Mercy Me!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was standing in the grand hall, dressed in his royal attire. He had on more fancy clothing, that of a true prince with his vibrant red cape bearing the Pendragon seal. He did not dress up for no reason though. For today, there was a feast. It was nothing overly grand, just a few visiting noble families and those who were able to attend. There was a purpose to it though . . . apart from the typical feasts that often randomly took place in the castle. This particular one, was to honor the newest noble of Camelot: Lady Caitrin de Archer. Usually, the new arrival of a noblewoman, or man, was not such a great deal. Uther and Arthur would be there to greet them, and just casually invite them to dine with them. But this time, there was a certain purpose. It was because she was Mercian. Those in Camelot who were well versed in politics, were aware that Mercia and Camelot were not on the greatest terms.

She had come here however for she was related to Rouland de Archer, remaining at his estate for she was his niece. They needed to show open and welcoming arms to the young Mercian, so that Bayard would see -- or hear about it -- and realize that they did not wish to raise tensions. In fact, the two kingdoms were in the midst of sorting out a peace treaty, and Arthur did not doubt it would happen in the near future. In the meantime, his father told him to make it a point to be extra hospitable to Caitrin. No problem! Now why was Arthur so keen for this task? He bored easy, but he liked attention. He was young, arguably a bit immature . . . but most importantly: it was because she was a beauty! Now if Arthur knew anything, it was woman. He rather enjoyed the company of them now, in his non-committal days.

So the fact that he was told to be extra kind to Caitrin, made him up for the task. The evening was progressing, and following dinner, they were now all conversing among one another. This would be the perfect opportunity to . . . 'get to know her better'. Arthur's eyes searched the crowd, not taking long to find her. She was the only unfamiliar face in this room, for otherwise, Arthur was well aware of which nobles resided in Camelot. He made his way to her, having to approach her from behind since her back was faced to him as she was speaking with others. "Lady Caitrin," he greeted in a bit of a formal manner. She was new after all, he had to give her all the proper respect . . . not that he minded.

_{Setting: Starts in the grand hall, but will probably move around a bit
Time of Day: Evening
Timeline: Pre-season 1
Tag: Lady Caitrin de Archer}

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin had not known how to take it at first when her Uncle had told her that the King himself was laying on a feast in her honour. She’d been shocked at first, she hadn’t expected it at all. She had expected to be treated in the same way she had been at home, just pushed to the side like she was unimportant. Then, she had been excited, it was one thing really to be invited to dine with royalty but it was quite another to have a feast laid on by them in her honour. Her Uncle had even been impressed, though he suggested the reason for it could have been because of the tensions between Camelot and Mercia. Caitrin didn’t particularly care of the motives behind it, she was still getting over the thrill of the idea of someone holding a feast in honour of her arrival in Camelot.

The night had finally arrived and she had donned a blue silk dress which had dipped sleeves and fancy embroidery by the cuffs. It wasn’t her most fancy dress, but it was good enough for tonight, it gave an impression that she was a woman who valued her appearance. She was wearing a small silver circlet which her Uncle had given to her and it matched her dress perfectly. Her Uncle was escorting her, she knew he very rarely came to court but he could hardly miss a feast in honour of his own niece could he?

There were quite a few other noble families there, most of which had made themselves known to her; there were so many. Caitrin was quite unused to being the centre of attention but she loved every moment of it ; she could not keep a smile far from her face. “Are you enjoying yourself niece?” Her Uncle asked from beside her and handed her a goblet of wine. She nodded brightly and straightened the front of her dress,

“I am Uncle, thank you.” She had only been in Camelot a few weeks so she and her Uncle were still getting used to each other. She had expected to find him in the same mindset as her father, but she was glad she had found him quite the opposite. Her father had ruled their household by fear and force, her Uncle preferred wit which was something Caitrin could relate to, and she had already engaged in friendly banter with him.

He nudged her arm softly and pointed towards the back of the hall with a small smile, “That is the Prince, Arthur, over there, in the red cloak.” Caitrin inclined her head in the direction her Uncle was gesturing in and found the Prince to be quite the opposite to what she had been expecting. After meeting his father Uther at a small dinner a few nights ago she expected his son to be of a similar mindset. However, Arthur seemed quite at ease with himself, like a typical man. She turned back to her Uncle and nodded towards him, a small smile escaping her lips. The Prince certainly had the looks to turn heads.

Another nobleman who Caitrin had not been introduced to yet then diverted Caitrin’s thoughts for the moment as he began to converse with her, but mainly with her Uncle. She took a sip of her wine, just listening for a moment at the conversation between the two men. "Lady Caitrin," The men in front of Caitrin had stopped speaking for a moment and Caitrin turned around, not really knowing what to expect, but she certainly had not expected the Prince to be standing there. Her eyes widened slightly out of slight shock but she quickly remembered her manners and curtseyed before she addressed the Prince formally, “My Lord Prince.” She raised herself and simply smiled at the Prince for a few moments, he was certainly easy on the eyes. She knew she had to make a good first impression, after all you only ever got one shot at a first impression and she didn’t want to mess this one up. “I trust I find you well this evening?” She asked brightly, looking up at the Prince, “I must thank you and your father for this evening, I am already enjoying myself.”

