Chapter Two
Everything in the castle was amazing. It seemed as though Maud had traveled back to the very period that Camelot would have been there. Unfortunately, there were several things that didn�t belong to the time period, as well. Not to mention that the idea of time travel was not an option in Maud�s eyes.
This included what Sir Rain was wearing. His armor was far more advanced and somewhat strange in appearance even to what knights wore in the paintings that she had seen.
The archer, who seemed to be watching Maud very closely, also had strange armor. His dress was as though he just picked various bits and placed them on his body. He wore a white silk shirt, dark green overcoat, a leather breast plate, and gloves that she had never seen before. There were buckles everywhere on his gloves, even around his fingers where the gloves ended.
She also saw that she had been wrong about his looks. It was easy enough to tell on Sir Rain, but she had barely a glance at the archer before now. He had long dark brown hair that was pulled back in a braid, a thin body, and grey-green eyes. He, too, didn�t look very old. He looked the same age as Sir Rain did, in fact.
Lady Morgana looked even more beautiful in the light than she had in the broken moonlight. She had black eyes and very long black hair that fell down to her thighs. She wore a dark violet dress that was tied at the waist by a long piece of black rope. She wore a crown, as well. It was a simple circlet of silver with a blue jewel in the center.
�In here, Rain.� Lady Morgana commanded. She stood by an open doorway where light filtered out.
Sir Rain tossed Maud into the room. She fell onto the ground and rolled until she found herself in front of the fireplace. The door closed to the room and Maud was left in the room alone.
�Hello, girl��
Maud turned and saw before her a man. He appeared to be in his forties. He had long graying brown hair that was tied at the nape of his neck, light blue eyes that stared at her in mirth, he was tall and rather thin looking under his grey robes. He wore a light silver shirt with a high collar to it and carried at his side a long, wooden staff with a sea green gem held at the top by various root like protrusions.
�Hello? Who are you? What�s going on? Where am I?!� Maud said it all so fast, she wasn�t sure it came out all that clearly.
He held a hand up and grinned. �Calm down. You are all right here with me.� He sat down in the chair that was by the fireplace. Maud stared up at him in wonder.
�First off, they think you are a witch sent here to spy on us.� the man said.
�But, I�m not a wi��
�I know that��, he said as he gazed down at her again with his clear blue eyes, ��but they saw your necklace and thought differently.�
Maud�s hand went to the necklace she was wearing, surprise evident on her face. �Wh��
�You see�you are wearing my necklace. They seemed to think you stole it from me.� The man seemed quite amused with this statement.
�Oh! If it�s yours, then�� She was trying to take it off when the man laid a hand on her arm to stop her.
�Nothing to worry about�I think it looks better on you, anyway.� The man smiled at her in an amused fashion.
�Who�Who are you?� Maud stared up at the man in wonderment again. Somehow, she had the feeling she recognized him.
�Merlin�but you may call me Mr. Merlin�� Then, he grinned madly and laughed. �Although I do prefer being called sire, I think Mr. Merlin will do just fine for you.�
�Whu��, she started to ask, but he just started grinning madly again. She found him slightly scary.
�As for where you are��, there was an evil glint in Merlin�s eyes as he talked, ��you are in Camelot, my dear Maud.�
�How did you�� Maud started, but Merlin just stopped her once again.
�Come now, they waiting outside for my verdict.� Then, Merlin stood up and offered her a hand. �May I help you up, Ms. Kenelm?�
She took his hand and she walked across the room to the door at his side. He opened the door and the archer was behind it. The archer smiled and bowed his head toward Maud; his green-grey eyes were shining in the light.
Lady Morgana came up to Maud and smiled at her. �Come, Merlin says you are to be trusted.�
As Lady Morgana started to lead Maud away, she looked back to see the archer giving Merlin a gold coin with a bit of a scowl on his face. �I can�t believe I lost. I swear that her undergarments were that color.� She barely heard the last statement as she rounded a corner.
Lady Morgana led Maud to a staircase and ultimately to a very large room. Suddenly, a fire started roaring in the fireplace. �You may sleep here, young lady.� Then, Lady Morgana turned on her heel and walked out of the room, closing the massive oak doors behind her.
Maud glanced around the room. The bed was a four poster with crimson draperies. There was a hearthrug that had a picture of a lion and a unicorn on it. Almost everything in the room was red.
Maud walked over to a dresser that was beside one of the large windows. She took off her straw hat and placed it on the dresser as she opened one of the drawers. She found a nightgown inside of it.
�What is going on here?� Maud asked to no one as she took out the nightdress. After she got undressed, she found that the nightdress was a little too big for her. It was trying to fall off her shoulders.
Then, she walked over to the bed and opened the curtains. She had thought about taking the necklace off, but something told her to keep it on. She crawled underneath the covers and went to sleep.
