Spontaneous

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur did not know how he was going to explain this to his father. How was he to say that he randomly disappeared for a week, conveniently following the desperate cry of a villager from one of the outlying regions in Cenred? Yes. That would be a very difficult thing to explain. Furthermore, because Morgana was absent too, but seeing as how she left earlier in the day, she must have thought of an excuse to tell the king, where as Arthur had sneaked out in the middle of the night. This was going to prove difficult indeed.

He dismissed Merlin the moment they entered the city gates. Arthur was told that his father wanted to see him immediately, and this came as no surprise to the Prince. Uther would be infuriated and Arthur was searching the depths of his mind to come up with a plausible excuse for his unexplained absence. He was thinking every step of the way, appearing composed so that no one would be suspicious. If news got out that he went to Cenred -- as he was also relying on Ealdor's discretion on the matter, that they would not tell their king -- then Cenred would have a reason to invade Camelot. Arthur could not be the reason a war broke out in the kingdom, though at the same time, he would never regret his decision to aid Merlin.

When he entered the throne room, his father was standing there, angry as expected and Arthur had no choice but to approach him. He lowered his head a bit,in a subtle bow, hiding all nervousness since it wasn't becoming of a Prince to be so uneasy in public. "Sire," he greeted.

"Where have you been?!"

Nope. He did not waste a second, and Arthur needed at least a minute to think of a response. He did not know what to say though. He stood there, looking at his father, who did not even dismiss the knights from the court. He was making a public display of this and it only made Arthur feel more embarrassed for not having an answer immediately ready. A lie. A story. Something. Anything! Think Arthur, Think!


_{Setting: Starts in the Castle
Time of Day: Evening
Timeline: When Arthur returns in Moment of Truth
Tag: Sir Kolby}

[Sir Kolby]

Bloody 'ell! Where had that boy been?! Kolby had not been in the back in the city long, for he had been visiting his family for the past fornight after his father's injury but the moment he had re-entered the city everyone (important) was talking about the missing prince. He changed and hurried up to the throne room so that he might assets in the search party for him. Around the same time, apparently the prince had come home.

Entering the room, from behind the prince Kolby stood back and watched the exchange. He moves up a few steps every now and then, trying to cover the fact that he was sneaking in. He was supposed to have been back a few days ago and reporting in for his shifts. He wondered where the young prince had been and why he'd told no one.

Kolby had meant to be back but when he was at home he did no work, and people just waited on him all day. Here is was up by dawn dressed in chainmail and was marching all day. He loved being a knight, but he would dare one person to claim they would not be late coming home from THAT!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur did not notice Kolby skulk inside, trying to be all sneaky. He was far too preoccupied with conjuring a believable lie. He did not enjoy lying to his father, but there were some decisions that the king made that Arthur could not simply accept . . . not providing aid to Ealdor was one of them. And yet, here he was, put on the spot, in front of all these people, and he -- for once -- had nothing to say.He felt his mouth run dry, trying to find the perfect words to create the perfect lie. Damn it! He should have rehearsed this on the way back. But he had not even considered what he should say.

"Well?"

What felt like a few seconds, felt like hours. Arthur's mind was racing and while he was trying to appear calm, he felt his heart pounding in his chest. "Sire I was -- " He was what? WHAT?! Where was he? Where could he have been?! Anywhere but Ealdor! Anywhere but Cenred! Why was this so hard?! Arthur just stood there, trying not to stutter, feeling his face get warm. Thank goodness it was not hot enough for him to start perspiring. That really would have made his father suspicious . . . as if he wasn't already . . . Think think THINK!

[Sir Kolby]

Kolby watched the prince and wondered where he had been. After a few seconds it was clear the Prince knew where he'd been but was not wanting to say. Naughty boy! There had to be a woman involved in this! Had someone not said something about the ward being away for the week as well? Oh ho! Kolby was no fool! He knew what was going on here . . . and how angry the king would be at anyone (even the prince) touching his ward.

While Kolby thought Morgana was beautiful, he was not stupid enough to form an attachment to her. He did not want the king for a father-in-law. Kolby moved to stand next to Arthur and gave the king a formal bow. "He was with me, Sire, at my family's estate. I arrived late from the visit with my father. The prince joined me for the return tip so that we might do a bit of hunting." Everyone knew Kolby was a bad shot; "I did not catch anything." He added on, playing off the king's knowledge of his lack of skill in that area.

