King Arthur (2017 Legend of the Sword OC Fanfic)

20. Melodramatic

He couldn't wrap his mind around the concept of rejection so he went to the place all good men go when a woman stomps on their heart, the pub. Arthur entered the bar to accept an invitation from Percival, his friend, and knight, for a cold ale after the long day.  Arthur located him at the end of the bar with a large mug of ale in front of him, Arthur joined his friend with a hefty sigh.

''I thought you were meeting the girl tonight?'' Percival asked with a sly smirk. He knew things with the girl hadn't been quite going to Arthur's expectation.

''I did.'' He looked gloomily at the bartender as he ordered a cold ale from the heavyset man.

''Didn't go well then I take it?'' Perci asked, sipping his intoxicating drink.

''I just don't get it Perci. Did I say something wrong? Come on too fast?'' Arthur questioned, drinking the ale he ordered heartily.

''Eh, I'm sorry mate, but I think I'm gonna side with the girl on this one,'' Perci replied, looking at his friend and commander meaningfully.

''What do you mean you side with her?'' Arthur looked confused at his friend.

''Well think about it from her perspective. She just found out a shit ton about her heritage, much like you did when you battled Vortigern. You wouldn't have taken on a relationship then, why should she now?''

''This is different, I didn't know her then,'' Arthur replied disdainfully towards his friend. Somehow hearing logic didn't seem to make him feel any better. 

''I've known you for 20 years Art and I ain't never seen you this worked up about a girl before.'' Perci chuckled, drinking from his mug.

''Its stupid is what it is.'' He sighed. ''I don't care about the rest of it. I just want to be able to crawl into bed next to her and all she wants is to be left alone.''

''Well did you try telling her that?'' Perci asked as if the solution were that easy.

''It doesn't matter, she doesn't like me.'' Arthur sighed. He had felt like he ruined the only chance he could get and he didn't even know what he did.

''Being a bit melodramatic for a King, don't you think?'' Perci asked with a hearty chuckle. He knew he shouldn't be enjoying his friend's grievances, but he couldn't help it.

Arthur glared at his friend. ''I'm going home. Getting drunk alone sounds better anyway,'' he huffed and got up from his chair where he chugged the rest of his drink. If his friend wouldn't sympathize with them then there was no point staying to talk with him. He'd rather wallow in his misery alone.

He exited the bar and dragged his feet back to the castle that held his cold empty bedchamber.  He entered through the kitchen, finding a bottle of wine left out on the counter. He snagged it as he walked by, making his way the Great Hall. He walked over the fireplace that heated the grand room.

His head hung low as he leaned against the mantle, staring vacantly into the unlit fireplace. He took a big swig of the wine bottle, the bittersweet alcohol gripping at the back of his throat. He sighed. Becoming King was surreal at first, but now the responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was no longer a street rat who had petty scuffles with slimy con men, but rather a leader of a kingdom who now faced entire armies. Relations with the Pagans hadn't improved as reports of Vikings around the area and in the city continued to come in with more and more detail. Greybeard had assured him neither he nor his men would continue to hang around, but he couldn't say the same for other clans. Despite this and his extensive responsibilities, what seemed to bother him the most were his dreams.

Previously plagued with nightmares about his parents' death, he was now haunted by the possibility of who he would have been had he grown up in the castle like a prince is supposed to. He would spend hours wondering who his parents were and what they were like. He considered all the people who wouldn't have died if Vortigern had never overthrown his father. He wondered what the kingdom would look like if he had received the throne naturally like he would have if his parents were still here. All these unanswered questions and only one thing, one person silenced them. Lucy.  With her, it didn't matter if he ever really knew his parents because if he had grown up just a little bit differently, it ran the possibility that he would have never seen her at his crowning and had been mesmerized ever since.