Chapter 8: First Impressions

A servant led Uther to a private guest apartment, while his knights were housed elsewhere, presumably in slightly less elegant rooms. Another servant brought him some water to wash up with, as well as a small meal, enough to tide him over until the feast later.

As he cleaned his face, his thoughts strayed to the princess. His future bride. She was beautiful, he supposed. Just because this marriage was a political arrangement didn't mean he was blind. The blue dress she had worn had drawn out the blue of her eyes. It had likely been an intentional choice, but whatever effect they had hoped it might have, all it had really done was make Uther think of Ygraine. Her eyes had been a beautiful blue. Arthur had those blue eyes too. His mother's eyes.

The little boy who had peeked out at Uther from behind his mothers skirts had blue eyes as well. He had been quiet, shy, Uther supposed, and he had seemed a lot smaller than Arthur, though perhaps that was because he had been hiding. Arthur wouldn't have hid behind Uther when royal guests came, he would have stood straight and tall at his side as he had been taught. Even when he had been as young as Hunith's son must be, Arthur had never been a timid child.

Uther recalled King Esmond's surprise that Arthur hadn't accompanied him. He had considered bringing his son along, but he had decided against it in the end. Though Arthur hadn't voiced any more complaints about the marriage since that first night, Uther had a feeling he still had his misgivings about it. Besides, Uther had wanted to meet the princess and form an opinion of her before he brought her into his son's life. There would be time later for her to meet Arthur.

As to what opinion the princess might have been forming of him… Uther didn't know. She had been perfectly polite and formal, but what she had truly been thinking was anybody's guess. Not that her opinion of him mattered, in the end. She had agreed to marry him, and they would both benefit from the union. They didn't have to like each other for that to hold true.

Uther wondered if he ought to try to get some sleep before the feast, but he disliked sleeping in the middle of the day. It had the appearance of laziness.

Instead, he used the time to go over in his mind the points he planned to discuss with Essetir's king and queen when they met later. Though the betrothal was set, the finer points of their alliance still needed to be discussed. As for what Uther expected from the marriage itself, well… the discussion topic was a bit crass, but it would be best to lay it out in the open from the outset.

Several hours had passed and the sun was just beginning to sink in the sky when there was a knock on Uther's door that proved to herald the arrival of a servant to escort him to the feast. When they exited the corridor, they were joined by Uther's men.

Most of them fell a few steps behind, but Gorlois took up a place at Uther's side, just a step or so behind for propriety's sake, but close enough for the two to talk easily if they wished. Uther would never have admitted it to anyone, but he was glad to have his friend's company on this trip. Officially, Gorlois was here as Uther's head knight. Unofficially, he had joked he was there to remind Uther it was okay to have fun once in a while. Uther had responded that "fun" wasn't the purpose of this trip, to which Gorlois had only rolled his eyes and concluded that that was exactly why Uther needed him there. What Gorlois didn't say, and what Uther would have denied had anyone asked, was that he was there as a source of strength and support.

They soon reached the feasting hall, and Uther's arrival was announced by a herald. A pair of servants hurried up to them, bowing and curtsying.

The male servant spoke first, "If it pleases you, my lord, I will escort you to the head table, while Elin," he nodded to the female servant, "Takes your men to another table."

Uther nodded to Gorlois, "This is Sir Gorlois, my First Knight. I wish for him to join me at the head table."

The servant bowed again, "Of course, my lord."

As the guest of honor, Uther was given a seat at the right side of King Esmond, where his heir, Prince Cassian would ordinarily have sat. When those at the table noticed that he had brought Gorlois up to the dais with him, there was some hasty shifting to make room for him on Uther's other side. Prince Cassian and his wife took the shift in stride, though their son, Cenred, looked a bit sulky at being asked to move.

Gorlois gave the boy a friendly smile and an apology for the trouble, to which- after a meaningful look from his father- the boy muttered that it was no trouble at all.

