The Web We Spin

[Vortigern]

-------Vortigern's conversation with his father replayed itself in his head, over and over again. "So you will go to Camelot, to meet King Uther and try to establish peace arrangements between us." As any obedient son, he complied. "Of course father." Something had told him that was not the end of it. "Was there anything else?" There had been a silent pause before his father had continued on. "I hear the Lady Morgana has not yet been committed to another." And there it was. "Please father! She is not even of royal blood!" Surely he could do better. "Come now my son. The Lady Morgana is dear to King Uther's heart; surely he is looking for a strong match." Vortigern didn't care. He was already picky as it was, and would settle for no one less in rank than him.

-------"She is not even of royal blood father. She is the daughter of a knight and noblewoman." That had been his argument, but he knew how this would end. "At least try and find out if King Uther is looking for a suitor for her. And see if she is to your liking. If she is, and she approves of you, then we will commence a more binding arrangement." Dear god his father was serious. And now he was here, in Camelot. The objective of this visit was to meet with Uther to speak of politics and establishing peace, but his father always had an ulterior motive in these situations. Vortigern was not defiant enough to deny his father's commands and so instead, would have to honor them. He was leaning against this, potential matrimony, but...he had promised to at least make an effort. The main purpose was to speak to Uther about peace, this was just something his father threw along with the visit; a 'might as well' kind of thing.

-------He had arrived in Camelot just a couple of days ago. Everyone was preparing for the five day festivities, but Vortigern had no interest in engaging himself in the various tournaments and competitions. He had made up the excuse that he had a battle injury that was acting up, and he did not want to aggravate it. It had been believable, and that was what brought him now to the grand hall this afternoon. Where noblewoman and elder noblemen, were all conversing among themselves while the knights and other future competitors were on the training field, practicing. He was dressed in his fine clothing, nothing less of expense and extravagance. For he was here to make a good impression. Thankfully, not all the invited royal and noble families had yet arrived for the celebrations so there was not an immensely large crowd. Which was why he knew now, with the king off tending to different matters of council and the prince of Camelot with the others on the training field, he would have the opportunity to speak to Lady Morgana, and honor his father's wishes.

-------His eyes searched the crowd, not taking long to find Morgana. He watched her for a moment as he took a sip of the wine that had been offered to him on a tray. His objection to this discreet arrangement had nothing to do with her lacking physical appeal. She was in actuality quite exquisite and rather beautiful. She even carried herself as a princess would. Hell, if he didn't actually know of her true rank he may even mistake her for royalty. But he knew the truth, and it was why he doubted this would ever work. Never the less, his father told him to try, and he would at least make an effort. Even if it was not to his full interest. He walked towards her, a confident stride until he was close enough to carry on a conversation with her. "My Lady Morgana. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance once more." He gave a bit of a nod, that could be considered a bow. Though he would never bow down to a woman who was technically lower in status than he was. He had very briefly met her when he had first arrived, but now, they would have more privacy.

Tag: Morgana LeFay

[mysery]

The festivities were well underway, and Camelot was putting its best foot forward on all fronts. Though it was to be expected. Uther was welcoming foreign dignitaries, emissaries, royals and nobles alike and he would want Camelot to be at its best for their scrutiny. It was all alot of planning, preparation and pompous. A bit too much for Morgana's tastes. The part she found most annoying in the entirety of this time was that Uther seemed to have developed this need to remind both herself and Arthur at every turn just how important these meetings were. As if they didn't already know. It irritated her because this was not the first time Camelot had hosted visitors of this calibre, and yet Uther acted as though they were still impertinent children who would spill water on a Lord because they couldn't keep track of their own feet.

Regardless of her distaste for the way Uther handled this whole affair, Morgana knew she was still expected to stand in her place and be his Ward and the Lady of Camelot. And it was in this role that she was cast today. Guinevère had assisted her in getting prepared, passing on what she had heard from the servants and other such sorces of information, and Morgana had chuckled at some of it. Especially the one about that Lord who was suspected of being chased through his own estate by pigs. Afterwards, she had made her way down into the grand hall, Arthur had been going in the opposite direction and she couldn't help the small jab about him 'taking care of himself' since the competition looked rather fierce this time around. He had, as expected, reacted with a barb about how he would always be around to escort her wherever she needed to go before they'd gone their seperate ways.

And so now she found herself in the grand hall, surrounded by people, older men and the women who were not content to merely sit and watch the knights and other men train for the upcoming tournament. A few nobles approached her, or she them, to converse, but at the moment, her company was one of the servants who she had exchanged a few words with, mostly to see that everything was proceeding as it should, when suddenly a new voice reached her.

"My Lady Morgana. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance once more."

Morgana turned to take in the newcomer and allowed a smile to form. "Prince Vortigern," she greeted the man, inclining her head respectfully as she curtsied. They were in Camelot, her home, but even Morgana had to be mindful of paying respect to those who were of a higher station than she was. "The pleasure is all mine," she added. "How are you finding your stay in Camelot so far?" Morgana inquired. She knew he had spoken with Uther previously, and she had been present when the Prince had arrived, but otherwise, she hadn't yet had the chance to speak with the Prince since then.

