Prince Arthur

Father has told me I'm to stay here until he says so.

I guess I'm lucky, I think he wanted to toss me in the dungeons!

Morgana and I got in a fight yesterday and I sort of...well...I pushed her over and she hurt herself. When Father found out, he was, well I haven't seen him so angry! I thought he might, I don't know, but do something worse then send me to my chambers.

I didn't get any dinner though...

But I got food today, I think it was servant's food though...the bread was stale. But I decided not to complain.

Before Morgana and I got into our fight some other strange things happened...first Morgana came along wearing completely different clothes. I never got a chance to ask her about it when I ran into her again. She almost seemed different too...but I don't know...

Then I ran into a a very strange man. He seemed to know a lot about me, but I've never met him before! He wouldn't tell me who he was though...how weird!

And THEN the strangest thing of all happened! I can't tell anyone because they'd never believe me, but I'll tell you, book. I ran into LEON, but he was older! Much much older! He was even taller than than his father! And he took me training! It was great! Except he told me that none of the knights I'll lead will ever fight me properly. That can't be true, can it? Knights always do their very best.

So if I beat them, it'll be because I really am the best, not because they let me. At least, it better because of that.

I wonder when Father will let me out?

At a quarter to midnight, the great bell of Camelot tolls once. The townspeople crowd into the streets and a lucky hundred or so get into the palace courtyard.

The Main Hall is full with the nobles of the kingdom.

And Prince Arthur (allowed to stay up for the first time!) is sneaking the corridors to Morgana's chambers to bring her down for the New Year's countdown.

Morgana's not the only one who's had to deal with changes, although Prince Arthur's are decidedly less traumatic.

Although, having to see his father so warm and concerned...Arthur had decided that cold and remote was just the way Father was, but now he knew it wasn't so. Obviously, there was something wrong with Arthur, some reason. He was a bad son or a disappointment or something.

Which was why he was so mean to Morgana...that and the fact she was annoying as anything!

So when he first heard she'd gone missing he hadn't really cared. While the rest of the castle and Camelot itself was in uproar he practiced his drills. But as hours passed, he began to worry - he never admit of course...but if something really had happened...

Morgana was annoying and took all of Father's attention, but she was also the only other child in the castle. And despite their fighting he's sort of getting used to having someone his age about.

And he certainly didn't want her to die!

But she seemed to have disappeared without a trace, in fact, there was only one way he could think of that Morgana could have bypassed all the guards and the townspeople.

He had no idea how she found out though, but throwing on as many layers of clothing he can find, Arthur sneaks out of his room and makes his way to the secret passage behind the plaster lion on the ground floor.

Although the sneaking probably isn't too necessary, everyone's too busy worrying about Morgana to care about him.

As he enters the passage and heads towards the exit he shivers...it's so cold out there! What was Morgana thinking?! Arthur finally decides she wasn't...girls are so dumb.

He almost can't get out of the end of the passage because snow is piled high, at leas to his knees!

For a moment he wonders about going out there...it looks so...cold and...dangerous. Maybe he should go and fetch Father and the guards?

But then he notices the footprints, indistinct but there. Small footprints heading towards Sir Ector's home. Arthur can't imagine why Morgana would go there, but that's what it looks like.

Arthur groans, but he's training to be a knight and has all ready learnt the Code. And the most important rule of all 'Render aid to all those who need it'.

And he's pretty sure Morgana needs that.

So with a deep breath he heads out, relieved to find the snow is heavy enough to move across rather than through.

As he hurries through the snow, he calls her name. "Morgana! Morgana where are you?!"

But there's no answer...and the tracks become messy, moving closer and closer to the river...much too close. She's almost walking on the thin ice itself! She could have fallen through!

"Morgana!" He calls yet again. There's still no answer...but that doesn't matter, because just ahead he sees a familiar cape, struggling in the snow.

It's Morgana! And she's about to fall in!

About my mother, book.

I never met her, she died when I was a baby and no-one ever speaks of her. I asked my Father about her once and I think I made him cry, so I didn't do that again.

I asked Gaius the Court Physician, but he didn't want to talk either, it's not fair.

So all I have is dreams....like the one I had a few nights ago. It was SO real! I even took her to see Father.

So when I woke up yesterday morning I was sure...but Father was just the same and Mother was gone. I don't think she was ever here at all...but I thought...

Well, anyway, dream or not Mother was so nice! I wanted to make her proud and I suppose I was feeling bad, so I went and got some flowers for Morgana.

But she's so annoying! I talked to her about swords, because her father gave me my first sword (which Father took away before she came so she wouldn't see it and get upset) and she said she had a sword and knew how to use it and everything... So I said that I was going to be the best with a sword and she acted like I was insulting her!

I was not! She can be good with a sword too, I don't care, but I'm going to be the best at it is all! I have to be!

Hmpf, I don't know why I bother.

Goodnight book.