chapter forty-one!
041. the once and future queen
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MORGANA DIDN'T want to attend the second day of the Jousting Tournament. After yesterday's dramatics on the field, she found it far too violent for her taste▬turning up her nose at the thought of people enjoying a sport where their main goal was to knock the other clean off their horse (and sometimes in the most ruthless of ways). This meant that Odette had to wake up and face Arthur, frustrated and annoyed to the point she did not even greet him a good morning. She left him breakfast and ate her own as she prepared for the day, not wanting to even get the chance where she would have to speak with him. She purposefully ignored the strawberry on the table and found herself a little satisfied to see him stop, confused through the curtains in Guinevere's home.
He knew she was upset over something by that, and she watched him look upwards, muttering something under his breath. He grabbed the breakfast she left angrily and he did not speak a word through the home, either. She rolled her eyes to herself wondering how he felt as if he had the right to be angry about anything▬not when he preached something, and then acted the opposite, expecting her to wait on him as a servant when they were guests in someone's home. Even that couldn't humble Arthur enough.
It wasn't until he fastened his cloak and went to step out of the door in order to meet Merlin in the Lower Town did he stop and turned back around. He noticed Odette's figure behind the curtains▬a translucent shadow that fixed her own cloak over her shoulders with elegance, even when she dusted it with a breath of frustrated anger he even heard from here.
"Er..." he began, rather confused and awkward. "See you at the Tournament, Odette?"
He received no answer, but he watched her falter and glance his way. He waited, but waited no longer▬with a small scoff to himself, he opened the door and left, already starting his day in a bitter mood.
Once Odette was sure the door had closed, did she step out. She sighed, shrugging her cloak into place and brushing her hair back over her shoulder. She waited, but she waited no longer, before making her own way to the Tournament▬already starting her day in a bitter mood.
She did▬however▬look forward to sitting in the stands today with both Gwen and possibly Gaius. Without Morgana viewing today's festivities, her first handmaiden was free of the main box and could enjoy the Tournament in the midst of the peasant stands. Odette brought some snacks from her home▬already feasting on the little slices of cheese ... having never had so much food at her disposal and not quite knowing what to do with it.
Odette gazed up at the sunlight that beamed down, and if her morning hadn't started so horribly, she would have smiled, welcoming the omen as good luck for the day ahead. She considered going to visit William and give him some of her cheese▬until she realised that would mean she would have to face Arthur and so she chose to do the exact opposite.
He was infuriating▬truly. Arrogant, brazen, condescending, disgusting, egotistical, fat-headed, gruelling, haughty, indignant▬
Odette gasped when she walked into someone so hard, there was an audible smack!
Her hand immediately flew up to her nose, horrified as she felt it spike with sudden pain. Her squeal was very un-ladylike, doubling over as her eyes watered.
"Oh, my God!" cried out somebody▬though it sounded a mixture of absolute horror and laughter. "Oh, my▬" more laughter, "▬sorry▬are, are you okay▬?"
"My nose!" cried Odette, rather horrified herself as she stood back up. Her cheese was long forgotten▬scattered on the path. She pulled her hands away, checking for blood. She scrunched her nose and quickly felt it to see whether it had been knocked out of position. She frowned at the person opposite, trying to see them through her tears. "You walked into my nose!"
It was a boy, she could tell it now. He looked her age, bright and young (and laughing at her). "I am sorry," he said again, quickly walking up to her. "Are you all right? Is it bleeding?"
"No," said Odette, still very offended by the whole ordeal. She tapped her nose tenderly. As the water in her eyes started to disappear when she blinked them, she could focus on the figure in front of her.
He must be about her age. Taller than her (as most were) with dark brown curls and a smile that while cheeky, also looked sweet. He chuckled at her, scratching the back of his neck with a sudden sheepishness. His face was thin, his lips full▬his features were feminine; beautiful like a poet would describe a boyish Prince rather than a rigid, handsome warrior. He looked polished; untouchable and delicate. Ready to crack if something struck it too hard.
"Sorry," said the boy again. "I▬uh▬I am sorry."
Odette watched him curiously, still fiddling with her nose. She took in the attire of a squire and presumed he must be the younger son of some Lord or second or third-born trying his best to be a Knight. "I am sorry," she decided to say. "I was not looking where I was going, either."
He breathed a smile, and it sounded like a small hum. "It is okay," he stepped forward and offered her his hand. "My name is Bedivere. You are the Lady Morgana's second handmaiden?"
Odette arched a brow, taken aback by how he recognised her. She awkwardly took his hand and shook it. "Yes. Odette." She frowned at him as she let go. "Who are you squiring for?"
Bedivere shrugged. "I am squiring for Sir Leon. He knows my father and decided to take me on for the Tournament."
"And who is your father?"
"Well," Bedivere awkwardly chuckled, scratching the skin above his brow. "Er▬Lord Shepard. He is not really my father, though▬I am his wife's bastard son, so..."
Odette's eyes widened and she suddenly felt very▬very awkward. "Oh ... quite ... Sorry."
He made a face▬soft and forgiving. "No harm done, truly▬you aren't to know the answer of any question you ask a stranger."
Odette nodded. She made a small, sheepish smile. "Yes, quite right."
"Are you sure I have not broken your nose?"
The young handmaiden felt it once more. It was tender, but something seemed out of the ordinary. She chuckled lightly. "No▬no, my nose is quite all right."
Bedivere held a hand over his heart. "Bless the Lord, then." Odette grinned, amused.
She nodded, playing along. "Yes, very much so."
He bowed and she giggled. "I am at your mercy▬please forgive me, My Lady."
Odette held out her hand and dubbed him once on each shoulder with her finger. "You are forgiven, Sir Knight."
He stood up, grinning and Odette shook her head▬but her heart was light, not too sure but feeling as though she had just made a new friend. The two youngsters shared a quiet chuckle before Bedivere propped his hands on his hips and nodded at her. "I should return to Sir Leon."
