Love's Got Nothing To Do With It

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was not looking forward to this. It was no offense to Elena, he stood by he said earlier in that he was certain she was a wonderful woman. . . seemingly a bit clumsy, but still wonderful . . . but Arthur was not in favor of this entire arrangement. His father had warned him last night that he had better start developing feelings for her, but feelings didn't just magically appear. He could not control what was in his heart, and right now, it was not Princess Elena but rather, another woman. Nothing would change that, not even his father's harsh words. But, at the same time, Arthur knew that his wasn't exactly the easiest thing to back out of. It was clear that his father and Lord Godwyn had been planning this since both Arthur and Elena were infants. Arthur wasn't even sure why he was surprised by all this . . . he knew this day would come. He knew he'd have to marry for political gain. What he didn't know was that he would fall in love before then, and now be dragging his feet when it came to spending the day with his 'future wife'.

No. He couldn't even call her that in his mind, for it was far too strange. He would find a way out of this . . . he had to for the alternative was far too painful to imagine. He did not want to think of marrying another woman, lying in bed with her every night, producing heirs to take over Camelot. While their marriage would be legally binding, she would never be his wife in his heart. It was not fair for Elena, not fair for Guinevère, and not fair for himself to have that sort of . . . marriage, if it could even be called such a thing. Never the less, he had asked Elena to go for rid with him to the woods, where they could have lunch near the river. It was nothing overly romantic, for Arthur did not want to encourage this. At the same time . . . he supposed he could make an effort, and look polite in the eyes of Elena and Godwyn. After all, they had done nothing to be blamed for, it was simply Arthur's inability to accept this -- how had his father so eloquently put it -- permanent union.

Arthur was clad in his regular attire, and stood in the courtyard patiently waiting for Elena to join him. He hated to admit it, but he really hoped that she canceled, for whatever reason. Her and her father had been tired yesterday so after the evening feast, they retired to their chambers. Now, Arthur had no excuse to not get to know her. He knew he should give her a chance, even though he did not wish to marry her. First impressions weren't everything. Perhaps she was a wonderful person on the inside. She just seemed so . . . unbalanced. Lacking that natural poise and elegance that princesses often carried. But again, it could be just too much prejudgment on his part. He would just await and see what she was really like, for now, they would have the opportunity to spend some time alone together . . . not that the wanted to. Oh dear. Arthur Pendragon was not looking forward to this at all.

_{Setting: Starts in the Castle, goes to the woods, and then we'll see from there!
Time of Day: In the morning
Timeline: During The Changeling
Tag: Princess Elena of Gawant
Notes: SO excited to have a thread with Elena!! Lets bring on the awkwardness!!!}

[bandach]

She was not sure how she felt about this. Of course, when Elena thought about it, she was certain that loads of girls would be jealous of her right now, going out for a lunch date with him. After all, the man in question was Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot, and finest swordsmen in Albion, as well as a jouster. According to many princesses in other kingdoms, to be with him was a complete honor. But she didn’t see it that way, perhaps because it had something to do with their fathers and what was expected on them. A mild sigh escaped Elena now, “I’m not sure how I feel about this at all,” she murmured to herself as she shut her bedroom door behind her and traveled down the hallways. After all, the young woman had to be quick in her escape from Grunhilda before the nurse could even notice that she decided to wear riding boots rather than those white heels under her golden dress. She was hardly carrying herself with grace as she walked down the hallways towards the castle’s entrance and courtyard. The way Princess Elena dragged her feet and worry shown in her doe eyes, one would think that she were walking to the gallows to be hung rather than to a date with Arthur Pendragon.

Honestly, there was no possible way that Elena could think that he was hardly entertained by the idea of being with her as well. After all, she never saw herself like other princesses, they had grace and beauty, not to mention, charm. In her honest opinion, Elena lacked all of those, and Arthur would have to be blind to not agree with such a notion, no, it was almost certain that he did notice these particular things about her. After all, she completely embarrassed herself by nearly falling flat on her face in front of him. Not to mention, they had hardly hit it off yet. Yesterday, in her honest opinion, had been a complete disaster, and the moment that the feast had been done, the young woman had been quick to retreat to her chambers for the night, hoping to wake up and to discover this had all just been a very bad dream, or a joke. But that had not been the case, and as Grunhilda said and her father suggested, this match between her and Camelot’s golden prince had been sealed probably days after their births. Thinking of it like that, she should be thrilled at the thought of being with her future husband, but the thoughts only triggered a grimace on her face. They were not right for each other, nor was she in particular ready to actually become a political tool for her father’s kingdom. But of course, Elena could never think of disappointing her farther, it would break her heart, and surely his if she didn’t go on this date.

