The first two chapters are going to have everybody's character in, 6 in each, even if they're not major yet. This is to get you used to all the characters. Just so you know not all the characters will be in future chapters!

Also, sorry, I'm aware that this chapter and the next have like no plot: it's purely about introducing characters!

"Arise, Sir Lucan, knight of Camelot."

Lucan- wait, no, Sir Lucan now, felt the cold metal of the king's sword as it touched lightly against his shoulders. He raised his bowed head slightly: this was the best moment of his life, he wasn't wasting it staring at Uther Pendragon's boots. No, he wanted to see the man himself. Closeup.

To his disappointment, however, his motion was stopped by a firm hand before his eyes had even reached the man's face and his head was pressed sternly down again.

Great. I've already disappointed them. Lowering his head once more, he tried to keep still. He had pictured today over and over again in his head, and never once had he fidgeted. But now he was nervous and couldn't seem to sit still. He could feel the court's eyes pressing into his back. Don't move. He thought anxiously. Don't move. But he had to.

He risked a quick look over his shoulder at his older brother, Sir Leon, and watched him intently for a few seconds. The knight was standing tall and proud as always, looking on with shining eyes.

Gritting his teeth, Lucan looked back at the floor in time to watch Uther's boots move on to the next new recruit. Of course, Leon's knighting ceremony had been perfect. Leon was always perfect. Lucan was always worse that his brother. Always second-best.

If only there was a way to beat him.

-

After the ceremony there was a great feast in the hall, attended by many court members, knights, and servants alike. The cacophony of clinking plates and glasses, shuffling feet, rowdy conversations and music was loud enough to deafen, but despite all of this the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Leon and Lucan stood together in one corner, a cup in each of their hands, talking quietly. Lucan was excitedly recounting his first day as a knight of Camelot to his brother, who was nodding along patiently. Of course, being a knight himself, Leon knew exactly what Lucan had been doing. But he went along with it anyway, just to please his younger sibling. That was what this feast was for, right? Sir Lucan. Leon couldn't help but grin with pride.

"Well done, brother. I'm very proud of you."

Lucan beamed.

"In fact," Leon continued, "I propose a toast! To the new recruits!"

"To the new recruits!" This shout was taken up all over the large room, and glasses chinked together as the same words were reiterated over and over again. The two brothers toasted and drank, and then moved off to find more wine; it wasn't often they were privileged enough to drink from Uther's collection of rather expensive alcoholic drinks.

And so it went on until the sun began to rise and the celebrations eventually drew to a close. Eventually all the guests departed to get a few hours of sleep before the new day began.

———

All the knights, new and old, awoke with a pounding headache and a hangover.

Sir Azric Erenion was among the last to wake, for when he eventually brought himself to crack his eyes the sun was already streaming through the curtains. Groaning softly to himself, he rubbed his temples: his head was pounding from the quantity of alcohol he had consumed last night.

The world swam before bleary eyes and his mind felt fuzzy and unfocused. Deep in his stomach, he felt sick. He knew, of course, that all the knights would feel similar today after last night's celebrations, but he had too much pride to show it.

Reckless impulsive had got him into this situation, pride and dignity would get him out.

After much silent encouragement to himself, Azric swung himself out of bed and began to dress. He paused. What was he doing today? Training, attending a meeting, guarding, patrolling-?

Damn.

As quickly as he could, he pulled on his ceremonial armour, fingers fumbling at the buckles in his haste. Usually he would call a servant, but there wasn't time. Taking one last moment to comb clumsy fingers through his long blonde hair, he strode out of the room and towards the main hall. He was going to be late.

Out of breath but relieved, he joined the crowd of court members and knights flooding into the room. Everyone of any importance in Camelot was here: even a few servants had gathered. He received a withering glance from a few people as he stepped into his place, and Sir Leon whispered to him, "What kept you?"

For some reason, he felt annoyance rising inside of him at the question. Azric rolled his eyes at the taller knight. "I just thought I'd walk in here late and make fool of myself for fun. See how Uther would react." Each word dripped with sarcasm. If sarcasm was a poison, Leon would be dead by now. Come to think of it, if sarcasm was a poison, most people he had ever met would he dead too. "I overslept." He clarified when his companion continued to look at him, confused.

Leon opened his mouth to reply but both were forced to stop their whispered conversation as the king began to speak.

All the way through the king's long speech, Azric was only half-listening. He watched the king and thought idly about his position as a knight. It was a powerful one, yes, and he'd worked hard to get it, but Uther didn't seem to care. He didn't seem to treat knights differently from others. He ignored them and ordered them around just like he did everyone. It made Azric's pride ache. He didn't want to be told what to do. But his loyalty to Camelot came first. It always would.

