Two Sides of The Same Coin (Merthur)(Discontinued)

A Traveling Man

Arthur’s POV

 

The only thing I really knew about the man was that he had a pretty daughter with brown hair and a round face. She had rosy cheeks, although she was more pale than most. My mental image of her was blurry, mostly I remember her smile. She had a beautiful smile.

She was raised by her uncle and father. They were nobles, and spent a lot of time in the castle with me.

“Son, you do enjoy playing with the Granville girl, don’t you?” I nodded, grinning happily. She was pretty, and nice, and by far my favourite playmate. She was somehow stronger than most of the boys I played with back then, and loved to wrestle, “Good, you’ll be marrying her when you grow up,”

I DID NOT want to marry her when I grew up, that much I knew. I also knew that it was better not to fight with Father, so I left the room, eyes wide and smile gone.

Whenever I saw her again, my favourite playmate, I didn’t know what to do or say. It was all incredibly awkward for a nine year old and a seven year old.

Also, it was extremely unfair.

I wanted a friend, not a wife. Besides, nobody had decided to tell the girl yet, or her family.

I didn’t want to spend my life with anybody yet. I was nine.

All I knew of the man were my own personal feelings about his daughter. That, and I knew that he hated my father, even if my father loved him.

He hid his hatred well, to be honest. I only caught on one day when I was left alone with him. He looked at me quizzically for a moment or two before asking, “What do you think of your father?”

Well, what did I think of my father? I never saw him, so I wasn’t exactly sure. My father was strict. He was angry. He punished people without a second thought. But he showed kindness to those who stood by him with good food and placement within the palace.

“My father brought this kingdom out of dark times!” I answered enthusiastically with the words I had heard so many times from the workers of the palace as well as Father himself, “He’s a great king!”

The man gave a disgusting snort, observing me disapprovingly, “How often do you actually speak with him, Arthur?”

That was a good question, “Whenever he has to tell me off or give me orders,” I said after a moment’s thought. Gaius was the one who put me to sleep, and I had a servant to give me meals and take me through my day.

The man frowned, disapproval gone almost instantly. “Arthur, do you ever want to run away?” He asked quietly. I looked at the ground, not entirely sure how to answer. “I can take you, if you like. My brother and daughter… We’re all going together. It’s just outside of Camelot, in the lands of Essetir. And the people there are good,” I said nothing. Father would be so angry if I ran away.

“I don’t know…” I muttered quietly, having difficulty with figuring out what to say. I knew what I was supposed to say, but did I really want to stay, now that it had been brought up?

“The town is small,” He continued as though I had said nothing, “And there aren’t too many people. But the people there are smart and good, and they fight for what they believe in… Nobody would ever find us,”

Had Father not entered the room at that moment, I’m not sure what I would have answered. Maybe, instead of becoming a king, I would have been a quiet man, living out my life in a nice village with nice people. My life could have gone so differently.