A Day Well Spent

[Arthur Pendragon]

Once he helped her down the horse, he tied the reigns to nearby tree and they began to walk along the stream. The silence between them was not an uncomfortable or awkward one. But rather, peaceful and serene. The setting and environment around them was very calming and he hoped it relaxed her as much as him. He was not too used to being outside of the city and just enjoying the weather, and lovely company of course. His duties were usually the main reason he would stray so far from the castle, as well as hunting trips which sent him sometimes further than he would have ever anticipated. So this was a nice change . . . especially since he was getting to know Sasha bit better.

He kept in mind that she had been through quite a bit and he wanted this to signify a new, fresh start for her. Hopefully this time, Camelot could be filled with more jovial and uplifting memories rather than the dark, upsetting ones. He stopped walking for a moment and turned to face her. "Are you alright?" he asked with a bit of a smile. He did not ask in an overly concerned way -- though there would always be that underlying concern present. But rather, he asked in a way to really, just make sure she was alright, without listing specific reasons as to why she may not be. She had already done that, and as Arthur had previously established, today was about distracting her mind from all the pain the past few years of her life had brought her.

[Sasha]

Lady Sasha placed her hands on her charm necklace, merely wanting to feel it. The charm was made of real silver, in the shape of a sword. It had been her father's, passed down from her grandfather the emperor of Rome. Sasha noticed that Arthur had stopped walking and turned to face her. This dragged her right out of her fantasies, and she stopped as soon as he did. "Are you alright?" He inquired, showing a bit of a smile. She could tell it was not in an overly concerned way by his tone, but there was something like faint concern somewhere there. Sasha returned a faint smile as she gave the reply in a joyful voice, "Of course." That sounded awkward to her, so looking around as if admiring the beauty of the forest, she added, "Beautiful day, is it not? I've forgotten just how glorious Camelot's sights are." And a beautiful day, indeed. Sasha had forgotten, and if she had known the exact worth of coming here she would have done so much more passionately. Though she couldn't say it was not passionate. . . . oh well. Whatever, and she meant that. Now as a time for a relaxing. Even thinking of her travels shouldn't be acceptable, or at least now.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had a great deal of pride in his kingdom. He loved Camelot, with all his heart. To hear people admire it made him proud to be its future king, and to hear people criticize him made him agitated and a bit bitter towards them. But Sasha of course did not such thing, and he had not expected her to. She offered only praise for its sights and natural beauty, something that anyone in the royal family of the ruling kingdom loved to hear. He hoped its beauty enticed her enough to stay here. Even though she said she had no immediately plans to leave, it was rather nice to have a friend close by . . . a very beautiful friend with captivating eyes and such a genuine kindness.

"And Camelot's sights have become even more glorious and beautiful since your arrival." Once again, he was trying to charm her. It was the natural thing for any man to do when in the company of someone so incredibly gorgeous. He subconsciously took a step closer to her, waiting to see how she reacted to this one small movement. If she was uncomfortable, he would take that as a sign. If she seemed alright with it, then it would give him the confidence to further do what he was already planning to have done at some point today.

[Sasha]

Sasha hadn't been expecting him to compliment her like this, but then again it was only natural for a man to do so, was it not? Of course she never knew what to say, or whether she should say anything at all. No, a better way of explaining it was that she didn't know how to express her appreciation for his compliments. For one quick moment, she thought Arthur to be very good looking himself. Someone would have to be blind --or bitter-- to not realize that. The Prince really was blessed with this, for she was sure it came in handy for him. Any woman should be dying over his looks. Of course, it was different for Sasha. Arthur was a close friend, and the thought of falling in love with him felt a little bit awkward. Though she would welcome the future if it held that.

Sasha gave the Prince a cute smile, while slightly nervous. It was not nervous in a bad way, it was just natural to feel like that when a man complimented her. . . not that she had had many men do so. "That's very sweet of you to say that," she said in a quiet voice. She was really starting to enjoy herself, and genuinely relax. Before, they had been talking about slightly depressing things from her past mostly and that hadn't given her much time to just relax while that on her mind. But now was different, however; a walk beside the river with one her closest friend. Her only close friend, actually. Light conversation that took her mind off everything. She was just truly loving this.

When Arthur took a step closer toward her, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, she was perfectly fine with it. There was of course that little thing in the back of her mind that told her there was something behind it, but nothing bad. Something behind it... perhaps as in romantic? In general, she did not reject his sudden closeness.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Her reaction was an encouraging one. The way she smiled shyly and the way she did not back away, or seem too uncomfortable with his advance, only assured him that what he wanted to do would be alright. Arthur did not have plans for the future, in terms of who he would marry. He had never been in love before, and the only certainty in his future was that he would one day be king. So as of right now, he had the liberty to enjoy what pleasure he could find in seeking the company and affection of other women . . . and right now, his sights had set on Sasha. There was just something so different about her, and yet the familiarity of having known her from childhood made him care more about her. Now whether that was in a romantic way or strictly on a friend basis he had yet to find out. And there was really only one way to find out.

