Always Ahead [Lancelot]

[Aribella]

[Set sometime right before season three in the year long gap]

Aribella pulled in her dark brown mare's reins to come to a stop. She snorted in amusement as she turned in her saddle to find her guards left behind some ways down the path. It rather amused her that a middle-aged woman could ride ahead of two men in the prime of their lives. If she wasn't so annoyed at their slow progress torward her estate then she would have slowed down to tease them a bit. However, as it was, it was already midday and the estate would not be reached until sun down at the least. While normally Aribella was all for long rides and being outside, they had been traveling over a week and she was tired. What she would not give to take a nice bath and sleep in soft sheets again.

Although vanity is said to dissapear with age, Aribella still liked to look her very best at any given moment. However, With her hair falling out of it's pins, she looked more wild then dignified as a duchess should. Her clothes were a muted color so as not to draw unwelcome attention from any unwholesome characters who might be found on the trail, and the only hint of her wealth were the gold hair pins she never went without. Yet even her posture spoke of her rank. With squared shoulders and a straightened back she was not to be mistaken for anyone of lesser rank. The posture drilled into her since early childhood could not be lost.

Even as she waited and shook out her skirts to pass the time, her horse shifted as well. Both were restless and rather annoyed at the holdup. Aribella's face was set in a look of steely dtermination to get home as quickly as possible, and the slightest hints of annoyance were beginning to show. She did not look to be a woman to be trifled with as she sat facing the bend in the trail where her men would appear shortly. If anything, she looked quite dragon like in her fierce demeaner. After all, hell hath no fury as a woman being made to wait.

[Deleted]

Lancelot ..... Sir Lancelot ..... had been on the road for several days and was quite tired. It was ironic that he served as a journeyman in Wessex, where most, in an an official capacity, referred to him as Sir, whereas he could not really consider himself as 'Sir', until he was reinstated as a Knight of Camelot. That of course, he reminded himself, was not even remotely likely at this stage, and he sighed. He had been on a mission, safely delivering a diplomat and some important documents to an adjacent kingdom, and now Lancelot was on his way back to Wessex. He was on a relatively deserted piece of roadway in the country, just hoping that he would run across a good Inn to erst for a bit. He hoped that there was around the next bend in the road, but instead he ran across a solitary female rider.

Lancelot brought himself and his charge to a stop several feet ahead of the female rider. It did not seem to make sense to him why a female would be out riding alone in country such as this. She was dressed rather plainly, but the way she carried herself did not seem to indicate a peasant or a commoner. In fact, her posture seemed to indicate one who was used to being bowed to.. He did not get the feeling that this was one who bowed her knee to anyone. The horse itself, and the bright gold pins in her hair seemed to clinch it that this was a noble lady of some rank. The question was what rank did she carry and why was she alone? "Good day to you milady. I am new to these parts, could you possibly assist me in giving me directions to an Inn or some similar establishment?"

Lancelot knew that he could cut quite an intimidating figure in his mail and armor, as well as his long-swords and shield. His horse, a black Arabian stallion, cut a striking figure as well. As he brought his horse to a stop, he noted that the plain-dressed woman, with the stiff posture, although quite good-looking, she had a look on her face that could have stopped his horse without a command. She looked none too pleased to have met him and his horse on this stretch of road, and he had his doubts, right from the first, just how friendly an encounter it would be. He decided that his best course of action would be to wait atop his horse, Sher-Fore, at some distance, and await her response to his original question.

[Aribella]

Aribella turned to watch the newcomer as soon as she heard his approach. In full mail she figured he must be a soldier of some sort. Perhaps even a knight, though he looked unfamiliar. In her limited time she had been in Camelot proper and other very populated areas she had not met many knights, so it was possible she did not recognize him as such due to that. Him being new, she favored him with a small smile. She was not one to want to intimidate him. It was bad enough that the roads could be so unfriendly these days. She also took a liking to the way he made sure to be polite. He was observant since he could tell she was of noble birth, and he had addressed her as such. Not many had those markings of a true knight.

