Faking It {Arthur}

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

“Are you certain I look all right, Kerensa?”

“You are beautiful, my princess,” the maidservant replied.

Sophia frowned as she observed herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing one of her finest ensembles tonight. The lavender gown was delicately embroidered all over in gold, and the sleeves, gathered in three rows at the shoulders, flared out from her elbows, the ends nearly touching the floor. Ruffled white lace adorned the neckline of the gown and peeked out from the hem and the edges of her sleeves. Her gold and diamond belt was wrapped underneath her breasts, crossed in back and fastened just below her waistline. Her ears, neck, wrists, and hair sparkled with gold and diamond jewelry.

She definitely looked like a princess, albeit a very young one.

Tonight was very important to her. After their trip to the market, Arthur had asked her to have dinner with both him and his father. Sophia wanted to make a good impression on King Uther and looking her best often helped her self-confidence. She had to look perfect. And innocent. And in love.

How she and the prince were going to pull off their ruse in front of his father, she had no idea. Their fun sarcastic flirting was not going to do this time. They would have to be more subtle and she was not sure if she would be able to keep a straight face. Sophia did like Arthur, though. He was pleasant company and fun to be around and she thought he would make a good friend. He would make a good husband as well. But not for her. Not now. Today was her sixteenth birthday. She was far too young to get married and settle down.

The princess twirled around a few times in front of the mirror, watching the way the skirt of her dress and her long flowing sleeves fanned out about her, and then turned away from it. Since the glass in her mirror had exploded a few weeks ago, she had been a bit wary around mirrors and glass in general. This one seemed to be fine, though.

Sophia gazed at Kerensa, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “I don't know why I agreed to this, Kerensa,” she said. “I'm afraid this dinner may turn into disaster. And I doubt I can eat with all the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.”

The servant smiled. “If you think like that, it probably won't turn out well. Think positive, Princess. And have confidence in yourself. You are beautiful, intelligent, and refined. You will charm both the prince and his father, I am sure of it.”

Sophia sighed again. “At least one of us is. I had better get going. I don't want to keep them waiting. Do you mind showing me to the dining hall, Kerensa? I am afraid if I try to make it there alone, I might lose my way.”

“Of course, my princess.”

Kerensa led her out of the room, down a stairway, and through several corridors to the doors of the dining hall. “Wish me luck,” she told her servant, her voice shaking just a little.

“You will do fine.”

With one last look at Kerensa, Sophia waited until the doors opened for her and then stepped inside with the sophistication and regal bearing she had been taught as a very young child … her head held high with a confidence that she did not feel.

In truth, she felt young, lost, and very unsure of herself.

I hope Arthur and I will be able to convince the king we are in love without making him too suspicious. she thought to herself. Hopefully he is a better actor than I am.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur, just like Sophia, stood in front of a mirror in his chambers ensuring he looked suitable for dinner that evening. Pulling his collar and smoothing out the creases in his crimson jacket, he smiled. The Pendragon crest looked impressive emblazened on his chest in bright yellow and he knew that wearing his family's heritage would do nothing if not please the king. With one last comb of his hair, Arthur bent down and buckled his boots- the finest he owned.
He had not gone to quite as much trouble as the princess had, for one he was wearing far less gold and diamonds, but he did have his crown upon his brow and he had had Merlin clean the suit he had chosen, especially for the occasion.

"So, do you think my father will believe that I am out to impress?" He asked his man servant, turning around so he faced away from the mirror and struggling to see the reflection over his shoulder. It was not easy.

"Of course Sire!" Merlin smirked in reply, "You look like you have ransacked every noble in the city to create your outfit. He is bound to be chuffed with that! Now are you feeling well? Or is there another reason you are spinning in circles?" Arthur frowned, but he did stop trying to view his back in the mirror.

"Oh what would you know anyway?" he retorted, although he couldn't hide a smile at his friends comments, Merlin was so funny and Arthur wasn't sure he always meant to be...

