Apples Among Other Things
Good things might come to those who wait amazing things come to those who go and get them. The best things are always a challenge if they weren't they wouldn't be worth it.
Arthur was 8 and Morgana's birthday was just around the corner but for another month Arthur was the older and wiser one, it was autumn and Arthur and Morgana were allowed to roam through the apple orchids, the pair ran through the rows and rows of trees playing hide and seek, tag and ducking from apples the other threw.
"I'm hungry." Arthur announced and walked over to the closest tree, Morgana slowed her pace and watched him curiously, Arthur grabbed onto a tree branch with both hands and pulled himself up onto it.
"There are apples on the ground Arthur." Morgana pointed out walking over and picking one up.
"They're rotten to the core." Arthur informed her climbing higher.
"Not all of them." Morgana said finding one that looked reasonably fresh.
"Most of them, the ones that aren't soon will be." Arthur said looking back at her, Morgana dropped the apple back onto the ground.
"Well then what about these ones on the lower branches?" she asked he was climbing awfully high and she was afraid he'd fall and hurt himself.
"Everyone knows the best ones are the hardest to get, they're at the top, why get one that's so easy when the tastiest ones are right up here?" Arthur informed her.
"Arthur they all taste the same just pick one from that branch and come back down." Morgana demanded, Arthur didn't answer but it certainly didn't seem like he was going to stop.
"Arthur you're really high up." Morgana said worried.
"So?" Arthur asked climbing higher still.
"So you're going to fall and you might hurt yourself." Morgana told him starring up at Arthur worriedly.
"I will not." Arthur said and grabbed an apple, taking a bite and chewing he looked down at Morgana who was watching him carefully.
"Delicious." Arthur called down to her, Morgana stepped back as some of the apple from fell to the ground.
"Ew Arthur that's gross." Morgana shouted up to him. Arthur laughed.
"Toss me down one." Morgana said but Arthur shook his head.
"You want it, come get it." he said.
"No. Throw me down one." Morgana said.
"No, feel free to eat one of the ones you can reach." Arthur said grinning. Morgana looked at the apples on the ground and then turned to the ones she could reach, she was about to pick one of them when she took a second look up at Arthur. Arthur was looking back at her grinning. Morgana reached out to a branch and pulled herself up so she was sitting on it, she looked at Arthur then the ground.
"What's the matter? Scared?" Arthur asked.
"No." Morgana said stubbornly sitting on the lowest branch.
"Prove it." Arthur demanded from one of the highest branches of the tree.
"Fine i will." Morgana said and started to climb. Her dress got caught a couple of times and she slipped once or twice but both times she managed to steady herself, she was almost at the top, just three branches below Arthur when she slipped and nearly fell.
"Arthur." She shouted her hand slipping from the branch, quickly Arthur straddled the branch he was sitting on and leaned down reaching out his hand for hers.
"Grab onto me." He said and she did, Arthur smiled and helped her regain her balance and reach his branch safely. Once she did she sat next to him and looked out over the orchid, Arthur leant out and picked an apple for her.
"Here." Arthur said offering it too her Morgana smiled and took it.
"Thanks." She said for both the apple and the help, she looked at the apple, it did look perfect, she took a bite.
"Do you believe me now?" Arthur asked.
Later in his life Arthur found that the same idea he had about apples seemed to apply to women. It was at one of his fathers' many parties that were thinly veiled attempts to set him up with any of the many available maidens in the land, Arthur was bored with the charade; he hated having to fake interest in all the pretty little things that flocked around him, they were beautiful but they bored him because they might be beautiful but that didn't give them brains or anything that interested him. Halfway through the night Arthur was finally able to escape, he slipped out of the ballroom down the hall, he was going to duck out onto the first balcony but thought that would be too obvious so he hurried down to the second balcony for some fresh air, Arthur was surprised to find Morgana there first.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, Morgana turned to him and smiled.
"Fresh air, must have had too much wine." She said, Arthur walked out onto the balcony and sent against the stone.
"And you?" she asked.
"Fresh air." Arthur agreed.
"So how are you enjoying your party?" Morgana asked leaning her back against the wall and starring.
"My party? I thought it was just a chance for father to even his relationships." Arthur smiled, that's what Uther had told them, the King was never known for being subtle.
"Come on Arthur even you aren't that dim." Morgana laughed and Arthur smiled.
