Princess or Knight?

Rosaline, Princess of Camelot, smiled as she hid behind the corner wall of the castle, watching her brother and his friends, what her father liked to call 'the next generation of knights,' practicing with her uncle Leon in their sword work. She couldn't help but smile as she saw them working on their stances and their motions. She saw the knights doing it every morning from her bedroom window and it was so amazing to her, they were so lucky to get to learn from one of the actual knights of Camelot. Not that they didn't learn from quite a few other knights as well, even her father took William aside to teach him more about how to fight if he ever needed to.

Her brother got to do all the fun stuff.

Her mother had promised that she would learn quite a bit as well as she grew older, but that was SUCH a long way away! She was 6! She should be able to do more by now, right? Just because William was 9, almost 10, it just wasn't fair.

She sighed quietly thinking of that, but almost squealed a moment later when she saw Leon going through the basic motions all over again when William stumbled. Her brother wasn't all that good just yet, not as good as he thought he was at least. She bet SHE could beat him, one day she would, one day she'd train hard and she'd learn how to use a sword and she'd beat her brother in combat, in a melee or something like her father used to fight in. She'd do it! She would!

Her mother always said it was very important that William not develop an overly large head, and had secretly told her it would be HER job one day to make sure her brother didn't get to be too arrogant.

She bet if SHE beat him in combat that would keep his head VERY small.

In fact…he was a little arrogant right now…perhaps she should start earlier than she thought she would. Yes, she should learn RIGHT NOW how to fight with a sword so that, later, she'd be able to fight him quicker! After all, William had started training when he was 5 and she was 6! She was late!

Ooh…she stepped back from where she was about to run out and join her brother, she couldn't go to Leon for help. He was in the middle of training and he always got so very grouchy and pouty and irritable when the training was interrupted. She didn't want him cross with her! But what could she do? She really did need to start training and now!

She sighed, looking around, when her eyes widened and she let out a little cheer, seeing a small broom lying against one of the walls, one of the servants having left it there for their chores. She hurried over to it and picked it up, looking at it, it was a bit big, a little too long, not the right size for a sword but…

She looked around surreptitiously and turned back to the broom, her eyes flashing gold as the broom cut in half, the perfect length for a sword! Oh this was brilliant! She hurried back over to the corner of the castle wall, watching her brother intently, squinting against the sun to make out Leon, really trying to see what stances they were taking and moved to do the same. She stepped a little away from the wall, mimicking them and their motions. There were only five that day, a block above, a slash, a hit to the left and right, and a way to knock the sword to the side by driving it down. Well that was easy! She didn't know why William was always complaining that it was SO hard!

She huffed, scoffing lightly at that and ducked back behind the wall, looking at the broom in her hand, shifting it between her hands to 'test the weight' as her father always did before a tournament. She didn't know why anyone would need to test the weight of a sword, they were swords, not gold coins or people. Silly adults. But she nodded to herself, this was a good weight, she determined, twisting her wrist to try and swing the broom around just like her father did a sword…

And winced, dropping the broom as it whacked her in the shoulder.

"Ow," she muttered, pouting at the piece of wood and rubbing her arm before she sighed and picked it up again.

There was no crying or complaining allowed in training, that was what her Uncle Merlin said all the time whenever her father would start to remark on how sore he was. Her father would always say that Uncle Merlin had no idea what he was talking about, because he'd never been trained as a knight of Camelot, her Uncle Merlin always said that he'd been hit by the knights enough to know. It didn't make sense to her, there was no reason to hit her uncle Merlin and with his magic there was no way at all that they'd have been able to hit him. He was the Archmage! He was the most powerful sorcerer ever! And no mean old knight would ever be able to hit her uncle, not ever.

Still, she tried to swing the broom around again, slower this time. It was awkward, why did her father like spinning his sword like that so much? Boys were stupid.

She turned, putting her back to the light behind her, her back to the practice going on with the boys on the other side of the wall, and began to go through the motions she'd seen Leon display for the boys. Up-block, down-swish, left-hit, right-hit, push-away.

Up-block, down-swish, left-hit, right-hit, push-away.

Up-block, down-swish, left-hit, right-hit, push-away.

She smiled, this was easy!

Up-block, down-swish, left-hit, right-hit, push-away.