Minutes later, Arthur was sat in the dining hall beside his father who sat at the head of a fine table, laden with all manner of beautiful flowers from the grounds. Arthur sat beside him and Sophia, when she arrived, would sit opposite him. The placements were conveniant if nothing else, for sitting opposite might allow subtle eye contact when Uther wasn't looking. Or so the prince hoped.
He was not particuarly worried by the dinner plans,for unlike Sophia he had no need to fear his father. The worst case scenario would be that Uther discover their ruse and send Sophia back to her kingdom but Arthur was beginning to get the feeling that Sophia was rather afraid of that.

The doors at the foot of the table finally creaked open and Arthur rose, smiling happily at the princess as she entered. It was surprisingly easy to fake the pleasure, for she had turned out to be a rather agreable companion after all.

"My lady," He said, moving around the table and pulling out her chair for her. Uther's face was a picture. He must be thrilled at the prospect of me marrying. Arthur thought amused, he will be disappointed when he discovers the truth.

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

Sophia entered the dining hall with both anticipation and trepidation. Anticipation because she really was looking forward to seeing Arthur again … although not in the way their fathers hoped … and trepidation because she was afraid what would happen if the ruse was discovered. Would she be sent packing back to Gore, or would King Uther allow them to continue the game, hoping that they might fall in love by accident? She supposed it could go either way.

Yet she really hoped that she and Arthur would be able to convince him that they were in the first stages of a promising relationship. Falling in love took time, after all. At least she thought it did. It wasn't as if she had experienced it yet herself.

Nor did she wish to.

They were both waiting for her, or so it seemed. Sophia had thought King Uther a bit frightening on the day she had arrived … the only time she had seen him … and it was no different now. In truth, she found him even more frightening now, because now she was trying to fool him.

Fooling a king was not easy.

It had never worked on her father when she had tried to sneak out of the castle undetected, or when she tried some other form of mischief.

At least this time, she had a partner in crime.

After performing an absolutely perfect curtsy to Uther, she turned to Arthur, who had risen and pulled out a chair for her. The young princess had to admit that he looked impressive tonight. He seemed to have gone to as much trouble as she to look his best, although she knew it was not for her benefit. It was for the benefit of the mutual game they were playing. He did look very handsome, though, and very princely.

As she curtsied to him as well, the shy smile she gave him from beneath lowered eyelashes was not faked, nor was the blush that becomingly stained her cheeks. She looked like a proper innocent maiden who was captivated by an attractive and fascinating man. No acting skills required.

She hoped she would be so lucky the rest of the evening.

“Thank you, my lord,” she said formally, sitting down and gazing up at him with what she hoped was a demure form of adoration. “And thank you for inviting me tonight.”

That was all she said, for she knew it would be improper to start chattering away like an idiot. She had been taught that a proper princess should only speak when spoken to, and tonight she had to keep her best manners on display. So she sat there, briefly smiling at the king before turning her gaze back to Arthur, as if she could not keep her eyes away from him.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"It was my pleasure princess," Arthur smiled back, moving around the table to his own seat. Uther looked more than pleased, as though he was actually about to explode with happiness at any second. Arthur smothered a smirk- It was strange how interested in his love life the king was. No other aspect seemed to fuss him half as much.

Arthur sat once again, carefully adjusting the crown upon his brow and settling down to gaze at Sophia. She looked lovely tonight and he told her so, gaining a proud look from his father. It was so easy if he just stuck to telling the convenient truth!

"So Lady Sophia, tell us about your homeland, how is your father doing?" Uther asked suddenly. Arthur was surprised to find his father asking after king Urien, especially with relations as strained as they currently were. Still Arthur supposed he was probably going to try and make the peace, given that their children would soon be married.

Yeah, right

After several minutes of conversation between Uther and Sophia- with Arthur quite happy to sit and listen- the servants arrived with the first course.
It was a broth, made with vegetables and served with slices of wild boar. Uther was really sparing no expense for this meal, wild boar was the rarest meat- even for the royal family- and serving it on the first course meant there was something even more spectacular for the main.

