The Young & The Restless

[Arthur Pendragon]

Tonight was a very grand feast in the castle of Camelot. Arthur's opinions of such events varied. On the one hand, he loved attention and being in the spotlight sometimes . . . not to mention feasting his eyes on all of the beautiful women that filled this room. That was probably one of his most favorite things about such large feasts and banquets. Some faces he recognized, others he did not, and some just struck a vague familiarity. Now after all these wonderful reasons for a banquet, one might ask what is there to hate? The talking part of it. Sometimes, the kings would go into great detail about the histories of their kingdom -- especially his father.

And as they were hosting this grand event, the King took it upon himself to enlighten everyone of the Pendragon history . . . sparing no detail. While most listened with keen interest, Arthur had to pretend to listen -- as he was seated near the king and therefore some eyes would inevitably be rested on the future king and sole heir to the throne at some point during the speech. Arthur had heard the stories all too many times though . . . they just created boredom within him. But thank goodness, that portion of the evening was over.

Now, it was the socializing and mingling part. Everyone had eaten, and this was when the real party started. Everyone was conversing with others, while others even danced in another room. For now, Arthur was surrounded by a few of his friends, as they were joking around, and at the same time trying to act as mature as possible among this large group of royals and nobles. This 'maturity' was only limited to their actions however, as their topic of discussion and teasings of each other were rather juvenile. But what more could someone expect of a group of young men.


_{Setting: The Castle of Camelot
Time of Day: Evening
Timeline: When Arthur is about fifteen years old
Tag: Lady Sasha Tiberius}

[Sasha]

This would mark Sasha's first time at a feast. Everything she saw was so interesting to her, as she had never really seen it before. She was able to be seated beside her father while her mother sat beside him. She didn't really know what her favourite part of the feast was, for she didn't know much about it. But so far, she had shown keen interest in listening to the King of Camelot tell the history of the Pendragons. Sasha knew the basics, as she suspected every other child her age did, and was very intrigued by the stories. When it came time for eating, she did this without a word. The food looked very tempting, and even though she was strangely not that hungry she ate most of her share.

After everyone had eaten, it started to look a little less interesting to her. Everyone was socializing and conversing, and Sasha noticed that some even danced in another room. Dancing had never interested her... yet, anyway. Maybe she'd grow to like it? She didn't know. Actually to be honest, the main reason she didn't like to dance was because she had no idea how to.

Her father turned to her and asked, "Are you enjoying the feast?"
Sasha looked at him, both of her eye brows raised. "Yes. It's great," she added a smile.
"That's good to hear," her father said. Peter Tiberius gave his daughter an affectionate smile and rested his hands on the back of her head. After a moment, he moved his hand from her and started conversation with his wife, Delilah.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur's eyes were still roaming, along with his friends. They were all sort of trying to find a woman to seek the company of during a portion of the evening, though Arthur intended to meet as many as he could. As his eyes surveyed the crowd, they rested on a young woman who was standing near -- who Arthur assumed to be -- her parents. The first thing he noticed about her were her striking eyes. There was something very alluring about her that he could not quite tear his gaze from right away. But of course, it was not very polite to stare, so Arthur broke the gaze after a few seconds and turned to face his friends once again. He could not remember he name, but he knew she lived in Camelot. Perhaps he just noticed her more now because of the elegant way she was dressed . . . or perhaps because he was looking, really looking.

He gave a bit of a wink and a playful nudge to one of his friends before turning to walk towards her. As he got closer, her beauty only became more obvious. Now if only he could remember her name! That would make quite a good impression indeed! He remembered her father's name, for he served Camelot, but he could not remember hers! "Sir Peter," he said, greeting the father. This was the polite thing to do; ask the parents for the permission as she was still in their company. Even if he was a prince, he still followed the proper etiquette. "I was wondering if I could have the honor of dancing with your daughter." Arthur spoke with confidence -- which was only yet another quality expected of a Prince.

