The Light of Camelot
Chapter 1
The Girl from Neirvenya
On a warm and sunny day, near the gates of Camelot, there was a young woman who was new to Camelot. If you are wondering she had very short black hair like a mischievous pixie, she even had the dark magenta eyes of such and light brown skin that was so soft; it felt like silk. The young maiden wore a long purple dress that had no strap but tied in the back with a big silver bow. She was rather amazed at the structure of Camelot. She took a deep breath…
"You can do this, Talithei, you can do this." I said to myself. My name is Talithei; I am a young, spirited and mature lady.
She was new to Camelot and being near people. But, Talithei knew that she couldn't tell anybody that she wasn't from here.
My mother told me that Camelot's king, Uther Pendragon, didn't take well to outsiders and that I should be careful with who I spoke to. I was going to be careful and I wasn't going to say a word…
"Halt! Who are you?" A couple of guards came up to me.
"U-uh…my name is Talithei…I'm new here."
The two knights looked at each other and looked back at me.
"Where are you from?"
"I came from a few countries back…I'm from Neirvenya…."
"Neirvenya? Why are you here?" The guards pointed their silver spears at me suspiciously.
"U-Uhm! I've ran away from home! I'm here because I want a new start, please!"
The guards put their spears away and bowed but one of them noticed something on my arm.
"That! What is it?"
He pointed to my left arm, it was my birthmark. I sighed.
"It's not what you think! It's just a birthmark…really."
"I don't think so, that's the Crest of the-"
"Royal Neirvenyian Family, I know. But if you look closely, it's just a blotch. It's not what you think…"
The guards persisted and refused to believe my story.
"I doubt it. Rumor is only the Neirvenyian Family has the mark of the phoenix on their bodies and that's look it. I believe you're lying. You're a princess, aren't you?"
"NO! I am not!"
The guards refused to believe me.
"Lady Talithei, you should have sent word of your arrival here. We would've sent a carriage!" Guards bowed their heads to me; I was a little taken back by it.
"W-Wait a minute! I'm just a lowly girl! I'm nobody special!"
"Nobody special? Ha, alright, milady we believe you." The guards laughed their helmets off at my comment then they quickly became serious.
"I'm sorry, ma'am but since your of royal blood we'll be escorting you to the castle."
"W-What? But I'm just a girl, really! Besides, if I was the princess, I'm here without proper notification. The king will be caught off guard! At least tell him that an unexpected princess is here!"
The guards nodded their heads and went off to warn the King of my arrival, but while they did that, I snuck away. I'm just a girl! I'm nothing special, right?
-In the Royal Court of Camelot-
The king talked with his royal guard as the servants walked around serving drinks to the multitude. King Uther sighed. His son, Arthur, took notice and appeared worried.
"Is something wrong, Father?" Arthur held his father's back.
"I'm fine, Arthur…just fine. I've had a certain ache in my wrist for months now."
"Maybe Gaius should take a look at it." Morgana mentioned.
"No, I'm fine…Really."
Just then the two guards stumbled into the doors trying to catch their own breathes.
"What is the meaning of this?" Arthur asked. Uther stepped in front of his son.
"What's going on here? How dare you enter without permission?" Uther said with a stern and low voice.
"There…is a princess, sir…She came just this afternoon."
"Princess? Princess of where?" questioned Uther. The guards looked at each other.
"The Princess of Neirvenya….her name is Talithei." "Sire, Neirvenya is ruled by Queen Aliseph, even you must know who that is."
"Aliseph?" the king looked a bit dumbstruck and surprised. "The Aliseph?" The guards nodded their heads enthusiastically. The king copped his mouth.
"Well, bring her in, bring her in!"
The guards had a rather distressed look on their faces, the king looked disappointed.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"She's somewhere in the plaza, sir…we left her."
There was a very awkward silence.
"Well, bring her here! It's already bad enough she came here without notification…Address the rules of Camelot to her as well!" The guards bowed to their king and marched off.
"A princess, eh? I wonder what she's here for. It must be urgent if she came without a single heads-up." Morgana commented.
"She's a princess of Neirvenya….I hear they're queen is quite beautiful." Arthur said.