"I am headed now to my estate. There is an inn located right next to the property. It is not a days ride from this point. You are welcome to travel with my companions and I. They are just down the trail." Aribella said in a level tone. She continued to look the young man over as to ascertain she had not missed anything that would point to danger. If anything were to happen, her guards would not be able to arrive quickly enough to adequately protect her. When she spoke, she also chose not to reveal her name until he revealed his own or asked directly. She was quite interested to know what his response would be.

Aribella saw that he kept some distance between them and figured she must not have looked a very welcoming figure upon his entrance. She concluded she would not be too nice at first. She had a reputation to uphold as someone who was intimidating. She never liked to give people to much of an impression on who she really was. Better to always leave them off-balance. She raised an eyebrow delicately while waiting for his answer. While not showing any outside facial signs, she already heard her men approaching. She gave it five minutes before they arrived, and the trip could continue.

[Deleted]

Everything that Lancelot had seen so far indicated that his initial evaluation and read was the proper one. He had no knowledge of her, this being their first meeting, so he couldn't be sure of her reaction to his presence in the road. He didn't think that it was likely that she would constitute much of a danger to him, but with the ever-present possibility of magic being applied, one could never be absolutely. He was absolutely sure now that they had ever met. It appeared now that the expression on her face had softened a bit, so he decided to walk his horse slowly towards her in the middle of the roadway. He made sure to keep his defenses up. There was no telling if she might have some unsavory associates in adjacent wooded areas.

It was at this opportune moment that she finally spoke. So ..... an estate......she was a noble as he a surmised. Well, there were certain things that even a plain wardrobe of clothes simply could not hide, he thought to himself. An Inn too?! ..... How fortunate ..... only a day's ride. "You are most kind, milady to make the offer. I am Lancelot Du Lac, a former Knight of Camelot. These days I serve King Theodred, King of Wessex, in the capacity of a knight. Still, as a knight,I am pretty much a nomadic one. I thank you,milady, for informing me of the presence and distance of an Inn. I am merely passing through these regions on my way back to Wessex, and I am sure that I will be able to take advantage of the Inn you have mentioned."

He noted that as of yet that she had not identified who she was, so he decided to force the issue somewhat. "As I have identified myself and my purpose in traveling through these parts I would be curious if you would do me the honor of identifying yourself. It is not often that I have the privilege of conversing with a female noble in my travels. I must say that I find it unusual that a person such as yourself is alone on the roadway. Where are these companions that you just have spoken of. This thoroughfare, although it is a main road, can be a dangerous place to be all alone ....milady." He thought he could hear the sound of horse's hooves in the distance, and his hands went immediately to hilt of his long-swords, merely as a defensive reflex.

[Aribella]

Aribella listened as he identified himself. She rose an eyebrow at the part where he said he was a former knight of Camelot, and wondered why he no longer served the crown. She was wary of him, but did not move to widen the gap between the horses. Aribella was much to proud to let even a dubious knight intimidate her in any way. Instead of a wordy reply to his thanks, she merely inclined her head in his direction.

"Well Sir knight, you are addressing the Duchess Aribella Cantour. As for my companions, they are my personal guards." She said. Her head tilted and she gave a small chuckle when Lancelot moved to grab his swords. While she kept an eye on them, she did not think he would cause her trouble. She was more worried her guards might take the wrong idea if they found her in the company of an armed man with his weapon drawn. Aribella raised a hand gracefully in front of her to try and get Lancelot to calm down.

"They are merely the guards. No need to startle." She was a bit condescending as she spoke. However, she was slightly touched by his concern for her being alone on the road. She could see clearly now the knight-like qualities he had. In fact, she was sure Camelot could use knights such as this. Although, this string of thought again led her to ponder on why he no longer served Camelot. Surely, Aribella had heard of knights that wondered such as Lancelot, but they were not the type to change allegiances without due cause. While Aribella did not overflow with patriotic feelings for Camelot, she was not stupid. If Lancelot had done something to upset the king then Aribella would have to be very careful. As it was, she erred on the side of caution and would wait and see what would happen.

