I've had the biggest case of writer's block.. Gooooodddd… I really want to introduce you to the characters, but I want even more to go ahead and get to all the action. I have nooo patience. Cause it isn't going to get really exciting until they are a wee bit older. So I've decided I'm just going to have to suffer through it for a few more chapters of boringness. Then I promise it will get exciting. Yeah. I really hope yall love this story. A lot of the story is going to take place in other parts of Europe like Rome and….Scandinavia? Yes you read that right. Scandinavia. Adventure galore. I'm gonna throw in some Serbs and Vikings…Well actually it's the near ancestors of the Vikings…I'm going to shut up now before I ruin the entire story.

SnoDragon- Noooo! No! Gaheris isn't hot when he's ten! I meant when he's older! Eck. I'm not a pedophile!

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The priest Fergus was my mortal enemy. If it were not for his gift of tongues, I would have cursed him and never set eyes upon him again.

"Gwenhwyfach, translate." Fergus snapped pointing towards the manuscript in front of me. I stared at the thick strokes. I loathed Latin…

"It says something about the surplus of combat." I said looking at him levelly.

"Deer not combat." He said impatiently. The somber man looked hopelessly at me. "You must pay attention girl. You're doing well with Greek. There is no reason that you should not do as well with your Latin."

"It's too sharp on the ears." I said flatly. He narrowed his eyes at me and walked over to where Constantine was bent over a thick manuscript. Constantine was practically fluent in the damned language.

"You should try harder." The heir to the throne said not looking up from his studies.

"Comes natural to you, prince." I said dryly. It had been Mordred's idea that I learn languages. The man had suggested to my mother that it could be to mine and Gaheris's benefit three years ago. At thirteen, I was fairly fluent in Greek and I knew passable Latin. I even knew a bit of the Saxon tongue. I sat back miserably on the bench. Gaheris had told father that he was not learning another word of either language a few months ago and that was that. I on the other hand had not been giving the option of quitting my lessons with the sadistic priest Fergus. Of course, when I was not at Caerleon, there were no lessons.

"Fergus, why don't you let her go play with the others?" Constantine asked authoritatively. I had no doubt that Fergus's admonishments of me were distracting him. Perfect. Now the dour priest had no other choice.

"Fine." Fergus said waving me off wearily. I smiled as he muttered something about heathen children. I left him with his favorite Christian pupil and began making my way to the courtyard. Gaheris, Gareth and Ywain were out hunting no doubt. Guinglain and Geraint would be off somewhere also… That left me with few companions of my own age. In fact, Enid was the only girl my own age at Caerleon during this season.

"Hello Gwenhwyfach." Palomides said as I entered the stables. The Saracen knight was helping his daughter on a horse.

"We're going to buy something for mother in the market." Enid informed me. Her dark, nearly black hair shone red in the light. Brown hands tossed me a dagger. She was a dark, exotic version of her woad mother, Yseult.

"Gaheris told me to give you that." She said as her father mounted his own horse. I nodded silently to the pair and left. I wandered around the halls of the domus for a while, searching for company. The smell of chamomile and leather seemed to waft around the royal residence all year round. I inhaled the sent and closed my eyes as the sunlight from various windows hit me at odd moments. My senses told me of another person nearby. I stopped and opened my eyes, mere inches before I walked straight into March.

"Hello uncle." I said. The woad man held out an arm which I took.

"Why aren't you out with your brother? I never see the two of you apart normally." March asked as we strolled. He pulled a warm piece of bread from his tunic and presented it to me. I took it gratefully and stuffed a piece into my mouth.

"How did you know I was hungry?" I asked with mild curiosity. His green eyes were distant for a moment before he answered.

"Your mother is always hungry." He said lightly. "And you, fair one, are too much like her."

The older I grew, the more everyone told me I was like my mother. I accepted this, though I knew there were key differences between the two of us.

"Gaheris is out hunting." I said answering his earlier question. "And Constantine finally told Fergus to free me from his hellish tutorage. Leaving me with little to do."

Mother and Father and left weeks ago to visit their homeland. Gaheris and I had been put under the care of Arthur and Guinevere, and our home was left to March to manage in the mean time. Caerleon grew too boring, too quickly. I thanked the gods that I would soon be departing for Aballava.

"Do you think they will ever take Gaheris or me to Sarmatia?" I asked as I yawned.

"Of course." March said sitting down on a bench by a courtyard archway. "When you're old enough."

"Mother took Mordred when he was not yet six." I countered.