The castle’s heavy doors loomed ahead of her now. Moments of doubt and wishes to just turn around and run back towards her room were sitting heavy on her shoulders now. Then she pictured her father, and managed to suck it up, “Come on, Elena,” she muttered to herself, “This is for the good of Gawant, and for father.” The young woman bit her lip for a moment as she glanced up at the large doors now, knowing what laid on the other side. Telling herself one last encouraging thought now, Elena made her way outside now. The sun was bright, and the sky was cloudless. Always a good sign for the start of a day. At the bottom of the steps now, she spotted Arthur Pendragon. As always, he looked quite handsome, and Elena supposed that she should be swooning right now, but she didn’t feel it in her heart, “Good morning, Arthur!” she called to him cheerily (and sincerely hoped it did not sound fake) as she descended down the stairs now, making sure to not slip or stumble as she had done yesterday, “I just cannot wait to go riding,” Elena said, a slight awkward pause hanging in the air, “With you, of course, because that would be silly of me to not…want to ride with you,” dear god, she needed to get out of here. Now. Her eyes glanced past the prince towards the two horses now, a bay and a dapple gray, standing patiently, “So…uh, which one of these wonderful animals do I get to ride?”

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Tags: Prince Arthur of Camelot
Notes: OMG YES. I know =) Believe me, it will be awkward. & terrible news, but I will not be able to start our paarty thread until friday. But don't worry, it will get done, so don't worry about it. I still wish to start it, I just wanted to let you know so you were not waiting about for it right away.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur watched Elena descend the stairs, and he felt his increase its pace for a couple of beats Not because she elicited some sort of strong emotion of affection from him . . . because he was afraid she was going to fall on the stairs. He almost offered his hand to her for that extra support, but she reached the bottom safe and sound. What a relief. Watching her, he noticed she was . . . beautiful. Yes. If she did something to tame her hair perhaps, but her facial features were exquisite indeed. It was clear to see that she was naturally beautiful. Fair skin, large eyes, long eyes lashes, slender figure yet still with curves . . . so why did Arthur find it so difficult? Because he was in love. Because there was no woman who could compare to the one he loved. What if Elena felt the same way about someone else? What if there was someone waiting for her back home, who was feeling devastated over losing the woman they loved. Arthur wondered if it would be too intrusive of him to ask. But it had been a thought on his mind when he spoke last night to Merlin about this entire situation. There could be more than just three people involved in this, there could be four.

And how would that be fair to her? Even if she did not have a love in Gawant, Arthur marrying her would deprive her of the opportunity of actually being able to fall in love. If they were to be husband and wife, then she would have to learn to love him, as he would have to learn to love her -- knowing that love could not be something forced. Didn't she deserve to feel that emotion though? Shouldn't she have the liberty to choose, to decide which man she wanted to marry rather than be stuck in this union arranged for nothing more than political reasons. He knew that it would probably be even more difficult for her to get out of this situation than Arthur. But it would be Elena and himself who would have to live this. It would be the two of them living in his misery of forced marriage. No. It wasn't fair, and yet, would it be the only thing to benefit both kingdoms? Arthur had so many questions and no answers. But perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. Maybe there would still be a chance to get out of this. For now, he would have to go along with it all and set out what he had invited Elena to do: spend the afternoon with him.

"Good morning Lady Elena," he greeted, lowering his head in a bit of a respectful bow. He did not know how to read her tone of voice, but his own held a strong formality to it. One out of courtesy and respect, for she was a princess, an heir to the throne of Gawant. And quite possibly, his future wife. When she began to speak of her excitement . . . well, he did his best to not just blankly stare at her. She seemed to have talked herself into a corner, no. That wasn't it. There was just something . . . different about her. Just. Different. Unique . . . . . . . . Interesting. He should not be rude though and allow awkward silence to linger when she was clearly making an effort to start up conversation. "I too am greatly looking forward to spending the afternoon with you," he said in a voice that still held that formality, but slightly softened so that it would not sound like a total lie.

