~*A/N: Oh ho, dear readers, this chapter has a little bit of everything. A little romance, a little humor, and even some action. Please review, you wonderful people, because I know you're reading, I know it. I can see it. So, take a second out of your busy day to let me know what you think! Please enjoy chapter seven!*~
"The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost." – G.K. Chesterton
~*~
Kassia sat cross-legged in her desk chair, staring at the blank piece of parchment in front of her. Uther had asked her to sing again, and she'd agreed before she had anything ready. Sure, she always had songs in her head that she was working on, but those were a bit out of the time. And by "a bit", she meant they would require electric guitars and a full drum kit to make any sense.
Speaking of things that didn't make sense… the sounds from the training pitch floated through her window. Throwing her quill onto the desk in frustration, she uncrossed her legs and moved to sit in the casement. From the location of her room, she could see down to the field, but not very well. Enough, though, so that she could make out the figures moving about. Kassia found herself leaving her chambers and strolling to the walkway on one of the outer walls just above the grounds. She leaned against the stone and sighed at the knights below.
She liked Sir Lucan. He was a good man, and he cared about her. She could get used to being treated like the princess she was pretending to be, too. But, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to care about him the way he cared about her. She felt guilty because of it, but she knew she shouldn't.
Then there was Arthur. While she'd thought he was just a pretty face with an inflated ego at first, she was starting to see what Merlin meant by a good man. He was becoming the man that she would know years from now when her mother would read his story to her at bedtime. Unlike with Lucan, she felt the attraction, and it drove her insane. Arthur was the absolute last person she should have feelings for. Completely at the bottom of the list. Hell, he wasn't even on the list!
But there it was. She knew that if he said the word, she'd be putty in his hands. That wasn't good, but she couldn't change the way she felt. And with the way that the prince had been acting, she was pretty sure he felt the same. It scared her, because she wasn't sure what would come of it. She didn't know if her existence in Camelot was going to change everything in the future or not. So far, that hadn't happened to her knowledge, so she should be pretty good, especially since all the stories she'd known were just a bit off.
Kassia continued watching the knights. She was getting better with a sword, enough that she felt she could do some damage if she'd really wanted to. She knew that she was all right with a bow and arrow, but she wanted to see if she could improve upon that later. Today, though, that wasn't on her agenda. She thought about going back to her room until she saw Arthur looking at her. Embarrassed to be caught, she blushed, but stayed where she was, raising her hand in a sort-of wave at the prince below.
Arthur smiled at her. So did Lucan, who thought she was looking at him. Kassia swallowed. She really hoped that she would get herself sorted out soon. Arthur was giving directions again to his men, and she noticed that both he and Lucan were carrying themselves a bit taller now that she was there. It made her smile at how they were trying to be impressive.
"How're they doing down there?"
Morgana stood next to Kassia, following her line of sight.
"Alright, I suppose. I mean, I feel safe, if that counts for anything."
"It does, since you're our indefinite guest here." Morgana watched Arthur as well. "You know, he does care a great deal about you."
"Who?"
"Oh, you know who I'm talking about, Kass. Arthur's completely smitten, and you're more than aware of that."
"So? It's not like I can do anything about it. He hasn't actually said anything about it to me, and Lucan would make that a bit complicated, in case you forgot."
"Then remove the complication."
Kassia looked at Morgana. "Do you ever think before you speak?"
"Yes, actually, and I still say that if you and Arthur are drawn to each other, don't let something silly like a knight get in the way of that. Just tell Lucan that you've grown tired, and that will be that. Arthur has the right by rank, not to mention by your heart, to pursue you, and it would be silly for you to ignore that."
"Why are you being so supportive of that?"
"Because you're my friend, and I want to see you happy. And if that means Arthur, then I'm all for it. Besides, I think you two would be good together."
Kassia pondered this. Morgana was up to something, but she wasn't sure what. She thought back to what she'd mentioned earlier. "And what if Lucan doesn't back down as easily as you think he will?"
The raven-haired lady visibly paled and her eyebrows furrowed. "Why wouldn't he?"
"Morgana, is there something you're not telling me?"
"Of course not. Why would you think that?"
"No reason; forget it." She let it drop with how scared Morgana looked. Kassia looked back down at the grounds and watched Arthur. If she hadn't changed anything yet, then maybe it would be okay to do a bit more than just be friendly to everyone.
