The Sword Of A Princess

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next morning we all travelled, not stopping overnight as we needed to arrive home in Britannia. It was strange thinking of another place my home, I had never even been there and I was to spend the rest of my days living there as Arthur's wife. The trip felt shorter than the days before, knowing we were getting closer time flew by to spite me.

After the surprise attack the Ashmore brothers were still rather quiet, Edmund the only one wanting to maintain a conversation. I noticed Nate looked more mentally strained than the rest of us. Lionel had said some knights who returned from war were never the same mentally. Nate seemed like one of them, he was broken somewhere on the inside.

On our last day travelling, Nate woke in a fright in the carriage ride from a nap, flustered and embarrassed he knocked on the roof making us stop and walked into the forest for five minutes alone before returning. No one followed, not even his mother or father, no one went after him, they just patiently waited. I felt a lot towards Nate after that, I wanted to speak with him more, befriend him if he'd let me.

"There she is." Edmund mumbled out looking up at the castle growing above us. Our two carriages rolled into the round courtyard, stopping at the front steps to the marbled stone castle.

Two lines of maids and butlers stood on each step, either side of the main oak doors waiting to greet us. Above three towers sat higher than the rest and wisteria vines climbed the face of the castle walls, naked of flowers during the cold season. I knew in spring, the wisteria would bloom a magnificent purple, decorating the castle even more. Perfectly trimmed garden bushes, roses, and empty flower bushes sat either side of the courtyard, open green fields and in the distance a shimmering lake, with a glassy greenhouse further behind. The only word I could use to describe was beautiful.

Britannia was sleek and beautiful. The rolling hills made their way to the horizon, forest covering parts of the land. I tried to picture it covered in snow, I had a feeling it would look even more stunning. The North seemed like a rugged piece of history, compared to this land. Back home, the land had mountains instead of rolling hills, thicker forests, and less flowers, more shaped bushes and water fountains. Both still beautiful in their own ways. Maybe mother should grow wisteria on our castle walls, it would definitely brighten up the castle during springtime.

"Felt like we would never return." Nate mumbled out, glancing at me for a split moment. I offered him a soft smile.

"It is beautiful." I said looking back to the castle as the carriage came to a slow halt.

Butlers moved to open the carriage doors for us and we began to exit. Nate gestured for me to move first so I did. The butler offering his hand out for me as I stepped down, I took it seeing the Queen stepped out at the same time from her carriage.

I looked around spotting Lionel on his light brown horse, the King had bought it in Bellator for Lionel to ride the rest of the way. I knew the knight was still upset about the death of his horse Nox- knowing he could do nothing. Maids begun unpacking the back of the carriages, taking the trunks into the castle through another entranceway, rather than the main doors.

"Welcome to Britannia, Athena. I do hope you like it here." Ariellah smiled grabbing my hand, squeezing it slightly like she had done that day in Bellator. "And you Captain Lionel, I know quite a few knights I think you'll get along with." The Queen smiled up at Lionel as he rode closer on his new horse.

"Thank you, your majesty." The knight dipped his head then slid off the side of his steed.

"Markus, take Captain Lionel around to the knights' quarters to get settled in and a tour if you will also." The King spoke to the butler closet to him. The red headed butler bowed.