Uther and Gorlois had just been seated when the herald at the door announced the arrival of Princess Hunith and her son. The princess was wearing the same blue dress she had worn this morning. The little boy looked rather more animated than he had before. He wasn't hiding behind his mother now, but practically swinging from her hand as he spoke enthusiastically.

The princess was escorted to the seat directly across from Uther at the table. He rose to greet her, taking her hand and kissing it briefly. The princess gave him a smile and a slight curtsy before they took their seats. Her son scrambled up into the chair next to her, across from Gorlois, who immediately engaged the boy in conversation.

Uther knew he ought to speak to Hunith now, but he found himself unsure what to say. Friendly conversation didn't come as naturally to him as it did to Gorlois, but he wasn't used to being tongue-tied either. However, when he looked at Hunith, it was hard to think of anything but the fact that she was his future wife. And that thought drove any attempt at small talk out of his head. It didn't help that even thinking the word wife made him think of Ygraine. It was hard to apply the concept to anybody else.

Fortunately for him, Hunith spoke up first, "I hope you found your quarters suitable, King Uther?"

Uther nodded, glad of the easy conversation topic to latch onto. His quarters, he could answer that question, "Yes, they are… very suitable."

Something like humor flashed in Huniths eyes now, "Very suitable… high praise indeed."

Uther wasn't sure if she was offended by the lack of a better compliment, or just amused.

"What I mean to say is, my quarters are excellent," he amended, "I am most grateful for the hospitality your family has extended."

"And your men?" Hunith asked, "I hope that they find their quarters… very suitable as well?" Was she teasing him?

Uther hadn't thought to ask his men about their quarters.

"Sir Gorlois could answer that question better than I," he replied, nodding to his friend, "He is my First Knight."

At the sound of his name, Gorlois, who had seemingly been listening intently to whatever Hunith's small son was jabbering about, looked up, "Pardon?"

Princess Hunith smiled at him, "I was just wondering how you and the other knights found your quarters, Sir."

Gorlois gave her an easy smile, "They are lovely, my lady, and your staff made sure we had everything we needed."

The smile Hunith gave Gorlois was rather warmer than the one she had bestowed upon Uther, "I'm glad to hear it. I hope my son isn't bothering you," she added, "Goodness knows he'll talk your ear off if you let him."

Gorlois' smile widened, "Not at all, my lady, we're becoming good friends, aren't we, Merlin?"

Merlin nodded eagerly, looking up at his mother, "I was telling Sir Gorlois about the special entertainers that grandfather hired!"

Uther wanted to shake his head in amazement. Talking to people seemed to come so… naturally to Gorlois. Whether children or adults, he seemed to have a gift for putting people at ease and making them like him.

Uther couldn't say it was a gift he shared. If anything, he seemed to put people on edge. Not that he truly minded. He was the king, it wasn't his job to set people at ease or make them like him. They only had to respect him.

The first course was served shortly, which saved Uther from having to attempt further conversation with Hunith. Once the course was done, King Esmond turned to Uther to ask him how the feast compared to the feasts he was accustomed to back home. Uther found it easier to talk to the other king than he did to his daughter. He didn't wonder what Esmond was thinking, nor was his mind distracted by thoughts of marriage.

From there the talk turned to stories of hunting and battle, and at least there Uther found it easy to join in. He told the story of Arthur's first hunt, and how, just recently, his son had managed to shoot a small bird without assistance.

He was surprised when princess Hunith chimed in here. He wouldn't have expected a princess to have a hunting story to share, but she told the story of her little son's rather less successful first (and last) hunt. While the adult members of the boy's family laughed gently, from further down the table Uther heard the boy Cenred mutter, "Little baby."

"Well, I'm sure the boy won't be so sensitive the next time," Uther said. He had meant the words to be encouraging, but from the look of annoyance that flashed across Hunith's face before she schooled her expression back into a polite smile, she hadn't taken it as such.

"I'm glad that my boy cares about living things," she said slightly stiffly.

