Luminescence ✺ Arthur Pendragon

Lancelot and Arwen [1]

Arwen stood in the courtyard of the palace, joined by Morgana and Gwen by her sides as the three women talked, Morgana thanking the both of them for accompanying her on her pilgrimage to her father's grave. And each one reassured her that she didn't need to thank them. However, as Arwen went after Gwen, if there was anything else she wanted to say, she didn't get a chance to as her eyes were drawn to the top of the steps once she spotted a figure making his way towards them.

"We should get ready to go." She told Gwen, pulling a smile onto her face as to not give away the fact that she simply wanted to step away before the prince reached them. And luckily, neither Gwen nor Morgana questioned it, but rather agreed, giving Arwen the perfect time to walk away just as Arthur appeared by Morgana's side. With her back turned as she walked to her horse, Arwen didn't notice as the prince's eyes lingered on her for a few long moments before he finally managed to tear his eyes away.

"With you around, the Lady Morgana doesn't need the protection of us mere knights." Sir Robert's words made Arwen look over at him with a small chuckle as she stopped securing her sheathed sword to the saddle on her horse.

"Don't worry Sir, I'll let you take some of the glory for yourself if something happens." She replied in a joking tone, making a laugh escape him too. "Hopefully we'll all come back without any though." She added. After all, nobody wanted any trouble to fall upon them while on the journey.

The sound of Arthur's voice calling out to Sir Robert had the knight walking away from Arwen, leaving her to climb atop her horse as the majority of their riding party was ready to depart. And once Arthur gave the knight some final instructions, they did just that.

Riding through the forest silently, Arwen let her mind wander for a little bit, thinking back to the book she'd spent a good part of her night reading. Histories about where she came from, about her kingdom and all that had happened to it. Most notably, the attack led by Uther. About the way in which he laid siege to the city while everyone within it had been fooled by his talks of peace.

"Arwen?" The sound of Gwen's voice rising above the sound of hooves hitting against the ground managed to snap the redhead out of her thoughts, green eyes quickly snapping to her friend as she realized she'd entirely missed whatever she said before that.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Arwen asked with an apologetic look on her face.

"Are you alright? You seem rather quiet?" Gwen asked, sharing a look with Morgana who too had noticed the troubled look that had spread over Arwen's face because of whatever was occupying her thoughts.

"Oh, yes, yes. I'm fine. Just imagination running wild for a moment." Arwen let out a small laugh that didn't sound too convincing. It was clear that whatever the real reason was, she wasn't too eager to share. And, considering she knew a bit more than Gwen did, Morgana quickly came to her friend's rescue.

"Imagination? What might you be imagining? I'm beginning to think there's a man involved in your life." She questioned in a joking tone, hoping to distract Gwen from any of her further suspicions.

"Is that true? How could you not tell us?" And it seemed to work as Gwen focused on Morgana's words entirely, gasping at Arwen as she questioned in surprise. And the physician couldn't hold back her laughter at the sight of Gwen's excited face.

"Maybe because Morgana has a wild imagination of her own." She teased, sending a smile towards her friend. "Where in the world could I have possibly met a man?" She pointed out. And in a way all of that was a lie just as much as her previous evasions, but this one slipped out more easily.

Because while a man wasn't on her thoughts in a way that the two women seemed to be suggesting, thought of Arthur still often flashed through her mind. Not because of what had happened between them all that time ago, which seemed longer that it really was. But because of the additional obstacles standing in their path. Possibly standing in the way of even a mere friendship between them now.