"Have respect, Arthur. This girl is the daughter of Queen Aliseph herself. I've met the woman; she's a force to be differentiated."
"Oh really? What is she like?" Morgana asked.
"She looks as young as you do Morgana and she's my age."
"Youth beyond her years?...It sounds like the work of magic." A fellow knight said.
"Ha ha ha…It isn't magic; it's the water they drink. Whenever you go to Neirvenya it looks no different than Camelot only everyone has either white or black hair and nearly everyone looks young…it's only the truly old people that look old. Nothing in that water is magic. The water runs through a grove of special mushrooms that have been long since picked or plucked."
"If the mushrooms have been picked wouldn't water lose its properties?" questioned Morgana.
"Let me finish, Morgana…It's not the mushrooms, those get eaten or fed to dogs. But it's the soil. The soil has certain unknown properties that work reservation in the flesh and bone of anything; it just seems like eternal youth because you get to look 20 well into your 60's. But after that, nothing."
"You seem to know a lot about this country, Father. Might I ask who this Aliseph was to you?" Arthur asked with a chuckle.
"She was a brilliant woman, very beautiful but she already had a husband…His name was Alexander Kiliya Neeve; I'll never forget that name for the rest of my life. When I was there, in Neirvenya, Aliseph was already pregnant with her daughters and your mother was already pregnant with you, Arthur. And besides Aliseph was already very in love with Alexander; she wasn't going to leave him for anyone, not even me."
"Well, Father, I'll take my leave for now and go attend to this princess."
"Be careful, Arthur."
"I will, Father."
Arthur took his leave and went into the city to find the princess of Neirvenya but elsewhere in the city, the princess was a bit distressed.
"Ugh! I've been in the castle for too long to not know an inn when I see one. Sigh…Where in the world will I live?" I groaned as I walked through plaza, not knowing where to go. But just then an apple fell down to my feet, I picked it up with caution.
"Hm?" I examined the apple that came out of nowhere.
"Oh! That's mine, ma'am." A young skinny man walked up to me and when he saw my face, he seemed to be confused and a bit dumbstruck. "Oh…hello, uhmm…My name is Merlin…it's good to meet you." The man named Merlin stuck out his hand for a shake. I shook his hand with honor.
"My name is Talithei; I'm a bit new here."
"I can tell. Umm you can keep the apple, we have plenty more…"
"Oh! Thank you!" I smiled gently at Merlin and he walked off, he looked back at me two or three times but he still left. I looked at the apple…That boy, Merlin…
"He can use magic…" I said under my breath as I took a bite from the apple. I looked at the city of Camelot in the sunlight. The bricks of each separate building having certain scratches and being covered with unique patterns of moss. Some were old and some were new, it was nothing like the city of Neirvenya. I mustn't think of Neirvenya right now…that place is none of my concern anymore…I'm from Camelot now, Neirvenya has no place in my heart anymore.
You see, I ran away from home because my mother is…so malevolent and catty. I was treated so cruel in Neirvenya, like a fool.
My hair would be longer but that evil woman cut it out of frustration. I was always treated so different in Neirvenya, I wonder why.
My name, Talithei, means daunting beauty and my face only proved the fact. My father once said 'you will never achieve peace, Talithei, for your face will not allow it.' I think him saying that has cursed me for good.
They say that only children of Aliseph can have the mark of the phoenix on their body but…this isn't a phoenix, it's just a messed up blotch. Maybe from a distance it resembles the crest but no…this is just something that I was born with.
A blotch on my arm, maybe it represents how my life will be…just a big blotch on life. Ugh…I'm being too negative; I'll shake it off and take my new life one step at a time.
That's right! I'm going to be happy now that my mother is out of the way! That's it! There's nothing more to say! I shall…PREVAIL!
As I ranted in my head, I had managed to trip into a man's armor and my forehead smacked straight into the back of armor.
"Ouch! Ugh! Watch your step, buddy!" I rubbed my little forehead, excessively as I waited for an apology.
The man turned around and looked at me; I was too busy rubbing my forehead to see him.
"Excuse you?"
