Chapter Three
"When were you planning on telling me that you had invited guests?" Arthur asked his wife as he watched her comb her hair. He stepped in front of the mirror to hook the clasp of his red cloak.
Guinevere sighed. "Why is it that I have to ask your permission, but you don't have to ask for mine?" She turned to him. He didn't look at her as he spoke.
"Because I am your husband." He turned to her then with a smug look on his face. Guinevere rose from her seat and made her way over to him. She swayed her hips purposefully and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Would you have let me?"
"Of course." He said.
Quinevere moved closer to her husband to whisper in his ear. "Then what is the problem, my love?" She blew softly on his ear.
"You have no idea how you unnerve me, my lady." He roughly planted his lips on hers causing a deep moan to come from the back of her throat. Arthur picked her up in his arms and laid her on their bed. "We may be a bit late to dinner." He laughed kissing Guin's neck. She only laughed and kissed him once more.
Arcadia sat on her bed arguing with the servant Guin had sent to help her dress. The servant looked over at her.
"Why do you not want to wear a dress, my lady?"
"Because they are not comfortable." Arcadia fell backwards to lay on her bed.
"Lady Guinevere wishes for you to look your best." The servant walked over to the chest of drawers and pulled out a cotton blue dress. She held it up in front of her. "This will do perfectly."
Arcadia covered her face with her hands and sat back up to look at the dress. "Very well." She rolled her eyes before the servant helped her to undress. Arcadia looked at herself in the mirror after adorning the dress. It had an empire waist with a dark blue ribbon underneath her breasts. It fell all the way down to her ankles and swayed when she moved. The sleeves grew wide as they came to her wrists much like her regular shirt.
"Hm, not bad." Arcadia said to herself.
"We must hurry, my lady. We still have your hair and makeup to do." The servant pulled up a lone chair sitting in the corner and pulled Arcadia's hair out of the bun she wore it in. Arcadia's dark brown locks came cascading down her back to her small waist, while down it was more wavy and full. "How about keeping it down, my lady. You have very lovely hair." The servant gave Arcadia a smile.
"Yes, thank you." She replied quietly. The servant picked up a small blue clip and after pulling back Arcadia's bangs she clipped them together so that the hair looked almost like a crown.
"You look beautiful, my lady."
"Thank you for helping me." Arcadia stood to face the servant girl.
"It is my pleasure. Will there be anything else that you need, my lady." The servant folded her hands in front of her.
"No, I'm fine." Arcadia gave her a smile.
"Have a nice dinner." The servant bowed her head slightly before taking her leave. Soon after a knock was heard upon her door. Slipping the small sandals on that the servant had set out, Arcadia opened the door. Before her stood Dameon wearing a dark blue tunic with black leather pants and his black cloak while Mila wore a dress much like her own without the empire waist and the color light green. Mila had decided to leave her hair down as well. Cicero made his way over to his owner also ready for the dinner.
Arcadia laughed. "I think you better stay here Cicero. You cause too much mischive." The monkey gave her a said face. "You must stay and protect my things." The monkey jumped back down to the floor then back up on the bed. He curled up among the pillows once more.
"Ready, my lady." Dameon asked with a smile. Arcadia laughed and took his arm. As they began to make their way to the dinning hall Dameon spoke. "It is such a pleasure to be escorting two lovely women to dinner."
"Save your flattery for the other ladies." Arcadia smiled when she saw the mock hurt expression on his face. She shook her head and laughed.
As they entered the large dinning hall they were amazed at how many people had come. The room looked so much different then it did earlier today. Instead of bear walls there were now banners and tapestries hanging upon the walls. A long table sat on each side of the room for all the guests to sit. Many of the guests were wondering around the room in search of a good conversation with small groups scattered about.
"Oh wine, goody." Mila said branching off to make her way over to the wine table.
Dameon laughed. "I better get over there before she over does herself."
"Yes, hurry." Arcadia laughed pushing him after Mila. She continued to stand where she was, not knowing exactly what to do. She had never been all that social back home. Don't get her wrong, she had friends of course but she never really liked to talk all that much. "I guess I should go looking for Guin." She said to herself.
"It seems they have yet to arrive, my lady." Arcadia jumped when she heard the voice behind her. She held her hand to her chest as she turned to find Lancelot.
"Jeese! You scared the sh..." Arcadia paused when she realized what she was about to say. Lancelot laughed raising his eyebrows at her language. "I mean you startled me." She blushed a bit at the fact that he had startled her.
