"It's time to wake up Rose," The dark haired girl heard flutter through her ear slightly. It wasn't until her curtains had been pulled back, leaving the morning sun to shine into her eyes for her to fully wake up.
"Why must it be so bright in the morning?" She replied groggily, pulling her heavy blankets back over her head.
"Now—now, miss, your mother has requested you for breakfast. You must get up," Elspeth pulled the blankets from her mistress' head.
Rose shot up from her position in bed with a confused expression morphed on her face. The dark haired girl always joined her parents for breakfast, so why now was her mother specifically requesting her? "Did she say what for?"
"No, I'm sorry,"
The princess didn't ask anymore questions after that. She left her warm bed and let Elspeth do as she pleased with her appearance. Once she was finished, Rose made her way down the long corridors as her light blue dress skimmed the ground. Walking through the grand doors, Rose had noticed her parents had already been seated at their places at the table.
The king and queen sat around a small rounded table next to their large formal one. The parents believing that it brought them closer as a family rather than to sit meters away from each other.
"Good morning, my darling," Lorna Alpin greeted her daughter with a smile. Her long dark hair pulled back from her face and a dazzling crown laid atop of her head.
Rose joined her parents' sides, sitting gracefully at the table.
"How did you sleep?" Her father asked.
"I slept fine," She tilted her head, the brunette feeling the slight tension between her parents. "Is everything alright? You both seem a bit off,"
The two eyed one another, not really knowing what to say to their only child. While most royals would have been disappointed with their first born being a girl. The Alpins saw it as just another gift from God. They envisioned a future with their daughter on the throne and they saw nothing but greatness. They didn't need any more children. Because in their eyes, Rose would rule just as great as any king.
"Please just tell me,"
"Rose...you're mother and I have been talking and...we think that it's come to the time where we further the plans on your betrothal," Alastair stated, hesitantly.
The princess' face dropped. She didn't want to believe it. "What?"
"Now, sweetheart—" Lorna tried.
"Why are you doing this? I do not need a king by my side. Father—you yourself have said that I would make an excellent queen. Why are you forcing me to marry?"
"Rose—you and Arthur have been betrothed since you were six and eight, this isn't anything new,"
"But, I always thought that you would allow me to choose," Her words were laced with sadness. "Now, I know you both were intended, but you found love for one another. I do not see that in Arthur,"
"Oh, but you two were so cute when you were little," Lorna gushed. "You two were playmates, I'm sure those memories are worth something,"
Rose's face dropped, the girl having different memories than her parents, "He would pull on my braids and throw mud on all of my favorite dresses. He was rude and arrogant and I hardly doubt he has grown out of it,"
"You haven't seen one another in thirteen years,"
The king let out a sigh. The man felt bad for his daughter, he wanted her to find love, but he arranged this with Uther to protect his daughter from a much greater evil. Being in Camelot would keep Rose safe. "I've kept in contact with Uther over the years, he's been a good friend and a needed ally for us. Arthur has grown into a fine young man and he will be a suitable king for Camelot and Scotland,"
Rose shook her head in disbelief, she looked to her mother with pleading eyes as a last resort to change their minds. "Mother, please,"
"Your carriage leaves tonight. Elspeth is packing your things as we speak—" Her mother sighed.
"Tonight! So, what? You were just going to ship me off without giving me any notice?"
"We do admit that it is quite sudden, but Rose you are nineteen years old, most royals have a child by now. We've put this off for far too long,"
Rose pushed her chair back quickly in a fit of rage before storming out of the dining hall as her parents called out to her. She was fuming. How could they do this to her? Rose had heard stories about her betrothed. How he was still as arrogant as she remembered and had a god complex. Let alone the stories about his father and how he felt about magic.
The brunette knew of the growing conflict towards the subject of magic, but she didn't see the big deal about it. Her parents had made Scotland a safe place for people born of magic and they never took it for granted. She believed that people shouldn't be executed because they were born with a gift that they had no control over.
Once Rose reached her room she dismissed the guard placed outside of it. The sight in front of her made her heart drop, with half of her wardrobe already placed inside trunks. "You knew and you didn't tell me?"
"I was told after you left for breakfast,"
"Why are they doing this to me?" Rose sat down on the couch placed in front of her fireplace. Her heading resting in her hands.
The blonde sat next to her friend, grabbing her hand in a way of comfort. "We both knew that this was going to happen at some point, it was just a matter of when,"
"What am I going to do, Elspeth? Arthur Pendragon is a pompous ass, and I am to be his wife,"
The ladies maid let out a chuckle at her mistress' harsh language, "Do not fret miss, I'm certain your parents wouldn't have made this decision in vain. They only want what's best for you,"
A harsh knock on the door cut the girl's conversation short. Opening the door, Rose was met with a tall knight with messy brown hair. He stood there with a saddened expression on his face.
"Bram? What are you doing here?"
"I heard of the news your highness, I just wanted to see if you were alright,"
Bram had been a kind friend towards the princess as she grew up in the castle. The older man being quite protective of her. At some points it frightened her how fast his personality would change when she was in any kind of danger. Or how he would stand a little too close to her at points. "I'm as good as I'll ever be,"
"Well, I just wanted to say that you deserve to marry someone who will love and cherish you," His face turned stone cold and his voice dropped.
