A/N: Sorry if there is a lot of spelling and grammar errors in this chapter. I'm still waiting for my new glasses so my proof reading isn't that great when I can't see properly. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

I heard something clang on the floor of my chamber and let out a groan. "Come on, Merlin, do you really have to make so much noise first thing in the morning?" I moaned, rolling over in the bed and shoving my head under the pillow. That was something I hadn't done in a long time, not since before my parents had died.

I heard him chuckle a little and make a little more noise in the room. "Arthur's waiting for you to get up. You're meant to be heading out soon." He told me, making sure to keep the noise going.

"Well he can keep on waiting. I rush for no one." I mumbled into the pillow. For some reason I just didn't want to get out of bed. It was comfy and warm and I had no desire to move my backside any time soon.

"You do remember he is the prince? And your brother will probably help him to get you up and out of bed." My warlock friend reminded me.

"Yeah? Well, let them try." I told him, finally pulling my head out from under the pillow and looking over at him. He was busy cleaning up the mess that Arthur and I had left the night before.

After eating, and talking for a while, Arthur and I decided to have a little duel, with whatever we could get our hands on. I felt like a little kid, pretending that a stick was a sword and that the pillow I was holding was a shield. We had fun, made a mess, which we decided would give Merlin something to do.

"Would you like me to go and tell them that you wish for them to come and try to get you out of bed, Lady Isabella?" He asked, a smirk on his face.

I looked over at him, trying to get rid of that last little haze in my head from waking up. "You can tell Prince Arthur of Camelot that I rush for no one. Not even him, and if the dear prince doesn't like that then tough." I said, before throwing the covers over my head, blocking out the morning light.

"You really should be getting up now, Isabella." Merlin called to me, before leaving the room.

I let out a sigh as I yanked the sheets back down. The sunlight was streaming in through the windows and the sky was rather clear. It looked like it was going to be a nice, sunny day in Camelot, a change from the bitter cold weather that we had been having.

After a few minutes I ended up jumping out of the bed and quickly got dressed. Merlin had left a fresh bowl of fruit on the table and so I quickly started to munch on an apple, even though I wasn't very hungry. I was only eating to keep Arthur happy and to stop him from nagging at me.

I was just about to open the door to my chamber when there came a knocking. "Bell? Are you up yet?" My brother called through the door.

"No. So go away." I called back to him, leaning against the wall beside the door.

I heard him let out a sigh on the other side. "Bell, please open the door." I relented and unlocked it, letting him come in.

"What do you want, Mitch? I'm busy." I told him, folding my arms across my chest. I was still having trouble taking in the fact that my brother was alive and all grown up.

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. You're going out with Arthur today, and you need to make sure that you are very careful." He told me seriously.

"I know, Mitch. Control."

He shook his head at me and took a hold of both my hands. "No, not just that. You need to be careful out there. I know I agreed to all this, and I trust Arthur to keep you safe, but it will not stop me from worrying until you come back." At the point I could see the genuine worry in his face.

"Mitch, I promise I will be careful, okay? I won't stray from Arthur, I will stick to him like glue if that's what you want." It was surprising how much I was able to trust someone I hadn't seen for years, in a place that I didn't know. Sure he was my brother, but everything was just so different now.

"You know, that would make me feel better. If Arthur comes back and tells me you decided to wander off, there will be big trouble for you." Mitch told me sternly.

"I will be careful. I'm just as nervous about going out there as you are. I still don't think it's a very smart idea and I'd much rather just hang around here." I told him, being honest about how I was feeling, like I had been with Arthur the night before.

"I know, but the fresh air will do you some good. You're looking pale and thin, Bell. I can't let anything happen to you, Dom would never forgive me if something happened to you."

I let out a little chuckle. "I don't think Arthur would either. You know, for an arrogant, pig headed prince, he really isn't so bad. Sometimes." I admitted. Last night I had gotten to know the prince a little better, and I had seen that he really is a good man. Of course he is arrogant, he is a prince and has never had to work very hard for anything in his life. But I was starting to see a little change in him, like the way he was being so caring and protective.

There was a small smile on my brother's face. "Glad to see you're starting to warm up to the prince a little. Now hurry up and get moving. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back." He told me, wrapping his arms around me and giving me a tight hug.

"Of course, sire. Whatever you say." I said, trying to hold in my giggles. He rolled his eyes at me as we both walked towards the doors.

"And remember, Bell, you need to make sure you control yourself." He whispered to me, putting his hand on the door handle.