"Indeed." He came to stand next to her. "You look lovely." He looked over at her and smiled. She turned to look at him as well. He was wearing all black with a tunic that tied up the front along with black leather pants and boots. He also had a black belt around his waist.
"You don't look to bad yourself, Sir Lancelot." She locked her gaze with his for only a moment before turning away. Before either of them could say anything else it was announced that Arthur and Guinevere were arriving.
After taking their seats, Guin caught Arcadia's gaze. She motioned for her and Lancelot to come and take their seats along with everyone else.
"May I have the pleasure of escorting you to your seat, my lady?" Lancelot held out his arm for her.
Arcadia gave him a small smile before taking his arm. She took the seat next to Guinevere at her request with her brother sitting across from her and Mila sitting next to her. Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and Bors along with his lover Venora sat around the King and his wife.
Arcadia finally got to meet these amazing knights that Guin had wrote to her about. The former knights all greeted her with a smile and she returned them. Noticing there were only a few of them that she had been introduced to she leaned towards Guinevere.
"I thought there were seven." Arcadia whispered to her friend.
"Seven what?" Guin said placing a grape in her mouth.
"Knights."
"Dagonet was lost on their last mission for Rome. Tristen was lost during the battle with the Saxons." Guin explained sadly.
"Oh! I'm sorry to bring it up." Guin gave her a small smile reassuring her that it was ok.
Gawain looked over at Lancelot after he had taken his seat next to him. "It seems you have found your next victim." He laughed.
Before Lancelot could say anything Galahad, who was sitting across from him, leaned over to talk. "I heard from Guin that she is not so easily captured." He looked over at Arcadia to make sure that she had not heard him.
Lancelot raised his eyebrows before looking down at his food. He looked up again at his fellow knights. "Does she look familiar to any of you?" He asked softly.
Galahad, Gawain, and Bors looked up at him in surprise. "Who?" Bors asked.
"Arcadia!" Lancelot said. They looked at each other before all three of them leaned over the table to look at Arcadia. Unfortunately, they were not so discreet and Arcadia looked up when she felt a slight shift of the table. When she saw them looking at her she raised her eyebrows.
"What?" She laughed.
"Nothin!" They all said in unison as they turned back to what they were doing.
"When were you planning on telling me that you had invited guests?" Arthur asked his wife as he watched her comb her hair. He stepped in front of the mirror to hook the clasp of his red cloak.
Guinevere sighed. "Why is it that I have to ask your permission, but you don't have to ask for mine?" She turned to him. He didn't look at her as he spoke.
"Because I am your husband." He turned to her then with a smug look on his face. Guinevere rose from her seat and made her way over to him. She swayed her hips purposefully and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Would you have let me?"
"Of course." He said.
Quinevere moved closer to her husband to whisper in his ear. "Then what is the problem, my love?" She blew softly on his ear.
"You have no idea how you unnerve me, my lady." He roughly planted his lips on hers causing a deep moan to come from the back of her throat. Arthur picked her up in his arms and laid her on their bed. "We may be a bit late to dinner." He laughed kissing Guin's neck. She only laughed and kissed him once more.
Arcadia sat on her bed arguing with the servant Guin had sent to help her dress. The servant looked over at her.
"Why do you not want to wear a dress, my lady?"
"Because they are not comfortable." Arcadia fell backwards to lay on her bed.
"Lady Guinevere wishes for you to look your best." The servant walked over to the chest of drawers and pulled out a cotton blue dress. She held it up in front of her. "This will do perfectly."
Arcadia covered her face with her hands and sat back up to look at the dress. "Very well." She rolled her eyes before the servant helped her to undress. Arcadia looked at herself in the mirror after adorning the dress. It had an empire waist with a dark blue ribbon underneath her breasts. It fell all the way down to her ankles and swayed when she moved. The sleeves grew wide as they came to her wrists much like her regular shirt.
"Hm, not bad." Arcadia said to herself.
"We must hurry, my lady. We still have your hair and makeup to do." The servant pulled up a lone chair sitting in the corner and pulled Arcadia's hair out of the bun she wore it in. Arcadia's dark brown locks came cascading down her back to her small waist, while down it was more wavy and full. "How about keeping it down, my lady. You have very lovely hair." The servant gave Arcadia a smile.
"Yes, thank you." She replied quietly. The servant picked up a small blue clip and after pulling back Arcadia's bangs she clipped them together so that the hair looked almost like a crown.