"So Uther said you'll be singing for us again after that last performance; is that true?"
"Mmhm. I have nothing ready, though, so this could be tricky; especially since he wants me to sing at dinner tomorrow."
"What? That's absurd. And you're writing the music yourself?"
"Yes ma'am. I'm thinking of just telling him not to expect anything from me, and to give me some more time. Maybe I can dance for my dinner instead."
"Well, you could…" Morgana leaned her back against the wall, facing inward toward the castle. "I mean, you could always offer a demonstration of a dance from your lands. I'd like to see that, for one."
Kassia laughed. "'Gana, how most people our age dance where I'm from is hardly appropriate. Hell, even I don't care for it most of the time."
"Oh, come on, it'd be fun! For me?" Morgana put on her I-always-get-what-I-want-so-don't-try-to-fight-me face and stared at her friend until she sighed in defeat.
"Oh, fine, why not. But only if you tell Uther."
"Consider it done. He loves what he keeps hearing about your country. I think he's hoping to make an alliance with your father by taking you in."
"I'd be shocked if he wasn't. And I'm sure that my father would be more than happy to consider Camelot an ally in the future."
"Of course. So, I'll go talk to Uther now, if you'd like. Will you need a dance partner?"
"Probably; I was just going to-"
"Oh, don't worry; I'll take care of that."
"But you don't know what I'm going to be doing!"
"Don't worry about it!" Morgana hurried off the wall and back inside the castle, leaving Kassia to shake her head at the lady. She was going to drive Kassia insane, that was for sure. She turned back to watch training as it finished. Arthur had dismissed most of the knights, and was still talking to Sir Kay as they all left the field to attend to other duties. As the last knight left, Arthur smiled back up at her. Her heart seemed to like spending time in her throat lately when it came to the blonde and his blinding smile.
She returned the smile and headed back to her chambers. She suddenly had the urge to write, which was good. If she ever got home, she would have a ton of new material to run past the boys for their next record. Otherwise, well, she was going to need to convert it to something to play around these parts. She returned to her position from earlier, scribbling out lyrics and notes on a piece of paper.
It was in this position that Morgana found her later when she informed her of Uther's excitement at seeing a dance from 'Mallinor'. She also said that she's found Kassia a dance partner, but wouldn't say who. In fact, all she did was tell her a time and place to be in the morning and disappear from the room.
Kassia laughed at her new friend. Morgana was absolutely insane, far more than she had expected. She would fit in well with twenty-first century women. She was a spitfire, and refused to conform to any predetermined ideas for how a lady in her position should behave. She liked that.
She also realized that she had a fairly good idea who her dance partner was going to be, and groaned. Tomorrow was going to be a pain in her ass if that were the case. She'd be too busy trying to stay upright to get anything done. Still, she started thinking about a dress to wear, and busied herself with planning an outfit. She'd never felt as girly in her life as she did right at that moment. Sure, she liked dressing up as much as the next girl, but this was excessive for her.
Kassia looked at the white dress she'd grabbed. The bodice was striped in two shades of red, as was the petticoat that peaked out from the white. The sleeves were a bit lacier than she might have liked, but pretty enough. She placed the dress on the back of a chair, along with the head scarf that matched the sleeves. She chose to turn in early, knowing that tomorrow was going to be one of the longest days she'd spent in Camelot.
~*~
Kassia stood in the great hall with only a couple of the men from her newly-formed house band. She was as nervous as she could possibly be; terrified that she would mess up while trying to teach a style of dance that wouldn't be invented for a very long time. She'd arrived early to give the musicians some directions and music they would need to play in order to keep time properly. She'd told them that they would have plenty of time to relax, because she and her partner would be spending a lot of time without music. However, she still wanted them to know what they were doing when it came time.
Right on schedule, her dance partner entered the room. Arthur looked a bit confused, but his face lit up when he saw Kassia. Well, just a bit. He crossed the room, smiling at her when he was close enough.
"My lady."
"Arthur, I thought it might be you. Did you volunteer, or did Morgana volunteer you?"
"The latter, but I didn't really put up a fight. You said it yourself that I'm an excellent dancer."
