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

Ch. 13: Peter, The Black Market Dealer

"'Fairy dust collector'... Ha!" Arthur couldn't help but laugh out loud with sarcasm in his voice as he paced back and forth within the room he had been staying in while he was in the fairy village.

Menwhile, scattered around the room, Peter, Lily, Sam, and Lucy stood, with Peter hanging his head down as if he were a child caught doing something bad.

"Well, sorry... I mean, it was already hard trying to reach you ever since you became king, and besides, what would you have done if I told you that? You would have rode straight to Wallowing Woods without telling anyone, and who knows what would have happened to you by then?! You're lucky if you run into fairies, but what if you run into some wild animals or bandits instead?"

"But still!" Arthur argued. Then, as if he had just realized it all over again, a betrayed look forms on his face. "You knew Lily was alive?"

With this, Peter lowers his head again. Until a few seconds later when he turns to Lily to beg her with his eyes to say something. Lily sees him, and she sighs as she stands there with her arms folded.

"Well, it's not like scolding Peter now would solve anything... And besides, I probably would have preferred what he did," she mumbles the second statement, yet it was still loud enough to be heard by all others in the room. This seems to stab Arthur in the chest, but nevertheless, Lily continues, and he listens. "Anyhow, what do you plan to do? Will you return to Viridus the next day? By now, you would have already been missing for two days, and if they are already discussing what to do with your disappearance now, who knows what they plan to do tomorrow?"

Arthur listens to her, but as she ends, he pauses. And a look at him makes Lily notice his hesitancy. It's almost as if...

"What? Don't tell me–"

"I don't want to go back." Arthur's words shock everyone in the room, and Peter and Lily's eyes widen as they think of their hometown.

"What do you mean you don't want to go back?! You're still the king of Viridus!" Peter bursts out, but Arthur doesn't say anything as he only frowns down at the ground.

Meanwhile, Lily seems speechless. Yet, it almost seems like she knows exactly why Arthur wouldn't want to go back; it's only that she chooses not to say it yet. Sam notices her hesitancy, but he doesn't say anything either, waiting to see what would happen first.

"Arthur, listen to yourself," Peter continues as he grabs the boy's shoulders, trying to make the latter look at him, "What will the people think once they find out that they would have to go on without a king again? Who will protect them if a war breaks out? Think of your duty!"

"But it's not like I ever even wanted to be king in the first place, did I?!" Arthur suddenly retaliates, pushing away Peter's hands and frowning deeply. He seemed frustrated, and as he showed it, Peter seemed surprised yet again. But this time, he seemed to understand the situation better.

Without hesitation, Peter turns to Lily. And the girl flinches at his gaze, like she had been caught doing something bad. In turn, Lily turns to Arthur, and the latter turns to her. It didn't even take that much time before he turned and walked away in a fit.

"Arthur!" Lily calls out to him — and this time, it seems the tables have turned — as her tone is laced with guilt.

The boy didn't even bother to look back as he left.

•●•

Another day passed. And with no signs of the king ever appearing in the town of Viridus, the council, and the people, continued to grow weary.

It had been three days now. Where could the king have gone?

At the same time, in the black market hidden within the cramped market near the palace, one of their people had also gone missing.

"Hey, Felix? Where did Peter go?" Christopher, basically the head trader in the black market, asks his companion, after their fairy dust trader and provider just suddenly disappeared and had not shown up in a day now.

Felix only shrugs in response, before he looks around him, as if Peter were to somehow magically sprout out of nowhere in the market. "He hasn't gone to the market since yesterday morning. Maybe something happened, but I wouldn't know considering how he is..." Then he turns back to Christopher, conpletely changing the topic. "By the way, have you heard about the royal court's verdict on the missing king? I heard if they still find no hints on his whereabouts by noon today, they would declare him dead."

Christopher frowns, then he looks up at the sky. A second after doing so, his frown deepens and he hums in uncertainty. "That's not good. The sun's already high up. Noon must be very close now and I don't think the king's anywhere to be seen today. And even if that were the case... I doubt he would be able to get to the palace in time."

"Well, I think he'll make it."

"Oh, please. What makes you think– Gah!" Felix suddenly shouts after having turned to the new voice, surprising Christopher who turns around, as well, to see Peter standing behind them casually with a mysterious young lady behind him. "W-when did you get here?!"

"Who, me? Oh, I just got here," Peter responds, almost shrugging even as if his sudden appearance were normal. "Oh, by the way, I heard what you two were talking about. You said the king's about to be pronounced dead? I doubt that'll happen. I saw him already on his way to the palace."

"You wHAT?!" Felix asks, eyes wide as saucers. "How?!"

Meanwhile, Christopher just seems mostly thankful. "Well, that's good news... if it's true."

"Oh, trust me," Peter then reassures them. "I saw him with my own eyes, and I even have another witness to support me." He gestures to the mysterious lady beside him which just so happens to be Lucy, the one to bring Peter back to Viridus meanwhile her brother escorted Lily and the young king to the palace.

On the other hand, the court was quiet as the council, advisors,and administrators all entered to witness the final verdict on the missing king.

The boy had already been missing for three days. And they knew they had to give an answer to the people of the kingdom. Surely, they wanted to know what had happened, too. And with no signs of him being alive and well, what else could they do?

Most of them were bitter as they took their seats. And among them, Dann must have felt the worst as he kept his head down all the way to his seat.

Soon, the court was opened, and the district minister stood up to speak and give the verdict himself. "For the three days that the young King Arthur had gone missing, we are sad to inform all of you that no signs of him have not yet been found. It's been too long, and the people of Viridus are demanding answers. I believe we all agree that we need to give them answers now." His voice boomed, and from different areas of the room, whispers and murmurs were exchanged by a few officials as they exchanged their thoughts on the matter. Some were still hesitant on the idea. While others were wondering why the minister was taking so long to speak.

Nevertheless, they finally reached the final verdict, and as the minister spoke again, the officials grew quiet as they waited and listened.

"It is with great sadness that I, the district minister of the town of Viridus and head of this court hearing, declare the king... D–"

"The king is alive, you fools!" Suddenly, a voice cried out those words, stopping the minister and making everyone gasp as they looked around for the source. And not even a second later, the huge doors of the court open, and in it, the missing king stands, escorted by a familiar-looking young lady and a mysterious young man.

"The king is alive!" Sam repeats himself as he holds the door open, and as he does so, all those inside the court stare at them in bewilderment.

Arthur stands tall at the doorway, proving to them all that he is, indeed, alive and well. The king is alive, and he had made it in time.