The wine was also not the standard day to day drink that Arthur was used to. It was much fruitier and Arthur thought that it might have more alcohol content than the norm. He decided to steer away from it as much as possible, he didnt need his thoughts blurred tonight, the act was too important.

"So Sophia are you enjoying your meal?" Arthur looked up in surprise, Uther just couldnt keep himself from chatting tonight! Still, it meant the act was easier- he only needed to sit there and smile.

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

"So Lady Sophia, tell us about your homeland, how is your father doing?"

With another shy glance at Arthur, Sophia turned her attention to his father. “He is doing well, Your Majesty,” she said politely. “In fact, he asked after you in the last letter he sent to me.”

That was an outright lie, but it seemed like the right thing to say. She could certainly not tell him the truth. In his last letter, Urien had bragged about executing a record number of magicians in the space of one month. He had also blamed the magic in Camelot for the most severe problems in Gore and urged her to step up her efforts in getting Arthur to marry her.

All those things she could definitely not repeat.

She went on to tell him about life in Gore, leaving out what she knew he would find unpleasant, such as the executions. He asked intelligent questions and she answered them in kind, every now and then sneaking surreptitious glances at the prince. He was smiling, so she assumed she was doing a good job at impressing the king.

When Uther asked her what she thought of Camelot, Sophia told him that this day was the first she had ventured beyond the castle walls, and spoke of what a wonderful guide Arthur had been as he showed her around, smiling at him shyly ever now and then and catching his eye before quickly looking away like an innocently embarrassed young maiden who fancied a man but was a bit afraid to show it.

Or at least, she hoped that was how she looked. In truth, she was afraid that if she gazed at the prince too long, she would burst out laughing as she remembered their “lovesick” antics earlier in the day.

She did not, of course, mention the magic, and she watched Uther's face closely as she spoke, wondering if he would give any indication that he knew she was leaving it out. His face did not give anything away, so she assumed that perhaps he knew nothing about it at all. Maybe it had been just a mischievous young mage playing tricks on the foreign princess.

When the first course arrived, Sophia was surprised at the sumptuous delicacy she was being served. Her father only served wild boar when he wished to impress a potential ally or forge a political agreement. It was much more suitable for a special occasion than an everyday meal. She supposed it was meant to impress her and endear her even more to Arthur.

Or did the king consider this a special occasion? Certainly he did not expect them to announce their engagement tonight? Or had their ruse been so convincing at the market that he believed them to be in love already?

Panic rose within her soul, and she took a deep drink of the wine to calm herself. Turning to her food, she took a few delicate bites, hoping that it would go down the right way and she would not choke on it.

There is nothing to worry about, she told herself. We have only just met. Certainly he cannot think us ready to marry yet.

With another coquettish glance at Arthur, she continued to eat. Catching a movement out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that two of her spoons were rattling against each other of their own accord. Magic! But here?

Sophia wanted to push back her chair and run from the room but she knew that there was a possibility that she was being tested. So she simply ignored the incident and calmed herself. Within a few seconds, it stopped. Popping another slice of wild boar into her mouth, she looked up at Uther, but he did not seem to have noticed the disturbance.

Her eyes then sought Arthur's, distress showing in their ice-blue depths, wondering if he had seen the subtle use of magic.

Uther then asked her how she was enjoying the meal, and she turned her attention back to him and smiled. She had been taught proper manners before she had even been able to say the word, so it was easy for her to hide her anxiety. “It is fabulous, my lord,” she said. “But really, you should not have gone to so much trouble.”

Her soup spoon rose less than an inch into the air, and this time she treated it as a normal occurrence and picked it up, scooping up some broth and delicately sipping it from the spoon. Her hand trembled slightly, but she managed not to spill any soup on either the table or herself.

If she was indeed being tested, she hoped she was passing with flying colors.

Smiling again at Uther, she said: “I really do like what I have seen of Camelot so far, though. It looks to be a prosperous place and I can hardly wait to see more of it.”