"I said…Watch your step!" I looked up at the man and to my amazement, he was quite handsome. His dirty blonde hair framed his face lavishly, his eyes were as blue as the sky, his lips were dutifully pink and his skin was very beige and regal. I was practically speechless. He was so gorgeous…
"For your information, you ran into me first and if you watched where you were going then I wouldn't be wasting my time and words on you and maybe your head wouldn't be as big as a watermelon right now, but it was always like that, wasn't it?"
WHAT? How dare he? Who in the world does he think he is?
"How dare you?...I've never heard a man talk to a lady like that!"
"That may be true but I've never heard a woman talk so irrespectively to a prince of Camelot no less!"
I gasped. He's a prince? What kind of PRINCE talks to ANY woman like that!
"Well, if you had acted like a prince in the first place then maybe I would have been more pleasant with my words and wouldn't have to be so cross!"
"Wow, I didn't know women with such bad manners knew such BIG words like pleasant, cross or…Well." The prince's flunkies and knights laughed at his joke.
"I pity the woman that marries you, you uncouth, beastly savage! Hmph!" The men were amazed at my bravery, courage and…for being snippy with the prince. The prince was quite surprised at my boldness. I flipped my short black hair with sass and strutted back the way I came like a high and mighty cat. I didn't look back either.
"Excuse me,…I can't believe this." The prince said to his guard, with disbelief that I was even real. I laughed when I heard his comment. I didn't dare turn back. I wasn't going to apologize for what I said, I was right. If he had acted accordingly maybe I would've been more ladylike. Ugh, why does a man that cute have to be that evil? Why? Sigh…Stop thinking about, Talithei. You'll drive yourself monkeys and gorillas.
I looked at a flower bed that was on a window pane for a bit. I admired the flowers up so high in the air. But I made a mistake and turned around. The prince was nowhere around. Oh well I guess I was too much for him…I turned back where I was and there he stood.
"You seem to like to go to a fool's paradise often. Maybe that's why you bumped into me so recklessly."
I groaned and rolled my eyes.
"How about you drop it and go rescue a damsel or something." I walked past the egotistical prince who continued to follow me long after.
"Where are you going?" He yelled at me from afar.
"I'm looking for a place to stay!" I said with an enthusiastic grunt.
"Why? Are you a homeless animal or a harlot?" The prince chuckled and I turned back to him but stayed in the same spot.
"For your information, I ran away from home and ON FOOT crossed two countries to be where I am. My feet hurt, I'm low on money and apparently very irritable so if it's okay with your royal assness, back off!" I bunched my fist up at the prince as a taunt and walked away. He just laughed out loud making me quite angry. But I refuse to stoop to his level; I'll keep walking until I find a place to stay.
"You are quite the lively one, I'll give you that!" The prince chuckled, he continued. "Please I must know…what is your name? I must know!" The prince could barely contain himself. I stopped.
"Tell me your name first!"
The prince cleared his throat and responded to my wish.
"My name is Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot and Son of Uther Pendragon…now you."
"Arthur, eh?...My name is Talithei, I'm a normal woman from the country of Neirvenya." Arthur looked amazed and dumbfounded.
"You're the princess everyone is talking about?" Arthur asked. I just groaned. The king actually believed those guards? My goodness, talk about not in the know…
"No. But I am the Neirvenyian woman is talking about. Everyone thinks I'm a princess because of this blotch, see?" I showed the prince my birthmark and he was impressed.
"I bet as sly and slick you are, you told everyone you were a princess anyways."
"What? Why in the world would I do that?"
"With a birthmark like that, I think you could get away with anything…Like those clothes, where did you get them?"
"I made this dress for your information, your royal annoyingness." Arthur laughed at my resolve. I just snuffed him off whenever I got the chance.
"Well I have been ordered to bring you in to the castle…Come." Arthur put his arm out as if he was going to escort me…As god as my witness; I am going to strangle this pompous fool.
"Get away from me, you bastard ingrate!" I strutted away from the prince immediately only to have him grab my arm and try to drag me.
"Now don't be so stubborn, you will only go to say a greeting and be on your way!"
"No! I swear to god, I will battle you to the death!" I snatched away from Arthur and took his sword from his sheath. The civilians around us became worrisome and agitated. Men and women alike started shouting and cheering Arthur on; saying things like "Fight!" and "Kill her!"
Arthur then became very serious and took out his short sword.