I nodded at him. "I know, and I'm sorry for the way I snapped at you yesterday. I was… well, I wasn't exactly in the best of moods, and I was confused. You know, it's not every day I get pulled from the 21st century and end up in Camelot, finding out I'm a princess and that both my brothers are alive."

"It's fine, I understand. I'm just glad to actually see you, alive and well." He told me, before pulling the door open.

We were met with none other than the prince of Camelot. "Morning, Arthur." I called to him, earning a frown and a nudge from Mitch. "Ugh, fine. Good morning, Prince Arthur." I said, curtseying a little.

There was a bemused look on his face before he replied. "Good morning, Princess Isabella, King Mitchel. I trust you slept well last night?"

"I did, sire. Although I would have appreciated not being woken up by your servant making as much noise as possible in my chamber." I said, making sure to frown at him a little.

He chuckled a little before looking at my brother. "Everything is prepared for today, and my finest knights will be joining us. Princess Isabella will be safe." Arthur said, reassuring my brother.

"Of course, I trust you to take good care of her, Prince Arthur. Now if you will excuse me, your father and I have much to discuss. Enjoy your day, and Isabella…" He said, before turning to look at me.

"I know, I know." I moaned. "It will be fine. Now, go away." I gave him a little push, making him move down the corridor and watched as he left Arthur and I alone. "Come on then, lets get this over with." I said to Arthur, slipping my arm through his without really thinking about it.

Arthur turned and looked at me, a gleam in his eyes as he smiled at me. "As you command, my strange princess." I couldn't help but let a small laugh slip past my lips, which just made him smile at me even more.

"So, what's the actual plan then? Or are we just getting on the horses and letting them take us wherever they want?" I asked him as we walked through the castle and towards the courtyard. I admit, we did get a few strange looks from some of the maids, and some whispering happening behind our backs, but I tried my best to ignore it.

"That is a surprise." Arthur told me, smirking away.

I let out a groan. "I hate surprises. Surprises are dangerous, you know that right?"

"I'm sure you're going to enjoy this surprise, Isabella. I assure you, it is nothing dangerous." He told me as we reached the courtyard. I saw four knights, already mounted and ready to go.

But there was something wrong, there was someone missing from the group. "Is Merlin not coming as well? Don't you usually drag him everywhere with you, like he is your little puppy." I asked him curiously.

"He has chores to be doing, so he will not be joining us." He told me, leading me over to a familiar looking horse.

"Hello again." I said, rubbing the white nose of the horse. As with before, he started to nuzzle at me, which just made me smile. "Now, are you going to be a good boy again today?"

"You know, you seem to be the only one he responds to." Arthur told me, standing behind me. "He gets a little nervous around other people. But for some reason, you seem to be able to calm him easily."

"Well, like I said before, he reminds me of a horse I had when I was younger." I said, making a little more fuss of the horse. "And he was a very good boy as well."

"What was his name?" Arthur asked, making me turn to look at him. "Your horse."

"Oh." I said, looking down at the ground a little. "Uh, Nova. I know it's a stupid name but…"

"I never said it was a stupid name." He told me. "I've never really names any of the horses. So, what would you name him?"

I thought about it for a few minutes. I couldn't very well call him Nova, that would seem a little odd. "Nebula."

Arthur just smiled at me. "You really do come out with the strangest things, Isabella." He told me, making my face flush a little.

"Sorry." I mumbled, feeling a little stupid at even suggesting that name.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, frowning at me. "I find it interesting, it just proves that you're different."

"Oh, I'm different all right." I mumbled.

"So, are you and Nebula ready to leave now?" Arthur asked, clearly seeing that I was feeling a little awkward. He seemed to be getting good at that. I just nodded at him and let him help me to mount the horse that was now named Nebula.

Once he was on his own horse, he addressed his knights. "Remember, the threat still looms, so everyone needs to be on the look out. You all know what the man looks like, so I want you all to be on your guard."

The knights all nodded, knowing that Lord Donald was still out there somewhere, and that I was his main target. Their job was to make sure that nothing happened to me while I was out of the castle, and they also knew that their prince would make their lives a living hell if something did happen.

We had been riding for maybe a few hours. And I had to admit, I really was enjoying being outside, even if it was a little chilly. The sun was still shining, making it a little warmer, and brightening everyone's mood it would seem.

"Isabella?" Arthur called, looking over at me. "Shall we stop for a while? Give the horses and men a rest?" He asked me.

