[closed/complete]
Characters: Arthur Pendragon [rexquefuturus] & Polyxena [fatedly]
Date/Time: After this.
Location: NYC random restaurant
Rating: PG
Warnings: None!
Summary: Polyxena needs to talk to Arthur about a few things.
It would be lying to say that Arthur wasn't somewhat concerned by Polyxena's message but he was also more than happy for the opportunity to see her. Their occasional meetings at parties had always left him warmed and content. He felt that no matter what she had to say, she could never truly upset him. She was too kind and too thoughtful.
He strolled along the street towards her apartment complex and rang her doorbell. The restaurant was a short taxi ride away and he was confident that they would have a pleasant evening together.
They would, Polyxena didn't dive right into the topic she wanted to bring up with Arthur. Instead she greeted him warmly and kissed his cheek. She followed him to dinner and then sat with him, the conversation was light but formal. Always a polite dance she kept with her king and his knights.
It was much later into the evening when Polyxena decided to breach the topic.
"There are a lot of familiar faces for you."
Arthur simply nodded and sipped his wine. Leaning back in his seat, he looked across the table at his companion. The evening had been so enjoyable but he had no doubt that they were leading up to the purpose of their meeting.
"At this rate, there will soon be the full compliment of knights," he said. There was a pensive note in his voice. Some of his knights were exemplary. Incomparable. Tristan and Galahad and Percival and Gawain. The others were harder to categorize. Harder to forgive, perhaps.
"That is some cause for concern." Polyxena said softly, hands folding neatly over the table. She'd watched her father and brother in their meetings, the pose they took when speaking. Now Polyxena adopted the same pose, she held herself up, head tilted slightly. "For your well-being."
At the right moment she paused, waiting for him to add someting. Of course there had been some research done before, but the politics of novels and the politics from the eyes of Arthur were different things.
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Concern for my well-being?" he asked. He bit his lip, frowning, more than a little confused. "In what way? I don't quite understand, Princess."
Not really thinking, he reached over the table and gently, briefly, laid his hand atop hers. "Not all of my knights are as chivalrous as one might hope." He smiled slightly. "Not even I am as chivalrous as Gawain or Galahad but- I cannot imagine they would harm me." His smile became a little more grim. "I don't intend to let any of them close enough to try." (And there is was; that mistrust that Arthur had cultivated.)
A smile flickered across her face, she lowered her head in acknowledgement of what he said, "I do not doubt you are capable." She added, "And no one should doubt your chivalry." Her fingertips brushed the back of his hand, a sign of reassurance and approval. "Please, my king, you have more worth than you give yourself." Her hand returned to her side.
"However, I know in the past things were difficult for you." How to say this delicately? "Your sisters. Your nephews. Your Knights." Polyxena paused, "Things may be difficult for you. I just..."
Words died in the back of her throat, "I wish to offer my support."
Arthur's expression was grave as he listened to Polyxena's concerned. He could not deny that they were valid, certainly, but his face lit up at her solemn assertion.
"I appreciate your kind concern, Princess," he said. "And know that even your company on evenings such as this means a great deal to me." He paused, sipped his wine again. "My sisters - well. I do not know if I can hope for a relationship with Morgause but Morgan and I are friends, certainly. I care very deeply for them both. I will be frank with you. I have my doubts about my son and about Lancelot, naturally. I cannot imagine what it might be like if Guinevere appears." He shrugs. "But I will not put my past before my future. I will not discard those friends I have made here. Some of them are my friends of old, certainly, but some are new and I value their support so much."
While he spoke, Polyxena took a sip of her glass, holding it in her free hand as if she were concealing something behind the gesture. (Probably, very likely, she was fluid like water, and right now she was tense, her movements a little more frozen than what was normal). "I am sorry for what happened with Morgause and your son." And Guinveere and Lancelot and... in her opinion? Arthur had been given a bad hand of fate before, and maybe the fates would be more merciful now.
"Forgive me, my king, I was just worried. I've observed a lot of...disturbance among the Orkney brothers too, and..." Polyxena paused looking for the right words, "It is a lot to handle, not that you are not capable. You are."