[Arthur Pendragon]

A somewhat unfamiliar, and certainly unexpected, voice broke the tense silence. Arthur quickly turned his head to the side to see . . . Sir Kolby. Wait . . . Sir Kolby?! Arthur had not conversed with him for quite some time, nothing beyond the general formalities of greeting another knight and briefly engaging in conversation with them. Though he did remember the knight . . . from his childhood. From those times training on the field, and remembering that this was one of the men who had trained him.

And here he was; giving him a reason for his absence, and Arthur could not understand why. Why was he risking a lie to the king? It was something the Prince would never forget, as easy as it was for him to say such a thing. He was literally giving Arthur an out right now, and he was just so grateful that he did not even know what to say. Of course he could not thank him right now, in front of everyone, but he would have to express his gratitude at a later time. Arthur turned back to the face the king after Kolby explained where the Prince had supposedly been. With him. Hunting. He was giving quite some detail, but Arthur did not complain. Whatever made it easier to believe!

He watched his father carefully, and Uther seemed somewhat satisfied with this answer. He did not further question Arthur's reluctance to answer the question right away, or the reason he had been dressed in his chain mail. All of these things did not seem so important because Sir Kolby had vouched for him and that was all the conviction the king needed. He gave a nod and turned back the his papers, and whatever business he had to attend to. Murmurs int he crowd started off low and quiet before it soon grew to a full conversation, and the tension was finally broken. Arthur knew he was dismissed at this moment, as his father seemed to have nothing more to say to him. So he turned to Kolby, looking with subtle curiosity at the man who had just lied to the king for him. "Sir Kolby, may I speak to you for a moment." He asked in a low voice so that no one else would hear.

[Sir Kolby]

Kolby had expected this. One did not lie to the king and get no reaction from it. "Of course, Sire, name the time and place." He spoke softly and not in his jovial tone. Kolby could be a complex man. While capable of sounding like an idiot and joking non-stop; he could also be formal when it was time for him to be. While he did not know the prince well, at lest not any more he liked to think they were still casual friends. More so then strangers at lest.

He did not often joke with the prince, but nor was he always this formal. Kolby was dressed in the normal knightly armor. His cape draped over his arm so it would not drag the floor, and his other arm rested on his sword casually. He knew they would not be talking here, which was why he offered to meet him at a time and place of the princes' choosing. One did not tell a prince when and where. The prince told you, and you pretended it was a good idea even if it wasn't.

[Arthur Pendragon]

The time and place? Arthur had not meant it to be so formal. He felt they could get away with slipping out right now, since -- thanks to Sir Kolby's lie -- others would assume that they would need rest after such a long trip. And since his father did not seem to have anything for him to do, Arthur felt it was an opportune moment. "Now, in the hall way." It was not overly demanding or desperate really. He was trying to make it more casual than that but he still could not fully conceal his curiosity. He barley knew this man, his interactions of him mostly from the past, years ago.

Arthur very briefly glanced at the king, checking one final time to see if his presence was required. As Uther seemed engrossed in his work, Arthur took it as a moment to leave. He headed towards the door, one of the guards opening it for him. He just kept walking, not even checking if Kolby was following him as it was an assumption that he was. Of course by the time he was in the silent hallway it was easy to hear the footsteps near him. Arthur walked a bit further away from the hall, and into a more secluded hall way where they would have some privacy to talk. "What caused you to say what you did to the King?" He was of course not at all angry that Kolby had lied to the king, since he had lied to him for Arthur. But he could not help but ask.

[Sir Kolby]

Now. Yes, that would work. Kolby silently followed the prince out and down the hall and then even over to the hall way where they could speak alone. Kolby knew the risk he had taken by lying to the king but he had been trying to cover his own hyde as well. Kolby stood there when Arthur was done with their walk of shame that might have been meant to appear casual but if anyone had actually seen it would have only alerted them to their going-ons. Really now! If the prince was going to start sneaking around to see Morgana then he needed to learn to be casual!

"It's my job to protect you, Sire." He teased, "Besides, I know where you were and I can understand. I also know the King would not. I felt it was safer for me to speak up rather then ruin everyone's day." Besides, for being late Kolby would have been forced to do extra training. Even while he did not bring up his own fault, he knew that was a bigger part of why he'd spoken up. Kolby gave Arthur a light punch on the shoulder, "Besides, I wouldn't want to be in the room when you told your father you were going to be his son-in-law either."