"Nothing wrong with that," Gorlois agreed lightly, smoothing over the awkward moment easily, "I enjoy hunting myself, but we should always respect the prey, and try not to cause undue suffering."

Hunith smiled at Gorlois, her irritation seeming to melt away as her expression warmed, "That's a wise way of thinking."

It didn't seem like a good sign that Uther had managed to irritate his future wife within a few hours of meeting her. He was grateful Gorlois had been here to smooth things over. Asking for his friend to join him at the high table had definitely been a wise decision.

He briefly wondered if he should attempt to apologize to Hunith, but the idea irked him. He still didn't really think there had been anything wrong with his words. Besides, Hunith was cheerfully engaged in conversation with Gorlois now, and interrupting would only remind her she was irritated with him.

The last course of the dinner was cleared away, and their wine glasses were refilled.

Then King Esmond stood up and called for silence. The chatter in the hall died away as all eyes turned to their king.

In the silence of the waiting crowd, Hunith's small son piped up, "Is it time for the entertainment now, Grandfather?"

There was a ripple of laughter, though to Uther the child's interjection seemed impertinent.

However, King Esmond only smiled fondly at his grandson, "Almost, Merlin, but not quite yet. You'll have to be patient for a little while longer."

He turned his gaze back out to the crowd, "Before we get to the… eagerly anticipated entertainment" again there was a ripple of laughter through the crowd, "I have a very important announcement to make."

His gaze turned to Uther, "I am sure by now most of you will have realized that we have guests from Camelot in our midst. I am very glad to welcome King Uther of Camelot to our kingdom and my home."

Uther rose to his feet at the acknowledgement. "Thank you, King Esmond," he replied formally, "You have made my men and I feel most welcome here."

King Esmond nodded to acknowledge his words before looking at the crowd again, "However, my announcement is not simply of the presence of our visitors, but of the reason for their visit. Camelot and Essetir will soon be joined, not just in friendship, but in a sacred bond. It is my pleasure to announce the engagement of my daughter, Princess Hunith to King Uther of Camelot."

Uther could hear murmurs of surprise in the crowd as Hunith rose to her feet and turned to face them.

As she turned, he could see her painting a smile on her face. After a few awkward seconds, the crowd's surprise seemed to wear off and they began to applaud. Uther and Hunith both stayed standing to acknowledge the applause. Merlin got in on the applause quite enthusiastically, though Uther wasn't sure he really grasped what he was applauding for or whether he just enjoyed clapping.

"Yay, Mama!" He cheered, and when Hunith turned her head to look down at him, Uther could see that her smile had become more genuine.

When the clapping died down, Hunith and Uther retook their seats, and King Esmond said a few more words before summoning the entertainers to come begin their performance. Uther noticed Hunith's son wriggling with excitement in his chair.

The entertainment portion of the evening started with a juggler, then moved onto an acrobat. It continued with several other specialized tricksters.

For Uther, watching the performers was a welcome conversation was necessary as everyone kept their eyes on the show. The only interaction necessary was to clap politely after each performance.

Throughout the show, Hunith's young son seemed enraptured, squealing with delight and applauding enthusiastically after each performance. Uther found himself wondering if Arthur would have enjoyed it. No matter, there would be plenty of opportunities for Arthur to see such shows in Camelot.

After a while, the show began to wind down and the performances took a more sedate turn, a reading of a poem was first, then a small group of dancers, and then a singer took her place for what was announced as the final performance of the evening.

The singer finished her first song, a somewhat long piece about the seasons, that shifted from a lively and jaunty tune as she sang about spring and summer to a slower and quieter one as she sang of autumn, then ended on a melancholy note as she sang of winter. The singer then announced that while she had only initially prepared one song for tonight, she had another special song that she'd like to sing in honor of Princess Hunith's engagement.

When she began to sing a romantic ballad about falling in love, Uther felt a sense of awkwardness settle over him. He couldn't see the princess' face, as she was turned toward the performers, but he had a feeling she was no more pleased with it than he was. They weren't in love, and neither of them was going to pretend they were.

