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The sweet air of Camelot was calmer than it had been several weeks ago. There was a serenity in walking down the valley, filling a basket with flowers for her lady Morgana. She was lucky to be appointed a maidservant for Morgana after her twin brother Merlin had been appointed Arthur's.
Now everyone knows that Arthur and Merlin were soulmates. Whether it be love or not. You could tell by the way Arthur held an amount of respect for Merlin and valued his opinion over the opinion of many others. Merlin, on the other hand, adored Arthur and looked up to him no matter the situation. He loved the way that Arthur stood up for what he believed in and never let anyone twist his values.
Emery and Arthur were good friends. They met through Merlin and honestly, both enjoyed picking on him. Purely out of love though. Emery and Arthur thoroughly enjoyed the company of each other and found themselves hanging out whenever he wasn't with Merlin, doing his duties or when she wasn't with Morgana.
"Emmie hurry up," Arthur yelled at her. He had allowed Emery to tag along with him while his crew of knights went hunting. Emery always hated hunting because she thought it was cruel for prey not to know about the situation it was in. It was an unjust fight.
"Must you hunt?" she questioned, her voice soft like the wind.
"Must you complain?" he mocked back, glancing at her with a smirk.
"Ha ha," she laughed dryly, walking ahead, leaving the knights and their king to be.
She hummed a small tune, skipping lightly. The material of her dress was comfortable and swayed slightly in the wind. Her hair was made up into an intricate braid done by her fellow maid Gwen.
Emery loved the outdoors. The feeling of the sun on her skin as she slowly swayed with the breeze. Or the crunch of the leaves under her feet as she skipped to her heart's content. To anyone from the future, she'd look a lot like Luna Lovegood.
"Shh" Arthur commanded, his eyes scanning the surface of the field they were in. Emery's senses heightened. She had promised Merlin before he left that no harm would come to Arthur in her presence. And that was a promise she intended to keep.
"Look at him," he remarked, glancing at a wild stag with a small deer. The deer was too small, so she came to the conclusion that it was only a fawn. She watched as Arthur pulled out his crossbow aiming it at the duo.
Hastily, she marched over to him, pushing the crossbow away with a glare. The knights looked at her in horror as Arthur turned to glance at her. Still, her glare never wavered.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. Her eyes glancing back. to the precious pair.
"What do you think you're doing?" he questioned, emphasising on you're.
"How could you think to harm the two?" she questioned in upheaval.
"This is hunting Emmie. It's what you're meant to do." He spoke slowly as if he were talking to a child. Emery was furious at Arthur. Hunting? That was not hunting but pure cruelty.
"Arthur that is a babe, not yet an adult." She spoke, standing up for the deers a few meters away from them.
"Hunting is hunting," he dismissed with a shrug. Emery's left eye twitched in anger.
"Hunting is not killing children or taking away their parents."
"That's what it is Emmie. Stop being a lady"
"A lady! You are killing that fawn's father right in front of it! That's not being a lady Arthur, it's basic decency." She cried out in outrage.
"Emery, you are causing a dilemma. Leave if you can't handle it" Arthur ground out between clenched teeth. He would not be bossed around by a lady in front of his knights.
Emery's eyes filled with unshed tears. She slowly nodded her head before glancing at the two animals. She whispered a soft sorry that no one but Arthur heard and continued on her way. This time, there was no skip in her step or humming under her breath. Just walking.
Arthur watched until she was nothing but a small dot in the clearing. He loved Emery like a sister but could not let his knights see him being bossed by a girl, no matter that, but a maidservant. Raising his crossbow he took a deep breath before pressing the trigger.
The woods were never quiet. The bird was always singing and the leaves always rustling. But nothing could stop the thudding of his heart in his ears and the thoughts that screamed at him. The knights around his celebrated racing to grab the stag and head back to Camelot.
But Arthur didn't want to return. Because he knew when he did Emery would be there and she'd look at him with her ice-blue eyes.
She'd be disappointed in him. She'd think he was weak and that he was a coward and that frustrated him to no end. He knew that Merlin would think he was a vile and cruel man for committing this heinous crime.