"I did, didn't I? Okay, gents," she turned back to the band, "I shouldn't need you guys for, oh, about two hours? I know you know this piece, so come back then. Thank you!"
The musicians left the great hall, leaving Arthur and Kassia completely alone. The two stood there awkwardly for a minute before Kassia turned to the prince. She couldn't let this be too weird, because disappointing Uther was not on her agenda for the day.
"Okay, so we're going to do something that most people don't do anymore where I'm from, at least not in our age bracket. It's called a waltz."
"Why don't they do it in your country anymore?"
"Because people our age are too busy fornicating with their clothes on. Well, they aren't, really, but it's the best way to describe what they call 'dancing' where I'm from. Remind me to show you sometime," she said playfully. She mentally kicked herself for it as soon as the words left her mouth. That was not something she'd intended to say at all.
"Right, so, um, line dances aren't a common occurrence in Mallinor, just so you know. We partner up, and stay in close proximity to that person. Waltz is in three-four time; I don't know if that means anything to you."
Arthur shook his head, removing his jacket and laying it on a chair to the side. Kassia went on about how dances in 'Mallinor' differed from Camelot, about the time, and just generally rambled while her eyes stayed focused on the prince.
"Okay, so, put your right hand on my waist."
"Pardon?"
"You heard me; I want you to put your right hand on my waist. Come on, this isn't that difficult, Arthur."
The prince stepped forward, following her directions. She slid his hand to the correct position and adjusted his left arm to where she needed it to be, then placed her left arm on his shoulder. Ignoring the fluttering in her stomach, she explained how they should be moving.
"So basically, we're going to make a box. Think you're up to leading?"
Arthur smirked. "I think I can handle it."
"Okay, then. And one, two, three, one, two three-"
They started to move, until Arthur stepped on her foot.
"Sorry!"
"It's fine, really. That's going to happen a lot. Want me to walk through the steps again?"
"No, I'll get it this time."
Kassia smiled, moving back in front of Arthur. The pair continued like this for the next hour-and-a-half, alternating between offended feet, arguments, and the occasional advancement in the lesson. They had butchered the dance sufficiently for far too long, but had finally made some semblance of what it should look like.
"Would music help you with this, Arthur?"
"I'm not going to look like an idiot in front of the help just yet, thank you."
"Fine, they won't be back for a while yet, anyway. I'll provide some music, how about that?"
Kassia pulled Arthur back into position and started humming. They began moving, far better than they had before, and she added lyrics to the tune.
"We are the lucky ones
We shine like a thousand suns
When all of the colour runs together
I'll keep you company
In one glorious harmony
Waltzing with destiny forever
Dance me into the night
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Turning me into the light."
Arthur turned Kassia like she'd mentioned before, feeling infinitely more confident in his movements then when they'd started. She smiled at him as they continued; their movements were far more fluid than before.
"Time dances whirling past
I gaze through the looking glass
And feel just beyond my grasp is Heaven
Sacred geometry
Where movement is poetry
Visions of you and me forever
Dance me into the night
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Turning me into the light."
Three figures lurked just outside the great hall, trying to see inside through the cracked door.
"Ouch! You stepped on my hand!"
"Sorry, Merlin."
"Oh hush, both of you." Morgana leaned over the two servants to get a better view, grinning like a madwoman. "They look so cute."
"It didn't sound that cute an hour ago," Merlin commented, receiving a smack to the back of the head from Gwen. "Ow!"
"Ssh! They'll hear us."
The trio craned their necks as best they could, beyond amused with the prince and princess dancing inside the room. Morgana remembered her dream, and found herself biting her lip in hopes that the scene would finished as she wanted it to.
Neither Arthur nor Kassia knew that they were being watched. Not only were they concentrating on the steps, but Arthur had his eyes fixed on Kassia's and held them while she proceeded with the song.
"Dance me into the night
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Let the dark waltz begin
Oh let me wheel - let me spin
Let it take me again
Turning me into the light."*
They stopped spinning in the center of the room as the song finished, but didn't move away. Kassia was sure that he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, but if he did, he didn't make mention of it.
"Looks like we're in pretty good shape." The words fell from her lips not far above a whisper.
"I guess so," he breathed.
Arthur's grip tightened ever so slightly around her waist and hand as he lowered his head towards hers. Kassia's eyes fell closed the closer he got.