Her gaze again went to Arthur, as if the only reason she had enjoyed the excursion was because he had been with her.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was impressed with how well Sophia was dealing with the stress of having to impress his father, especially while having to keep up their loving act the whole time. Performing for a crowd in the market was so simple, no one would ever know that the pair were laughing to one another and simply playing an eleborate trick. Here though, things were different.

She went into great detail of life in Gore in reply to Uther's many questions, although Arthur couldn't help but suspect that some aspects of her tale were little white lies. Especially the part about king Urien asking after Uther!

Despite her calm exterior though, Arthur was alerted to her inner anxiety by the little bouts of magic that seemed to be happening around her. He cursed himself for not considering this when he invited her for dinner, after the incident in the market how could he possible have been so foolish?!
He carefully averted his gaze as the spoons rattles together, not wanting to alert his father to the disturbance, and also so that Sophia didn't become even more alarmed. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that made her so nervous this time? The conversation was only about wild boar!

Still, she dealt with the occurences remarkably well, only pausing to look at the spoons when they began to move. Uther, thankfully, hadn't noticed, if he had... well Arthur wasn't so sure he would want the pair to marry and that would spell all sorts of trouble for the two kingdoms.

Then her spoon rose into the air.

Arthur choked on a mouthful of meat in surprise as she merely grabbed the spoon from its position- hoevering above the table cloth- and continued to eat, barely breaking her rhythm at all. He recovered quickly, but not fast enough to escape a disapproving glance from his father.

"Sorry father, the meat it was a little...gristly. I will make sure to tell the cook!" He smiled, getting a sign from his father.

Crisis averted. Or so he hoped.

I need to calm her down! he thought frantically as she turned to meet his eyes. He looked away, worried he might show his shock or the fact that he found it all rather amusing.

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

When Arthur choked, Sophia looked over at him, her face filled with concern … and it was real and not feigned. But he got himself under control quickly and she breathed a bit easier. She wondered if he had seen what had happened with the spoon. It was definitely possible. And if he had noticed …. had the King noticed as well? The princess stole a glance at him, but rather than looking a bit annoyed at his son, he did not seem to be aware of anything unusual.

But was he aware of it anyway? Was he the one testing her … if, indeed, she was being tested? And what she supposed to do? Continue ignoring it or bring the subject up? That she could not do, for she was afraid that she would not be able to hide her abhorrence and distrust of magic. Perhaps treating the small incidents as if she did not notice was the correct response. Or maybe it wasn't.

As usual, Sophia was confused.

It bothered her a bit that Arthur looked away from her when she was obviously trying to get his attention. Suspicions flared to life within her. Did he feel guilty about the magic? Had he known beforehand that she would be tested in this way? Or …

… Was he the one with the magic?

It made sense, in a way. The only times she had experienced magic was when she was with Arthur. Was he trying to scare her away so that he wouldn't have to marry her? Sophia had not told him her true feelings on the matter. Did he believe that she really did fancy him and was only pretending to be pretending? It was something that she would have to set straight as soon as they were alone again.

The thought that he might be the one causing her distress unnerved her, and while she was quite curious about the next course as the servants brought it out, she could not pull her mind away from the disturbing notion that Arthur could have magic. Or was it King Uther himself? That would explain why he allowed magic in the first …

A sudden movement caught her eye. Turning toward it, she saw the tray that the servant closest to her was holding jump out of her hands. With a little cry, Sophia sprang gracefully from her chair and was able to move far enough away that she did not get splattered by the delicious-smelling food that splashed all over her seat and onto the floor.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur simply could not bring himself to meet Sophia's eye no matter how much he wanted to.
It wasn't fair to find humour in the poor girls misfortune, but he knew he wouldnt be able to resist if he looked up and saw how bemused and shocked she looked.

But then the servant by Lady Sophia dropped a serving tray, or rather it threw itself at her chair. Arthur could see the blatant use of magic once again, but what could he do?
Uther musn't know that the princess who was staying in his home was a magician. Not only would he send her straight back to her own kingdom but it would spell disaster for the peace between the two nations and Uther would find some way to blame that all on Arthur...

It was a dilemma, but one thing was certain. Arthur had to make sure Sophia got her "gift" under control. But first they had to make it through this meal, without Uther finding out.

