Christmas at the Castle

[chaseandoldlace]

Who: Uther, Chase, and any Castle Residents or holiday well-wishers
What:  Christmas and two very special birthdays
Where: The Castle
When: Backdated to Christmas Day
Rating: Chase has learned to mind himself around the twins
Status: Open/Incomplete

Comments

[pendraeg]

Uther had been puzzling over the colorful drawings on the large pile of plastic boxes he'd been handed. That he had become at least partially accustomed to computers meant that the moving images on the very large screen were not so bewildering as they could have been, though he could see out of the corner of his vision the children already staring wide-eyed at the procession on the screen.

"Oh, I have heard of this one," he said, moving Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from one pile to another. "At least, I have heard a tale of a maiden who goes to live with many dwarfs. A princess, her skin as white as snow."

There were all manner of drawings. Lords and ladies in sumptuous fabrics, maidens in the wood, dogs, cats, lions, bears...animals on two feet, dressed up to look like humans.

"This one?" he asked, holding out a box covered with such animals, in familiar-looking tunics and hats, some with swords and some with bows. "Robin Hood."

[chaseandoldlace]

Though the movies were more for Elionwy and Gwydion, Chase's eyes lit up just as bright as the two children when Uther held out a green-edged dvd box.

"Sweet. That was one of my favorite growing up. It's about this bandit who robs from a corrupt king because he's taxing England to death, it's great." Chase paused a moment. "And...actually a good cautionary tale for future princes and princesses." Taking the box, he loaded the dvd into a slim player set up just beneath the tv.

"Ahh, come on you two, don't sit that close you'll ruin your eyes. Oh god I sound like my mom." Today, and perhaps today alone, he would find that honestly funny, without thinking of the deeper implications.

[pendraeg]

It began in a very familiar way, a bard (though the bard was a rooster) telling a story, lute in hand. Uther had always loved troubadours, and had spent hours listening to their songs in Brittany. This tale brought him back to his own youth, different as the mode of telling had been. Once upon a time, it said, and soon the images showed what the bard was telling, of two young men (a fox and a bear) on a warm afternoon in the wood. They were outlaws, it seemed, thieves, but Uther knew that one day's outlaw was another day's earl.

Uther caught the little prince and princess up in his arms and deposited them on the sofa, which seemed to be the orthodox watching-place. Adamant lay down on the floor in front of them, effectively blocking their escape.

"And you say these are very important?" he asked, turning to Chase.

[chaseandoldlace]

"Essential. It's about all that's left to teach girls how to be princesses and boys to be princes. I wanted to be Robin so badly as a kid." He laughed. "You'd think my parents would take that as an early warning sign that I wasn't going to be cut out for a life of tyranny."

There was sound and movement from the kitchen that caused Chase to shift a little uncomfortably. He hadn't interacted much with Merlin or Arthur yet, in spite of sleeping in the run down wing of The Castle for the last few days. From her place by the fire, Old Lace raised her head, craning it towards the kitchen worriedly. Chase sighed.

'He who moves first and all that...'

"Movie in the great hall if either of you are interested," he called, partially rising off the couch to try to see who it was. When no one answered immediately, he shrugged and sunk back down.

"Oh, the fortune teller bit is the best." The children were already completely enraptured, though Adamant saw no need to leave her post. Chase reached down to stroke between cropped ears.