Blood of the Sword

Gabriel recoiled away from the sudden contact on pure instinct. Rarely had he been touched like that and rarely had he allowed such things. But, there was one person alone who'd ever had the guts to break his kind, but solid wall of purposeful isolation. And now here she was, standing in front him. Her fiery red hair peaking out from under her dark hood.

"Of all nights, this should be a happy one, but I don't know if I have ever seen you look sadder. What is wrong, Gabe?"

If sparkles had been a manly thing to possess, his eyes might have lit up at the sound of Faolán's Irish accent. Instead, he just smiled. "Family troubles. But hey, it's not polite to gossip. What brings you to Camelot?"

She wouldn't have come all this way just for him, that wasn't like her, Gabe thought. No she probrally came for the action. Faolán seemed to have a knack for showing up on his radar whenever something big was happening.

Blood of the Sword

"You did," she said, smiling back at him. "I'm not going to miss the most important day in a prince's life, or whatever they're calling it. I wanted to make sure...just, that you are ok."

She stayed silent for a moment, looking over the wall and into the fading light. She avoided Camelot, usually, because the royal city reminded her of many things she had once known, things she wished she could forget. In a twisted way, it reminded her of her own home, so far away. She hardly ever wondered about her family or what had happened to them, but she couldn't help but let her thoughts drift across the water and hover on that shore.

If it were not for Gabe, she would be far north, near the home of the Picts. It had taken all of her skills to successfully navigate into the fortress, knowing that her singular appearance would make her an outcast--or worse. Still, unlike her usual habits, she had come into the city and watched for a chance to spend a few moments with him. And why? She shook her head and looked back up at Gabe.

"I do not really know. I felt the call to be near you. Silly, I know. But here I am."

Blood of the Sword
The king set his goblet back down on the table as Lady le Fay turned to him, a soft smile gracing her face. "Do not be angry with the prince, your Majesty. He is young, and surely it is hard for him to see his friend give way to a stranger."

Arthur nodded as he considered this. Before he got a chance to respond, Morgan stood and whispered in Arthur's ear. "Let me talk to him. Perhaps it will be easier to vent to an aunt he does not have to impress. And after all, his behavior, however reprehensible, is based in loyalty, which every young knight ought to cultivate. One cannot really fault him for that, you know."

Arthur nodded again, long and slow, as he pondered these words. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. "Perhaps you should. Perhaps you can reach him far better than I."

He'd lost touch with his son, with their many years apart. It had seemed a worthy sacrifice at the time, but now that Gabe was back in Camelot, with his knighthood attained, Arthur was beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

And then there was Blair, who seemed to be growing farther and farther apart from him each day. An unruly child she was. He had no idea what to do with her most days, or how to crack her hard exterior shell, how to reach her heart.

He glanced down the table at her, at her false smile. Why did she constantly feel the need to prove herself to him? He loved her just as she was, as the lovely princess she was.

He snapped back out of thought and looked back up at Morgan who was still leaning over his shoulder. "Yes, I think that would be best." He nodded absently, then turned back to his meal, wondering where on earth he'd gone wrong.

___
Blair watched as first Galahad, then Gabe walked out of the banquet hall. She felt a small surge of victory as the former left the dais, but the defeated and frustrated look on Gabe's face nearly made her regret what she'd done. Do I always chase people away?

Gawain's eyes were studying her. "You look like you just ate a lemon."

"You are... quite supportive," she choked out. "I'm sure I'll enjoy that constructive criticism in a few weeks."

As soon as she spoke it, her stomach dropped. The announcement was tonight. She'd forgotten in the midst of the Gabe-drama. Hopefully her father had forgotten as well, though she doubted it. Predictably, he'd draw the dining hall's attention in a little while, and the announcement of her impending marriage was bound to follow.

And after that, she'd be roped into marrying Gawain. Forever.

Blood of the Sword

"Well, I'm a heck of a lot better now. I'm glad you came." Gabe continued his silly grin, never had he been happier to be dead wrong about someone. So she'd come all this way for him. Risking life and limb from those thick-minded conspiracy theorists who held the twisted opinion her beautiful hair was a curse from the devil himself. In Gabriel's humble opinion, that if anyone on this sorry planet were devil-spawn it were those suspicious people.

"How about you, how have you been holding up?" He asked, Gabriel knew that even if his life was tough sometimes, it was relatively nothing when compared to the hell she had lived through nearly everyday. She was an outcast, a peasant. And reminding himself of that stung him more than it should have. For it was the reason that this thing that they had, it would never work. It couldn't ever work.

Blood of the Sword

Faolán eyes danced softly as she smiled back at Gabe. In the five or six years she'd known him, he had changed and grown so much. So had she, but it seemed much more apparent in Gabe. When she'd met him, he'd been a silly boy, now, he was the prince of his people. Of course he had always been a prince, but how much difference one dinner makes!