She stumbled a bit, putting a bit too much force into her down-swish and turning herself around…right face to face with her brother who was standing there with his friends, his arms crossed, their great-uncle Gaius's eyebrow of doom on his face, watching her.

"What are you doing Lyn?" he asked, as though it wasn't already clear.

"Practicing," she said, hiding the broom behind her back though she didn't know why so she let it beside her again.

"Practicing what?"

"My sword work," she rolled her eyes, holding up her broom for him to see.

William went cross-eyed at the tip of the broom that was held right at his nose and reached up to knock the broom away, "You can't practice sword work."

"Yes I can," she said firmly.

"No you can't."

"Can so!"

"Cannot!"

"Can, can, can!" she stomped her foot.

William rolled his eyes at that, "Girls aren't allowed to fight with swords. Only boys, only knights, can learn how to use a sword."

"Nuh-uh," she shook her head, "Aunt Morgana knows!"

"Aunt Morgana wasn't a princess," William sighed as though trying to explain to her the difference between her and their Aunt, "She is NOW, but she wasn't then, she was just grandfather's ward. She could learn. YOU can't."

"Just cos I'm a princess?" she pouted.

"And cos you're a baby," William nodded.

"Am not William!" she stomped her foot again, "Am not!"

"You're throwing a tantrum just like a little baby," William taunted a bit, "And even if you grow up, you still can't learn swords. That's for boys."

"You're…you're just…just scared I'll beat you," she defended, her bottom lip wobbling at how mean her brother was being.

William snorted at that, "I could beat you blindfolded with a hand tied behind my back," he told her, "Cos I'm in training to be a knight and girls can't be knights. Girls can only be princesses and queens."

"I'm gonna be the High Priestess one day!" she pointed out.

"And I'm gonna be the king," he countered, "AND I'm already a Dragon Lord. So there."

She glared at him, stepping closer, "I'll learn swords AND I'll beat you and one day I'll be a knight too!"

"Lyn," he sighed, sounding like he was really trying not to get annoyed, "No, no, and never gonna happen. So why don't you just go back inside and play with your dollies with Celia."

"SHE's a baby!" she countered, and this time it was true, Celia was their 'cousin,' well not really cousin, Uncle Mordred wasn't really their uncle like Uncle Merlin was, he wasn't their grandmother's son, but he loved them just like a real brother and uncle and they saw him as their mother and uncle's real brother, so Celia was their cousin…but she was 2!

"Then you should have a grand old time cos you're one too," William laughed.

"You just wait William!" she pointed a warning finger at him, "I'll…I'll learn how to use a sword and I'll beat you!"

She glowered to herself as she turned and stomped away, ignoring the laughter of her brother and his friends behind her.

Big brothers were annoying!

~8~

Morgana and Marayna were walking through the halls of Camelot, discussing Morgana's last visit with the Druids, when they heard a loud…yet light…stomping coming up the stairs to their right. They paused, watching with widening eyes as little Rosaline came up, glowering with an expression that looked JUST like her father when he was in a mood. It would have been adorable, if they hadn't known, for her to make that look, she was truly upset about something.

"Sweetheart?" Marayna called, making her daughter gasp and look up at her mother.

"Mummy!" Rosaline quickly ran for her mother who knelt down to hug her as the girl started to cry.

"Oh what's wrong, Rose?" Morgana quickly crouched down as well, her hand on Rosaline's back.

Rosaline sniffled, "William…he…he said I…I couldn't be…be a knight cos…cos I'm a girl," she hiccuped, trying to speak through her tears.

"You…want to be a knight?" Morgana looked at Marayna, that was new.

"No," Rosaline pouted, "I just…I just wanna learn the…the sword things!"

Marayna nodded now, understanding, "You want to be trained in how to use a sword, just like your brother, don't you sweetheart?"

Rosaline nodded, "He said…said I couldn't. Cos I'm a girl. But…but I said Aunt Morgana knows. And…and he said I can't cos…cos I'm the princess."

"Well, that's even MORE reason to learn then," Morgana remarked.

"Perhaps not a sword though," Marayna murmured.

"Mum!" Rosaline looked at her, betrayed.

"I only mean that every person has a weapon best suited for them," Marayna explained, holding her daughter closer, moving to sit on the middle of the hallway floor with the girl on her lap, "Your uncle, he tried to learn how to use a sword too…"

"I remember that," Morgana laughed, "He was rubbish."