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur watched her curtsy and when she raised herself to rest her eyes on him once more, he smiled. He then took her hand, the one not holding her wine, and brought it to his lips to kiss it. A polite gesture, but he drew it out a bit so that it was not as quick and formal . . . but it had a touch of being a tad more personal. Not too much of course. Her uncle was standing right there and . . . well, even if Arthur was prince, it was not so easy to be charming and try to flatter a woman when another relative was watching and listening to every word. Arthur would cause no disrespect to them of course, but sometimes that element of privacy was needed. And as he was a prince, it was seldom found. But this time, he had a good excuse . . . for his father had practically told him to go and make Caitrin feel welcome. How, he did not say which only left it up to Arthur's creative mind. He released her hand from his and just smiled politely.

Being closer to her now, he gained a better view of all the features which combined together to make her quite exquisite. Her red colored hair, her fair skin, alluring eyes. Ah yes, Caitrin de Archer was definitely welcome to Camelot . . . anytime. "You have," he said, beginning to answer her first question. "Even better actually, now that I am able to make your acquaintance." A hint of flirtation, but still not over done. They really needed to step away from Rouland. "I am very glad to hear that you are. And I hope that your enjoyment will only continue to grow." Now that she was in his company, but he couldn't add that little bit in. Damn it Rouland! "Would you do me the honor of joining me on the balcony, for as you are new, I find it necessary for you to see Camelot under the stars."

For the view of the kingdom was rather beautiful under the night sky; and this was obviously the perfect excuse to get her away from her relative and other nobleman. Both of which had ceased talking and just casually watched them. But to be polite, Arthur would have to seek 'permission'. "That is of course, unless Lord Rouland would prefer otherwise?" It was after all the respectful thing to do, even as Prince. He could not dishonor any noble family, and he made it a point not to. For it was the sons of nobles that served in the army . . . that were Arthur's brothers. Men that he trusted with his life. He held a great respect for them, as they were of the utmost honor. And he would never intentionally offend Rouland. Even if he was trying to woo and flatter his niece a little.

[Caitrin de Archer]

As Arthur took her slender fingers within his, leaving a kiss upon the skin she could not help but smile. However, she did not blush or become flustered as that was not her way. If the Prince was indeed trying to charm her he would find his task more difficult than a polite gesture and a few compliments. The flirtation in his voice was not missed by Caitrin, although she hoped that her Uncle had missed the tone in Arthur’s voice. “I’m sure it will.” She replied with her words hinting a soft playfulness and flirtation that she was so used to employing around men.

His next question took her by a modest surprise. On the balcony? With the Prince of Camelot? Caitrin’s mind was racing but she did not blush and kept her rather playful attitude at the forefront of her mind. She could not believe that the Prince was making such a request to her. Not that she was insulted, no, she was flattered beyond all measures certainly. Oh, if her sisters could but see her now she was sure they would be green with envy, their younger sister the black sheep of the family being invited to join the Prince, in what sounded so far like quite an intimate setting. She gave an enthusiastic smile at the Prince and inclined her head towards him, “I would be honoured to join you on the balcony, I am sure the view is most enchanting.” She put slightly more emphasis on the last word, with just a hint of flirtation. She was fortunately more than aware of her Uncle breathing down her neck, and perhaps the privacy of a different setting would allow her and Arthur to get to know each other a bit better without worrying about keeping up a formal appearance.

Of course she was sure both views would be worth going outside onto the balcony; that of the city of Camelot, and that of the Prince. Her earlier thoughts, that he was easy on the eyes, had not been an exaggeration. His smile seemed to light up his face, and set off his deep eyes which had a cheeky spark about them. Arthur’s good looks aside, Caitrin was quite excited to view the city by starlight. She had seen little of Camelot so far, even during the day. She had only really seen parts of it whilst coming and going from the castle. Her Uncle had only really brought her to court once things had settled at her new home, as he had not wanted to thrust too much upon her too soon, despite Caitrin’s protests. She had not even been out for a ride around her Uncle’s land’s yet, though he had gifted her a pretty black and white mare which Caitrin hoped to have the chance to take out sometime soon.

Caitrin looked round to her Uncle as Arthur asked for his permission. Rouland looked like he was actually considering the matter for a moment, how could he be considering it? The Prince had just requested something of his niece; surely Rouland was not going to deny him? The sides of Rouland’s lips finally curled into a smile, and Caitrin tried to not look as pleased as she was feeling, “I see no harm in it, I shall give Caitrin into your capable hands.” He said rather simply to Arthur, but it was enough, he had given his permission and that was that. He took Caitrin’s wine from her though, as it would be better manners to be addressing the Prince in an intimate atmosphere without a goblet of wine and a light head to match it.

Caitrin turned back to Arthur with a wide smile to offer him and she extended her arm for him to take. She knew it was a slightly bold move on her part, but she certainly wanted to be as far away from her Uncle as was possible, she had not really been apart from him much these past few weeks and she was sure she would enjoy the break from his company. “Would you like to lead the way?”

Notes: I could not stop laughing at ‘Damn it Rouland’: Genius!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was rather pleased to hear her return the subtle flirtations . . . or perhaps not so subtle. For Rouland agreed to to allowing him to 'steal his niece' for a few moments. This only made the young prince even more pleased. Though he was not oblivious to the fact that most would grant him his request, aware of what the potential consequences would be if they defied him. Of course, Arthur never quite displayed patterns of severe punishment for those who showed defiance . . . not with nobility anyway. Servants were an entirely different matter. "Excellent," he stated with cool composure. "Sir Rouland," he stated as words of farewell as he then turned his attentions to the beautiful woman who was already extending her arm. Well well, eager was she? Not that Arthur had any complaints about this. Seeing a more bold noblewoman certainly was not a bad thing.