"Yes," said Odette quickly, nodding as well. She hugged her stomach. "Yes▬and I should make my way to the stands."
Bedivere started to step backwards. "It was nice to meet you, Odette▬sorry about your nose, again."
She waved. "It is perfectly fine! It was a pleasure to meet you, too, Bedivere!"
He waved, too, shuffling back towards the field of tents and Odette watched him go, chuckling.
Until she heard someone on his way towards the stands stop and comment behind her. "Well, that was embarrassing to watch."
Odette spun around and tried to elbow Ronyn who chuckled high in the back of his throat before quickly running out of the way towards the stands. She grumbled, grabbing her own skirts to run after him.
She managed to get back at Ronyn before they were close enough and anyone could see. The sound of his high-pitched, pained squeal, after she kicked his shins was enough to truly make her day better.
Odette took her seat in between Guinevere and Gaius, fixing her cloak and dusting her skirts, pretending nothing happened while she watched Ronyn disguise his limp as he took his seat with his mother and sister. His family had been chosen as special guests of the King for today's rounds, and so they sat and dined with him under velvet curtain protection from the sun. Adelynn was currently in idle discussion with the King, taking the glass she was offered with a smile that seemed strained. The youngest Vecentia looked stunning in a deep forest green silk dress and pearl earrings, her cheeks dusted with a pretty rouge.
Gwen leaned in to whisper to Odette, also noticing Ronyn's difficulty stepping up onto the booth. "Is he all right?"
The young handmaiden glanced at her, playing her best innocent look. "I believe he had a little fall on the way here."
But Guinevere knew. After sending her a quick stern look, she couldn't hide her want to laugh and soon, the two girls chuckled amongst each other at the thought of Ronyn's pride that would hurt far more than his leg.
Careful of Gaius sitting with them, Guinevere leaned in close to whisper again into Odette's hear▬she shuffled even closer to hear: "How was Arthur this morning?"
Odette threw her hands up, her frustration coming back tenfold. Gwen's brows shot up, her eyes widening with incredulous amusement as she fought back a laugh. "Oh, my God▬!" exclaimed Odette under her breath. "I hate him. I honestly despise him so much."
The second day of the Tournament commenced with suppressed laughter in the seat beside Odette as Guinevere hid her grin behind her fingers. Cheers erupted around them as the Knights trotted onto the field.
Gaius often told Odette that the second day of a Tournament was always worse than the first, and the third would be worse than the second as the competitors grew more and more determined to stand out victorious▬and he was correct. Odette even winced when she saw Knights be flung backwards off their saddles, desperately clinging onto what they could and keeping their backs and necks off the ground as they hung sideways from their stirrups.
Odette clapped and cheered for those who made it into the next round. She waved her flag and she whistled. She betted with Guinevere who would be knocked off next and watched Gaius disappear and reappear after tending to whoever lost each joust.
The second favourite of the crowd, Sir Alynor, had risen into the finale with ease▬striking his opponents within a flash of movement and riding out, victorious with humble honour. He did not parade around, he did not throw his lance into the air, he came on and he left (something a certain contestant▬Odette will not throw out names!▬Arthur▬could never do).
Through she shuffled to the edge of her seat when she saw Sir Leon Gaunnes enter the field. He had saved her's and Guinevere's lives during Sigan's attack on Camelot▬and had been kind and honourable enough to check up on them afterwards, despite them both being servants. He would be facing Arthur▬disguised as Sir William. And when the Prince veered his horse onto the field, the cheers were deafening. Odette wasn't one of them who applauded, the scowl settling on her face not one at all friendly. Gwen arched a brow at the sight, but she said not a word. As soon as Sir William reached the flags, Ronyn was there to give a standing ovation, raising his goblet high in applause and both his mother▬and Guinevere even▬shared a facepalm and sunk a little further back into their seats.
Odette watched her friend for a moment, intrigued by her reaction.
Odette then straightened her back and tilted her chin, peering at Arthur downwards from the corner of her eye. She watched him twist the grip on his lance, perfecting it before the flag would be dropped.
On opposite ends, Leon nodded respectfully to his opponent and closed his visor. The two Knights shifted their steeds on the spot, taking deep breaths. Everything was calm until the flag was drawn▬and just like that, they each set off at a gallop.
Odette watched with a steel gaze, sort of hoping Leon would win the round just to have the satisfaction of watching Arthur fall. She eyed the speed of their horses and the grips of their lances▬the way they held them, curious of the differences when one became victorious and the other did not.
She noticed Arthur raise his shoulder and not even hesitate with any grace▬Odette winced when his lance struck Leon with no mercy. It shattered against his side, and wood splintered everywhere. The crowd gasped, the King was on his feet, and then they all broke out into hectic applause.
Leon toppled sideways off his saddle and Guinevere made a face, leaning back with an audible wince as he nearly hit the ground▬but he managed to keep his neck from taking to the earth with enough force to snap it, keeping himself upwards long enough for Bedivere and a few servants to run forward and aid him from his saddle.
Arthur revelled in his victory▬wishing for this one more than any other. He threw his broken lance into the air, parading not once, but three times and the crowd was in love with him for it. Odette sat back in her seat, rolling her eyes and tasting something very bitter on her tongue.
Gaius noticed and turned to the dear servant who was very much his daughter in everything aside from blood. "You are not impressed by this Sir William of Deira, Odette?" he asked her.
She glanced at him. Not amused, she bounced her brows and stated: "I have heard he is an arrogant pig."
Gwen snorted into her hand, almost choking on her stifled laughter.
