Author note: A Leon story because I do love that night and there aren't enough stories about him please take some time to review it will help me continue and see where this is going.
Leon felt his eyes travel towards the girl, she was younger than him and quite a bit smaller, she was a princess, she travelled behind her father across the length of the main hall, her golden dress dragging along the floor.
The court watched as a King and his daughter knelt to the prince of Camelot.
"We hope your father is recovering?" King Edmund asked his head peering up at the prince. Arthur nodded,
"Yes he is recovering well, he may be back on his feet by the end of the month, and hopefully you will still be here to celebrate then?"
Edmund chuckled "Unfortunely I will have to return home, however perhaps I can arrange for my daughter Evelyn to stay for a while,"
The blonde prince smiled, "we would be delighted to have you stay my lady if you wish to."
The girl remained silent her green eyes silently grinning. Her father placed a hand on the girls shoulder, and she looked up at him nervously she was nervous in front of new people and everyone in this room other than her father and a few servants were new to her this made her nervous and she began twirling her brown locks around a pale finger.
Arthur remained smiling and could obviously sense the girl's nerves, "perhaps I can introduce you to some of the knights and ladies here at court?" the girl nodded still remaining silent.
Edmund stood proud, he knew his daughter would never marry Prince Arthur; they were both too proud and stubborn for that. But he knew that if the two were even slight friends it would unite his kingdom with the greatest kingdom that the world has ever known.
After the court had been dismissed Leon found himself remaining in the room with the other Knights of the Round Table as people were now calling them.
He was talking to Elion and has he turned he found Arthur with the princess beside him. Leon must've over looked the girl before but now he could see the plain beauty of the girl, she was not extravagant like Morgana with beautiful jewels and the girl looked rather out of place in her golden dress. Her brown hair curled on her shoulders and her green eyes were the same shade as his own.
Arthur nodded at Leon as acknowledgement and Leon held out a hand, Evelyn placed her hand into his and Leon kissed the tip.
"it is a pleasure to meet you my lady."
Evelyn's cheeks blushed slightly and Leon chuckled as the princess moved on to meet the other knights.
He then rolled his eyes as he noticed Gwaine look the girl up and down, he had his flirty face on and although the man was now an official knight some things never change.
Leon didn't even realise he was staring at the lady until her gaze met his then his eyes tore away from her skin.
Arthur must've noticed this as when Leon looked up the Prince was giving him a rather intrigued look.
Arthur approached Leon leaving the Evelyn talking with Gwaine and Lancelot.
"Do you like what you see sir Leon?"
Leon was shocked by this bold statement Making Arthur laugh. "oh come on its obvious, if you like the princess ask her to dance this evening or I'll allow you to escort her to her chambers now...i worn you...she's impossible to talk to."
Leon was half listening to the prince while staring at Evelyn.
Evelyn looked up again, the red haired knight was still staring at her which she found quite flattering, other knights always seemed to go for the other ladies, the ones like that lady Morgana she had met before who teased men with her wildly looks .
Evelyn thought she was better than that, she would one day inherit a kingdom, she would be queen and she would find herself having more problems then what dress shall she wear to a silly ball.
She would have to raise armies and protect her people and she had always assumed she would do this alone as Her father had done little to encourage the princess to marry and she found the whole marriage thing over rated. She didn't need a man to protect her she could do that herself.
Evelyn found herself excusing herself from the two knights she was standing beside to walk towards Sir Leon and Prince Arthur who both looked equally surprised as the girl approached them.
Evelyn didn't have the foggiest idea what to say to the knight or the prince but luckily Arthur began the conversation.
"Leon perhaps you would like to escort the lady to her chambers, as she will need to prepare for the ball this evening."
Evelyn was rather shocked that she found herself hoping the prince would agree and when a smile curved on his lips she found herself smiling with him.
"It would be a pleasure" he replied holding out his arm that the princess took graciously.
Leon escorted the princess through the castle a little nervously, he was around royalty every day so he didn't really know why but the girls made him want to stutter and stumble and act like a bit like Merlin did every day.
Evelyn looked up at the knight "you don't need to be nervous around me." She said with a little giggle, Leon returned with a small smile.
"Would you allow me to escort you to the feast tonight my lady?" Evelyn froze this was the first time anyone had ever asked her to anything like that mainly because many were scared of her title.