So long as they did not leave a man feeling . . . emasculated. Though Arthur felt himself too masculine to feel such a way. And so took her arm, a smile on his lips as she told him to lead the way. "With pleasure," he said, rather sincerely. "I wouldn't want you to get lost in this sea of people," he added teasingly. She was new after all; not that he totally doubted her sense of direction. But seeing as she had already displayed a certain playfulness about her, he felt she would be rather easy to kid with, and tease. But most importantly, she was one worth flattering as well. He had already been able to do within seconds of speaking to her -- and in the presence of a protective uncle as well! And now, was an even more opportune moment as they were alone.

"Might I say that you look positively ravishing tonight My Lady," he said with strong genuineness to make it seem like he did not say this to any and every woman. It was true that Arthur did often compliment women when a compliment was due . . . but that did not necessarily mean that he did not speak his words with the utmost honesty. Women were beautiful! It was a fact of life. And why not tell them as such? Especially one who had her arm linked around his. Of course each one possessed a unique beauty about them, Caitrin being no exception to this. It was good to be prince. Able to gain such attention from the fairer sex. In this instance, it was working out to be in his favor.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin had her eyes on Arthur as he said farewell to her Uncle. She then thought to turn back to Rouland herself and bobbed her head slightly to him, “Uncle.” She said softly, as a way of dismissing him. Rouland inclined one of the goblets in the direction of her, also inclining his head to her,

“Niece.” It was only a short farewell, but their intimacy allowed it to be such without it being offensive. He gave her a small knowing smile, he was getting a feel for her character, so he knew that a more private meeting with the Prince would suit her character more. Caitrin turned back to Arthur and was glad that he took her arm. Of course not all noblemen would like a woman to be so bold in their company, but Arthur was not offering any objections to it.

With her arm linked with Arthur’s, she was forced to look sideward’s when she spoke to him which was not ideal but it would only be for a short while. Besides, this was her, little Caitrin de Archer from Mercia linking with the Prince of Camelot. She was not so much in awe of her situation as she was excited by it. In Mercia she would have never been in such an intimate position with any of the Royal family, but she was already learning that life in Camelot was quite different to that in Mercia. She was not complaining though, she had had more fun in a few weeks in Camelot than she ever had at the Mercian courts. She had never felt like she had fitted in there anyway, but this was her chance to make a new life for herself. “Then I shall hold you to account if we do get lost in amongst all these people.” She teased softly, as the pair proceeded to walk though the courtiers.

“You may.” She said teasingly, giving Arthur a grin to compliment her words. Like she needed to give the Prince of Camelot permission to compliment her? She was however quite flattered at his words and her smile seemed positively plastered to her face. “Thank you.” She finally thought to say. Of course she meant her thanks, why wouldn’t she? Men’s compliments were sometimes too often just handed out, but she believed that there was sincerity about Arthur’s words. Perhaps she was giving him too much, but for now she was inclined to believe his words. “And may I say that you look quite handsome tonight my Lord Prince.” Caitrin was not usually inclined to compliment the opposite sex, in her experience men often thought so much of themselves that her compliments would do little but add to their egos. However, Arthur’s compliment to her seemed quite genuine so she wished to repay it in a similarly genuine way. As they were still walking through the crowds of people Caitrin found herself still quite dazzled by the amount of people who were present, and she was quite looking forwards to a quieter setting. She was not ungrateful for the evening, but a few moments to ones self was often just needed.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur could only continue to smile, feeling encouraged by her words. First, the return of the playfulness he had initiated, and then by her compliment. "I doubt it would be easy to lose you in this crowd," he said contradicting his earlier words but not without purpose. "For your radiance is far too great to camouflage within this crowd." Singling her out; of course, it was just further flattery to her. Upon her own compliment to him, she was indeed right about one thing; it certainly did feed Arthur's rather large ego. But he was not going to make that sound like a bad thing. He was a prince after all . . . he had grown used to such attention for it had been given to him since the moment he was born. People complimenting him -- perhaps not only with remarks about his physicality -- but also regarding his skills as a knight and through tournaments. It had gotten Arthur quite used to the spotlight and he enjoyed such attention.

Of course it was less enjoyable when the kingdom was in turmoil for everyone turned to him for protection and security. It was a great deal of pressure, but it was moments like that where Arthur felt his own personal insecurities in his skill. But . . . tonight was not a night to bring up such complexities. He had a woman linked to his arm and was simply going to enjoy her company for the remainder of the evening. Or at least, how much time they could steal away from everyone else. "Why thank you," he said smiling proudly. Once they arrived at the entrance to the balcony Arthur -- regrettably -- moved his arm from around hers and motioned for her to walk ahead first. He was a gentleman after all. Once she was through, he followed behind her, rather thankful that they were the only ones out on this area of the balcony at this time. It would allow them to speak more easily with one another again, without prying ears or eyes.

"As promised, behold the beauty of Camelot under the night sky," he said purposely being a bit dramatic, all in good fun. He did not feel he was exaggerating the beauty of it though . . . he truly loved the view of Camelot. Especially when it was lit only with street torches, small candles from people's houses and the moon and stars that provided that extra glow. It was a reminder to him -- not that he particularly needed one -- of how lucky he was to be in a position to lead this kingdom; to help the citizens that dwelt in it. At least it was peaceful at this time with no attacks nor any threats that needed to be dealt with. So the two could just enjoy the spectacular view . . . and of course, he could enjoy her wonderful company. "I am after all, a man of my word," he added a bit jokingly, though it was the truth.

