"Those brothers of yours have been looking happy lately," Mrs. Mortimer said to Antoinette, hoisting up a crate into her arms. She was getting upwards in her years, but she could carry more than some men in the village. "How are they doing?"

Antoinette looked away from her, putting the left side of their display into another crate. Breaking down the stall they sold their spices from was her favorite part, a nice quiet way to end the day.

"They think they're knights already," Antoinette sighed, smelling an unmarked jar so she could write the proper label on it later. "It's all they talk about."

"And what do you think?" Mrs. Mortimer asked.

Antoinette sighed again. The air felt heavy leaving her lips.

"I think it's dangerous," she admitted. Mrs. Mortimer was the closest thing she had to a mother and she wanted to see if she was being too concerned. "Gwen is always worried about Arthur, whether she says it or not. And we've all heard of and known knights that have died in the line of duty."

"Yes, but we've also heard of knights that have saved countless lives and defended our kingdom," she reminded.

"And I appreciate that. But does it have to be my family?"

"Well nothing is official, so I say don't worry just yet," Mrs. Mortimer said, "Why don't you get home early and relax tonight?"

"I can stay and finish, it's no problem."

"Nonsense. You work too hard, delivering for me all the time. Don't make me say it twice," Mrs. Mortimer warned, her voice not quite as intimidating as she thought it was.

"Thank you," Antoinette smiled, putting her last jar in the crate. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Nette," Mrs. Mortimer said warmly.

Antoinette heard the clinks of bottles fade away as walked home. It was growing dark much later in the day than usual because of the oncoming Summer. She passed by others packing up their stalls, some already long gone, and some still clinging to the last hour of daylight. She smiled at the familiar faces, but didn't stop to talk anyone.

She was close to the castle now. She squinted up at it, smiling when she thought of Gwen inside. Sometimes, when she was feeling hungry and tired and didn't want to even wake up, she thought of Gwen. Gwen, who had worked so much, so often without complaint, and who now was going to be a Queen. Her best friend was going to be a Queen. Surely her own life could change if that was true.

She heard the clang of swords meeting each other as she continued to walk. She really thought this whole "knight" business would blow over. Tristan would lose interest, feel over-worked from knight training and helping the blacksmith, and then Alynor would leave to go make sure he wasn't going to get into trouble anywhere else.

But that didn't happen. Antoinette had waited a few days. And then a few more.

"Arthur really knows what he's doing, I can tell I'm getting better…" Alynor told her at one dinner.

"They treat us with respect. Things are really changing since you didn't have to be noble born anymore." Tristan added on the next day.

"I wish mom was here, she would fall over to see us out there with all those red cloaks," Alynor said wistfully.

Antoinette listened, happy their spirits were high, but feeling a stone of dread weighing down her stomach. If they did become knights, what would happen to her? She was going to be left alone while they were out there. They were going to be risking their lives.

She already lost her parents. What if she lost her brothers too?

Life could change so quickly. One moment, Antoinette had parents and two brothers and although they were not rich, they were happy.

The next, she was without them, hungry all the time, crying herself to sleep. If Alynor had not found work, she didn't want to imagine what would have became of them.

In another flash, she was finding Mrs. Mortimer. She'd taken to Antoinette right away, trusting her with deliveries and help, becoming a presence in her life she never took for granted.

The next moment, she was meeting Gwen. Gwen, Lady Morgana's maid, which at the time Antoinette thought was such a prestigious position. She wanted to go back in time and tell herself the sweet girl she'd stumbled into at the market would one day be her Queen.

And now, she was meeting the people in her brother's daily stories. Knights that defended the whole kingdom. And all because of one decision her brother made.

One thing that Antoinette didn't account for was the quickness in which her brothers would take to the other knights. When they weren't training with them, they were at the tavern with them, or Antoinette's new favorite, at home with them.

She didn't like to admit it, but having their house filled with voices and laughter comforted her. And she liked to have people to entertain other than brothers.

At first, they weren't sure how to treat her. She wasn't a lady like they were used to dealing with, and she noticed how formal they were being when she first met them. But she had followed her father around on his errands until she was ten years old, and since then, she'd always felt she got along better with men.

After she had been introduced to Leon, Percival, Elyan and Gwaine (again) the stories and challenges had begun.

"Percival can beat anyone in an arm wrestle. I'll bet you anything you want," Gwaine boasted, looking at Alynor with a smirk. "I dare you to try."

"Alright, we'll see about that," Alynor said, taking a sip of his drink for courage and pushing up the sleeve of his dirtied shirt.

Percival grinned, shifting to the other side of the table. He was the quietest one, she thought, but he made up for his presence with his size. Even though she wasn't at the table, she could tell that much.

"Wait!" she called, pushing from her position leaning against the sink.

The knights eyed her warily, probably thinking she would protest. Instead, she moved the two mugs near Percival and her brother.

"Now you'll have more room," she said with a smile, nodding to continue.

After that, they seemed to like her just fine. She tried to give them space, let them talk freely without worrying of offending her, but their home was so small she could feel their voices everywhere.

It had only been two weeks, but she suddenly felt like her family had grown larger.

She saw the lights on in her house before even getting there. Now she wouldn't quite get to relax as Mrs. Mortimer had insisted. She still had their conversation flowing in her mind, and hoped her sour mood wouldn't show as she pushed open the creaking door.