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Setting: Camelot City

Tag: Vortigern

[Vortigern]

-------Well at least she curtsied. As least she was respectful enough to show him the proper greeting. Of course, she had done nothing less than remain respectful and courteous in the short time he had seen her, and the brief greeting he had exchanged upon his arrival. If he was going to go through with this whole...getting to know her better, he would much prefer to do in a setting where servants, gossiping noblewomen, and old men and women were not staring at them. "Quite enjoyable," he said, forcing a smile with ease on his lips, though on the inside he was wishing something more had happened; an attack on him. A just cause for war! "Your family has been very hospitable and kind." Yes. They had been too kind. Damn them.

-------He took a sip of his win, his eyes looking around. She was practically considered royalty here was she not. So with that in mind, would she remain the focus of most others, especially her servants? He needed to appease that. "It would be a great honor if I was granted an opportunity to get to better know one of my most gracious hosts. Perhaps in a setting where there are not so many listening ears and prying eyes." He made sure to sound polite and respectful, so that it did not seem like he was making an inappropriate offer towards her. She was 'royalty' and he would have to treat her as such, even though she would never be anything more than a mere noble.

[mysery]

Correcting those who claimed Morgana as part of the royal family had become tedious after a while, so she had long since given up doing so. She was regarded as a sister to Arthur, and a daughter to Uther, so there was little point in reminding others that she was not. Both men expected the same level of respect for her as Princesses of other kingdoms, even if Morgana herself didn't enjoy it. She was a lady, and she enjoyed being one, but she was no princess, that she knew. Therefore, when Prince Vortigern did the same as many before him, Morgana simply smiled and refrained from correcting him. "It is our honour to have you here in Camelot, though I must give you my condolences on your fathers inability to attend," she replied, a small frown marring her features.

She too had heard of King Gildas and his current sickness, thanks to Uther and his need to remind them who was attending these festivities, and she had been informed that Prince Vortigern would be attending in his place. With a slight movement, she claimed a goblet from one of the servants passing by, and took a sip of the wine. It was fruity, as she knew it would be, but not unpleasant. Morgana brought her attention back to Vortigern as he spoke again. He had a point, Morgana would grant him that. The women of court were something akin to vultures in Morgana's opinion. They were out for whatever information they could get, and rumours abounded whenever she took the time to listen. It was impossible to have a normal conversation when any word could spell rumours galore in Camelot.

And she had been growing restless in this room filled with people. Perhaps a walk through the castle or the gardens would be a nice reprieve.

"Have you yet seen the castle Prince Vortigern? Or perhaps the gardens?" Morgana asked, taking the liberty of suggestion. It would provide them both an escape from this ceremony and yet she would not be deviating from her position. After all, what kind of gracious host would they be if the Prince was left to wander the halls on his own?

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Setting: Camelot City

Tag: Vortigern

[Vortigern]

-------Vortigern continued to politely smile when she expressed her condolence. "Kind of you Lady Morgana," he said trying to sound genuine when in actuality he really did not care. "Had he been able, I am certain he would have liked nothing more." Right. And his father would still probably have dragged him with him to meet Lady Morgana. He was not sure what was worse: having to possibly talk to Uther about such, possible marital arrangements, or his father talking to Uther about such a thing. He knew his father would make it sound like something he so desired, and would find a way to make Uther regard it as beneficial. There was of course no guarantee that he would have agreed to it. Hell, Vortigern was not even in agreement to this. Presenting two options as to where they could find privacy, Vortigern knew which was more to his liking. "I feel myself craving some fresh air. Perhaps the gardens, if it suits My Lady."

-------My Lady. How utterly wrong. Yes, she was a Lady, a noblewoman, but nothing more. And Vortigern had to speak to her as if she was some sort of princess. It was not in her blood and one could not just automatically be bestowed with such a position. Even if they were the adopted daughter of a king, or even if they married into it. Though Vortigern would never understand any royal who wished to marry someone beneath their station. He would not be the exception to this outrageous possibility! While these thoughts screamed in his head, he stay composed. He extended his hand forward so that she would move ahead of him. Which again, was just so very wrong. She should be walking behind him. But now, he would have to walk behind her and why? Because, as if his father would say: It is a sign of respect and proper etiquette. He only hoped that her servants would not follow.

[mysery]

Morgana smiled and inclined her head in agreement. "The gardens are a wondeful sight to be seen," she replied, taking his offer to move ahead of him and beginning to head for the doors. They were open, a sign of welcome and frivolity to the guests, and the ceremonial guards by the door merely bowed their heads as she and Prince Vortigern passed. The servants knew better than to follow where she had not instructed them to, so, after a brief look from one or two of them, they were let on their way. For whatever the reason Prince Vortigern wished to speak with her away from the rest of court, a stroll in the gardens would be perfect.

