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

The Granville Girl

Arthur's POV

My life never really was intended to be easy. I knew that for as long as I could remember, it was nothing new.

When other fathers allowed their sons to run in the city and play together, mine gave out lectures for fidgeting too much while in the hall with important guests.

In my teen years, boys had begun courting girls and getting married. They found love, they had children, and they stayed up until the first rays of sunlight shined into the city, drinking and talking. I stayed up until the dawn writing speeches and papers for the tutors and my father.

Every single detail in my work had to be perfect, I was brought up for these types of papers, after all. A small mistake would have costed me hours in makeup work. Not easy. A life with an overbearing father, a dead mother, and an entire kingdom relying on the correct spelling of single words had simply been given to me. I had to bear it and that was that. It was the way things had to be.

Besides, according to Father, others would be more than willing to kill to be king. Kill me, that was. Yet, until I was at least into my 20s, no serious attempts had ever been made on my life. In fact, everybody had always been more than ready to follow my every command, or kiss my feet. Father said I could never trust any of them.

Finding true friends in the public streets could be difficult for anybody. It was impossible for a young prince like me.

That was, until I met Merlin. The boy, even after learning of who I was, had the audacity to insult me. To that point, the only person allowed to lecture me was my father. Even after being thrown in the dungeons, after a day in the stocks, he stayed. Being poisoned could not even stifle the loyalty of my manservant.

When Merlin came into my life, it suddenly became a lot easier. The tasks were the same, the harshness of the people and nobles remained. Enemies and incidents increased, even. Merlin fixed none of that. After all, he wasn't king, it wasn't his duty.

No, he simply made life more livable. With him around, I always had somebody to talk to. A boy who acted as my equal without a second thought, although he had grown up a peasant. Merlin was special and amazing, even if he did happen to be a bumbling idiot who never truly knew what to do with himself. It took me too long to realize that, magic or not, a person like Merlin living in my kingdom gave me something to fight for.

He had always seemed to childish, and cowardly. Even though he always charged into danger with me, I knew he never carried a weapon. It always felt like I was his only protection, and being given the responsibility to protect Merlin was an honor.

That was why the fire started in my stomach upon hearing the forced, evil words. But that was also why, when I saw Merlin - my Merlin holding a blade to his own neck, threatening to take his life outside of his own accord, I froze.

I had never been good at situations like this. Merlin was good. He could talk me through things. I could work under pressure, sure. But I didn't even know what I could use to bargain for Merlin's life.

"What do you want?" I asked. Well, at least that was a start. This maniac girl and I both knew that I couldn't agree to anything until I understood the terms and conditions. The girl giggled at my question. It seemed as though the constant excitement and happiness were intentional- an attempt to be creepier. It worked.

"I want everything!" She said after a moment. it was difficult to keep my eyes on her, when the first trickles of blood were already rolling down Merlin's thin neck, and the sword was sinking ever so much deeper. "Since childhood, I've had certain goals, you know. Aspirations. I moved around a lot, but I kept certain things as well, to hold onto."