"Kate!" Arthur yelled, leaping to his feet and almost sprinting around the large dining table. "Do you see the mess you have made? Lady Sophia could have been scalded and her dress ruined! Get out!"
A very scared serving girl practically ran out of the door, tears clearly running down her face. Arthur never scolded the staff, but he would make sure to apologise personally later. Perhaps he woulnt explain the entire situation...but he was sure she would understand.

"I'm sorry father." Arthur said, turning to the king who sat in his chair looking quite pleased with his son (for once).
"Sophia my darling, are you happy to continue with the meal or would you prefer we ended it early and took a walk instead? I know this must have been distressing for you?"

Oh how he hoped she would accept his offer to end dinner early, but somehting told him she wouldnt...

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

Sophia was surprised when Arthur yelled so harshly at the servant girl. He did not seem to be the type to act in such a fashion. All she could guess was that he had seen the tray literally jump out of the woman's hands and was distraught by it as well. The princess hoped that the servant did not get punished for something that had not been her fault.

The one who should get punished was the magician, whoever he or she was … or whoever had set the mage to terrorizing her with magic. She no longer believed that person was Arthur because of the way he had just reacted. He seemed as surprised as she was that the tray had thrown itself out of the servant's grasp.

And she was beginning to suspect she was not being tested either. If this was a test, hadn't she proved herself by now … both to Arthur and his father? It was getting more and more difficult to hide her fear, to pretend that everything was normal when it was most certainly not. She felt like running out of the room screaming, but she had been bred too well for that. Sophia was terrified, though, and more than a bit angry at whoever was doing this to her.

For she truly believed now that the magic was directed at her and its use was malicious.

When Arthur suggested they go for a walk, Sophia really wanted to accept. She knew that she would not be able to eat another bite tonight. The wild boar slices she had already consumed were charging through the broth she had eaten, and the sensation was not a pleasant one. She wanted to leave, but she did not want to seem rude to King Uther. It was important she make a good impression on him, for if she did not, she would be sent packing back to Gore and not only would there likely be war, but her father would probably marry to the oldest, fattest, most odious man he could find simply because she had failed in the task he had set for her.

Stepping away from the mess as servants came in to clean up and closer to Arthur, Sophia shot the prince a smile of false adoration. “I would love to, Arthur dear,” she said. “But we have barely started the meal, and I would hate to leave your father all alone. Perhaps we can take a walk later?”

A strange metallic sound caught her attention and she looked down at the floor to see one lone spoon skittering toward her, as if it was trying to escape from the cleaning crew. The servants were too absorbed in what they were doing to notice, and as it slid past her foot, she stepped down on it.

What was up with the spoons tonight?

Her gaze moved back to Arthur. She looked at him as if she longed to be alone with him, or at least she hoped that was how it looked without being too outrageous. Her ice blue eyes then turned to his father, and she gave him a dazzling smile. Hopefully Uther would take the hint that they wanted to be alone and give them permission to leave.

If not, she could only hope that the recalcitrant spoons and jumping trays wouldn't drive her up the wall before this dinner was done.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur smirked as he saw a final spoon come to rest under Sophia's best shoes but carefully disguised it with a cough. How was anybody supposed to keep a straight face when something like this was going on? For the first time he wondered if Merlin had caused such a disaster when he was first coming to terms with his gift. If so he wished he oculd have seen it!

"Perhaps it would be best if you both took a walk." Uther said calmly as he frowned down at the serving girl who was cleaning up under Sophia's chair.
Arthur finally released the breath he hadn't known he was holding as his father permitted the pair to leave. He seemed annoyed at the servants for the mess that had been made, but while Arthur felt bad that they were having to take the blame, he knew that it was necessary right now. He needed to talk to Lady Sophia.

