I'm Not Lost, I'm Improvising (Arabis)

[Dristan de Archer]

Well, he had left Caerleon’s kingdom, he just hadn’t ended up in the right place yet. Dristan could say that he was lost of course, he had kind of meant to end up here. Then again, he wasn’t quite sure where here was. He was sure it was Archelandi, but he could never be too sure. Geography had never been his strong point. Dristan had been walking with the intent of finding Mercia before he returned to Camelot; he had been to Mercia before but he hadn’t found any of his extended family. Well that was a lie, he had found them, he just hadn’t made himself known at the time. They weren’t the friendliest of people, to say the least. Dristan only had vague memories of his family in Mercia, his father had only taken him to visit once and that was on the occasion of his eldest cousins marriage. The only thing Dristan could recall from the trip was his youngest cousin, the one with the red hair, and how his Uncle had treated her. His father had told him not to talk about it, or ask his Uncle about it because apparently that would have upset him. Dristan hadn’t really given it much thought; his father had often spoken of sending for one of his cousins to keep Dristan company, but it had never happened. He hadn’t seen his little wild red haired cousin on his last trip to Mercia; he had no idea where to look, and he wasn’t really that bothered, but he was a curious being by nature.

He was not, however, in Mercia, he was somewhere to the north and west of there, he assumed. He was going to go south to Camelot after he saw what he wanted to see here. He was going back to Camelot, that much was certain. Dristan couldn’t run away from his past anymore. He didn’t have anywhere to go now that Thomas had died, and he would soon run out of money. Dristan had been playing at a few taverns along the way, and earning a pretty penny for doing so, but it couldn’t last and he knew that. Soon he would have to go home, and face up to his father. It wasn’t going to be a pretty moment, but Dristan was a man now, and he had to start living up to that fact.

Today it was a beautiful day, and Dristan had found himself the nearest castle. He had rooms down in the tavern already, but he had wanted to make the most of his day, and had so taken himself up to the castle to explore the gardens. All good castles had gardens that couldn’t be rivalled within the kingdom, and he had been correct as usual. Strumming away on his lute, Dristan began to hum an old lullaby he’d picked up from one of the villagers back in Camelot in his youth. It was a beautiful day, and Dristan was going to make the most of it.

Tagged: Princess Arabis
Timeline: Around the series 4 finale
Time of Day: Morning
Location: Kingdom of Archelandi[/size]

[arabis]

Arabis, had a very sweet morning waiking and then a specil morning dinner. All they was fullstop that period in her Castle. The snow had melted, and the flowers had made their appearance. The young princess was somehow that occupied period reason of festival of spring. Usually now that had grown, she tooks all the responsibilities for the preparence. Her requiments was many and difficult. The servants had been tired by her commands,and ran beyond and there, in order to made true her requiments.

Arabis had been tired also this enough and thus it decided it makes a small walk to her beloved part of the garden. The sun shone more a lot from never, because it was the first day of spring. The grass, was very brighty and its dew was a lot of perfect for relaxing. The trees sparkled in the light of helium and the lake appearred say and were from diamonds. Simply she sat in the bench enjoys the spectacle.

All they was splendid and a melody from a magic musical intsrtument it began her to want to sleep. It was so much soft, melodic and serene. Sure did not have listen such something. But from where came this sound. She should to learn it. Suddenly all that calm broke in a moment from her distress for who it could be. And if was were a witch with alone aim him to enchanted her and then to take her beauty! Full of courage, she made some steps to the part of melody.

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan was considering just swallowing his pride and asking someone where he was. After all, he was obviously somewhere important as they had a castle. Groaning as he plucked furiously at his lute, he wished he had paid more attention in his lessons. Music and history lessons had been the only ones to interest Dristan as a child, lessons like learning how to manage an estate, writing and geography had been on his list of hated subjects. Now, however, he was starting to see the importance of having some geographical bearing, as he really was at a loss to where he was. He couldn’t remember what was to the north and west of Mercia. Urgh. He didn’t have family up there, which was probably why he hadn’t heard much about it. The majority of his childhood had been coloured with visits to Mercia, and when they weren’t visiting, his father had constantly complained about it. Having visited the kingdom as a young man, Dristan could see the appeal, but he had visited in the summer, and apparently the Mercian winters were incredibly harsh.

He continued to pluck notes on his lute, he wasn’t even sure what melody he was playing, he just knew that he was enjoying it and that he would probably be playing this tune again. It was a soothing little piece, and made him feel more at ease. For those few moments he could forget that he needed to go back to Camelot soon, and that he would have to face up to his father eventually. There was no escaping that really; he would have to see Payton de Archer, and make his peace, then he could move on one way or the other. As he continued to play, he heard footsteps behind him. Dristan was not easily startled, so he spun on his heels to face the person with a grin on his lips. The steps had not been that hard on his ears, so he had guessed it would be a lady, or a child; hence his ease. “Good day to you my Lady.” Dristan said, his fingers still strumming his instrument, “Are you in need of any assistance?”

