I Cannot Compete With You (Elaine)

[Guinevere]

Unfortunately Guinevere had to start picking out a brand new wardrobe.

It wasn’t something that she normally would have found a problem or an inconvenience however this wardrobe was going to have to be very specific and she was really, really going to have to think hard about it. She had decided to go to her favourite haunt Madam Marshon’s, the owner rushing towards her, asking if she required the whole shop to be shut for her. This time however, Gwen would prefer the company of other people, if only so that she wasn’t the only one under scrutiny.

As she wandered down the aisles she saw another girl a little ahead of her, browsing through the clothes. Now if there was anything that could take her mind off her present situation and task it was seeing someone about to make the biggest mistake of their lives.

“Oh no,” she said crossing over to her, “no, no, no, not Orange dear. Not with that skin of yours, definitely not.”

Reaching in to the clothes stand she pulled out the same dress and said, “lily white, much better.”

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She'd made it as far as the town on her own, and Elaine had to say, she was very proud of herself. Sure, she had no idea what half the things in these shops were, she had absolutely no idea what coffee was, and the idea of drinking the thick brown liquid every other person she passed was sipping seemed insane to her. But she had made it into the town, and that had to count for something. Elaine, who could barely leave the castle grounds without an escort had made it all the way from the strange, unfamiliar school into the strange unfamiliar town, all on her own.

But now what? Pausing in the street, she looked around, feeling utterly overwhelmed, and tempted to turn and run back to the school and bury herself in a book, a world she could lose herself in and forget about the strangeness of this place.

No. Absolutely not. She firmly admonished herself for being so cowardly, and took a deep breath. Turning around, looking at each of the shops around her, she saw one full of cloths and linens and, smiling with relief, made her way quickly through the door. Cloth and material, that was something she could understand! She wandered down the aisles, running her hand along the material as she passed it. And such strange material she encountered!! She was used to rough linens, dull colours, the occasional dark red or purple silk or lace. But the materials here were nothing like the ones the traders haggled for in the markets at home!! They were so light and soft, and the colours were such as she'd never seen before. It was as if she'd walked into a rainbow. She smiled, suddenly feeling as if all the worries and fears she had felt before had been lifted from her shoulders, all her cares gone, her mind filled with the lightness, colours and soft material which surrounded her.

Pausing at one rail of clothes, she slowly sifted through them, marvelling as another revelation hit her - these dresses were all already made, no hours of sewing and embroidering required! She smiled again as she paused at dress made of a bright, garish colour, a colour that reminded her of the middle of a hot fire. She pulled the dress out, amazed at the brightness and softness of the material, and held it up against her. She had almost made the decision that she must have this new thing, when a voice made her jump.

She looked up at the speaker and stared as she pulled out another dress and held it up for her. She looked at the dress, back to the girl, and back to the dress again. "I... erm..." The dresses were exactly the same, but the one she was holding in her hands was so much more exciting! "But... they're the same..." She said quietly, her confusion showing in her face. "But this one is so... well it's..." She held it up, struggling to think of a word to express the amazement she felt at this new, exciting colour. "It's so bright!!"

[Guinevere]

Oh dear.

“Um…yes dear, it is, very bright,” said Gwen trying not to sound patronising, really, she was trying very hard, “but, with the colour of your skin it would look somewhat…wrong on you. White, on the other hand, would look marvellous on you I believe. And it‘s such a strong bright bold shade as well.”

Gwen held up the other white dress again, hoping beyond hope that this would be enough to change the young girls mind. For whatever reason, she didn’t think it would work. Looking back at the rail she saw a different style of dress but in an equally bold colour and reached in for that one. She pulled out a strapless red dress that would cling to the body of the wearer and said, “How about this one? It’s sort of like the one you have there but a darker shade? What do you think…I‘m sorry, I don‘t know your name. I‘m Guinevere.”

Shifting the dresses to one hand Gwen held out her other hand to the young girl.

[Deleted]

Elaine nodded enthusiastically as the new girl agreed with her over the brightness of the dress she held in her hands. She frowned slightly as the other girl started talking about her skin colour and the dresses as if they had something to do with each other, and held her arm out in front of her, looking down at her pale skin with a confused look. She clearly had a lot to learn about this new world... a world where the clothes you wore had to match your skin. That really didn't make sense to Elaine, being from a world where the colour you wore matched your status in society. But, after all, that was why she was here, to learn and broaden her knowledge and understanding of the world around her. And, judging by the size of this store and the amount of people in it, clothes were incredibly important.

