, i wouldn't be able to keep hiding. i stared and watched the people go about their daily buisness. father and everyone from the tournament was probably having a feast now, while i was stuck here, eating this mush. guinevere was even gone, i was sitting here alone.

after about 10 minutes a woman with auburn hair walked through the crowd, and she looked lost, she kept trying to stop people to ask for directions, but no one would help her. she looked rather beautiful, but she was a commoner, all she could be was beautiful to me.

she eventually she gave up asking people on the streets, and spotted me through the window, i quicly hid, hoping she barely missed me, if she was from here she would instatnly know who i was, but if she wasn't i might be able to pass it off, but i couldn't risk it.

soon i heard a knock. "hello, is any one in there? can you help me?" she asked, her voice was smooth, and calming. i ignored the door, and hoped she would go away.

"please, i know your here, i saw you through the window... i just need help getting to my brothers house... i haven't been here for a few years, and i'm afraid i don't remember where he lives."

i let out a small sigh, and walked to the door, if she wasn't from here, or at least hadn't been here for a while, she probably wouldn't know me. i opened the door, and there she stood, a thin girl, about morgana's age, long auburn hair in a braid down her back, she had a sweet smile, and her eyes... those ice blue orbs, they looked so familiar, but i didn't recognize her face from any where, just her eyes.

Arinda's POV

"see was that so hard? why is everyone in this kingdom so dismissive to some one new?" i asked as i looked up at the man who had opened the door. he looked handsome, and he had a kind smile, but he looked confused.

i admired his features for a couple minutes. hoping he wouldn't notice. i looked up into his eyes, and i had seen them before, but where?

"you said you needed help getting some where?" he said in a bit of an arrogant tone, breaking the silence.

"yes do you happen to know where the taylor, mason, lives? like i said, it's been years since i've been here, and i don't remember where he lived." i said with a smile.

"umm, i believe i do, but i don't exactly remember..." he said.

the people that were crowding the paths before, now left to their homes, for dinner and to turn in for the night. there was no one left on the streets but me, at this man's door.

they were going to be back soon, i needed to return. i let out a sigh.

"alright... i'll just find it on my own then... maybe it will be easier with less people around..." i said, looking around, trying to recognize where i came from.

Arthurs POV

i looked around outside, seeing no one was out anymore. the woman started to turn to walk away, but i quickly, and gently, grabbed her wrist. "wait, i'll go with you, i'll try to take you to him, if i remember, but i can't let a woman as lovely as you walk alone at this hour, some one may want to take advantage of you." i said with a joking smile, while mentally slapping myself.

what am i doing? i'm a prince, and here i am stunned by the beauty of a peasant girl.

she looked at me and flashed me that warm smile. "how do i know you aren't the one who wants to take advantage of me?" she asked just as jokingly. why was this so familiar?

"if i were the one wanting to take advantage of you, don't you think i would have just grabbed you by the waist and just pulled you in already?"

i let go of her wrist, and grabbed my cloak, just in case. "i suppose your right." she started walking away.

i quickly caught up to her, and walked by her side. "aren't you cold?" i asked. as she occasionly looked up at the stars and moon... so familiar.

Arinda POV

i looked up at the full moon, remembering how i felt when i was 8 and came here, sitting in the castle yard, with my closest friend, Prince Arthur, joking and laughing, and hoping the guards, or our fathers, wouldn't come out and yell at us for being out so late.

"aren't you cold?"

"hmm... oh, no, i'm from a kingdom much colder then this, there, this would be like summer." i said with a smile.

"the only kingdom like that around here was Aldaway, but it was destroyed months ago." is that where you're from?"

i nodded. "it was terrible what happened, i lost my entire family, most of the kingdom. very few of us left, everyone that survived went to their families in other kingdoms i came here, with my four close friends, who don't have family anywhere else." i explained, trying not to give away who i am, not that this commoner would know who i am to begin with.

"oh, i'm so sorry. that sounds terrible... if there's anything i can do, let me know." he said.

"it's hard to ask some one for help, if you don't know their name." i said with a smile.

"oh of course. i'm ar-" he started but cut himself off, before finishing. "ron... aaron." he said. was he hiding something? or from something? "what about your name?"

"i'm Ari..." i just about did the same thing, why was i so comfortable talking to this familiar stranger, that i was willing to give my real name. "a..." i saved myself, hoping he didn't notice.

we stopped in front of a house, that's when i remembered the surroundings. "is this familiar?" Arthur asked. i saw there were candles inside, and talking, they were back.

"yes, this is it... i remember now." i said slightly embarassed, how did i forget this, that wasn't like me...

"well Aria, can i meet you tomorrow night?" he asked softly. "i'd certainly like to get to know you better."

"maybe, where would we meet?"

"well... how about i just come get you from here, around this time?"

i nodded. "sounds like a plan. good night aaron, i will see you tomorrow."

with that we turned away from each other, and i walked to the house, opening the door, and stepping in, instantly being bombarded by questions and hugs.

"lady Arinda, where were you?"

"we were worried sick!"-

"we thought some one noticed you and took you hostage?"

they all took turns shouting at me.

"why did you go out? you could have been recognized?" toby stated, sitting me on a chair at the table, where he had some food set out for me.

"i wasn't noticed, i didn't want to be here on my own. i'm fine, i trust camelot's people." i said as i picked up some bread and took a few bites. "please don't be so worried about me, i'm fine."

"we're sorry my lady, we were just worried..." evey said, stepping behind me, and undoing my braid.

"please at least leave a note?" conrad asked. the worry clearly still in his voice.

"fine, i'll leave you a note, how was the feast?" i said trying to change the subject.

"it was wonderful, it was odd, being called Lady Evelyn though..."

once i had eaten, and the others had told me about their night, we went to bed.

so this is chapter one, i hope you like it, and i'm sorry everything is not perfect with it, i have things that are more important that i need to get done before i consider heavily editing anything, i don't write these because i expect a good grade or what ever, i write them for fun, and trust me, if i was concerned with getting "good marks" or if i were writing something original that i want to someday actually publish, i would do much better about editing. but this is just a fan fiction, that only other fans will see, so grow up, and realize what i and other people who may not have time to perfectly edit, are meaning. it's one thing when every other word is misspelled, but when it's just stupid little things like forgetting to capitalize, or accidentally using the wrong context, or spelling of a word, take a second to be considerate, and just metally correct it unless its some MAJOR mistake.

sorry rant over just sick of some people's criticism.

i won't post chapter 2 until i have at least one review or favorite/follow