Of Chores and Crowns (A Merlin Fanfiction) ✔

Chapter Twenty-seven

I blushed, looking away. I was speechless, so I just moved a little closer until I was about a foot away.

It was silent in the night, save for a few brightly lit pubs that were emanating music. I sighed, content for the moment, and looked up at the stars.

"That's Perseus." Arthur finally spoke up, pointing up to the sky. "It is said he is to watch over the girl he loves for eternity."

I followed his finger up to the sky to look at the constellation. I honestly could only see a mess of stars without any pattern, but the way his face lit up made me feel as if I could see the entire cosmos.

"And over there is Leo. He is supposedly the lion Hercules killed as one of his twelve trials, destined to roam the skies forever." Arthur continued, adjusting his hand to point out a different cluster of stars.

"What of that one?" I asked, pointing almost straight up.

"Cassiopeia. She was banished to the skies, because she was vain."

"That seems like a harsh punishment."

I watched him as he pointed out each constellation and told me their story. He seemed so relaxed, which was a huge difference from when I saw him around Faye or his father.

I listened to everything he had to say. I never had much schooling, and while I could read and write, that was about it. Arthur, however, seemed so intelligent and wise. I could almost hear Merlin's scoff in the back of my head at that thought.

"Where did you learn about the stars?" I finally asked after he fell silent.

"My nursemaid taught me when I was little." He explained, "She always told me that my mother would have wanted me to know them all. Apparently my mother was a big fan of the stars."

"You never knew her?" I asked, turning my head slightly to look at him.

"She died giving birth to me. Sorcery."

I wasn't sure how magic could be involved, but he said it with such conviction, that I just knew he had grown up with the idealism that magic was evil. I can only imagine that this was the reason why.

"Not all magic is bad, surely?" I asked, carefully. I didn't want to give him any reason to execute me, but I was curious to know his thoughts.

"It's never given me any reason to believe otherwise."

I had to pause at that answer. I didn't know how to respond or what to say, let alone react. Finally, I decide to leave it at that and let silence fall over us once again.

"My mother died too." I finally offered. "And my brother."

"How?"

"They grew ill. When they died, I moved to Deira."

He didn't say anything and somehow it was better than all the condolences I had ever gotten after their deaths. I found myself relaxing into the moment, just letting myself enjoy this time with him.

"How do you feel about Camelot now?" He asked, "Merlin mentioned once, when you first arrived, that you weren't content."

I sighed, "It wasn't home."

"Is it now?"

I hesitated before answering, "It's where I live, but it's not home."

"What is home, then?"

I didn't answer for awhile. Mostly because I wasn't sure I knew the answer myself. While I had stopped thinking of Deira as home, I wasn't quite ready to give Camelot that title either. My stay in Camelot still had this feel of being temporary.

"I guess I'm homeless." I joked, laughing weakly.

He paused for a second and then said, "You're surprisingly strong."

"For a servent, you mean." I laughed, turning around so my back was leaning against the wall. I rearranged my dress around my ankles, frustrated by the heavy skirts.

"For anyone." He corrected, turning to look at me directly.

"How so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I was honestly curious to learn his answer, but I also wanted to distract him from noticing the blush that fanned my skin at his comment.

"You have had such a rough upbringing, yet you still find the courage to yell at the crowned prince of Camelot." He teased, nudging me with his shoulder.

"Sometimes the prince needs yelled at." I retorted, narrowing my eyes playfully.

He laughed, the sound echoing in the night. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Whatever have I done to frustrate you so?!" He exclaimed, turning his body to face me. I did the same so that we were looking straight at each other.

"You did call me a 'creature' the first time we met." I pointed out, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You kind of looked like one!"

"Excuse me?!" I gasped, but I had a smile on my face.

"You were filthy!" He teased, "There was so much blood and soot on you, you looked like a troll!"

"Sorry, I had been too busy saving the girl you're go--"

Arthur suddenly reached out and grabbed my waist in his hands, sending me crashing into his body and effectively cutting me off. I gripped his shirt in my fists, startled from the sudden movement. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

He was already looking down at me, an intense emotion covering his face. I took a deep breath, trying my best to hold myself back from resting my head in the crook of his neck.

He leaned closer, pressing his forehead against mine. I found that I had trouble breathing properly, and my eyelids fluttered shut. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and I smiled a little, knowing mine matched it.

I reached my arms around him, pulling him closer. I could feel his muscles tense as I rested my palms in the small of his back. Together, we seemed to forget the world and all of our problems. We felt like any ordinary couple, eagerly anticipating their first kiss.

I could feel Arthur dip his head to press our lips together, and that's when the world came crashing back into our little bubble.

I pulled away last minute, preventing the kiss, my eyes snapping open. Arthur opened his eyes lazily, his expression glazed from out moment.

It physically hurt me to say the thing that came out of my mouth then, but I knew it had to be said:

"We can't."