He should get to know her better before he made a decision -- assuming he had the choice, and assuming he could do so without bias. Both things seemed so unlikely right now, but he would try. "I hope you rested well after your long journey here." There. That was polite too right? Showing concern for her, as that much was genuine. It was the respect for her family and who she was, even if he could not see her as Camelot's queen. When she asked which horse she was to ride, Arthur easily enough answered. "It is this one right here," he told her, stepping towards the horse that she would be riding. "Here, let me assist you," he offered as he extended his hand to help her mount onto the horse.

[[ Oohhh No worries!! Take as much time as you need! I totally understand! So no pressure or rush! Btw, can I just say how much I LOVED your Elena post!! I actually cracked up laughing from it in certain parts!! Hahaha it was just pure awesome! ]]

[bandach]

As she had walked down the steps now, concentrating with all of her might on not tripping, Elena could see the prince, watching her as she descended the stairs. Elena could only imagine as to what was going through his mind right now and she was absolutely certain that it quite frankly did not have to do with whatever beauty that she might have as a member of the opposite sex. Judging by the slight shifting of some of the guards too, it suddenly occurred to the princess as to what they were waiting for: her to fall. If she could scowl at such thoughts without giving it away, she honestly would, but of course, the young woman had nobody to thank but herself for these ideas. After all, she did trip right before the royal court, and that had been on a flat surface. God would only know the kind of horrors they envisioned with her on some stairs. The moment she hit solid ground though, she managed to push the thoughts out of her mind. After all, Elena had to keep her mind at the task at hand…oh, that was terrible of her to think of it as a ‘task’ rather than something fun. Somehow though, fun was not jumping out at her, at least, not until they got on the horses.

He greeted her with one of the smallest forms of a respected bow. If that were the case, was she to return it even though she had been the one to speak first? If there were a time where she felt like she should have been paying attention during her etiquette classes, it would be now. After a moment, Elena crossed her feet slightly and offered a wobbly curtsy, before standing again. It would be safer that way, after all, she didn’t want to fall over two days in a row and that had been too close of a call now. As she babbled, it became clear to her that Arthur was trying his best to not just stare at her blankly, as if he were in a school lesson at the moment. In a way, Elena could not help but to pity him. He was just like her, clearly in it for his father’s consensus more than his own, which made her ponder if there was already a woman in his life. Either way, she’d hate to be there to see the news actually get broken to this girl. Although, perhaps she was over judging it. Last she ever heard was that Prince Arthur had been a bit of a ladies’ man, but everybody eventually finds their time to grow up.

Elena smiled at his words and his soften tone, “Ah yes, I have. Your beds are quite…nice,” she replied now to his question. The young woman shifted her weight from one foot to another, her eyes still remaining on Arthur for a moment. She almost wanted to believe that they were in a stand still at the moment, stubborn about the event at hand, but too scared and too proper to try and rebel it. Although, clearly both of them were giving it a go, perhaps they wouldn’t be so wound up in this game of pride and prejudice. Either way though, from her side of the conversation though, with these long gaps in between her sentences, it became clear that she would probably find herself being awkward all. She fought back the need to sigh at her thoughts, ‘No, Elena. Be confident, this has to go well,’ the princess thought to herself now. Everything was starting to move now, and as Arthur moved towards the gray horse, Elena felt herself brighten up considerably, and fought hard to not grin from ear to ear at the thought of sitting in the saddle. Finally, something that she could impress anybody with.