[Deleted]

Lancelot saw that the look on the woman’s face had softened, but still had that hard and determined look. The only time that her expression changed was when he mentioned that he had been a Knight of Camelot. It was so obvious of change he couldn’t avoid noticing. But what did it mean? Did it mean that she was surprised that he could have been a Knight of Camelot. Was his unworthiness so obvious? Or was she questioning why he was no longer one of the few and the proud Knights of Camelot? Whatever the answers were, all she did was nod in his direction and all he could do was nod back in acceptance of her simple acknowledgment.

Quickly, however, she did identify herself. Undoubtedly she did it so that he would have no question about who she was and what she was. She had quickly struck him as a person who recognized her own importance in the scheme of things, and as a Duchess it was her right. “It is then, a great honor, Duchess Cantor, to give you what service I can. However, it does continue to raise the issue why you are all alone on the road, where you could be subject to bandits or highwaymen.,” he asked with a raised eyebrow of his own. “Guards?,” he suddenly questioned, but only after he saw the riders approaching and had drawn both of his long-swords. As a fighting knight he had always, for safety sake, known that it was wisest to act strongly when confronted by an unknown, and ask questions later. However, he had said that he would act to serve this noble, and when she raised her hand to him he knew that discretion, at least in this case was the route that he had to take. However, he only lowered his swords, he did not re-sheathe them. He would not be foolhardy, at least, and disarm himself.

“As you wish, milady ….Duchess ….although I was looking forward to the exercise,” he smiled thinly. “However, I would not have been worried about them being startled, but them receiving more permanent damage.” Lancelot perceived that she was of strong opinions and likely expected to be completely obey, so he, somewhat reluctantly re-sheathed his weapons as the guards approached. However, he watched them quite warily. He wondered, though, where she had come from, and where she was heading to. He also wondered how well, as a local noble, that she knew Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot, and what impact that might have on how she thought of him. Well …. He thought to himself ….. I have no plans to stay here anyway. As long as Uther didn’t have any commands out to arrest him, Lancelot thought he was fairly safe. “If you don’t mind me asking, milady, how well are you acquainted with the King of Camelot?”

[Aribella]

Aribella found it quite charming he would worry over her, but knew she was quite safe on the road. Her guards were her two most trusted and talented men. She never left home without them by her side, or in this case trailing behind. She in all honesty should not be so foolish in the future as to stray so far from them. She blamed it on her eagerness to be home.
As Lancelot lowered his sword Aribella smiled and turned to face her two guards who had joined them. The guards were quick to put their hands to their weapons and ease their way to flank Aribella's horse. She again raised her hand, this time to her own men. The did not speak but moved their hands back to the reins of their horses obediently. However, their statures were still tense and they did not look happy when Lancelot inferred they would not be a match for him.

"So confident. These are my two best men. I doubt they would be so easily dispatched." She said in a rather arched tone. Her brows furrowed slightly but she still kept some of her amusement in her voice. She also gave a look to her guards who seemed to relax slightly.
She was a bit offended in their stead that anyone would question her people, but she let it pass. The young were often over-confident and brash. She knew all too well what being young felt like, and she was easy to forgive this time. She was not sure she would be next time Lancelot spoke as such, but she left it up to whatever mood she happened to be in at the time.

She was genuinely a bit surprised when the knight brought up the king. Her suspicions grew a bit, but she kept the emotions from flitting over her features. Instead she simply raised an eyebrow.
"I am returning now from the castle." She said without too much elaboration. She had first visited during the five day festival a while back and had just now made a second visit. She found herself enjoying being around the city now. Before the celebrations she had not been since she was seventeen. Now she figured she would plan a trip every now and then. It was good for gathering news, since her estate was a bit isolated.
"And I am as well acquainted with our King as anyone." She finally responded, making her answer vague and leaving it up to Lancelot to fill in whatever first came to his mind. She liked to leave people guessing even when the question was not an intrusive one. She liked how it left her with the upper hand in a conversation.

