The Royal Scandal *Book One*

He Really is Pure of Heart S1 E11

Arthur, Merlin and I were standing up on top of the castle, looking over at the crowd down below us. The queues were getting longer and longer every minute and would soon be out the castle gates.

"They do not know there is worse to come," Arthur muttered, and I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"Our Father is going to stop distributing food to the people. They are to be left to starve. I had the chance to lift the curse and I failed them," Arthur explained.

"You weren't to know you were being tested," Merlin reasoned with him.

"My people are starving. Camelot is on the verge of collapse. And it is all my doing," Arthur said sadly, just as my stomach rumbled.

I was starting to feel the impact of not eating for the past few days. I just thought that if I gave my food to the people, we could get through this, but now that Father is stopping the distribution of food to them, it will have all been for nothing.

"Chelsea, when did you last eat?" Arthur asked.

"That's not important. What is important is figuring out a way to stop our people from starving," I said.

"You didn't find some bread that night did you? You haven't eaten in days, have you?" Arthur asked again, and I could feel Merlin's eyes on me.

"The people are more important than me. Without them there is no Camelot. Without me, there is no Princess but there is still a King and a Prince. I thought that they needed the food more than I did," I told them.

"Next time I find any food, Chelsea, you must eat it. You can't help anyone if you're too weak for it," Arthur said, before leaving.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've found something for you," Merlin muttered, holding my hand.

"It didn't seem that important. You have already been so busy with finding Anhora and trying to break the curse that I didn't want to make you even more busy," I replied honestly.

"I will always make time for you, no matter how busy I am," Merlin said.

Merlin brushes a piece of hair out of my face before pulling me in. Our lips collided and we were once again lost in each other.

"What the hell?" A voice said, from the stairway.

We quickly pulled away to see Arthur standing there. Shit!

"Arthur, I can explain--" I began.

"You two? How long has this been going on?" Arthur said harshly.

"A few months," Merlin replied.

"How could you do this?" Arthur accused, looking at me. "My sister and my servant."

"You say it like it's a bad thing. I am sorry that this is the way that you found out, but nothing you can do is going to change this," I said.

Arthur looked between us for a minute, running a hand through his hair and began pacing.

"I just don't understand," Arthur muttered. "How could I have not seen this?"

"Technically you already knew. When you were with Sophia, she told you about us. You spoke to us about it, but then you must have forgotten," I answered, leaving out the part about the magic.

"I would not have forgotten something like this," Arthur countered, pointing between us. "Who else knows?" Neither of us wanted anyone else to get in trouble for keeping our secret so we kept quiet. "I won't be mad, please, just tell me," Arthur begged.