"And it was very dangerous. Ask her yourself." March said. He always defended mother. Gods above.

"I have. Many times." I drawled. My wrinkled green tunic tickled my stomach as I stretched my arms upwards. I had a moment to see March's bearded grin before pair of brown arms lifted me into the air. I stared unaffectedly at the man who looked at me with dark eyes.

"Mordred, I'm not five anymore." I said though I didn't mind it all. The smile that never reached his eyes crossed his face for a moment before he kissed me quickly. I felt myself grow warm as he set me down. Odd.

"Mordred." March said in acknowledgement. Arthur's son nodded in return and turned to face me again.

"Come. Ride with me." He said and began leading me to the stables. Mordred looked more like a man than he had last time I had seen him I noticed. His body, though still not broad, had thickened with manhood and soldiery. His shadowed eyes and harsh mouth made for an alluring face. The woad turned towards me and he seemed to take in my own appearance.

"Still a girl." He said flatly as his eyes skimmed over my flat body. Mother kept telling me that I would soon have her figure and loathe it, but I had yet to see any reason why. I doubted any man had ever been brave enough to whistle at her or try to touch her, but perhaps she didn't like the attention her body called. Then again I doubted she would have liked to look as boyish as I did.

I ignored his insult.

"You are still young though. Plenty of time." Mordred said as he began to mount his own horse. The smells of the stable shot through my nostrils. I mounted the brown mare and curled my lip as she whickered peevishly. Father had promised to bring Gaheris and me back horses. I couldn't wait.

"Go bed your women and leave my body alone." I drawled. Mordred rewarded my impudence by baring his teeth in a disquieting smile.

"I am the son of the high king and a queen." Mordred said expressionlessly. "You should address me as such."

Anyone else would have thought the woad prince was serious. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'd sooner light your royal arse on fire." I said emotionlessly. He let out a bark of a laugh as we rode out of the city gates.

"Ywain is well?" Mordred asked after a while. I was surprised Mordred had not gone to speak to his brother first. The cool breeze swept my dark hair up and around my face. Fall was my favorite time of year, and I smiled into the wind.

"Mm. Yes. Hunting." I said looking towards the fields. I watched a woman and her daughter reaping wheat in the merciful sunlight. Their worn dresses and head cloths snapped at the air as a breeze swept through.

"And Constantine?" He asked again. I looked him dead in the eye. The man could hide his feelings so well it was an art.

"Dead. Fell off a cliff into the sea." I lied fluidly.

"I take it he's well." Mordred said though he didn't sound disappointed.

"And if he was not?" I asked not bothering to sound merely curious. Mordred only looked at me.

"You don't have to be so guarded around me." I said before he could turn away again. "You know how I feel."

Still he was silent.

"Then hold your tongue. Don't speak of it until it is necessary." The young man said staring straight ahead. His voice had not been unkind, but it was harsh and authoritative.

"And when will that be?" I asked pressing him.

"Not now." He answered shortly. I recognized this as the time to leave it alone. Another breeze and suddenly the wheat was shivering and shimmering like wisps of gold.

"I'll be taking you to the north." Mordred said after a moment.

"Really." I yawned. "And I was hoping for an enjoyable trip."

He was quiet after this.

"I enjoy your company." He said after a moment. He looked at me with dark eyes to emphasize his point.

"I know." I said feeling the horse under me stumble a bit. "Will you take me into battle with you?"

His eyes narrowed wryly.

"Why?" Mordred asked amusedly.

"Because I have never killed a man." I answered simply. I caught a brown leaf from the air and crumpled it. I already knew he wouldn't. At least not without my mother or father's permission.

"You are barely more than a child." The prince said. I shrugged.

"I may not yet be a woman, but I am not a child. You know this." I said evenly.

"Too wise for a child." He yawned and I could not tell whether he was serious or not. "But no. You're still too young."

My mother and father had bloodied their swords before the age of thirteen. This I knew. But other than the Saxons to the east, our home had given me no reason to kill a man.

"You'll have to wait until after you leave Aballava if you're to live with the maidens." Mordred said.

"No men. No blood." I sighed. "I assure you will not live with the maidens for very long."

"Beast." Mordred said looking away so I wouldn't see him smile.

"Come. I need to see my father." He said after a few minutes of silence and we turned to head back to the city gates.

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Shitty chapter I know. But I just couldn't do this chapter for some reason… Writer's block. The devil's tool. Gah... This is so not up to par. I swear on the grave of my dead goldfish that the next chapter will be better.