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Sophie looked from Merlin to Arzhur and back again.
"Ok, I think I had best start at the beginning. This is as much as I know, from reading the paper, and watching the news."
Switch to Sophie mode, which means that this is Sophie talking, and the other people will talk when there are ""'s, or I might just put it all in those…ok, just ignore what I wrote there…
"One hundred years ago, a small group of Islands, known as the Faroe Islands, were a part of Denmark. They weren't very well known, and were the least important part of the Denmark's country.
However, there was a small group of people who were unsatisfied with their place in the empire. Their leader, Daved Garce, was a lawyer, who was in politics, until he was forced out of it due to rumours of his plans to overthrow the Prime-Minister and have control, or as much as possible, over the islands. He began a secret brotherhood, where they planned to make the Faroe Islands their own country.
After 5 years of careful planning, the group succeeded. But, as the reached the end of the revolt, and his group succeeded, Daved caught cholera, a disease mainly around in those times. There was no cure, and though they had the best doctors, Daved died.
Ignoring his plans to name their country Ganduma, Daved's second in command, Josef Tanerni, named it after Daved Garce, and called it Garce.
Tanerni went on to become the King of Garce. His descendants still sit on the throne today. Right now, it is the Queen Jazinta Tanerni, an unmarried 32 year old, who is reportedly very strong willed. She is an only child, and rumour has it she has an illegitimate son, but no one knows if she will admit to it and make him her heir, or what.
Anyway, because of her strong willed personality, she has set to take over the world, starting with the UK I suppose. I think she thinks that if she has control over that Kingdom, she has control over their entire empire, including Australia!"
"Hold on a moment." Arzhur said, "What is Australia?" getting the pronunciation right, he was looking very puzzled.
"Australia is where I live, it was discovered in 1788, and was one of many British colonies. We are still a part of the British Empire, and are ruled by the Queen."
"The Queen? A woman cannot rule England, it's a Man's country!"
Sophie laughed, but was also a bit astonished at his medieval outlook on women.
'Though I suppose he IS from the Middle Ages…'
"England has had a few Queens actually. All of them very good. Now if I may continue with my story…
So she has been building up her armies and intelligence agencies so that she can achieve this goal. Hopefully we won't submit, as we have the English armies, the Australian armies, and, hopefully, the American and the other European armies."
"Alright then, but what's an America?"
Sophie had to laugh again, a bit harder this time.
"It's not an America, America is a country, just like Australia. It's a continent, actually. We can go on the computer downstairs in the business centre, I can show you a map.
Is that everything?" She asked, looking at Arzhur and Merlin again. Merlin, who had remained silent throughout her story, was looking thoughtful.
"Merlin, is there anything you would like to ask?"
Merlin thought a moment longer, then shook his head. Sophie looked out the window, and realised just how dark it was. She checked her watch, and saw that it was six thirty.
"Oh my gosh! Arzhur, we have to get to dinner!"
"I should be going as well, there are many things I need to ponder…" Merlin said, as he changed back into an owl, and flew out the window.
"Well, I suppose we had best head down." Sophie said, as she shut the windows and pulled across the curtains.
"Do you think we should change? We've been in these clothes all day."
"Well, I don't really think you have any clothes Arzhur." Sophie pointed out. However, Arzhur went over to his bed, and pulled out a suitcase.
"Merlin has provided for me." he said.
Sophie smiled, then said "Ok, you stay in here, I'll change in the bathroom. Let me know when you're done."
Sophie picked up her bag and walked into the bathroom.
She pulled out a long black peasant skirt, a purple singlet, and a black knit cardigan, that stoped just above her hips and tied at the front.
She knocked at the door to the bedroom, and called "Arzhur, are you finished?"
"Yes, come in." he replied.
Sophie came in, and found Arzhur in dark blue jeans and a yellow t-shirt, with a red palm tree on the front, and some strange writing in blue.
"Wow, do you know what that means? It looks really cool."
"This? It's Welsh. It means forever."
"Wow, it's so beautiful…" Sophie was staring at the writing on Arzhur's shirt. He stood and waited for her to come back to reality so they could leave, but she didn't. When he tried to turn to pack his things, she followed, just staring intently at the shirt. He experimented, stepping from side to side, laughing as Sophie followed wherever he went. He stopped when she began to frown, and shook her shoulder.
"Sophie, Sophie! SOPHIE!" He said, getting progressively louder. She looked up, and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, what?" Arzhur laughed again.