Almost as if sensing her exhaustion, Percival and Leon had presented her with flowers.

Her worry melted away for the moment. She had many nights to worry about her brothers being in danger, but for now they were here and in front of her.

"Thank you boys!" she exclaimed, taking the flowers into her hands. They were white and red, and her mother would have known their names, but she had never taken care to learn. She smelled them with her back to everyone, finding the glass she usually put flowers in. Tristan used to pick them for her on the side of the road before he started worrying about being too tough to carry them home.

She put some water in the glass and looked for an empty space on the counter. Moving aside a jar of spice, she nestled the flowers near the window.

She should have sensed it was coming, because for all the politeness and good cheer the knights sent her way, there were some that were different. Some more annoying than others. And by some she meant one. And by one she meant Sir Gwaine.

"That's crooked," Gwaine informed her.

Antoinette stepped back to look.

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not," she argued, her chest already tightening with the stems of an argument. She had grown past being flustered around him very quickly, and now would only blush when he directly commented on her appearance.

"I can see that it is."

"Well then you have a crooked head, or you're losing your eyesight. I suggest you see Gaius in the morning."

"You're very quick to anger, Ant," Gwaine said, taking a sip of his drink.

She hated how he did that. Started an argument and then made her feel silly or over-reactive. She pushed her tongue into the back of her teeth so she wouldn't do something completely un-ladylike.

"Don't call me that, Gwaine," she said, glaring at him.

"He's trying to get a rise out of you, Antoinette, don't let him have it," Sir Leon said, winking at her. She found Sir Leon to be her favorite, mostly because he always stood up for her against Gwaine.

"It is a little crooked though," Tristan added, grinning at her.

She glared now at her brother. Leave it to him to continue on the conflict.

"When you leave, feel free to take my brother with you," she told Leon and Elyan, making them laugh and Tristan frown.

Antoinette smiled before starting to clean the kitchen up of the few dirty plates left around. They never had much to offer, and she was sure the knights were used to better, but they still always came with a smile.

"We shouldn't stay long tonight. Training early in the morning," Sir Percival said, sitting down. He'd gotten the rickety stool today, which Leon had a few days before. Every time one of them moved Antoinette was afraid it would break under them, but thankfully it had remained in tact so far.

"Antoinette, do you remember the dice game father always used to play?" Alynor asked, rummaging in their desk for their lone set of dice.

"Of course."

"What do you say we teach these fellows about it?"

Antoinette looked forlornly at her room, and back to their expectant faces. Before this knight fiasco had begun, Alynor and Tristan had claimed she was 'becoming a bore' and she almost felt like they were right. Recently, she'd felt she was older than she was, ready to settle into a routine and stay there, and not happy about it. But with new people and excitement, she almost felt like possibilities were blossoming.

"Only if they don't mind losing to a girl," she said with a grin, joining them at the table.

She smiled and forgot her earlier worries.

A while later, with her vision starting to blur into small numbered dots, she pushed her seat back and became a spectator instead of a player. Sensing that she was about to leave, Elyan turned to her.

"You're coming to dinner with Gwen and Arthur tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Tomorrow?" Antoinette asked, her eyebrows raising and her fingers curling to her palms.

"Oh...I may have been supposed to tell you that," Tristan said, biting his lip.

"I have to make a delivery tomorrow for Mrs. Mortimer. I won't have time to clean a dress! I don't even have a decent dress." She felt her panic rise, knowing she couldn't turn up in the castle looking like a mess.

"You don't have to wear a dress at all," Gwaine said, winking at her.

This resulted in a heavy slap on the back of the head from Tristan.

"Thank you, Sir Gwaine," she said, rolling her eyes and trying not to blush. If she reacted, it would only give him satisfaction, and the last thing he needed was another woman swooning over him.

"It's just a few people going," Elyan tried to soothe her, "Well...everyone here. And Arthur and Gwen, and maybe one or two others, but that's it."

"Thank you Elyan, you've really helped," Antoinette said, her eyes finding the ceiling. "I suppose I'll figure something out."

"I've got a nice tunic you could wear," Gwaine offered, his eyes finding hers again.

"I might take you up on that," she sighed. "If you boys don't mind, I'm going to head to bed."

With her head swimming with possibilities about tomorrow, and everyone bidding her goodnight, she left the room.

Alynor hadn't just been Antoinette's brother, but also her father. She was only ten when their parents died, and being five years older than her had left him with a certain sense of responsibility. Although she often chastised him and Tristan like she was the oldest, the fact was that she wasn't, and he would protect her if it meant his own life.

So although he knew Gwaine was no harm, he pushed his seat a little closer to him, and made sure no one could hear their words.

"It's fine if you tease my sister, Gwaine," Alynor said, "But if you hurt her I'll have to hurt you."

"You think you could?" Gwaine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm serious," Alynor said, pointing his gaze.

"Don't worry, brother," Gwaine said, using the word freely even though he was not yet a knight. He patted Alynor on the back. "It is only teasing. That's as far as it goes."

Satisfied, Alynor leaned back and started listening to the group conversation once more. Gwaine took a bigger sip of his drink.

Thank you to all who reviewed! I wasn't sure anyone would read this, so it was so nice to see. Keep it coming! I'd love to know who's out there!

P.S. Does anyone know how long would be a plausible period to become a knight?