The Dining Hall

[King Uther Pendragon]

A great rectangular oak table is placed at the centre of the room, with King Uther's throne at one end. The room is lavishly decorated with banners of the King's colour and crest, and is always well lit with a multitude of candles. When this room is occupied by the King and his guests, two guards are stationed outside the door.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur sat down beside his father, King Uther Pendragon, who was sitting in his throne at the head of the table. Opposite him, on the other side of his father, a place was set for their guest, Annabell Glenn.

He was looking forward to the meal and to getting to know Anna. It had been a while since he had had the pleasure of entertaining anyone in the castle, and now he knes that Anna wasn't a suitor, he didnt need to impress her and he was much more at ease.

Somewhere a clock chimed, letting Arthur know that it was 1 o'clock and he smiled knowing that a guard would show Anna in any moment.
"Father, I do hope you will refrain from discussing such topics as the army this afternoon, I am sure Lady Annabell will not be interested in such things."
Uther smiled at him and replied calmy "Of course Arthur, I am no fool. But try not to embarrass yourself." Arthur rolled his eyes as a guard entered the room.
"Lady Annabell sires."

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

Anna was slightly nervous about dinning with the Pendragons, it would truly take all of her patience to get through the dinner and not want to give them a piece of her mind. But, then again, Arthur hadn't been what she expected. He had been...nice.

The guards announced her presence as she entered the dinning hall, dipping a curtsey, "My King, Sire." She nodded from Uther to Arthur, with the kindest smile on her lips.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur stood as the guard introduced Anna and he smiled back. She seemed a little nervous about being here, but that wasn't surprising- she was dining with the royal family.

Once the king had taken his seat Arthur did likewise and they all soon began to chat.
"So Annabell" Uther began, "How was your journey to Camelot? I trust that you brought guards from your old kingdom to protect you on your way?"
As Uther questioned her, the servants brought the first course into the dining room. It was a vegetable soup.

Arthur tucked in straight away content to listen to his father questioning their guest. He was happily slurping away when he received a sharp look from Uther. He rolled his eyes but sat up straight and ropped his spoon, sending splashes onto the table.

"Do you ride Annabell?" He smiled again, ignoring the look on his fathers face which implied he wasn't particuarly impressed with his sons table manners.

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

Anna took her seat at the table, smiling kindly. Her eyes flickered to Uther, trying to contain her anger at the man. She remembered the way he called her mother names as she burned. Mocking her.

"My journey went very well, my leige. But, I have no guards left. The kingdom was completely destroyed, but my family sent me away before the downfall. I was saved." Anna's eyes moved towards the slight sound of slirpimg. Her lips tucked in as she bit it to fight back laughter, instead she smiled at Arthur.

"I do ride sire, not well sometimes but well enough. How are your stables?" Anna questioned, taking a sip of her soup, it tasted delicious.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Uther didn't seem particuarly impressed as Anna explained how she had ridden from her homeland by herself. The forest which spanned around most of Camelot was well known to house several rogue and dangerous sorcerors and even the Knights were loathe to go in there sometimes. Arthur wasn't especially surprised though, he hadn't thought of Annabell as the damsel-in-distress type.

He responded to her question quickly though, so to cut Uther off before he started to voice his displeasure.
"Ahh My Lady," He smiled, "My stables are the best in all of Camelot!" When I manage to get Merlin to clean them he added under his breath. "You could say they were fit for a prince" He laughed at his own joke and was surprised to see his father smiling too.

The servants came in to remove the finished dishes and replaced them with plates of meats and fruit. Arthur began to help himself to the food on the table, piling his dish high with grapes, rabbit and bread. The serving maids also brough large jugs of wine in and began filling hte goblets on the table. It was truly a meal fit for a king.

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

Anna felt fat looking at all of the food, after they had moved they had little good food. This was glutton. She noted Uther's displeasure, lies came with a cost.

"A prince you say, sire? I find that hard to believe, for there are no princes here. Oh, silly me." Anna laughed along with his joke, trying to play along. "I am certain they are the finest in the kingdom, my leige." She started eating, sipping her wine carefully - not wanting to get drunk.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur frowned playfully as Anna suggested there were no princes in the room before grinning and taking another bite of his bread. It was always good to have guests for the feasts were twice as good.

"What are your plans Lady Annabell?" The King asked suddenly, taking a more serious note. Arthur nodded and added, "Yes Anna, as generous as my father is he cannot let you stay here forever!" He grinned again trying to show her he wasn't being insulting.

Arthur continued to eat, letting Uther take the lead int he conversation. He enjoyed hsi food far too much, and right now there was plenty of it.

