She guided him through the few streets to her rooms, small and humble though they were. “Would you like something to drink?”
Mordred gave her a small smile. “Anything you have would be lovely, thank you.”
He looked so proud and fair, so far out of reach, sitting at her table. If she were truly home, then perhaps … but she was in Camelot alone, with little to rely on but her own wits and magic. Summer offered him a cup of wine. “You should smile more, Mordred. It suits you so well.”
Summer shook her head, adding bemusement to the array of emotions spinning through her. “Will it hurt your knightly pride to go to a lady’s rooms?”
He laughed. “Of course not, there are worse places to be.”
She guided him through the few streets to her rooms, small and humble though they were. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Can we just,” she began, fingers curling over his bicep, “can we just go somewhere quiet and alone and maybe trust each other a little bit?”
He nodded in agreement, rising to his feet. “It’s the least I can do for causing such trouble.”
Summer shook her head, adding bemusement to the array of emotions spinning through her. “Will it hurt your knightly pride to go to a lady’s rooms?”
“What? No!” She was so confused now, so tangled in all the different places her emotions had been pulled to. She lowered her forehead to his shoulder, oblivious to the possibility of her hair catching in the chain mail. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
”Well that would make the two of us,” he murmurs, resting his head against her own, being careful so he wouldn’t hurt her.
“Can we just,” she began, fingers curling over his bicep, “can we just go somewhere quiet and alone and maybe trust each other a little bit?”
Summer just nodded.
Mordred nodded. “I’m sorry Summer, I didn’t mean to be so rude.”
“What? No!” She was so confused now, so tangled in all the different places her emotions had been pulled to. She lowered her forehead to his shoulder, oblivious to the possibility of her hair catching in the chain mail. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
At that, her eyes snapped back to his face, huge with shock. Nearly soundlessly, she breathed, “You too?”
A frown crossed his features. “You don’t do you?”
Summer just nodded.
His arms fell away, but something he’d said caught her attention. “People like you? Mordred, knights aren’t hated … “
Mordred shook his head, tonguing his cheek. “No, they’re not,” he tells her, tossing up between telling her and keeping his mouth shut, “but people with magic are.”
At that, her eyes snapped back to his face, huge with shock. Nearly soundlessly, she breathed, “You too?”
Summer turned her head, trying to hide behind wisps of hair. Her mouth opened and closed, at a loss for what to say. “I thought, now, since you accepted my ring, since you asked me … but I’ll just … ” His arms were still around her, and she couldn’t bring herself to pull away any farther.
It had been a game, just an amusement, and now it wasn’t one at all, and she didn’t know what to do.
”Summer I-” He stopped, allowing his arms to fall from around her, seeing that she wanted to leave. “I don’t know how to open up to anyone,” he adds. “I never have, because I’ve never had a reason to. The hatred harboured for people like me- if I wasn’t to be exploited I had to learn to hide myself. Something, a pattern that I can’t so easily fall out of now.” Mordred tells her, “it has nothing to do with you.”
His arms fell away, but something he’d said caught her attention. “People like you? Mordred, knights aren’t hated … “
“Yes you did,” she whispered, forgetting to hide what she could do. He had asked, and then — “You pulled away inside.”
His lips form into a thin line. “I didn’t mean it, it’s just a thing I do without meaning to. I’m sorry.”
Summer turned her head, trying to hide behind wisps of hair. Her mouth opened and closed, at a loss for what to say. “I thought, now, since you accepted my ring, since you asked me … but I’ll just … ” His arms were still around her, and she couldn’t bring herself to pull away any farther.
It had been a game, just an amusement, and now it wasn’t one at all, and she didn’t know what to do.
“You haven’t given me a chance.” It hurt. He pulled away inside, and it hurt. She searched his face, trying to find why. “You … aren’t going to give me a chance. Are you.”
He looked back up at her, slightly hurt by her accusation. “I never said anything of the sort, Summer.”
“Yes you did,” she whispered, forgetting to hide what she could do. He had asked, and then — “You pulled away inside.”