There was a knock on the door, stopping the two before their lips met. They froze where they were for a moment, coming out of their own little world. Kassia lowered her gaze and bit her lip, begrudgingly leaning slightly back.
"Come in," Arthur growled, obviously irritated that his plans had been thwarted.
The musicians entered cautiously and set up at a smile from Kassia. The pair stood apart from each other until they needed to practice again, trying to keep the tension as thin as possible.
Morgana cursed under her breath. They were so close! Merlin and Gwen also sighed, disappointed that they wouldn't have blackmail on the two after all. The trio rose from the floor and walked back towards Morgana's room.
"You owe me money, Merlin."
"What?" Morgana turned around as Merlin handed over several coins to Gwen, obviously irritated.
"Sorry, milady; Merlin and I had made a bet on how that would end, and I had said they wouldn't kiss. So, um, he owed me money."
Morgana laughed. "I wish you'd let me in on the bet. It could have been fun. Perhaps another time. I'll let you two know how dinner goes, then, shall I?"
Merlin took that as his queue to return to his room, while Gwen followed her mistress inside her chambers. Morgana sat down at her vanity and began brushing her hair while Gwen busied herself with tiding the room, even though it was already as clean as possible.
"Gwen, we have to get Arthur and Kassia together."
"This again, milady?"
"Of course; I told you, they're so right for each other! She told me herself that she would prefer Arthur to Lucan any day, but she cares about the knight too much to break his heart. And of course, Arthur is clueless in how to woo a woman, no matter what he says. Sure, girls fall in line for him, but he's never had to work for it before. Therefore, we need to step in and help them out."
"'We', Morgana? You can't possibly think that we can do anything for them."
"What's so wrong with that? Nothing major, but I think we could nudge them in the right direction."
"And by 'nudge', you mean 'push them off a cliff.'"
"Of course." Morgana smiled gleefully at the prospect of setting up her two friends. She knew that she could see the future; the Druids had explained that much to her ages ago. She also knew that if she wanted the future to play out like she saw, it was going to take a little initiative on her part to make it happen. And this was something she would do gladly.
~*~
Arthur guided Kassia around the floor at dinner while Uther, Morgana, and several courtiers watched carefully. They moved in perfect rhythm with each other, and it was plain that they both looked happy. Some would even say that they fit together perfectly. The music came to a gentle end, and the pair stopped spinning. The table clapped, and the prince placed a kiss on his partner's hand. They were then asked to break down the steps so that everyone else may learn as well.
After the dance break in the middle of dinner, everyone returned to their seats and continued chattering away through dessert. Morgana squeezed Kassia's hand under the table and smiled at her friend.
"Your country is fascinating, Kassia," Uther commented with a smile.
"Thank you, Uther. I think the same of Camelot; I find something new around every corner."
"Truly you are a credit to your kingdom. I speak for all of Camelot when I say that for as long as you'd like, you are welcome here, and you have the full protection of our knights."
"You're very generous, Uther, and I thank you for it. I'm sure that my father will be more than happy to repay you for the kindness you've shown me since I've been here."
What was left of the meal past with mostly mindless chatter. The courtiers retired first, leaving the royal family and their guest to say goodnight to each other. Kassia and Morgana departed together, but not before Arthur said goodnight.
"Can I see you later," he whispered in Kassia's ear.
"Yeah, of course; I'll come by your room in an hour."
She walked back toward her room with Morgana and told her friend what Arthur asked.
"And I didn't even need to prompt him."
"Morgana, are you trying to set me up?"
"What, how could you think such a thing?"
Kassia gave her friend a knowing look. Morgana sighed, opening her bedroom door. She sat down in one of the chairs with the brunette next to her. The two talked about Arthur for a while, along with Lucan, and what Kassia was supposed to do.
"You two just need to snog already and start a legitimate relationship. This thing you have with Lucan, I'm just not a fan of it."
"But you said you liked him!"
"I do, but I like you and Arthur better; wouldn't you?"
"Well, yeah-"
"There. That's what you do about it. Now go get out of that dress, slip into something irritable, and make Arthur work for it."