She followed after him, and walked over towards the gray horse. It stood there waiting patiently, hardly aware of what a workout it was probably going to get. The prince stepped towards the horse now, offering her his assistance. It honestly was a miracle she didn’t laugh, “Oh please, this is something I can actually do,” her tone of voice was confident, perhaps the first time ever around Arthur. Without a moment’s hesitation, she placed her foot in the stirrup and her hands reached up to grab the pommel of the saddle as well as the reins and chunk of the horses mane. With one swift and graceful motion, Elena jumped up into the saddle as if second nature and sat perfectly. Shortening the reins, the young woman gave the inside rein just a little and her outside leg shifted, nudging the horse in its side. In less than thirty seconds it seemed, the gray horse shuffled right into a rather fast canter, and Elena pointed it right for the exit and into the woods. She sat the three beat motion with ease, and found herself grinning from ear to ear as she gradually gave the horse it’s head, allowing it to speed up and allowing Elena to taste freedom.
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Notes: Haha, I’m glad you understand =) and I aim to please, I was hoping I’d get a few laughs. I totally loved your Arthur post. I just cannot stop rereading it over and over again. You certainly bring the character to life! I’m very happy to have this thread with you, and with luck, I’ll get our other thread up and running soon!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur didn't say anything when she informed him that the beds were nice. To have a conversation about beds with the woman that he may be forced to marry . . . would be a tad bit awkward. Arthur was going to try to avoid such a conversation. This was the first time they would be spending time alone and he was not going to discuss a topic that could have perverse implications behind it. He didn't want to traumatize her by making himself sound crude. He had been brought up to respect and protect women, and hold them in the highest regard. While Elena seemed to lack a bit of elegance, he still held respect for her. She was a princess and her father was a great man. But, respect did not lead to intimate love, and that was the problem he was facing right now. And one that she problem felt too. He doubted that when she was a young girl, she dreamed of marrying a man whom she had no connection with; be obligated to enter this impersonal union to satisfy her father. Her dream could not have changed much, especially if she was in love with another man. If he was in love with another, then this could be the case for her too.

"Oh please, this is something I can actually do." Arthur wasn't sure about that, but he was not going to force his aid onto her. He stayed near the horse though, just in case she fell over or something. But his thoughts were quickly put to rest as she swiftly mounted on the horse. That was . . . surprising. She had done so with so much ease, more so than walking down a flight of stairs. Who would have thought it was easier to get on a horse then walk down steps. It was usually the other way around, the first being more difficult than the latter. But not for Elena apparently. She seemed be confident in her ability to do. Arthur felt for the first time, she felt comfortable right now. And in a way, he was relieved. He knew this was awkward for her -- just as much as it was for him -- so the more at ease she would be, the better. And perhaps the easier it would be to talk about subjects that one usually did not discuss upon first meeting someone.

He was just standing there, consumed in his thoughts when she suddenly took off. It continued to leave him standing there, this time in a bit more shock. She seemed like such a natural, as if she was born to do this. He had never seen a princess ride with so much ease and strength as Elena displayed. Of course, he had never seen a princess fall flat on her face either . . . but this was far more impressive. He just watched her as he began to lose sight of her for she was riding away quickly. And that was when he realized . . . Oh hell! He should be going with her! Snapping himself back to reality, he quickly mounted his horse, urging it to go forward so that he would not lose her. That's all he needed: spending the afternoon looking for her rather than actually spending time with her. She was moving so quickly though, too quickly really! But in a way, it excited Arthur. It gave him a challenge to try and catch up to her, and give almost a competitive edge to them. Finally, they had found something in common: their love for riding. "Slow down!" He exclaimed after her, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard amidst the rapid and heavy foot prints of their horses and . . . the fact that he was still well behind her.

[[ AWWW You're too kind! Thank you!! Hahaha its funny cause I do the same with your Elena posts, just read them over and over and get the best mental images ever!! Even though we're only a few posts in, I'm already LOVING this thread so much! Not only did we get an Elena, but we got one that plays her to perfection ! ]]

[bandach]

She had honestly been thankful that he really did heed to her word and not try and help her out anyways. Actually, he was probably the first prince who had heeded to her words. If anything, he would be surprised at how easily she handled herself on a horse, something that people honestly found quite harder than walking. Elena simply thought that perhaps, she was just different than most others, not to mention, riding always have her such pleasure in life, the princess found herself on horseback more often than she ever did on foot. Of course, if that marriage were to actually happen, would that mean that she could not ride as much anymore? The horror that would be for her, girls never got to do anything fun except for sit on the throne and look pretty. Of course, when Elena thought about it, a lot of girls were content with such duties; Princess Vivian in particular, came to her mind. Maybe she should invite Vivian to the wedding; surely she would be one to object to the engagement. Although, perhaps thinking about wedding sabotages were not the greatest thing to think about right now as she was about to be on her ‘date’.

