With You, Always (ArthurxMale!Reader)

Chapter 4: Forest Encounters

(The above image is a dagger I found at a flea market once! I should have bought it but, instead, it is now one you will see making an appearance later in the chapter)

The next morning was a beautiful one full of possibilities. You woke up soon after sunrise, but you found your bowl was already gone. Godfrey must have stopped by your room. She was always one to wake up early before the rest of the world.

You flipped the sheets up, tumbling out of your bed. You knelt in one of the corners of your room. Lifting up the edge of one of the cobblestone plates, you revealed a hollowed out part of your floor. Inside it rested a small bag filled with coins. The last of your stashed away cash. You then quickly got dressed and adorned yourself in a long cloak of your favorite color. Rushing out of your room, you bumped into a familiar body in front of your door.

"Ooohf! Oh? Going out somewhere today, are we?" It was your favorite of Treasluhan's Holy Knight Grandmasters, Godfrey.

"Just, uh, going out for a walk." You kept it nonchalant as you carefully tucked your coin purse behind your back and out of view. You trusted Godfrey, but you didn't trust Queen Valda possibly being around to try and figure out your plan. When she moved next to you and laid an arm across your shoulders you fought off the urge to prickle up.

"In need of some fresh air?" She whispered to you with that classic smile of hers.

You forced yourself to untense your posture. You nodded, and she nodded back, only slower to show her understanding.

"You've had a rough couple of days," a flicker of something sadder appeared behind Godfrey's eyes, something with a deep sympathy. But she smiled as she sidestepped out of your way, "It'll be our little secret." Godfrey then gave you a subtle wink. Holding her arm out, you looped your arms together, and she led the way through the castle.

A few passerby's eyed you both curiously, but with a wave and smile from Godfrey they seemed completely unfazed by your presence. She led you past the training area for the other Holy Knights, and stood on watch as you opened the secret passageway. You had been relieved a few months ago when Godfrey showed you this small exit from the castle that no one else seemed to know about. You've only used it in dire situations where you felt so trapped in the confines of the castle that it would just become unbearable. Yet, every time Godfrey somehow knew when exactly to ask about giving you a break.

Shimmying the giant bookcase over, you then pushed on the wall. The thick stone creaked open, revealing a long passageway. Magical candles lit down the length of the wall, descending deeper and deeper. You looked back over to Godfrey and whispered your thanks to her. She bowed her head when you then heard footsteps growing close.

"Hurry back soon," and she then shuffled the door closed behind you right as a person called out.

"Godfrey!! Is that you?" It was Grandmaster Ruluk. You heard the bookcase carefully shuffled back to its original spot. You tried pressing your ear against the stone, but all of the noise muffled until it was indiscernible. Deciding not to waste any of the precious time Godfrey had given you, you quickly walked down the dimly lit hall.

The steps were old and the corridor spiraled, but just like that, you were outside of the castle.

You had ascended up a staircase and emerged outside of the castle's walls. The shrouded alleyway concealed your arrival to the streets of the town.

It was as beautiful and bright like it had been when you were a child. Several groups of people passed by you without a second glance. You walked by peacefully, allowing yourself this one moment to define who you wanted to be.

The further out you went the more you started to remember, like how your mother had taken you out through the streets whenever she had business outside of the castle to take care of. Or when she would watch you run about the favorite local spots while she caught up with old friends. You had loved dipping your fingers into the fountain to watch the fish swim away from your hands.