"You look beautiful, my lady."
"Thank you for helping me." Arcadia stood to face the servant girl.
"It is my pleasure. Will there be anything else that you need, my lady." The servant folded her hands in front of her.
"No, I'm fine." Arcadia gave her a smile.
"Have a nice dinner." The servant bowed her head slightly before taking her leave. Soon after a knock was heard upon her door. Slipping the small sandals on that the servant had set out, Arcadia opened the door. Before her stood Dameon wearing a dark blue tunic with black leather pants and his black cloak while Mila wore a dress much like her own without the empire waist and the color light green. Mila had decided to leave her hair down as well. Cicero made his way over to his owner also ready for the dinner.
Arcadia laughed. "I think you better stay here Cicero. You cause too much mischive." The monkey gave her a said face. "You must stay and protect my things." The monkey jumped back down to the floor then back up on the bed. He curled up among the pillows once more.
"Ready, my lady." Dameon asked with a smile. Arcadia laughed and took his arm. As they began to make their way to the dinning hall Dameon spoke. "It is such a pleasure to be escorting two lovely women to dinner."
"Save your flattery for the other ladies." Arcadia smiled when she saw the mock hurt expression on his face. She shook her head and laughed.
As they entered the large dinning hall they were amazed at how many people had come. The room looked so much different then it did earlier today. Instead of bear walls there were now banners and tapestries hanging upon the walls. A long table sat on each side of the room for all the guests to sit. Many of the guests were wondering around the room in search of a good conversation with small groups scattered about.
"Oh wine, goody." Mila said branching off to make her way over to the wine table.
Dameon laughed. "I better get over there before she over does herself."
"Yes, hurry." Arcadia laughed pushing him after Mila. She continued to stand where she was, not knowing exactly what to do. She had never been all that social back home. Don't get her wrong, she had friends of course but she never really liked to talk all that much. "I guess I should go looking for Guin." She said to herself.
"It seems they have yet to arrive, my lady." Arcadia jumped when she heard the voice behind her. She held her hand to her chest as she turned to find Lancelot.
"Jeese! You scared the sh..." Arcadia paused when she realized what she was about to say. Lancelot laughed raising his eyebrows at her language. "I mean you startled me." She blushed a bit at the fact that he had startled her.
"Indeed." He came to stand next to her. "You look lovely." He looked over at her and smiled. She turned to look at him as well. He was wearing all black with a tunic that tied up the front along with black leather pants and boots. He also had a black belt around his waist.
"You don't look to bad yourself, Sir Lancelot." She locked her gaze with his for only a moment before turning away. Before either of them could say anything else it was announced that Arthur and Guinevere were arriving.
After taking their seats, Guin caught Arcadia's gaze. She motioned for her and Lancelot to come and take their seats along with everyone else.
"May I have the pleasure of escorting you to your seat, my lady?" Lancelot held out his arm for her.
Arcadia gave him a small smile before taking his arm. She took the seat next to Guinevere at her request with her brother sitting across from her and Mila sitting next to her. Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and Bors along with his lover Venora sat around the King and his wife.
Arcadia finally got to meet these amazing knights that Guin had wrote to her about. The former knights all greeted her with a smile and she returned them. Noticing there were only a few of them that she had been introduced to she leaned towards Guinevere.
"I thought there were seven." Arcadia whispered to her friend.
"Seven what?" Guin said placing a grape in her mouth.
"Knights."
"Dagonet was lost on their last mission for Rome. Tristen was lost during the battle with the Saxons." Guin explained sadly.
"Oh! I'm sorry to bring it up." Guin gave her a small smile reassuring her that it was ok.
Gawain looked over at Lancelot after he had taken his seat next to him. "It seems you have found your next victim." He laughed.
Before Lancelot could say anything Galahad, who was sitting across from him, leaned over to talk. "I heard from Guin that she is not so easily captured." He looked over at Arcadia to make sure that she had not heard him.
Lancelot raised his eyebrows before looking down at his food. He looked up again at his fellow knights. "Does she look familiar to any of you?" He asked softly.
Galahad, Gawain, and Bors looked up at him in surprise. "Who?" Bors asked.
"Arcadia!" Lancelot said. They looked at each other before all three of them leaned over the table to look at Arcadia. Unfortunately, they were not so discreet and Arcadia looked up when she felt a slight shift of the table. When she saw them looking at her she raised her eyebrows.
"What?" She laughed.
"Nothin!" They all said in unison as they turned back to what they were doing.