*pokes dubiously*
Arthur and Riku are kind of officially never allowed to hang out with each other now.
"I've got --" said Arthur, and stumbled toward the bushes.
The boy followed after a minute, after Arthur stopped retching. He offered a rag soaked in cool spring water silently.
Arthur wiped his face and mouth. He felt queasy, shaken.
"It takes people like that, sometimes," said the boy, not quite looking at him. "Especially when they're full of light."
--
"So it's like a door," said the silver-haired boy, leaning foward. "And things can get through it. Things you don't want to come."
"Like magic?"
The silver-haired boy tilts his head. "You don't like magic around here?"
"It's illegal," said Arthur shortly. "You get executed for it."
"Well, that sucks," says the silver-haired boy. "Because they don't usually respond to being hit with pointy sticks."
"Hmm," said Arthur. "What's your name?"
The silver-haired boy's mouth twisted wryly.. "Come to think of it, we never did introduce ourselves. I'm Riku."
"Where are you from?" said Arthur. Riku wasn't from anywhere in Albion or any of the surrounding kingdoms, or even countries. He would have heard stories of people like this, he was sure of it.
"A long way away," said Riku, in a clipped voice that discouraged questions. "What's your name?"
"Arthur Pendragon," he said. "I'm the crown prince of Camelot."
Both eyebrows shot up, but Riku didn't seem awed at all. "I know a king," he said.
"Are you a knight?" said Arthur.
"His Majesty says I am," said Riku.
"What's his name?" said Arthur.
"Mickey," said Riku. "From the world of Disney."
Arthur decided he must have heard him wrong. "McKae from the wold of Disnae?" he said, raising his eyebrow. "Were you born there?"
"No," said Riku, and his face went old suddenly, very very old. "I'm from the Destiny Islands. And it's Mickey. MIC-KEY. And Disney. Dis-NEE."
"What about the Isles of Destiny, is that pronounced odd too?" said Arthur. He sheathed his sword. "Where would this ... keyhole thing be?"
Riku considered for a minute. "I think it's somewhere in the castle. I can't tell where, exactly, but it smells like fire and air."
---
"His name is Riku," said Arthur, a little loudly. His father looked over. "He's a knight of - of King McKae. He's on a quest, and requested our hospitality to rest."
His father stared at him, and then Riku. "Why does he wear a blindfold? Speak, Sir Riku, and answer."
"For my quest, sire," said Riku, surprisingly smoothly. Perhaps he really was a knight. Perhaps he really did know kings. "I swore to wear this until it be completed."
"And what is your quest, Sir Riku?" Uther leaned forward, not a threat, yet, but watching Riku closely.
"That I am sworn not to reveal until it be over," said Riku flatly. "Though by my honor, and by the honor of my king, I vow to you that it is a true quest, and honorable." He bowed slightly, respectful but not deferential. "If it please your majesty, I would stay to rest one night, and go forth tomorrow."
There was a long silence while Uther studied Riku, and Arthur held his breath. Then,
"Very well," said Uther, looking away. "We grant you the hospitality for questing knights. We hope we will see you at dinner this eve."
Riku knelt on one knee, surprisingly quick and graceful, and bowed his head. "I thank you, Sire."
"You didn't seem like the person to be able to speak like that," said Arthur, under his breath, as they marched slowly out of the throne room toward a room for Riku and hopefully something to eat before supper.
"Try living with a sorceress with an obsession about her queenly descent," said Riku, even more softly. "She hammered it in. And His Majesty too, he likes teaching people. But not like she did."
Arthur considered this and then nodded. "Do you like meat pies?"
"What type of meat?" said Riku.
--
The servant -- his name was either Peter or John, or perhaps Pigsucker -- brought in mutton pies and mead in a silver flagon. Despite Riku's blindfold, he had no problem eating or lifting his goblet to his lips. Arthur said, "How do you manage with the blindfold?"
