A Legend Lviving His Story [King!EnglandxReaderxKnight!America]

Truths With A Bit Of Lies

I stand at the bridge, looking down at the clear water, but not as clear as the one in the well. The well! I look up and from afar, I saw a tad familiar figure dressed in shining red silk, flowing through the wind, like how flames dance. My mouth parts a bit, and I was about to call out, but nothing came out.

'[Name]..!'

My mind shouted the name, and I wish I could shout it out from my mouth. What's stopping me, I wonder? I looked closer, I squinted, and tried to see more clearly.

"Alfred."

I whispered to myself. I stood straight and pressed my lips together tightly, so tight I could feel the edge of my teeth through them. They're merry, they're innocent, they're oblivious. They're at the orchard, under a wispy pear tree, talking peacefully, with veils over their heads.
I can hear cheerful laughs - mostly Alfred's - and I can feel warmth coming from them from so far. They're like Adam and Eve, under the tree of wisdom, and I am the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, who the snake tricked them to.
I sneak into the orchard and hid behind an apple tree so I could hear better. It's not my right to eavesdrop. It's nobody's, but I feel like I need to.
The way they shared themselves to each other, how open they are.. it's almost a nostalgic feeling. Me and Grace.. like how we used to be. I want to leave, but I can't. I leant my back against the tree and just took a deep, silent breathe, as silent as I can. I closed my eyes and listened to the wind. Lady Elisa had always said the winds have voices, and so do trees and water, and you must listen to them. Welsh people.

"Honour the power in each and everything."

I open my eyes again and what me are bright blue sky clear of clouds. I'm still leaning against the tree, and the wind had stopped whispering.
I turned to peek at them and they're still under the veil, talking, this time, more silent.
"What are your plans now that Arthur had returned?" Alfred spoke loud enough for her and me to hear.
"I'm not sure, Alfred. It's confusing."
I'm pretty sure we have agreed to something before I left! I turned back around and quietly slipped away from the orchard and into the stables, but then again, Alfred wouldn't let a chance pass of not noticing me.
"Arthur!" He gasped and lifted the veil off their heads. [Name] turned around as well and they both stood up, but I didn't stop. I pretended I didn't hear them and tried to think of something else. Like, Merlin, the Welsh King, the Sleeping King, the well... that was almost proved successful if Alfred didn't grab my arm and pull me back and turn me around.
"Arthur! You were there the whole time?"
"Sir Alex already told me before I could even see it from my own eyes."
"Maybe he's just lying!"
"Sir Alex is wise enough to know to not lie to me or anyone." I wriggled my arm out of his grip and glared at him fiercely before turning around and continuing on my way. I'm mad, very mad. They both lied. They didn't even send a word or two about something else! I could feel my back shiver as I walk and my fists trembling. None of them came after me.

I guess a wedding will have to wait.

---

It's been a while, and I felt very nostalgic and unfamiliar at the same time! Here, I stood in the opening in the middle of Pike Forest, where there's a well in its very centre, with sparkling water as clear as diamonds and a feeling so mysterious you would almost feel as if the Sleeping King had awoken and watched the well's story with me. It's extremely superb. I feel like every grass blade is new, flower is new, every bush is new, every leaf is new, everything around me is new! But I recognise the place so well. It's where my hope for all England was kept alive.
I lean against the rim of the well. It's wet, and a bit mossy than the last time I've felt its smooth cobblestone.
At least this is still here to take me out of my mind for a while.

"It's been a while, and you're now a king yourself!" That familiar voice again! I look up and turned to see my king-self leaning against the well as well across me. I greeted him back and he laughed. He's more cheerful than the last time I've seen him. How can he stay so hopeful for so long?
"You're the greatest king of all England, Arthur. You're doing very well."
"Aren't you Arthur as well?"
"Arthur? No. I'm Merlin." I blinked in confusion, and now I see Merlin at the king-me's place. I yelped and stepped back.
"Merlin! Wait! My mind could be tricking me! No! I know for sure it's you, Merlin!" I uttered words without thinking about it and Merlin just looked at me warmly. He removed his dove-grey hood - the hooded man!
"I've helped four kings before you, and now I will help you."
Four kings. Three, before Uther, and now that Uther's time has passed, it's four.
"I'm confused."
"Have a look in the well." I quickly do as he told and stared at my reflection as hard as I can, squinting and widening my eyes until every noise around me disappeared. The reflections of the water disappeared too, except mine.
Time in this well runs slower, and sometimes faster than the sun chasing shadow round our sundial. When everything is clear, I could soon see that Ygerna was already six months gone. She and King Uther were married, and they were in London, sitting in the same huge hole where Uther had held his feast.

"Your baby," says the king. "Whose is it?"
"Whose but mine?" Ygerna replies.
"I mean," says the king, "whose child are you carrying?"
Queen Ygerna lowers her head.
"Tell me the truth," Uther says. "Don't be afraid. I won't love you any less for it."
Ygerna hesitates. "I will, then," she replies. "The night my husband, Duke Gorlois, died, a man came into my chamber at Tintagel. He looked exactly like Gorlois and spoke like Gorlois. I thought he was Gorlois. My own husband, safe from the siege at Castle Terrible. I opened my arms to him."
"That is the truth," says the king. "Ygerna, I was that man."
"You?"
"I am the father of your child."
Then I heard Uther tell Ygerna how the hooded man gave him a drug to change his appearance, and took the drug himself so he would resemble Sir Jordans. At first, Ygerna wept for the loss of Gorlois; then she smiled, of relief. . . She placed both hands over the baby, and embraced the whole world.
"Our son,"she calls out.
"But I have made a promise," King Uther says. "I have promised the hooded man I will give him our child to bring up as he wishes."
"No!" Cries Ygerna.
"He will honour our child and our child will bring us honour. I have sworn it by Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John."

Soon, everything is back to normal. The picture faded and the birds chirping are heard. I stared at my reflection with wide,u blinking eyes.
"You look like the first time you have seen the mystic of this well. A child in awe." I look up at Merlin and I can see he means his every word. I flushed pink and moved away from the well.
"I'm not a child."

---

I have made it back to the manor at sundown, like how I usually do. Merlin disappeared right in front of my eyes! He's a magician! Oh, I swear it! Call me a crazy king and whatnot, his miracles will forever be embedded in my mind.
"Many things seem miraculous until you finally understand them. And some are so marvellous you could call them miracles." I mutter to myself. That's what Merlin argues with Gareth once, and Gareth got so mad he had to stay outside for ten minutes.
I chuckle at the memory and shook my head. I definitely miss Gareth. He was seventy-three. Not as old, but still definitely understandable.
"Arthur!" [Name] calls from the hall and she ran to meet me. I stop to look at her run towards me with a pleasing expression painted all across her face. Before she could jump at me, I held both her arms back and kept them still at both her sides. I lean close to her face and looked her straight in the eye.
"We have several - no - a lot of matters to discuss." I mutter. I glanced around before dragging her away with me. She didn't say anything, but I know she's nervous. Obvious from the cold sweat I could feel forming in her palm.

III.