New Year's Eve with Morgana

[bit_of_a_clotpole]

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.

Comments

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

Arthur grabs onto her hand as well! This is really exciting.

In the space between the two bells and the one signally midnight all the candles in the Great Hall are extinguished.

And then the bell tolls once and a single flame appears in the room, swirling around...
Then another and another.

It's the acrobats! Relighting all the candles as they juggle!

The cry echoes around the hall. "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!"

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

There are very few things that make Morgana speechless, but there's something solemn, something important as the candles are being lit. She watches, only briefly glancing over at Arthur, who is difficult to see in the dark, despite the fact he is right beside her.

It is a moment before she quietly whispers, "Happy New Year, Arthur."

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

It is an amazing sight, Arthur had stayed up last year, but he was in his room and though looking out the windows and hearing the cheers of the crowd had been pretty amazing, this was incredible!

"Happy New Year."

And have an awkward hug.

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana hugs him back. She's a little less awkward at it than he is, because this is what she grew up with, easy affection, and hugs whenever she wanted one.

She thinks of the previous New Year's, one where her father was home, and does to Arthur, the same thing she did to her father. She gives him a very proper, very sweet little kiss on the cheek. Her father always said starting off the New Year like that was good luck.

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

This would be Arthur blushing all the way to the tips of his ears! Fortunately it's dark so she won't see, right?

"Thanks!" He squeaks.

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

She's nowhere near as embarrassed, but Morgana's realized it might not have been the best idea. "It was for luck. My father always said getting a kiss from a girl on New Year's would bring anyone luck."

Okay, now she is getting embarrassed.

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

"Oh...well, um...lots of thanks then. Because knights need all the luck they can get."

Arthur endeavours to play it cool...because... Princes don't blush!

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

Anyone witnessing the incident, might find it utterly adorable, but to Morgana, she's regretting it because it's made everything awkward.

"And you will need luck, because you'll be training soon," she tries to add, helpfully, as she should soon be well enough for the trip to Sir Ector's as long as the King doesn't become overprotective.

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

"Right!" Arthur's face lights up. That makes sense.

The acrobats are doing another routine now with swords! It's enough to distract anyone from awkwardness - especially two children who love sword fighting.

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

Now that the moment of awkwardness is over, Morgana can focus properly on the acrobats.

For two children who love swords, she feels it's more than appropriate to pass comment, on the pretend duel happening in the middle of the floor. "If the one in the blue doesn't win, the contest is rigged. He is much better."

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

"You'd say that," Arthur can't resist nudging her. "Blue's your colour. I think the red one is better."

As it turns out neither blue nor red wins, as quite suddenly the acrobat dress in purple cartwheels in and somehow manages to disarm the other two with his feet!

The applause seems to make the Main Hall rock on its foundations!

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

"Well, that was not a proper duel!" Is all Morgana has to say about the sudden interloper.

Celebrations of this type at home were always simpler, usually a gathering of the families from the local villages on her father's estate. Thinking about that makes her homesick and she wonders how they all are doing.

"Are all celebrations at Camelot like this?"

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

Arthur however is very impressed! Imagine using your feet to disarm someone!

He shakes his head. "No, usually we have feasts and they're sort of boring. I don't think this is usual. Father said something about it being ten years since he got Camelot back so..."

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

"Since he got Camelot back? Back from what?"

There are a few gaps in her knowledge of Camelot's history. The full details of the purge, the war on magic, is one of them.

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

Back from the people who tried to take it over." Arthur lowers his voice speaking very seriously. "They were using all sorts of magic to scare the townspeople."

That was sort of true, as the stories he's been told often are.

"The sorcerers called in the Dragons." Arthur's eyes go wide. "Father managed to beat them, that's pretty amazing don't you think?"

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

"Your father defeated dragons?" Morgana's not certain if she's disbelieving or impressed.

"Why would sorcerers want to take over Camelot?"

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

"Yep!" Arthur nods hard enough that his little circlet almost falls off. He leans in closer. "The servants say that he's got the last Dragon locked up in the dungeon."

He pauses and thinks. "I don't know...Camelot has lots of land and treasures and things like that. I guess they wanted those."

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

"He has a dragon in the dungeon?" Morgana's suddenly wondering if she's been moved into prison. It's not the last time she will have that thought.

Morgana reaches up and fixes his circlet, which is now a little askew. It's not the last time she'll do that either.

"Wouldn't everyone want the lands and treasures not just magical people?"

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

"I've never seen it, but everyone's sure its down there, somewhere." Arthur shrugs, he has no idea where, the dungeons are a maze and even Arthur's not foolhardy enough to go searching. He could get lost forever.

He blushes at her straightening of his circlet.

"And they do, but they don't have powers to make fire and...explode rocks and things..."

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana -- keen on making sure accessories are properly worn, even at this age.

Arthur's tales do not differ from her father's -- who was nothing but complimentary about the King, though he desired to keep Morgana out of court, so, at this stage, they impress.

"I'd be afraid of someone who can just make fire."

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

Arthur nods. "How are you supposed to sword fight them! It's not really fair."

Shakes head. But brightens right up again.

"Father managed it though! I should go wish him happy new year!" He's just about to go out there, but stops. "I can take you back to your room if you want."

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

"No," Morgana says. "I'll stay here and watch a while longer, then I'll go to bed."

It's completely impulsive but she gives him another kiss, on the opposite cheek to the first. "There. Now you have twice the luck."

[bitofaclotpole.livejournal.com]

"If you're sure you'll be all right." Arthur says uncertainly, he wouldn't want anything to happen to her, since he said he'd bring her down he really should stay with her.

But the kiss on his other cheek makes him blush once again!

"Um...thank you."

And quite awkwardly he leans in and kisses her cheek.

"And um...luck for you too."

[weeskeptic.livejournal.com]

The kiss doesn't make her awkward at all. This is what Morgana is used to, though she would usually get them from her father, or her nurse, or the cook.

"I'll be fine. I promise."

She starts to leave but has to add. "So we'll both be lucky this year."