Finally GCSEs are over and I can update properly. I'm so jealous of my friend Sami. She got to meat the cast at MCM Expo. Did anyone else go? Damn I hate her!

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Arthur Pendragon, prince of Camalot, all 13 years of him stopping at the sight of the little girl curled up in the hay.

FLASHBACK

"Huh," Arthur stopped mid kick, tumbled to the floor and looked at Morgana while caught tangled in his own clothes.

"You keep up in all the exercises, you're a brilliant strategist and you could best a good number of them in a fight even though you're half they're size." Morgana tried not to laugh at the hopeful expression on Arthur's face. Should she tell him she was lying?

The look disappeared from Arthur's face. His detangled himself quickly and held his head high. "Of course, I'm their prince."

Morgana didn't have the heart. "Just don't tell anyone."

Arthur nodded. "I'm ready."

END FLASHBACK

Arthur stopped. What to do? The IT he's d been told about was a little girl. Uther said that sorcery came in many forms. This was probably and old hag disguising herself. Trying not to let it show that his sword hand was shaking he approached with it held out.

"What are you?" He felt compelled to ask.

The reply was too quiet to hear. Despite the protests behind him, Arthur moved closer. "Please. Prince Pendragon keep away," the voice was low. But it was still just a girl. A young girl.

Arthur didn't know what to do. Eventually he settled on "What is your business here, child."

"I have no one. I am cursed." Finally curiosity took Arthur completely. The girls face was shadowed by her hood but Arthur was sure he could see vague features. He let his sword clatter loudly on the floor and signalled for the other knights to back away. Crawling on his hands and knees, he approached until he was almost face to face. Underneath the hood he could see plain clear skin of the girl's neck, slender, too skinny, starved.

"I won't hurt you. I just want to see your face. What's wrong? Why do you keep it up?" Arthur kept his voice soft, like he would with a frightened animal.

Hurriedly, with more haste than Arthur had thought she had in her, she backed away a few metres until her back was to the far wall. She averted her face further. "No one must see my face, or they will die."

Arthur repeated something his father had once said to him, "Magic doesn't affect me. I'm royalty." He moved closer until he was in front of the girl. Firmly he turned the girl's face to towards him. She protested only a little, but did not struggle as Arthur pulled her hood off.

Solemnly, she averted her eyes. But Arthur still couldn't express his thoughts. He'd expected something, any sign of witchcraft. Instead he was face to face with a terrified baby angel.

She was only six or so. But that was based on a starved and stunted body. Her hair was blond, wavy and, like the rest of her body, disappeared into her cloak. The pale gaunt face, made her features stand out even more. She had lips that were cracked and blooded red. Her nose was straight and her cheekbones her sharp compared to her face. But it was the eyes that terrified Arthur. They were bright green, ethereal. Strangely, seeing her hair was so blond, her eyelashes were dark and long.

Slowly, he realised the girl was crying. "Please sir. You shouldn't have. I don't want you to die. I killed the Prince." Her sobs were quiet but her body began to quiver with fear.

How could she be cursed? Arthur forced her face to look at him again. His face was kind, his mind made up. "You're safe here. There is no curse. Come with me, I'll take care of you."

Suddenly she became livid. "It's the face no," she demanded. Arthur didn't know what to say. "Would you think the same if I had warts and squinty eyes? If I was an old woman instead of a child? Don't you SEE?! It's the magic. The magic makes me look like this. So that people can trust me." Her voice began to crack. "So I can kill them..."

Suddenly the girl hugged Arthur hard. Buried her face in Arthur's neck and cried like the little girl she was. This set Arthur's mind completely and without doubts. He was taking her to the castle to talk to his father.

He would understand, he had to.

Arthur insisted she walk with her hood off. He had to bend a little to hold her hand but she looked so scared he couldn't help it. Besides, she kept trying to bury her face in Arthur's leg and hide behind him. She was only a little girl, not cursed, not a monster. Just a little girl told she was cursed and still petrified of her own shadow even after a good meal and wash.

Silently, blank faced and slightly bored, Uther listened as Arthur once more tried to convince his father to let the girl stay.

"She has nowhere else to go," he insisted. Pathetic desperation tinged his voice.

The King pretended to consider it, "well Morgana will need a personal maid," he replied slowly.

Arthur's face became blotchy with rage, "She's a CHILD!!" For the first time ever, Arthur dared shout at his father.

Uther's face was still blank. "Excuse me," he replied in a deceptively calm, controlled voice.

Arthur backtracked sharply, the words spilled out of his mouth, "It would give the wrong impression to the people, Morgana using a child as a servant."

But Uther was decided, magic, even those only accused of it, could not be allowed in Camalot. The child would be taken to the outskirts of his realm, left there for the gods to do with as they willed. "Have you considered the shadow hanging over the child?"

"The soldiers were poisoned and the culprit caught and punished," Arthur was still being wary though. Good boy. "There is no real link with the girl."

"The kitchen refused to serve her..."

"Until the cook met her, and realised her error," Arthur swiftly countered.

Uther suddenly changed his mind on a whim. He'd meet the girl for himself. He would meet her and decide for himself whether to and how to keep her. "Then bring her here."

From within, Arthur smiled. This was exactly what he's wanted, once Uther saw the little girl he would thaw.

And it would have been perfect if the little girl had stuck to the script. Well, one can't help their name can they?

"Her name is Creirwy." Uther's head snapped up and his face contorted.

Eventually he hissed "What did you say?"

"Please sir. It's what they call me." The voice was soft and the lisp was heavier than it had been in the morning. Ceri had refused to take her hood down, insisted it covered her face and instead looked like a miniature ghoul in her dark tattered cloak. Beautiful yet ravaged.

Uther pushed himself of his throne heavily and desperately peered at Ceri's face under her hood. Frustrated, and not caring if he hurt her, he ripped the whole cloak from her. For the first time, Uther spluttered as he searched for something to stay.

His reaction was completely different from Arthur's. Instead of being filled with wonder, his heart slowed. The King's face became grey and he was staggering.

"Go," he whispered, hoarse.

Arthur didn't wait. He grabbed Ceri's hand and they almost ran backwards to the door.

Morgana was waiting on the other side. She grabbed at Ceri as if to check that she was still alive. After hugging her tightly and without letting go she looked up at Arthur. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say no..."

Morgana released Ceri and frowned. "Well we have to get her settled in and showing her face around the castle. If Uncle Uther can get used to her, then he'll be less likely to change his mind."

"Where's she going to stay?" Arthur wasn't comfortable hugging Ceri the way Morgana was. She looked so possessive. Like a mother. He was content just keeping an eye on her.

"In my room," the reply was quick and non negotiable. Morgana was already leading Ceri away.

Arthur ran after them and grabbed Ceri's other hand. "She can't stay in your room. That's the other side of the castle!"

Morgana smirked at him. "We'll she can't stay in yours."

But Arthur was the Prince and what he said was final. "The rooms next to mine are free, she'll be staying there." He showed it. He knew it. Ignoring Morgana's bristling he knelt on front of Ceri. His Angel Ceri. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

Ceri beamed at him with one of her teeth missing. She was adorable. With her wavy hair and huge eyes Arthur suddenly realised that he couldn't imagine life without her. As the adoration on his face showed, Ceri's face darkened. But Arthur was so far gone that he didn't notice.

"I say we get a maid to change your clothes and get us some food."

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