Arthur nodded slowly. "Thank you for your faith," he said, a little dryly. "In truth, I have perhaps been a little distant from them. I am their king, still, as they are my knights. I suppose it is time that I reminded them of this."
Another sip of his wine and another gentle touch on the back of Poyxena's wrist. "You are very kind, Polyxena, to be so concerned for me." A smile. "And to phrase it so difficulty. The Orkney faction have always been … lively … to the point of being troublesome. At times, it is difficult to know where their loyalties lie. Most of them still call me their king, which is something, at least."
"You're a good man, Arthur, I've liked you since we've met." That was all, "You remind me of my father sometimes, in his wisdom and sometimes sadness." The Trojan closed her eyes briefly, remembering her father's grief at the death of all of his sons, daughters... "Gawain is loyal to you." She licked his lip, "But he is in a most difficult position. I do not envy him right now."
Or ever. She really felt deeply for Gawain and his pain, and while that would not be revealed to Arthur- it was evident that Gaheris' return and the crime of matricide demanded retribution from his other brothers. The problem was... fratricide was a great crime too.
Arthur bit his lip and nodded. Though she hadn't said as much, he understood that Gaheris' arrival can only have stirred things up amongst his brothers, not to mention for his own half-sister.
"Gawain is noble," he said. A rather obvious statement. "Which must make this doubly difficult for him." He looks at Polyxena, straight in the eyes, and he is decisive when he speaks. "I will talk to them. All of them. We will see what sort of men they have become."
Polyxena met his eyes without blinking, he spoke like a true king- rebirth had not changed the man he was deep down. When he finished, she broke out into a bright smile, reaching over to grasp his wrist with her slim fingers. "Gawain could use the council of his king, yes, I've known him for a long time, but I would appreciate if my concerns for him were kept between us? He is very private, and I worry about overstepping boundaries, causing him any sort of grief would be unforgivable to me."
"Your secret is safe with me, Princess," he said, quietly. "I know what sort of man Gawain is, at least. I am glad he has a friend like you."
With that, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips softly. "Just as I am glad to have a friend like you."
Date/Time: After this.
Location: NYC random restaurant
Rating: PG
Warnings: None!
Summary: Polyxena needs to talk to Arthur about a few things.
It would be lying to say that Arthur wasn't somewhat concerned by Polyxena's message but he was also more than happy for the opportunity to see her. Their occasional meetings at parties had always left him warmed and content. He felt that no matter what she had to say, she could never truly upset him. She was too kind and too thoughtful.
He strolled along the street towards her apartment complex and rang her doorbell. The restaurant was a short taxi ride away and he was confident that they would have a pleasant evening together.
They would, Polyxena didn't dive right into the topic she wanted to bring up with Arthur. Instead she greeted him warmly and kissed his cheek. She followed him to dinner and then sat with him, the conversation was light but formal. Always a polite dance she kept with her king and his knights.
It was much later into the evening when Polyxena decided to breach the topic.
"There are a lot of familiar faces for you."
Arthur simply nodded and sipped his wine. Leaning back in his seat, he looked across the table at his companion. The evening had been so enjoyable but he had no doubt that they were leading up to the purpose of their meeting.
"At this rate, there will soon be the full compliment of knights," he said. There was a pensive note in his voice. Some of his knights were exemplary. Incomparable. Tristan and Galahad and Percival and Gawain. The others were harder to categorize. Harder to forgive, perhaps.
"That is some cause for concern." Polyxena said softly, hands folding neatly over the table. She'd watched her father and brother in their meetings, the pose they took when speaking. Now Polyxena adopted the same pose, she held herself up, head tilted slightly. "For your well-being."
At the right moment she paused, waiting for him to add someting. Of course there had been some research done before, but the politics of novels and the politics from the eyes of Arthur were different things.
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Concern for my well-being?" he asked. He bit his lip, frowning, more than a little confused. "In what way? I don't quite understand, Princess."
