A Knight in King Arthur's Court Ch. 02
Keywords: Knight, in, 02, King, A, Court, Arthur's, Ch.,
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*Chapter Two: Training*
Nimue woke that first day to the sound of bells ringing loudly. These had to be the church bells she heard faintly from the farm she'd lived on so long ago. They were not a pleasant way to wake, especially at this hour of the morning. Morning, she thought, glancing out the window into the dim dawn. Yeah, just barely. And it was a chilly morning, as well. Nimue pushed aside the blanket she was using and stood up.
She had to break a thin sheet of ice on the basin beside her bed before she could wash. The whole time she shivered, but not from cold. Nimue could simply not sleep in the bandages she used to bind her breasts. She had to work quickly, despite chattering teeth and shaking hands, to wrap the bandages around herself and then dress. On the upside, it was much quicker to brush her hair and she didn't have to braid it.
Dressed at last, Nimue stepped out into the main part of the rooms. A fire had been started in the hearth and a tray of food lay on the small, low table, but there was no sign of Merlin. She walked hesitantly towards the table, chewing on her lower lip. Will he be angry with me if I eat? she wondered. Perhaps that's food only he's allowed to eat. Nimue's stomach rumbled loudly and despite her apprehension she approached the table. She tore a hunk of bread off a fresh loaf and spread some cheese on it, then settled herself before the fire to munch happily.
"Ah, awake at last, Nim?"
Startled, Nimue turned to face Merlin. She clutched the hunk of bread, feeling guilty, but he made no mention of it as he grabbed something from the tray for himself. For someone at this hour of the morning he was surprisingly cheerful. She watched him, nibbling at her bread, as he set a kettle full of water over the fire in the hearth. I have to remember to respond to Nimial now, Nimue thought, forcing a smile as Merlin turned to look at her. How I hope I can handle this.
"I hope you're up for some hard work," Merlin said, settling down on a chair before the hearth. "Being my page won't be easy."
"I'll do my best, sir," Nimue responded, her voice quiet.
"Have you had any training with the sword?" Merlin asked, regarding her steadily.
She felt unnerved beneath his gaze. "Um…n-not really…but I can learn! I'll try real hard!"
Merlin chuckled softly and she felt her cheeks darken. Nimue knew she was really too old to begin to learn sword fighting, but she would try her hardest. The look in his eyes made her glad that she could at least use a dagger, and do some fighting hand-to-hand. Something tells me I'll be working really hard for the rest of my natural life, Nimue thought, groaning inwardly. I hope I'm up to this.
*****
As it turned out, Nimue couldn't have been more right. Her first day was the easiest. She learned that she would have more than just lessons in fighting, archery, and horseback riding; she had to learn to read and write, had to study history and mathematics, and had to learn etiquette. That involved serving at the ladies' table several nights a week, right alongside the commoners who also served at Camelot. Nimue found she liked many of the servants, but the high born ladies she could do without.
They liked to tease her, almost as much as the other pages, the squires, and the knights did. Because she was small and a peasant they decided from day one that she wasn't up to scratch. Nimue suffered through their taunts and kept silent about it. It was her problem, and she wasn't going to go crying to Merlin about it. She refused to cry, even when she sank into bed at night, tired to the bone and covered in bruises.
Nimue thought she could handle the hard work and the taunting. In fact, she was usually working too hard to pay attention to the taunting. No, real trouble came in the form of Lady Chelinda, a beautiful blonde who was fairly knew to the court of Camelot. She had a real taste for younger boys, or those who at least looked younger. Which posed a real problem, because not only did she have an eye for 'Nimial', she was also married to Bryant, one of the biggest and meanest knights Nimue had ever seen.
It was only the first day of her third week. She'd had to race upstairs to Merlin's room after horseback riding, because she stank of the stable. The few minutes she'd had to wash herself down had not felt like nearly enough, before she was pulling on a clean uniform, then racing down to the ladies' dining hall. Nimue was met in the kitchens by Micah, a peasant boy a couple years younger than she, who she had become quick friends with.
"You've gotta serve Lady Chelinda tonight," Micah warned her. "You got her side of the table."
Nimue sighed and rolled her eyes. "Great, just great."
All the ladies on Chelinda's side of the table were…spirited. That was the way the squires and knights liked to put it. Nimue had learned awfully quickly to dodge their grasping hands. The last thing she needed was for them to grab for a certain something and find it not there. She'd dropped a couple of trays, which had gotten her extra special duty: latrine cleaning. So Nimue didn't want to risk dropping anymore, not when she was already exhausted.
