━━ ⦗the swan princess! ⦘
❝ you're beautiful!
thank you, but what else?
... what else is there? ... ❞
███████████ 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝
the courageous odette teaches the
once and future king a less...
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chapter fifteen! 015. noble at heart
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A FEAST WASheld in Sir Lancelot's honour. Not as grand as most banquets this citadel held, but while it was modest in many ways, it stood out in others. Odette▬for the first time in her life▬was not here to serve platters and pour wine. She could pick fruit off a platter at her own pleasure, try a sip of wine at Morgana's encouragement and scrunch her nose up at the way it tasted on her tongue. She could spend time with her mistress and Guinevere as a guest▬as of Lancelot's request, and she's never been so excited and delighted.
Odette might not be wearing something extravagant. She might not have gorgeous silks and pretty embroidered slippers. But she let her hair down for the occasion so it swept in golden waves down her back, braiding it back off her face in many elaborate loops▬a style she's often done on Morgana, but finally got the chance to wear it for herself. Morgana even lended her a hair piece▬modest, but beautiful to clasp her braids together at the crown, and Odette felt truly beautiful.
"I do love this so," said Morgana, linking her arm with Odette's as she guided her and Gwen past the platters presented on a long table. Apples, cherries, exotic figs and all of Odette's favourite berries. They had pork, lamb, pheasant and such brilliant stew that actually looked edible. Odette couldn't even name all the cheeses she saw! "Being able to attend tonight with my dearest friends not as my servants but as guests."
The King's Ward smiled and nudged Odette who was only half paying attention, too busy ogling the food. "We must thank Sir Lancelot for his kindness▬you must make friends with knights more often, Odette."
"Yes," she said off-handedly, trying to figure out the spices sprinkled upon an entire stuffed chicken.
Morgana laughed. "My, you act as if you've never attended a feast before!"
"Not like this we haven't," gushed Gwen, looking beautiful in her sweet, modest way. She had twisted her hair back with a few flowers. "It feels rather strange not to hold a jug in my hand."
"I'm afraid it isn't something we can do most of the time," sighed Morgana, waving to one of the younger ladies of the court she often walked the gardens with. "No matter the many times I try to persuade Uther▬" she dropped her voice to a whisper as she glanced briefly at the King who was sitting in his chair at the head of the hall, "▬I heard Lancelot brought his request to Arthur and somehow, he managed to grant it without much word to his stubborn father."
Odette's brows lifted, surprised. She glanced over her shoulder where Arthur sat with Lancelot, the two of them laughing and enjoying some mead with one another. He belonged▬fit in perfectly amongst the rest of the knights, and yet he stood out on top of them all.