Her modesty continued to amaze him. She was not the least bit vain, nor did she even seem certain of her beauty. Had her mother really deprived her of the opportunity to meet others? Well, it would be a man's loss to not be in her company really, but right now, it was Arthur's gain. And he was one to take advantage of it. If he did not, he knew he would forever regret not having moved any further, always having that nagging question of what if. While -- as previously stated -- he had never fully committed to another woman yet, there was always the possibility that he might. That this very woman in front of him could be her. But he would not place pressure on it. After all, its not as if one kiss could change everything. He was not acting solely on lust though, for he had gotten the chance to get to know her -- however brief -- and he knew her beauty was as great internally as it was externally.

And finally, it seemed to be the opportune moment. While all these thoughts flooded Arthur's mind, no more than a few seconds could have passed. He looked intently at her, his expression both soft with a hint of longing in it, but it would not last for long. For he began to lean forward, slightly lowering his head so that they he could find her lips with ease. He did not move forward too quickly but did not move forward to slowly either for he did not want it to seem like he had any reluctance. He did not. And then finally, the distance was closed between them, as his lips rested gracefully on hers, his eyes closing to savor the moment.

[Sasha]

She was actually quite surprised when Arthur leaned forward and rested his lips upon hers. Still, Sasha did not reject it. . . she in fact welomed this greatly. It was something important for her, for this would be the first time she had ever kissed a man. . . or even been intimate with one. Her eyes remained open for a second after he closed his, but she immediately closed them to savour the moment. Her cheeks faded into a deep red, expressing a strange kind of embarrassment mixed with nervousness. Despite these emotions she could still act on impulse, placing her right hand gently on the back of the Prince's head. Was that a step too far? After all, this was just a first kiss. Sasha was expressing quite a lot of affection while keeping her hand in place. If it was, she still wasn't about to move it; she loved the feeling of his golden hair in her fingers. She then placed her left hand on his right shoulder.

Sasha started to kiss him back, pressing her lips slightly harder onto his. Very slightly. And then she realized that she hadn't breathed all this time -- which was no more than a few moments -- and then silently took in a breath of air.

[Arthur Pendragon]

When she did not appear to push him away, Arthur took this as an excellent sign. He was assured that he had done nothing to negatively compromise their friendship. In fact, quite the opposite. She seemed to want to savor the moment as much as he did. For before he knew it, her hand was running through his hair, which was indeed such a sensational feeling. He took this sign of encouragement as a further invitation. Raising one of his hands, he placed it on her cheek, gently caressing her soft skin with his thumb. He did not have to open his eyes to know where to place his hands. With one on her cheek, he wrapped his other around her waste, tenderly pulling her towards him so that they were closer, as if that was even possible at this point.

His hand then slowly trailed up her back, as a further act of intimacy in this already romantic moment shared between them. He deepened the kiss, with a passionate urgency. All thoughts left him in this moment. There was no longer that uncertainty of whether she would welcome or reject his advance, for her body language and her inviting lips only told him that she was enjoying this moment at least as much as he was.

[Sasha]

She liked it when he seemed to relax; placing his hand on her cheek and let his other hand trail slowly up her back. This sent chills through her, the good kind. If it was the right word. . . she had not felt this secure and content in ages! Probably never! At least not after her father had died. When he deepened the kiss, she did also. As if in a sort of thanks for the peace of mind he was giving her, she reached over and stroked gently the back of his ear. She didn't know if he'd like it or not, but it was honestly Sasha's most favourite. If anyone touched her behind the ears she would feel comforted.

She could feel warmth seep into her. His body felt much bigger than hers, even if they were almost the same height as each other. It was if he were hovering over her, yet that couldn't truly be. But that was just how much comfort and enjoyment she was getting out of this. As if it wasn't already, her heart started to go aflame a strong sense of. . . caring. Certainly the strongest -- and most peculiar -- emotion she'd ever felt in her life. She was just. . . somewhere else. Not that she needed to be somewhere else with Arthur! By a river in Camelot was perfect as it was!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur instantly felt the sensuality of her caressing the back of his ear. Everything about where her hands were positioned, and the way her lips moved was encouraging him to prolong the moment. To allow it to linger for they were in the privacy of the woods, near a rather lovely lake. The setting was perfect; the weather was perfect; the moment was perfect. And today was turning out to be far better than he ever could imagined. To be reunited with a childhood friend was one thing, but to be in such comfort with her . . . was so very pleasant to say the least. He knew that all good things must come to an end, and this would be no exception. It was the only downfall of entering such a seemingly perfect moment; the thought that it would have to come to an end.