[Deleted]

This was not a situation that he had much experience with. First, he was used to working alone, and second, it was not in his nature to be forced to subordinate himself to a noble overlord, especially an older female one, he thought. He had been subjected to both at Camelot, and it had not ended well. While it was true that he had served several noble overlords in Wessex, but they had given him a lot rope on the leash, which gave him some of the freedom he required.

"If those be your guards, milady, I think that they have kept a more careful watch on what their subject is doing and how far away she was getting. Unless of course you are quite capable of defending themselves." Of course there were many examples in history of those who had an elevated view of their own abilities compared to everyone else. The tone of her voice did not suggest a lot of humility, Lancelot thought. But what else was to be expected of the local nobility?

Lancelot was not overly impressed with guards, but he was rarely impressed with anyone's guards. If they were all that good, they would be knight and not guards, unless of course they were commoners that could rise no higher. It did not take a lot of skill to merely defend. Knights had to attack, as well as defend. If they were good they would have to prove their worth to him. However, as a noble, and a noble female, Lancelot felt bound to obey her wishes. It was for that reason alone that he lowered his sword, out of respect for her position, not for fear or respect of them.

Lancelot's vigilance was not relaxed, as he saw their hands go to their weapons. He knew that they saw that they outnumbered him, and they were confident enough,as well as afeared of her that they were encouraged to go for their weapons. He would not have been disappointed if they had unsheathed their swords. He believed that his two long-swords were a match for heir single ones. Besides,he doubted if they had ever run across one who could fight equally well with either hand.

"Confident.....milady? Nay ..... just practical. Just because they are your two best men does not necessarily mean anything. It depends on what or who that you are comparing them too. If you said that they were best compared to Crown Prince Arthur, or one of his Knights of Camelot, that would be different, of course. However, comparing them to men that I know not, means little to me, I'm sorry to say, and does not cause me to respect their abilities until I see them in action. Seeing is believing."

He saw the look that she gave the two guards, as well as the similar motion she had given Lancelot with her hand. They didn't seem to like it, but it appeared that they knew when they were required to behave. And it appeared that that requirement was ever-present. Lancelot, for his part,now surmised that he had said much-too much. He was not used to these public verbal interactions, and he knew now that his place while among nobles, should be a patient silence. So, he waited now until a question was asked, or perhaps, one of her 'best guards' made an aggressive move towards him. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she must not have been altogether pleased by his words, so he attempted make amends. "My apologies, Duchess .... it is not my place to evaluate you guards and their worth. If you choose to have me accompany you I will remember that I should be seen but not heard," he said, making his apologies to her, but not to them.

Lancelot was not very sure of what her opinion of him was, but since he thought it unlikely that she would want him to travel with her, that her approval would be of much consequence. However, she did go on to tell him where they were traveling to. "Indeed," he noted as she explained that they were just returning from the castle in Camelot. The small part of his nature that naturally suspicious was put slightly on edge by this news. He waited to hear her elaborate more fully on her trip, but she quickly changes the subject to a related area. So .... she was acquainted with King Uther. Lancelot wondered whether she had any knowledge of what his relationship with Uther had been. Her answer about King Uther he found to be vague .... too vague ..... as if she purposely was hiding the nature of their relationship, which served only to make Lancelot even more suspicious, and nobles made him suspicious enough as it was.

[Aribella]

Aribella would not say she was pleased with the apparent arrogance of the knight. In fact she took a bit of offense when he dismissed her guards so easily. Sure they may not match a fully trained and armed knight, but they had seen her through many a dangerous situation. They were her most loyal companions and she felt the need to always return that loyalty. As she thought about how to reply she let a bit of her anger spark in her eyes. Her features however, remained serene. She had frequently been around those of elevated rank, and they were the ones you never wanted to let know how you were really feeling. A lot of practice led to an exellent poker face.

He did have a point when he criticized her guards lightly for letting her get too far ahead. However, she put herself at fault for that. It was an error she was foolish to make. She could hardly blame her guards for not being able to follow at the pace she had picked up. Then again, she figured they would expect it by now with how long they had been her companions. These two she had had in her service for five years.