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SHE LEFT EARLY. She didn't particularly know why▬maybe it was what happened last night, or what happened this morning. Maybe it was how all she could hear were the cheers for Arthur and the festering disappointment she felt▬and anger with herself. Because despite it all, she wanted to cheer with them. She wanted to smile and she wanted to clap because she couldn't get rid of the feeling of how her heart would swell and her cheeks would grow warm. And so she left, wanting to be alone▬to pull herself away from everything.
She returned to Guinevere's home, but she felt little comfort there. Alone, in her friend's house, Odette felt like she was some intruder. She stepped on glass, she barely touched anything. She felt small and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt worse than she did in that applauding crowd, knowing that this wasn't her home. She wasn't her roof, and that wasn't her table▬no one made that crooked-door cupboard and no one raised her with dinner worked for and made on the table.
Odette strangely found her comfort at that spot on the floor. Amongst the dust and cold▬a place that she had become so used to, it was the only place she really felt at home: forgotten and unheard. She sat there, with her knees hugged to her chest and resting her cheek against her dusted skirts. She hated herself for being furious at being treated like a servant in Guinevere's home, and yet it was a position where she felt most comfortable.
She glanced up at the afternoon sunlight as it dawned on her, and Odette hated the sight of it. For the first time in a long while, Odette cursed her life and she cursed where she was. She cursed it no matter her miracles and her second chances because even still, she felt as if she had become still nothing more than that starving girl ... that forgotten child left to perish in that thunderstorm.
But she knew there was nowhere to go from here. There was nowhere to rise. Odette fought for others, and she hoped for everyone▬maybe in order to disguise the little hope that existed for herself, the lack of fight there was for someone like her. It wasn't selflessness, it wasn't her being humble ... it was her advocating in order to compensate for what she could never have. To make herself forget to truth, always.
She didn't realise how long she had sat there, preferring the shadows rather than the sunlight until the door opened. Odette glanced up and her breath hitched. Immediately, she scrambled to her feet, searching for something to do when she heard:
"Odette?"
The door closed and she glimpsed at Arthur as he arrived, throwing down the hood of the cloak he borrowed from Merlin.
"Uh▬" Odette spun around on the spot, frantic to find a way to hide the makeshift bed she had created behind the screen. "Uh▬um▬just a minute▬!"
She crouched down to pick up the blanket and chucked it into the corner. Arthur ignored her and started to round the table once he hung the cloak. Odette panicked and kicked a few of the bags out of order and wiped the tears that were drying on her cheeks.
"Have you got a needle and thread?" said Arthur, completely unbeknownst to the frantic servant behind the curtains and screen. "My shirt needs mending." She took a few quick breaths, rushing around in order to hide everything ... only to realise too late as Arthur stepped around the corner ... that she had been caught.
Odette hunched up, shuffling backwards as she watched Arthur's face slowly contorted into a confused frown. She hugged her stomach, not able to meet his gaze as he noticed the blankets and the canvas bags she had slept on▬he glanced around in search of a bed, and he grew a little stressed when he didn't find one.
The young handmaiden rubbed her eyes when he wasn't looking, staring at her slippers and unable to say a word.
Arthur turned back to her, dubious. "Is this where you are sleeping? Where is your bed?"
Odette chewed on her bottom lip. She fiddled with her fingers and shuffled her feet. Shyly glancing up at Arthur frowning down at her, she mumbled. "You're ... you are sleeping in it..."
The Prince went still. He scoffed, confused▬then he breathed a chuckle, not sure what to think and so he immediately tried to make a joke about it; to find her amusing for her choice. Odette clenched her skirts, not liking it. He shifted his weight. "Odette," he spoke to her in that same tone, "why did you not say something?"
"How could I?" she let out before she could think to stop herself. "You are Prince Arthur."
And she truly did hate the way Arthur's amused smile fell, and the hurt that flickered in his gaze. The hurt to realise that even the girl he has known since they were children sometimes respected him purely of his title ... and Odette always thought she didn't ... until now. And she felt ashamed but also angry. Because what choice did she have? She was a servant, he was the future King of Camelot▬there were some things that can never change; barriers that can never break.
Odette cleared her throat and focused her stare on his boots▬unable to look him in the eye. "Besides," she continued to mumble, "I did not really have much of a choice to say anything, you just assumed the bed was yours."
Arthur fixed his hands on his hips, shaking his head at her. He grew a little annoyed, grumbling out a quick: "Well, how am I supposed to know if you do not tell me?"
"It is not my responsibility to tell you to think of someone other than yourself, you are not a child."
He didn't expect her sharp tongue. Odette didn't either. As soon as she said it, she flushed and tucked her chin down, pursing her lips and wincing▬immediately scolding herself for being so rude to him. She could feel Arthur's burning stare on her, so taken aback for a moment that he did not speak. The suffocating air of the room seemed to draw towards them, building a stone wall thick between them. Odette kicked her slippers against the cobbled floor, clenching her hands as she felt Arthur's chiding look, see his stance and could predict his tone even before he finally spoke it:
"Is there anything else you would like to say to me?" he asked her, voice stern and taunting; daring her to speak again. Odette felt the anger fester within her stomach, making her chest ache and burn white-hot. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction. She bit her tongue.
Arthur stepped closer, his tone clipping with frustration and annoyance at her sudden silence. "Go on, Odette," he continued. "Please. I would like to hear it." She took a sharp breath through her nose but kept her jaw clenched shut. The Prince leaned down a little to meet her height better. "If there is something you wish to say to me, Odette, do not let me stop you."
And just like that, the Prince had hit the handmaiden's last nerve. She threw her clenched hands against the side of her dress and burst out a furious: "You do not have any idea, do you?!"
He blinked, not expecting her fury. "About what?"
