DON'T TELL A SOUL GOODBYE {Arthur}

[Alegra Silvertongue]

It was decidedly unladylike for a young woman to go riding on a horse twice her side through the countryside unescorted. Even more so, it was improper that she was not riding side-saddle as women were generally imposed upon to do. What really took the prize, however, was that this particular young woman was of noble birth, and had simply taken the horse without alerting anyone in her household as to her whereabouts. She would be reprimanded for it later and might even regret the decision, but had she told her mother where she was taking off to, she would have insisted that someone accompany her - and what was the point of going out alone for a ride if you were not, in fact, alone?

It was here that Alegra found herself, of course. She had sense enough to wear a dress that had seen better days; her mother could not possibly notice a difference. Despite her height above the ground, the hems were already becoming slightly muddy. It was sprinkling out, now hard enough to be called actual rain but consistant enough to have softened the ground and turned the dirt to muck. Mentally, she reminded herself to give the poor horse she rode an especially long rub-over for putting up with her dragging it through such frigid, wet conditions. Alegra herself was quite cold, but the thrill of the ride - she was galloping with an expertise that those of the female kind were not known to have - had her completely oblivious to the fact, and if she couldn't actually feel the chill, she figured it made little difference.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur's hunting trips did not usually extend beyond Camelot, however, he had been chasing a creature out of the kingdom, and when the journey proved to be tiring, the neighboring king allowed Arthur to rest in his castle, and regain his energy before journeying back home. Arthur had gone alone, of course, his reckless actions would surely merit a wonderful lecture from his father. Had he been better prepared for this hunt, he would have called for extra knights, but the spontaneity of it prohibited him from doing so. And now, he had a long journey back, but knew he could not afford any more time to rest. He needed to go back as soon as possible before his father had his head . . . well, not literally, but still.

He was not even dressed in his armor or princely attire. He did not wear the crest of Camelot, as he was clad in clothing that would make him look like a citizen, to anyone who did not recognize his face. All he had was his sword by his side, but other than that, he looked like an average man. As he rode through the vast countryside, he could not help but slow down to admire the view of such greenery. Yes, even Arthur -- a perceived spoiled brat -- appreciated the small things in life, and seeing something such as this was extremely peaceful. Arthur was so distracted by the view, that he did not notice the fact that his horse was about to step in a fallen beehive . . . that is, until it was too late.

Arthur's horse suddenly began raising its front legs, clearly in a distressed state from the numerous stings, and Arthur, not having enough focus, lost control of the frenzy animal. He fell off, while the horse galloped away rapidly, far faster than Arthur could run. Damn it! he cursed in his mind, as he stood up and began to brush off his legs. He cursed again when he felt a slight pain on his cheek and touching it, realized that he too had fallen victim to the bees sting. Arthur glared ahead of him, as he would have been glaring at his horse had the creature still been in view.

Now, Arthur was not only without his transportation, but he was covered with dirt, a bee had stung him, and he was in a foreign land, thus, may not be recognized as a prince, and therefore, could limit his access to aid. It was as if someone had heard his thoughts for he saw a woman galloping at a tremendous speed, right his way! Arthur knew he had to take this opportunity to stop her because she was the only person he had seen for miles, as this was not a heavily populated place. "Stop!" He said, standing in her path, though not close enough to get trampled on, as he waved his arms so that she could see him and hopefully bring her animal to a halt. He could not be too demanding for as he previously accepted, he may not be recognized as royalty in this kingdom. This was so bloody embarrassing!

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked out over the horizon, coming up over one of the higher hills she's passed yet. The sprinkle of rain through the hair made it slightly more difficult, at first, to tell what it was she was staring at, but a sudden bout of comotion from the figure - well, figures, she now knew - made it at least somewhat clear what the situation was. It was a rider on a horse, and from what she could tell, he'd just fallen off.