"Seeing is indeed believing, and I cannot fault you for your honest opinion. However, it is unwise for one so young to judge so quickly. Expierience can mean a lot in battle. The young often forget that." She said as her anger faded slightly. She could remember her own youth when she had said more inflamatory remarks with less provacation. He was brave, and she conceded points to him for that. She even found herself finding some of his qualities a bit endearing. It was not often one spoke so honestly to a Duchess. She would not leave him feeling as if he could not speak his mind in her presence.

"Never apologize for speaking your mind. It is a quality that is lost in many these days, and one I believe is sorely missed. If I never listened to anyone because they were of a lower rank, my servants would have had me thrown down a well long ago." She said with a small smile. She could remember that as a young child her mother had poured water over her head when she had spoken to harshly to her maid. Aribella knew for a fact that servants who respected you were much more loyal and gave better service then servants who resented you.

As for her trip to the castle, Aribella let Lancelot wonder. She found it amusing that he seemed edgey when it was mentioned. This also peaked her curiosity on why the knight cared so much about the King. It seemed like there would be an interesting story behind that. One she was very keen to hear in due time.

[Deleted]

Lancelot was glad that he had decided to be less free with his words. It was more knightly to withhold his true thoughts, since it was the commands of the nobles that took precedence, no matter if they were a Pendragon or someone else. It had not been an issue when he was striving to be a Knight of Camelot since his only goal then was to serve Camelot, and specifically, Arthur. It was clear, then, that he should hold his tongue when dealing with nobles. In the time since the loss of that knighthood, even with his service for the King of Wessex, had not exposed him to many encounters with those who were superior to him. He could tell by the physical reaction of this noble, if not by her words, that she had had not liked what he had said very much.

If what she said was true, and that these were her guards, as well as her 'companions' he did not expect that what he had said would have been received very well. It was likely that she would be somewhat protective of them, at least in what others said about them. He did not expect that he would like his abilities talked down to, so it was not a surprise they wouldn't like it either. However, since he believed what he had said was true, he was not about to apologize for the substance of what he said. he had just apologized for himself speaking out of turn. It was not his place, and no matter what she said, he wouldn't change his mind about that. After all, he did not have to ride with these people. He had traveled this far alone, he could travel farther.

All of this just further emphasized that as a knight, or someone who wanted to be a knight and serve, it was not his place to have an opinion. or at least one that could be easily perceived. It was a knight's role to obey the orders he was given and to perform his duties and responsibilities with honor. He knew that his motives, as a knight, could never be questioned. It was the reason now, after much consideration, that he could ever go back to Camelot as a knight, at least one that the Pendragons could respect. The circumstances would have to be quite unusual for both him to return and for them to accept him. Once he had accepted that, it had been far easier for him to go into service as a knight elsewhere.

Lancelot nearly nodded his head slightly in her direction as he heard her agree with part of he had said. "I was trained for a trade when I was a young lad, and I had to have an appreciation for what was real, what you could see and what you could touch. However, even with all of that, it is not my role to offer opinions, especially when they are not asked for, milady. I will remember, or at least try to remember your wise words, Duchess, about the positives of experience and the virtue of not judging others too quickly."

He listened to her remarks about apologizing and he was confused. He had spoken his mind about her guards and he had sensed that she had not approved .... at all .... but he did not want argue with this noble .... not on this point at any rate, so he simply nodded his head slightly, in deference to the Duchess. "Perhaps that is true, milady, but I think I have learned not to offer my thoughts and observations unless they are asked for. A knight must understand his place in the order of things .... is that not correct? I doubt whether they would have permitted to do such a thing. Surely your guards would have come to your aid," he said, smiling slightly.