As the gray horse beneath her took off though, Elena shoved these ideas out of her head now. She should be happy that Uther would have even considered her for his son…even if it had been a deal long in the making. As they headed out the gates, the young woman turned her head ever so slightly to get a look at Arthur and it was a most interesting sight indeed. He was still standing on the ground, probably left in shock at the thought of being left behind at the moment, not to mention, how she handled her horse with ease. After all, Elena would love to see Lady Vivian or any other princess for the matter, handle a horse with ease and ride it as if it were the wind. She turned her attention back ahead of her now as she guided the horse along the twisting pathway of the woodlands now, laughing quietly to herself. The hoof beats of the gray horse was like the melody of a song to her and took her away from her current problems at the moment. Behind her though, she heard an accompany pair now, no doubt Prince Arthur was trying to finally catch up with her, but Elena knew perfectly well that would not be the case. The prince of Camelot might be hailed as the greatest swordsmen in Albion, but he would be in for a rude awakening for riding.

And that wasn’t even a bet, it was a fact.

It was not long before she heard Arthur call out to her, “Slow down!” A snort of laughter escaped Elena and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Turning her head slightly, she called back to him over her shoulder, “No chance!” It was a minor challenge, and being told on what to do while riding was something that Elena did not take too well to, besides, she needed to impress Arthur if she were to actually be able to find a conversation to talk about with him. Ahead of her now, she caught sight of a log on the ground, hindering the pathway. Without a moment’s hesitation, she gathered up the horse’s reins and put herself into two point as the horse picked up its speed and hurtled itself over the log now. For a moment, Elena felt as if she were flying. A snort escaped the horse now, and it tossed its head. She smiled at its actions before noticing a clearing by the river, “Arthur, I’m stopping over here!” She called back to him now before slowing the horse down, she quickly lead off the path and onto the river banks to grant it some resting time. Freeing her feet from the stirrups, Elena swung herself off the horse now and onto the ground and held onto the reins right now as she stroked the horse and waited for the prince to come. She could not help but to smile to herself, if that had been a race, Elena had clearly been the winner.

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Notes: Bwhahaha. I’m glad we both have the same mindsets, because I was beginning to feel like a nerd, or well, more of a nerd than I already am. OMFG ME TOO. I’m totally digging this thread, heck, I’m pretty certain I’ll dig any thread with you =) And you’re making me go ‘awh’, but as likewise, you certainly play Arthur to perfection as well.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Despite his words, she was clearly making no attempt to stop, or even slow down! Arthur knew he had no chance in hell of catching up to her, for if anything, it seemed she was going faster?! "No chance!" At this . . . Arthur may have normally been annoyed, rolling his eyes or making a face at such defiance. But this time, he found himself smiling. Yes; smiling, even though he was losing this little assumed race. He wasn't sure what it was. The element of surprise perhaps. The fact that she was clearly different from most other princesses he had encountered, this time not only in a negative way but also in a positive sense. He liked that. He liked the unpredictability that was shown by her actions. He liked that they were having a little race, one that he knew he would not be the victor in but also knew he would not be a sore loser . . . even though he had lost to a woman. At least no one else apart from them would know about the fact that someone had proved to be a better horseback rider than him. Princess Elena of all people.

This is what made him smile; that competitive edge she had to her. It only showed how little he knew her, and at least if nothing else, they could start by talking about something that had in common, even though it was clear her skills exceeded his . . . or maybe he was letting her win? No no. She was clearly an excellent rider. Arthur knew there was no point in event trying to keep up, so he decided to do something else. When she was so far ahead that he could not see her, nor she see him, he pulled the reigns bringing the horse to a halt. He swiftly dismounted, not stopping without purpose. He loosely tied the reigns to a nearby tree, knowing he would not stop for too long. He then took a few steps forward, noticing a patch of roses. He inspected them, and crouched near them, looking for the most perfect one he could find. When his eyes rested on one that had the most well displayed petals and most appealing in color, he picked it, and hid it inside his vest so that she would not see it right away. If she could have a little element of surprise in her, then he could too. With that done, he pulled the reigns and got on his horse once again.