"I appreciate that," Rose gave him a small smile, trying to ignore his sudden harsh tone. "But as the future queen it is my duty, and I'm sure I will like it in camelot,"
"It was an honor to serve you, your highness, and maybe one day we will be reunited," Bram took Rose's hand and slowly lowered his lips down to the top of it, keeping his lips there a little longer than she would have liked.
The princess gave the knight one last smile before closing the door. She widened her eyes as she tried to forget the random appearance of the man before she plopped down on her bed next to her Scottish Dear-hound. The large dog laid peacefully on his owner's bed, quietly watching her pace around her bedroom.
"If I didn't say any better, I think Sir Bram likes you," Elspeth raised her brows as she continued to put Rose's belongings in trunks while Rose narrowed hers.
"Don't be daft Elspeth, he's just doing his job," She let out a chuckle. "He's been a loyal knight to my family for years,"
The brunette's features quickly dropped after her words, the situation finally settling on her. She was leaving. She was leaving the one place she knew as home, her safe haven. And now she would be living in a place that she hadn't visited in years. Rose placed a loving hand on the black dog's head, "Oh, Stirling—what are we to do?"
~~~
Hours had passed and before she knew it, Rose was walking down the grand halls of the palace towards a carriage that would take her to her new home. The hood of her cloak was pulled up as it hid her long hair. She approached her parents that stood next to the carriage with a sad smile as a single tear trickled down her face.
Alastair lifted a thumb and wiped the tear away, his hand cupping his daughters face, "Don't cry my sweet girl,"
"I'll miss you father," Rose whimpered.
"I'll miss you too. Uther will look after you—I know that you are unhappy with our decision but I want you to know that when the day comes...you will be a marvelous queen,"
Rose gave her father a soft smile before leaning in and kissing his cheek. Even though getting married was the last thing she wanted, it was still nice hearing the amount of faith that her father had in her.
"Goodbye mother," Rose hugged the dark-haired women tightly.
As the sun started to set upon the hills of Scotland, and the colors of the sunset bounced off of Rose's iris'. The brunette expected a heart-warming goodbye from her mother, but the words that slipped from Lorna's lips were not the ones Rose was expecting.
"You must find the Great Dragon once you reach Camolet,"
"What?" She whispered.
"If you do not find him and make him tell you your prophecy then Scotland will fall. That is what all of this was about. Protecting you. He wants this kingdom—and you—my special Briar Rose,"
"Mother I don't understand, the Great Dragon has been locked up for years. No one even knows where he was put,"
Lorna squeezed her daughter's shoulder as she inspected her face. "The fate of Scotland is in your hands now. Do not trust anyone with this information, if Uther finds out he will kill you. Your father and I love you very much—remember that,"
"But mother—"
But before she could finish her words, blood started to stream from parents ' eyes. A horrified look washed over Rose's face as she watched her parents fall to the pavement. Dead. A crash happened behind them as a large flame sprouted from the entrance of the castle. Lighting everything ablaze. Loud roars were heard all around the courtyard as men and women started to storm the castle.
Rose stood there in horror as she watched her home burn to the ground while her parents laid dead right in front of her. Before she knew what was happening she was being dragged to the carriage and her and Elspeth were pushed inside. Without wasting any time the coachmen took off, leaving the battle behind. A battle that Rose didn't even know that her parents were facing.
Rose only knew one thing at that moment.
She was the new queen of Scotland
~~~
It had been weeks since Rose had touched Scottish soil. Weeks since her parents were murdered. Weeks since she witnessed the torching of the only home she had ever known. The young queen hadn't talked much throughout the journey. She sat there watching the landscape change through the carriage window, replaying the past events.
Elspeth had tried many times to try and comfort Rose but she would only shrug her shoulders, putting off any form of emotion. It wasn't until the coachmen had stated that they were nearing Camelot that the blonde had had enough of the silence.
"Rose? Rose please talk to me,"
The brunette focused her attention onto her friend with cold sad eyes, "There's nothing to really talk about,"
"Of course there is—you haven't cried once miss,"
"Crying won't bring my parents back Elspeth,"
The ladies maid leaned forward, taking Rose's hands into her own in a comforting manor. "You don't have to do this you know—you are the new queen of Scotland, we can go back home and you can get to the bottom of what happened,"
Rose shook her head, "As much as I don't want to do this, it's my duty as queen...and it's what my parents would have wanted. Besides I think my betrothal to Arthur is so much bigger than what my parents led on. And I think going to Camelot is the key to finding out what truly happened,"
"What do you mean miss?"
"My mother said something to me before—the incident. She told me that I needed to find the Great Dragon. That Scotland would fall if I didn't find out my prophecy," Rose stated.
"But that doesn't make any sense? The Great Dragon? Nobody knows where Uther placed him," Elspeth spoke, scrunching her eyebrows.