Maud felt warmth around her. She breathed in and caught the smell of fresh wildflowers. She opened her eyes lazily and smiled at the light streaming in from the window.
�It was a dream, wasn�t it�� she sighed. She yawned and turned over in her bed so that she was on her back.
�I don�t think so.�
Her eyes snapped open and she saw above her the grinning face of the archer. �EEK!� She hit him with her pillow and jumped out of her bed.
Her heart raced as the archer stood up rubbing his face from the impact of the pillow. �Ow�That hurt, you know.� he said.
�What the bloody hell�� She was at a loss for words. �You mean it wasn�t a dream?�
The archer suddenly smiled pleasantly. �Of course not, my lady, I�m as real as you or Sir Rain�� Then, he gazed scornfully at the pillow. ��or that pillow. I�ve never been assaulted by a pillow before.�
�You�you�what�s going on?!� Maud backed up against the dresser as she watched the archer sit down on the bed.
The archer leaned against one of the posts on the bed and sat in a relaxed position. He gazed idly at her. �As far as I know, we were patrolling like we normally do and he heard you walking around. Not unusual, though. I�ve heard a few stories from the older men of strangers walking into the forest and bringing with them strange ideas and contraptions.�
�Is that why you look like you belong in a movie?� Maud asked flatly. She indicated his dress. He was dressed similarly to what he was wearing the other night.
�A move what?� The archer looked perplexed now.
�Er�nothing�nevermind�� Maud shook her head and continued to stare at the archer. �So�why were in my bed?� She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she asked this.
The archer gave her friendly grin, but there was something uncomfortable about how he grinned at her. �I wasn�t in your bed, my lady. I was on it and leaning over to see if you were awake.� He took out an apple and started eating it. �My lord, Merlin, sent me.�
Maud�s stomach made a mighty growl as she stood uncomfortably next to dresser in the too big night dress. She shivered slightly as a draft caught her legs. �Er�could you leave? I�m getting cold.�
The archer glanced over at her and smiled pleasantly. Then, he stood up and bowed to her. �Forgive me, I�ve outstayed my welcome.� When he straightened, he kept that smile on his face. �You really ought not to be ashamed of your body, my lady.�
The archer ducked as Maud sent another pillow his direction. �PERVERT!� she screeched. Then, he disappeared out the door. Maud was left hyperventilating in her anger as she held another pillow aloft ready to throw if he returned.
When she finally dressed in her school uniform, she walked out of the room and walked around the hallways. She had left her black blazer in her room along with her straw hat. She now wore only the white button up, the light brown sweater-vest and the black plaid skirt. Her white socks and black mary-janes did little to keep the draft from hitting her legs.
She finally found the stairway when she ran into something hard. Rather, it was someone. �Watch where you walk, wench.�
Maud glanced up to see the annoyed face of Sir Rain. He wasn�t wearing the armor, however. He was wearing normal clothing, for whatever time period he came from.
�I�m sorry�I didn�t see you!� She blushed backed away from him.
He stared at her hard. �You wear strange clothing. What land are you from?� His voice was calmer now, but there was still a bit of irritation in it.
�M-Me? I�m from around here!� Then, she realized that was not right and was about to say something when she noticed Sir Rain�s expression went from mild annoyance to that of suspicion and major irritation.
�Blasphemer!� he growled; a dagger in his hand and pointed dangerously at her. �Don�t you dare say you are from here! You are not from Camelot!�
This time, Maud was getting angry. �I didn�t say I was from Camelot! I said I was from around��, she even used her hands to indicate area around herself, ��around here. Not here as in Camelot, but here as in GENERAL.�
The knight just stared at her quizzically. She sighed heavily. She wondered how ignorant he was until he put his dagger away. �Fine.�
�Fine? Fine! You point a sharp pointy thing at me and say �fine�?� She was now growling herself. She balled her hands into fists as she growled.
He shot her a sharp look and returned her glare. �Don�t talk to me in such a manner, woman!� he snarled at her.
�Why don�t you just shove that dagger up your backs��
Someone coughed behind Sir Rain and they both turned to see Merlin standing there. �I trust you both are getting along well?� Merlin smirked at them both.
�I don�t know why you assigned me to protect this bitch, Merlin. Especially with Alwyn.� Sir Rain said casually.
�Bitch! I�ll show you�� Just as she was about to claw at his throat, a pair of hands grabbed her around her waist and pulled her back. She looked up and saw the archer smiling pleasantly down at her. �You!� she gasped.