[[ Slight god mod! Let me know if you'd like me to edit! ]]

[Caitrin de Archer]

If Caitrin were like other noblewomen she probably would have been nothing more than a blushing mess at the Princes words. As it was, though she was incredibly flattered, and her cheeks did twinge a slight pink from the flattery in his words, she did not let it faze her too much. She always prided herself on being different, and this was just one way in which she differed to other noblewomen. She bet he paid similar compliments to other women that he held on his arm, yes, Caitrin was no fool. However she did not voice these assumptions as she did not want to seem ungrateful at the Prince’s words. She did enjoy being complimented as she took such pride in her appearance, however, she did however have the talent of being able to take such compliments at face value. “Thank you.” She finally thought to say, because she did appreciate the compliment truly. “It is a good thing then that I have no intention of becoming lost, or camouflaging my ‘radiance’.” Caitrin said playfully, tugging slightly at Arthur’s arm as they continued to walk through the crowd of people.

They had reached some sort of entrance so Caitrin could only assume it led onto the balcony. She was slightly disappointed when Arthur broke their link. However, as he gestured for her to go forwards first she inclined her head towards him; accepting the gesture. As she stepped outside she felt the cool air of the night rip through her hair for a few moments before the wind settled. She was glad somewhat that they were the only ones outside. Caitrin was glad of the privacy, perhaps she could get to know the Prince better without the worries of formalities. That was if Arthur allowed it of course.

At Arthur’s words, she cast her eyes over the city. Caitrin couldn’t help but be in awe of the view of Camelot she was being given. The stars were all out in force tonight so their light played off the roofs of the buildings in front of her, and it almost gave the city a sort of glow. She stepped away from Arthur, quite lost in her own thoughts until she was at the edge of the balcony, just resting her eyes on the spectacle in front of her. When Helgund had described Camelot to her, it had always seemed such a dark and miserable place with a tyrant for a ruler. However, she was fast realising that that was not the case. She had always imagined that Camelot was an unfriendly place, as it dismissed the beauty of magic. Caitrin was still unsure about herself within Camelot. Her use of magic had almost been a distinction amongst her siblings and friends in Mercia, but here in Camelot she could not even say that she possessed sorcery, so it could not define her. No, she had a very different image here in Camelot, and she would have to get used to that.

She turned back round to face Arthur, beaming in the moonlight. “It’s amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it.” She said simply, turning back to face the view. It was certainly something new to her, she had never seen anything to compare it to in all her life. She supposed that the main city in Mercia may have had a similar view, but she had never been privileged enough to see it. “And the company only enhances it.” She added, her eyes falling back to Arthur with little more than a hint of flirtation.

Notes: 1. The god mod is fine
2. Post #300

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur smiled proudly at her comment abuot it being amazing . . . about not having seen anything like it. He had to admit, it was rather exciting to hear her say that, as she had come from Mercia. Camelot was indeed Arthur's pride so to hear it described as incomparable to other places, filled him with even more proud. This time, not in an egotistical sense but more so about the kingdom he would lead. He did not miss her flirtatious words, which were only more encouraging to him to continue his own remarks of flattery. She certainly was making it easy for he could already feel the comfort level between them increasing. Though he did not know her well, it was clear she was not an overly shy noblewoman as she had done small gestures that demonstrated boldness and her words only went along to support this conclusion. Arthur liked it. He liked it very much indeed.

He brought his eyes to hers. "The view is even more exquisite tonight," he said, with more dalliance to encourage the mood. He was obviously accrediting her to the more beautiful view, for it was not a lie nor an exaggeration. "Now that you have seen the night view from the balcony, it seems only appropriate that you be able to enjoy the full extent of the scenery." Which was actually quite a nice lead up to what he was about to propose to her. As he kept reminding himself, -- unnecessary justification for this -- his father told him to be extra hospitable to the Mercian nobles . . . and that was precisely what he was doing. Besides, if his father did not expect him to do this, then he should have known better than to trust his testosterone ridden son with a gorgeous woman.

"Which I would be more than happy to give you a private tour of. Say, tomorrow?" A horse ride through the countryside, a picnic in the woods . . . ah yes. The plan was already forming in Arthur's mind. He wondered if she was one of those women who did not particularly enjoy horseback riding, for many were unaccustomed to it and did not like the activity. In those cases, Arthur spent more with them walking on a romantic stroll in the forests, rather than riding through the hills and countryside. Either way suited him just fine, for he would be in the company of a woman . . . in this case, Lady Caitrin de Archer. Surely she would not refuse? Or perhaps she would. Arthur just calmly and patiently awaited her response or some semblance of a reaction to see if it was something she was favoring or something she would deny.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was still casting her eyes over the city, and was still slightly dazzled by it. She was sure she could never tire of this view and hoped that she never would either. She turned her gaze back to Arthur and gave a soft smile. Caitrin already felt at ease and rather comfortable in his company, which she had not supposed would happen so quickly. In Mercia, Caitrin had not had many close friends, or even many that she conversed often with. Her life had been rather lonely the last few years as her father had refused to escort her to the Mercian court, or let her go by herself. Therefore it felt like she was almost making up for lost time in the Camelot court, and Arthur was surely making that an enjoyable experience.

