Growing Pains

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

"What changed?" Arme asked.

She doesn't know if Merlin is just lying to get her sympathy or trust.
The blood on his clothes clearly stated that something bad happened or someone died. But who can tell whether it was him who actually killed someone to find his way out. Or somebody died while he was trying to escape for his dear life.

Merlin looked at her and smiled tiredly.

"Everything." He whispered and immediately looked away.

He could feel his eyes starting to burn and he didn't want her to see him cry. He had cried enough during his lonely journey for days. He thought he wouldn't have tears left to cry anymore but they kept coming whenever he felt tremendously sad.

"I couldn't keep up being the prince my father wanted me to be. It was so suffocating." He muttered and started fidgeting on the doll that was also stained by Carl's blood.

"Everybody knows being the king isn't an easy road. Shouldn't you have been prepared for that when you dreamed of becoming your father?" She asked and Merlin suddenly let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Isn't that why I've forgotten you?" He said and suddenly looked to see her reaction.

Arme immediately noticed his glazed eyes and she could tell he's about to cry anytime soon. She remembered the day when she first saw Merlin cry and was also the last day they saw each other.

He was sad because his father rejected a painting he made for him. Saying it looked too childish for him to paint himself and Arme together with a crown.

"It wasn't worth it, Arme." He said in a pained voice.

The bandit's reaction was evident as she never expected to hear her name being called by the prince.

Merlin chuckled lightly after seeing her reaction. "Yes, I remember your name. It's beautiful." He said and smiled at the girl.

Arme quickly looked away. She didn't know why for some reason her cheeks were starting to burn.

I guess he really is a man now...
Even his voice sounded so different from what I remember...
She thought.

"Y-you should go back. Shouldn't you think of your people? O-or what your parents will think? They must be worried about you!" She tried to segue the topic and rushed her bag to grab bread to eat.

"I don't want to go back." He said and Arme rolled her eyes and looked at him with disbelief.

"Trust me. You're gonna enjoy your life out there in your pretty palace more than being here." She said as she walked towards him. Leaning on the other side of the window to properly face him.

"You already know who I am. Aren't you worried I might take you back for gold. I mean you can get me rich and all I have to do is put a knife on your neck in front of your palace!" She added and grinned waiting for him to react like he's afraid as he should.

"Don't send me away." He said with a tired sigh and turned back to his doll.

Arme looked at it too and it just looked so ugly and dirty she almost wanted to rip it off. It feels like it's an insult to Crown.
It's like Merlin had stopped somewhere to have a chicken fight on mud and he lost, earning an ugly doll for his defeat.

"The road here wasn't easy... I don't want to go back there." He said and breathed shakily.

Arme had been noticing how he seemed so tired and too sad. It was making her confused and curious.

Merlin is still wearing his crown he had worn from the ball. On which he might've forgotten he had it on. He had a sword on his waist which was also covered by blood just like his expensive clothes that looked so uncomfortable to wear. It looks like he's being choked by his own clothes.
The ugly doll is the oddest of them all. It looks so ugly and covered with blood as well. It doesn't make sense why he has it.

"You said you wanted to run away. Shouldn't you be happy that you're here and not in the palace?" She asked. Now trying to find out what happened.

"I'm sure little blood means nothing if you really want to escape." Arme stated provocatively.

But as soon as those words left her mouth. Merlin suddenly looked at her with a very offended gaze and his eyes could no longer hold back the tears he'd been trying to hide.

"They were my childhood friends!" He said as he gripped on the doll tightly.

Arme somehow felt like a needle pricked her heart upon seeing him cry. He looked so devastated. She didn't know whether it was a good idea to break him to tell what happened.

"I only have two people left whom I can actually talk to like a person. But now they're gone! And I did nothing to protect them!"

"I left one at the palace to his doom. And the other died in my arms!"

"Their blood..." Merlin briefly stopped and looked at the doll again. "Their death is the only reason I will never go back. No matter how lonely it will be." He whispered as his knees eventually felt weak and he slowly sat on the dusty floor.

Finally succumbing to his pain as he holds onto the doll tightly.
Arme suddenly felt bad and didn't know what to do. Then little prince suddenly moved from the seat after watching all that happened.

He could sense Merlin's tremendous pain and it was so sad to watch him trying to hide it but eventually breaking.

Little prince padded towards him and nuzzled his head on the prince's arm hoping to comfort him. Merlin looked at him and it only made him cry harder like a child. Watching the fox sit beside him and put his small head on his arm while looking at him with his beautiful fox eyes.

Arme sighed. It was very evident now of what Merlin had to endure to get to where he is now. She does feel bad for him but it also doesn't mean she's gonna forget him not remembering her and Crown for years.

I guess... It was really hard for him...

Arme eventually moved to sit beside him. She then moved her left hand and was about to pat his shoulder but she was hesitant at first. She did it anyway, not being able to watch him cry too much.

"I'm here..." she said quietly as she comforted him.

She then looked at his golden crown. It's too shiny and looked so heavy for him to bear.
Arme suddenly removed the crown from his head which made the prince eventually realize that he still had it on. He looked at it with disbelief and then to Arme.

The girl smiled at him and showed how she threw the crown and landed it beside the couch. Little prince ran to the crown and grabbed it with his mouth. Then he suddenly walked towards the old cabinet and pushed the crown deep inside there. Covering it with other trinkets that lie on the dusty floor. Hiding its blinding glow away from many eyes.

Arme chuckled and called the fox back to her who quickly ran and sat on her lap. Then staring at the ugly fox that Merlin was holding.

"Now you're not the prince."

"You're just Merlin."

"My lost friend."

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