"Mama." The two year old whimpered, approaching his mother. "I fell."
The former blacksmith lifted up the child, ruffling his blond hair. "Where'd you hurt yourself, sweetie?"
He showed her his knee where he'd scraped it a little, a red mark that probably hurt.
"That's not so bad." She teased, kissing it gently. "All better now?"
He nodded and Winry set him down again. He grabbed her hand and began to walk around. Servants and noble people walked past them, many of them passing the child prince smiles and complimenting him.
Eventually the two ran across the King in the hallway, who swept up his son onto one arm, giving him a sort of perch. The man swept his wife up into an embrace as well, planting a kiss on her lips, which earned an "ew" from their son.
Winry smiled brightly. Their small family was already so perfect in so many ways. "The meeting of the round table already over?" She asked.
Arthur nodded at the queen. "Mordred and Gwaine took off on some business in a nearing province."
Arthur II looked confusedly at his parents. He didn't yet understand the Round Table or how anything really worked in the life of the court. He did enjoy playing with them when they weren't busy, though. For the young queen that was often.
Winry's servant approached the smiling family and asked, "My lady, will you be needing my services? I was hoping to spend the day with my father."
"Of course you may, dear." The queen said in a soft tone. "Have the day off."
The girl smiled up at the woman. "Thank you ma'am."
Arthur kissed Winry's forehead. "There's my reminder of the day why I love you."
"Ew stop it daddy." The child prince placed his hands over the king's eyes, blocking him from seeing.
"Hey." Arthur said, grabbing the child's sides and swinging him around. The boy giggled.
Winry woke with a start in her bed. She was breathing heavily, and the overwhelming happiness slowly faded, giving way to grogginess. The dream, after only a few seconds began to fade, the images slipping through her fingers like water between fingers in her cupped hands.
She managed to hold onto a couple images. She had been.. The queen. There had been a little boy who looked just like Arthur (and admittedly just like her).
But it'd all been a dream..
It'd been so vivid and felt so real.
She should try to forget it, or should she? Maybe she could just talk to Arthur and try to let the rest of the dream slip away.
She went on the all-too-familiar walk up to the castle of Camelot and entered. The dream was just a dream, but it had been so correct. She hadn't made any mistakes on how the inside of the building looked.
She rapped her knuckles on the hardwood door of Arthur's room.
The king had been enjoying a lazy morning .. Sort of a day off. Of course Merlin had to come interrupt him. He had a grumpy expression but he brightened seeing Winry there. She didn't pay him visits quite as often anymore. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing her crestfallen eyes and her flat expression.
She didn't bother saying anything until she stepped in and hugged him tightly, her arms pressing into his back and her face turned down into his chest.
He was surprised by the sudden hug, but he wrapped his arms around her. Something bad must've happened if she wasn't even explaining.
The two of them sat at the table and Arthur took her hand firmly, squeezing it and waiting for her to speak. When she finally got it together, Winry told Arthur about the dream. Every detail he could remember. And when she was done, he sat there sort of dumbfounded.
"-.. You saw all that? Really?"
"Yeah."
"And.. We were happy?"
"More than I thought possible."
She didn't have enough memories of life with her parents to know if it had felt like that, but could it really have been like that when she was a child with her parents?
Could she and Arthur be that happy, with their own child?
It was silly to even consider it.
Arthur was conflicted. On the one hand, Winry was a sorceress and, had his father been alive, she would be dead and none of this could've ever been considered. At the same time, he was king now. Those things she'd seen in her dream…were they really that crazy an idea.
Winry sighed. "I'm glad we talked but I should go…I don't know why I came here so early. Sorry."
"No, you can stay."
"-…
".. Okay."