She looked startled for a couple of minutes and Leon wondered if he had crossed the line but the princess soon warmed her features and her lips curved into a large smile.
"I would be delighted if you would escort me Sir Leon."
Leon felt a wave of relief as she agreed and now knew that the princess perhaps had a slight interest in him. Leon kissed her pale hand as she stepped inside her door and he stood there for a couple of seconds after she had gone, what he didn't realise is when the princess was inside she also stood silently one the other side of the door simply grinning to herself.
One thought playing over and over in her mind "no one had every ask you to a feast before..."
Evelyn had been to plenty of feasts and balls before, she'd danced with plenty of knights but she was excited about this one. She definitely did not want to come to Camelot her mother had spoken about old king Uther and his evil temperament and Evelyn counted herself lucky that it was unlikely that she was to meet him. There were even rumours spreading that Uther's condition was worsening and Arthur may have to take over as king something that the young prince would only use as a last resort.
Evelyn wasn't stupid she knew what that meant, it meant anyone who wanted Camelot would attempt to take it now as they thought it would be at its weakest, but they were wrong. Arthur was a good leader and although he was young and had a long way to go he seemed to always come out on top. Something Evelyn aspired to herself when the time came for her to take on the throne.
Of course for her it would be even harder... she was a woman, a woman who had no aspiration to marry or get married. She felt that doing so would only suggest that she needed a man beside her to rule and she defiantly didn't.
Evelyn spent a while choosing which dress to wear as she was an only child her father took every opportunity to spoil her, she was always showered in gifts and in dresses and servants and she always got whatever she wanted.
Evelyn decided to go for a lilac dress one that complemented her skin tone and her brunette hair. It hugged her in all the right places and although she wasn't one to brag she thought herself to look quite stunning in it.
As Evelyn began to pin up her long hair she wondered to herself if Leon's intentions were noble and what her father would say about the knight escorting her of course she didn't have to wait long as there was a raspy knock at the wooden door.
Evelyn opened it just wide enough to see who was on the other side when she saw it was her father she opened it widely to allow him in.
"Father what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You are comfortable?" her father said his beaky nose directing its way around the room. His green eyes looked his daughter up and down obviously making mental judgements about his daughter's clothing.
"You are wearing that to the feast?"
Evelyn nodded as did the king.
"I hear who have been offered an escort?"
Evelyn nodded looking in the mirror she tried to act uninterested. "Yes, a knight. Sir Leon, he asked if I would care for him to join me and I agreed, there is no harm in it, is there not?"
Edmund sighed. "You know very well the problem there is with that. If people see you growing interested in men they will expect you to marry,"
Evelyn turned to her father, "I have shown little interest in the knight in public, I have no interest in courting with him and I definitely will not marry the man."
The king nodded. "Good. I'm sure this knight is a good man as the prince ensured me, but he is still a knight. I wish for you to marry much higher than that."
Evelyn rolled her eyes and snorted "what like a king?" she said tapping her hand across the table beside her she sat down.
As she looked up she saw her father was deadly serious. "Exactly like a king."
"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you but I won't be getting married ever."
"do not be such a child Evelyn, you know perfectly well you must get married, that mother of yours has filled your head with delusions of woman power and strength when in reality all you will do is acquire a son for a king."
Evelyn felt her jaw tighten her father was kind, he cared for her but he was also strict and had a low opinion of those of lower status women included.
"do not be so barbaric father you know perfectly well that I am capable of leading our people better than most. If I was not I would not have agreed to come here."
The king nodded "this is true, you are capable but you must marry and have children, otherwise our dynasty will be over and the kingdom my father's father's father strove to build will be destroyed."
The girl finally nodded after a dramatic pause she looked dead into the older man's eyes.
"Fine if I must marry I will. But I will not marry for status or power as neither I need."
"And what is it you need?" the king asked sarcastically.
"I need love and loyalty." The princess replied in a confident authoritive voice.
"There is no such thing girl. You live in a dream world sometimes."
Perhaps Evelyn thought, but maybe not.
Author note: yeah so this was a major long chapter and if I continue it won't be this long every chapter but I hope you liked this please review.
please take some time to review it will help me continue and see where this is going. please take some time to review it will help me continue and see where this is going.