"Drop the sword and behave or drop the sword and die…It really is your choice."
"I have things I need to do and nothing may shrink me away from my mission."
"And what mission is that?"
"To begin again somewhere new and live for myself no matter the consequence…I have been through too much to simply drop everything for one man."
"That one man is my father and you will have respect for him."
"If you don't remember me saying I walked on foot through two countries to where I stand now…I am too tired to think, speak; let alone address a king in formal manner. So save us both the embarrassment and leave me alone."
"The only person who will be embarrassed will be you, if you were to act up. And I'm willing to carry you there so please..." Arthur tried to walk to me but I pointed my sword his neck.
"If I win, then you have to help me find a place to stay, pay for it and leave me alone till tomorrow afternoon. And if I lose, then I'll come with you right now to see your father and get better acquainted, deal?"
Arthur sighed heavily and spun around knocking my sword away. I kept my eye on him, he prepared to elbow me in the jaw, and I ducked. As he recovered, I kicked him in the stomach as he fell back I took the sword from his hands and he was officially weaponless. He let out a painful grunt and an amazed look. I had taken his weapons with barely any struggle. I let out a chuckle and as did he.
"You should give up, you're outmatched!" He laughed and so did the crowd, I suppose he is more skillful then I originally thought. He picked up a broomstick and kicked the broom off of it.
"I'm not done yet…"
I flipped my hair and twisted the swords skillfully in my hands. I kicked off my slippers and put my feet in the hard and unkind dirt.
"I can move now…" I winked at Arthur, who took in another deep breath and attempted to plunge the stick at my mid-section, where I left it open purposely. I slid backwards and caught the stick in the hilt of the swords. I jumped over the stick and broke it in two with just my calf and thigh. I stepped back and got into my original position. The people were quite amazed at my skill, so was Arthur.
"Enough, you've proven your point. I give up." Arthur finally admitted his defeat. I smiled and stuck my tongue out. I turned around for departure like a fool.
Arthur then ran at me while my back was turned and attempted to kick me in the back.
Thanks to my cat like reflexes I spun around to my right and I then tried to stab Arthur in the rib with the short sword in my left hand.
Arthur was far quicker than I thought when he had caught the sword at my wrist and twisted it out of my hand. I gasped and tried to slash Arthur with the long sword in my right only to fail when he grabbed that wrist as well. I looked Arthur in the eyes and he smirked.
I tried to jerk away but it didn't work he was too strong; Arthur kneed me in the stomach making me lose all focus and nearly hit the ground.
Arthur picked me up and put me over his shoulder. I cursed at my defeat.
"You are good fighter, Talithei…Very flexible but flexibility isn't all that. You need to be fierce, agile and disciplined and above all else…very quick-minded. I'm sorry but you lose today, Talithei…You lose."
Arthur carried me all the way to the castle but he did not do so with me as quiet as can be. I threw verbal threats at him and various insults that made no sense but were very hurtful. I was kicking but not screaming because that would've caused too big a stir. But when we finally entered the palace it was nearly night-time and both Arthur and I were very tired and distressed. Arthur had the guards bring me new shoes and a dress. He dropped me in an unfamiliar room that was very regal and like it belonged to a beneficiary. He entered the room with me and began to undress.
"What are you doing?" I yelped.
"I'm getting out of my armor and into more suitable clothes. And I'm going to get you back for calling me savage." Arthur said as he took his shirt.
"ACK! I don't care if you get back at me, what I said was true!" I said as I covered my face from the seeing the prince's body.
"Oh, don't worry I'm only changing my shirt and shoes…you're not seeing anything that's less important than yourself."
"Oh okay…wait…HEY!" Arthur chuckled and ran out of the room. I attempted to leave with him but I was too late; for five handmaids came in and started to get me ready for my grand reveal to the king.
They washed my body, combed my hair, put barely any make-up on me, put me in a dress and shoes and last but least but a very pretty headband on my head.
I looked in a mirror and I looked rather stunning. My feet felt fine and I was quite riddled with energy.
The dress was dark blue with a white sash that tied up into a bow in the back; the dress had very short sleeves on it, the sleeves covered mostly my shoulders they were rather puffy and at the ends were white lace and ribbons. They put a diamond choker around my neck and a pair of pearl earrings that sparkled so nicely; I was put in blue silk slippers with wooden bottoms.