Though Alegra didn't tend to involve herself in the affairs of others - much better to stick to her own life instead, she'd found - she did have a soft spot in her heart for those in relatively impossible positions. There was no one else around, and all the way out here, the person wouldn't know her, anyway. Regardless, with his horse run off like that, the poor soul had no other hope to get anywhere without her assistance, and she pitied him. As such, she redirected her horse to gallop towards him, increasing the speed - an impressive feat, indeed, when you considered how fast she had already been moving.

When she grew closer, her eyebrows rose in surprise; he had seen her, too, and was shouting for her to stop. Standing in her path, in fact! She called the horse to a stop only a few feet in front of him, looking him over to make sure that he was no threat. Starting at his shoes and moving up, she conclused that he was an ordinary citizen - until she noticed the sword. Her brows drew together for the briefest of moments. Have I not seen that sword before...? She brought her eyes up to his face and blinked in sheer shock.

"Good afternoon, Prince Arthur," she commented, unable to help but be the slightest bit amused. "Are you not slightly out of your jurisdiction?" Quickly, she dismounted, and even with damp hair and frayed hems was quite the thing to behold as she curtsied. Any ordinary woman would have been mortified to find that they had been caught riding in such a manner, but Alegra had spent too much time as a man to even have noticed. "Lady Alegra," she introduced herself boldly. "I take it you're in need of assistance? Consider yourself lucky I took the stallion instead of the old mare!"

She was, perhaps, taking unwarranted liberties with a member of the royal family, but she was not concerned. First, she had come across Arthur many times while acting as a knight and had found him to be quite sensible. Second, while she was not royalty, she was from a well-known family of nobility, so she was not entirely out of place. Third, and perhaps most importantly, they were out in the midst of nowhere and she was the one with the horse; friendly conversation, she decided, would not be too much to request.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was extremely relived when she decided to stop. He did not recognize her, that was another good sign. Then again, why would he? He was in a land not of his own. The chances of them knowing each other would be very slim . . . . . . . . . . . . and that was when she said it. Prince Arthur. PRINCE Arthur. She knew who he was! But how?! Why?! Why did the only person riding in this land, have to be someone who recognized him as royalty. Coincidences now became the bane of Arthur's existence. He did not even look presentable and was even more annoyed at this situation when she used the title Lady. She was nobility. And he looked like a mess!

He stared at her. She did not quite look like nobility. Then again, neither did he. He could not be so quick to judge for what if she was judging him right now? Surely she was. Arthur did not like asking for help. He was supposed to be the one doing the helping. This entire situation should be reversed! Apart from coincidences, bees were also joining the list of things that Arthur was beginning to really hate. Bloody hell. Bloody bloody hell. He slightly lowered his head, an act of respect to a woman of nobility. "I am very far from Camelot, yes." He tried to refrain from sounding bitter, though he felt oh so very bitter indeed. In need of assistance. Arthur should never need this kind of assistance! "I am afraid I am at a disadvantage for you know me, and I know nothing of you. Are you from Camelot as well? I must admit I have not heard your name before." Arthur wished he had . . . then again, maybe it was better he didn't. Maybe that way, he would never have to see her again and thus be reminded of the horrible state he met her in.

An old mare?! Thank the lord. At least fate was on his side in some way or another, since so far, it was proving to be laughing in his face. He let out a small chuckle, though it was a very strained one. He did not find this the slightest bit amusing, though he had to appreciate her attempt to lighten the mood. Surely, she was laughing at him on the inside . . . or well, Arthur's paranoia led him to believe so. "Old mare or stallion, I'm afraid I'm not having much luck with animals today." Blasted horse! Blasted bees! "May I ask what direction you are headed?" He did not want to inconvenience her, but he was also very desperate, though he would not admit it in so many words. He would try to sound as casual as possible and not make it seem like he was a complete helpless wreck . . . though, he technically was.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra continued to watch him, a small, discreet but still quite visible grin gracing her lips. The prince was flustered - who knew such a thing could happen? Not that she could really hold it against him, she supposed. Where she in such a position as he, especially with the status he held, she would likely be equally as flabbergasted - perhaps even more so, considering the fact that she was a female and therefore would be at much more of a disadvantage.

