How to become king Arthur

Chapter 5: Fitting in

"Now who's running away from their battles?" I yelled after him. Lance made no move of coming back as he shook his head and walked away.

I screamed. Never in my life had I been more angry. Two of the most important people in my life in a day? I kicked the wall as hard as I could, enjoying the pain. Pain was better than anger.

I looked up, I was done with being yelled at, bing called useless because if my gender or age. I was done with people making me feel like dirt. Yes, maybe I was a little hard on Paul but my own brother?

I looked from the ceiling back down to the floor. I stared at it for a long time, swallowing the lump in my throat. I was done with my family. I saddled up my horse. I snuck into the house by the back window and changed into a shirt and breeches. I slipped a knife down my boot and hopped back out he window.

One of my brothers walked over to me as I fixed my horse's stirrups.

"Ara what are you doing?" he asked urgently. He knew the look in my eye. He knew that it meant I wasn't thinking straight. That I was blinded by whatever emotion I was feeling.

"Ask Lance," I spat before mounting and spurring Tipper.

"Ara wait!" he yelled but I was already treating across our field to the woods.

"Good boy," I cooed softly to Tipper. I had pushed him hard so we had ridden a very long way from home. "Not home anymore," I muttered as I slid off of him.

I tied Tipper to a tree and sat down on the ground. I pulled the knife from my boot. I looked at it for a moment before I began to saw through the hair.

It was a dull knife. Of all the knives in the house, I had chosen a dull knife. I sawed through the layers of hair, pulling on every strand. It was so painful, it bought tears to my eyes. Still, I kept cutting until I was certain that it was at a respectable length.

That night as I lay there in the cold I considered going back to the house so I could get some supplies but then drew against it. I could not stand to go back to that wretched place. I would just have to fare for myself until I got to the castle.

~

"What's your name there boy?" a knight asked as I strode to the castle on the morning sit up. "Only one from your family?"

"I have a family that shares blood but that is where the connection ends. They mock me, insult me, I refuse to call them my family," I spat.

"What's your family name?"

"Fitzpaula," I replied. The knight beamed and held ou his hand.

"Arthur, welcome to the castle. You are already a legend," the knight said, slapping an arm over my shoulders. "Welcome to the rest of your life."

~

Training went as expected. I was placed in a class with beginners and I, the ten year old, made a great underdog. After two days they decided to move me up in the classes. The word spread like wildfire and soon I couldn't go anywhere without attracting odd looks.

"You ready to play with the big dogs puppy?" a knight asked me mockingly one day. I looked him up and down. Over a foot on me in every direction. I could take him. Still, I tried to control my temper.

"Are you ready?" I asked. "You look slightly peachy about the whole ordeal." Yes, I should have been more afraid of him but at ten, I thought I was invincible. I tried to walk by.

"Listen pip squeak," he hissed as he slammed he back into a wall. "You're pushing it. It's about time you're knocked off your high horse and if it takes breaking a few bones I'd be more than willing to do it. You might think you have some skill but just wait." His words made me clench my fists. "War is fast approaching and all people can talk about is you.

"You. Small, scrawny, weak, ugly, pathetic-"

"You rude, prudent cow's rear end!" I shouted before I punched him so hard in the jaw that I heard and felt a satisfying crack. Then I jumped I on top of him.

For a few seconds he fought but he soon learned I was a master at wrestling.

"Gethimofferme!" Was his muffled plea for help. From out of no where some knights jogged over and pulled us apart. I was pleased to see the rude boy's lip and nose bleeding.

"Arthur!" the knight asked, shocked, "what are you Doug fighting Wessex?" Shock filled me up. Wessex was the prince and future ruler of the Saxon.

"Wessex?" I asked, dumbfounded. The prince spat some blood on the floor.

"The king will want to hear about this."

"He will indeed," Wessex said through a swollen nose.

"King?" I repeated lamely. Would he see I was a woman? Would he dismiss me for pounding on his son? I didn't even notice I was walking towards the throne room. When we reached the doors I swallowed and stood up tall. I wasn't going down without a fight. One of the knights knocked on the door.

"Come in!" the king boomed. As we entered shock filled the king's vision. His eyes drifted from his son's beaten face to myself who had only a raw cheek where his son had made a hit.

The knights spoke to the king for a moment before he dismissed them.

"Wessex, I will speak with you later. Right now I wish to speak with Arthur, alone," the king Sussex commanded.

"But father I want to see how you expel him," Wessex sneered.

"I have no intentions of banishing Arthur, now be gone!" the king boomed. Wessex looked truly hurt for a moment before leaving.

"Well Arthur I must say that I am pleased to finally meet you. So many rumours have been flying around about what a legacy you are. Even with your young age, small build and limited training people are raving about you." Sussex stood up and walked over to me. He certainly had the build of a king. "There certainly is something about you Arthur. Something different, I just can't quite put my finger on it. It's odd but believe me when I say that I will find out what it is. In the mean time, you may not want to bother my family."

"I'm sorry to say it but your son deserved a whole lot more than the broken jaw he received," I said quietly but with passion. The king's eyes narrowed and he moved to hit me. I dodged his blow with skill.

"I want to see this fighter," the king hissed as he drew his sword, "The first to draw blood wins."

"Wins what?" I asked right before he swung at me.

The cheater! I didn't even have a sword for goodness sake! I jumped back as he hacked at my ankles before running by him towards a suit of armour. I yanked the sword from the armour, sending metals clanging to the ground. I threw the sword up just in time to catch an arm shaking blow. The king grew angry and increased the power of his swinging. The impact was sending vibrations to my teeth. He was going to kill me I we continued on in that fashion. I made some blows to make him slow down. I would have lost but since we were fighting to the blood, I could use a totally different fighting strategy. I side stepped one of his swings before dropping my sword and baring back his wrist that still had a sword clasped in it.

The king froze as his own blade sliced into the skin on the side of his ear. He tentatively reached up and touched the bloody mess. I stared up at him, worried of what he would do next. He cleared his throat.

"You may go to training," the king croaked before turning his back on me.

I all but ran from the room, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I spun around the corner. Sadly I was in such a rush to get away from the king that I ran into someone. We both went flying onto the ground.

"Ara?" a timid voice asked as I stood up. I looked down and saw Paul gazing up at me. My lips twitched. I leaned down and pressed my arm into his windpipe.

"Call me Ara one more time and it will be the last thing you ever say," I hissed, "Understand?" He nodded, pale. "Good." I said before calmly getting up and walking to training.

I was already late and fitting in was proving to be more difficult that I thought.

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