They put a corset on me which made my petite breasts look fairly bigger and it put some shape to my body…I guess it's okay.
I took a deep breath. It's now or never, Talithei. I sighed and I followed the guards who escorted me to the feast. I'll tell him I'm not a princess. I'll tell him I'm a just a girl…nothing more. Okay….Let's do this…
The guards opened the doors and let me in. The feast was quite rowdy. People were laughing, dancing, and singing and just being loud. I saw food, wines of all kinds, and then I saw the king talking and laughing with Arthur. A random man took sight of me and he was in awe. He walked up to me. I was a little amazed at him though. He had curly brown hair and these calm green eyes but he's nothing compared to Arthur...what in the world am I saying? This man is far better than Arthur! Get it together, girl!
"Hello, miss. I don't believe we've met. My name is Sir Cornelius Adam. I'm a knight of Camelot. And you are?"
I took in a deep breath and cleared my throat.
"My name is Talithei and I'm from Neirvenya. Maybe you've already heard of me…"
"That I have…The king is expecting you so…I'll speak with you later." Adam winked at me and went on his way. But when he left to his seat, the room was rather silent. Everyone was staring at me, I gulped.
"This is the Neirvenyian woman everyone is talking about then…You are no princess I hear. Is this true?" The king, Uther Pendragon, asked me a question. I could barely even speak; No, I couldn't open my mouth.
"Yes,….your highness. I am not…a princess." I let out a huge sigh from holding my breath.
"Tell me what brings you to Camelot then?...Were you sent by the queen?"
"No, sir…I'm not affiliated with the queen in anyway…I ran away from home…, sire."
"Yes, I heard that. Crossed two countries on foot, how long did it take you?"
"A few months…Every now and then I had to stop, find a job and gather money for the trip but…I made it."
"That's powerful resolve you have. Why did you choose Camelot as your destination?"
"Because…I heard my mother talking about Camelot and how prosperous and amazing it was…When I was little I often had dreams of coming here and having a family…a more…stable family."
"Oh really?...Does your mother know you're here?"
"She's not my real mother…and no, sir. She doesn't. I wouldn't have said ran away if she did."
The people chuckled and so did the king as he took a sip of his wine.
"I also heard you fought Arthur and put up amazing fight…Who taught you?"
"Uhm…My father, sire…He taught me the sword and such…"
"You took off your shoes and put your feet in the dirt…you said you could move now…Why was that?"
"My father taught me how to fight, true but…he taught me without putting shoes on me. We trained in dirtlands and I naturally became fast when on the bare ground. With or without shoes I'm quite skilled...Sorry to flatter myself." The people laughed but the king didn't.
"You nearly defeated my son…you call that just skilled. Arthur is the best swordsman and knight in Camelot and you fought him with no fear and no hesitation. You nearly killed him and that is why I am very furious…How my son could lose to a woman is beyond my comprehension." The woman next to the king who was fairly beautiful stood up.
"Sire, if I may be so bold this woman fought bravely and precisely because as she's said she's crossed two countries…on foot to be where she stands now. She must've been tired yet she fought at a most advantageous and amazing capacity, even though she probably wanted to drop to her knees. If anything you should congratulate her for her glorifying feat!"
"And what feat would that be, Morgana?" asked Uther.
"To fight a prince head on and nearly win." Morgana began to clap and soon the entire room applauded my bravery, I smiled and blushed. I wasn't used to so much praise.
"Fine then, I suppose you deserve some praise but that won't belittle the fact that you fought and nearly defeated a prince of Camelot. You shall be punished for this crime…but since you show so much promise and virtue, I will not give you death but 4 months in the dungeon."
The people were amazed and taken back by the king's ruthlessness…I didn't even SCRATCH Arthur! Oh my goodness, what will I do? I was on the verge of crying my eyes out but Arthur stood up with that stupid smirk on his face and walked over to me.
"Now, Father…Let's not be so rash…I like this girl, Talithei…Instead of letting her waste away in the dungeon, might I have your permission to have her as a…servant or handmaid of some kind?"
