Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Sophia Tír-Mòr

Everything had returned to normal in Camelot but Merlyn knew it would not last. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Currently, her and Arthur were out in the woods hunting. Arthur had requested her alone, it was rare for the prince to go on a hunt with only one servant as company but it had become a more often occurrence of late. Merlyn didn't mind it at all. There were four reasons for this: one she knew how to hunt and was good at; two it meant she didn't have to clean Arthur's stinking socks; three she got to spend time with the prince outside of the eyes of Camelot; and finally she didn't have to wear a bloody dress or skirt.

Arthur had very similar reasons to calling these hunts as well. The main one was getting to spend time with Merlyn beyond his father's disapproving gaze. It was stupid and dangerous, he should have been trying to avoid falling anymore for the woman but he just couldn't help himself. It was sweet torture to spend time with her alone but for the few hours they were hunting, he was not a prince nor she a servant and they could just be normal in each others' presence without having to always be looking over their shoulders.

The pair both felt the connection and both indulged it in, treading the dangerous line. More often than not the two found themselves in moments where they were sure of each other's feelings despite the lack of confessing such things. The two just had an unspoken thing.

Having spotted a beautiful deer, Arthur swiftly aimed his crossbow at the creature. A deer was always impressive to catch. Everything was silent as Arthur fixed his aim and his finger hovered over the trigger of the crossbow. Just as he went to push the trigger, he was hit around the back of the head by something furry.

"What the-?" Arthur started from his place on his knees were he had fallen. He looked up to find Merlyn with the rabbits they had already caught in her hands and the world's most innocent look on her face. "Did you just hit me with a rabbit?"

"No" Merlyn said as she smiled, "I hit you with a dead rabbit."

"May I ask" Arthur started calmly as he got to his feet, "WHY?"

"I wasn't lugging back a deer to Camelot on my own" Merlyn answered. Before Arthur could argue screams filled the woods. Both Arthur and Merlyn fell silent and span to face the feminine screams.

"Please! Don't!" a female screamed in the distance. "Help!"

With a shared glance, Merlyn dropped everything she was carrying and grabbed her sai whilst she passed Arthur his sword. Quickly, the pair ran towards the noise. Soon enough the pair came into a more wooded area where a group of bandits were attacking an old man and a young hooded woman.

The older man was upon the floor whilst a bandit's sword was pressed to his chest meanwhile four other bandits struggled with the woman's purse that she refused to let go of.

"No, no, I beg you! Mercy!" the older man shouted in terror. Merlyn couldn't believe the sight. The victims clearly had no weapons, the older man with white hair could not fight and the woman was in clear distress.

"Help me! Help me!"

Immediately, Arthur released the arrow in his crossbow that had been meant for the deer into the back of one of the bandits, catching the thieves' attention. Soon enough two of the men charged Arthur whilst Merlyn ran passed them to help the women who was still struggling against the remaining bandits.

Quickly, Merlyn embedded her sai into the back of one of the bandits as she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him away from the girl before she ran her sharpened sai across his neck. Blood immediately flowed and the bandit dropped to the ground dead. Having seen the demise of his friend the other bandit released the young woman who swiftly cowered backwards towards the older man. He grabbed his sword tightly before taking a swing at Merlyn who easily dodged the blade.