Not really thinking, he reached over the table and gently, briefly, laid his hand atop hers. "Not all of my knights are as chivalrous as one might hope." He smiled slightly. "Not even I am as chivalrous as Gawain or Galahad but- I cannot imagine they would harm me." His smile became a little more grim. "I don't intend to let any of them close enough to try." (And there is was; that mistrust that Arthur had cultivated.)
A smile flickered across her face, she lowered her head in acknowledgement of what he said, "I do not doubt you are capable." She added, "And no one should doubt your chivalry." Her fingertips brushed the back of his hand, a sign of reassurance and approval. "Please, my king, you have more worth than you give yourself." Her hand returned to her side.
"However, I know in the past things were difficult for you." How to say this delicately? "Your sisters. Your nephews. Your Knights." Polyxena paused, "Things may be difficult for you. I just..."
Words died in the back of her throat, "I wish to offer my support."
Arthur's expression was grave as he listened to Polyxena's concerned. He could not deny that they were valid, certainly, but his face lit up at her solemn assertion.
"I appreciate your kind concern, Princess," he said. "And know that even your company on evenings such as this means a great deal to me." He paused, sipped his wine again. "My sisters - well. I do not know if I can hope for a relationship with Morgause but Morgan and I are friends, certainly. I care very deeply for them both. I will be frank with you. I have my doubts about my son and about Lancelot, naturally. I cannot imagine what it might be like if Guinevere appears." He shrugs. "But I will not put my past before my future. I will not discard those friends I have made here. Some of them are my friends of old, certainly, but some are new and I value their support so much."
While he spoke, Polyxena took a sip of her glass, holding it in her free hand as if she were concealing something behind the gesture. (Probably, very likely, she was fluid like water, and right now she was tense, her movements a little more frozen than what was normal). "I am sorry for what happened with Morgause and your son." And Guinveere and Lancelot and... in her opinion? Arthur had been given a bad hand of fate before, and maybe the fates would be more merciful now.
"Forgive me, my king, I was just worried. I've observed a lot of...disturbance among the Orkney brothers too, and..." Polyxena paused looking for the right words, "It is a lot to handle, not that you are not capable. You are."
Arthur nodded slowly. "Thank you for your faith," he said, a little dryly. "In truth, I have perhaps been a little distant from them. I am their king, still, as they are my knights. I suppose it is time that I reminded them of this."
Another sip of his wine and another gentle touch on the back of Poyxena's wrist. "You are very kind, Polyxena, to be so concerned for me." A smile. "And to phrase it so difficulty. The Orkney faction have always been … lively … to the point of being troublesome. At times, it is difficult to know where their loyalties lie. Most of them still call me their king, which is something, at least."
"You're a good man, Arthur, I've liked you since we've met." That was all, "You remind me of my father sometimes, in his wisdom and sometimes sadness." The Trojan closed her eyes briefly, remembering her father's grief at the death of all of his sons, daughters... "Gawain is loyal to you." She licked his lip, "But he is in a most difficult position. I do not envy him right now."
Or ever. She really felt deeply for Gawain and his pain, and while that would not be revealed to Arthur- it was evident that Gaheris' return and the crime of matricide demanded retribution from his other brothers. The problem was... fratricide was a great crime too.
Arthur bit his lip and nodded. Though she hadn't said as much, he understood that Gaheris' arrival can only have stirred things up amongst his brothers, not to mention for his own half-sister.
"Gawain is noble," he said. A rather obvious statement. "Which must make this doubly difficult for him." He looks at Polyxena, straight in the eyes, and he is decisive when he speaks. "I will talk to them. All of them. We will see what sort of men they have become."
Polyxena met his eyes without blinking, he spoke like a true king- rebirth had not changed the man he was deep down. When he finished, she broke out into a bright smile, reaching over to grasp his wrist with her slim fingers. "Gawain could use the council of his king, yes, I've known him for a long time, but I would appreciate if my concerns for him were kept between us? He is very private, and I worry about overstepping boundaries, causing him any sort of grief would be unforgivable to me."
"Your secret is safe with me, Princess," he said, quietly. "I know what sort of man Gawain is, at least. I am glad he has a friend like you."
With that, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips softly. "Just as I am glad to have a friend like you."