The Orphan King and The Witch of the Woods (KINGDOM Arthur X Female OC)

Ch. 2: The Sword of the Stone

"Hurry, Arthur! We'll be late for Miss Hogginson's sweet bread!"

Ahead of the boy, Lily runs, hurriedly and excitedly as soon as they had reached the very town of Viridus. Behind her, however? Arthur walks with barely any energy, none even when compared to his energetic companion.

How an eighteen-year-old somehow ends up moving like an old man, you ask? I do not know either, but the boy sure does portray just that!

Though, you could say that must just be exhaustion from walking all the way from the orphan house to the town while having to watch over Lily, making sure she doesn't hurt herself. Now, for that, you surely cannot blame him.

"Arthur, hurry!" Lily urges him once more, and the boy groans before pushing himself forward and trying to muster at least a part of the same energy the girl before him has.

"I'm coming..."

Lily, however, had already become frustrated with her companion's lack of enthusiasm. And with a puff of her cheeks, she quickly approaches him before grabbing his arm and pulling him behind her. "Hurry up! We'll surely lose out on the sweet bread if we're not there before the other kids! And I want those sweet bread!"

Arthur, having seen the girl's desperation, then chuckles, and he eventually musters enough strength to at least stand straight. "Alright, fine. I'm hurrying."

Lily's face lights up at his actions, then she turns ahead while still pulling on his arm. "Hurry, hurry!"

Originally, however, though these two did not come to the town to enjoy themselves or even get some sweet bread from dear old Miss Hogginson (though that's exactly what they are doing now), in truth, they had actually been sent to the village by the matron to get vegetables. Just like Arthur's errand every second day of the week.

It's a common errand they usually do together, and surely, Lily's favorite part about these is the sweet bread she always gets for free if she arrives on time to Miss Hogginson's bakery.

Oh, and one other thing!

The sword... that sits on the stone in the middle of the town: The sword of the king.

"Are you content?" Arthur asks with an exasperated sigh leaving him just as he does so. Both his hands are full with the baskets that hold the vegetables they had bought, and beside him, Lily walks, nibbling on her acquired sweet bread while a basket of her own hangs from her right elbow.

"Mm," the girl merely hums in response, a smile peeking through her nibblings on the bread.

Arthur can only watch her hopelessly as they walk.

And then, the girl stops in her tracks.

Immediately, Arthur senses just that, and the second he does, he turns back to her only to see Lily staring, her eyes fixated on something she had seen.

Surprise does not come for him when he sees the sword of the stone, however. And his expression slowly turns dull before he turns to the girl.

"Ah, Lily... We should go," he says, trying to sound as calm as possible as he pokes the girl to get her attention. But Lily seems too focused to ever look away. Arthur looks around warily. There are also other people throwing glances towards the sword, but none were staring at it as Lily would. "Lily–"

"Why don't you try it?" she suddenly asks.

Immediately, Arthur's brows furrow at her request. "Not again..."

"Lily, that's the king's sword," the boy responds, and yet Lily's eyes remain on the weapon shining on the heap of stones holding it. "Only the one destined to be king can pull it out. Now, let's go."