Sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves above the small clearing where we played. Morgana, Arthur and I raced around on the grass and beds of leaves, watched by a seemingly humourless pair of guards. Arthur, in full armour, jumped over a log, shouting as he duelled and invisible enemy.
"Take that, sorcerer!" He yelled. "I will vanquish you, in the name of my father, King Uther! Magic is evil, and so are you!" Harsh words for a little boy. I thought as Arthur landed the final blow. He laughed with the joy of a child.
"Come one Gwen, play with me. I have to save you from the evil sorcerer!" Arthur pleaded for me to join his game. Morgana stood by Arthur's side using a stick for her sword, since Uther had forbidden her to have one.
"We have to save you from the evil sorcerer." Morgana glared at the prince. It was an ongoing war between the two of them as Arthur believed that girl's were meant to read and sew and embroider, not fight.
"I told you, you should be the princess because you're a girl. Girl's can't fight bad guys."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
Morgana drew herself to full height, her entire 10 year old frame nearly as tall as Arthur. "I challenge you to a duel, Arthur Pendragon. Prove that girl's can't fight."
Arthur was flabbergasted. "I can't fight a girl." He replied. He twirled his small sword in circles, the same one he had received 2 years before at his birthday ceremony.
"You scared to fight me, Arthur?" She taunted him, poking her stick in his stomach. He flinched.
"I am not scared. Fine, I'll fight you. If I win-"
"You won't." Morgana interrupted confidently.
He glared at her. "If I win, you admit that girls belong inside the castle and leave the fighting to me."
She scowled angrily. "And when I win, you'll admit that girl's can fight, and let me use your sword and armour for a week."
"But father said-" She cut him off.
"Deal?"
"Deal." The reply was made grudgingly, and they shook hands. "You be the judge Gwen." I nodded. I knew that neither of them really knew how to fight, because the closest they had gotten to training was hanging out around the yards where the knight's practiced. Arthur picked up a stick to make the duel fair and without warning, Morgana lunged. Arthur jumped back, surprised. Then he swung wildly for her shoulder. She stepped out of the way. They continued on like this for a few more minute, mostly avoiding each other's strike. Finally Morgana got a lucky hit, smacking his fingers hard enough to make him yelp and drop his "sword".
"I won, I won!" She danced around the clearing much to the amusement of our guards.
"I let you win." He said sullenly, rubbing his knuckles. Morgana raced off toward the castle, anxious to share her victory with anyone who would listen. Arthur grumbled after her kicking at tufts of wild flowers that peeked out of the ground. Clearly he was upset about his loss.
"Arthur." He turned to me, glaring. I spoke quietly so no one would hear me. "Come on, I know you let her win. This way, she'll stop bothering you about borrowing your things as much. She's just a kid." I conveniently forgot the fact that she was only a year younger than us.
His face brightened. "Yeah, you're right. And I did let her win." He picked one of the flowers that hadn't been mangled by his foot. "Here." He put it behind my ear, then turned red and ran after Morgana. I touched the flower. Then it occurred to me that maybe he was so upset because he wanted to impress me. I brushed the thought away. What would the Crown Price want with a servant?