"About how rude and arrogant you can be!" exploded Odette▬so angry, her voice even cracked. Arthur's eyes started to widen. "This is Guinevere's home, and we are her guests in it! I understand that you are accustomed to more luxurious standards but that gives you no excuse to be so rude! You preach honour, and equality and say such wonderful things▬you make me believe them! You claim titles do not matter to you and yet you behave like a Prince and expect me to wait on you like I am your servant. And I will▬I will because that is who I am supposed to be▬to anyone! But I will not be your servant under a roof when we are supposed to be the same! When you tell me it should not matter▬saying these things mean nothing if your actions betray you! Would it be so much trouble to say please and thank you once in a while?!"
Odette took a breath, heaving in her spot underneath Arthur's shocked gaze. She flushed bright red, realising all that she said ... though she did not feel the need to take it back. When Arthur said nothing▬and just stared at her like that, dumbfounded and speechless, she added a furious: "My Lord?"
She waited for him to say something. To scoff and get angry▬to disagree with her and dismiss her words. To even scold her ... but he didn't. He was frustratingly quiet, and for once, Odette wanted him to get angry. She wanted him to chide her and tell her to watch her tongue▬to roll his eyes and call her infuriating ... but he did not.
He just watched her, completely humbled where he stood.
Odette looked down again, frowning at herself and refusing to fall to her urge to break out into a flustered set of apologies. She took another deep breath, standing her ground.
Finally, Arthur muttered: "Is there anything else you would like to add?"
The young maidservant scratched anxiously at her cheek. "No," her words nearly got stuck in the back of her throat. She nodded, stiff and tense▬small and feeling the need to run and hide. "No, I believe that is it."
Out of the corner of the swift glance she sent, Odette could see Arthur slowly nod to himself. He swallowed something harsh in the back of his throat ... but he did not look angry with her. Instead, he frowned▬he considered her words, and then he said something that took her completely off guard:
"You are right."
Her gaze snapped up completely. She stared at him, brows high and her eyes wide. She leaned forward, not quite sure she heard him right until she nearly stumbled and had to regain her balance. "I▬I am?"
For once, it was Arthur that found it hard to meet her gaze. "You have gone out of your way to host me here, in Guinevere's home, and I have behaved appallingly."
She had to force her jaw close, realising she had been gaping this entire time. Odette went bright pink. "I ... uh ... I did not▬I am sorry, I did not mean to make you feel bad."
Arthur's head shot up, scoffing out an amused: "Oh, really?"
Odette bit back a small smile and went back to hugging her stomach. To herself more than anyone, she mumbled. "Well, perhaps a little..."
The Prince's amused smile became something gentle, watching the way she scratched her nose in order to hide her smug smile. "Well, there is no excuse," he stated. She tilted her head, a little confused as to where he was going. "I will make it up to you▬" an idea struck Arthur and he gestured to her, eyes going bright. "Tonight," he announced, "I will make dinner for you."
Odette's brows furrowed together. It took her a moment to comprehend what he meant. "Wait, what▬?" he didn't allow her any time to question him, swiftly tugging her forward and beginning to lean her towards the door by her shoulders. She tripped a little, forgetting how to walk for a second. She sent him an estranged glance over her shoulder as Arthur continued to push her gently to the door. "You are going to cook me dinner?"
"I most certainly am▬" he grabbed her shawl for her, keeping a hand resting on the small of her back. He passed it to her and she barely caught it, "▬now go for a walk, or whatever it is that girls do at this time of the evening."
Bewildered, Odette wrapped the shawl around her shoulders as Arthur opened the door and started to hustle her outside. "I▬I suppose I could go for a walk...?"
She turned to face him as he said: "Your dinner will be ready when you return▬" and then closed the for before she could say anything else.
Odette blinked, stunned there for a moment before slowly turning on her heel and stepping down into the street. She took a few steps forward before stopping, glancing back weirdly at Gwen's home ... and yet, couldn't help but breathe a smile despite it all. She shook her head, finding all of this utterly ridiculous and yet ... sweet.
He was prepared to do that for her as an apology? To switch the roles in order to show her that he could be better? Odette hugged her shawl tighter, the smile not leaving her face as she started to walk again▬she found it so different, and yet so familiar. Perhaps not in the same way, but yet despite his scoffs, Arthur always did play dress-ups, he always did collect stones for her ... and now, in order to make her feel better, he was going to try and cook.
And the warm feeling in her chest returned▬giddy, even.
She met Merlin halfway towards the turn-off that would take her to the markets▬they were going all day, almost towards the night, now that the Tournament was in full swing. She almost didn't see him until he was right beside her, and he had to grab her arm to make her stop.
"Hey," the warlock frowned at the smile on her face that she quickly hid, "where is Arthur?"
And then, just like that, it returned. "Um ..." Odette swung a little on her feet, shooting Merlin a small, shy glance. "He is cooking me dinner."
Merlin let out a short, "Ah..." until he froze. His brows furrowed. He stared at her like she had gone mad. "Arthur is cooking?"
Odette shrugged, sort of finding the concept maddening as well. But she grinned, even so. "It is ... it is sort of sweet, is it not? He is sort of sweet when he wishes to be ... But even when he does not, you know?"
Merlin felt as if he had suddenly stepped into an alternate world. "Sweet? Arthur?"
He watched his best friend shrug once more, continuing to smile as she turned on her heel again. And for a moment, he swore he heard her hum a sweet little song to herself as she walked down the street.
Merlin was growing▬understandably▬very concerned. And not just for the well-being of Guinevere's home.
He glanced back towards it ... and without a second thought, rushed to the front door. He opened it and slowly peeked inside, a little frightened of what he might find.
He saw Arthur crouched before a raw chicken on the bench▬he pulled at the legs, trying to see what ... well, Merlin had no clue but as soon as he noticed someone was watching, the Prince shot up like a cork. Once he realised it was Merlin, he flooded with relief.
"Merlin!" he exclaimed. "Thank God!"
Merlin stared at him, bewildered. "... Odette says you are cooking."