"I'm so glad that you are the detholedig, and not Eleanor. You are so much more fun." He said, with a smile on his face.
"What's a.. de thingo?"
Arzhur laughed and laughed and laughed.
"Detholedig. It's Welsh as well. It means the chosen. If you are detholedig it means I can completely trust you with the truth, because I know you won't betray me."
"But how do you know that?" Sophie replied
"Oh I don't know, it's something in the eyes. Now let's go, I am very hungry."
Sophie picked up the key and followed Arzhur out the door, locking it behind them. They had to stop every now and then, so Arzhur could inspect the things he hadn't seen when they had arrived. When they finally got down to the dining room, they found that everyone had started without them. Sophie shrugged, and led Arzhur over to the food.
"So, you take a plate, and take whatever food you want."
Arzhur was very excited, and proceeded to take something of every sort of food available. He ended up with curry, pasta, vegetables, casserole, and three different salads. Sophie couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness. They were heading over to one of the only empty tables left, when Eleanor and Gracey approached.
"Arthur, come sit with us. You needn't sit with her. We can show you the ropes of the group. Tell you who's who. Who's popular or not."
Arzhur looked at Sophie, who shrugged and smiled, though rather forcefully.
"No thanks, I think I should get to know my tour buddy, before I get to know anyone else. Otherwise I'll mix you all up!"
Eleanor didn't look too happy at this. In fact, she made a very pissed off noise, and spun around, flinging her hair after her. Gracey rushed after Eleanor, fixing the clip that had fallen out of her hair, glaring back at Sophie, then smiling saucily at Arzhur.
Sophie laughed softly, then sat at a both. Arzhur sat with her, sliding onto the chair, bouncing on the cushions.
"Seems you have a few admirers." Sophie said matter of factly. "Maybe you should sit with Eleanor and company."
"But if I sit with her, who will you sit with? Besides, I don't really like her. She's too sure of her self. What am I sitting in?"
Sophie laughed, and told him,
"It's called a booth. Now eat up, I want to see how you like your large variety of food."
Arzhur tried small parts of each of his foods, reacting differently to each one. Sophie couldn't help but laugh at the faces he made.
Then came dessert.
Arzhur took one scoop of every flavour ice cream, of which there were five (Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint and cookies and cream), covered them with three different toppings (caramel, chocolate and strawberry), and of course, it was topped with seven cherries, and four sorts of sprinkles. He then had a large dinner plate covered with fruit (watermelon, orange, apple, cherries(again), strawberries, mandarin and tangerines), of which he squirted the juices everywhere.
By the time he had finished (and he ate every scrap), he was looking positively ill.
"We need to get you back up to the room, you look like you may be sick."
She took his arm, helped him up and began to lead him back to the room.
"Ah, excuse me Sophie, may I have a word with Arthur, is it? I need to talk to him about these coins." Mr Johnston was following them, desperate to find out about the coins.
"umm, I'm sorry Mr Johnston, but I think Arthur is going to be sick. I really need to take him back up to the room. You can talk to him tomorrow on the bus."
Mr Johnston was obviously disappointed, but the elevator dinged, and Sophie was in with the doors shut before he could say anything else.
"My stomach" Arzhur groaned.
"I knew I shouldn't have let you eat so much. Come on, here's our floor. Just a few metres to the door."
Finally they arrived, and just in time. Arzhur was I the bathroom over the toilet, feeling too horrible to even wonder at the contraption. Sophie was pulling back his hair, and patting his back. She got him a glass of water, sat him on the floor, and gave him some tissues.
"Here, drink this, you'll feel better soon. I bet it tasted better on the way down. I hope you have a toothbrush." She said, in a soothing voice, smoothing back his hair.
Arzhur smiled a small smile at her.
"Thankyou Sophie. I'm very happy I have a friend like you."
Sophie smiled back. "Feeling better?" She asked. "There was a LOT on your plate back there."
Arzhur assured her that he was fine, and just needed some sleep.
"Okay, you stay here. I'll get your Pyjamas and stuff. Then you can have a shower, brush your teeth and go to bed." Sophie went back into the bedroom, picked up Arzhurs bag and took it in to him.
"To turn the shower on you just turn the knobs this way, ok? This is hot, and this is cold. To use the toilet, you… do your stuff, then push this button. The taps work like the shower, basically. Towels are here, and I think that's it. If you need anything call, just make sure you're dressed before you do, or at least in a towel… I don't really want to see… Yes. See you later."