"i wish it was just for father to keep in contact with important people, tonight has been extremely dull." He said.
"Really? Even with all those girls throwing themselves at you? It's must be so hard to be you Arthur." Morgana teased.
"Yes it is." Arthur said.
"Oh and why's that? Twenty girls in there all fighting for your attention and throwing themselves at your feet isn't enough? Would you prefer 21?" Morgana asked.
"No i'd prefer someone who challenges me not just smiles and nods at me." Arthur said. "I just can't wait until this night is over."
"That just means there'll be another ball next month, Uther's not going to stop until your married." Morgana informed him.
"None of these women really interest me." Arthur said.
"Maybe there'll be one next month that catches your eye." Morgana suggested.
"I doubt it, i don't want someone who throws herself at me." Arthur said.
"Oh really? Your past seems to contradict you there." Morgana reminded him.
"Yes well it's fine for fun now and again but not for a wife, i couldn't stand to live every day of my life with one of those flitty little airheads." Arthur said. "They're all so vapid and vain."
"They'll also be looking for you, it's been about ten minutes." Morgana said and Arthur looked panicked.
"Would you..." Arthur began but stopped and looked away.
"Would i what?" Morgana asked.
"Would you take my arm?" Arthur asked. "Just for the rest of the night?"
"You want me to ward them off for you?" Morgana asked.
"Please, i'm begging you." Arthur said, Morgana smiled.
"I think i'd rather watch you suffer." She said and left him standing on the balcony. Arthur smiled as he watched her leave. It was then he realised that Morgana was just what he wanted, yes she was beautiful but so were all the other women in the hall, Morgana was interesting, Morgana challenged him, Morgana amazed him. After a moment Arthur headed back to the ballroom and looked around the room, no one had noticed him yet and he was glad for that. He looked around and saw all the women there, the ones who were shallow and vain and would flock to his side as soon as they saw him. it might have sounded crass but they were like the apples on the floor most of them didn't have much substance, there were different women of course ones that waited until he introduced himself to them and he did, he had to, Uther demanded it, but those women although nice and slightly better than the words that threw themselves at him, weren't enough for him, they were like the apples on the lower branches still beautiful and some of them were smart and some of them interesting but none of them captivated him as much as Morgana did, although they waited for him to come to them as soon as he did they fell all over themselves trying to keep his attention. They were too easy to wrap around his fingers and then they were his forever and he didn't want that. He looked around the room and spotted Morgana standing on the other side of the room watching him, he started towards her but then he was spotted by the women who all quickly flocked towards him, Morgana grinned and turned away. Arthur was right Morgana was the best one, she was the one at the top of the tree, the one he would have to work and strive for but she would be worth it.
"The best apples are always at the top of the tree." Arthur told his young son.
"But they're so hard to reach." Matthew told his father and Arthur nodded.
"They are but everything worth having is always a challenge otherwise there's no point." Arthur said and smiled as he looked over at Morgana who was sitting in the shade watching them. Arthur walked over to Morgana and sat down next to her.
"Are you sure he'll be alright?" Morgana asked.
"He'll be fine." Arthur promised and kissed her. "Trust me."
"Look where that got me." Morgana grinned motioning to her pregnant stomach, Arthur grinned.
"Are you complaining?" he asked.
"Never." Morgana smiled and kissed her husband. It had taken a lot for them to get to where they were but Arthur wouldn't change a minute of the time he spent with Morgana.
"Mama look at me." Matthew called, Morgana and Arthur looked over to the tree and found their son nearly at the top.
"Matthew Arthur Pendragon you be careful up there." Morgana shouted out to Matthew.
"You're fine aren't you Matty?" Arthur asked.
"I'm ok Daddy." Matthew grinned.
"Are you sure?" Morgana asked. "Because you can come down if you want to."
"i promise Mama i'm ok." Matthew said.
"Relax Morgana our boy just wants the best, everything worth having is always a challenge." Arthur said wrapping his arms around Morgana.
"I seem to remember you saying that once or twice before." Morgana said with a worried smile as she was still watching Matthew.
"Well that's because it's true, why do you think we ended up together?" Arthur asked. "You were perfect and i had to work hard to get you."
"And you think you've got me?" Morgana asked turning around to face him.
"Yeah because i do just like you've got me." Arthur said and kissed her.
Everything worth having is going to be hard to get but that just makes it worth it when you reach it.