He looked at the tracks that led to the direction she was in, and heard her distant voice calling that she had stopped at a certain location. It was by a stream with a bit of a clearing so that they would be able to enjoy a picnic with ease. He slowed his horse and dismounted, taking a few steps towards her once he again, tied the reigns onto a near by tree. A small smirk placed on his lips. Rather than be annoyed by losing, he was . . . impressed? Yes! That was the right word: impressed. Maybe he should tell her as much. Maybe today wouldn't be as bad after all. While the fact that she could ride a horse so well still made him not want to marry it, at least they could hopefully pass any level of awkwardness and discomfort by realizing that they had things to talk about, apart from their supposed marital future. As he approached her, he spoke. "That was very impressive. I'm not easily impressed," he told her honestly. It was obviously a compliment. Not only had she managed to surprise him, but he was also immensely impressed and he felt the need to say that. He was not about to criticize her for having such incredible skill and what seemed like a natural talent for riding. Maybe that was why her hair was a such a mess; because of all the horse riding she did. If that were the case, then it was a logical reason . . . maybe?

[[ HAHAHA Awww no need to feel like a nerd!!! I do the same! We can be nerds together: the Nerd Herd!!! *is so lame* See, stuff like that is what makes me one! AWWWW You're so sweet! Thank you!!! I'm so glad/relieved to hear that!! Btw, sorry he isn't talking a whole lot! If this post or any of them are difficult to reply to then let me know and I have NO problem whatsoever with editing it!! ]]

[bandach]

Something seemed to be keeping Arthur. Not that she minded, honestly, because even though she had gotten a little ride out of this, Elena still found herself dreading the forth coming events now. Lunch. Food was always good to have, but not when it was just her. Alone. With Arthur Pendragon. Although, perhaps the ride might have shaken things up a bit, after all, it had been an impressive ride from her at least. That was what she should do, keep her mind on the horses and the ride that she had just had with the Prince rather than what was soon to come. Her doe eyes glanced back towards the trail now, but there was still no sign of the young blond man nor his bay horse. A snort escaped the gray horse standing beside her now and she turned her attention back towards it, stroking it’s velvety muzzle as she watched it’s eyes begin to droop and relax, “I wonder what’s keeping them so long,” Elena thought out loud to the horse now, “It’s not like they were that far behind us,” or perhaps she had been misjudging the distance between them the whole time. Perhaps she time him then, and if he wasn’t there soon, she would just go back to the castle and simply tell everybody that she had misplaced Arthur Pendragon on the trail.

Just then, she heard the pounding of hoof beats yet again, and Elena knew that her plan was quickly about to get shot down. The young woman glanced back towards the trail now and saw the horse and rider just as they leapt off it and onto the river banks now along with her. His horse certainly looked like it had a good run. Her eyes rested on Arthur now as he began to tie his reins to a tree and already, Elena felt that fourth coming dread start to happen again. Although, the food had not arrived yet, so perhaps, this whole little lunch date fiasco could be avoided. Of course, that did require surviving talking with Arthur, which she had not been so successful in doing so far. It was a good thing that there was no grading involved when it came to talking to boys, or Grunhilda would surely be displeased with her at the moment. When he turned away from his horse now, Elena almost felt herself raise an eyebrow in question. Was Arthur Pendragon….smirking at her? Honestly, she had no idea as to what she could have done to achieve this, they had barely spoken. If anything, the young woman would have thought that he would have been angry with her for not obeying his request (more like command) on slowing down while they had been on horseback. After all, if it was anything that Elena learned from some of the other princes that she had met, they do not like to be beaten by girls.

