[ Sigrid chuckles quietly and holds Morgana close, quietly whispering inside her mind, just in case Gorlois can somehow hear it, that she will do everything in her power to give his daughter the sort of life he would have wanted her to have. ]
What sort of stories did you have your father telling about me anyway?
Got that from Da, too. [So she was told very very often.
Morgana shrugs a little.] Anything. Everything. There weren't so many ladies who did anything but spin and weave and they were all so boring they can't even climb a tree!
I don't recall climbing many trees around Gorlois either. Except to help with harvesting the orchards, but I had a ladder then. And I still fell.
[ Which might have had something to do with being distracted by a certain visiting Lord and thus putting her foot down where there was no rung to stand on. ]
I bet you could, though. [She says with absolute confidence in her dearest Sigrid.] Da said you were very brave getting the fruit down and stood on the top of the ladders... and that once or twice he had to catch you. He seemed quite pleased with himself.
[ Sigrid doesn't think of herself as much of a storyteller, but she tried her best for her younger siblings when they were little, and she can't resist the opportunity to speak more freely about Gorlois. ]
Well, we knew that your Da was coming to visit us, of course, but we weren't expecting him that day. I wasn't looking much like a princess at all, in my working clothes up on that ladder picking apples. Then I heard some of the other girls starting to chatter about some man riding into the orchard. Apparently he was awfully handsome. Can you guess who it was?
My Da! [truthfully Gorlois could've been ugly as a barnacle-covered ship hull and Morgana would almost certainly think him handsome. She was biased that way. But, still.] Did he startle you? His horses were real big.
No, he was a ways away when he dismounted. I was too shy to say anything, not feeling at all properly ready to receive a guest. But he looked over at me, I don't know why, and my whole stomach became full of little butterflies.
[ Sigrid gives Morgana's stomach a bit of a tickle, to illustrate her point. ]
If he ever comes to visit you in your dreams, don't tell him I said that.
I trust you. And it really was very strange. I got back to work, thinking that I would greet him properly with my family later.
[ What an effort it had been to not take a second look at the newcomer, so much so that she was oblivious to anything but said effort, and the work of her hands. ]
But suddenly, a voice said "Lady Sigrid?" below me, and I got such a fright that I misstepped and tumbled off my ladder, right on top of your poor Da!
Was it the big black one with the white hoof?! He was my favourite. Da taught him to kneel so I could climb right up! [Probably because she kept standing beneath the horse trying to climb up via the girth. But, details.]
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[ Sigrid chuckles quietly and holds Morgana close, quietly whispering inside her mind, just in case Gorlois can somehow hear it, that she will do everything in her power to give his daughter the sort of life he would have wanted her to have. ]
What sort of stories did you have your father telling about me anyway?
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Morgana shrugs a little.] Anything. Everything. There weren't so many ladies who did anything but spin and weave and they were all so boring they can't even climb a tree!
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[ Which might have had something to do with being distracted by a certain visiting Lord and thus putting her foot down where there was no rung to stand on. ]
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[ Sigrid snorts, and it's only too easy to picture the self-satisfied smirk on Gorlois' face. ]
Would you like to hear how I remember that story?
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Well, we knew that your Da was coming to visit us, of course, but we weren't expecting him that day. I wasn't looking much like a princess at all, in my working clothes up on that ladder picking apples. Then I heard some of the other girls starting to chatter about some man riding into the orchard. Apparently he was awfully handsome. Can you guess who it was?
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[ Sigrid gives Morgana's stomach a bit of a tickle, to illustrate her point. ]
If he ever comes to visit you in your dreams, don't tell him I said that.
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Your secret is safe with me.
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[ What an effort it had been to not take a second look at the newcomer, so much so that she was oblivious to anything but said effort, and the work of her hands. ]
But suddenly, a voice said "Lady Sigrid?" below me, and I got such a fright that I misstepped and tumbled off my ladder, right on top of your poor Da!
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I rode with him on his horse back home that day, and even though I was shy he got me talking.
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Did you have lots to talk about?