With the kiss intensifying in its last moments, Arthur slowly pulled away, though he kept his hands in place, one continuing to rest on her cheek and the other on her back. He remained close to her, a faint smile forming on his lips as he looked at her intently. He was waiting for some sort of reaction. Maybe this was not what she had wanted -- though he still got the impression that she was willing to embrace it since she had not pulled away sooner -- so he was waiting to see what she would say or do. Would she smile because she enjoyed it as much as he had? Or would she become concerned that they had crossed some sort of line she had not been prepared to cross? Either way, Arthur did not feel nervous. He just continued to subtly smile, awaiting her reaction to his initiated kiss.

[Sasha]

When he slowly pulled away from her, she was a bit disappointed. But at the same time was still enjoying it. Sasha's cheeks were turned the colour of crimson, especially when they're eyes met. She could hardly hold the gaze. There was nothing she could say, really. She gave him an affectionate smile, her right fore-arm dropping to his chest. She didn't exactly realize how overly romantic she was making this moment. They had only been together for less then a day.

Sasha was not even close to eager to look away from him; for a split second all she wanted to do was stare into his deep, ice blue eyes. They held a strong affection, that seemed to comfort her greatly.

[Arthur Pendragon]

When he felt her hand linger on his chest, his doubts slowly erased from his mind. The way she was looking at him, and her body language . . . all indicated that he had not made a mistake. He had acted on an intimate impulsive and was so very glad he had. While he rarely planned too far ahead, who knew. Perhaps this could be the beginning of something, more than a friendship. He would not place such pressures on the moment though. He would just enjoy it while he could. He was not overly carefree with his role as a prince, but he at least had the liberty of escaping from his duties to spend the day with a beautiful noblewoman. He moved his hand from her cheek and placed it on top of hers that was against his chest, keeping it there for a few moments. His hand then slid from her back to her side, resting on her hip.

The silence was not awkward, but rather peaceful. He slowly took her hand rested on his chest in his own and brought it to his lips, gently kissing the top. It had not been the first time he had done such an action today, but it was the most sincere. After sharing a kiss with a woman, it was impossible for such actions to not hold any sentiment. He kept it there in a drawn out lingering embrace, briefly closing his eyes.

[Sasha]

This was just so soothing for her. It made her feel warm and content inside, like all her troubles had been lifted. When he kissed her hand, she knew she had felt sparks start to flare up in her heart for a second or two. It was a strong feeling, but at the same time felt very nice actually. A feeling that made her want to say that she liked him. But she just liked him? She'd always liked Arthur, even when she was four or five years old. Why had she never had this feeling before? She was not aware that these were the first feelings that would spark her absolutely deep love for him in the future.

At this moment Sasha wasn't thinking about the fact that she might be going too far. She just wanted to relax, and nothing in her life had been so successful than trying to relax in this moment. She rested her head on his forehead gently and slowly, not wanting to surprise him at all.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur brought her hand down from his lips -- though still holding it in his own -- when she began to slowly lean forward. He wondered for a moment if she was going to kiss him, if she would be the one to initiate it. He felt the anticipation build within him, and though she did not actually embrace him in a kiss, he was not disappointed. Her actions still held a personal sentiment, as she just rested her forehead against its, creating a strong feeling of contentment for both of them. This was all just so peaceful. After hearing everything she had been through, this was certainly a wonderful way to unwind . . . a perfect reunion between two childhood friends who had not matured to have developed a mutual attraction for each other. Staying in this position for a few extended moments -- it could have been seconds, or it could have been minutes -- he slowly raised his head, as it had been lowered a bit.

This was so that his lips found her forehead, just keeping them there in once again, a lingering kiss. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment for a little while, just enjoying the radiating sun and the calm environment surrounding them. Finally, he pulled away, now looking at her, making proper eye contact but still not ready to totally separate himself from her. He leaned forward again, making it seem as if he was about to kiss her again but instead, just when their lips were inches apart, he swiftly and slowly moved his head to the side a bit, so that his cheek was against hers and his lips able to whisper in her ear. "You are so beautiful," he whispered in a soft voice. He knew he had said it before, but he would say it again a hundred times over. Besides, he knew that women often enjoyed compliments . . . hearing sweet and tender praises given to them. Sasha would be no exception to his desire to flatter her.

[Sasha]

She was just left in awe. She had never even come close to kissing a man and now that she had, it felt great but also a little strange. Sasha was always nervous and shy, but she had never felt those two emotions so strongly in her life aside from now. What did she say after she kissed a man? What did she do? Was she supposed to do something? What would he think of her if she didn't do whatever she was supposed to do? She was so inexperienced. But then again there was a first time for everyone. But at least she wasn't looking him in the eyes at the very moment, it helped slow her thoughts.