"I am from Camelot," she confirmed. "My full name is Alegra Silvertongue - the surname of my family, as you have no doubt wheen sharp enough to put together already." Her lips twitched teasingly as she spoke. Oh, how mortified her mother would be if she could see her daughter! To say anything aside from "hello, your highness" and "yes, your highness" and "how may I serve you, your highness?" was equivalent to the most outrageous of sins in her mind. As dear to her as her mother was, the woman was perhaps the biggest nuisance in the young woman's life.

When he asked her what direction she happened to be heading in, Alegra paused to consider. Really, she hadn't been heading in any direction - simply going off for a ride to who-knew-where. That plan was not one she could keep in motion, however; not with her prince standing before her, muddied and without his horse. After tilting her head for a moment, Alegra ventured slowly, "Well, your highness - I do believe we'll be going in whatever direction your horse has taken off in." She paused to grin at him rather impishly, an expression you might see upon the face of a mysterious boy of thirteen years. "I promise you, Iron here can catch up." Alegra stroked the horse's nuzzle equally affectionately as confidantly.

[Arthur Pendragon]

She was either very entertained right now, or was just being polite. Arthur felt it was a bit of both, but he knew better than to say such a thing. When she gave her full family name . . . he was even more mortified. Not only was she from Camelot, but he knew her brother! This situation was just getting worse and worse. "Your brother serves as a knight in Camelot's army. Truly a courageous and skilled warrior." Oh no! Was she going to tell him about this? He certainly hoped not. Arthur did not want to be the laughing stock of Camelot. He could not stop everyone! Oh how this story was going to be held against him for the rest of his life, and how his father was going to be horribly embarrassed by his son's condition. This was not going to end well.

Arthur had to admit he was glad to hear that she already decided to head in the direction of his horse. It meant that he did not have to ask her himself to go there. He needed to regain his composure, stamina, and charm. Well, he was sure he did not look charming right now. But he had to at least act like a prince. Just because he looked like he had survived a stampede, did not mean he had to reject all the other qualities associated with his status. In fact, he should be making up for what he physically lacked right now.

"Well, I must say this it is a rather pleasant coincidence that you are heading in the same direction I am, and furthermore, you are rather perceptive for assuming we'd both be going there indeed." He was just joking around. Really, he was just glad that he did not have to ask her for a ride -- saying it in so many words -- or that he had to admit how much he needed her help. No. No! He could never admit that. "I would gladly accompany you, for I never think it is wise or safe for a woman to travel such potentially dangerous areas on her own." He knew she knew that was not why he was going with her. Sure, it was part of the reason, but he had far too much pride. Oh if Camelot saw their future king now. He has beaten warriors of the world. He had challenged and defeated masterfully skilled fighters. He has fought intense battles of both the human world and the world of sorcery. And now . . . here . . . he had met his match in a beehive.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

When Arthur complimented Drake, Alegra preened as if she, herself, had received the praise. She could not be more proud of her brother, nor more supportive of him. It was almost a motherly affection, though of a different nature; if anything, he had raised her, being six years older and having become the male of house when their father had disappeared. Their mother was a parent only in the classic sense of the word, and though both of her children cared deeply for her, she had done little to raise them aside from teaching them exactly what propriety and society demanded of them - an area she was much more successful with when it came to Drake, of course. While Alegra came across as the perfect lady in public, her family knew just how incorrect a presumption that was.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, nodding her head. She nearly announced that she would tell him as much, but then thought better of it; he would surely want to know when and where she had spoken with the Prince, and Alegra considered herself intelligent enough to acknowledge that Arthur would probably prefer it if news of their little... what was it, an excursion? ... was not relayed to anyone else. She knew well from having served under him as a soldier that he had a sense of pride, a fact which came as no surprise and one he could not be faulted for. She, herself, had an issue with it, and she didn't have the opinion of a kingdom to worry about; only the people seeing her at any given time.