I widened my eyes at Arthur's proposal. I'd rather go to the dungeon than serve this codfish!
"But Arthur, you already have a manservant…You have Merlin."
"True but Merlin's been shirking his duties lately, I think maybe he needs some help. Keeping a young prince's room is difficult."
"Fine, I suppose it's alright. You should be grateful, Miss?"
"Oh! My name is Talithei, sir…"
"Talithei? Hm…From now on, your name shall be Tabitha, a name taken from a brave dame I once knew. She was brave, kind and could handle herself in battle nicely…and she had quite the attitude." The king took a sip of his wine while some of people chuckled.
"I tell by your face, that this isn't the way you can be…True you are kind and flattering now but that is only because you are in the midst of a king."
"That's true, father. Believe me from experience this woman has quite the mouth on her." Arthur said, I looked at the ground and slightly chuckled. I do have a way with words.
"I can see that, after this banquet you are to address Arthur as Sire or your highness. Is that understood, Tabitha?"
"Y-Yes, sir. " I nodded my head.
"Good then…Let the banquet commence." The king sat back and the people began to party again. They laughed and talked like nothing had even happened. Arthur pulled me aside and sat me down.
"I told you I'd get you back for calling savage." I smacked my teeth and rolled my eyes at Arthur, he chuckled mildly and left. Just then the knight, Adam, walked up to me.
"I see you're the handmaid of that brat prince Arthur, eh?" He said taking a sip of mead and bite of mutton.
"Yup…Now that I'm a servant, I'll never see any of this again…Funny. In Neirvenya, people use magic to do things all the time." I said only to have Adam cover my mouth quickly.
The room became silent.
"What was that?" Uther stood up in his chair and looked dead at Adam and me.
"S-she said that in Neirvenya, people use magic quite frequently, I was just telling her that you…cannot. Use. Magic here." Adam let go of my mouth and nodded at me.
"Is this true, Tabitha?" Uther asked with a new found sternness in his voice. I nodded. Uther sighed.
"Magic is forbidden in Camelot and if I ever hear you've used it, you will be killed with no hesitation. Are you a user of magic?"
"No, sir. My mother had the magic drained from my body when I was still an infant. I'm probably the only Neirvenyian you'll ever see without magic."
"Good…Is there anything else I need to know about you?"
"Well just because I have no magic, doesn't mean I can't still feel it's presence in certain places."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…Magic is more an energy than anything and…My body is an empty husk of magic so it sometimes yearns to feel its touch. But thanks to the queen's blessing put on me, I don't need magic to survive, I simply do." The king was amazed. My people are magical beings and never leave our city or home so it's amazing to even see my kind here.
"How do you know you have this blessing?" Morgana asked.
"It's right here…" I showed them my arm. "It may look like a simply birthmark but-"
"It's a phoenix! You said you weren't a child of Aliseph. A lie?"
"No! I'm not a child of Aliseph. If you look closer, sire…it is nothing but a mark…with no shape whatsoever."
"Hm…Continue with the banquet. And eat as much as you can, you'll need the energy." The king continued to eat and feast while Morgana and Arthur spoke.
"My goodness, you cause quite the stir whenever you talk." Adam said under his breath. He chuckled, making me laugh as well.
"I know…Gah! I must look like such a fool." I whispered to him.
"No, you looked very brave and smart. Camelot needs truer women like you…, Tabitha." Adam and I laughed at my new name and together for the rest of that banquet soon I and he were the only ones talking.
The guests decided to listen to our conversation but this was unbeknownst to Adam and me because we were having too much fun laughing.
We talked for hours so here's what I've learned.
You can't use magic in Camelot due to a certain incident that happened 20 years ago, Uther is the guardian of Morgana and Arthur is the crown prince of Camelot. Adam chuckled as I tried to round up things.
"Okay, so to be a knight of Camelot you must be of…royal lineage? So that's means you are?"
"Lord Adam Cornelius, son of Lady Erica James and Lord Adam Cornelius the fourth."
"You're the fifth?" I tilted my head.
"No, I am the sixth, actually. My older brother is the fifth we call him Corny and they just call me Adam." I giggled at Adam, who laughed and caught his breath. Adam and I slowly noticed the silence in the room.