He pointed at him. "I need you to fetch me two dinners from the palace kitchens▬and make sure they are good, brilliant▬great, even, the best dinners you can find!"
"... So ... you are not cooking ...?"
"No," said Arthur. "But Odette does not need to know that. As far as she is concerned▬" he turned back to the raw hen and held out his hands, grinning to himself, "▬dinner will be prepared and cooked by me."
Merlin continued to frown at him. This behaviour from Arthur was something he's never actually seen before and he wasn't sure how to take it. "Are ... are you trying to impress her...?"
Arthur scoffed at this. "Do not be ridiculous, Merlin!" Immediately, he knew that was exactly the case. The Prince angrily tugged his tunic. "And get me a decent shirt, will you? Your clothes are making me itch all over, it is like having fleas!"
Merlin shot him a final, suspicious side-eye before slowly opening the door again and leaving.
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MERLIN HAS NEVER seen Arthur so nervous and pedantic about anything like he was preparing dinner for Odette. As the young warlock set out the table, he watched Arthur pick at his new tunic, and the position of the candles and even tried to arrange some small flowers. He snapped at Merlin for placing the food in the wrong spot ("Where are the strawberries?" he had said when he looked down at the plates. Merlin had stared at him. "Strawberries?" he had replied, incredulous). He then chided him for setting down Odette's plate crooked and almost knocking over the jug of water (the only thing Arthur prepared himself).
It was a sight to behold, and surprisingly, Merlin did not want to laugh at it. He arched a brow, taking away the cloth and placing them at the plates' sides, eyeing Arthur crouched by the window▬searching for Odette's return in the growing evening. He remembered how just the mention of the young handmaiden's name had caught the Prince's attention when he first met them. He cared about her, Merlin knew this from the very beginning. But he's never seen it as something like this: Arthur awaiting her with bated breath, desperate to prove himself to her with a well-cooked dinner and stressing over how the presentation looked. For Odette.
Arthur fretted over his tunic yet again before stiffening by the front window of Guinevere's home. He glanced back at Merlin. "She is coming," he told him. "Quick▬out the back way."
Merlin nodded and scrambled to add some final touches to the flower arrangement before spinning around on his feet. Behind him, Arthur glanced around and groped for the raw hen still untouched on the bench. He grasped it and chucked it Merlin's way. His servant caught it with an upturned nose. "Do something with this."
The manservant shuffled on his feet, glancing back and forth between Arthur and the back door before sneaking out a mischievous: "I hope Odette is impressed with your cooking▬" and he ran for it before Arthur got the chance to throw something else.
Arthur stiffened once more, biting at his tongue after his insolent servant when the door carefully opened. He glanced back and frowned a little, all frustration leaving him to see Odette poke her head through hesitantly. She arched a gentle brow him▬noticing his change of clothes, until they wandered to the set-up on the table. Just like that, her entire face lit up.
She was silent for a moment as she stepped inside. Odette stared at the cooked dinner, the candles and the flowers at the table centre▬she felt as if she had suddenly grown wings.
Arthur smiled at her, trying to hide how for some reason, he was very nervous. "Odette," he greeted and she met his gaze, soft. "Perfect timing."
She hugged her shawl closer to herself, growing red at the cheeks. Odette smiled, a little shy as she walked forward▬she continued to stare at the good with a breath of amazement. "It looks wonderful," she whispered as if she was scared it would disappear into thin air if she spoke any louder.
Arthur nodded, his smile brightening a little▬he couldn't help it, not when she glanced at him like that. "I am glad you like it."
He was quick to make sure he pulled the bench back for her to sit. And her rosy cheeks became even pinker, muttering a sheepish: "Thank you," as she sat down.
She felt him gently push the seat back in and found her heart pounding▬she was flustered at how wonderful all of this looked; how intimate it was. Just a dinner, with the two of them, alone from everyone else under this modest roof ... and for the first time since they've stayed here, Odette started to truly feel as though she was standing on the same edge with him; at the same level ... his equal.
She smiled once more as he sat down opposite her. Odette stared at the food in front of her, and her mouth watered. She smelt wondrous chicken, and saw rich cherry tomatoes and salad at its side▬food she would never taste any other day in her life. She has never tried a cherry tomato before▬they were a delicacy. She didn't even know whether she was supposed to cut it or eat it with her fingers, and she was at a loss.
Arthur who had already started picking at his own, briefly frowned at her▬he felt a jolting anxiety that for some reason, she didn't like it. "What is it?"
Odette met his gaze. She flushed. "Nothing," she murmured. "I just ... well ... this is quite▬well ... Where did you find this salad?"
Arthur spun a tomato in his fingers, watching her curiously. "I ... I grabbed a few additional treats." He took a bite and Odette presumed that was the right way to eat such a delicacy. She copied him, catching his eyes across the table and having to look away, missing the little smile he made.
She loved the taste▬the juice was sweet, but a little tangy in a way she did not expect. She ate another and then a few berries, picking at her salad with the bright excitement a child might have when they saw snow for the very first time. Odette was trying very hard not to scoff it down▬it felt as though she was tasting a colourful rainbow after the rain; eating berries of blue, purple and red, and these tomatoes and the green salad were the fields of which this rainbow met. She focused on being polite, eating at a proper pace▬but she snuck a few berries into her mouth at a time, relishing in the sweet taste.
The Prince's smile fell a little. He watched her for a moment and set down his next tomato. "Have you never had something like this?" he asked her.
Odette continued to pick and marvel at her salad. She hadn't even tasted the chicken yet. "Had what?" She pushed her knife through the salad, curious about the different herbs. "Salad? Or the chicken?" Before Arthur could answer, she continued, completely enamoured by what she was eating. "I think I love salad, now▬I could never settle for burnt leftovers from the kitchen ever again ... and thank God you never have had to try Gaius's stew. Thankfully, I never put myself through that unless I am very desperate. I would take rat stew over that any time..."
