My Guardian Angel

Chapter 2

My lady," Arthur greeted with a fake smile at the next woman in line to enter the castle.

"Hello Prince Arthur," The woman curtsied instead of offering her hand out to him. It was different from all of the other women who had been so eager for him to kiss their hand.

"What is your name," Arthur asked politely. He had asked that question so many times that evening and he still couldn't tell you a single guest's name.

"Elaine," The woman replied with a small smile. When Arthur tried to smile back at the woman her smile dimmed slightly. "You don't have to smile for me Prince Arthur."

"What," Arthur said smile faltering for the first time that night.

"I do not wish to be smiled at if the smile is not genuine," The lady, Elaine, replied with an airy look.

"I don't mean to offend," Arthur quickly said. The last thing he needed was for one of the ladies of the court to go complaining to his father about him being an inadequate host.

"There is no need to look so pale my prince," The woman laughed. "I only meant that while your manners are appreciated I know how tiresome it can be to put up a face like that for so long."

"Oh," Arthur replied lamely.

"What I'm trying to say is that if you ever get tired of being nice I would be more than happy to keep you company. Even when you don't feel like being charming," Elaine smirked.

"I might have to take you up on that," Arthur smiled softly. Elaine returned the smile before walking past him and into the castle. Arthur sighed as the next woman bounced up to greet him with an all too eager smile on his face.

"Oh my, Prince Arthur what a pleasure," The frilly woman gushed in an overwhelmingly shrill voice.

"Hello," Arthur greeted trying not to stagger back when she got closer than he liked. "And what is your name?"

"Verona Tremaine," She cooed and offered her hand out expectantly. Arthur took the hand cautiously as if it might jump out and bite him if he got too close. Hesitantly he bent down and kissed it.

"What a lovely name," Arthur grimaced as Verona let out a high pitched screech. It took him a long moment to realize that she was in fact giggling and not dying a painful, unseen death.

"Oh you are too kind Arthur Pendragon," Verona purred moving even closer into Arthur's personal space. Arthur gulped nervously trying to think up a logical explanation if he happened to fling her down the flight of steps like he so wanted to. Luckily she drew back but not before planting a sloppy kiss onto his cheek.

"I hope to see you very soon Prince Arthur," Verona blew him one last kiss before skipping up to the entrance. Once she was out of his view Arthur let out an involuntary shudder. He hoped they would not cross paths ever again or at least for a very long, long time.

***

"Arthur!" Thank the lord it was Morgana coming to his rescue. "The pastries have not come up from the kitchens yet. Do you think you could make sure everything is alright?"

He would have to follow her every order for at least a week after this. He really owed her this time. Arthur bet he must have looked truly desperate for Morgana to have sensed his despair from the other side of the ballroom. "Of course Morgana. I'll see to it right away."

"Thank you that would be such a big help," Morgana said continuing the charade with a fake sigh of relief. Her acting skills impressed him a little, she was quite good.

"Right then, excuse me ladies but I must attend to things. I will return shortly," The small gathering of women sighed sadly from around him clearly upset that their entertainment was leaving.