"Dammit, I tried to be kosher…" Adam whispered to me, making me giggle silently.
"You were kosher…it's just…we are too loud together."
"Together..."
"Oh well…I didn't mean…"
"No it's okay…We are loud together." Adam blinked at me and laughed. Soon the banquet ended and people began to leave.
"Tabitha and Adam, may I see you for a moment?" Adam and I looked at each other with equally worried faces; we got up and walked to Uther.
"What was all that laughing about, if I may intrude?"
"Oh! I was just telling her some life stories and the rules of Camelot. She was telling me how her life was in Neirvenya and how her mother treated her. It's quite the tale you should hear it one day."
"I'll decide when I hear her life story, Adam. Tabitha, you'll be living with Gaius, my court physician, and Merlin-"
"But Uther, they're men…it's unsafe" yelped Morgana.
"Doesn't matter. She could stand up to me, I'm sure she could handle an old man and Merlin." Arthur commented. I was already tired. I don't mind.
"Well then…I'll escort Miss Tabitha and-"
"No, you won't. She can go by herself." Arthur interrupted Adam and ordered him to leave me.
"It's okay, Adam. I'm tired anyways. I'll take my leave now." I curtsied to the court and left. I looked at the moon in the already extremely dark sky. The stars twinkled lovingly. I felt a tear come down from my eye…
I'm to be the handmaid to the most sarcastic and devilish man I've ever met. I mind as well give up now…Arthur will never give me peace. Sigh…There's no changing it, Talithei. Just stay strong and don't let him shake you. He's just a man. Nothing more.
I walked full of pride to the Court Physician's ward. I knocked twice on the door. Nobody answered. I knocked twice again only this time a bit harder and that man, Merlin, to the door.
"So, we meet again…Tabitha."
"Hello, Merlin…" I entered the home. A man with white hair came. "Hello, my name is Gaius. I believe you were informed that you'll be living with us."
"Yes…Oh no, I left my normal clothes at the castle! I have nothing to wear!" I yelped. Merlin went to the back and brought out a few boxes.
"Sir Adam had some clothes delivered to you. They look very expensive." Merlin took out a few dresses and they were very pretty all of them were different colors and patterns, some were made from silk and others were pure cotton.
"I-I can't work in these! They'll be ruined and wasted."
"Hmmm...Do you know how to sew?" Gaius asked me.
"Oh of course, the dress I was wearing before this I had made."
"Oh really? Well then…here." Gaius gave me some blue and white cloth and a needle.
"Start sewing."
I nodded my head and went to the back room. I was going to make something from my situation. No matter what, I will not give up…I will not lose!
-Meanwhile, In Arthur's Bedroom-
I walked around the room for a while pondering what had occurred today. While my servants dressed me appropriately, I thought about that girl, Tabitha. I felt mysterious stirrings in my chest for her. I glared at the fireplace and saw her eyes in the flames…What am I thinking about her for? Have I gone mad? My servants left and soon after Morgana entered.
"What brings you here at this time of night?" I asked her.
"That girl, Talithei, when did you fight her?"
"This afternoon…She was quite skilled."
"What do you think of her?"
"What do I think?"
"Yes…"
"Hmm…She's very flexible and has nice footwork but she lets her guard far too quickly. That's the only reason why I was able to apprehend her so quickly."
"I'm surprised she took you on so easily."
"I'm not. From the moment she opened her mouth I knew she would be trouble…"
"Sir Adam seemed to like her."
"Like a fool but he'll learn how she is."
"How is she?"
"She's sarcastic, uppity, prideful and above all else quite annoying."
"Wow, she's like another you."
"Ha, maybe I and she belong together…"
"What?"
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"Oh…nothing."
"Arthur?"
"What is it?"
"Never mind…It was nothing." Morgana sighed and left the room. What am I saying? Me and Tabitha…together? How vulgar. How could I be with a simpleton like Tabitha? Besides, she's just a servant nothing more. But I must admit…those eyes of hers have a way of seeing right through me. Ugh, no matter I'll have to get her acquainted with how things work tomorrow. Maybe even teach how to properly respect a man. I laughed to myself and went to bed. Oh, Tabitha…we'll see how long you go against me…We'll just see.