queen of hearts. [ arthur x reader ]

i.

          I still couldn't believe that my family had done this to me. It was unfathomable that my flesh and blood would sell me to save their asses. But the more I began to think about it, the more plausible it became. My father had a, shall we say, gambling problem? And apparently, I seemed to be the answer to his current debt issue. I guess I had just become accustomed to bailing my family out that this wasn't something that shocked me as much as it perhaps should have. Or, at least as much as it would an average person. I guess I was just lucky to be abnormal in that aspect.

          "Here, you're gonna need these." a voice spoke, kind eyes watching me as I had taken the change of clothes from his hands that he had outstretched towards me. Merlin, I believe he was named? He was another servant of the royal prat, as he made sure to emphasize every chance he got while we got the chance to speak. I had only begun to clean the prince's chambers until the door shattered the silence that I had started to enjoy, heavy footsteps echoing within the room as Arthur entered the room covered head to toe in mud. "Arthur!" I screamed, throwing the wet rag onto the floor as I stormed towards him, fists clenched, "I just cleaned the floor!"

         "Then you won't mind rewashing it after you prepare my bath for me?" "Have Merlin do it!" my voice cracked, much to Arthur's amusement. I merely glared in response while folding my arms over my chest. The silence that befell us was almost deafening, and it had begun to make me uncomfortable as we just stared at one another. My (h/l) (h/c) was disheveled and slightly dampened from having cleaned his entire chambers from top to bottom, and now he was expecting me to not only prepare his bath for him but reclean the floor that he had so rudely decided to track mud all over? I rolled my eyes, which earned a scoff from the Prince.

          "Did... did you just roll your eyes at me?" I rolled my eyes again, hearing an almost offended gasp rising from the male before me. "You did! You just rolled them again!" "I have no idea what you are talking about, Arthur." I retorted, smirking to myself as I turned my neck to prevent him from throwing another royal fit about me giving him my level of sass. Not only did he constantly endure it from Merlin, but now he was receiving it from another servant. The only difference between Merlin and I? Merlin and Arthur were "friends"; Arthur and I were not. We weren't friends by a longshot.

          The awkward silence that still wrapped itself around us shattered as Merlin entered, though sensing the tension within the air, had gone to back out until Arthur nearly screamed at him to get back into the room. "What is it?" Merlin spoke in a soft voice, stepping further into the area to close the door behind him. "Prepare my bath while this girl recleans the floor." Arthur began removing his armor, mud splattering over the floor and various objects. And I could feel my blood beginning to boil, our eyes locking every so often with each article of clothing he had removed. "And since Merlin cleaned my armor last time... it's your turn. I want it done by tomorrow morning."

          My eyes widened as he walked past me in only his trousers, my jaw dropped as Merlin's jaw had fallen as well. "Arthur, surely you don't--" "Oh no, Merlin. I do. Best hurry with the floor so you can get to your other task." I could taste his smirk as he disappeared to completely remove his clothing, me turning on my heel to stare at Merlin, who was giving me a sympathetic expression. It seemed that ever since I was sold into the royal household and appointed as Arthur's maidservant; he was determined to make my life a living hell. Merlin had tried to reassure me that he suffered the same as I did regarding his ridiculous orders.

          The one difference between Merlin and I, was the Prince's lingering eyes when I would be cleaning his chambers while he read over paperwork. There were a few times I even caught Arthur glancing at my cleavage when I'd be scrubbing the floors. And what made it even more annoying, is that despite being caught staring, rather than look away, he'd just meet my gaze before giving an almost disgusted look. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take before I landed myself thrown in jail for hitting the Prince for being a royal prat.