[arabis]

To her luck was not a wicked witch who wanted to steal her voice. Nor any kindly Faun. Could, because in those forests there such creatures. But opposite her stands a man, looks enough friendly from his wide smile. Arabis looked at him somewhat surprising. She saw in his hands of this magical musical instrument, which made all this time this wonderful melody. Now she understand that she had to do with the man who played that special melody. So he would be an special person.

The young man, said a very warm good morning. Arabis rushed to do the same. "Good morning, my Lord!" And then the next question startle her enough. She had done her first steps in the woods, and was spending much of her time there! Every citizen of her kingdom knew that so this Lord was certainly not one of her citizens. But hastened to reply. "No, no I do not need anything, thank you. Like a princess I have all the things I want. Maybe you need my help?" She told both sweet and let him know that was the princess of this frozen landscape.

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan was rather glad that he was faced with a beautiful woman, rather than a common thief or an insane man. He had experiences with both of the latter unfortunately. Given Dristan’s current nomadic lifestyle, he found that he attracted people from all walks of life, mainly unintentionally. He had never willingly attracted someone who was insane, or a thief, in his entire life. Dristan continued to play his lute as he smiled at the woman in question, she was certainly dressed in the finest garments that Dristan had laid his eyes on for quite some time. Somehow though, he didn’t really envy her dress. He had gone without finery for so long it felt like a luxury for him, and one he would probably go back to when he took up residence within Camelot again. Dristan still had the noble pride engrained onto him. All he had done was adapt, and make do with what he had. Living in what he could afford had seemed so much better than crawling back home with his tail between his legs for such a long time that it had become part of Dristan’s nature.

A princess was she? That explained the finery then didn’t it? Dristan bowed again to her, “Apologies, I did not realise I had the privilege of addressing a princess.” There was no arguing that the woman was quite beautiful, and Dristan would be a fool to think or say otherwise. His fingers began to pluck at his lute, but he broke off the melody as he pondered what he needed to know; where he was would probably be a great place to start really, as he was basically clueless. He had lost track of where he was somewhere on the roads around Mercia. “I am a little lost I’m afraid; would you be able to tell me where I am exactly?” He asked with a hopeful grin on his face; if she were the princess then no doubt she would be versed in geography or something as equally as helpful.

[arabis]

Arabis get happy from his behaviour to her. It was that she expected for. She nodded her head in a little bow to him, when he bowed to her with kind. He was looking like a noble, but she wasn't sure. She decided to ask him, because she wanted to know the truth. Of course this man could lie at her, but she could regonise it from his eyes. "You are a noble, right my Lord?" Do not regret a minute for her question. She likes talking much. Also she wanted to know everything. She was in this character by her nature. Maybe her parents made her like this way. They never let her, not to know something.

She give him a warm smile. She understood that he was awful in geography. She found the time to show her knowledge once again. "Well, Here is the kingdom of Archelandi. Mercia is the neighbour kingdom, a froze land like this one. You just happened to be here in a warm day." She said warm, but she wanted a shawl to make a ride. She hoped not this friendly man to make fun at her, because of her idiot joke. She owned a sweet and a warm smile but her jokes was a bit cold. She remembered that she said that she is a princess, but not her name. How rude of her. "I'm Arabis, Princess of Archelandi! And you are?"

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan never let his standards drop, especially not in front of a Lady of this kind of standing. He grinned at her; it was an easy grin, and one that was never far from his lips. This was how Dristan liked it, he liked to see women, and people in general like this. He would turn up out of the blue, as he always did, lighten their mood with some of his charms and some of his songs, and then leave as quickly as he arrived, knowing he had only had smiles and no frowns. Dristan was a social creature, but he didn’t like to deal with the other side of life, so much so he tried to avoid it, and focussed on the positives but never the negatives. His nobility was never really brought into conversation, but Dristan couldn’t exactly lie could he? So he nodded and grinned, “I am indeed my lady, my family is from Camelot.” His accent might not have given him away, so he felt it necessary to give her that little gem of information as well.

Dristan nodded, he knew Mercia incredibly well, his father was a Mercian who had married a Camelotian noblewoman. He grinned, Mercia was not a kingdom that he had been in for many years; he remembered his younger cousin, with her flowing red hair, and how she had begged him to stay with her when the time came for him to leave. Those were simpler times, “Part of my family is from Mercia.” He said with a short inclination of his head. He grinned a little, as this was incredibly warm for northern Albion. He bowed at her as she introduced herself, “It is a pleasure to meet you my Lady, my name is Lord Dristan de Archer, and I am at your service.”