My Kingdom for a Kiss

Evangeline wasn't sure if she was going to met Arthur in the Darkling Woods, but she feared he would attempt to make an appearance in Bernicia and that greatly influence her final decision. To met him after all.

''Where are you going at this late hour?'' Sir Derrick asked, walking into Evangeline as she was preparing to sneak out, to see Arthur.

And since he had frightened her, she was a bit more harsh than she would have been usually.

So, sternly, she said, ''That is my business, and mine alone.'' After hearing the harshness of her own voice, she frowned, and added a softer, ''but if you must know, I'm taking a stroll.''

Sir Derrick smiled, and bowed lightly, before leaving her in peace.

Evangeline sighed, and continued on her way.

She spotted him in the thickest parts of the forest, leaning against a tree, his back to her.

Evangeline smiled without intention, and realizing he hadn't heard her walk up, she said suddenly, ''Boo!''

Arthur turned around very fast, and even though he would not admit it, she knew she had frightened him.

Evangeline smiled lightly, and took a seat on a large tree stump.

Arthur couldn't help the way his heart swelled at the sight of her smile tugging on her full lips, and the mere hopeful thought that he had put it there.

''Why did you want to see me?'' Evangeline asked, looking up at him.

''Many reasons.'' He answered and began to state his reasons, but he was cut off by the distant sound of the growling of wolves. The guards along the human guards of Bernicia.

Evangeline stood from the tree stump she had been sitting on and looked into the forest. ''Sir Derrick must have told my Father I had gone out.'' She sighed.

''He's always afraid he's going to loss me, like Mat-...'' Evangeline stopped herself, trailing off uncomfortably as she remembered who it was she was speaking to.

Arthur's eyes cast down without his permission, and he bit his lower lip.

''You must go.'' Evangeline told him, turning to him after that small moment of uncomfortable silence.

When he did not move, she sighed, looking slightly panicked. ''If you don't, my father's men will capture you.''

Arthur glanced over at her. He did not wish to leave, but alas, he had to yet again, leave her without saying what he had wished to.

''I love you.'' He told her, a painfully sincere expression possessing his fair features, and without waiting for her reply, he turned and left. He was afraid she would reject him once more and he would be left, in Camelot, without being able to reassure himself of her true feelings.

Evangeline watched him go, a troubled expression on her lovely face.

The wolves growls and howls grew closer and she walked to greet them.

''What were you doing out so late in the cold?'' Her Father asked, worried.

Evangeline, despite her resentment toward the tattletelling Sir Derrick, she smiled up at her Father lightly. ''I was taking a walk, Father. It's great to walk around at night at times. I say it's good for the soul.''

Her Father rest his hand on her shoulder and smiled. ''We should together. It feels like ages since I've simply talked to you. I would like to dearly.''

''I would love that.'' She smiled warmly. Evangeline felt horrible for lying to her Father. Her wonderful, sweet, understanding Father and inwardly, she frowned.

The next morning, Evangeline planned to find Sir Derrick and perhaps give him a few well chosen words of warning, but another Knight, Sir Alfred, had found her first.

He told her of her Father's wishes to meet her in the throne room, and pressed the urgency of the matter.

She came at once, again, well confused.

The two men guarding the throne room doors opened them to reveal her Father, adorned in his fur cloak and his crown and Sir Derrick, wearing a foolish smile.

She was still rather confused when she walked toward the two, but she was also afraid.

Afraid Sir Derrick had seen her with Arthur, and had told Odin, but that was soon vanquished when her father smiling a genuine, warm smile.

''What is it, Father?'' She asked, stopping in front of him.

''My child, there has been a proposal.'' He smiled wildly, as if that were to ease her confusion.

''A proposal?'' She asked, her dark brows risen in perplexity.

''Yes!'' King Odin answered grandly, ''Sir Derrick has asked your hand in marriage!''