Her grin returned instantly when he began to joke around with her; it was good to know, then, that he had a sense of humor as well, and that he would not consider her teasing an offense. Too many people of higher statuses treated common humor like a direct offense to their character, and of course every time she'd trained, it had been a serious matter; how could she have known how he would react?

Holding Iron's reins and shifting them between her fingers, she laughed. "I should be glad, then, to be under the protection of so renowned a warrior." The statement was ironic, to say the least, but she refrained from chuckling at it. Though, then again, she supposed that in an instance where she were in some sort of danger, she would be somewhat defenseless; swordplay was her strength, her body was too small to be of any use in weaponless combat. She held the reins out to him in a gesture incredibly unlike her; Alegra was not one to submit to the will of another, especially a man. However, he was the prince, and his ego was already bruised; she could not expect him to allow her to ride in front.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Thank god! She was understanding his words, reading the underlying message of it all. Not to mention the added pleasure of hearing her compliment him. After all, who wouldn't want to be complimented by a beautiful woman -- even if she was just saying it out of obligation, or to be polite. He would have to reward her in some way for her help. As she was a woman of nobility, he could always invite her to the castle for a meal or such and it would not be too strange for others at court may know her. He smiled at her, still feeling uncomfortable granted his given state of . . . dishevelment. "Trust me My Lady. You will not be more protected than with me." He was joking in a way, as most of his boasts were often made in good humor.

"Shall we move on then?" He asked out of courtesy before mounting on the horse himself. He wondered if she was one of those people who needed to maintain control of her animal by sitting in the front, in control of the reigns. Or perhaps she would permit him to sit in the front and not be more of a humiliation than he had already proved himself to be. Imagine! Prince of Camelot, looking like such a . . . complete and utter mess.

[Sorry its so short! Hopefully its not too hard to reply to! Let me know if it is and I'll try to make him ramble a bit more ]

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra nodded and, once he had mounted, placed her hands on the horse's back and pulled herself up; a hard task, indeed, when one considered the height of the horse in comparison to the height of the woman. However, if she had any struggle with it, she didn't let on, smoothly sliding on behind him. She supposed she ought to hold onto him, but then, he was Prince Arthur; such a gesture might make him uncomfortable. Decisively, she simply tightened the hold of her knees around the horse's back. When it came to horse-riding, she considered herself talented enough that she would not need to hold on, and if it became absolutely necessary, surely he would understand?

She glanced at him and noted the insecurity written so plainly on his face. "It's raining," she assured him. "Most of the mud will be washed away, and what is not will be attributed to the fact that you were riding a horse." Alegra did not presume herself to be a particularly soothing type of person, but another person's uneasiness made her uneasy, as well, and so she sought as often as possible to comfort them. In this instance, however, she was not only comforting but telling the truth; the rain had increased, even. Her dress was now mostly wet, the ground was more water than dirt, and her hair was sticking to her skin rather unpleasantly. "As long as your clothes remain intact," she deemed, "I'm sure no one will notice anything out of the ordinary."

[Arthur Pendragon]

While Arthur appreciated her attempt to reassure him that he would not look too dishevelled, he was still not fully at ease. It was his pride really. Unless he was in battle, he made an effort to look presentable and organized. After all, it was how any person of royalty, or even nobility, was expected to look at all times. How could he be taken seriously as the future king of Camelot if he did not look the part? If he looked like a complete and utter mess he would only be mocked and not display the qualities of confidence or decency that he should be displaying. He had pride in his role and status, and he could only demonstrate this by looking as he should: neat and tidy.

And here she had found him, the exact opposite. Though he attempt to comfort him lead him to believe that she would not hold this against him. That she understood that some days, people did not look their best. After all, she did not look overly dressed up, wearing a rather casual dress and not caring about the stains on it. "I certainly hope they do not," he muttered in response to her words that no one would notice anything out of the ordinary. He was someone easily recognized in Camelot and this put him in the spotlight quite a bit. He had to look his best at all times and right now . . . while he did not look his absolute worst, he did not look very neat.