"Nothing makes sense anymore. But if this...Great Dragon is supposedly going to help save my kingdom from something that I don't even know about—then I'll take that risk,"
When Rose looked out the window, the once grassy planes turned into aged stone, indicating that she had finally reached Camelot. The carriage stopped once they reached the large courtyard. A plethora of people scattered themselves throughout the stone walls. The lively space reminded Rose of Scotland, more than she thought it would.
Rose put the hood of her cloak up before stepping out of the carriage. Her brown eyes wandered to every corner of her surroundings. The castle seemed much smaller than when she remembered it as a child. Many memories flooded through the brunette's brain as she remembered exploring the castle as a child. She kept her head down low, trying to keep as much attention off of her, but any wandering eyes could tell that the girl was a royal.
Walking through the entrance rose was immediately stopped by a guard, the tall man blocking her from walking any further. "What's your business here miss?"
"My name is Briar Rose Alpin—the king is expecting me," She locked eyes with the man as she tried to stand her ground but her voice still came out timid.
"Of course your majesty, my apologies,"
After he stepped aside it wasn't long until she reached the throne room. Rose could hear the small chatter escaping the closed doors as two guards stood post.
Nerves started to flood through Rose's body, the moment she had been dreading since she was six years old was finally happening. She turned to Elspeth with her eyebrows scrunched and worry lacing her words.
"What if I can't do this?"
Elspeth grabbed her friend's hands and gave her an encouraging smile, "You'll do great, don't worry about anything else. Once you get through this we can go unpack your things and you'll be able to breathe again," She let out a chuckle.
"I can do this," Rose said to herself, pulling her hood down as she approached the two guards, telling them of her arrival. The guards stepped aside as they opened the door for her. Once the doors were fully opened, Rose's eyes widened a little at the grand room. Uther and Arthur were both seated on their thrones as a girl with catlike features and black hair stood to the side with another girl. Rose could only assume she was someone of importance.
The brunette slowly made her way towards the front as the two Pendragons met her in the middle.
"My dear, Briar Rose, it is so nice to have you back in Camelot. Though I wish it were under better circumstances. We received word of your parents, and I give you my deepest condolences, Alastair was a dear friend," Uther gave her a sad smile.
Rose bit back her small disdain, "Thank you—it's good to be back, Camelot was always a second home to me growing up. And please call me Rose," Her thick Scottish accent standing out amongst the english.
"Of course, I hope your travels were well,"
"Yes, it certainly was a long journey but nothing too unbearable. This is my ladies maid, Elspeth. She is a good friend of mine, and I expect her to be treated with the utmost respect,"
The blonde curtseyed as her heart started to warm. She couldn't have asked for a better friend. Or a better queen for Scotland.
"Of course. Well—you remember my son—Arthur, though it has been a few years," Uther let out a chuckle. "And this is Morgana Ley Fay, my ward," he extended a hand towards the dark-haired woman from before.
"Your majesty, it's an honor to make your acquaintance," Morgana let out, curtsying.
"Please no need for the formalities, and the pleasure is all mine," Rose gave her a smile.
It wasn't until then that Rose acknowledged Arthurs presents. He had grown to be much taller than Rose. As children she remembered teasing the boy about how she was taller than him even though he was older, but that didn't seem like an issue for him anymore. His hair had only darkened a little, but still a brilliant blonde, and his cheekbones had deepened immensely. From his attire, Rose could tell that he was officially a knight; a dream for most men.
He was certainly no little boy anymore.
He was quite handsome to Rose's dismay, yet she wasn't going to let his looks cloud her judgment.
"Your majesty," He bowed his head slightly, as Rose gave him a small curtsy.
When she looked up her eyes met his. The darkest of brown meeting the clearest of blue. Rose noticed her heart skip a beat but she never let herself falter. "Please call me Rose, it has been many years but I think we're past the formalities," She gave him a small smile.
"The way that I remember it you told me that I either could call you Rose or by your title," He teased.
Rose let out a sigh as a chuckle escaped her lips. The girl did not realize that he would remember such a memory. She remembered the moment she told him that. When the first met, Arthur insisted on calling her Briar even though he knew she didn't like it, just another thing to add onto the list of why she didn't enjoy his company.
"Well we were children back then—I would hope that we could get past that silly bickering,"
"Of course...Briar," He smirked.
Rose's face dropped at the name, which only made him smirk more.
"Alright then, I'm sure that you too have much to catch up on, but I'm sure that you would like to get settled into your room," Uther stated. "I will have a servant guide you to your chambers, and we will have the announcement during the celebration feast,"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of any feast,"
"Of course, my dear, we are coming up on the twentieth anniversary of the Great dragon being locked up. Your arrival has come on the day marking those celebrations. In two days time we will have a feast, and we will announce the future plans for your's and Arthur's betrothal,"
"Yes—yes of course," She gave a sad smile before making her exit.
The girl almost forgot the true reason on why she was there in the first place.
Here is the first official chapter of king of my heart! If you are a real one, you'll know how much inspiration I got from reign for this story, but I still love Merlin and I'm really excited to share this story😁
But more important
What did you guys think?