As her gaze met Arthur’s once more, she wondered if he was this flirtatious with all the noblewomen of Camelot. Surely he would not be like this with every noblewoman? Then again, knew little of Arthur’s personality and for all she knew he could flirt with all the women of the court. She was smart enough to not fall for such pretty words of course, but that did not mean she did not have to return them. She let her eyes playfully flicker over Arthur for a few moments, long enough so he could catch her glaze but no longer. “I agree.” She returned to him, only then wondering how large his ego had now become because of her small compliments.

Caitrin inclined her head towards Arthur as he spoke and was quite in wonder at what he was going to suggest, now he had insisted she would have to see the full extent to Camelot’s beauty. Caitrin took a step closer towards Arthur as the distance had been quite great in her eyes while she had been lost in the wondrous view. She looked up at him with slightly wider eyes as he suggested taking her on a private tour of the surrounding lands. Caitrin had been itching to see the scenery that Camelot had to offer. From what she had seen so far, the landscape in Camelot was quite different to the one she had been used to in Mercia, but that wasn’t a bad thing; it was just a change.

Everything about the proposal was certainly in Caitrin’s favour, she would get to view the Camelot landscape, spend some time away from her Uncle and of course spend more time in Arthur’s company. There was nothing wrong with any of those things. Caitrin therefore smiled up at the Prince, “I shall therefore have to inflict you with my company for a while longer.” She teased softly but nodded her head all the same, obviously accepting his offer. Why would she not?! She decided not to toy with Arthur at his proposal, which was slightly uncharacteristic of her, but there would be plenty of time for such business tomorrow as they would now be spending the best part of the day together. Caitrin was already rather excited about tomorrow’s horse ride, but she remained silent for now, as she had given Arthur her approval, and now he could fill in the details.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Everything in her reaction assured Arthur that his words were well received. The way she agreed with his words, the way she stepped closer towards him, the way her eyes widened, and the way she smiled. Ah yes. This was going excellent indeed. A couple moments of silence initially followed his invitation, but then she replied with a playful and teasing comment. Which only continued to place a smirk on the young prince's expression. "Trust me, it is no infliction," he corrected in a sincere, yet continuously flirtatious tone of voice. "If anything, it is nothing less than a privilege and honor to be able to remain in your company." Tonight they would eventually have to part ways, for he could not hide out here forever. But at least tomorrow, they would have the afternoon to just enjoy the tour he would be personally giving her.

He turned himself a bit so that his side as casually leaning against the balcony whilst his body was turned towards her, so that he was facing her and would no longer have to look ahead of him to carry on the conversation. Besides, what man wouldn't want to look at her as much as they could? "Do you think your uncle would object to this?" He asked, wanting to continue to remain respectful to the authority figure in her family; the man whose care she was place under while here in Camelot. "If so, then do not worry. I can be very convincing," he added with a bit of a cheeky smile. He was the prince after all. No one would want to offend him by defiance . . . even in this case. Well, usually no one would. When it however came to a young woman's honor and virtue -- mostly honor for Arthur would not take a woman's virtue until he was married to her -- then he would not argue. If Rouland found it too inappropriate, then Arthur would have to understand.

The last thing he wanted was to pressure any woman's family to allowing them to accompany him. Some cases however, he had indeed sneaked away and she had done the same for a secret rendez vous. But those were only a few exceptions. Because Rouland was personally friends with the king, there was a greater lack of desire to offend him or taint the de Archer name in any way. So Arthur asked, wondering how good the chances were that she would be able to go off with him tomorrow. If there was a high chance, he would have to plan for it . . . if there was not, he would have to find charming words but not push it too far. Yes, shockingly enough, Arthur Pendragon did indeed put quite some thought into his dates with woman.

[Caitrin de Archer]

It occurred to Caitrin, as she continued to converse with Arthur, that she had never been on her own in male company, excepting her immediate family. She was quite enjoying the experience overall and felt quite at ease with Arthur. She had exchanged the odd flirt or compliment with men before, but she always had the pressure of her chaperone breathing down her neck so she could never really pursue her flirtations. Now however, as it was just the two of them, she was free to say or act how she pleased, within reason of course.

Caitrin grinned as Arthur corrected her, saying that her company was in fact no infliction. She could have put him right and said that many of her family disagreed with what he was saying. Caitrin had never fitted in with her Mercian family, but now it was the time to start afresh. She did not voice any of this to Arthur of course as it would ruin the mood somewhat so she kept on her rather smug composure and smiled back at Arthur. “As it will be an honour and a pleasure to remain in your company.” She said rather genuinely as she was enjoying Arthur’s company even though she knew that their time out on the balcony could not last. After all this was night had been laid on in honour of her arrival in Camelot, and it would not do to stay out here all night, even if she was enjoying herself with Arthur.

It was safe to say Caitrin was quite struck with how casual the Prince was around her. She had expected him to be quite like how she had found his father, quite stuck in his ways and rather uptight. Arthur was the opposite to what she had been expecting, however she was hardly complaining. She copied his actions and leant slightly up against the balcony. However, she cast her eyes over Camelot once more before looking back to Arthur. It almost felt like she was in some sort of odd dream she did not want to awaken from. She was looking over the most beautiful skyline in imagination, whilst in attendance at a feast that had been laid on her honour and was currently flirting with the Prince of Camelot. Caitrin settled herself in one fact, she didn’t ever want this to end. Her stay in Camelot had only been short, and she knew evening’s like this might be rare occurrences but the people of Camelot were already friendlier towards her than the Mercian’s had ever been.