Although, Elena soon had gotten the answer that she had been looking for, “That was very impressive. I'm not easily impressed,” Arthur commented now. Well, she had certainly not been expecting that. A compliment from the great Arthur Pendragon. Who knew that he could be capable of such things? After a moment though, she finally grinned, “Oh. Well. Neither am I, and I wasn’t,” Elena replied now, laughing quite loudly. Honestly, it couldn’t had been helped though, perhaps she had been expecting much more of a challenge when riding with Arthur Pendragon. A snort fell in somewhere in between these laughs, as she leaned forward slightly and lightly punched Arthur in the arm now, her fist meeting the muscle of his bicep lightly. Elena almost found her laughter rather uncontrollable until she realized the awkward silence falling over and she quickly managed to subdue her laughter. Okay, so, maybe those weren’t the best words that could have been said at the moment to somebody who was supposedly suppose to be one’s future husband. Elena quickly moved forward with conversation though, “I've been riding since I was a child. I don't get to do it as much as I'd like, princesses don't,” Elena could not help but to roll her eyes at the thought and make a face, as if she were disagreeing with such a statement before continuing on quickly, “But apparently my mother was an excellent horsewoman. I never met her.”

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Notes: Sorry that took forever!

[Arthur Pendragon]

"Oh. Well. Neither am I, and I wasn't." Now Arthur would not have ordinarily minded such words. They were made in fun teasing and hell, he probably would have encouraged it. But he found himself remaining silent as she laughed . . . snorted. Did she just snort?! Arthur didn't quite know what to say or do to that. And it did not stop there. She proceeded to punch him in the arm. She punched him! It didn't hurt -- of course it didn't -- but it was more the idea of what she had done. Punch him. On the arm. Just like that! It was very . . . unladylike. Though Arthur really should be realizing that she was far from . . . ladylike. That she possessed certain qualities and traits -- and quirks -- that made her seem more like a tomboy of sorts, rather than a graceful princess. It was strangely unfamiliar. While he did not mind it when it came to the horseback riding, it was slightly more awkward when she punched him, even though it was a playful act. Speaking of awkward . . . an awkward silence ensued after her words, snort, and then punch. Mainly because, he had no idea what to say right now.

Much to his surprise -- and delight actually -- she broke the silence . . . the extremely uncomfortable silence. "I've been riding since I was a child. I don't get to do it as much as I'd like, princesses don't." That was very true. At least she acknowledged it. He wondered if her father often told her not to . . . to be more like the other princesses. In a way, it was nice to see that she was different. On the other hand, some things she did were a bit peculiar. But of course, he did not know her well enough to make any final decisions . . . though it did not help that he had already entered this day with her with a strong bias: that he could not and would never be able to love her as a husband loved his wife. He did not say anything, but listened attentively as she began to speak about her mother. "But apparently my mother was an excellent horsewoman. I never met her." That was something that they had in common. He knew that she too was raised without a mother -- and it clearly showed with her behavior -- yet, Arthur knew that could not be the whole explanation as to why she was like this. For Godwyn was a very refined man. And didn't she have that nanny who would have taught her a thing to two?

Of course Arthur knew it was no where near the same as actually having a mother, that female figure in her life. It was something the young prince desperately missed; desperately wished for. Part of him wished he had what she did: a comparison to her mother. That sort of similarity; something she inherited from her. Arthur had no idea if he was like his mother for his father never spoke of her. While he felt an immensely strong connection, he did not know what she was like. What he like her in any way? What qualities did he inherit from her? These were questions he often wondered about, so it was at least nice to hear that while she shared the same loss, a part of her held that strong comparison when it came to horseback riding. He nodded along, now standing closer to her, right in front of her -- apparently in close enough proximity for her to punch him! He nodded along with her words, a sympathetic look crossing his expression when she brought up the part about her mother. He could tell it brought her pain, to not have ever met her mother. Arthur decided to say something that would reveal that he knew exactly how she felt. Their first thing they had in common, and maybe they could build it up from there?

"I never met mine either," he told her, looking at her. His gaze fell to the ground for only a few moments. "I . . . " He looked back at her, or more so past her. "Often wonder if I'm like her." He kept his voice composed and strong even though he seldom ever spoke about his mother. From the way she had brought up the subject of her own, something told him that she did not talk about her mother all too often either. Deciding that he did not want to bring the mood too down, he continued to speak, this time his tone holding a bit of a joking air to it. "I hope I don't take after my father entirely." While he did mean it as partly a joke, he also meant it. His father and him tended to butt heads quiet a bit -- recently more times than ever before -- so he wondered if that meant he was more like him, or less like him. Either way, it was easier to talk about his parent who was still alive; not the one he had suffered the loss of.