"Well my darling," Arthur beamed at Sophia who, he noticed for the first time, was a good head shorter than him. "Let us take our leave while we still may, there is something i wish to discuss with you..." He smiled warmly, taking her small hand in his own and starting to lead her out of the huge oak doors that marked their exit to the rest of the castle.
Uther's eyes widened as Arthur spoke, probably because he thought that the topic they would be discussing was marriage or something similar. He decided that leaving him with that impression wouldn't do any harm and he left the dining hall, wondering how he was going to breach the subject of magic.

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

Sophia let out a visible sigh of relief when Uther gave them permission to leave, hoping she seemed like a besotted girl who could not wait to be alone with the object of her affection. And she did want to be alone with Arthur, but not for the reason his father thought. She did not believe the prince knew what was going on any more than she did, but perhaps together they could figure out who was terrorizing her with magic.

For now she knew for a fact what she had been taught as a child … magic was evil and it corrupted those who used it. The only cure for that corruption was death, preferably by beheading, for a dead magician could not come back to life if his head was separated from his body. Not that she had ever seen a magician come back to life. Sophia had never even seen magic before she had come to Camelot. No mage lived long enough to cast spells once he crossed Gore's border.

And that was part of the reason she had been sent here. Just marrying Arthur was not good enough for her father. He wanted her to convince him of the malevolent nature of magic so that when he became king, he would ban the practice of it and execute magicians as they did in Gore. If all mages were dead, then the taint of magic would be purged from the world.

Perhaps that part of her task would be easy. After watching magic attack her all afternoon, he should know how vicious it could be.

As Arthur spoke, Sophia glanced down at the spoon under her foot. If she were to leave the dining room, she had to make certain it wasn't going to cause any more trouble. She raised her foot experimentally and the spoon began to wobble back and forth. Clamping her small foot down so hard that it was probably audible, she begged silently: Stop it! And the next time she raised her foot, it was still … and a little bent. It would probably have to be thrown away. Idly, she wondered if it would try to escape from the garbage bin.

The young princess grimaced silently. Cutlery was not sentient. The spoon could not move without someone controlling it. And she was thinking about a mere spoon as if it were alive. The magic must be affecting her mind as well.

Sophia gratefully allowed Arthur to take her hand and lead her from the room. His larger hand was warm and comforting around her small one, and she began to feel a bit better when they had moved beyond the huge doors and into the castle corridor. Immediately, she stopped and turned to the prince, taking his other hand as well and gazing up at him as if she were about to whisper words of love. The King could walk out of the dining room at any moment and there were always servants hurrying through the halls, so it was still a good idea to continue the ruse.

“I don't know how much more I can take of this random magic, Arthur,” she whispered. “I think someone is trying to frighten me, and I hate to admit this, but they are succeeding.”

Indeed, her entire body was trembling with reaction and her heart was pounding so loudly that he could probably hear it.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur smiled down at Sophia, with a look that was both understand and still quietly amused. He had seen the way that she had been with the spoon back in the dining hall, and it had been difficult not to let out a laugh, as it had been for most of the meal.

But they could not talk about it in the middle of the castle corridor. No, Arthur had to find somewhere a little more private, and with a tug on Sophias hands he led her to a small door that led back to the servants quarters.

"Don't be frightened my love," He replied to the young princess, glancing around to see whom might be listening and pushing the door open slowly. The room behind was part of the kitchens, and seeing as the meal had been terminated early, it was empty. Arthur dropped her hands as soon as he realised, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sophia, there is something you should know." He sighed, exasperated. "The magic that is terrorizing you..." He trailed off as something hit him in the back of the head.
Now what?

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

Sophia had the distinct feeling that Arthur was amused by the whole unfortunate situation. She supposed if it was happening to someone else, she might find it funny as well. The young princess loved to perform, but she did not liked entertaining others at her own expense. And this was no performance. It was real.

And it was annoying her to no end.

She had really wanted to make a good impression on King Uther, and had looked forward to a pleasant dinner with both him and his son, but some idiot had had the audacity to either play a practical joke on her or frighten her with magic. The latter had most definitely been achieved, although at the moment, irritation was eclipsing her fear.