[Sasha]

Sasha only noticed that the Prince was approaching her when he was just inches away. She felt a bit of excitement knowing that he was right near her, and also surprisingly quite nervous. He asked her father's permission if he could have the honour of dancing with her. Really? She thought, raising both of her brows in excitement. Out of all the women he could pick, he chooses me? That's quite an honour!

And as long as it was alright with her father, Sasha would gladly dance with Arthur. She just wished she knew how. Well, Sasha did sort of know how, she just didn't want to mess up. But she was very flattered, to say the least.

Peter considered what the Prince of Camelot had asked, in a matter of moments. It wasn't like he was hesitating. The knight turned his head toward Sasha to quietly ask, "Is it alright with you?" He just wanted to check with her before he gave out his permission to the Prince. Sasha smiled and gave a slight nod. Turning back to the Prince, Peter dipped his head respectfully, "You may, Sire."

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur patiently awaited Sir Peter's answer. While Arthur was confident to the point of arrogance, he did not mind that Peter asked if his daughter was alright with this. Of course it was respectful to ask the parent to guardian, but it was obviously also important to have the consent of the person that you were actually going to dance with. Besides, it wouldn't be fun to be in the company of someone who really did not want to be there. It would only spoil the evening. But she seemed to be in compliance, and with that encouragement, Arthur extended his arm for her to link hers through, an action typical of any escort. "Thank you Sir Peter," he said before turning his full attention to Sasha. "My Lady," he said with a smile, as they began to walk towards the dance hall.

"May I just take this opportunity to say how incredibly ravishing you look tonight." It was so very easy to be flirtatious when there was only truth in his words. She had been the first one he felt compelled to dance with among all others. And this time, it was not to make Morgana jealous or anything. It was really because he was rather attracted to her . . . even at a young age, he immensely enjoyed the company of the lady folk.

[[Hope you don't mind my slight god mod there of having them walk towards the dance hall! ]]

[Sasha]

Sasha smiled a little bit nervously when the Prince extended his arm for her, but then generally quickly linked her arm with his to try and show him that she was not shy. She may only be 13, but Sasha was not someone to become nervous that easily. It was understandable though, as this was this was the King's son and she didn't want to displeasure him in any way. She glanced back at her father for a split second as they walked toward the dance hall. She actually hoped her father didn't catch the emotion that was hidden inside that quick glance.

And then he complimented her beauty. This was when her cheeks began to colour slightly. . . having the Prince compliment you was quite the honour, but it also made her a bit more shy. "You may," she gave a slight smile, probably revealing her current emotions. Even to say that was kind of difficult for her, because she wondered if it was the right thing to say. This would honestly be her first time at a feast, so she had no experience whatsoever with men. Nor did she know how to dance. . . which was an embarrassment for her.

[ It's fine xD ]

[Arthur Pendragon]

Her modest reaction continued to make him confidently smile. It was not only easy to compliment a girl of true beauty such as herself. But also, when they acted so modestly, it only encouraged Arthur to compliment her. She did not seem the least bit vain, and seeing the red blush form on his cheeks, well, he liked knowing that he was the man who had put it there in the first place. "You do me a great honor then, My Lady," he told her as they had reached the somewhat center of the dance hall. Their presence was only temporarily noticed -- as he was the prince after all, which only made him arrogantly smile. But soon enough, everyone went back to dancing with their own partners.

He began to get into position, taking one of her hands in his. "I have never seen you at an occasion such as this before. Is it your first one?" He asked. He happened to know that encouraging conversation, often eased another's mind. Well, then again, everyone was different as it depended on the individual's level of shyness. All he knew was that if this was her first feast, he wanted to make it a great one for her. He wanted her to feel at ease with him, and would strive to achieve this.

[Sasha]

Sasha was very nervous, and she didn't think she did a good job hiding it because her face was a shade of deep red. She caught a glimpse of him smiling, and she took that as a sign of encouragement. After all, she was still tremendously shy around the Prince. In the few temporary seconds that they were noticed in the dance hall, Sasha made a great come back though. She raised her head, half genuinely appearing like a noble should have; prideful and striding with nobility. That was not exactly how she was feeling inside, but at least everyone would think she was acting 'normally'. Soon after her succeeded attempt, they looked away and went back to what they had been doing.