Sophie walked out, heard Arzhur turn the shower on and flush the toilet a few times. She smiled at his innocence, then picked up her book. She had brought quite a few books with her, filling almost all of a large handbag. When Arzhur finally finished in the shower, she began picking up her things, only to hear him turn it back on.
"Hey! Arzhur? You almost done in there?" She yelled, banging on the door. Arzhur opened it, wearing only a towel.
"Sophie, what does this do?" he asked, holding up a razor.
"Nothing at the moment. Now get dressed, and I'll show you how to brush your teeth."
She shut the door, and left Arzhur to dress. She changed at the same time into ¾ pink pyjama pants, with coloured spots on them, and a pink t-shirt, that said 'Evil Girl Child'
Five minutes later he opened the door again, in long green pyjama pants, and an over-sized black t-shirt, that said
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." Beside it, there was a picture of a gun smashed to pieces.
"Amnesty International. Nice. I like Merlin's taste. Now, let's see to those teeth."
She went into the bathroom, took out her toothbrush, put toothpaste on hers, and Arzhur's, wet them, then put it up to her mouth.
"Watch me, it's really quite simple." After a few tries, Arzhur had it right. They rinsed, and put away their toothbrushes. "Here, show me those choppers." She put her hand under his chin, and looked at his teeth. "Very nice." Just as she said it, Arzhur leant down and kissed her, softly. Sophie was very surprised.
'My first kiss, with a man I met this afternoon. Not good. I like Arzhur, he's a good friend, but he was the King of England, hundreds of years ago.'
She pulled back, and said "Um, yes, well. Goodnight. She turned, left the room and turned off the light.
"What's wrong Sophie?" Arzhur asked. "Did I do something wrong?"
Sophie looked at him, and sighed.
"No." she said. "It's just been a long day. I only met you this afternoon, I think I need to get to know you before… before we do that sort of stuff."
Arzhur nodded, took her hand, and kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight, my detholedig." he said, smiling slightly.
"Goodnight Arzhur." She said, as she threw a pillow at him. It him in the head. He grinned sheepishly, walked over to her, and held up the pillow.
"NO!" Sophie said, laughing, and crouching up into a ball. "You can't hit a girl!"
"but you are no girl, you are a"
"A female detholedig."
"But a detholedig all the same." he said, dropping the pillow on her from a height. He picked it up again, as Sophie whacked him in the stomach with her pillow. A frenzied fight ensued, but in the end Sophie was happily whacking Arzhur over the head, as he lay on the ground.
"AHAHAHA! I, the Evil Girl Child, have defeated the all mighty King Arthur! I'm Queen of the World!" She said, laughing her head off. Arzhur sat up, grabbed her round the legs, and tugged her down to lie with him. They were lying side by side laughing, catching their breathe, with their pillows dropped on their beds.
"Well that was fun." Sophie said
"Uh-huh," Arzhur replied. "I've never had so much fun before. Can we do it again?"
"Not tonight. I'm too tired." She turned her head, as did he, to look at him. She couldn't help but move closer, as did Arzhur.
Once again she found herself kissing him.
'I'm sending him too many mixed messages. Is this what I want? A relationship with Arzhur? Maybe I do, and I'm just kidding myself'
She felt Arzhur pull away. She stood up, and pulled him up as well.
"Sophie, I'm sorry, I just…" Sophie shook her head, and smiled.
"It's fine." She looked up and smiled at him. He smiled back.
"Ok now, this time we really have to go to bed. No more Pillow fighting. Its nine o'clock, and we have a big day ahead of us! The Tower of London and the London Dungeon. Goodnight Arzhur."
"Night Sophie." He said, kissing her once again, before getting into bed.
"Don't you want to turn off the lights? It can be very fun when you do it first!" Sophie laughed as Arzhur got up again. She took his hand and put it on the switch.
"Now push!" the room went dark. It was almost as fun as the pillow fight, stumbling around in the dark, looking for their beds. Finally Sophie and Arzhur were both in their beds, clam now, and falling asleep. Arzhur was out first, breathing heavily. Sophie sat, and thought about Arzhur.
About his past, his future, about him and her…together? And, most of all, about how he could help in the war.
'I don't know how he plans to save us. I just hope he can do it!'
She was soon fast asleep, her dreams riddled with a certain face, and his place in the world.
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