She said nothing and just listened and watched, eager to start learning straight away. Clearly this other girl was an ideal teacher.... then again... Elaine's jaw dropped as she saw the next item the other girl pulled out. It looked like... well, Elaine wasn't entirely sure what it looked like. The colour was like nothing she'd ever seen on clothes before, it was the colour of the blood that gushed from the throats of the pigs when they were slaughtered for a big feast. And where was it supposed to go? There was nothing to hold it up, and she didn't think the length would go past her knees... no lady could show her ankles, never mind her knees!! She stared at the dress before suddenly realising that her companion was holding out a hand to her, clearly introducing herself.

She quickly took the girls hand and dropped into a curtsey, bowing her head over her hand; the respectful greeting she had been taught to give to anyone her elder. She glanced up quickly as she noted the girl's name. Guinevere? There was a Guinevere of the Summer Country, near to her own home, a girl rumoured to be the most beautiful in the land. Elaine had heard her brother talk of a Guinevere on his brief and confused return to their home, and she had heard it rumoured that Guinevere of the Summer Country had left home to travel to a mystical land not unlike the one Elaine herself now found herself in. Weighing up all the information she had, Elaine could only reach the conclusion that the beautiful girl who now stood before her was the Guinevere her brother was so taken by, the great lady of the Summer Country.

Elaine lowered her head once again, dropping further into a respectful curtsey as she introduced herself. "Elaine of Astolat, my lady. It is an honour to meet you. I have heard much of you in my home country." She looked up and smiled at the lady, blessing her luck that she would meet such a great lady so soon after arriving. She quietly began to harbour a hope that Guinevere would take her on as a lady in waiting, teach her to be as great a lady as herself, and perhaps introduce her to a future knight-husband...

[Guinevere]

Now this was certainly a surprise.

Not the curtsying and hand taking, the girl was clearly from a medieval background and newly arrived as well so that habit hadn’t quite been broken yet. What was surprising was the girl appeared to recognise her, her name at least. There were legends, books that talked of a Guinevere although her story seemed very different from her own, so she had never really thought of it as her life…but this girl, she had heard of her from her home country and Astolat…she recognised the name…

“And an honour to meet you Lady Elaine,” said Guinevere nodding her head just a little and curtsying a little, “what brings you to Tre-…”

Guinevere paused in her questioning as she realised where she had heard the name before and here eyes widening a little she said, “You are Levain’s sister. You are….the lily maid of Astolat.”

[Deleted]

Elaine couldn't stop her face from lighting up at the mention of her brother's name. She had yet to find him here in Trenale, and she was starting to wonder if he had ever made it back here at all. But this lady in front of her knew him, perhaps she knew where he was now, and Elaine could finally find her brother again. "Yes, my lady, Levain is my older brother. You are acquainted with him?" She asked with a smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she straightened up and looked at Guinevere.

She frowned slightly as Guinevere referred to her as the 'lily maid of Astolat'. She had never been called that before, not that she could remember - true, she had spent much of her childhood and years as a young lady in the fields and meadows surrounding her home, making flower chains, flower head-dresses and was almost always seen carrying baskets of flowers. She had heard the servant refer to her as the flower maid, or the flower girl, but it had always seemed so scornful, as if it was below her station to be seen picking and arranging flowers, or wandering barefoot through the meadows.

But this new name... 'lily maid', made Elaine pause. The way Guinevere said it, it didn't seem to be biting or sarcastic at all... it confused Elaine. She looked at Guinevere questioningly, bowing her head slightly in respect as she questioned her. "I have never been called the lily maid of Astolat before, my lady." She said sheepishly, feeling as if she was overstepping a boundary by questioning the lady Guinevere. "Perhaps you have me confused with someone else?"

[Guinevere]

Acquainted with Levain…?

How to go around that potential minefield, this was his sister after all. Guinevere smiled and nodded, “I am, he agreed to be one of my Knights.”

It wasn’t lying, it was just not telling her the whole truth as she knew Levain on a much more personal level. She did not know how much the young girls brother would have told her and she thought it best to allow him the opportunity to do so. Elaine was family, whilst she wished to keep their…relationship, as private as possible Guinevere did recognise that you couldn’t lie to some people… unless of course they were Arthur and Merlin. It was hard but…she was still managing to keep this secret from them.

The girl looked at her in confusion and for a moment Gwen did believe she had the wrong girl, however the girls appearance was proof enough that she hadn’t. “We hear tales of the lily maid of Astolat, a girl with such pale skin as akin to a lily. In a country where the summer is strong and lasts for most of the year, you can imagine how some of the women there envy your pale skin.”

Indeed, Guinevere was not as tanned as some but even she looked on the pale white skin with a little jealousy.