Arthur’s question took her by slight surprise, but then again she supposed that Arthur was only being dutiful in asking if her Uncle would mind her spending the afternoon with him. She had to give a small laugh as Arthur said he could be very persuasive, and she would honestly have loved to see the banter between him and her Uncle Rouland to who spent their afternoon with her tomorrow. “I’m sure you can be very convincing.” She replied, matching his cheeky grin easily. Caitrin was sure that her Uncle would raise no objections to tomorrow’s excursion. After all, Rouland always spoke very highly of Arthur, and Caitrin knew that he would only be glad that his niece had gained his attentions, if only for tomorrow afternoon. However, before Caitrin got wound up in her own excitement about the prospect of being given a private tour of Camelot, she had to remember to act dutiful. “I doubt he will raise any objections. But of course I would not wish to put words in my Uncle’s mouth, so I shall ask him if he has any objections if you wish?” Of course that would involve leaving this quite quiet and intimate setting, but it would be to a good prospect as then they would have tomorrow to look forwards to. With this of course Caitrin was showing she too had a sense of duty. She after all had no intentions of upsetting or offending her Uncle in these early days; he had been kind to her and she did respect him a great deal.

[Arthur Pendragon]

"I’m sure you can be very convincing." That he could. How could anyone refuse a prince anyhow. When she went on to say that she doubted he would object at all, and ask him just in case, he gave a small nod. "I think that would be best. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for sneaking off," he said a bit teasingly. Arthur knew full well how protective some male relatives could be on their daughters. And as he recognized before, he completely respected that. A woman's honor was extremely important and he wished to help them maintain that honor. "Unless you would prefer me to speak to him?" Arthur wouldn't mind doing that. Besides, since he was the one who had asked her to begin with, it seemed only fair to be the one to ask her uncle's permission.

In case that was something she felt uncomfortable doing. "Perhaps we should ask him soon before he becomes too preoccupied?" While Arthur did not wish to go back in there, it was a subtle hint that perhaps it was best. He knew his absent presence would be noted. If by none of the guests, then certainly his father. Besides, if everything went well then they would have tomorrow afternoon to spend time together. And at that time, there would not be other people around them. They would not feel like they had to be somewhere. They could relax far more easily. He wished to talk to her more, but he also wanted them to be able to do so in a far more relaxed environment. A large feast was not the most ideal setting for such a conversation..

[[ Ahh! Sorry its short! Figured soon we could do a time lapse to tomorrow? ]]

[Caitrin de Archer]

==Time lapse to the next morning!==

Of course Caitrin’s Uncle had been more than happy to give his permission for his niece to spend the day out riding with the Prince of Camelot. He had been sure that she would turn heads, and this was just proof of it really wasn’t it? It was with this permission that Caitrin was making her way to Camelot, with just one of her Uncle’s men accompanying her. It was for protection, and also because Caitrin was convinced without a guide she would get lost. After all she had not been out in Camelot very much since she had moved here. It was all still quite new and exciting and from what she had seen so far she was sure she would be very happy here.

“Nearly there Lady Caitrin.” The guard called cheerily across to her and Caitrin nodded and smiled back at him in reply. Of course the guard would not be coming with her and Arthur on their ride out together. After all, he was a Knight of Camelot and Caitrin was sure that no one would attack them. Even if they did she would be in safe hands.

As they entered the courtyard Caitrin dismounted her horse by herself, not waiting for the guard to extend his hand to aid her. She wondered now if Arthur would be offended by the way she rode on the horse. As her brothers had taught her how to ride she had always sat astride the horse, as opposed to the side saddle which was the acceptable way for a Lady to ride. Because of this, Caitrin always had quite long riding dresses, so that nothing was exposed when she sat on the horse. Her Uncle had tried to persuade her out of the habit in the first few days of meeting her but he had quickly given up and just left her to it.

She dismissed the guard and told him that she would come and find him when she and the Prince returned. He gave a short bow and took his horse off in the direction of the stables. Caitrin hoped that Arthur had not forgotten about their little ride out into the countryside, she was sure he wouldn’t have, but she often worried about these things. She was looking forwards to seeing the landscape which Camelot had to offer, as well as getting to spend more time in privacy with the Prince. The time they had spent together last night still left a grin on Caitrin’s lips. No man had ever risen to her flirts quite like Arthur had, and perhaps the nature of their meeting today would not change that. She was sure Arthur would be on full form, and she intended to match whatever he had to throw at her.

Sighing softly, Caitrin began to stroke the side of her mare’s head. The mare had of course been a gift from her Uncle, and so far she found her quite an agreeable beast. She was so responsive and Caitrin could feel that she was powerful, though she had not had chance to test that theory out yet. Caitrin had already even decided on a name for her mare; Lily. It was after all quite a delicate name, but she still had a flare within her. Stroking the side of Lily’s face once more, and even ruffling her mane Caitrin looked up towards the castle as she waited for the Prince to join her so they could commence their journey.

Notes: Will edit if you don't like!!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had been running slightly late, and he knew it. But even then, he did not want to leave the castle looking all hurried and disheveled. He was a prince about to escort a woman on a private tour of the kingdom. He had to look presentable. So after changing his jacket about three times, he decided to go with one of the his brown ones. Morris was completely useless. So Arthur had to put the coat on himself. Furthermore, he had to even fix his own hair! Arthur made a mental note to leave Morris in the training field for a little longer this time; perhaps use him as target practice. Now that was always fun. While Arthur silently plotted evilly, he quickly finished getting ready, making sure he had everything. His boots were on, he had his sword attached to his belt, he had his jacket, clothes, hair was groomed . . . yes. He was ready to go.