I gave him a smile. "I don't see why not. Nebula has been a very good boy again, haven't you boy." I said, making a fuss of him. He really did seem to like it when I fussed him, and it brought a bigger smile to my face.

"May I assist you, my strange princess?" Arthur asked, holding his hands out and standing beside Nebula.

"You may indeed, my not-so-arrogant prince." I replied, grinning at him as he put his hands on my waist to help me get down.

The rest of the knights set about making themselves comfortable, pulling out the little bits of food that they had brought with them and starting a fire to keep the chill away a little. "I want to show you something." Arthur whispered to me, taking a tight hold of my hand.

"Uh, okay sure." I replied, feeling a little nervous a he led me away from the knights. I had no idea what he was playing at, but I wasn't sure that it was such a good idea to be leaving the rest of the group.

"Now close your eyes." He told me, not giving me much choice as he put his hands over my eyes. He carried on leading me forward, just making me feel even more nervous.

"Arthur, what are you doing? Where are we going?" I asked him, trying not to let him see how worried I really was about what he was up to.

"Just a few more steps." He told me, before we both came to a stop. I was sure I heard something rustling in the bushes, but I may just have been getting a little paranoid. "Okay, you can open your eyes." He told me, removing his hands.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked at where we were. I was completely shocked by what I was seeing. The ground was covered with brightly coloured sheets, with pillows thrown on top. Set out in the middle was a spread of food.

"Arthur…" I whispered, not really knowing what else to say.

He just smiled at me and pulled me over to where what could only be described as a rather royal picnic. "And these are for you." He said, seeming to magically pull a bunch of wild flowers out from behind his back.

"I… I don't know what to say." I said, still surprised at everything he had done. "Thank you so much, Arthur." I managed to whisper, before I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "This is… well, this is…" I just couldn't find the words to compose a sentence, or explain to him how grateful I was.

I felt Arthur move is arms from around me and pull away a little. "You're welcome, Isabella. Now come on, lets sit down and enjoy ourselves."

We both sat down on the sheets, both smiling and both happy. "So, this is what you've had Merlin doing all day then is it?" I asked, taking a sip of the wine that he had managed to convince Merlin to bring for us.

"I did say he was still doing chores. This was a part of his chores." He told me, holding out a plate with grapes on in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And that includes picking flowers does it?" I asked him, picking one of them out from the bunch with the green ribbon around it and waving it in his face a little.

"No." He said, plucking it from my hand. "I picked them this morning." Arthur's response made me go wide eyed. I had never really seen him as the flower picking type. "You seem surprised."

"Well, yes I am slightly." I admitted to him. "I never quite imagined Camelot's mightiest warrior to be a flower picker." I said, trying not to laugh. "Did you go frolicking through the fields? Stopping when each pretty little flower caught your eye?" I teased.

The prince frowned at me and tapped my nose with the yellow flower in his hand. "No I did not." He told me. "But I did pick them, just for you." He told me, before tucking the flower into my hair.

I couldn't help but smile at him. "Thank you, they really are lovely, Arthur."

"I'm glad you like them." He replied, a smile on his face. "So, are you enjoying your day out so far?"

"I am. I have to say, I think this has been the best part so far." I told him. "Are there any more surprises waiting for me?"

Arthur actually looked like he was thinking about his answer before responding to me. "Now, if I told you that, it would ruin the surprise, if there is one." He told me, clearly not wanting to give anything away.

"Now, Arthur, although this was a nice surprise, I am still very much against surprises." I told him, picking at the grapes that were on the plate before me.

"Well that really is a shame. But I'm still not going to tell you." I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes at him at that point.

"You know, I will find a way to get revenge on you." I told him, taking another sip of wine from the goblet in my hands. "I'm very good at revenge."

He chuckled at me a little. "You really are impossible, you do know that, don't you?" Arthur asked me.

"But of course I know that. I strive to be as impossible as I possibly can." I informed him, letting a grin spread across my face. I really was having a great day out. I was pleased to be out in the fresh air, spending some time in the sun. It made a nice change from looking at the walls of Camelot castle.

We stayed there for a while longer, chatting away and generally having a good time. I couldn't explain why, but I felt so comfortable and at ease just sitting there talking to Arthur. I was still getting over the shock of him actually planning a surprise picnic and going and picking flowers just for me.

"You know, I've actually had a really nice day." I told him, lying back and resting on my elbows. Arthur was beside me, on his side with his head propped up by his hand. "Which was not how I had been expecting today to go."