Arthur began to get into position, and here's where Lady Sasha became a bit confused. Everything was fine, it was just. . . what should she do? Once he took her hand Sasha felt a bit more confidence fill within her, and she pretty much just followed his lead from there. He inquired if this was her first time to an occasion such as this one. And in fact, the start of a conversation truly did calm her down. It seemed it was just what she needed. She would be alright, unless the conversation became. . . awkward, something in which she was almost sure would happen. ". . . Yes," she responded, not meaning to hesitate. "This is my first one."

[Arthur Pendragon]

So he had been right! This was her first feast that she had attended. No wonder he had never noticed her in this way before. No wonder he had never considered asking her to dance in the past. It was something that he easily fixed though, by asking her to dance at this one . . . and hopefully, it would not be their first and last. Only their first of many to come. "And how are you enjoying it so far?" He asked, still smiling in attempt to make her feel more comfortable. She was indeed shy. But he had to admit, he much preferred this than a woman who just talked, talked, talked, talked . . . and talked some more! It was impossible to get a word in that way so it was rare to find a woman who barley spoke! And yet, he did not feel strained for conversation. He felt entirely at ease in her company, and hoped to return that favor.

"I hope it will encourage you to attend many more in the future," he added. Mostly, saying that he hoped she was enjoying herself. If she was not -- up until now -- then Arthur would have to make it a point to make the remainder of the evening fun for her. And what better way to do that than to engage in a dance. He began to move his feet, the dance moves coming easily and swift to a man who had been raised to dance elegantly. Most royals and nobles were for dancing was a huge part of their culture and played a big role in general socializing, such as feasts like this one.

[Sasha]

"I'm enjoying it very much," she smiled, and then gave a shy silence. It was nice to be in the company of a prince, especially when he was actually giving you attention. Aside from being nervous, she was feeling honoured and good inside. She decided to add to her recent comment; "I'm having fun," she smiled.

"Oh, I think it will encourage me to attend many more of these occassions in the future," she responded to his comment with a flirtatious smile. Well, wasn't she just having emotion changes? First she was nervous, then she was comfortable as can be, then she was nervous again, and now she was flirtatious with the prince? Was flirting even allowed at her age? Especially with the prince of Camelot! She was only thirteen. She feared someone would accuse her of wanting to be known as the prince's girl or something. . . when she was only innocently being flirty with him.

"So what is it like being a Prince?" She asked him quietly, settling into the rythymic dance he'd gone into. "I would imagine it would be a nice life, knowing you're destined for something so great."

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was glad for two things. One, was that she was enjoying herself. That was of course extremely important. While there were aspects of such feasts that could be dreadfully boring, the dancing and socializing bit certainly wasn't one of them. It gave him the opportunity to dance with beautiful women . . . like right now. The second thing was that she was getting more comfortable. It was apparent in the way she smiled at him, and the way her body was relaxing, falling in sync with the music. "And I will be sure it becomes nothing less than fun for you for the duration of the feast," he said confidently. He was enhjoying her company, and if the feeling was mutual . . . then why not entertain one another at this feast? "Excellent," Arthur stated with a smile when she confirmed that it would encourage her to attend future events . . . with a flirtatious hint. It only encouraged his own flirtations . . . which could be both a good and bad thing.

"I will hold you to that. And in doing so, will make sure that this dance is not our last." Meaning, if she held to her word that she would come to more feasts . . . he would ensure he asked her to dance at the next one. And any other ones . . . should she continue to come, and should the opportunity present itself, like it did tonight. Her next question turned his smile from a flirtatious one to a more proud one. Truth be told, being prince was filled with an array of things. A lot of it was strong pressure. He had been trained in the arts of combat since he could remember. He was expected to lead an entire army . . . and eventually lead an entire kingdom! He didn't know how he was going to do it, and he felt a disappointment to his father at every turn. Of course, this was something he would never in a million years admit to anyone! A prince, and future king, was expected to be confident and sure of himself . . . not an insecure coward!