Albeit, Prince or not, Morgana knew guards would never be too far away from her. She understood that Uther had instilled in all the castle guards, early on, that she was always to be protected, whether that be from outside forces, or from within. It was a fact of her life that she had been forced to come to terms with.

She led the Prince through the castle and out into the gardens. "And here we are," Morgana announced as they entered the green gardens of Camelot. She and Arthur had grown up amongst the bushes and greenery here. That was in between those lessons; Arthur's training, and her lessons in ettiquette on becoming a Lady. "Tell me Prince Vortigern, have you ever seen the gardens of Camelot before?" Morgana asked.

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Setting: Camelot City

Tag: Vortigern

[Vortigern]

-------Once they were at the gardens, Vortigern did not bother to soak in his surroundings. He was not the kind of man who appreciated the natural beauty of nature and commented on it. Nor was he the kind of man to pick a flower in attempt to woo a woman. He did not like this arrangement with Morgana. And his effort would be only minimal. And only due to his father's insistence. It was in a way worse, for she had no idea. Yet he wondered if he really would have wanted his father to discuss such a thing with her. That had the potential to make matters far worse. When she asked him a question, he just casually looked at her, out of 'politeness'.

-------God how he hated this menial chit chat. Trivial and utterly useless conversation. But again, polite... he had to stay polite. "This is the first time witnessing the gardens of Camelot." Not that he cared. It was just flowers and trees... like he has never seen those before. All he needed to do was walk into the woods and he would see the exact same thing. How ridiculous it was when people raved about the magnificence of something as simple as flowers. "Do you spend a lot of time within the garden?" Again, he did not care in the slightest. "I imagine it is a pleasant and peaceful place to go when others are busy with their duties."

-------Not only was he subtly hinting at the fact that she had nothing better to do with her time, since she was not a real royal... but he was also slowly inching the conversation towards finding out if there was a proposal in the works for her. What was so wrong with her that she was still unmarried? Uther's protective nature? Was she to Uther what Vivian was to Olaf? Either way, Vortigern had to uncover the truth, and then he could dismiss the subject all together.

[mysery]

Morgana did like the gardens. Granted, she preferred the training grounds and having a sword in her hand to simply wandering around with nothing to do, but they were pleasing to the eye. And they provided a good hiding place when she had not wanted to be found as a child. She knew the castle like the back of her hand, along with the garden, so Morgana found it easy to walk and talk at the same time here. She nodded in reply to his answer. So, Vortigern would at least take something from Camelot, even if it was only an image of the gardens, when he returned home.

"The gardens were a favourite of mine when I was a child," Morgana replied carefully. It was true, but Uther had warned her how it was taken sometimes when she confessed to enjoying her time more out on the training field. "Though its enjoyability is often determined by the company kept while here," she added, unable to help herself. The women of court, some who she had wandered the gardens with, weren't often worth the effot. All they spoke about was 'Arthur this and Arthur that' or, heaven forbid, 'You must know him well,' in that waspish tone. It was hard to enjoy anything with that going on beside one.

She chose not to comment that she too had duties to deal with. A lady she may have been, but Morgana had never been content to simply sit on the sidelines. If she wasn't doing something else, reminding Arthur of the stupidity of some of his actions was always a good way to spend her time.

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Setting: Camelot City

Tag: Vortigern

[Vortigern]

-------Vortigern managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. Enjoyability is determined by the company. Vortigern did not want to make this an enjoyable experience for her, because it certainly was not for him. Most men in the presence of such beauty would wish to flatter and woo. But all Vortigern could see what a woman of non-royal blood. And it sickened him that his father would suggest such a proposal. It made Vortigern want to hurry this along, get to the point of it, and move on. Because it was not going to happen. And he needed to find a legitimate reason as to why it could not. "I imagine many men must find your company rather enjoyable. Whilst in the garden or anywhere else."

-------This was ridiculous. For it made Vortigern sound like he was one such men. When in actuality, he was not. He also knew that he could not offend her as easily as any other noblewoman. And that was because she was close to the king. Practically like a daughter to him. Offending other nobles was easy and came rather naturally to Vortigern. For he knew that he could forever hold his higher position above them, limiting their attempt at retaliation and returning the insults. But with her, he could not do such a thing. She was damn lucky that the king did not care for bloodlines; that he willingly accepted her as a daughter when her father died. Everyone knew the story. Vortigern disapproved of it.

-------If he was king, and one of his knights passed, he would send his daughter off to a nunnery or marry her of regardless of her age. That was the way to deal with it. "It makes one wonder why a woman such as yourself, has not yet been wed." Blunt. But not on the verge of outright offensive. Even if he was basically asking her what was wrong with her. Was it an overprotective adoptive father? Was it her desire to never marry? Vortigern wanted to find out. He wanted to discover her reason for being unwed at her age. Surely, there had to be one. And hopefully, he could take it back to Gildas and show him why this proposal would never work out.