The Lost Princess of Grerin || A Merlin AU

IV. Safe and Sound

~~~

Ryia was sitting on the windowsill, looking out the window as she heard a knock on the door, "come in," she stated, not looking away from the window.

"May we talk?" Ryia hears Arthur say as she turns her head to look at him.

"I suppose we could," she answered with a half smile, "I do wish to thank you."

"What for?" Arthur asked with a raised brow.

"I assume you didn't tell your father about me," Ryia pointed out, "seeing as I am still breathing."

"After your father saved my life and you didn't take the chance to kill me during the duel, I felt like I owed it to you," Arthur admits.

"I never planned on killing you," Ryia reassures him, "I accepted that I may die but I never planned to harm you other than breaking your ego a bit."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "very funny, but tell me honestly, did you cheat?"

"I did not," Ryia told him honestly, "you did in fact get your ass beat by a girl."

"Really?" Arthur asked rhetorically as he rolled his eyes.

"What? Are you going to put me in the stocks now?" Ryia said as she wiggled her eyebrows jokingly.

"Maybe," Arthur stated with a laugh.

"Let me try to get out of it," Ryia joked, "I'm sorry I hurt your fragile feelings by kicking your ass in front of your people."

"You know what, now you're definitely going in the stocks," Arthur jokes.

"I bet you'd like that sight," Ryia said a bit suggestively before turning her head to look out the window again, "you have a beautiful kingdom. Everyone seems happy- well most do at least. You do have the few that look unpleased with their situation and a bit of crime but overall a beautiful kingdom."

"You're view on the world is interesting," Arthur told her was he watched her looking out the window.

"Growing up in hiding makes you find beauty in the smallest things," Ryia says as she looks back at him and smiles.

"Did you know your grandfather wants you to marry me?" Arthur asked out of no where.

"He said either you or his chosen heir," Ryia informed with a nod.

"What do you think about it?" Arthur asked.

"If I would have known that coming to see if you were worth my father's life would take away my own," Ryia stated with a sigh as she looked off to the side, "I probably wouldn't have came."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, being interested.

"My father always wanted me to choose my life, after everything that happened with him and my grandfather," Ryia explained, "my grandfather was upset my mother had fallen for a someone not of noble blood. He disapproved of their relationship. And now he wants me to marry one of two nobles when-"

"Your heart belongs to someone not of noble blood," Arthur stated, cutting her off.

Ryia looked at him, "what?"

"You and Gwaine," Arthur pointed out, "I could see the connection. Am I wrong?"

"We did have a thing but he left to find himself," Ryia explains, "I was hurt at first but it's all in the past."

"How did you guys meet?" Arthur asked, having been curious since their reuniting.

"He ran away from his home and found our hut," Ryia explained, "we quickly became close and he even wanted to live with us but my father convinced him that his parents would most likely be upset to find him missing for too long. After that he kept coming back, until he didn't."