"So what were you expecting?" The prince asked me curiously.

"Oh, you know, for us to be attacked. Having to fight for our lives. Returning to Camelot with yet another torn dress. The usual." I told him, shrugging my shoulders a little.

He let out a small laugh. "Yes, because you find being attacked by bandits fun."

"Well, I did. But I think I definitely like this better. It really has been such a nice day, Arthur. And I really am grateful, for this and for everything." I was being honest with him. Ever since arriving in Camelot, I had been worrying over everything, feeling completely out of place. But now, after getting to know Arthur better, I felt much more at ease and at home.

He reached out his hand and tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. It had been blowing in my face, and it was even starting to get on my nerves. "I'm glad you're happy, Isabella. It's nice to see you smiling again."

"Yeah, well, maybe I finally have something to smile about." I told him, starting to feel my cheeks burn slightly.

"Really? Maybe I can give you something more to smile about." He said, before leaning closer towards me. He put a hand on my cheek and smiled at me, before his soft lips met mine. I wasted no time I responding to his kiss, and at the moment everything just seemed perfect.

But as with everything, it had to end and when he pulled away I knew my cheeks were burning brightly. The smirk on Arthur's face gave that away as well. "Oh, stop it, Arthur." I said, giving him a little nudge.

"Stop what?" He asked me, trying to act all innocent.

"You know what, Prince Arthur. Wipe that smirk off your face right now." I told him. "Or I will wipe it off for you."

"Is that so? And how are you going to do that, Princess Isabella?" He asked me, watching me closely.

"Do you really want to find out?" I asked him, leaning a little closer to him.

Before he had the chance to say anything, Merlin appeared, clearing his throat to get our attention. The pair of us just glared at him. "Sorry, sire, Princess Isabella. It's time to start heading back to Camelot. You did promise to have the Princess back before nightfall, sire." He told us both. The look on his face showed that he understood he had just interrupted something.

"Yes, of course, Merlin. Inform the knights to get ready to leave." Arthur told him, before we both watched him leave. Once the dark haired man was out of sight, Arthur turned to look at me, a glint in his eyes. "Now, you were saying something, my strange princess?"

"I'm afraid you will no longer find out, sire. As we have been informed, it is time to leave." I told him, giving him a smirk.

"And here I was thinking that you were having fun." Arthur teased.

"And I was having fun. But there is nothing to say we cannot carry on having fun when we get back to the safety of Camelot." I told him, letting him help me stand up. "While we may have to return, no one has said that we have to part company."

I could see the cogs turning in his head as he processed what I had just said to him. "Princess Isabella, will you join me for dinner tonight?"

"Well, I was thinking about washing my hair and skipping dinner completely." I told him as we walked back towards where the group were. "If we make it back in one piece then yes, I will join you for dinner." The moment I had said that I saw his eyes light up.

"We should head back then, and I shall make sure to protect you, my princess." He said, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. He was starting to be just as silly as I was at times.

Once I was sitting atop of Nebula, what Arthur had said registered. "Your princess? Not your strange princess?" I questioned.

That made him blush slightly, making a few of the knights cover their mouths and hide their laughter. "Uh, let's just make our way back to Camelot. If we return late my father and your brother will be out for my head." He said, tugging at the reins of his own horse and leading the way.

I couldn't resist giggling a little at the way he had responded. I had actually made him blush in front of his knights, something that I am sure they would never let him live down.

We arrived back in Camelot before nightfall, and without there being any problems at all. Although Arthur did panic slightly when I decided to race him back to Camelot as soon as the city came into view. Nebula seemed to really enjoy himself, and we were both determined not to let Arthur beat us.

He walked me back to my chamber, neither of us spoke since we had arrived, but it was still a comfortable silence. "I'll see you in a little while for dinner then." I said, pulling my hand on the door handle.

Arthur smiled at me, and I found myself smiling back at him. "I look forward to it."

"And thank you for today, Arthur. I think that may have been the best day I have had since coming to Camelot." I told him, before slipping into my room to prepare myself for dinner. It had been more than just the best day since I arrived in Camelot, I was pretty sure it was the best day of my life in general.

A/N: Yes, I tried not to make it too fluffy, and I know there wasn't that much going on in it, but the big stuff is coming. I promise.

Thank you all for your lovely reviews, they seriously make me smile. And a thank you to everyone who has favourited/followed, I'm glad to know people like the story.

I will get the next chapter up as soon as I can, I'm flying to Holland in less than a week so I will do my best top update while away.

Pippa.