She stopped at the look on Arthur's face. She stopped picking at the berries and pursed her lips▬she flushed, suddenly embarrassed by all that she had said without realising. She hung her gaze and that excitement she had over the food disappeared. "Erm ... sorry, I just ... Well, any servant would never have had something like this before."
Arthur was still looking at her strangely▬it wasn't pity. It wasn't a gaze of sympathy or even disgust, but rather as though he had never heard her speak of it. And perhaps she hadn't. Perhaps it was hard for people to see▬she was so hopeful, and so happy, always looking for a sunrise and blessing others with a gracious smile ... it was startling to find out just how much that smile truly suffered. "Burnt leftovers?"
Her embarrassment grew. She picked at her food. In a quiet voice, she admitted. "I▬It is not stealing ... it is always the last of what has been cooked ... I mean, I have never asked but ... but I do not have▬well, there are no means to cook anything in a servants' chamber and I cannot own a home of my own to do so▬and I do not like bothering Gaius, he already has to feed Merlin as well ..."
Odette started to become very awkward. She knew Arthur's gaze hadn't changed so she took a deep breath. She forced a bright smile on her face before glancing up and saying: "Which is why I will cherish this, thank you very much."
But he wasn't changing the subject. His brows knitted together▬he was finally seeing another side to Odette for the first time, and it was jarring. He shuffled in his seat. "It ... it must be hard?" he asked gently.
The maid met the Prince's soft eyes, and now that she was locked within them, the embarrassment started to drift away▬and it was new to her. She didn't feel ashamed, or pitied; rather, Odette felt a calming breath wash over her like a nearby fire had been lit and it warmed her on a cold winter night. Her brows knitted together, too, having never felt something like it before▬having never been suddenly able to speak about everything so easily with someone, let alone Arthur.
The next smile that graced her features was sad, but it was genuine. "I do not mind," she told him truthfully. "Camelot is my home▬the castle, I grew up here. I know its hallways, I know every tapestry, I know where the sun rises through the windows and where I can watch it set. The stone is full of fond memories, as well as the sad ones ... I would never want to be anywhere else."
Odette couldn't quite understand the way Arthur's entire gaze softened▬taken by her modest smile and her light chuckles, speaking of his home with such delight and endearment; as much love as if he were to speak it to himself in a mirror. She spoke more, though he didn't hear much of it ... he just watched her, and he felt his heart swell because here, in this dim candlelight of Guinevere's home, he was reminded of how much he missed the sound of her voice. Arthur had missed hearing it▬missed the way it was calming, like gentle waves washing up on the shore. He missed watching how she pursed her lips and rolled her eyes and furrowed her brows; every sheepish smile and little shrug she made, animated in the way she spoke in sweet, subtle ways▬light-hearted, soft and youthful, but filled with the wisdom of someone who has seen thousands of sunrises and sunsets; who always seemed to say exactly what he needed.
Arthur realised he missed listening to Odette. People quite often loved to tell him he was terrible at listening to people, but when it came to the young woman sitting across from him, Arthur never wanted to miss a single breath she spoke. Never wanted to miss a single glance, or a single little tilt of her head▬a single purse of her lips; a single moment that made her look so incredibly beautiful.
He missed having her around. He missed her being in Merlin's shadow for no reason, he missed her nosy curiosity, he missed how easily she blushed and got flustered▬Arthur missed Odette; painfully and achingly, especially now that he was in her company once more, like those eight months never transpired and was reminded about all there was about her that was so endearing and sweet; a gentle, warm summer breeze and a bright, blooming spring flower all at once. Frustrating, caring, stubborn and understanding, wise and dutiful▬Odette.
("Is beauty all that matters to you?" he remembered her asking him once, and now, he wished he could take a step back in time and say: "No. Not at all..." and look directly at her to tell her that everything about her made Odette the most beautiful person he has ever set his eyes upon).
Her blissful happiness, sitting there with him and chatting about idle things▬chuckling and eating away at her berries and her chicken▬stopped quite abruptly at the sound of shouts and scuffles outside.
Odette dropped her knife onto her plate, quite startled. Her breath hitched, spinning to look over her shoulder at the window with a frown. Arthur glanced up as well, immediately on edge. She went to stand up and check but he held out a hand to stop her.
"Wait," he told her and she hesitated, but slowly sat back down. She watched him bravely stand up and march towards the window, waiting with bated breath as the Prince carefully peered through the curtains...
"What is it?" she whispered, her heart racing.
Arthur continued to frown outside for a moment, but as he did, they both started to hear the scuffles and shouts disappear in the wind. He glanced back at her, deciding to step away. "Nothing," he assured her. "It is late, probably some excitement in the tavern still from the Tournament. You do not need to worry, Odette."
She pursed her lips and quickly looked back at her dinner, trying her very best to act as if she hadn't been scared. "I am not worried."
She missed Arthur's brief, amused grin. As Odette went back to eating, finishing off her greens with a desperate attempt to eat as politely as she could (and positively failing), Arthur bit back his smile. He pursed his lips and decided to walk up to her. Returning to his seat, he did his best to be very nonchalant as he leaned forward. "So ..." he began and Odette glanced up, listening. "Tell me, Odette ... are there any other annoying habits of mine you wish to share?"
She swallowed her food hidden behind her hand. He could see her thinking about it and his chest was light▬Odette was infuriating, oh, did he know that well, and she would never stop being annoying, but he knew now just how much he really enjoyed talking with her; spending time with her ... just watching her smile and laugh and make faces with wings to his heart. Right now, here in this home, it did not matter that what he felt could never be anything more ... that his father would never approve▬that there would never be another sunrise to offer any possibility of a future. But right now, he could feel it, he could live it; he could tease her▬make her smile and make her blush, and indulge his feelings for Odette, crazy enough to think, under a roof where they were nobody more, and nobody less, but themselves.