The song was pretty, Uther supposed, the words could even be called moving, but all the emotions the lyrics described, feeling butterflies at the sight of someone, the warmth of gazing into each other's eyes, the passion of a kiss… the only woman he had ever felt those things about was Ygraine, not this princess he had only met today. And as for Hunith, he suspected that the only thing she had felt while gazing into his eyes thus far was annoyance and perhaps amusement.

The song ended and the singer looked toward the high table, her gaze specifically seeking out Uther and Hunith, as if to see if they had appreciated her tribute. Uther forced himself to nod in appreciation and clap politely, and he could see Hunith doing something similar.

The singer curtsied deeply, first to the pair of them, and then to King Esmond and Queen Arianwen. As she walked away, King Esmond stood up to dismiss the crowd. Uther noticed that Merlin had fallen asleep at some point during the singer's performance. His mother was gently trying to shake him awake, when, to Uther's surprise, Gorlois spoke up and offered to carry the boy back to his bed.

Hunith smiled at him gratefully. As she stood and prepared to leave the room, Uther cleared his throat.

"Princess Hunith?"

She turned to look at him, "Yes?"

"Would you allow me to escort you back to your quarters as well?" He felt awkward; they hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot tonight, but it seemed the appropriate thing to do, especially considering their engagement was now public.

Hunith hesitated and Uther got the feeling she was wondering if she could refuse without seeming rude.

However, after a moment, she gave him a polite smile, "Of course, I would be grateful."

She offered her arm, and Uther took it. The three of them left the banquet hall together, Gorlois carrying the sleeping Merlin in his arms. Since Uther had no idea where Hunith's and Merlin's quarters were, he followed her guidance as they made their way through the palace corridors.

Eventually, they drew to a stop

"This is Merlin's room," Hunith said, nodding her head to the door they were standing in front of, "And mine is next door."

Uther released her arm and pushed the door open. Gorlois carried Merlin past him and laid him down in the bed. Hunith followed him into the room to tuck the covers up around her son, then the two rejoined Uther in the hallway.

Hunith thanked Gorlois warmly for carrying Merlin, then, after a slight pause turned to Uther, "And… thank you for escorting me to my room."

Uther nodded. "Sleep well," he replied.

"Good night," Hunith turned and slipped into the next room.

Uther and Gorlois made their way back down the hall side-by-side. Now that they were alone and without an official escort, there was no need for Gorlois to stay slightly behind for propriety's sake.

"The princess seems quite kind and friendly," Gorlois noted, "I like her a lot." He glanced at Uther, "But the important question is, do you?"

Uther grunted, "I don't need to like her, I only need to marry her."

Gorlois raised his eyebrows, "I suppose that's technically true, but liking her would certainly make the marriage a lot more pleasant."

"I don't dislike her," Uther relented, "But I barely know her. And she seems rather easily offended."

Gorlois snorted, "Well what did you expect when you insulted her son?"

"I wasn't trying to insult the boy!" Uther protested, "How is saying he'll do better next time an insult?"

Gorlois looked amused, "I believe it was the implication that there was something wrong with the way he reacted the first time that the princess took offense to."

Uther's only response to this was an annoyed grunt, which only seemed to amuse Gorlois further.

"At any rate, I think Princess Huntih would rather marry you than me," Uther said, "You didn't offend her, and there's no question that she liked you."

Gorlois shrugged this off, "So your first meeting didn't exactly go as well as one might have hoped, there's still plenty of time for the two of you to get to know each other. Maybe she'll warm up to you… as long as you don't imply that her son is too sensitive again."

"I don't care if she warms up to me," Uther insisted, "This marriage will be good for her kingdom and for Camelot. Our personal feelings don't really matter."

Gorlois shook his head. "If you say so." Though the words were technically an agreement, his expression said otherwise.

They walked along in silence for a moment before Gorlois spoke again, "You have to acknowledge that she's a good mother though."

