AM I THE ONE? | Arthur Pendragon [1]

The First Test

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

"And you two believe what this Anhora said about the curse to be true?" Gaius asked as he stood in front of me and Merlin while we sat at the table, waiting for our breakfast, the very morning after our encounter with the Keeper of the Unicorns.
"Well, you yourself said that misfortune comes to anyone who slays a unicorn." I said as Gaius sat down in front of us. "It makes sense." I looked down at the bowl Gaius placed in front of me, seeing only a spoonful or two of food in it.
"Not much for breakfast, I'm afraid." Gaius said. "We are down to our last few scraps of food."
"Where'd you get the water to make the tea?" I asked as Merlin lifted up his cup and slowly started drinking.
"Fortunately for all of us, Merlin forgot to empty his bath yesterday." Gaius replied and Merlin immediately pulled the cup away from his lips, spitting the tea he had in his mouth back into the cup.
"You're making tea from my bathwater?" He asked in disbelief as I grimaced.
"It's not so bad." Gaius assured, before looking down at his own cup. "Perhaps a little... Soapy." Merlin and I shared a look before sighing as my brother put his cup down on the table. "What does Arthur think about the curse?" Gaius asked, and Merlin let out a breath.
"He doesn't believe it's his fault." He replied. "He's convinced Anhora's responsible for it."
"If you two do not wish to drink bathwater, you better make sure Arthur sees sense." Gaius said, and I sighed. This will be a difficult thing to do.

*1 Hour Later*

"Find that rat!" I heard Arthur order as I knocked on the door to his chambers, and froze for a second in fear. If there is a rat in that room, there is no way in hell I'm going in there. "Enter!" I heard a call and opened the door, stepping inside cautiously, looking around for any sign of a rat. Merlin must have noticed, because he sent me an assuring look and shook his head softly, assuring me that I can be in the room without having my heart jump out through my mouth from fear. "Annabelle." Arthur smiled as he put down two swords on the table, and I smiled back.
"Sire." I curtsied, and opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by my brother.
"Have you given any more thought to what Anhora said last night?" He asked Arthur as he put he Prince's clothes back in the wardrobe.
"Ah, well, he may have escaped last night, but at least we now know whom we're looking for." Arthur replied. "I told my father I'll find this Anhora and put an end to it." He said as he grabbed a pair of boots and sat down on the chair by the table.
"What if he was telling the truth about the curse?" Merlin asked, making Arthur look at him incredulously.
"You think I'm responsible for bringing suffering upon my own people?"
"No." Merlin immediately said as he grabbed another pair of Arthur's boots. "Not deliberately." He said as he placed the boots in the wardrobe while Arthur put on the other pair of boots. There was a moment of silence before Merlin spoke up again, "When you killed the unicorn... I saw Anhora in the forest." Arthur and I both looked up at him, staring at him in surprise. Why didn't my brother tell me that?
"Why didn't you say anything?" Arthur asked, voicing my thoughts.
"We-It was just for a second and then he disappeared, I didn't even-well, I-I thought I was seeing things." Merlin explained as he walked over to stand in front of Arthur, who rolled his eyes and continued putting on his boots. "But he was definitely there."
"That doesn't actually prove anything." Arthur shook his head.
"Doesn't it make you think he might be telling the truth?"
"Because he was skulking about in the forest?" Arthur asked incredulously. "That makes me trust him even less."
"Why would Anhora appear in Camelot and then lie to you?" Merlin pressed, and the Prince shrugged.
"We had him cornered." He answered. "He was trying to talk his way out of it by blaming me."
"Arthur, that man can vanish into thin air." I finally spoke up as I walked over to stand next to my brother, who put his hands on the table in order to lean forward. "He didn't have to 'talk his way' out of anything." I said, and Arthur stood up, looking at me and Merlin seriously.
"My father has warned me about sorcerers like him. They will not rest until our kingdom is destroyed."
"Well, I believe he's telling the truth." Merlin said, and before I could even open my mouth to agree, Arthur spoke again,
"Then you're a fool. You cannot trust a single word a sorcerer says. You both'd do well to remember that." My heart twisted painfully at Arthur's words and tears came to my eyes, but I quickly forced them to disappear before Arthur or Merlin, who was probably as hurt as I, could see. "Now, I think I've figured out what Anhora's next move is going to be." Arthur continued as he put on his brown jacket. And when he makes it, you and I, Merlin, are going to be ready for him." He said, before grabbing his swords and leaving the chambers. As soon as the doors closed, I sighed and looked up at Merlin, who looked at me with a solemn gaze.