Kassia laughed and followed Morgana's orders. Once back in her room, she pulled out a dress with a white bottom, dark blue bodice, and a long, flowing lavender jacket of sorts. She didn't know why she was following Morgana's advice on that part; she and Arthur just needed to sort some things out. But she did say to make him work for it, and she knew he fancied her at this point, so perhaps it wasn't such a silly thing to be doing.
The bell tower rung the next hour, and, once she felt presentable, Kassia walked into the hall towards Arthur's room. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, which he opened after only a second.
"Hey," he smiled."
"Hey yourself. Are you going to let me in, or should I stand in the hall all night?"
Arthur moved to let her inside, closing the door behind her. They both stood by the fire and looked at the flames for a minute before Kassia came back to reality.
"So, you wanted to see me?"
"Yeah." He leaned against the mantle.
"…Was it about anything in particular, or do you just like having me around?"
"Yes; I mean, I wanted to talk to you about something. I like having you around, too, but that's not why-"
"I understood you the first time, Arthur." She smiled. "Be blunt, please."
Arthur looked back at the fire for a while, taking several deep breaths. When he looked back at Kassia, his eyes were intense, and frankly, she couldn't tell if she was scared or if she found it attractive.
"Kassia, I've never met anyone like you before. You drive me crazy, every minute of every day. Sometimes I'm frustrated with the way you act, and how you make my life difficult. Then other times, I'm fascinated by you, and I think about you all the time. I care about you a great deal. I think that's fairly obvious. I need to know if I'm wasting my time by deluding myself into thinking you feel the same."
She knew this was coming. She'd just been talking about their feelings earlier, and he'd made it more than clear that morning when he almost kissed her. Still, hearing the words come from his mouth was strange, almost out of place. But the answer was obvious. She'd be lying if she said anything different.
"Arthur, you aren't deluding yourself, I promise. I care about you so much that sometimes it scares me."
"Then why are you with Lucan?" The jealously in his voice was more than evident.
She thought for a moment. "After that first night, I got the impression that you were just a royal prat, and I couldn't be bothered with you if that was who you were. So, when Lucan wanted to court me, I had no objections. You and I both know that he's a good man, Arthur, but we also know that he's no you. He could never be you. And yes, you can be a prat, and pigheaded, and boorish; but you're also kind when you want to be, and noble, and just, and everything that Camelot could want in their future king. Everything that I could want in a man. In you."
Silence fell between them for a moment, and Kassia felt the need to fill it again.
"If you wanted me to, I'd probably jump from a cliff; please don't ask me to do that, though. I can't say that I love you, Arthur, but I've never felt so strongly about anyone, ever. All you have to do – all you've ever had to do – is say the word and I'm yours."
He stared at her, amazed that her words reflected exactly how he felt. A wave of happiness and relief swept over him. Nothing had put him on edge more in his life than what she thought of him. Arthur stepped closer, the words she wanted right on his tongue.
The glass in the window shattered. The pair whirled around as a grotesque creature with wings swept into the room. It snarled, looking at them with dark eyes. Horns, a demonic tail, fangs, claws…Kassia knew what it was, and didn't like where this was going.
Arthur stood in front of her, looking for his sword. It was on the other side of the room, between him and the creature. He lunged for the weapon, but the creature was faster, knocking Arthur to the side.
"Arthur!" Kassia called, looking at the creature in terror. She refused to be classified as a damsel-in-distress, but with the way the creature was looking at her, it was a bit difficult to find her bravery. Still, she swallowed and went after the sword that had been knocked closer to her in the process.
The creature struck again, wrapping a clawed hand around her waist. Kassia screamed, kicking the sword closer to Arthur, who was coming out of a daze. He grabbed the weapon, but it was too late. The beast was halfway out the window with the girl in its hand. He ran to the window to try and stop them, but couldn't.
"Kassia!" he called after her.
"Arthur!" She fought against the grip of the creature as it flew away. "Arthur, help me! It's a gargoyle!"
That was the last coherent thing that he heard as the beast flew off into the night sky.
The doors to Arthur's room burst open half a second later with knights and Uther; Merlin was somewhere in the background, confused as hell.
"What was that?"
"Kassia…she was taken."
"What?"
"This…magical creature, it broke in here and took her. She's gone." Arthur balled his fists in his hands. "She said it was a gargoyle."
*Dark Waltz by Hayley Westerna
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