[Arthur Pendragon]

He had known where he was? But how? Surely Morgana wouldn't have told him . . . nor would have Guinevère. And Merlin, as much as that idiot talked, he would not have advertised the fact that the Prince had blatantly disobeyed the king. Then how? Arthur was about to ask, but the knight added one more comment that only made him more confused. Son in what? Who? Huh?! Arthur just looked at him, trying not to appear too surprised by her remark, but it was impossible to hide all of his confusion. What was he supposed to say at a comment like that? He was not even sure he understood it!

"Wait . . . what?" He had thought he realized what he meant, only to add the second word to his statement, which was now a question. He clearly had not understood the statement, nor did he make the connection that ----- Oh. OH! Good gosh! No! That was . . . . . . . . hmm. That would actually be a good excuse. But no! He could not allow rumors to spread about Morgana and . . . just . . . no. "And what exactly do you mean by that?" He asked, slightly raising an eyebrow, and in a bit of a stern voice, though not too serious of course. He still owed this man, but he had to ask where such a thought had come from; where there rumors circulating?! He did not want Morgana's reputation to be tarnished and . . . well, he did not want people to have that impression!

[Sir Kolby]

He had surprised the prince! Kolby wasn't surprised, as he was not as sneaky as he thought he was. "Come now, you might be able to hide everything from others but it's plain to see. You're very fond of the king's ward; even a blind man can see it. She disappears for the week; you disappear shortly after then you both return on the same day!"

Kolby winked at him, "Your secret is safe with me sir." He promised, so the prince would know that he was not about to go tell everyone. Kolby did not know who else knew, or who had guessed but he'd put it together in just a few moments. They were lucky they returned within the same hour. This way they could cover each others story.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Now, while it might be easier to just go along with this idea . . . he could not do that to Morgana. She must have come up with her own story no doubt, and he did not want her virtue to be in question. Plus, it was a total lie! Just as was what Kolby had told his father. Which was precisely why Arthur had not spoken so authoritatively towards him. The knights were his friends, some more than others, and as fellow nobles they deserved respect. Kolby had just saved Arthur from any potential wrath from the king. Last time he disobeyed him he ended up in the dungeon. He could only imagine what punishment he would give him if he were to find out about this.

And so, he contemplated telling him the truth. But only if he could not convince Kolby that he had not actually ridden off scandalously with the King's ward. Arthur looked down the hall, making sure no one was coming because he really didn't want anyone to hear this conversation . . . even less now that there were ridiculous rumors about him and Morgana circulating. "It's not at all what you think." And Arthur did not want to know what Kolby was thinking. That . . . wink told him more than he needed to know. "I appreciate your discretion, and the fact that you gave me an alibi, but I was not absent from the Kingdom so that I could . . . be in privacy with Lady Morgana."

That was the most proper way he could phrase it without sounding too crude. "I would erase such suggestive ideas from your mind if I were you." While Arthur was not demanding when he said this, there was a bit of warning in his tone. He loved Morgana but more as a sister at this point, and he did not want anyone thinking badly of her, or questioning her decency.

[Sir Kolby]

Kolby folded his arms over his chest and watched Arthur in an 'oh I believe you' tone of expression. Very wink wink nudge nudge. "Yes, Sire, you may rest assure that my mind has been erased." He joked in a light tone, before standing there and watching the prince. He was waiting to be dismissed of course. Hopefully before the prince realized that Kolby was covering his own lateness. Though . . . .

He had admitted to the king that the reason he was late was hunting with his son. So if one thought about it then everyone already knew he was late. So he had nothing to hide. Other then the bold face lie to the king. That one might cost him his honor if he got caught but he was rather hoping he would not be caught.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was not at all amused. He would defend Morgana's honor as much as he could but at the same time, he knew that the more defensive he was, the more Kolby would be inclined to believe it. He would have to deal with this matter very delicately. "It is not what you are thinking," he argued again. So much for trying not to sound defensive, or coming up with a logical excuse. He was debating on whether to just tell the knight the truth. After all, he trusted him on some level. He had just blatantly lied to the king . . . perhaps he deserved to know why. And it was NOT to condone or encourage frisky behavior between the Prince and the King's ward!

"You should not have such thoughts that would tarnish the reputation of a virtuous woman," he said in a bit of a stern voice. He would try to sway his mind one more time, and if he still did not believe him, then Arthur would have to tell him the truth. He would not get a pass at Morgana's expense. He cared for her too much to allow a man to even think of such things. Maybe be explaining why Arthur was so opposed to the suggestion -- for it was out of respect for Morgana of course -- Kolby would realize that it was not a form of denial to hide the truth, since it never actually happened!