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

Anna laughed at Arthur's frown, grinning as she stabbed at her food and brought it to her lips. "Ah, my leige, I hope to use your kindness for no more than six months. Then I am to attempt to settle somewhere."

"Sire, you mean I wasn't allowed to live here all the rest of time?" Anna teased, grinning cheekily at Arthur.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"No" Arthur replied cheekily, "I want you out of my castle now!"
Uther laughed, "Your castle? Son, one day you will be king, but not for a few years yet!"
Arthur grinned and looked at Anna, wondering whether she would be able to make a life for herself now that her kingdom had failed. It wouldnt be the easiest of tasks, not without guards or servants to help her. Nobles were notoriously useless at simple jobs such as washing and cooking, not because they were stupid, simply because they had never had a need to be taught.

The servants had cleared away the last of the food now and Arthur was leaning back in his chair with his stomach full. He enjoyed meals like this more than most of his princely duties, and he could only imagine what he would have to do the next day, when it was back to work.

"Anna," He asked suddenly, "Would you like a tour of the city tomorrow? I fear without proper tuiton you could get lost, or wander into one of the less...pleasant parts of town."
Uther raised his eyebrows, in surprise rather than disproval for Arthur never usually offered to go out of his way to help a guest. Still he was impressed and assumed his son must finally be warming to the idea of being a royal prince.
In reality he had just figured that entertaining Anna would be more exciting than sitting in a musty room listening to his father discuss royal matters with equally musty old men.

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

Anna mocked a gasp of horror, "Well then I shall impose upon your kindness no more, sire. However, I believe if you give a second thought." She chuckled, grinning in the most girlish way.

"Sire, that is too kind. If you are not busy, certaintly. But do not change your plans for me, I am sure you have more pressing matters." Play it like it would be too much and not seem to excited to get him alone. Get to know him, so to get to kill him eventually.

"This food is truly spectacular." Anna commeneted, as she took her last bite, watching the king and the prince.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"Of course I'm not busy! I would make time for you even if i were," He widened his eyes at her, trying to show he was foolling his father. Uther himself told Arthur that he must not forget his duties once the tour was over, but Arthur just rolled his eyes at Anna, trying to make her laugh.
Princely duties were such a bore he would rather do Merlins jobs than his own...Well perhaps not.

Merlin. That reminded him, he had agreed to meet Merlin at some point this afternoon as to get out of his duties. It had turned out that he needed no excuse due to this dinner, but he still felt he should find Merlin soon.

"I am glad you have enjoyed your meal" Uther said, standing up from the table and prompting Arthur and Anna to do the same, "I must now retire to my chambers, but please do let one of my servants know if you need anything at all."
He left quickly leaving Arthur and Anna to sit back down.

"So were all your family killed?" He asked, less than tactfully. He wasn't a particuarly compassionate boy.

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

"Then when you are available, call upon me." Anna said with a kind smile, biting back the urge to laugh when he rolled his eyes.

"Ah, thank you My King." Anna curtseyed as the king rose, sitting back down when he was gone.

Arthur's question took her by surprise, and she put on a brave face. That not only was for the sake of lieing but that she had some fear of saying the wrong thing."Yes, Sire. My mother and father and siblings." The real Anna Glenn was one of seven children. She had died as well, but so had every member of the kingdom. Making it perfect to adopt the alias. "It was horrid, sire."

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"It was a true tragedy. I feel ashamed there was nothing Camelot could do, I fear we did not even know until now that your kingdom had fallen."
It was true, neither Arthut or his father had realised that the Glenn family and all the others in the kingdom had been killed. If they had known the truth, perhaps they would have been more surprised that Anna had lived, for it was a massacre.

"I shall call upon you tomorrow," He smiled, wanting to change the subject to something more light hearted, but not make her think he wanted to get rid of her. "We shall go for a ride perhaps?"

He looked forward to spending some time getting to know Anna, he felt almost like she needed looking after, due to the misfortune that had befallen her. He hoped Merlin wouldn't assume he had ulterior motives, because for once he truly was just being a gentleman.

He nodded to the last of the servants who began to clear the few plates and goblets that remained on the oak table. Arthur stood up and went to help Anna up, escorting her to the door.

"Well My Lady, I shall see you soon, and i trust that if you have any discomforts in the castle, you will let me know." He kissed her hand before smiling and winding his way through the castle to his chambers.

["Lady" Anna Glenn]

'Thank you sire, it was my father. He was a proud man, too proud. That was his downfall. He didn't believe he needed help."

"Tomorrow it is, I am anxiously awaiting it." Anna smiled, despite her illintents she was rather excited. "A ride? That would be lovely."

She rose and curtseyed as Arthur prepaired to leave, "It was my pleasure, sire."