He gently kicked the sides of the horse and moving the reigns so that it took off in a light gallop. "You should dine with us tonight. After all, it is the least I can do for aiding me out of my predicament." He was grateful, even if he had difficultly admitting it right now. He would in due time. "It will also give you a chance to clean up and remain in shelter until the rain lightens." It was indeed getting heavier and he imagined it would go about like this for most of the remainder of the day.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Once they started off, Alegra tightened her knees once more to get a better grip on the horse. It took her several moments to achieve balance - a very uncomfortable several moments, at that - but she managed to situate herself just well enough that she moved up and down with the horse rather than against it. In an instance such as this, the enormous size difference between the animal and its owner actually helped, as it allowed her to better meld herself into him. And, of course, it helped that she'd been riding the lovely thing for years now and was very familiar with the way it moved. No falling off today - or so she hoped.

Alegra considered his offer for a good minute or so. Her mother would kill her, of course, if she did not accept the offer to dine with a prince, and she'd never hear the end of it - but then, nor would she hear the end of being gone much longer than she had originally anticipated. Of course, she mused, any punishments and lectures would be easily avoided once she explained the circumstances, and in fact Lady Catherine would be more likely to throw a party and request a recitation of every word spoken. Alegra's lips quirked in a wry smile - oh, if only her mother knew the circumstances to begin with! Perhaps it was better this way, after all.

"That would be lovely," she said with another smile, though he obviously could not see with his eyes being used to steer the horse. She didn't mind the rain at all, really, and if anything was a little sad to know that she would not enjoy the full of it, but this, too, was for the better. If she became ill, it would prove to be an obnoxious inconvenience; there was nothing the wily young woman liked less than being cooped up all day against her will, and feeling sick would only make the experience worse. Though this had not been her original plan at all, the excuse justified the means, and if anything she was glad to be of assistance.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was glad she seemed to agree with his offer. After all, he wold be inconveniencing her and as he usually did not see this as an issue, she was a woman of nobility and her brother served on the army so therefore, such a family deserved the Prince's respect. Arthur continued to ride on, following the general direction of his horse. He was not ready to just accept that the animal would forever be missing. Surely it had to slow down at some point, and Arthur was going to wait for it. He hoped that the rain did not intensify though, and that this drizzle would be as hard as the rain would fall.

"I appreciate your patience in my attempt to find my missing horse," he said. Again, Arthur did not always express his gratitude and appreciation to just anybody. But even he was not too proud to admit that he would have been in a disastrous situation had he not happened to come across her. Seemed to work in his favor; maybe not hers, but certainly his. Then again, it was not every day that a noblewoman was offered to dine with the royal family of Camelot. That had to count for something, right? "Do you need to notify anyone of your absence?" He asked, not really personally knowing her parents, but perhaps her brother may be wondering about her whereabouts.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra's lips quirked upwards at his words. Patience? It had very little to do with patience, really, and in fact came down to two things: One, he was the prince. As any good citizen knew, one simply did not leave their prince out in the middle of nowhere - and if the aforementioned prince had misplaced his horse and you had the means to help him acquire it, you did so without second thought. Second, however, was that she had not been planning to head out of the rain any time soon in the first place, and quite enjoyed a nice chase. She murmured, "The pleasure is mine," and tilted her head back slightly, letting the rain wash over it. It was nice to be free, even if one's companion didn't know.