So he would have to answer Sasha's questions with the aspects of being prince that made his life a luxurious one, rather than an intense one filled with pressures. "It is," he said, somewhat lying. He was indeed destined for greatness . . . and feared he'd only be a disappointment. But that did not mean he was going to give up. "To have the honor to lead such an incredible kingdom, is indeed a great one." If there was one thing he could safely boast about -- other than himself -- it was Camelot. The beautiful kingdom he was being raised to one day rule. "And the other perks are certainly nothing to complain about," he added on a lighter note. "As it gives me the opportunity to dance with exquisite women," he said, returning to the comments of flattery.

[Sasha]

Well, the matter of being nervous had vanished. Period. She was enjoying what he was saying, how he explained it... so calmly. "It makes me think..." She responded to what he'd been saying about being a Prince. "I wonder why we've never really spoken like this before." They'd had a few chances to do so, but she guessed it had just never sparked, if that's what you wanted to call it. "When I was younger, I spoke to my father's manservant Cahir about you. I was just curious about the Prince of Camelot."

She wanted to create a little more conversation, even if the topic just might come out... awkward or strange. "Do you happen to like dogs?" She asked him quietly. Yep. That was the perfect question for a romantic evening. Dogs. . . . or was it? She'd let Arthur decide. For her part, she adored dogs. She'd even had one a few years ago, but that had only been for a short week. Turned out it had been half wolf, so they'd been forced to "get rid of it". Now that she was older, she knew what they meant by "get rid of it".

[Arthur Pendragon]

"It makes me think...I wonder why we've never really spoken like this before." Arthur smiled at this. She was feeling more and more at ease. He could tell for it was not only her body language that suggested as such, but the words she spoke and how she said them. "Well that is something we will have to make up for," he said, knowing now that this would not be their last conversation. "Starting perhaps with you attending more events at court." It was both a question and a statement. He wondered if she was comfortable enough to be more inclined to attend. He certainly hoped so. For it would be easier for her to come to court, than it would be for him to visit her. And they seemed to be getting along rather well. When she then said that she used to speak to her man servant about him, he slightly smirked, intrigued about the words spoken in regards to him. "Really? And what did you two talk about?"

He said, rather flattered hearing he was being talked about. Well, he would only be flattered if it was good things. He assumed it was. Firstly, because he was arrogant. And secondly, because he highly doubted she would bring it up if they spoke negatively about him. That would certainly make things awkward. Which was why he asked the question, with a hint of flirtation in his voice. "Do you happen to like dogs?" Arthur's smile became less flirtatious and one a bit more amused by the question. For he did indeed love dogs. "I do," he answered. "I am planning on getting a couple soon." He was fairly certain of what he wanted to call them, and planned to get two instead of just one. He would train them to hunt, and . . . kill upon command. Ah yes. That was the plan. "And yourself?" He asked, politely returning the question.

[Sasha]

Yes. She would definitely have to convince her father to take her to more events pronto. “Well, only the basic facts. That you train every day, and have become the best sword handler,” she answered him. Cahir had also mentioned that he could get a little full of himself sometimes, but she wouldn't mention that. It would probably spoil the mood, and who knew if her father's servant was not supposed to say those things? It could get him in trouble if she told. So her mouth was shut. “Hearing your father explain about the Pendragon family history, that was interesting,” she commented. Sasha wasn't just being nice, she had honestly listened to every word, finding every word as interesting as the one before.

So he did like dogs! That was something they had in common. “Oh really?” Sasha smiled brightly. “Do you have any specific breed planned?” She was picturing a big dog, perhaps like a German Shepherd or... just a large bulky dog. That was definitely her favorite breed, the German Shepherd. Nothing was better than having a huge brown and black 'guard' by your side, ready to shred any offender to pieces if they threatened you.

“Oh yes!” She exclaimed, hoping right after she said it that it didn't come out too loud. “I adore dogs!” She really did. Sasha really wanted her own! But her father wouldn't let her. After the wolf-dog incident she hadn't been able to have one.