Queens

Ros

She walked through the dimly lit hallways of the castle, while thunder cackled outside and rain was pouring down heavily. She felt sorry for the guards that were out there, but she was also very thankful for them. It was strange to think of herself as a princess, but she was. She was dressed in fancy silks and she ate at the table with the king and she drank the fancy wine that was brought to her. It was nice sure, but she wanted to go outside. She wanted to be freely riding her horse outside in the woods, without a dress on, with her riding clothes on.

Her father doesn't allow it though, he keeps her inside the castle at all times and always has a handmaiden with her. She didn't blame the handmaidens, it was their job to clean after her and fix her hair and wash her clothes. She was happy at the end of the day to give them a few extra coins, or to have them dine with her when she wasn't eating with her father and her sibling. She didn't hate her handmaidens, she just hated her father for making them babysit her.

Morgana gets to freely go beyond the walls, sure she had guards go with her but she still gets to leave. Morgana wasn't even Uther's child, and he let her do almost anything she desired. It was like Ros hardly existed. The only person that made Ros feel like family was Arthur, who always talks to her at the table, he asked her how her day had been, even when he knew that nothing was happening in her life. He would do little things, ruffle her hair, walk her around the castle in his free time, while Uther didn't do so much as just look at Ros. She knew that he never forgave her, for she had killed her mother while being brought into the world, and he hasn't forgotten.

Arthur was busy now, he was off training and hunting and doing princely things. She envied him, being able to go freely. She missed it when he used to sneak into her room late at night and they would go out riding together, in the forest. She missed him, but it seems now that his servant boy gets to spend more time with Arthur than his own sister now, for which she envied the servant boy too.

A burst of thunder boomed above her, but it didn't phase her as she kept walking. She walked down the hallway in front of her, not paying much attention to where she was going, too busy being preoccupied with her thoughts. It was late, and no one was walking down the halls but her. It was lonely, and she wished that her handmaiden was actually here with her. She couldn't sleep though, what with the thunder storm above, so she recognized the passageways she was taking. She was going to Gaius, to get a sleeping aid. She knew it was late, and if he was already asleep then she would just leave him be.

When she got to his door, she knocked lightly. The door opened, but it wasn't Giaus she was looking up at, it was her brothers serving boy. "Is Giaus still awake by chance?" She asked him quietly.

"I don't think so, but what is it? I'm sure I can help you with it maybe?." He pulled the door open and inside there was the usual books everywhere, and liquids that Ros didn't recognize. The boy looked as if he had just woken up and he yawned to prove her point.

"I apologize for waking you," she said to him. A snore erupted from the bed in the corner, a sleeping Giaus occupied it. It made her smile, she knew that he worked very hard and it was nice to know that he slept well.

"Oh yeah don't worry about it, but you came for Giaus? What was it you needed, he might have some laying around." The boy leaned against the table, she noticed that his hair stuck up every which way and he had fallen asleep in his clothes. There were wrinkles and creases where they had been folded as he slept.

"I was just coming to ask if he had anything to help me sleep a bit better, I can't seem to fall asleep in this damned storm," she motioned her hand up just as thunder cackled above them.

"Understandable," he smiled at her then stood up and went over to some shelves with little viles filled with liquid. He grabbed one and read the label on it, smiling to himself and he walked back over to her, vile in hand. "There you go, Giaus' sleeping aid, I would wait to take it until you reach your bed though, it's very strong."

She took it from him and nodded. "Thank you, um?"

"Merlin, I'm your brother's serving boy," he said that and shrugged.

"Well thank you Merlin, tell Giaus I was here won't you please?" She asked. He nodded with a smile and walked her back to the door.

"I'll tell him that the princess Ros stopped by."

"And I'm very sorry for waking you, again." he waved a hand at her.

"It wasn't a big deal, really. If you need anything else your highness, it'll be a pleasure." She nodded a thanks and walked back into the hallway, the door gently shutting behind her. She was thankful that he was there, because since Gaius was aleep, she would've never gotten the liquid without his help. She mentally wrote a note to herself for the next time she see him with Arthur to thank him again.