The one thing that she did not address were his comments about Camelot, and his question about her knowledge of King Uther was ambiguous at best. It seemed on that subject she was not as willing to give Lancelot the completest of answers. He found that fact to be quite curious, and wondered what exactly was the reason why. As long as she was not willing to offer any more precise information, though, so he saw no reason to ask her any more questions down that line. He just leaned back in his saddle, smiled slightly,and waited for her next directive, which he thought would likely be forthcoming quickly, given what she had said so far. He wondered how much she really wanted him to accompany her and her guards. He was sure that her companions were not enthusiastic about his presence, and wondered how much she really wanted him along. However, the Inn was only a short distance, so it was possible that she didn't look at his presence as being much of a hindrance.

[Aribella]

Aribella continued to observe the knight with great curiosity. He seemed to be full of contradictions. On one hand he was opinionated and honest, yet on the other hand he kept his talk in check and seemed to know when to back off. She was now more interested then ever in his history. As he said he was trained for a trade Aribella added that to her store of knowledge on the young man. It was rare that a noble boy raised to be a knight was first taught a trade of any kind. It was also rare for a young knight, such as this one, to seem so worldly and know so much about people.
Aribella respected his reasoning and let her last remnants of snnoyance go. She let her folded hands relax slightly as they held her horse's reigns on her lap. She also let them absently run along the seeming of her skirt. It was a small habit of hers to never be completly still. One her mother had never managed to cure her of.

He called her words wise, and she was happy to know that he seemed to listen well. She thought it was a good quality to have, knight or otherwise. It was also not one found in most of the young nobles she met in these days. She found the younger nobles to be very rash and they seemed to feel entitiled. She was not fond of them in general and they had been a part of the reason she never stayed in court long. This knight, however, seemed very unlike them. He seemed to actually have an appreciation for work. Her mind tried to identify what she was feeling about this young man. She had never quite met the likes of him, and it was a bit frustrating to not be able to put a finger on what was so different.

"Understanding your place in life is important, to be sure. However, there will always come a time when your opinion will be needed. Never be afraid to speak what you think is right. It is only a fool who disreguards good advice based on rank. A dead fool at that." She said in a matter of fact tone. She did not believe that those of lower rank should be disreguarded. They were what gave the nobility their power, and should be aknowledged as such. Aribella found it admirable that the young knight was respectfull, but she did not want him to clam up on her. It was not everyday someone so interesting was met on the road, and it would be a shame to spend the rest of the trip in silence.

When he spoke of her guards coming to her aid, Aribella laughed outright. Her laugh was full and not restrained in the slightest. She smiled in genuine amusement and turned to her guards.
"What say you? Would you have lept to my aid to gallantly defend my honor?" She asked them with a hint of laughter still clouding her words. Both guards chuckled and one replied, "Your honor, your grace? If your honor were to be in trouble, I would not stand between you and the good man for anything. I know not to risk the dragon lady at her worst." His joke made the other guard laugh, and Aribella chuckled along with them.
It was a long standing joke, that her staff had nicknamed Aribella the dragon lady. She did not tend to have the best temper when truly angered, and did not rely on others to speak for her. She might not grow loud, but when she spokeit was blunt and firey. She did not pretend to have the nicest temperment when truly vexed and many did not ever wish to have that anger directed at themselves.

"Fear not, young knight. It takes more then truthfull words to get on my bad side. And never fear that you will overstep your bounds. I would rather be slighted honestly, then complimented in false. Now, let's not dwell on such unfortunate topics. Tell me, when were you last in Camelot?"

[Deleted]

Lancelot had decided, for the moment at any rate, to travel with them. He was willing to travel to this Inn she has mentioned, and since it was only a day's journey away, its seemed that they could tolerate the other's company for at least that long. Even so, he elected to hang back from the Duchess and her 2 'companions' on his black Arabian stallion. He figured that it would be best for him to listen and observe and to speak only when spoken to. It was a knight's duty and responsibility to serve and not make pronouncements or state opinions, he observed. He wondered, though, more than ever, what her actual opinion was of him, from what he had said so far.

Lancelot assumed that he had been so free with his opinions that she and her companions probably thought him to be an arrogant knight. Although they might pass it off to his youth, and might think that he was just trying to impress, that was not the impression that he wanted to leave ..... with anyone. He did notice, though, that despite whatever negative impressions he might have initially left, her body language did seem to indicate that she was feeling more comfortable with his presence. He wondered if her guards and companions felt the same.