———

Lady Teodora Silva hesitated outside the double doors. Usually she was not one to be daunted by men or crowds of people, or even royalty, having turned down many suitors and spoken to many kings and queens. But now, standing before these huge wooden giants, she hesitated.

When she listened carefully, she could hear the last few lines of King Uther Pendragon's sentence:

"...and I hope you will welcome her into our midst here in Camelot, and treat her with the respect that a true noblewoman deserves."

That was her cue. Raising her chin, she allowed the guards to push open the double doors. Then, slowly, she began to walk down the aisle between the court members until she stood before this foreign king. She curtsied and bowed her head. "Your majesty."

Teo was amused when he bowed his own head in return. "My Lady." He addressed the audience once more.

"Lady Teodora will be staying for as long as she wishes." He motioned to a servant who came scurrying over immediately. "Evelyn will be your servant during your stay. I hope you will be satisfied."

"I am sure I will be, my Lord."

Indeed, even this hall seemed splendid, bedecked in royal crimsons and golds. The high ceiling was intricately decorated with carvings, some scenes from lore or legend, some with animals or even just patterns. She noticed with interest that some parts had been carefully filed away, but when she squinted hard at it, Teo could make out that it was all the carvings containing sorcery that had been removed. She shook her head sadly. Uther was wrong to ban sorcery. It could be used for good as well as evil, she was sure of that.

Distracted, she was surprised to hear the king's voice when he spoke again. "The court is dismissed." Then he addressed her. "You will now be shown to your room."

The room was lustrous and overly decorated. The bed was neatly made and there was a bowl of fruit on one table. She thanked the servant who had brought her here and then sighed as she flopped down, rather unladylike, onto the bed. She had come here in the hopes of a fresh start, but already she seemed to have ended up his 'Lady'. Why couldn't somebody just treat her normally for once?

But of course, because of her lineage, all she would only ever be was a pretty face. She sighed into the pillows. This world could be cruel sometimes.

Isn't anybody ever going to change it?

Perhaps that person is me.

———

Evelyn shut the door quietly behind her and smiled. Lady Teodora seemed nice enough, and she wasn't one of those women who spent their time dreaming about men and pretty dresses. Evelyn respected her for that.

Honestly, she hoped Lady Teodora stayed for a while at least. Having her around could be fun.

As she paced along the castle's corridors, a bundle of washing in her arms, she hummed and sang a nursery rhyme to herself. She didn't know many, her parents having died when she was so young and all, but when she was younger Gaius had taught her a few. This was her favourite:

"When leaves are long and trees are blooming,
Walk through woods in early morning,
Watch the blossoms fall like snow,
You'll be home before you know."

Stopping by the laundry room to drop off her bundle, she steered her feet towards the physician's chambers. She hadn't seen him recently and had a little time before her new mistress would need her whilst the other servants unpacked the Lady's things.
Absent-mindedly, she watched the jester's apprentice, River Altaïr, run past before continuing with her song.

"Skipping through the summer fields,
Growing fruits by leaves concealed,
Sun sets golden wheat aglow,
You'll be home home before you know."

She paused for breath. She was nearing the physician's quarters now.

"Fruits are ripe and leaves are falling,
Autumn berries shining, soaring,
Wind whips up and dead leaves blow,
You'll be home before you know."

She didn't have time to sing the winter verse and instead knocked on the physician's door. To her surprise it was not the aged physician who answered, but his ward, Merlin.

"Ah! Um... hello, Merlin."

There was an awkward silence, which the young boy quickly broke.

"Evelyn, isn't it?"

"Um, yeah." She craned her neck to look behind him. "Is Gaius in?"

"Oh! Yeah. Yeah, course he is." He turned to look back into the room. "Gaius!"

The old man appeared as if from nowhere. "Ah! Evelyn!" He shuffled forward to embrace her. "I've been waiting for you to come and pay me a visit." He cracked a smile. "An old man can't walk all that way to find you, you know!"

She grinned back at him. "I've missed you. I've been busy for days and I've got a feeling my life's about to get a whole lot busier!" She groaned softly. "I've been asked to serve Lady Teodora Silva during her stay here. She seems nice, but I was looking forward to a bit of a break..."

Gaius patted her on the back sympathetically. "It's alright, my girl. I'm sure you will have enough time to do whatever it is you were planning." He raised an eyebrow at her in mock indignation. "And you should certainly be able to find time to visit me!"

They talked for a while longer before Evelyn was forced to take her leave. As she headed back to her mistress's chambers she thought of her plans for later that night and couldn't help but smile. Gaius was right. She would certainly get time to carry out 'whatever it is'.

———

He raced down the winding passage, skidding round corners and chest heaving. Behind him, he could hear their heavy footsteps and laboured breathing. Nearly as laboured as mine.