He locked up his chambers, informed the guard of where he would be going, and headed over to the courtyard. When he walked out, he immediately saw her, and smiled. She was even more beautiful when the light of the sun did her justice. He descended the stairs, motioning for the stable boy to bring his hors. When he got tot he bottom he approached her, continuing to smile. "Lady Caitrin," he greeted, lowering himself in a bit of a bow as he took her hand and kissed the top of it. He had done this last night, he but it was a formal and respectful greeting. Plus, he had to remain charming. "If possible you have grown even more beautiful," he complimented, releasing his hold on her hand. And he knew his words need not be forced for it was so very easy to compliment a woman worthy of praise. One who eased out just so many flattering remarks.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting," He said with sincere apology. "I shall not keep you waiting a moment longer," he added. With that offered his hand to help her mount onto the horse. It was after all, the gentlemanly thing to do. And it was better than what he did sometimes, and that was use his servant as a stool to help him up. It was usually unnecessary but Arthur found amusement in such a subtle form of bullying. Or perhaps it was not subtle after all. Either way, he offered his hand to Caitrin, waiting until she got into position so that he could help lift her onto the rather magnificent horse she had.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin stroked the side of Lily’s head as she continued to wait for Arthur. She was content for now to watch the people of Camelot and to see their comings and goings. Caitrin was still adjusting to living in Camelot rather than in Mercia. The way of life was not overtly different, it was just the little things which you noticed that differed. The most overt was of course Camelot’s attitude to magic. She had only gained the bravery to speak of it at her Uncle’s table once, and had then decided against ever mentioning it again. Her kind were not wanted here; she knew that. It should have made her bitterer than it actually did, but she had known Camelot’s attitude to magic before coming here. She had known what she had been letting herself in for. It didn’t make her any happier about it, but she had to live with it.

The people of Camelot seemed quite happy and at ease in general. Caitrin just watched them, almost in awe. She wondered what living under the Pendragon dynasty was truly like. Of course she would experience it herself for the rest of her days, but these people already knew so much more than she did. Her head shifted towards the castle stairs as she heard footsteps descend them. She had been hoping it would be Arthur before her eyes met his; confirming that it was him. Caitrin let him take her hand and she bobbed her head to him, matching his small bow. “Prince Arthur.” She matched his words and smiled softly at him. His flirtation was to be expected, yet she did not blush, she merely cast a knowing grin in his direction. “If I have succeeded in that in such a short time, I wonder how much more beautiful I will look after this ride.” She teased softly. It was all too easy for men to make such comments. Fortunately, as with Arthur’s words last night, she knew not to see too much into them.

She brushed aside his apology with a gentle wave of her hand. “It is fine, I have only just arrived myself.” Ok that was a small lie, but she had found things to amuse her mind with in Arthur’s absence so it didn’t matter that he was late really. The important thing was that he was here now and that they could commence their ride together. Usually Caitrin would not have accepted anyone’s help in aiding her onto a horse. After all, she was capable of mounting a horse by herself as Lily was not as tall as some of the mares her Uncle kept. However, on this one occasion, and it would be the only occasion, she decided to accept the Prince’s aid in mounting her mare. After all, it would appear rude not to. Caitrin moved herself next to Lily and accepted Arthur’s aid in lifting her onto the horse.

Once he had done so, Caitrin swung her leg over the mare so she was sat astride Lily, rather than to the side which was the more accepted way of riding for a woman. She shifted her skirts so that she was not left in an immodest position in terms of where her skirts lay and she grinned down at Arthur. “Shall we go?” She asked rather eagerly, she honestly could not wait to see the scenery Camelot had to offer. It was even better of course that she had the Prince himself to guide her; this would be an interesting ride out one way or another.

OOC Slight God mod with him getting her on the horse, will edit if you don’t like Just let me know!

[Arthur Pendragon]

"If I have succeeded in that in such a short time, I wonder how much more beautiful I will look after this ride." Arthur smiled at her reply. "I suppose only time will tell," he said giving a charming smile as he helped her on her horse. He doubted she would ever be, less than beautiful. She had after all captured his attentions for a reason. Had it been an old man with a beard from Mercia who his father had told him to take good care of . . . Arthur doubted he would have offered him a personal tour of the kingdom. Fate was kind to him, and made their newest visitor an alluring young woman. And Arthur planned to take full advantage of such a privilege. The eagerness in her voice was not difficult to detect. She seemed so genuinely excited. Now whether it was because she enjoyed going for rides, was eager to see the kingdom, or because it had to do with who she was with . . . was something he could not decide yet.

Perhaps it was a combination of all three. Or well, Arthur's arrogance led him to believe that it was more the latter than the former two. Oh well. Perhaps he would tease it out of her later. He gave a short nod and mounted on his own horse, pulling the reins a bit so that his own horse was next to hers. "Now stay close, so that you do not get lost," he warned but with playful teasing, rather than a genuine warning. He obviously wasn't going to let her get lost, but as they had made jokes about getting lost in the crowd last night, he felt it only appropriate to make them now. He gently flicked on the reins and dug his heels in the side of his horse to have to move forward. He did not move too quickly, unsure of how much experience she had riding, so for the moment, would just move slowly. Besides, they were meant to enjoy this outing. There was no rush.

