Merthur - The King and His Guardian Angel

Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Destiny

A/N - Alright, so to clear some things up first... 

Arthur is already king. Uther is dead and Morgana is evil. The knights are all here (of course Lancelot included). Balinor is dead but Kilgharrah is still trapped under Camelot. By some miracle Arthur has survived all those sorcerer attacks without Merlin around to save him. Generally, the story has progressed as canon, just without Merlin there, up until early season 4 (this takes place shortly after the episode 'The Wicked Day'). 

If there are any questions then please ask in the comments. I'll make sure to answer them all. 

Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy the first chapter!  

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The birds chirp through the sky merrily, singing a happy tune as they soar above the trees in the Darkling Woods. The sun shines brightly down upon the tree tops, allowing beams of light to filter through the leaves and brighten the path ahead. 

A group of horses trot along the worn trail, kicking dirt up in their wake as they're guided by their riders through the forest. Long, red capes flow behind each rider's shoulders, the menacing crest of the Pendragon royal family warding off any unwanted outlaws from daring to approach as they weave in and out of the trees.

The king, Arthur Pendragon, rides out in the lead, crossbow braced in one hand as the other grasps the reins of his horse. His eyes scan the forest floor, searching for any signs of animal tracks but the forest floor is clear. Not a single footprint or broken branch to be found. He heaves a sigh, opting to watch the passing scenery instead. His knights will alert him if anything is to show. He tilts his head up to the sky and listens to the birds chirping, the rustle of the leaves as a breeze blows by. Again, he sighs. Nothing should be this peaceful. The previous king, his father, is dead. Nothing deserves to be happy, to be so cheerful. This should be a time for mourning, not a hunt. 

He sneaks a glare towards one of his knights, the one that had dragged him out on the blasted hunt claiming Arthur needed a change of scenery. Sir Gwaine was his name. The man rarely shows a shred of decency on a daily basis. He loved to drink, flirt with women, and generally treated everyone the same, noble or not, which, if the king were honest, was quite the refreshment for him. Though on this one occasion, he wished the knight didn't act so familiar.

"My lord?" A voice calls from his right.

Arthur turns, meeting the concerned eyes of Sir Leon, his longest serving knight. "Are you feeling ill, sire?" he asks.

"No, I'm quite alright," the king replies, giving the man a smile. 

Leon regards him skeptically, trying to pick apart the king's response and find the hidden meaning behind his words. When he isn't able to, he turns back around, letting his horse drop back behind the king's to ride next to Sir Elyan. 

Arthur heaves another sigh, staring out into the forest and hoping an animal would appear, at least then he could have something to distract him from his thoughts. 

The crossbow begins to grow heavy in his hands before a loud snap pierces through the woods. The group stops, all sounds of chatter ceasing at the sudden noise. Arthur raises a hand, gesturing for the knights to stay put as he dismounts, aiming the crossbow out in front of him as he stalks closer towards the source of the noise. There's a crunch of leaves as something moves, sounding as though it's approaching, but slowly. Arthur's finger twitches at the trigger, ready to fire the moment he sees any signs of danger. He stops just before the tree line, keeping his weapon aimed in the direction of the noise. 

There's another rustle as a figure seems to meld out of the branches. They approach, hands resting in front of their chest and hood obscuring their face. The knights dismount behind their king, pulling their weapons from its sheaths and steadily creep over, keeping well to the bushes.