I could almost feel the energy in the air as I stepped out of the cab at long last, breathing in the smell of ancient stones mixed with newer bricks and plaster from the other buildings that surrounded the remains of the castle. Not that you could really tell it had once been a castle, with so little remaining after all the centuries that had passed from its initial creation. Just a few walls scattered about the town and one lone tower standing next to a tavern.

Caerleon was not what I had hoped to find, but it was about what I had expected to find based on all the research I had done. Even so, I couldn't help the sigh that escaped me when I spent the first several hours of my time there on a fruitless search, feeling my heart race every time I saw red hair and feeling it sink in my chest each time it failed to be the red hair I was looking for. No matter how much I wanted to see him again, Morcant had yet to appear before me.

It took another hour of wandering around before I began looking around and actually seeing what was around me, taking in and finally enjoying the sites of a land I had never been to before. I almost wanted to slap myself for having spent so long ignoring the beauty that I was surrounded by, the charm of an old town entrenched in so much history and culture that it could be felt in the very air I breathed.

I had felt that energy upon entering the town but hadn't even realized what it was until I had nearly missed an entire day that could have been spent exploring and enjoying everything there was to offer. I had spent so much time looking for what wasn't there, I hadn't even really seen the numerous quaint shops, had barely acknowledged the passing townspeople who had politely greeted me, and I had almost missed the small cafe that I stood inside of at this very moment.

Oh, how I would have regretted it if I had missed out on this cafe, the smell of mint and honey filling my senses. I slowly breathed in the scent as it wafted up from the cup I held so gently in my hands, feeling the warmth spread through my fingers. Taking a careful sip, I didn't even try to hide the smile that grew on my lips, my mind filled with memories of fiery red hair and emerald eyes filled with affection. And just a hint of mischief, of course.

"I take it the tea is to your liking, then?" Hearing the question come from ahead of me, I opened my eyes and looked up to see a young man slipping into the seat opposite my own at the small table.

"Umm, yeah, it is. I'm sorry, do you work here?" I questioned, noticing the casual attire he wore, rather than the black slacks and white dress shirt the other man had worn when he took my order.

"Ah, no, I'm sorry! I just noticed you had such a nice smile on your face, I wanted to know if it was the tea or something else. I'm just here to see the castle and was hoping the drinks here were worth the money," he laughingly explained, a smile growing on his face as he leaned forward, elbows coming to rest upon the table.

I'm not sure what it was about him, but I found myself slowly relaxing as he spoke, a feeling of almost familiarity coming over me as I looked into pale green eyes. His pale skin only made his jet-black hair stand out that much more as he continued to speak, full lips slowly losing their smile.

"I do hope I haven't bothered you. You just looked like you would be pleasant to talk to, especially over a good cup of tea. If I'm disturbing you though, I'll leave," he finished, slowly climbing to his feet.

"No, you don't have to go. I'm sorry for being so rude! Umm, maybe if you want to, we can talk about the castle over tea? I came here to see it, too," I blushed as I stuttered, finding myself reaching one hand towards him and grabbing his arm as I held my tea steady with my other hand.

I knew I was taking a risk by talking so freely with a stranger, making it obvious I was not from around here, but I couldn't help feeling that this young man was not a danger to me. And to be honest, part of me felt like somehow he might just be connected to Morcant in some way.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much," he spoke softly, smiling down at me once again before moving to the counter to place his order.

--------

I'd nearly burst into tears at the end of the third day, having enjoyed the time I had spent with the young man as we explored the remains of the castle and ventured about the surrounding town. Knowing that the next day would have me flying out of Wales and into England to see Winchester Castle had me caught somewhere between joy at seeing the remains of the castle that had inspired the more modern legends of Camelot and feeling like I was abandoning a friend.

After all, even though it had only been a few days, I felt like I had become good friends with the man. I still couldn't pronounce his name properly and he'd finally just laughed and said to call him Evan, something close enough to his real name that he would respond easily to it.

It was with great joy that I found out he was also going to see Winchester Castle, showing me that he really did have interest in the legends of Camelot and had not simply been trying to be polite or something of the sort. Suddenly, I was looking forward to the rest of the week with an eagerness I rarely felt outside of work. And lately, anything to do with Morcant.

--------

"Is that the table? The Round Table? I mean, I know it's not the Round Table, but is that the recreation they made during the 13th century? It really doesn't look that old. They must have taken amazing care of it!" I was almost bouncing around the room as I tried to take everything in at once, Evan laughing quietly at my actions as he stood nearby, gazing up at the stained glass windows that bore various family crests upon them.

"It is a decent attempt at creating something that, for all they knew, might not even have existed. Of course, nobody can really say how true or false the stories really were since not one human who was alive at that time still lives today," the young man stated, his gaze trailing from the windows to the table and then down to me, lips once more curving into a smile as he met my gaze. "But then, that doesn't mean we can't have fun guessing, right?"

Sometimes, I would swear there was a hint of sadness in his gaze as he looked at me, but it always vanished as soon as I thought I saw it. And I didn't want to point it out, not wanting to cause the smile that always followed it to disappear again. I didn't want to cause him pain, not when he was obviously trying so hard to enjoy himself.

So when I saw that glimmer of darkness in his eyes for a moment, I turned around again and began telling him about all the tales I had read as a child, focusing especially on the more exciting or funny stories I had found in all those books I used to read. And if his eyes began to grow dark again, I hurried on to the next story, wanting to see that light come back again.

--------

"And this is my email address, so be sure to contact me! Especially if you ever plan on visiting my area at some point! I'll show you all the best places to find interesting things. I'll even take you to my favorite cafe!" I pulled Evan in for another hug, knowing I would miss him now that my trip was ending, but hoping that somehow we would get to see each other again.

I barely managed to hold on to my tears until I was back on the plane again, waving at Evan through the window as he slowly waved back, finally turning away as the plane began moving forward to begin takeoff. At least I would be able to keep in contact with him.

If only it was so easy to get ahold of Morcant.