The night went so eventless that she was certain she was home free. Chelinda didn't even try to grab her once, which was a great relief. Nimue was turning tray with the dish for cleaning hands after dinner when a hand came down on her shoulder, startling her and nearly causing her to drop the tray. It was Micah, and he looked upset and nervous.
"What?" Nimue asked, frowning.
"Lady Chelinda has requested your presence in her rooms," he replied. "Tonight."
Nimue's eyes widened. "I can't do that!"
"You can't refuse, either," Micah told her.
"But…but she's married!" Nimue protested. "What…what about her husband? Bryant would…he'd tear me apart, Micah! Tell her I can't!"
The look in his dark eyes told her everything she needed to know; Lady Chelinda did not take 'no' for an answer. I am in so much trouble, Nimue thought, swallowing had. If she refused to go, Lady Chelinda would poke and pry into her life until she found out the truth, no doubt. If she went, Chelinda was bound to find out her secret a whole lot sooner. And that wasn't even counting what Bryant would do to her either way.
I have to convince her somehow that this is a bad idea, Nimue thought, chewing on her lower lip. She peered out into the dining hall, but Lady Chelinda was already gone. How was she supposed to convince the Lady that 'Nimial' made a bad choice as a secret lover? She glanced at Micah, but there were no answers in his large, dark eyes. Nimue could tell by the expression on his face that he had been assigned to bring her to Chelinda and he was waiting on her.
"When?" Nimue asked, sighing in defeated.
"Midnight," Micah replied, looking at her apologetically.
Nimue groaned. "Great, just great. I'll meet you at the servants' quarters."
At least she had a few hours to come up with a plan, not that that was a good thing. Because it meant that, even if she managed to slip away quickly, she wouldn't be getting into bed until late, but she'd be up before sunrise. Maybe I should tell Merlin, Nimue thought, biting her lower lip. He could help me, tell me how to get her to leave me alone. But she was determined to do this on her own; Merlin had given her far more help already than he would ever owe her.
*****
Nimue met Micah in the servants' quarter a little before minute. It was dark and silent except for the small candle he held. He hustled her behind a changing screen (thank God!) where she changed from her pages' uniform into some of his old clothes. Lady Chelinda might not like that, but it was a wise precaution. Then the two of them slipped together through the halls to the wing where the ladies' rooms were. Nimue wasn't able to move as silently as Micah was, no matter how hard she tried.
At one point they were almost caught. They ducked together into a dark alcove and Micah turned to the wall, hiding the dim light of the candle with his body. She stared out into the hall, able to see enough in the dark to recognize the broad shoulders and light gait of the man who walked by: Lancelot. Nimue stared after him in amazement, even after he disappeared into a room, until Micah elbowed her in the back. Then she slipped from the alcove and they continued down the hall.
"What room did he go into?" Micah asked.
Nimue glanced at him. "Who?"
"Lancelot," Micah replied. "It was him, wasn't it? What room did he go into?"
"The one at the end, on the left," Nimue told him. "Why?"
"Guinevere," Micah said softly. "Damnit, the fool! While the King's at court, yet!"
Nimue stared at him open-mouthed. Lancelot and the queen!? Oh, that's madness, she thought, huddling closer to Micah's side as though she thought he could protect her. She wondered if anyone besides the servants knew about it. And why would one of the King's loyal knights sleep with his wife like that? What sort of nighttime activities did the other knights participate in? Merlin wouldn't do that, Nimue thought, shuddering. I know he wouldn't… She wished she could be sure, though.
Finally Micah halted before a door and nodded towards it. Taking a deep breath, she knocked once, waited for permission, then stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind herself. Lady Chelinda stood at the back of the room with her back turned towards the door. She wore a thin robe in light blue, embroidered with silver. Her golden hair hung loose down her back. Nimue had once had hair that long. She reached up, subconsciously pushing at her now short hair.
Chelinda turned, her movements graceful. "There you are at last," she said, smiling at her.
Nimue stared. No doubt Chelinda thought her smile was seductive, and it would have been if she was male. As it was, it was just kind of scary. She backed up against the door as Chelinda moved closer, her hips swaying as she walked. Feeling very much like a choice piece of meat, Nimue reached behind her for the handle of the door.
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Keywords: Knight, in, 02, King, A, Court, Arthur's, Ch.,