At his second question, she lifted his head back up, studying his back most ardently as she considered her answer. She could say no and leave her mother to stir in her nerves - it might do the woman some good, especially for next time. But of course, she couldn't do that. As nagging and obnoxious as the woman was, Alegra loved her. "My mother," she responded, "But we have a while yet before that's necessary." She was still surprised to note that he hadn't bothered asking what she imagined would be his main question yet: Why on earth was a noblewoman off gallivanting in the rain on her own? But then, she supposed it didn't matter much, either - finding his horse would probably be the biggest thing on his mind.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Her mother. He did not want to be the cause for her mother to be so concerned about her. He knew what it was like to have an overly protective parent . . . though it did raise the question of why she had been out here in the first place. But, one thing at a time. Arthur did not want to spend the next several moments interrogating her and her reasons for being here. First, he wanted to get his horse. Next, he wanted to return home. And the next few things in his list consisted of a warm bath, dry clothes and a hot meal. Who knew that one day would turn so eventful . . . and all due to bees. Ah well. There was no point dwelling on it now. He would just have to make do, and work on fixing everything that had gone wrong . . . which started with locating his animal.

"Perhaps when we return to the castle, we will extend an invitation for her and your brother to join us. It has been a while since we have seen your whole family at court." At least that way, her mother would know where she was, and even perhaps come visit. Again, it was the least Arthur could do for her assisting him. This sort of aid was mostly recognized when nobles and other royals did it, rather than commoners and peasants. In Arthur's mind, there was a grand difference. Then again, as time pressed on, he was learning that he was slowly developing strong ties with those lower than him . . . Merlin being a prime example. "I would not want your mother to worry about you . . . unless she is already?" So much for not interrogating her. His curiosity got the better of him in regards to inquiring why she was here, all alone, riding in the rain.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

"Thank you," she said in response to his invitation, "I'm sure they would love that." Of course, internally she was not quite so thrilled. While she and Drake got on wonderfully and she knew him to be very capable of handling social outings, her mother was a bit more... eccentric, and would probably be less fun. She instantly felt guilty for such a thought; her mother loved social visits, and she wouldn't deprive her of one. Besides, it was an endearing quality about the woman, as long as their host didn't mind constant chatter and a blunt point of view that rivaled even her daughter's. She wasn't such horrible company, Alegra decided firmly. It was just that she had to put up with it more often than most.

At his next question, Alegra felt her mouth pull into a grin. There was nothing funnier to her than a person who wanted to know something but didn't want to ask for fear or being considered nosy or a busybody. In reality, she really didn't have much of a problem answering most questions, as long as they were asked rather than demanded of her and it wasn't about a topic she needed to keep secret. "She doesn't know I'm out here," she responded cheerfully, laughing, then added in further amusement, "You're welcome to ask, Prince Arthur, I promise not to think your nose has grown." She was being cheeky, just a little - and not in a bad way. Teasing, more like, though she was mild about it; she didn't want to offend him.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Huh. Interesting. She somehow managed to temporarily run away with her mother knowing? Was this a frequent occurrence for her? Maybe it was. Arthur only wondered because of the fact that Sir Drake was a knight, and since he did not mention anything about this . . . it was either a sore subject or one that they saw nothing wrong with. Though, Arthur could not ignore the danger surrounding such a thing. He would never allow Morgana to ride out on her own, without being the company of armed and trained escorts. Who knew what could happen when on your own! Especially to a woman. But Arthur knew it was not his place to say anything. He could say something to Morgana -- because his father felt the same over protectiveness towards her -- but could not say something to someone he had only met for the first time. He could give a warning, said with genuine concern, and that was all.

It was also interesting that she seemed amused by the thought that her mother did not know she left the estate. Again, something that was none of of the Prince's business really, and he would not pry . . . too much. Though he was a bit wary of keeping her out here, only out of respect for her family. "Well if she asks, you can always tell her the truth; that you were aiding the prince of Camelot. I'm sure she would be very understanding with that reasoning, and would risk avoiding any anger she may feel." Despite her giving him that unneeded permission to ask, he would not. Besides, many felt obligated to answer questions asked by the Prince; who would dare to refuse? But Arthur did not want to force answers; he did not want to force this kind of obligation and respect from his subjects. Especially to a noble woman.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra considered this, nodding. For someone who had never met the woman before - at least, that she knew of - he seemed to have pegged her personality almost perfectly; after all, his solution was the exact one she herself had come up with to dodge her mother's grievance. Of course, it could just as easily be luck or, more likely, common sense. No noblewoman in her right mind would get angry with their daughter for assisting the prince, it simply wasn't done. In fact, as odd as it was, she supposed she should be considered lucky herself to have run into the prince out here, as it gave her a very nice excuse and method of avoiding punishment (she admitted it was a selfish way to think, but true none-the-less).

