When he returned later, Garreth found his cousin washed and dressed again, asleep on the bed.

He knew how tiring the morning journey had been for her; the princess wasn't used to long rides.

An interesting week lay ahead of them... Smiling at the thought, he washed and changed his clothes too, before he woke her up.

"Ginny, come on, wake up. It's late. I've heard that the guests are back from the village, the dinner will be served in half an hour."

Ginny opened her eyes and stared at her cousin silently for a few moments, still confused by the sleep, before she recalled where she was.

"Oh... The prince," she muttered, pressing her hands over her eyes.

"Exactly. And you still need to do your hair," Garreth said, pulling at her long, russet strands, fanned out around her head on the pillow.

Yawning, she sat up, then let Garreth pull her to her feet and headed for the small mirror hanging above a water-filled basin. The moment her hair was safely hidden under a green velvet hat, a few shades darker than her eyes, matching perfectly her moss-green jacket and hose, they left the chamber.

Halfway down the dim, empty corridor, Garreth pulled her behind a tapestry, revealing a door leading to a secret passage similar to those of Warwick Castle.

"A shortcut," he announced seriously as he lit a candle, making Ginny laugh.

Hand in hand, they descended a spiral staircase ending in another gloomy, cavernous corridor, leading to a door.

Garreth blew the candle out, making everything around them fade to black momentarily before he opened the door and poked his head carefully outside.

"All safe. Come on," he said shortly, letting go of her hand and brushing a spiderweb off her hat the moment the door closed behind them.

He led her across a wide, torch lit corridor to yet another door.

"Wait!" Ginny said the instant his hand rested on the door handle, intrigued by the words reaching them from within.

Voices she had never heard before were saying something about... danger... the people's fear... King Gwynedd and the rebels... the Saxons on the borders...

One ear pressed to the cool, thick wood, eyes wide with surprise, she mouthed at Garreth, standing in an identical position at her side, 'Did you know about this?'

'No,' he mouthed back while the men beyond the door continued in their conversation.

"I bet Princess Guinevere has no idea about any of this, her father would not want to burden her," Lord John's voice stated. "See, she's too young. She agreed to marry Your Highness and then was hidden away somewhere in a safe place in the country. I believe that it's been months now since she left her father's court..."

"If only... someone could draw that Sword..." a deep, euphonious voice said.

"Do you really believe that tale, my lord? So many have tried... I think that the only way to unite the kingdoms is by marriage and war against Gwynedd and his allies."

Long silence ensued, only interrupted by clinking of goblets and crackling of fire. Garreth, pulling at Ginny's sleeve, whispered, even as he knocked on the door, "They are waiting for us. Let us go in."

The door was opened for them by a servant, and they entered.

"Here you are!" Lord John called happily. "Your Highness, let me introduce Sir Garreth of Warwick and his friend, Sir Geoffrey of Avalon."

Ginny and Garreth bowed politely as the guests stood up and did the same, then sat down next to each other at Lord John's side, opposite the two strangers.

"Prince Arthur, and Sir Lancelot of the Lake." Lord John finished the introductions, nodding to each man respectively, making Garreth kick Ginny under the table in warning as he saw her lips twitch with a barely suppressed smile and a giggle.

But she could not help it, the name of Lancelot of the Lake sounded as... as fake as Geoffrey of Avalon.

She took a long sip of her wine before she dared to lift her eyes to Sir Lancelot.

It was a mistake. The knight was... rather gorgeous...

His shiny, raven-black hair framing his face with soft waves, and the bright blue eyes twinkling with an echo of the smile playing on his full lips as he observed her reaction, sent a blush in her cheeks, and a pleasant shiver down her spine. Determined not to look at him again, ever again, she dropped her eyes, took another sip of her wine, and forced herself to brave a glance at Prince Arthur.

That was better. Or rather, it was worse. She didn't like the man one bit. That's just my luck, Ginny mused, studying him.

The prince looked way older than her. His curly hair was a shade darker than Garreth's, and the same colour was his... moustache. Ginny disliked men with a moustache. She disliked men looking as conceited, and arrogant, and richly dressed as this Prince Arthur, too. Why did she ever agree to marry this man without meeting him first?! Oh yes, because her only other option was still worse...

Frowning deeply, she drained her wine even as the food was brought in, and their plates were filled by a handful of Lord John's servants.

Ginny met Sir Lancelot's eyes again when he refilled her goblet while he poured some more wine for himself. He touched his forehead, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles with his forefinger, making her realise that she was still frowning.

She gave the friendly knight a small, tight-lipped smile, then looked quickly away, feeling her cheeks heating up again. Those incredibly blue, kind, and perceptive eyes watching her from beneath the thick, wayward hair would take some time getting used to.

If only I could touch those black, silky strands, Ginny thought, her fingers closed around the stem of her wine-filled goblet tingling with anticipation of that touch... It took all her will to hush her conscience, reminding her that such thoughts did not become a princess.

A loud peal of thunder made her jump. She looked towards the tall windows that filled one of the long walls of the Great Hall, noticing only now that it was pouring with rain outside. Ginny sighed, remembering their journey, hoping that the rain would stop before the country lanes turned to streams and rivers.

Picking at her food, forbidding herself to look at Lancelot even as she felt his eyes on herself, she observed Garreth. Apparently, her cousin did not share her dislike of the prince. Ginny had never seen him so absorbed in conversation with anyone before, his eyes skipping between the prince's shoulder-length curls and his smiling eyes...

Oh no.

Garreth... liked the prince, he liked him a lot. And the prince... accepted and returned all the smiles and attentions of her cousin more than happily, it seemed.

The princess sighed again as she realised what was going on. She loved Garreth, she wanted him to be happy... But Prince Arthur was the man she was supposed to marry in a month... Ginny finished her wine and pushed her unfinished meal away, attracting Sir Lancelot's attention again.

"So... You come from Avalon and claim your descent from our Lady of the Lake, Sir Geoffrey?" he asked, those blue irises twinkling with amusement making her forget all about Garreth and the prince momentarily.

"Just like yourself, it would seem, Sir Lancelot," Ginny replied in her best 'male' voice.

The knight laughed softly, raising his goblet towards her. Smiling, she followed his example even as Lord John, who had overheard their exchange, called suddenly, "Now I remember where I heard those strange names of yours, in old Myrddin's tales!"