Imagines and Preferences: Book 1

Preference: Prompts 14 and 35 | Merlin

Prompts #14 and #35
Requested by @Shannon1300

These two make a very interesting combination...

Summary: Based around the two prompts requested. (I honestly have no other way to summarize this.)

QOTP: Did you like Uther?

Word Count: 2454

Arthur -
"Are you busy?" Arthur asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"I'm always busy, Arthur," you chide jokingly, looking at him briefly as you wash the day's load of laundry. Some of his clothes are in it.

"Well, could you maybe... not be busy?"

You stop, look at him, and hold up the wet blanket currently in your hands. "Um... not exactly?"

He waves his hand, dismissing it. "Oh, just leave it."

You raise a brow. "And for what, may I ask?"

He hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "A horse ride through the woods with me?"

"A horse ride?" you ask, dropping the blanket. He nods, and you sigh. "Arthur, I don't know how to ride a horse." You've never needed to ride a horse — you're a carpenter's-daughter-turned-royal-servant, so it's just never been necessary.

"I'll teach you," Arthur replies.

You snort, going back to the laundry. "Yeah, no, I'll pass."

"Why?"

"I'm not letting you teach me how to ride a horse. That would be disastrous."

He scoffs. "No, it wouldn't. Frankly, I'm offended you'd even suggest that. I'm the King, Y/N. I know how to ride a horse."

"You may know how, but that doesn't mean you can teach someone else how."

"Oh, please, I'd be a great teacher."

You raise an eyebrow at him again. "Really?"

"Yes!"

"And you won't let me fall off or get trampled once?"

He playfully rolls his eyes. "Have I ever let you down?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No." You turn back to the laundry yet again, and he sighs. "Please, Y/N? We can ride on the same horse, and I'll hold onto you so you don't fall off. And Merlin won't even be there, so there will be no one to annoy you."

"You're going," you joke.

"Okay, fine, that's fair." He sighs again. "So what do you say?"

You look at the laundry, then him, then the laundry, then him again. You drop the shirt in your hands in the water. "Oh, fine. I hate doing laundry, anyway."

He beams. "Then, let's go!" He grabs your hand and half-pulls you to the stables as you laugh. Once there, he readies a horse, then gets onto it with ease. He looks down at you and holds out a hand. "Come on."

You take his hand and unsurely try to swing yourself up onto the horse. He grabs your other hand and pulls you up, and, a little awkwardly, you manage to get on the horse in front of him. You're already starting to get nervous. "If I fall off, I promise you I won't speak to you for a week."

His arms go around you as he grabs the reins. He chuckles. "Oh, you couldn't go that long without speaking to me. You'd miss me too much."

"Try me, Arthur. Try me."