The Duchess took her time, but did respond to his reply and his opinion. It seemed that she did not exactly disagree with him, but that she tried to emphasize something different. Lancelot, however, this time wanted to take care that he didn't leave his opinions too exposed. Understanding my place, he wondered. Just what is my place? He knew that his family had been a noble one in Gaul. It was unclear whether they had left of there own accord or had been forced out. It had never been explained to him .... he had been too young. What he did remember was being told that his father had been a diplomat of sorts, representing his king .... in other courts.

It was even possible that Lancelot's father had been in King Uther's court ..... he had wondered about that. However, french nobility would not be recognized in Britain. So, he was probably noble, just not noble here. How could he explain that to anyone, he wondered .....why even try? It was even possible that these had been just stories .... fairy tales he had been told as a child. "As you wish and as you say ..... Duchess ..... I am sure you are correct," he said simply in agreement, as he was sure a knight would be expected to agree. However, he did think to himself that this noble female definitely had some different ideas, especially compared to other nobles, he thought.

Quickly, though, she changed her conversation from whether he should have opinions, as a knight, and express them, to what he had said about her companions coming to her aid. That, surprisingly, seemed to generate quite a chuckle from both the Duchess and her 'companions'. Her speech previously, unlike his, had been rather controlled, but the laughter that she uttered sounded quite genuine, more genuine than anything he had heard so far. She seemed to be almost sarcastic as she posed the question to her companions. By the way that they laughed and replied he quickly gathered that no man in their right mind would get between her and an attacker without suffering severe consequences. So Lancelot merely smiled back, nodded his head and said, "I think that I understand and I am clearly forewarned I think." Lancelot thought that if he stayed with this little group beyond the Inn that was another day's ride, he would have to learn much .... just to stay on this noble's good side.

"I will remember that ..... Duchess. However,I will try not to test that assumption if I can avoid it ...... apparently for my own safety. Well then .....milady ..... it is more likely that I will say nothing then. Anyway, as a knight at least, there are few things in life that I have any fear of ..... so I will do my best to ..... respect ..... the boundaries that you present me. I have no fear of death ..... or any man .... upon the field of battle. I only fear losing what honor I have. Camelot? ....umm ..... my last official visit was attending the Peace Treaty celebrations with King Theodred, king of Wessex, and before that, when I slew the Gryffon after I was no longer a Knight of Camelot. I have returned for several other .... umm .... unofficial visits, though."

[Aribella]

Aribella watched the knight as she slowed her laughter. She tilted her head as she watched him consider what she had said. She wondered how the young man would respond. She indeed hoped he would say something else as amusing. It was not often one met someone so opinionated on the road. Especially when they found out she was a Duchess. No one was ever frank with nobles. They expected to be reprimanded for speaking the truth. It irked Aribella to know she would never truly be able to understand how others really thought. She was the kind of person who liked to have all the information on everyone she came across. Being stonewalled made that near impossible.

Her smile was replaced by a small frown and a furrowed brow when the knight agreed with her so complacently. Her curiosity was only doubled by the lack of speech. She knew one of her failings was that she was a bit too pushy and curious for her own good. Her desire to push others to speak their minds had not lessened with age.
"Now, now. Don't clam up so quickly. If you always agree with me the conversation shall go nowhere. It wouldn't make for a very entertaining ride, now would it?" She regained her smile and her good humor as she prodded him. She let her hands lay on her lap and relax as she took on a more teasing tone then before. She no longer felt the need to be on guard. She was glad her ride home was not proving to be as boring as previously expected. Indeed she wished all journeys ended with meeting a stranger on the road. Even if it did tend to make her guards a bit nervous at first.