Riku shrugged, lifting one shoulder. His hands played over the etching of the goblet. He had the long, sensitive hands of a bard or a scribe, but they were hard and calloused as any knights. "I see in a different way. A lot of it is scent. I'm used to it now." As he turned his hand to pick up another pastry, Arthur saw something on his wrist. Quick as a flash, his hand snapped out, capturing Riku's wrist and holding it. He turned it over.
ソラ, read the characters, carved in Riku's flesh.
"Is that a rune?" he said, studying the two characters.
"No," said Riku, turning his head away and pulling his wrist back from Arthur's grip. He raised his hand to his own lips and kissed the scar with the solemn tenderness of a vow renewed. "It's to remind me what I'm looking for."
------
"What does dragon smell like?" asked Arthur.
"Like a fucking huge flying lizard full of magic," said Riku, without heat. "It depends on the type, really. Anybody can smell a Dark dragon, it's like an armory in a damp cellar."
--
Arthur's eyes insisted they saw an unusually large mouse in a leather coat like Riku's, but his brain said, no, that couldn't be right, it must be a short man with large ears. The mouse - the man - said,
"Well done, Riku, Arthur," and spun his odd blade around, pointing it toward the keyhole in the Queen's chair. A white light flashed out, flowing toward the keyhole.
---
Arthur smiled. It felt kind of awkward and new on his face, but it was a real smile, not the ones he wore at Court. "I wish you'd be one of my knights," he said. "But your king needs you."
Riku's mouth twitched upward. It's a little painful for a real smile. "Not just the king."
For a moment Arthur saw a look on Riku's face that he was more used to seeing on knights during a long campaign, a bone deep, hopeless weariness, so ingrained that not even rest would dispell it. He said, "You'll make it." He was certain of it.
Riku stared at him for a moment and then his mouth curved into something more like a real smile. "If you say so."
Arthur stood for a long time, watching the empty space where Riku had gone through his dark portal. "I do," he said to nothing in particular, and went back to the castle.
"I've got --" said Arthur, and stumbled toward the bushes.
The boy followed after a minute, after Arthur stopped retching. He offered a rag soaked in cool spring water silently.
Arthur wiped his face and mouth. He felt queasy, shaken.
"It takes people like that, sometimes," said the boy, not quite looking at him. "Especially when they're full of light."
--
"So it's like a door," said the silver-haired boy, leaning foward. "And things can get through it. Things you don't want to come."
"Like magic?"
The silver-haired boy tilts his head. "You don't like magic around here?"
"It's illegal," said Arthur shortly. "You get executed for it."
"Well, that sucks," says the silver-haired boy. "Because they don't usually respond to being hit with pointy sticks."
"Hmm," said Arthur. "What's your name?"
The silver-haired boy's mouth twisted wryly.. "Come to think of it, we never did introduce ourselves. I'm Riku."
"Where are you from?" said Arthur. Riku wasn't from anywhere in Albion or any of the surrounding kingdoms, or even countries. He would have heard stories of people like this, he was sure of it.
"A long way away," said Riku, in a clipped voice that discouraged questions. "What's your name?"
"Arthur Pendragon," he said. "I'm the crown prince of Camelot."
Both eyebrows shot up, but Riku didn't seem awed at all. "I know a king," he said.
"Are you a knight?" said Arthur.
"His Majesty says I am," said Riku.
"What's his name?" said Arthur.
"Mickey," said Riku. "From the world of Disney."
Arthur decided he must have heard him wrong. "McKae from the wold of Disnae?" he said, raising his eyebrow. "Were you born there?"
"No," said Riku, and his face went old suddenly, very very old. "I'm from the Destiny Islands. And it's Mickey. MIC-KEY. And Disney. Dis-NEE."
"What about the Isles of Destiny, is that pronounced odd too?" said Arthur. He sheathed his sword. "Where would this ... keyhole thing be?"