[[ OMG! You god modded WAY too much! I demand an edit!! . . . *KIDDING* Love you!!! It was totally fine ]]

[Caitrin de Archer]

Arthur was certainly living up to the charming personality that he had already set out. It was of course well received as compliments like that always were. Although Caitrin knew how easy it was for men to pay such delicate compliments, but it didn’t mean that she couldn’t enjoy being paid them. “Well you shall have to let me know your verdict.” Caitrin replied with a smile as she used his hand to help lever herself onto the horse. Of course she wasn’t expecting him to give her an actual answer at the end of the ride, to whether she was indeed more beautiful or not. This was a two way process as well, as it was hard to ignore how strikingly handsome the Prince was. It was fortunate that the Prince, and not his father, had offered to take her on a ride. Although she was sure she would enjoy the scenery that Camelot had to offer no matter what the company was, her enjoyment was probably only going to be heightened by the Prince’s company.

Caitrin grasped the reigns of her mare in quite a commanding way and looked across to the Prince, waiting to follow his lead in a quite dutiful way. She couldn’t help but grin at Arthur’s words and she let her eyes roll back up to him. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you won’t lose me.” Although it was quite a weak threat because of course Arthur knew the landscape incredibly better than Caitrin did, it was a sort of challenge to keep up with her. Even though she wanted to take in as much of Camelot as she could, she didn’t want to do it at a snails pace. She was quite a confident rider, and she wondered how Arthur would react to that.

As Arthur began to move his horse she followed suit, but was quite disappointed at the pace he began to move at. They were making their way out of the courtyard but Caitrin found herself grinning across at Arthur as she nudged her mare onwards at a quicker pace so she had overtaken him. Casting a look back over her shoulder at the Prince she cast him a wicked grin, “Come on, you can keep up can’t you?”

Notes: Genuinely thought after skimming your note “OMG I’ve upset the King!” XD This is why I shouldn’t read things when im half asleep
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[Arthur Pendragon]

"Well you shall have to let me know your verdict." "Oh I intend to," he said confidently. Knowing that her beauty would not diminish. That if anything, it would grow as he got to know her for she seemed to possess a rather endearing personality from his talking to her thus far. As he said before, only time will tell though. And they had the chance to spend some time together to see if she was as he assumed her to be in their first moments of conversation. Or if she turned out to be like . . . well, like women Arthur had unfortunately accompanied himself with in the past. Some women could be dreadful. Some spoiled, snooty, speaking far too much of how their hair and gowns looked. What woman, ever thought that a man wished to hear about such things?! That was what those gossip circles of noblewomen at court were for. To talk of hair, and gowns, and jewelry. No sane man would hold interest in such conversations. And Arthur had had to feign interest just to remain respectful.

He suddenly noticed that Caitrin urged her horse on a bit quicker, offering words that seemed to suggest a challenge. He was surprised for a moment before he quickly recovered and a small smirk played on his lips instead. Who would have thought that Lady Caitrin de Archer had such skill in horse riding. For he knew that if she didn't, she would not have had that little mischievous grin on her face. "Can't I?" He asked teasingly, before lightly kicking his horse and flicking on the reigns to move it ahead. It was only a small distance in front of Caitrin's for he really didn't want to lose her. It was enough to make him now the one turning his head over his shoulder as he looked at her. "I apologize My Lady, have I increased the speed too quickly for you?" He asked teasingly. In other words: Challenge Accepted. Though he still knew that he could not move too quickly. For it was less likely for her to get lost if she rode ahead of him, than if he rose too far ahead of her.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin grinned at Arthur, wondering if he would truly give her a sort of update by the end of their ride out together. He had been quite complementary last night, and although Caitrin took it at its face value, it was still nice to receive the odd compliment. She was still getting used to that aspect of court life. Of course she had had suitors when she had lived in Mercia, but that was on the rare occasion she was allowed to court. She didn’t see anything serious happening with Arthur, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t still have fun together. She already quite liked Arthur, and hopefully that would only increase during their time together. Caitrin was of course glad he seemed to accept her challenge, so he didn’t seem too shocked of her confidence with a horse.

“Not at all my Lord Prince, in fact-” She urged her horse on a little more, so that she was now neck and neck with the Prince, and gave him quite a wicked smile before continuing, “I wonder why you are going so slowly.” She kicked her horse gently, and took tight hold of her reigns so that she could keep firm control of her mare. Caitrin was quite a confident rider, and she was going to show Arthur just that. Besides, he might be a Prince, but that didn’t mean that he was more confident on a horse than she was. This was the first time she had really had a stretch out on her horse since arriving in Camelot. Her Uncle wasn’t exactly completely in approval of her interests, he was sure she would prefer to sit inside doing some embroidery, rather than engaging in activities such as horse riding. She had little interest in such things; however she would rather be out in the fresh air instead of being cooped up. She had had enough of that in Mercia, if Camelot was going to be her home, she was going to make sure that she enjoyed every moment of her stay.

As they began to ride out of the main area around the city of Camelot, Caitrin took a few moments to take in the view. Even at this speed it really was breathtaking. She hadn’t thought that her new home could be quite so beautiful. The hills and the fields were rolling by her eye line, and she cast her gaze back to Arthur, glad that she was enjoying this moment in such good company. “Where exactly are we going?” Caitrin finally thought to ask, they were around neck and neck so it was easy enough to speak to him. Her words were mingled with her breathlessness, both at the speeds they were riding at, and the views they were passing. It would be quite useful to know if Arthur had some sort of plan for the morning, though if they were just going to roam about Caitrin had no issue with that, sometimes just wandering led to more exciting rides out.