Aribella liked the fact that Lancelot seemed to relax a bit with the joking around. He didn't seem to be intimidated which made Aribella respect him more. She also thought that the ride ahead of them would be quite interesting. She wasn't sure exactly what lay behind this knights seemingly valiant exterior, but she was quite keen to ferret out exactly who he was and why he seemed so nervous about the king. It was not everyday one met a former knight who was still bold enough to be in Camelot.
She listened as he spoke again. She wondered how far his bravery truly went. He seemed to have no fear that she could see other then his proclaimed fear of losing honor. It was a noble fear to be sure, but Aribella wondered what had inspired it in him to begin with.

"So you are the one who slew the Gryffon... I heard about that. A truly noble deed." She said. She found herself a bit impressed this happened to be a knight she had heard of. However, she also remembered that the knight had not been a knight of Camelot much longer. She had been away however and was not sure of the specifics of the situation. She decided not to press the matter. Instead she wondered what exactly his unofficial visits had been for.
"And these other visits were for business or pleasure? you needn't answer if you don't want to."

[Deleted]

Lancelot had long ago figured out that there were many different types of nobles, both male and female. They could roughly be separated into two groups, based on perception. There were those who could not perceive that a rock was a rock, even if they were hit in the head with it or not. They asked no questions, but had the expectation that they would be served in a certain way, especially by those lower than themselves. This is how, in many ways, Lancelot saw King Uther. Then there those who perceived much, and from those perceptions asked more questions. They were always thinking, and one had to be very careful around them,, because they were always trying to figure things and people out. That was how he perceived this noble.

This one's laughter died down, but somehow,and for some reason, Lancelot perceived that he was a source of entertainment, perhaps even amusement. It was easy to see that his best course would be to limit his exposure to ridicule, and take on the role of a perfect knight. Lancelot was to answer all questions that were asked, but not to offer any more information than was requested. He had a feeling that this would not please the Duchess, because he sensed she had a person desire and demand to know everything. He saw that from her expression, as he said less her expression had become less hospitable and friendly.

"It is not, milady, the duty and responsibility of a true knight to speak freely. He should respond directly to the questions of others and to serve and protect," he responded. "Besides, I was not aware that it was my role to provide conversation and entertainment. I thought that that would be the responsibility of your 'companions', since obviously its not being able to fight and win, but they do look good in their uniforms, I will grant you." I did notice that at least that response had brought the smile back to her face and she seemed to relax. he wondered if he would need to throw her a bone of meaningless conversation to keep her satisfied over the next day or so.

Lancelot once more got the feeling that she was analyzing him ... sizing him up. It was somewhat similar to the feeling he had gotten whenever he had been in the presence of Lady Morgana. This noble was always looking for the next little piece of information .... trying to get at whatever she could that might be just below the surface. he realized that often such probing was necessary. A high-profile noble never would know where the next threat might be coming from, for example. The negative about this noble, of course, was that Lancelot doubted whether he would ever no exactly what she thought of him, so he thought that the only logical thing he could do was to try and make himself as difficult to read.

"Yes milady Duchess, I am the same. I would say that it was a combination of both skill and luck. I will leave it to you to deduce which was the greater part," he smiled thinly. Lancelot glanced at her eyes and it was as if he could see her brain at work behind them. She probably was thinking why such a knight, capable of such a thing, would be a Knight of Camelot no longer. He had, though, not been entirely truthful. It was actually a combination between luck, skill, and Merlin's magic, with the magic playing the greatest role. However, the one secret that Lancelot would guard to his grave was Merlin's. Such was the duty he thought of both a knight and a friend.

He had expected her to ask some more questions about the matter, but she adjusted her tack. "No, milady, I am willing to answer. If I did not answer you would think that I had something to hide, and you would press on to find out what I did not want you to know. In point of fact, I was generally in the region on business, but my specific trips inside the walls of Camelot were neither business or pleasure. Simply put, I missed Camelot. I had always dreamed of being a Knight of Camelot, although it was an impossibility for me as it turned out. I missed the city and its people. Most of my visits involved walking through the Market in the Lower Town. Anything more than that, or me speaking to certain people, could have gotten King Uther's attention, and he would not have been particularly pleased at my return. Perhaps Prince Arthur would not be very pleased either."