The only good to come out of it was that Uther was most likely convinced that she and Arthur were truly attracted to each other by the way they had excused themselves to be alone together. As she doubted her father's spies had infiltrated the castle, they would still have to keep up the ruse so that King Urien would also be satisfied that everything was going according to plan. But it was a fun ruse, and Sophia rather liked the idea that she and Arthur were duping not one king but two. And Arthur was pleasant company.

She followed the prince meekly as he led her through the corridors. As she had absolutely no sense of direction, she had no idea where he was taking her, but she was pretty certain she had never been in this part of the castle before. Eventually he opened the door and led her into a rather nondescript room that seemed plain in comparison to the rest of the castle. The princess assumed this was part of the servant's area and, as she looked around her curiously, she wondered why he had brought her here of all places.

He dropped her hand as soon as they entered, and for some strange reason she did not understand, she felt bereft.

"Sophia, there is something you should know. The magic that is terrorizing you..."

His voice trailed off and it seemed as if he did not know what to say next. Did he know what was going on or did he not? If so, why did he not go ahead and say it?

“Yes?” she prompted impatiently. “If you know why this happening, Arthur, please spit it out.”

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur frowned down at Sophia in surprise as she snapped at him. He had always thought her to be quite mild mannered, and impatience was not a trait he would have guessed her to have. Still he understood that it must be frustrating to be in her position right about now, and so he started to speak again.

"You see, the magic is..." Once again, something rapped against the back of his head, and in a fury Arthur span round, eyes wide and wild.
"NOW WHAT!?" He half yelled in annoyance, stamping his feet like an angry child. He just caught sight of something dropping to the floor. It was a spoon.

Arthur stooped down and picked up the utensil (which was now still), turning back to Sophia with a slightly smug expression on his face. It was going to be very easy to show her now, that it was her magic that caused things to happen around her.

"You see Sophia, the magician is you." He sat down on a nearby stool and held the spoon up to her. "I seem to remember that there was a couple of these causing havoc in the dining hall?" He dropped it to the floor inbetween them and continued his plan.

"You're too stupid and naive to realised that it's your own fault that bad things keep happening around you. You get upset over the most trivial little things and boom! Something explodes or breaks. Can't you see that while your standing there terrified of magic, its you who can't stop using it?! Grow UP!"
His intention was to rile the princess so much that her emotions stirred the spoon on the floor, but as he waited, he suddently began to notice nothing was happening.
Oh dear...

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

{{OOC: Sorry for the extremely late reply.}}

Sophia tapped one little foot impatiently as she waited for his answer. She was sick and tired of the magic and just wanted it to stop. If Arthur knew what was causing it, she wanted to know. Then perhaps she could figure out how to stop it. Even if she had to confront the mage herself, she would do so, although the very thought frightened her. The princess simply refused to be terrorized any longer.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a spoon whacked the prince on the back of his head. In spite of her anger and fear, Sophia fought the urge to laugh. The cutlery was definitely getting the better of both of them tonight, and while it was a bit funny, it was also frustrating.

Arthur picked up the spoon and turned toward her, a smug smile on his face. Yet when he spoke, his words shocked her to the very core of her being.

"You see Sophia, the magician is you."

Wha...?

The princess blinked and then blinked again as he expounded on his theory, dropping the spoon on the floor and proceeding to insult her, calling her stupid and immature and worst of all, accusing her of possessing magic. How dare he! Sophia knew she had no magic. Magic was evil and she was not.

But Arthur …

What had gotten into him? He had been so nice to her today. She had thought him pleasant and likeable. Yet now he was ranting and raving and acting like a lunatic. If it wasn't for the spoon attacking him, she would think that he had the magic.

Why was he doing this? Was it also a test of some kind? If so, Sophia was tired of being tested, she was tired of being insulted, and she did not like being accused of magic. The princess rarely got angry but now she was livid.

Without thinking, she closed the short distance between them and delivered a stinging slap to the side of his face.

“How dare you accuse me of magic!” she spat. “The magic is terrorizing me, Arthur. Do you think I am so stupid as to actually frighten myself? If you expect me to believe your wild accusations, you are the idiot … not me!”