4

Her eyelids felt heavy. With great effort, she opened them and began to observe her surroundings.

The first thing she realized was that she was in a bed, one far more comfortable than what she was used to sleeping in. Her eyes took note of the tall wooden posts and the sheer curtains around the canopy, each one tied to a post with a large bolt of silky material. Gingerly, her hands felt the sheets she was sleeping on.

They were soft, softer even than the ones used for Morgana. Slowly she sat up, giving the sudden rush of dizziness time to fall away. Leaning against the headboard helped, Gwen realized. Now that she was more comfortable, she looked in the room.

Decadent, Beautiful, Opulent…the room was exquisite. The linens were a beautiful cream color, which accented the golden brown curtains hanging on the window. Looking down, she noticed the thick fur rug. Filled with a desire to walk barefoot on it, Gwen stood, using the posts of the bed for support. Slowly she made it to the rug and sunk her feet in.

It felt wonderful.

She must still be asleep. It had to be a dream. Pinching herself, she quickly realized she was not. Looking down at herself, she realized she was only in a nightdress. Questions began filling her mind.

Where was she?

Where were her clothes?

What was going to happen to her? The last thing she remembered was being in the dark cart.

The door to the room opened, and all thoughts flew from her head.

A young maid walked in, carrying towels. She stopped mid stride when she saw Gwen.

"My lady, you're awake!" She cried. "Oh I must get Lady Isodole!" Before she could leave, a woman entered the room. She was taller than Gwen, with thick blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. The woman was full of energy and moved with such grace. When the lady saw Gwen standing, joy lit her eyes.

"It is good to see you up, Lady Gwen. You've been out of it for the past few days. My name is Isodole. I know we met initially under unusual circumstances. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling better, thank you for asking. It's nice to meet you Lady Isodole." Still feeling a bit overwhelmed, Gwen completely missed the inferences she was a lady.

"Since this is your first day up, why don't we have some food brought to you? You can sit at the window and get a bit of sun."

Gwen shook her head. Bring her food?

"That's too much trouble, milady, in fact"…Gwen paused as she looked around the room, "I can be placed in another room-"

"Nonsense," Isodole said. "Now this is Moira. She will be serving you while you stay with us,"

"What do you mean, serving me?"

Isodole laughed. "Why Gwen, Moira is an excellent handmaid." Understanding hit Gwen like lightning. She had to explain she wasn't a lady, but a servant.

"Lady Isodole, I am not anyone special, I'm just-"

"You're our guest, Gwen, and this is how we treat guests. Now Moira will help you freshen up and change you gown. Food will arrive shortly. Then I think you should rest a bit. We will explain all we know once you are rested. I'll see you later." She left the room before Gwen could say anything, shutting the door behind her.

Gwen stared at the door for several moments, her mind clearing as she processed the events that just occurred.

She was fairly certain she wasn't enslaved. Slaves weren't treated well.

These people thought she was of noble blood. Looking around her room, she knew that there was no way she'd be in such an opulent room otherwise.

For a moment, she wondered what to do. She didn't want to be removed from another place because she wasn't honest. After mulling it over a moment, she realized she'd do as the lady asked. When Lady Isodole returned, she'd explain everything. Looking over to Moira, she saw the servant looking to her for instruction.

This is strange Gwen thought to herself. She never had to tell someone else what to do. Realizing she still felt a bit weak, Gwen figured that asking for help would be a good idea.

"Moira?"

"Yes my lady?"

"Can you help me? I would love to take a bath." The maid nodded.

"Of course I'll help you bathe and change. You'll feel better afterwards."

Having a bit of help was wonderful, Gwen thought. The idea of help was foreign to her, as she was so used to doing things herself. After her bath and change into a fresh nightgown, Gwen ate a little food. After her meal, she realized Isodole was right. She was still tired. Climbing into bed, Gwen closed her eyes. Sleep claimed her easily, and for the first time in a long time, she slept soundly through the night.

When she awoke the next morning, the first thing she noticed as she turned to get out of bed was Isodole.

"Good morning Gwen," she greeted warmly.

Remembering her inner promise to speak the truth, Gwen said "My lady, I must speak to you. It's important."

"We'll talk later. Right now I'd like to give you a brief tour of Cornwall. It'll be good for you to get out and have some fresh air. You've been in this room far too long!" Her smile was huge and friendly.

Her enthusiasm was infectious. Smiling shyly Gwen nodded.

A little later, Gwen was dressed in the finest gown she'd ever worn and walking with Isodole. Cornwall was beautiful. The house was quite large, and the grounds included a mill, a falconry, stables, and training grounds. There were several outside practicing with swords, archery, hand to hand fighting, and other techniques. Gwen was astounded to see women practicing also. Isodole noted Gwen's shocked expression and said, "There are women who choose to train. They are just as capable of fighting as a man. Their strategy has to be different, that's all. I've been training for years."

Gwen turned to her in shock, seeing the feminine woman in her fine gown with new eyes. "You can do that?"

"I can. Knife throwing is my favorite thing to do."

Gwen was silent, astounded by what she heard. It was something else to see women practicing to improve fighting without being patronized by men. Briefly, she remembered arguing with Arthur so long ago about women fighting in Ealdor when they helped Merlin's village. It touched something within her to see it encouraged here. Watching the archery and crossbow, Gwen thought it would be interesting to learn. Isodole saw the interest in her eyes but chose to bring it up later.

"Let's have lunch. I want you to meet my husband, Tristan."

Gwen nodded and they headed into the main house.