Blood of the Sword
The king set his goblet back down on the table as Lady le Fay turned to him, a soft smile gracing her face. "Do not be angry with the prince, your Majesty. He is young, and surely it is hard for him to see his friend give way to a stranger."
Arthur nodded as he considered this. Before he got a chance to respond, Morgan stood and whispered in Arthur's ear. "Let me talk to him. Perhaps it will be easier to vent to an aunt he does not have to impress. And after all, his behavior, however reprehensible, is based in loyalty, which every young knight ought to cultivate. One cannot really fault him for that, you know."
Arthur nodded again, long and slow, as he pondered these words. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. "Perhaps you should. Perhaps you can reach him far better than I."
He'd lost touch with his son, with their many years apart. It had seemed a worthy sacrifice at the time, but now that Gabe was back in Camelot, with his knighthood attained, Arthur was beginning to wonder if it was worth it.
And then there was Blair, who seemed to be growing farther and farther apart from him each day. An unruly child she was. He had no idea what to do with her most days, or how to crack her hard exterior shell, how to reach her heart.
He glanced down the table at her, at her false smile. Why did she constantly feel the need to prove herself to him? He loved her just as she was, as the lovely princess she was.
He snapped back out of thought and looked back up at Morgan who was still leaning over his shoulder. "Yes, I think that would be best." He nodded absently, then turned back to his meal, wondering where on earth he'd gone wrong.
___
Blair watched as first Galahad, then Gabe walked out of the banquet hall. She felt a small surge of victory as the former left the dais, but the defeated and frustrated look on Gabe's face nearly made her regret what she'd done. Do I always chase people away?
Gawain's eyes were studying her. "You look like you just ate a lemon."
"You are... quite supportive," she choked out. "I'm sure I'll enjoy that constructive criticism in a few weeks."
As soon as she spoke it, her stomach dropped. The announcement was tonight. She'd forgotten in the midst of the Gabe-drama. Hopefully her father had forgotten as well, though she doubted it. Predictably, he'd draw the dining hall's attention in a little while, and the announcement of her impending marriage was bound to follow.
And after that, she'd be roped into marrying Gawain. Forever.