"I've been well. This is always the best time of year for me," Faolán replied. "Nothing momentous has happened. The earth is kind."

Blood of the Sword

As it happened, the person that Galahad sat down next to was one of the foreign dignitaries that had arrived for the occasion. Golden hair swept down, almost covering one of his bright green eyes. A forest green tunic that was emblazoned with the image of an upright longsword in front of a tower shield lay atop a chainmail shirt, which itself covered a linen white undershirt.
A simple pair of brown leggings and black leather boots finished the getup. Somebody just glancing at him would see only another one of the dignitaries and diplomats that had come in search of dinner and drinks. A closer look would reveal someone more at home on the battlefield then a state event.

He spoke as the female knight sat, "The sparks flying up yonder could light a torch. However, it is not in my way to pry. The names Kean McLeod, nice to meet you."

Blood of the Sword

Galahad clenched her teeth together, biting her lip. The control she had demonstrated at the royal table was the result of having Lancelot for a father. As she slid into a seat at one of the lower tables, she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. But the only thing she could think of was Gabe's face, so hurt by his caitiff sister.

"The sparks flying up yonder could light a torch. However, it is not in my way to pry."

She opened her eyes, startled out of her failed attempt to cool off. The person to her left was nearly as fair-haired as she was, and though dressed in mediocre court finery, exuded an air of sturdiness. She smiled. It was in her nature to like or dislike people immediately, and she instantly took to this one, who's dress betrayed an experienced warrior and had a glib tongue.

"The name's Kean McLeod; nice to meet you."

She extended her hand to shake, ignoring the general female custom of bowing her head. "Galahad du Lac; likewise. As for the sparks, I'll say nought against the Pendragons. But being seated near a tinder box has it's down side." Kean's easy way of talking had helped her normal good nature reassert itself. "Where do you hail from, McLeod?"

----------

Morgan nodded to her brother, and swept elegantly away from the table, out the same doors her nephew had escaped a few moments before. But she was not searching for the prince - she had a different sort of person to meet. Slipping her hand inside her pocket, she fingered a small mirror.

It is time.

The words were conveyed by the mirror to the one person in this castle who despised Arthur more than she did. Still on, she walked, deeper into the winding halls of Camelot, and the darkness of her heart shrouded her from sight.

Blood of the Sword

Kean took the hand and said,

"I'm the new ambassador from Aere. The old one has some things to take care of back home so they sent me out here to take over. He has been showing me my way around your court here for the last week or so. You know, making sure I know who to bow to and all that rigmarole."

He paused and took a sip of his wine before continuing, this time with a more thoughtful voice.

"Aye, authority never had the same siren's song for me as with others. Sure you can tell a legion of knights what to do, but who is to say what is the right thing to do with them? And even if you do the right thing, you may sometimes end up regretting it.
Royalty have the worst of it. Each and every one of them is held up to some kind of standard by the entire kingdom, and if they fail to live up to it... well, lets just say that the results are not always pretty.
A young prince must become a paladin, leading the kingdom's forces into battle. A princes, the ever perfect picture of a proper lady.
What happens if the princess wants to become a knight or the prince a monk? It may seem as if royalty lives cushy lives, but that comfort hides chains stronger then steel."

There was silence for a second before he spoke up again, this time in a much more cheerful tone.

"Well, what do you think our fine will prince will do now that he has won his spurs? Go on a quest perhaps?"

OOC: Aere is what Ireland calls itself FYI.

Blood of the Sword

"Thats great, Faolán. I'm happy for you." Sure, she had people with pitchforks chasing her out of every town. But at least she was free. Gabriel always had someone telling him what to do, never had he fully been in control of his own life. Never had he been able to determine his own destiny. He was a puppet on strings, walking down the path laid out for him. She was her own boss and for that, he envied her more than she could ever imagine.

"Hey, can I get you anything?" For as long as he could remember, she'd always been on the move. Never settling in one place for long and as a consequence, she never really had much in the way of physical possessions, let alone food. So, whenever he could Gabe lent a hand.

Blood of the Sword

Faolán shook her head.

"I'm fine," she smiled. "I'll stay for a few days, and we'll find each other again when you don't have a banquet hall of people waiting for you. This celebration is, after all, for you."

She leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his cheek. Her heart hurt to see him hurting, and she wished she could pour the love she had for her family into his, but alas, she couldn't. How opposite their lives were. While she had grown up with her tight knit clan, only to be torn away from them and living independent of all, he had grown up away from his family, only to be thrust back into their midst and expected to live out the dreams they had dreamt for him.

"Be happy," she whispered, "and love them."

Blood of the Sword

"I'm the new ambassador from Eire. The old one has some things to take care of back home so they sent me out here to take over. He has been showing me my way around your court here for the last week or so. You know, making sure I know who to bow to and all that rigmarole."