Once she was done, he could tell she had thought of something. She eyed him out of the corner of her eyes and very delicately placed her knife down. She mumbled: "No ... none ..."
Arthur's brows shot up, seeing right through her. "There is something else."
She pursed her lips in a ridiculous manner.
Arthur scoffed, shaking his head a little. "All right, Odette. Go on, spit it out."
He narrowed his eyes as he started to realise she was trying her very best not to laugh. "Well ..." she began, picking her words carefully, "... the truth is ... you snore."
Immediately, Arthur gaped. "I do not snore!"
Odette burst out into a small fit of giggles, and the sound was something more than melodic. "You do!" she cried, joyful. She leaned forward as if to tell him some estranged secret: "The first night you were here, I thought a pig had gotten into the house!"
Arthur threw his cloth to the side in an overdramatic fashion, desperate to hear her laughter once more▬and it made his chest warm with a morning sunrise to achieve exactly that. "So, now I am a pig. Thank you, Odette."
She guffawed. "No!" she let out, already turning redder than a rose. "That is not what I meant▬I just meant you sound like a pig."
Arthur made a face and she burst out into more laughter. Covering her red cheeks in her hands, she let out a long, embarrassed sigh. "Oh, goodness me▬I think I better stop talking..."
Shaking her head at herself, Odette stood up and began to take her plates but Arthur stopped her. She froze to feel his fingers brush her own, and just like always, his touch seemed to burn her skin. Her breath hitched, letting him take her plate right from her grasp gently. "Hey," he murmured to her. "I will do that. You are not my servant."
Odette smiled at that, grateful. She watched him pass her, and the candle flame glimmered against the base of the ceramic▬her smile fell. Brows furrowed, her gaze followed him over her shoulder, not sure whether she had seen something else▬but just now, she began to realise that those plates were awfully familiar.
She stood up and shuffled after him. "Where did you get those plates?"
Arthur seemed to stagger in his step for a moment. "Uh ..." he set them down on the bench. "I got them from the cupboard."
Odette was at his side in seconds. Before he could stop her, she grabbed her plate and turned it over ... and the disappointment that struck her truly hurt when she saw the golden, dragon crest glazed in the centre.
Glancing up, she could see Arthur sigh to himself, realising that his lie had been found out. "These are from the palace kitchens," said Odette. "They have the royal seal on them..."
The Prince pinched the bridge of his nose. He brushed past her to the opposite side of the room. Odette spun on her heel, her voice rising as she watched him leave her. "Arthur, I have washed plenty of these plates, did you really think I would not notice?"
He gestured back at her. "You seemed pretty happy not to notice while you were eating."
She set the plate down, frustrated with his reply. "You had Merlin grab this food from the kitchens▬you did not cook any of it!"
"Please," he let out, rubbing at his forehead in a growing exasperation, "I can kill a chicken from a thousand paces just do not ask me to cook one, all right? That is what servants are for..."
He trailed off, but it was too late. Glancing back at her, he saw the fall of her face▬the sting his words caused like salt into an old, and yet very fresh, wound. Arthur sighed to himself, slumping in immediate regret. "Odette," he said, simmering his anger, "you know I did not mean it like that..."
"I am not ashamed to be a servant," she said, quiet and yet very curt▬her words sharp and cutting him like a knife. "At least I am not a liar."
Arthur threw his hands up▬unable to believe her. "For the love of▬we had a nice meal together!" he told her. "What does it matter where it came from?"
Odette surged towards him. "I do not care about where it came from or whether you killed the chicken or cooked it, Arthur▬what matters is that you lied to me about it!"
She stopped right in front of him, staring up at his tall and broad figure▬and wondering why he constantly always maddened her to the point she could not think of anything else except him. "I do not want you to lie to me Arthur to try and prove anything▬I do not need you to prove anything! But the only way you will receive respect from something other than your title is if you earn that respect by being kind▬even if that kindness is shown to a servant ... and I thought you were being kind to me ..."
Odette sighed, too. She did not look away from the gaze that watched her, silent and stoic▬because his eyes, the gentle blue were exactly that ... soft, listening, taken aback... seeing something she, herself, did not▬but whatever it was, he was trapped completely underneath its spell. "A good King respects his people no matter who they are, and so, in return, they respect him. He is their leader, and he is their friend, as well as their protector and their voice of judgement. That is the type of King you preach, Arthur Pendragon, so I expect you to start acting like him."
Finished, she went to leave▬wanting to excuse herself for the night. But before she could even get an inch away, Arthur's hand reached out and wrapped a gentle, but right grip around her elbow. "Odette, wait▬" he breathed.
She hated how she stopped. Breath stuck in the back of her throat, her eyes darted down to the touch that burned right through her sleeve and ignited like his fingertips were made of such fire that turned her breathless. Her heart fluttered▬it paced; hitching with her breath when his thumb brushed along her skin through the fabric ... so gentle and so tender; coaxing her back towards him, and she listened without any sensibility able to keep her away.
Slowly, her gaze travelled back up to return to his. Odette forgot her words, her blood rushing to her head to watch her in such a way▬so intense, and yet so stunning. Rigid and strong; blessed with Apollo's beauty and golden sunlight. And he stared at her as if she was the one who held such beauty instead. Her eyes widened.
"Odette," he breathed her name once again, whispering to her. "Listen. I ... I know I have much to learn. There are ... some things I am terrible at▬cooking, being one of them. But..." he set his jaw. He squeezed the hold he had around her arm. She didn't realise she had drawn herself closer until she could feel his breath tickle her forehead▬warm and comforting. Prince Arthur swallowed back something harsh in his throat, finding his next words very hard to say. "But also ..." he sighed, "... also knowing what to say to someone I care very much about."