~ TIME SKIP: TWO HOURS LATER ~

They were heading back now, as much as she hated to. They had had such a great time, and it turned out to become a huge moment in her life. She had actually kissed a man...It wasn't something abnormal, obviously... but... just wow. She would definitely be thinking about it the rest of the day. There didn't seem to be any more conversation as they rode toward the beautiful castle in the distance, which she didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Probably a good thing, to have pauses where they did not speak.

But she wanted to start conversation. What had they not talked about in the past two hours? “It's none of my business, but...” She began pausing for a moment. “Has your love life been going decently?” Sasha didn't even know the reason she wanted to ask that so badly. Judging by his obvious good looks and nice personality his love life was flourishing. Which was unfortunate for her, because she was really starting to like him. Starting to become a little more familiar with the concept of love... however she still didn't know if it was love or not. It was just on her mind a lot right now.

[Arthur Pendragon]

The afternoon had gone splendidly! Arthur did not allow any sort of awkward tension to linger between them after the kiss, for he did not want it to spoil the mood. If anything, it perhaps enhanced it. It was after all the natural thing to do. He saw a woman who fully captured his attention, he offered words of flattery and wooed them, and then he invited them out to a special lunch. Sasha had been one such woman who captured his lustful eyes, so why not act on this impulse. He was glad he did. For he truly enjoyed the time they had spend together in what stolen moments away from the kingdom he could get. But alas, all good things must come to an end, so they were slowly riding back toward the castle. There was no rush to return . . . though Arthur knew he probably had a large list of things he had to do. Even then, he did not let it cause him stress. He would not let his burdens and responsibilities hinder this seemingly light and joyful mood. "It's none of my business, but..." Arthur looked at her, intrigued as to what she was about to question.

"Has your love life been going decently?" The completion of her question caused a small amused smirk to form on his expression, as he looked back ahead him. Now, he knew it was not exactly going to help his attempts to woo and impress her if he spoke of how endearing he found noblewomen to be. And the frequency in which he engaged in flirtations with them. But, he was not going to quite outright lie about it either. If nothing else, he had strong respect for women and would never do anything to disrespect nor dishonor them. "I can't complain," he said, trying to give as much of a charming smile as he could. "I did after all manage to capture your attention." Credit due to her, in terms of his 'love' life. Truth was, Arthur had never been in love. He had fallen in deep lust several times . . . but never love. He knew that he -- just as any prince would -- be expected to marry for political gain. That he would not have the opportunity to fall in love with anyone, for his marriage would be more of an alliance rather than a love match.

But that didn't mean he did not wonder what it would be like to be in love with someone. What that feeling felt like. Would it capture his heart and soul? He had heard others speak so foolishly of what it was to be in love. Arthur was inexperienced in this . . . for no woman had ever brought about feelings of true, soul claiming love. "What about you?" He asked, turning the conversation to her. "A woman as alluring as yourself, I doubt I am the first to desire such attention from you," he said, with obvious flirtation. He knew that she probably was in no committed relationship right now, for she was an honorable woman and he was well aware that his intentions of inviting her out were not entirely done out of friendship. He had kissed her after all, and was aware that she would not have agreed to meet him . . . had she had a significant other currently in her life. But of course that didn't mean that there were none in her past. Which was essentially what Arthur was inquiring about.

[Sasha]

When he turned the conversation over to her, she wondered how he'd react to hearing her answer. She had never had a significant other, or even had a man take any such interest in her. . . and she'd never had any interest in men either. Arthur was okay though; he was very respectful, and she liked that. “To be quite honest, you are,” she smiled. “No man has ever paid much attention to me. . . if you want to exclude the somewhat disturbing, impolite men on my journey here.” She would never even dream of being with one of those men. They had truly given her chills, and she meant that in a bad way.

Glancing back to the forest they'd rode out of, Sasha wondered something. “Are there wolves in these parts?” She asked somewhat worriedly. Sasha adored wolves, but to an extent. They were beautiful creatures to watch, but when encountering one she wasn't too fond of them. Nor would anyone be if they were faced with a foam mouthed hungry predator. Her mother Delilah also liked wolves. . . that had to be the only thing Sasha had in common with her mother.

Even after spending the day in the woods, talking about many, may things... she still had things she wanted to say to him and ask him. “Have you ever tried writing stories?” She inquired slowly. She could almost imagine the answer, but she just wanted to be sure what she had in common with Arthur and what she did not have in common with Arthur, and so she preferred he answer her rather than she just go off and assume something. “Like, make up your very own story where there are absolutely no limits to what could happen.” She did this seldom, but when she did it brightened her mood.