Ah, Eire, the island in the west. That would explain the flaxen hair and comfortable manners. She had thought that perhaps he was related to her mother's people, the Saxons. Still, she was not disappointed to discover otherwise, having heard many tales of the hardiness and valor of the Eirians.

He spoke thoughtfully, as if slow to commit himself to a dangerous idea. "Aye, authority never had the same siren's song for me as with others. Sure you can tell a legion of knights what to do, but who is to say what is the right thing to do with them? And even if you do the right thing, you may sometimes end up regretting it.
Royalty have the worst of it. Each and every one of them is held up to some kind of standard by the entire kingdom, and if they fail to live up to it... well, let's just say that the results are not always pretty.
A young prince must become a paladin, leading the kingdom's forces into battle. A princess, the ever perfect picture of a proper lady. What happens if the princess wants to become a knight or the prince a monk? It may seem as if royalty lives cushy lives, but that comfort hides chains stronger then steel."

Galahad shook her head. Blair was not chained, not by the King, at least. She had been given every good thing in life, and the chance to prove herself a worthy fighter before now.

She remembered well the day that she and Gabe had been brought back from the hunt, both injured but with the tale of her bravery being sung by their companions. The King himself had come out of the gates to greet them and embraced her. She had been elated, in the rush of pride and joy that only came from the approval of her leige-lord.

But in all the excitement, some corner of her eye had noticed the princess standing the courtyard, covered in dirt and sweat and dressed in commoner's clothes. She had later heard that the princess regularly exercised and practiced swordplay. At first, Galahad was perfectly content if some other woman chose to follow her footsteps and become a knight. But on her first meeting with Blair, she found her instantly unlikable. The princess was cold and proud, with none of Gabe's open countenance or penchant for harmless jokes. She wore a disdainful look most of the time, as if everything and everyone was not good enough for her. The name "Blair" meant "plain" in the older tongue, but Galahad privately thought that the King's daughter should have been named "Frosty".

There was silence for a second before he spoke up again, this time in a much more cheerful tone. "Well, what do you think our fine will prince will do now that he has won his spurs? Go on a quest perhaps?"

She brightened at the mere possibility. If he did, she would surely ride with him, delaying the time when he would have to meld with the Pendragons and be separated from her. However, she was not insensible to the fact that the King might wish to keep his son close for a while, instructing him in the ways of the kingdom he was to inherit. "I think Gabe will want to go questing, but he'll most likely need to stay and help his father. He's not just a knight now; he's the royal son, and I'm sure he has all sorts of new duties to learn."

She glanced up at the royal table to look at her friend, but found he was absent from the King's side. So too was the Lady Morgan, for some reason. "Odd. I thought he was... Maybe he left to get some air not tainted by his sister," she muttered.

Bloof of the Sword

Love. It was a four letter word in the Du Lac household. It wasn't that it couldn't be found, because Lancelot clearly loved Galahad and Gabriel, albeit in different ways. It was more the display of affection that was lacking. Not once had Gabriel received a hug from his master, instead to show appreciation Lancelot would train, run or beat him harder. It was simply how he was raised and as a consequence, he was a boy full of love. But unsure and afraid of how to share it with anyone.

That is why he froze when her soft lips contacted his cheek. Gabe had contingencies for nearly everything, except for that. He had no plan, no strategy for what had just happened. It wasn't until she backed off a bit that he came out of his trance-like state.

"I'll do that... Faolán, Take care of yourself, alright?"

Blood of the Sword

Faolán giggled softly at Gabe's stunned expression.

"Of course. I shall see you soon."

She smiled at Gabriel again, then pulled her hood closer and disappeared into the night. Perhaps even she was not sure where she would stay tonight, other than out of sight and out of mind. Yet, she was happy to be here, to be near Gabe.

Blood of the Sword

"Mmmm, probably. I'm sure the lad will just love that. He goes through all that training and effort and the first thing that happens after he get knighted is being sat down at a desk and reading about how bushels of wheat were grown that year.
In any case, I wish him luck, he'll need it."

The bright green eyes turned from where they had been inspecting the crowded hall and fastened onto the knight next to him.

"And you, Lady Du Lac. An old friend such as yourself will be the sort of thing he needs to keep his head on strait"

She glanced up at the royal table to look at her friend, but found he was absent from the King's side. So too was the Lady Morgan, for some reason. "Odd. I thought he was... Maybe he left to get some air not tainted by his sister," she muttered.

"Well well, we can't have a party without the star of the show. Would you like to go look for him, milady?" Kaen said, putting his hands on the table in preparation to rise.

Blood of the Sword

And then, she vanished into the night. The one person he wanted to be with more than anything in the world and he couldn't be. It wasn't just her appearance. It was more than that, it was complicated. To say the least. "See you later, Faolán," Gabriel whispered to himself. Letting her name bounce around in his head for half a minute before the prince turned, and began to make his way back to the hall.

That's when he came face to face with his aunt.