�Maud��, Merlin said, �This is Sir Rain of Westfall and that smirking cat behind you is Alwyn.�
Alwyn let go of Maud and stood back, bowing low to her. �A pleasure to meet you, Lady Maud.�
Rain gave a snort and gave a short bow of his head in Maud�s direction. �What ever.�
�Good. Now that you three have introduced yourselves, let us go down to the eating hall and have breakfast.� Merlin said with a smile. Then, he turned around and walked down the staircase.
When they walked down to the eating hall, Maud spotted Lady Morgana at the front table. She was sitting with several other women who looked very similar to her. All of them had dark hair and extremely pale skin. A few had light hair, like blonde or red hair, but they were few.
Maud stared in amazement at the place. There were several people talking happily on either side of her and there were a few gazing at her in mild interest.
�This way, Lady Maud.� said Alwyn. He brushed his hand against her arm and got her attention. He showed her to a seat that wasn�t far from the table with Lady Morgana.
For the first time since she first encountered Sir Rain, she saw him sigh dreamily as he gazed up at the main table. Maud snickered and looked the way he looking over at the table. He was gazing at Morgana.
Lady Morgana suddenly stood up. �May I have your attention?�
Everyone stopped talking and glanced at Lady Morgana with interest. �Good. I wish you all to greet our new guest, Lady Maud of Kenelm.� Then, Morgana indicated Maud.
Maud gulped as everyone turned to gaze at her in increasing interest. Alwyn suddenly pinched her rear and she shot out of her seat in surprise. She turned to glare at him, but Morgana indicated the crowd of people around them.
�Er�Hi?� Maud managed to say before her muscles seemed to lock up. She smiled nervously as everyone stared at her.
�Lady Maud will be staying with us for a while, please make sure you make her feel welcome. I know we don�t get visitors very often, but please refrain from pinching and poking her. I know that�s what happened the last time.�
Maud did a sort of double take as she heard the last sentence. She stared incredulously at Lady Morgana and saw that Morgana had a serious look on her pale, yet young face.
�Thank you. Now, you may all eat.� Then, everyone in the room turned back to their conversations. Maud glanced back at Lady Morgana and saw her walk over toward her.
She was the epitome of grace. She glided over to Alwyn and whispered something in his ear. Alwyn smiled and bowed to Lady Morgana and walked to an empty seat two seats away from Maud.
Maud noticed Sir Rain was not far from Alwyn. He was about two seats from him. Maud briefly wondered if this was due to Maud�s location, when one of the ladies next to her started talking happily to her.
�This is so exciting! I haven�t been able to meet any of the visitors since I�m one of the youngest here.� The lady was small and thin with long red curls and a silver circlet crown like that of Lady Morgana. She looked to be a little younger than Maud.
�I�m Maud Kenelm. What�s your name?� Maud said carefully.
�Oh! I�m sorry! I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Rhiannon.� Lady Rhiannon giggled as she talked.
Maud sat and ate her food as Rhiannon talked. �I�ve always been locked up and away so that I could grow normally. I�ve just turned fourteen, so I get to sit here with everyone now.�
�Why?� Maud asked as she put a piece of fruit into her mouth.
Rhiannon looked perplexed. �Why? Because that is the way things are here. Children usually eat separately, unless it is a banquet. Then, children are allowed to eat with everyone else.�
�Is it because children can be louder than adults? Don�t know their manners well, or something?� Maud asked.
�Yes, actually. It�s also so they may have fun with their peers.� Rhiannon smiled and giggled at Maud. Then, she poked her cheek with a long finger. �You are very sweet, Lady Maud. You were asking because you didn�t want children to left out.�
�Er�right.� Maud turned back to her food and began eating some more to ignore Rhiannon for a minute. The Lady Rhiannon was rather strange.
�What is it like in your land, Lady Maud?� asked Rhiannon with much interest.
�Well, first, I generally eat breakfast and dinner with my family. I eat lunch with my friends at school.�
�You are schooled? Gracious, that�s wonderful! The keepers of Camelot are usually schooled, but most of us get a minimal education. We learn what we can, whenever we can.� Rhiannon said it all really fast.
�Who are the keepers of Camelot, Lady Rhiannon?� Maud asked.
�Well� Lady Morgana is one of them. Those four beside her are also keepers and I and the ladies over here are as well.� Rhiannon was counting them as she pointed out the ladies. �And of course there is the Lord Merlin!�
�Mr. Merlin is a keeper? I thought he would only be an adviser.� Maud said as she gazed at Merlin.
�Lord Merlin is the only one of us here that has been here since the time of hiding. When the great king Arthur disappeared.�
Maud was about to say something to contradict Rhiannon, but was poked in her side by one of the men beside her. She turned to see a kind old man smiling at her. �Pardon me, I don�t wish to intrude, but may I please say hello to you, young lady?�
After that, Maud just ate quietly and refrained from talking anymore to the talkative girl beside her.