Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Four: Kilgharrah

Arthur and his men had finished their training for the day, thankfully with no interruptions this morning, and were wandering through the lower town. They conversed about many things but Arthur soon fell silent as dark locks caught his eye. Arthur began scolding himself again; he was entirely too fixated on the woman. So what she saved his life a long time ago, she has a rebellious attitude that both impresses him and amuses him, she is an unconventional beauty, she knows how to fight ... she reads? Arthur watched as Merlyn stopped by one of the many stalls in the lower town and picked up a book, he couldn't see the title from where he was but he watched as Merlyn's eyes lit up as she read the description inside. As the knights grew closer to Merlyn, Arthur watched her pay for the book and begin to walk towards them reading the book straight away.

Arthur continued to watch the woman, internally he was shouting at himself to stop it, she was a commoner he was a prince and his thoughts were inappropriate but his body just wasn't listening. Suddenly, he noticed someone's eyes on him. He looked to his right to see Sir Leon, one of his trusted knights and friends, giving him a strange look. Leon had noticed how his eyes had followed Merlyn around the lower town. Arthur knew his behaviour seemed strange. Knowing he had to do something to save face, he got all the knights attentions before asking

"Do you want to have some fun?"

~8~

"How's your knee-walking coming along?" a familiar voice asked. Merlyn immediately tensed up. She had been lucky the other day with Arthur allowing her to go scot-free but she didn't want to test his resolve. She didn't think the pillory sounded fun at all. So the young maiden kept walking passed the group of knights with her head buried in the stories that the young girl had sold her – apparently the young girl herself had wrote the stories. "It's rude to ignore someone ... or are you just scared of me?"

"Scared?" Merlyn snapped, slamming her book closed and whirling around to face the smug prince who was walking towards her with his 'gang' behind him though one looked towards her sadly, like he regretted what Arthur was doing to her. The brown haired knight had kind eyes but Arthur's voice got her attention again.

"Thank god!" Arthur said, "I was starting to think you were deaf as well as dumb."

"Look, I've told you you're an ass, I just didn't realise you were a royal one" Merlyn replied without much thought, she was going to get into trouble again but she just couldn't stop herself.

"You're very crude for a woman" Arthur said, deliberately getting Merlyn's back up.

"You're very prattish for a prince" she quickly quipped back.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked, she was mocking him again. He swore she got joy out of it.

"I have to ask" Merlyn said seriously, "How long have you been training to be a prat?" The knights and the crowd that had gathered all gasped at her words. They had never seen the prince being talked down to like Merlyn was.

"You can't address me like that" Arthur said, anger building up in his eyes along with amusement.

"I'm sorry" she started sincerely before a wide grin spread across her face and she moved into a curtsey, "How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?"

Arthur struggled to contain the smile that was tugging at his face. Neither party could deny it; they both were finding their banter entertaining even if they detested one another.

"You can't -"

"I think I just did" Merlyn interrupted smirking at the prince, Arthur turned to look at his men before he looked back at Merlyn, "Oh, what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?" Arthur just laughed at her.