"He was," Marayna smiled, "But a staff?" she shook her head, "He could even beat your father with one."

Rosaline's eyes widened, "Really?!"

"Oh yes," Marayna nodded, "He's quite skilled with a staff."

Rosaline scrunched her face a moment, "But I want to learn a sword," she said, calming down, "I want to learn a sword so I can beat William!"

"That is a fair reason to want to learn," Morgana glanced at Marayna, "It's the same reason I wanted to learn, Arthur was being SUCH a prat about his skill with a blade I just wanted to shut him up a bit."

Marayna laughed at that, "Merlin and I never really had that problem," she mused, "We never really fought or tried to outdo each other. We each had our own strengths and we knew what they were."

"You also grew up in Ealdor with Hunith," Morgana pointed out, "I was trapped here with Uther."

"That is true," Marayna nodded, thinking about the differences in their childhoods. She and Merlin had grown up as siblings, relying on each other, whereas Morgana and Arthur hadn't known they were related and fought. She…wasn't really used to SEEING it happen though. From what Arthur told her each time she fretted over how her children interacted, he would remark that William and Rosaline were exactly like he and Morgana used to be…which was ironic as Benedict and Celia acted quite a bit like she and Merlin had.

Still, it had taken some getting used to to see that not all children, not all siblings, has the bond she and Merlin had.

She looked down at her daughter, "Well then…who would you like to teach you, sweetheart?"

Rosaline's eyes widened at that, "…so I can learn?"

Marayna nodded, "I think…your father, if you'd like. He would want you to be able to protect yourself," she remarked, in thought, "If your magic ever failed you, he would want you to be able to keep yourself safe," she nodded Arthur would kill her for agreeing to let their little sweet girl touch a sword, he looked at the girl with such affection and jumped (and panicked) when she had so much as a paper cut, imagining him teaching her dueling would be…quite a sight.

But she could tell he'd agree, in the end. To him, no one would be good enough to teach his daughter but him, no one would understand and care for her like he would. And he would feel very happy to know, if she ever did need to use the skills in the future, that HE had been the one to give her that skill.

She knew, at times, he felt like he hadn't done enough for his children. Their magic came from HER, their titles and abilities in the magical community, as a Dragonlord and the future High Priestess, had come from HER. All he had done was give them the fortune of being born a prince and princess..and she also knew that he realized William would be King of Camelot, where as their daughter would only be Queen if she married a King (and if she should fall in love with one, that was fine, if not, they didn't care if she fell for a stable boy so long as she was happy). This would be something he could really give to his daughter that was his and his alone.

"Do you think daddy would?" Rosaline asked.

Marayna smiled at her, "I think he would be thrilled to teach you."

And if Arthur wasn't, and ranted and raved about how it was truly the WORST idea she'd ever had to allow this, paced up and down their bedroom till all hours of the night listing every single reason why his baby girl should not ever have to touch a sword…and if she had to smack him on the back of the head, list all the counter reasons, give him the 'eyebrow of doom,' and threaten to teach the girl HERSELF with her abysmal skills with a sword till he finally gave in…well, that was a mother's duty to see her child happy.

A/N: I really just want to say thank you guys so much for your understanding about the lateness of starting this story up again. 2014 was a mess of medical/family/computer issues and 2015 started with the loss of our dog Dale and my father being diagnosed with Cancer :( I'm happy to say that my father is on the road of being declared Cancer Free and is recovering well and I fully plan to be updating this story as normally as I can ;)

For this story, as I've added another spin-off to my collection of them and will be adding another one on the 30th, this story will be updated around the 21st/22nd of every even month (February, April, June, August, October, and December) and I should be keeping up with that from here on out, no more delays that are this long again ;)

And I also wanted to say, for spinoffs, I'm very open to suggestions for future chapters or anything you'd like to see for the characters (like William and Rosaline and possible suitors, and sweet father/daughter or mother/son moments) as well as if there are any questions you'd like to see answered in this story too (like, what would happen if one of the kids got kidnapped? or do the children know about the Purge and laws against magic that used to be in Camelot?) things like that ;) Just let me know and I'll add it to my list of future chapters ;)

Some notes on reviews...

The chapters will range to outside the Arthur/Marayna and their children scope yup :) We'll see Benedict and his parents, and the cousins and friends and knights and many more ;)