Percival / Arthur
The following day Percival went to see King Arthur in his private chambers.
"Percival! What do I owe the honour?" the King said, not unwelcoming, when Percival had entered.
"There is a matter I wish to discuss with you, Sire," the knight answered. He saw Arthur as a friend, but it was still strange to be seeing him here. It was very different from being on the road together.
"Let's sit down," Arthur said, gesturing towards his massive desk in a corner near the window where the late afternoon sun spilled through. When they were seated, Arthur apparently could tell that he had to push a little more to get Percival talking. "What's on your mind?" he asked.
"Well … the thing is, I want to marry."
"Marry? Marry who?" Arthur said, perplexed. He did not know what he had expected, but it certainly was not this.
"Drea, the basket maker's apprentice. That is, she is not apprenticed there any longer, because yesterday … " and then Percival told Arthur how his suspicion had been awakened, what had happened when he went to the basket maker's house, and how he had brought Drea to the castle. He did not think that Arthur normally would deal with matters like this in person, but the King listened patiently, thus giving Percival more confidence as he spoke.
When he had heard all of the story of what happened the day before, King Arthur sat back in his chair and pondered over the matter for a moment.
"Where is she now?" he asked.
"With Gaius and Merlin." Last night Percival had been there talking to her, trying to get a clearer picture of what she had gone through the last four years and he had begun to understand better why she had always seemed so sad and troubled.
Arthur nodded his approval.
"And she's been helping in the laundry rooms today."
"She doesn't have to do that," Arthur said.
"I know, but she insisted on being put to work somewhere."
Arthur thought that was very well, but there was something he needed to get straightened out.
"If I remember correctly," the King said very carefully, looking Percival straight in the eye, "you were the one who initially brought Drea here, at the time of the attack of the Dorocha."
"That's correct, Sire."
"She was very young then. How old is she now?"
Percival breathed in deeply but did not cast his eyes down. "Seventeen."
She was still very young then, but not necessarily too young. Arthur decided not to make a further issue of that particular. He trusted Percival's judgement quite far and he would have other opportunities to assess by himself whether Drea was in fact ready to marry or not. But he was still puzzled over how his knight had fallen in love, because he had not, on his own account or that of any of the other knights, heard of Percival having formed any sort of attachment to any woman.
"Forgive me for asking, but have you actually been courting her?" he enquired, hoping the answer would be negative. He had a very high opinion of Percival's character and he would like to be able to maintain it. But that would be difficult if Percival over time had been courting a girl who was practically a child.
"No, sire. From the day she arrived in Camelot and until yesterday, I have not as much as spoken a word with her. But from the beginning she struck me as very special. I never forgot about her again."
Arthur once more deliberated the words of his knight. It must be a strong love that he felt, growing in spite of such a distance to its object.
"Percival, I trust you understand why I have to question your motives. These are surprising news to me."
"Of course, Sire."
"But if your conduct has been chivalrous and if Drea feels for you the way you do for her, then of course I will support your marriage."
Arthur understood why Percival had come here. Neither he nor Drea had any family. He needed the support of his friends to make a wedding happen.
"Thank you, sire," Percival smiled.
"So, have you asked her yet?" the King said with a sparkle in his eye, his tone less serious. He was reminded of when he himself had proposed to Guinevere – both the first and the second time, which had been quite different from one another.
"No," Percival grinned.
"Better get around to it then, and let's talk again in a couple of days," Arthur suggested.
Drea
The following morning I asked Merlin to help me find a job for the day in the castle.
"You don't have to work, Drea," he said.
"I know, but I'll just feel bad if I don't. Please let me."
"Of course, if you want," he smiled.
On his way to King Arthur, he brought me to the kitchens and asked if they could use my help. The cook said they might need me more in the laundry room, but if not, I could come back to the kitchen and help out. Merlin showed me to the laundry room where a woman and two other girls were working busily. The woman welcomed my help. Apparently one girl was sick at home and I could take her place for the day.
"See you later, Drea," Merlin said and went on his way.
"S-see you," I called after him. I still was not quite used to the friendliness.
The rest of the day I helped the others wash linen and sur-coats and cloths and the King's shirts and breeches. I did not see what the problem was about working when you were doing it with friendly, good-natured people who each did their share of the toil and there even was time to chat while we worked.
Not that I was the one who chatted the most. Even though the feeling of being of use made me feel better, I still felt different and out of place. But the girls were nice to me. They asked where I came from and what I was doing in the castle. One of them remembered to have seen me in the basket workshop. I did not want to offend them, because they were only trying to be welcoming. But I know I answered somewhat evasively. I was afraid they would not want anything to do with me if they found out why I was really here. But I was also frustrated by my own way of behaviour. I knew I ought to be more open. Otherwise I would never have close friends. At the end of the afternoon I agreed with the woman in charge of the laundry to come back the next day. Then I went back to Gaius and Merlin's chambers.
