Arthur awoke feeling drowsy and unready for the day that was ahead of him. The time was 7am, which is the time he usually awoke each morning, and he swung his legs tiredly over the edge of the bed, planting his bare feet firmly on the cool floor. He looked around his chambers, unperturbed by the unusual darkness that cut off his vision a mere inch or three in front of his own hand when he held it up to his face. He yawned and ran a hand through his ruffled hair, attempting to smooth it as best he could since he could not see. Arthur's legs ached in protest as he stood and slowly stumbled towards the thick red curtains that were blocking out the sunlight. He yawned loudly as he walked and shook his limbs scarcely as he was still half asleep in an attempt to wake them from their slumber. He soon reached the window and as he reached his hand out to pull open the curtains he heard a soft knock on the door to his chambers.
"Enter." He spoke, tiredly. The door swung open and in walked Merlin, carrying a tray clustered with warm food and refreshing drink. He made his way over to Arthur, struggling to see through the thick darkness that engulfed the room. Placing the tray down on the large oak table Merlin smiled at his King.
"You're awake?" he said, more a question than a statement.
"Clever guess." Arthur said, teasingly. He stood satirically with his hands on his hips and looked at Merlin with squinted eyes. "What on earth are you doing here so early?"
"Early? It's almost half seven, Arthur."
"But it's still dark..."
"Clever guess." Merlin said, mockingly. He move to stand beside Arthur and folded his arms across his chest. The two men stood within touching distance, facing each other as if they could see and both were smiling. Arthur's mind was numb with sleep; he tried to think of something clever to say but all that passed his lips was a small cough. "I'm sure the darkness is caused by the oncoming winter."
"Yes, I'm sure it is." The winter was coming on fast and strong, turning the bright yellow and greens and reds to miserable browns and auburns. Arthur had always loved winter, he enjoyed the feeling of snow beneath his bare feet and the way that the chill would sometimes turn his fingertips blue. He loved the cold. Even now, he could feel the breeze blowing in through the crack between the two closed windows. It sent a welcome chill up his spine.
Outside Arthur heard the sweet song of a bird, alerting him to the fact that it was indeed morning despite the fact that it still appeared night and suddenly a wave of confusion washed over him. Surely the day should have arrived by now? Surely it should have been light. He turned his body to face the curtains and with one swift movement of his hand he threw them open and peered out through the thick glass that separated himself from the fresh air. The courtyard was dully lit by about half a dozen torches that were attached to the stone walls of the surrounding castle, and now and then a guard or two would pace the length of it with a torch in hand. The light reflected off the metal armour they wore, making them fairly easy for Arthur to see.
All around him the world seemed to be waking up; he could hear the sound of footsteps hurrying towards the market stalls, surely those of the peasants making their way to ready their produce to be sold later on in the day. A swarm of birds flew over the castle, chattering to each other as old friends would. Arthur let out another loud yawn and as he inhaled the sweet smell of bread entered his nostrils, alerting him to the fact that his breakfast sat only a few metres away from where he stood.
"Is that bread I smell?" he questioned tiredly. Merlin nodded.
"It is indeed, made especially for you this morning by the cook."
"Made es- she hasn't poisoned it has she?" Arthur thought it strange that the cook was in such a good mood considering her kitchens would be drowned in darkness and it would be almost impossible for her to cook, let alone see the frightful sight of her own smile in the reflection of the metal pots. It was a rare occurrence indeed, and one that Arthur was suspicious of.
"Of course not!" Merlin laughed, amused at the kings distrust of his faithful cook. He rubbed the back of his neck as he did when he was anxious. "Though I cannot say the same for Gwaine."
"That buffoon better not have touched my food!" Arthur fretted like a child. Of course he meant no harm by his comment, he simply knew that his most loyal knight rarely bothered to wash his hands after training and the thought of those muddy, sweat-covered hands being anywhere near his food made him a little nervous. "I mean it Merlin, if I find out-"
"Oh, calm down princess it was just a joke. Now hurry up and eat, you have a meeting to attend remember."
"A meeting with whom?"
"King Caulrion of Fyredor."
"Ah yes, the one that never showers right?"
"That's the one." Merlin chucked. It wasn't that he had anything against the great king of Fyredor but it was a well-known fact that he never bothered to bathe himself. A fear of water is what most of the rumours say, though Merlin found the thought of a great warrior such as himself being afraid of a little wetness frankly amusing.
While Arthur sat at his desk and ate his breakfast, Merlin raided his wardrobe for something suitable to wear. It was then that there was an urgent knock at the door. Arthur stayed seated as it slowly creaked open and watched curiously as two large, unfamiliar men entered the room, both carrying torches and both wearing a crest that Arthur had never seen before. They halted in the centre of the room and bowed to their king before speaking.
"Pardon the intrusion sire, but we have a matter of utmost importance to share with you." The tallest one said. With shoulder-length hair and unkempt hair he was the scruffiest of the two and he spoke with both his eyes glued to the stone floor, as if he was too afraid to look Arthur in the eye. The king nodded his head and spoke.
"Continue."
"It seems," said the second man. "That an unknown creature has ransacked a nearby village. We came across it while lost and thought that you might know what could have caused such injury to so many people." Arthur frowned, confused by the man's words. He glanced to Merlin, whose face was slightly lit by the light of the fire, whose expression matched his almost exactly.
"What sort of creature?"
"We do not know, sire. But it's big. The people, they... they were shredded to pieces and-"
"Where is this village you speak of?" Arthur interrupted. "We must gather some men and head there at once."
"It is about half a day's ride from here, sire."
"Merlin," Arthur called over to his trusted servant as he stood. He placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder as he spoke to him. "Fetch Leon, tell him to gather as many men as he can find. We must find this beast and kill it."