Wayward (Prince Arthur x Oc)

Chapter 19: In which things are revealed

The door to the small room opened with a creak, Edda stepping into it with Arthur following, closing the door after them.

For a moment Edda just stood in the middle of the room. Her mind blank.

Ok, she could explain the prince sicking his lions on her, she just had to leave out... basically everything about her connection to the prince... and lie a little bit... Ok, maybe a lot, but could she really make up such a lie so quickly? She had already promised an explanation for this very moment hadn't she?

Edda sat down on the bed with a small huff. She could probably tell him something about pissing off a nobleman that was a friend of the prince, which, honestly, wasn't that out there of an explanation. She certainly wasn't above pissing off some noble douchebag. If anything, pissing off a noble douchebag was exactly what she needed after the bottle revelation.

She felt the bed shift as Arthur sat down beside her. She turned to look at him, the mattress shifting again in accordance to his change in weight, and after a moments hesitation she looked into his gentle eyes. A huge mistake as his caring look made her almost have heart palpitations, and a small voice in her head told her that she could trust him with anything. A scary feeling which almost made her skin turn. Trying to shake it off she opened her mouth to start her explanation and-

A knock cut her off, the door opened and a young woman, the owner of the inn from the front desk Edda remembered, stuck her head in.

"I got the water you needed," she said pushing the door open more to present a water pitcher. "I hope it's enough, your arm looks very bad."

"Oh! Yeah, that looks to be enough and more." Edda was about to sit up, but stopped as Arthur quickly slid off the bed to take the pitcher from the innkeeper.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said politely, though with a hint of graveness in his voice.

"It's not as bad as it seems though," Edda added, trying to lightened the mood in the room, it wasn't like she was dying or anything, at least not physically, the jury was still out on mentally though. "But yeah, thanks, and thanks for the room, we'll try not to occupy it for too long."

"Of course Miss," the innkeeper nodded, "it's the least I can do, some water and a room for an hour and two is really no bother."

"Yeah..." Edda said, "I'll get you the full payment for the room once we're done here."

The innkeeper gave her another curt nod, and turned to leave, only to pause and look at them over her shoulder.

"In that case I'll have someone bring you some lunch up, but please try not to spill, the house gnome is still a bit sour about a rude guest from yesterday." She closed the door behind her, just letting Edda make a sound of affirmation, before silence once more laid itself over the room.

Arthur put the pitcher on the old nightstand by the bed, but then hesitated, his hands hovering around it, and looked at her over his shoulder.

"Are you going to need this immediately or?" He asked.

Surprisingly, Edda felt a small smile spread across her face, maybe it was because of the welcome distraction from the... uncomfortable train of thought she had been on before.

"The potion in the bottle is probably just enough for you to consume, and nothing more," she pulled her bag into her lap and started to dig out the bottle along with the other necessary items. "So I'm probably going to need it soon. But!" She lifted her hand out of the bag as he moved to lift the pitcher, moving across the bed, closer to the table. "You can probably keep it on there."

"Oh," Arthur said softly, "Alright then M'lady." His hand laid itself upon hers, which she only now realised she'd placed upon his arm. His very warm arm... and so very warm and gentle hand...