Riku considered for a minute. "I think it's somewhere in the castle. I can't tell where, exactly, but it smells like fire and air."
---
"His name is Riku," said Arthur, a little loudly. His father looked over. "He's a knight of - of King McKae. He's on a quest, and requested our hospitality to rest."
His father stared at him, and then Riku. "Why does he wear a blindfold? Speak, Sir Riku, and answer."
"For my quest, sire," said Riku, surprisingly smoothly. Perhaps he really was a knight. Perhaps he really did know kings. "I swore to wear this until it be completed."
"And what is your quest, Sir Riku?" Uther leaned forward, not a threat, yet, but watching Riku closely.
"That I am sworn not to reveal until it be over," said Riku flatly. "Though by my honor, and by the honor of my king, I vow to you that it is a true quest, and honorable." He bowed slightly, respectful but not deferential. "If it please your majesty, I would stay to rest one night, and go forth tomorrow."
There was a long silence while Uther studied Riku, and Arthur held his breath. Then,
"Very well," said Uther, looking away. "We grant you the hospitality for questing knights. We hope we will see you at dinner this eve."
Riku knelt on one knee, surprisingly quick and graceful, and bowed his head. "I thank you, Sire."
"You didn't seem like the person to be able to speak like that," said Arthur, under his breath, as they marched slowly out of the throne room toward a room for Riku and hopefully something to eat before supper.
"Try living with a sorceress with an obsession about her queenly descent," said Riku, even more softly. "She hammered it in. And His Majesty too, he likes teaching people. But not like she did."
Arthur considered this and then nodded. "Do you like meat pies?"
"What type of meat?" said Riku.
--
The servant -- his name was either Peter or John, or perhaps Pigsucker -- brought in mutton pies and mead in a silver flagon. Despite Riku's blindfold, he had no problem eating or lifting his goblet to his lips. Arthur said, "How do you manage with the blindfold?"
Riku shrugged, lifting one shoulder. His hands played over the etching of the goblet. He had the long, sensitive hands of a bard or a scribe, but they were hard and calloused as any knights. "I see in a different way. A lot of it is scent. I'm used to it now." As he turned his hand to pick up another pastry, Arthur saw something on his wrist. Quick as a flash, his hand snapped out, capturing Riku's wrist and holding it. He turned it over.
ソラ, read the characters, carved in Riku's flesh.
"Is that a rune?" he said, studying the two characters.
"No," said Riku, turning his head away and pulling his wrist back from Arthur's grip. He raised his hand to his own lips and kissed the scar with the solemn tenderness of a vow renewed. "It's to remind me what I'm looking for."
------
"What does dragon smell like?" asked Arthur.
"Like a fucking huge flying lizard full of magic," said Riku, without heat. "It depends on the type, really. Anybody can smell a Dark dragon, it's like an armory in a damp cellar."
--
Arthur's eyes insisted they saw an unusually large mouse in a leather coat like Riku's, but his brain said, no, that couldn't be right, it must be a short man with large ears. The mouse - the man - said,
"Well done, Riku, Arthur," and spun his odd blade around, pointing it toward the keyhole in the Queen's chair. A white light flashed out, flowing toward the keyhole.
---
Arthur smiled. It felt kind of awkward and new on his face, but it was a real smile, not the ones he wore at Court. "I wish you'd be one of my knights," he said. "But your king needs you."
Riku's mouth twitched upward. It's a little painful for a real smile. "Not just the king."
For a moment Arthur saw a look on Riku's face that he was more used to seeing on knights during a long campaign, a bone deep, hopeless weariness, so ingrained that not even rest would dispell it. He said, "You'll make it." He was certain of it.
Riku stared at him for a moment and then his mouth curved into something more like a real smile. "If you say so."
Arthur stood for a long time, watching the empty space where Riku had gone through his dark portal. "I do," he said to nothing in particular, and went back to the castle.