"That's good advice," she said, voice smiling. "I think I'll do just that. She'll be thrilled." She laughed again, both at the prospect and because she hadn't failed to notice that, despite her offer, he still had not inquired into the matters he was obviously curious about. She decided not to press it, as that would probably only embarrass him, but she did find the situation more than slightly humorous. She couldn't decide if he was shy or simply polite. Judging by her previous experiences with him as a knight, she was certain she could rule out the former, and seeing as he was royalty and she was nobility, the latter was all the more likely. Definitely better not to harass him about it, then.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur gave her a bit of a smile, though she may not be able to see him do so. His mood was becoming increasingly calm and decreasingly agitated. "I'm sure she will be," he said with kidding arrogance. Yes, Arthur could be quite cocky at times, but most of it was just a front he put up . . . ok, some of it was just a front. As a Prince, it was required for him to have a certain degree of confidence. He just tended to display more than he needed to at times. But of course, he would want Alegra to only see his better side. He did not wish to make a bad impression on noble families, especially the women.

"I realize we're going in the opposite direction, but how far was your estate from where we met?" He asked, wondering just how much distance they were going to have to cover. If they did not get too far from her home, then perhaps he would escort her back to give her mother a personal apology rather than without warning, invite her back to the castle in thanks for her aid. That would probably be the more proper thing to do. He would hate for her mother to think that the Prince abused his authority by gallivanting off with her daughter. That would not go over well, and he doubted his father would approve of such rumors.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra's grin was instant and impish. "Quite far," she admitted, though she sounded less regretful and more-so enthused. In fact, she couldn't be entirely sure just how far away she'd ridden before she came across the prince; long enough for the light rain to soak her, and fast enough that no other horse in the stable would have had any hope of keeping up with her. Drake would say she was being bull-headed and only going so far because she was able to, and he would be quite right; she enjoyed exercising her freedom immensely and did it at every given interval, to the immense dissatisfaction of her family.

That reminded her of a previous question she'd thought of but had yet to ask - what was the prince doing so far from Camelot? And alone, at that. You would think hat if it was a hunting trip, there would be others with him. Perhaps he, too, had just needed to get away, she mused, all the while debating whether or not to ask him. It was quite possible that it was an answer he did not want to give - but then again, if that were the case, he would simply lie and that would be that. Whether this judgment was sound or not was up the in air, but she ran with it anyway as she often did, inquiring, "What brings you so far from home?"

[Arthur Pendragon]

Well then that settled it. He would have to escort her back. He did not want to be the reason she got in so much trouble. He may have only met her for the first time, but he did know her brother and so of course out of respect for their friendship . . . he would do the respectful, courteous thing. Her question was a fair one. It really was not a complicated story, just a mildly embarrassing one. And by mildly, he really meant immensely. Oh well . . . she had seen him in his worst state; dirty and disheveled, and getting over the shock of having been thrown off his horse. Especially since that had never happened before.

"I was actually hunting a creature," he began to explain. Alone. Stripped of his armor. Yes. That reason was not believable at all, but at least it was the truth, as stupid as it sounded. "I had chased it out of the city, and I had not planned on hunting it for so long. I ended up staying in a nearby estate and took the more scenic route on my way back to Camelot." He paused for a moment, cursing that damn beehive that had completely destroyed his peaceful ride. "Needless to say, things did not go quite according to plan," he said with a bit of a sarcastic smile. "And what about yourself, what brings you so far from your home?" He asked, also able to question the thought that had been in his mind.