The feeling of his hand on her arm brought her back to that morning in his chambers▬so long ago, it felt like. But every feeling she memorised like it had been yesterday, and his touch brought it back to the forefront of her mind▬just the slight brush his fingers made up her arm, enticing her closer just as he had done months before. And she realised that there was dangerous magic in his touch, because this time, she was sure to know what followed tender moments like this▬she has learnt her lesson ... and yet, still, Odette did not move away. Even though this time, she should be wiser, it seemed as though she was not. This time, Odette knew better, but she wanted to be pulled closer▬she wanted him to hold her again. These eight months, she had forced herself away from him, as he had done to her, because they both knew that if they had the chance, neither could resist falling into the trap they had both created for the other.
Odette's eyes fluttered with her heart when he pulled her even closer with a caressing touch. "Arthur," she managed▬her voice no louder than a whisper in the back of her throat. But her argument was lost ... it faded away just at the look on his face.
He started to lean down ... Odette's heart hammered▬she watched his lips and found herself lost within this dangerous fairytale they had. His forehead touched hers, and her eyes closed. She breathed him in, wanting to not think of anything else that awaited them outside that door once this Tournament ended▬for time to just stop, and this moment to then last forever.
She wondered whether he was going to kiss her again as he had in his chambers. Odette wondered whether she wanted him to▬she wondered whether the brush she felt was his lips and the feeling that made her knees buckle something even better▬
But then the door swung open and Odette was jolted into reality. She flung herself backwards, leaping away from Arthur. He stood there, startled to a standstill, just watching her as she took a deep breath▬completely muddled as the world around her flooded back.
Her breaths were heavy, and her heart still pounded. She could barely think as she went over all that happened ... and her knees wanted to collapse, realising just how easily those eight months could have shattered to nothing▬and everything would have changed again, except this time in a much more horrible way.
She glanced over when she heard Merlin's voice. "Arthur!" he exclaimed as he closed the door. Her brows furrowed to find him, Ronyn and Gwen all standing there. "There is an assassin in Camelot."
Ronyn let out a long breath▬they all looked as though they had all ran as fast as they could to get here. "He is here to kill you."
Odette never knew silence could be so deafening. It rang in her ear, and she couldn't figure out where to concentrate▬on her continuous pounding heart and flushed cheeks from where she had been just moments before being interrupted or the story Merlin told to Arthur who stood, solemn and quiet only paces away.
Although not knowing why, Guinevere seemed to understand something had happened. She stood beside Odette and could feel her stiff tension, and even when she rubbed her arm subtly, trying to comfort her for whatever it might be, she still held hitched breaths▬because Odette had a feeling nothing could ever help her recover from what almost happened.
Merlin paced the floor around Gwen's table, watching Arthur carefully who stood even stiffer than Odette, brooding at the opposite wall. "The assassin killed a guard. Your father said Odin had sent him."
Gwen frowned at this. She briefly glanced at Merlin and Ronyn before fixing her gaze on Arthur. "Why would Odin want you dead?"
For the first time since the others arrived did Arthur speak. Grave, he turned back around. "Because I killed his son." Ronyn hung his head, silent at the memory. When Guinevere's frown deepened, shocked, the Prince took a deep breath▬his eyes closed with heart-wrenching remorse as he retold one of the few stories he never spoke of: "Odin's son challenged me to a fight. I ... I had no quarrel with him. I asked him to withdraw. Perhaps ... he felt he had to prove himself ..." Arthur rubbed at his forehead, suddenly very exhausted. Odette's heart sank, watching his gaze grow distant. "I still see his face ... he looked so scared."
Forgetting what had happened▬or perhaps remembering every second of it▬Odette took a step forward to tell him gently. "It is in the past, Arthur▬you cannot continue to torment yourself over it."
"No one knows where you are but us," went on Ronyn and they all nodded. "The assassin cannot find you, he cannot kill you."
Arthur considered this for a moment. He knew that Ronyn was right▬the safest place he could be was right here. He turned to Guinevere. "May I continue to stay here?"
She did not hesitate. She quickly nodded. "Of course. For as long as you need."
He nodded. His mind was elsewhere. "Thank you." Then, he turned to Odette. "I will sleep on the floor tonight."
Immediately, the young handmaiden shook her head. "No! No," she said. "You should take the bed▬you need to be well-rested for the Tournament tomorrow▬"
But Arthur was already on his way to the back of Gwen's home. He shot her a quick, gentle scowl over his shoulder. "I will not hear of it." Then, he managed to give her a small, tired side. "Goodnight, Odette."
Merlin arched an incredulous brow at the way Odette smiled back, starting to blush. She shuffled on her feet and filled with her skirts. "Goodnight," she mumbled in reply.
When she couldn't see him, Merlin turned to Ronyn and Gwen to mouth his confusion to which the maid shrugged while Lord Vecentia merely looked down at his feet, hiding the knowing smirk playing on his lips.
Merlin sighed, frustrated with them both before walking over to Arthur. He was frowning, perplexed at the bags of grain and material at his feet. As soon as his servant was there, he said. "Fetch a mattress from my quarters and bring it up here."
His manservant gaped. "How am I supposed to carry a mattress on my own?"
"I do not know," Arthur let out, "am I supposed to think of everything? Strap it to your back, for all I care."
Merlin sent him an annoyed scowl before leaving, deep down feeling as though he had gotten the worst short end of the stick ever out of all of this.
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a/n: merlin's like - hang on, wait a minute ... thAts sUspIcious...
his side eye >>>
the small interactions between arthur and merlin in this episode are comedic gold.
also odette deserves better. she deserves the best life in the world. she and arthur are both members of the 'deserves better' club ... along with like everyone else in this series.
guys, we met bedivere!!!!! bedivere deserved to be more in the series instead of just a name-drop. he and odette are cute besties just you wait <33333.
season two/act two headcannons??? anyone??: