The circular silver pendant hung nicely against her dark collarbone, the light blue gems matching with the stitching of her dress perfectly. Her hair had been artfully pilled it to a graceful bun at the back of her head, silver beads woven into her curls. The dress she wore was of a deep Royal blue satin, as light as water against her skin with a wide collar that set her long, tight sleeves just off her shoulders. A few curls hung loose around her ears and the skin around her neck had been dabbed with lavender oil making her smell sweet.
"You've out done yourself." Guinevere smiled at her handmaiden through the reflection in the mirror.
The girl shrugged, but still looked pleased at the compliment. "I've done nothing, your Grace. It is your beauty alone that makes you shine. All I've done is made sure you don't turn up to court naked." Her brown eyes glinted mischievously at her through the large mirror.
Gwen tried to frown disapprovingly but failed, her smile as soft as ever at the girls teasing. She swivelled round in her chair to face her handmaiden, putting her back to her reflection.
"I try to compliment your work and you pay me back with jibes?" She raised an eyebrow. "You should learn to accept praise when it is given, not jest it off."
"And you, m'Lady," She gently caught Gwen's shoulders and turned her back round to face her reflection in the mirror, bending down and hovering her head above her right shoulder, a smile playing at her lips, "should learn that beauty does not lie in jewellery or in dresses, but in ourselves. I repeat; I have done nothing but dress you. You are what is beautiful."
Gwen warmed at the compliment and looked at her reflection again in the mirror. Her amber eyes were dancing in light of the candles and her cheeks were flushed slightly as she beamed at her appearance. She then looked at the blonde head over her shoulder and felt she understood what the girl was getting at. While her handmaiden did look tired and dishevelled, her odd assortment of clothes plain and simple; her freckled face still held colour in her cheeks and her brown eyes shone out her smile, radiating warmth off her like a hearth and Gwen believed that to be more beautiful than any dress of satin.
Her handmaiden reached for the crown on the dressing table in front of them and carefully placed it on Gwen's head, expertly adjusting her dark curls to sit around it elegantly. "There." She stood back to admire her handiwork. "Fit for a king." And the teasing glint in her eyes was back.
Gwen fought the urge to laugh at her handmaiden and stood up from her place at the dressing table, her blue skirt swirling around her as she rose. "Very funny, now what about you?"
A small frown creased between her eyebrows. "What about me?"
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Don't you wish to get ready?"
The girl cocked her head to the side, "what are you talking about your Grace?" She spread her arms wide, "I am ready."
Gwen looked at her maid patiently. "Rory," she stated calmly, "you are wearing Merlin's jacket, you do not have any shoes on, your hair is damp and messy and that is a man's dress shirt you have on over your dress, which is also damp and muddy. Plus that belt does not match." Her words were not cruel but practical with slight undertone of light humour.
Her maid shrugged again, a smile itching at the corners of her mouth. "I got caught up in the rain crossing the courtyard. I didn't have time to go change so I just grabbed a shirt out of the washing to cover up my dress and convinced Merlin to give me his jacket for warmth and to put my boots by the fire to dry while I came and served you." She subconsciously began to twiddle with a strand of damp hair, twirling it around her finger.
Gwen shook her head at her maid, serious now. "Well I appreciate your promptness in helping me get ready, but next time I'd rather you risk being late than risk a cold. Understand?"
Rory bowed meekly to her. "Aye, your Grace."
Gwen sighed. "And can you drop the dutiful serving maid act now, okay? I lose, you win; I miss you calling me Gwen. Now please," she gestured to the door, "please, go and prepare yourself for the Ceremony and dry off unless you wish to actually catch a cold."
Her maid glanced longingly at the door then looked back at Gwen, eyeing her. "You'll be alright on your own?"
"Arthur and Merlin should be turning up any minute. Now go, go." Gwen laughed. "Before your lips become any bluer!"
Rory held up her hands and laughed in return. "Alright! Aright! I'm leaving"
Leaving for the corridor at Gwen's urging, she turned and gave a final grin to her Queen causing her to bump into Arthur as he opened the door to his and Gwen's chambers.
"Oops, sorry your Highness." She quickly bowed to Arthur, who looked down at her in surprise at seeing her there, "Merlin," and nodded to Merlin who was standing right behind him.
She dodged through the wooden door and out of Gwen's sights and Arthur turned his head to watch her go. "So that's where your jacket went." He remarked to a jacket-less Merlin. "Wait, is she barefoot?"
Merlin shrugged, the only reply he seemed to have to his friend's weirdness nowadays and Gwen chuckled lightly. Rory may be strange at times, and very mysterious and secretive at others, but she sure did make Gwen smile and she kept her entertained through some of the more boring aspects of her life now. Plus she was extremely good at doing hair.
When I started writing this story was only supposed to be a little one shot, my look into Camelot's morning Routine. However the story didn't seem to be quite done with me, so I continued it and even now I'm not quite sure where it is leading me too. But I would just like to say thank you to those who are following along with me and let us hope the journey is worth while.
Love Elle x
