It was the dead of night and most of the people of Camelot had gone back to their warm homes for dinner or to the tavern for a late-night drink. The only people who were roaming the dark streets were the guards patrolling.
As two guards holding torches walked past a shop that had been closed down for the nights, a hooded figure emerges from the shadows behind the shop and walked out into the open. They held a basket with a piece of cloth hiding whatever was inside.
The figure quickly but quietly made their way towards the castle making sure not to get caught by the guards on patrol and made their way towards the castle door where they stopped and looked around to see if anyone was coming.
They placed they basket down gently and a pair of delicate feminine hands pulled back the piece of cloth, took out a bundle of blankets and cradled them in their arms, slowly rocking the bundle as a little cry erupted from it. The woman shushed the bundle quickly and looked around anxiously to see if anyone had noticed them.
As the figure was looking out for guards a strand of beautifully long, wavy, golden blond hair escaped from beneath her hood. Tiny little hands reached up from the blankets and tried to grab the strand of hair, cooing and gurgling as the figure laughed slightly, placing the strand of hair back beneath her hood.
The figure hugged the bundle tightly, and few tears could be seen rolling down the figures face as they gazed down at the cooing bundle in their arms.
" I love you, my darling " she whispered to the bundle before placing the bundle inside the basket once again and giving the bundle a single kiss on the forehead.
The hooded figure quickly covered up the bundle again and pulls out a folded up letter with the name Uther Pendragon written on the front in neat handwriting from inside her cloak. She places the letter on top of the cloth concealing the bundle inside the basket and banged on the great grand doors of the castle, creating a loud echo and hopefully alerting someone inside.
The hooded figure quickly ran away and hid just as a knight was walking out of the door to see what was going on.
He looked around confused for a second before looking down and seeing the basket with a letter addressed to the king on top. The knight crouched down and looked under the cloth, to see the tiny bundle inside.
The knight got up and looked around trying to find whoever left it but the hooded figure was well hidden behind a stone pillar, watching.
When the knight couldn't see anybody he turned around, gently picked up the basket and hurried inside to inform the king. The hooded figure let out a sigh of relief before stepping out from their hiding spot and lowering her hood to reveal a woman with long blond wavy hair and sticking blue eyes filled with sorrow.
"Goodbye, my child " She whispered before pulling her hood up again and disappeared into the night.
Meanwhile, the knight who found the basket was going as fast as he could towards the banquet hall, where the king, his son and his ward were all eating dinner, basket in hand.
Once there the knight slowed down and caught his breath from the pace he was walking at. He nodded in greeting to the guards outside the hall before he lifted the cloth up once more to check on the bundle inside, knocked on the door and waited for an answer.
" Enter!" Came a powerful, demanding voice from inside the hall.
The guards opened the doors to the hall allowing the knight to walk in.
King Uther was sitting at the head of the table with his 9-year-old son, Arthur, sitting on his left and his 10-year-old ward, Morgana, sitting on his right. On the table were plates of expensive and delicious looking foods, some that were half-eaten.
The knight stood at the end of the table looking directly at the king, still clutching the basket tightly.
The king looked up from drinking his wine to look at the knight with an irritable look on his face.
" Well, what's the meaning of this intrusion?" Uther snapped, he wasn't happy with his dinner being interrupted.
The knight was nervous but tried to hide it from the Royals.
"My Lord, this was left outside the castle. It's addressed to you " The knight informed gesturing to the basket by lifting it slightly.
The king put down his cup and stared confused at the knight but mainly at the basket, he was holding.
" Let's have a look then" The king ordered waving his hand to beckon the knight closer.
The knight strides over to the king and gently places the basket onto the table for the king to see. The letter addressed to the king was still laying on top of the cloth.
Arthur and Morgana watched Uther closely, curious and eager to see what was in the basket.
Uther picked up the letter, opened it and read it silently to himself.
My Lord,
You probably don't remember me, but 9 months ago was your son's birthday and unfortunately, we both had had a little too much to drink at the banquet.
Inside the basket is the result of that night.
Please, I beg of you, don't turn her away. If I could raise her myself, I would but that just simply cannot be.
Please, My Lord, protect this child as she is your own just as much as she is mine. There are people out in the world that would see our daughter hurt and use her for their own selfish reasons. I haven't given her a name. I thought you should be the one to decide that. Please take good care of her.
There was no signature which confused the king greatly.
Uther placed the letter down and looked to the knight who had brought the basket
"Thank you," Uther said dismissing the knight to go back to patrolling the castle.
When the knight left the king went to uncover the basket when there was a loud clanging sound that echoed throughout the room making everyone jump.
Arthur had been much too eager to see what was in the basket and what the letter said so by trying to get a look, he had accidentally knocked over his cup of water, spilling it all over the floor.
Servants quickly came over to clean up the mess.
" Arthur, " Uther said in an annoyed voice
Arthur looked down embarrassed
"Sorry father " He apologised
Then a puny cry filled the room and all eyes went to the basket on the table. The cloth covering whatever was inside was moving, as if whatever was inside wanted to get out.
Uther took the cloth off the basket to reveal a wailing baby girl with tufts of blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. Once she noticed the cloth had been removed the baby stopped crying and looked up at the king curiously.
" A baby! " Arthur exclaimed in surprise which made the baby girl jump and start crying again. King Uther quickly took the baby girl out of the basket and cradled her in his arms, rocking and shushing her gently to make her stop crying.
" Oh well done, Arthur." Morgana sighed.
Arthur just glared at her and didn't reply but then went back to watching his father with the baby.
Uther stared down at the baby girl and smiled realising that this was his daughter. She was a princess and was to be raised and treated as such. No one was going to hurt her little girl, he would make sure of that. The baby girl had finally stopped crying and was once again staring up at her father curiously
" Father, who is that baby?" Arthur asked desperately wanting to know and satisfy his curiosity.
Uther turned his attention away from the baby to his son who looked curious but also confused as to why someone would send his father a baby in a basket.
" Arthur, this is your new baby sister," The king said proudly turning the baby towards Arthur so he could get a good look at the baby.
Arthur smiled a huge grin but didn't say anything and started to play silently with his new sister.
"What's her name? " Morgana asked
Uther didn't even glance at Morgana and kept his gaze on his new daughter, who was laughing at a funny face Arthur had pulled and smiled. Her laughed sounded like little bells.
"Arianna. Her name shall be Arianna Pendragon, princess of Camelot "