It was only a few coins. He was bored and he missed the thrill of pickpocketing. But just as he had been drawing his hand out of the (rather large) sack of gold at the merchant's hip, his fingers had slipped and one of the coins had fallen with a loud clatter back into the bag. The merchant turned and yelled something at him. It was then that he ran.

He could feel the hard metal of the remaining money still clutched tightly in his fist. The ridges dug painfully into his fingers and his legs burned from running too fast for too long.

You couldn't just let the money be, could you? He though angrily to himself. Couldn't just leave it alone for once.

It was true, his impulsiveness and instinct had often gotten him into trouble in the past. Mentally he kicked himself. Stupid stupid stupid.

But it had been fun, he thought with a grin.

After what seemed like hours of running up many flights of stairs and around many twisting corners, he saw his sanctuary: the court jester's chambers.

Pulling open the door he skidded inside and slammed it behind them, drawing the bolt shut firmly and leaning on it, for support more than for security, until his breathing had calmed a little.

A satisfied smile slipped over his features as he heard his pursuer's heavy footsteps pass. Gotcha.

Peeling back his fingers, he gazed triumphantly at the small gold coins resting in his palm. They shone and flickered in the dusk light and the candlelight surrounding him until they seemed almost alive. It looked to him as if they were winking at him, so he winked back at them and laughed.

But his laughter was cut short and his fingers snapped firmly back into place around the coin as a familiar voice echoed across the room to him. Disapproval etched its every syllable, and considering there were only two, it was impressive just how disapproving it managed to sound.

"River?"

Groaning, the boy glanced up. His mentor had a knack for walking in at the wrong time. For River, anyway.

"Uncle Cedric?"

His feigned innocence failed to impress the Jester. Cedric held out his hand palm up and, albeit reluctantly, River handed over the coins. "Sorry." He mumbled. He wasn't really, of course, but if the Jester thought he was, he might not be so harsh on him.

To his surprise, his mentor broke into a grin. "No you're not."

"Am so!"

"Aren't!"

"Am!"

Cedric snorted. "You'll have to do better than that if you're to become a jester."

River didn't know why, but that hurt. He wanted to impress his mentor so badly. He had just disappointed him. That's all he ever did.

There must be a way to change that.

But despite his wounded pride, he smiled back. "Oh yeah? How would you know? Getting a little rusty yourself!"

"Why you-"

Cedric's fake anger died away into laughter as he lunged for his apprentice, tickling him until the boy was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

"I'll get you back for that one." He whispered playfully. In response, the child snuggled happily into his arms. "Will not." Came the muffled reply.

Whatever he said, River loved the Jester dearly. He was like a father to him, the father he had thought he had lost forever until now. He sighed contentedly. I guess today was a good day after all.

———

Once River was asleep, Cedric carefully carried him over to his bed. Why the boy chose to steal was beyond him. True, he himself wasn't the most serious of people, but breaking the law wasn't a game. He had tried to tell River that today. Tried to scold him. But in the end they had ended up on the floor laughing. They always did.

Cedric knew that he and his ward shared a special bond. He had known as soon as he had laid eyes on the boy that they were made to get along, and that connection had only grown with time.

Despite his words earlier, River was flourishing in this apprenticeship, looking to be a fine Jester when Cedric became too old. The boy would do well in life if he only learned to control himself a little more. But he was only ten years old.

Plenty of time to mature yet.

And anyway, what was the fun in maturity? Cedric decided that he would let his apprentice enjoy youth for as long as possible, that way they could spend as much time together as possible.

Quietly, Cedric moved around the room, putting out the candles and tidying up after their antics earlier. Then he went to bed himself, laying back against the soft pillows and sighing. He had spent the day entertaining the king's royal guest, Lady Teodora.

She was beautiful, he thought. As he had performed, he saw several of the king's men eying her. She hadn't seemed interested. Good for her.

He had spoken to her afterwards and she was kind and brave and- well. It had been a long day, he supposed, and she must have been tired after her journey. He had heard that she had only arrived this morning, the reason was unclear from the tales he had heard from his fellow staff. Perhaps in the morning he would send River to find out more.

Ah, River. Jester's apprentice. He deserved more, but this was the best Cedric could offer him. At least the boy seemed happy. Most of the time.

What was it to be Jester, anyway? To entertain? He was seen as a tool to help negotiations, an object to be played with. A fool.

Nobody recognised him for who he was: human, free. Maybe if they took a closer look they would see that. But nobody ever bothered.

Someday, he thought with a smile. Someday, they'll see.

Ok so I know that was long (3042 words!) and incredibly boring but there we are!

Please comment and vote to let me know what you thought! The next chapter will be similar and will introduce the other 6 characters!

Don't worry, all the chapters after that will actually have a plot!

I hope you enjoyed!