Uther grunted, " A bit too permissive, I think," Gorlois frowned at him and he added, "But yes, it's obvious she prioritizes her son." He couldn't fault her for that. Arthur was the most important thing in his life.

"She'll be good with Arthur, I think," Gorlois said quietly.

Uther's footsteps slowed.

"You know, it's partly your fault I decided to go along with the council's plan," he said, trying to make his voice sound light.

Gorlois raised his eyebrows, "My fault? I don't recall trying to convince you to get married."

Uther shook his head, "No, that's not what I meant." He hesitated before elaborating, "It… was what you said about Morgana. About how you wondered if not having a mother was affecting her negatively. It… well, I suppose I started wondering the same thing about Arthur. And I thought perhaps if I remarried… it might be beneficial for him, as well as for the kingdom."

Gorlois' expression softened, "I can understand that."

"Arthur doesn't seem pleased with the idea of me getting married, though," Uther added, "he kept saying he didn't understand why I needed to."

He grimaced, "I could hardly tell him that the council wanted me to have another heir in case…. in case something happened to him."

"No, that wouldn't do him any favors," Gorlois agreed, then with a hint of a smirk added, "So you can hold back from saying everything on your mind occasionally."

Uther rolled his eyes, "Shut up."

Gorlois grinned, then got more serious again, "Change can be difficult for children, and you getting married is… rather a huge change for Arthur. He may be worried about how someone new coming into your lives will affect things." he paused, "Perhaps he's anxious about having to share your attention with someone else?"

Uther frowned slightly. He hadn't considered that possibility before. But it did make a certain amount of sense… Arthur's mood had seemed to have grown even worse when Uther mentioned that Hunith had a son.

"What do I do about that, then?" he asked.

"Just assure him that getting married isn't going to somehow take you away from him," Gorlois answered. He said it like it was so simple, but Uther had never been good at discussing his feelings or being reassuring, not even with his son. He didn't voice these doubts aloud though.

"Right now, your future wife is an unknown to Arthur," Gorlois continued, "He doesn't know what to expect and it's natural that he would feel uneasy, But once he meets her and sees for himself that she isn't horrible, he might find he actually quite likes having her and Merlin around."

Uther nodded slowly. He supposed that made sense. "I hope so," he murmured. He paused, "Do you think I ought to have brought him with me then?"

Gorlois considered for a moment, "Well, doubting your choice now isn't going to do any good. Besides… it might be better for Arthur to be introduced to the new elements in his life at home where he's comfortable, rather than in a foreign kingdom where he doesn't know anyone and everything is unfamiliar. That way he at least has those familiar things to fall back on, even with something new being added."

Uther nodded again. He realized that they had now reached the turnoff into the corridor where his room was.

"Well… I supposed this is where we ought to part ways," he said.

Gorlois nodded, "Good night, Uther."

"Good night," Uther replied, then hesitated, "And, Gorlois…" He wanted to express his gratitude to his friend for the advice he had given him, but he wasn't sure how to do so without sounding…. emotional. "It was good to have a chance to… talk things over."

Gorlois smiled, "Of course. That is what I'm here for."

"Actually you're here to protect me from assassins," Uther responded with a glimmer of amusement.

Gorlois grinned, "Well that too. I am a man of many talents."

Uther rolled his eyes, "Oh, go to bed, why don't you? I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, sire," Gorlois gave a little mocking bow, before turning away and walking in the direction of his own quarters.

Uther rolled his eyes again. "I don't know why I put up with you," he called after Gorlois.

"I do. It's because I'm your best friend," Gorlois returned, without bothering to turn around, "And I'm very charming and wise."

"Ha, you keep telling yourself that," Uther wasn't sure whether Gorlois heard his last retort or not. He turned and headed down the corridor. It had been a long day, they had risen at dawn to travel the remaining miles into Essetir's capitol, and it was now well into the night. He would be grateful to sink into his bed and get some sleep.

Thank you for reading! Any reviews would be greatly appreciated.