[Deleted]

Elaine's face lit up as Guinevere told her of Levain's status as one of her knights. "He is truly a knight now?" She asked, her voice filled with glee and pride for her big brother. She thought of all the training and hard work he had put in during their childhood, his only aim to become a knight, fighting for the honour of a good lady, and serving the king of the land. "That is joyous news." She said, unable to keep the smile from her face.

Her innocence and naivety serving in Guinevere's favour, Elaine was oblivious to any hesitation or looks that may have crossed Guinevere's face, too happy and caught up in the news of her brother to notice anything else. She smiled up at Guinevere, eager for more news of her big brother. "And does he wear your favours when he rides? How fares he in the joust?" She paused, thinking for a moment. "Do you have tournaments here?"

Listening to Guinevere talk of the tales heard of the lily maid of Astolat, Elaine's jaw dropped slightly. She glanced down at her arm and noticed, not for the first time, the paleness of skin, and her eyes widened in wonder. "You have heard tales... of me?" She asked, her voice slightly hushed in wonder. She had no idea that anyone outside of Astolat had ever heard of her, she was so unimportant, the youngest child of a small-town knight, and a girl at that. "People talk of me? But... why?"

She couldn't help but feel herself swell slightly with pride that people knew of her, but she still found it incredibly hard to believe. What had she ever done that deserved such recognition from people as great as the Lady Guinevere?

[Guinevere]

Guinevere liked the way she spoke of Levain, like he was some great hero, which indeed Guinevere believed he was. Smiling fondly she said, “He will be a knight when I have the appropriate honours to bestow upon him, once my future husband has helped me win back my country. In heart and soul though, yes, he is a knight. And should there be tournaments here, which unfortunately there is not at the moment, he will wear my favours…that is if my future husband does not intend on competing.”

It was strange to think that Arthur would be wearing her favours in the tournament, he would have too, especially in Albion. However in the Summer Country, her champion would be determined by tournament and if Arthur were to lose or not compete, he would lose the right to wear that favour, her champion taking that place instead. She did not know how kindly the blonde prince would take to that.

“You’re beauty my dear,” said Gwen, once again feeling the pang of jealousy, how long would it be before her beauty faded, “such a thing can spread through the land like wildfire. Especially one so fair…which is why I do not recommend orange as a colour for you. Red…is the brightest I suggest for you, and most befitting for a lady of the court, which is what you will be when your brother receives his knighthood.”

[Deleted]

(OOC So so so sorry for delayed reply!!! It's been a crazy week!)

Elaine's ears pricked up at the mention of a 'future husband'. Elaine had been to a few weddings in her time, mostly small country weddings of local lord's daughters, or her father's people, but she loved nothing more than a wedding. Unsurprising, given that she had looked forward to her own wedding ever since she was old enough to understand a good marriage was all the was required of her in life. And if Levaine was to be a knight to this great lady... Elaine's breath caught in her throat slightly as she thought of her family's closeness to this wedding. Perhaps Elaine herself could be involved - as maid to the bride she was bound to have a responsibility. Elaine vowed to herself to speak to her brother as soon as they were reunited, and ask him to recommend her as maid or lady-in-waiting to the great Lady Guinevere. She briefly toyed with the idea of asking herself, but dismissed the thought immediately, knowing herself to be too bold.

She stood silently as Guinevere talked of the legend of her beauty, barely believing it to be true. But, surely, if it her looks were as famous as that, then she would be wed by now? She sighed as her thoughts strayed to marriage once more. She silently took the dress from Guinevere as she held it up, looking at it, marvelling at the colour, her thoughts still pulled to marriage and weddings.

"I still do not really understand, my lady... but... you are betrothed? How wonderful! He must be a great man to have won your hand, my lady." She smiled, glowing with the excitement the thought of a wedding always brought about. "When are you two to be joined? Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a husband." She smiled, sighing wistfully. "And babies - strong boys like my father and brother! I suppose you will want to start having children as soon as you are wed, my lady!" Elaine bit her tongue as she realised the impertinence of her question. She curtseyed again quickly, to cover her embarrassment. "Apologies, my lady, that was too bold of me."

[Guinevere]

The young girl certainly was rather excitable and although she was touching on subjects that Guinevere still found sore she couldn’t help but smile. Of course now the young girl expected answers to her questions, despite her apologies at the end and now Guinevere would have to answer. She was the sister of Levain, Levain ho knew everything and so would he tell his sister? Not if she had told him not too but who was she to stand between a brother and sister? It was a bond she heard could be very stronger, stronger even than that of Guinevere and Levain.

Again the jealousy rose a little.

Stepping in closer to the girls she said quietly, “A little bold yes, but I like boldness, far too many ladies of Albion aren’t nearly as bold as they should be.”

What to do now? She was just buying time, trying to work things out in her head…

“Can you keep a secret?” she whispered.