Arthur and Merlin walked down the streets of Camelot looking for some ingredients for Merlin's newest project. "Arthur why did you insist on coming along?" Merlin asks.
"I just had to!" Arthur says and bounces on his feet excitedly. "I never get to leave the castle anymore and I wanted to stretch my legs a bit."
"Whatever you say Your Highness." Merlin says and chuckles at the young boy's antics. "But just remember that you've been stuck inside the castle because you've been busy running a kingdom..." She reminds him and Arthur groans in annoyance. He was happy to be King and wanted to do his best to run the country, but lately he's been craving something more. An adventure of some sort. Merlin noticed a stand at the market with some ingredients she needed and stopped to buy them and Arthur looked around, surveying his kingdom.
"No way..." Arthur says in a soft voice before slipping away from Merlin.
You were busy working as a waitress at the tavern across from the market, taking orders and wiping down tables. You were wiping down a table when suddenly you felt yourself get scooped up into a pair of strong arms. You screamed and then gasped when you saw who scooped you up. The patrons of the tavern all stared in shock as they watched their King handle a girl in such a manner. "Miss me?" The amber haired boy asked and you smiled and hugged him tight.
"Arthur!" You exclaimed and he laughed and spun you around a bit before setting you down. "I-I mean Your Highness...Or Your Majesty, whichever you prefer-"
"Hey you don't have to call me any of those things. To you I'll always be Arthur." He says before ruffling your hair. You moved away from his hand.
"Hey don't mess it up!" You say and he smirks. "I have to look nice for this job..." You blush as a bunch of guys in the tavern whistle at you. Arthur narrowed his violet eyes at them. He didn't like how they spoke to you in such a manner. Just that action made them all turn away from the two of you and go back to minding their own business. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be in the palace building armies and preparing for battle?" You say and he rolls his eyes.
"Well I finished most of my work for today and I really wanted to get out of the castle so I followed Merlin out to get some stuff for this new thing she's working on and then I saw you and thought I should come say hi!" Arthur explains and gives you a big smile. You laughed.
"You really haven't changed much." You tell him and he scratches the back of his head.
"I guess not." He says and then looks you over.
"But boy you have...I mean...Wow. You're a woman now..." He says and you blush and laugh. "You're not that dirty, skinny little girl I used to play with when we were kids. Now you're clean and you've got curves and...you have..." His face turned bright red when he stared at your hips and then looked up at your chest. "Uhhh..."
"I see you've dug yourself in another hole there Arthur..." You laugh and blush. "Need me to pull you out? Like I used to do when we were little?"
"Yes please." He asks in a somewhat high voice.
"I see you've finally gotten taller than me." You tell him and he gives you a confident smile. "You were always complaining that I was two inches taller than you when we were little. Now You're taller than me."
"Yes! Finally! You can't tease me about that anymore!" He says in a playful tone.
"You're right." You say and pick up a bin filled with dirty dishes, and balance it against your hip. "I've got nothing on you any more...Your Highness..." You tell him and start to walk away. He scoffs.
"Now you're going to use my title against me are we?" Arthur asks and you pretend to ignore him and clear another table.
"Perhaps..." You smirk and wipe down a table.
"Then maybe I should use my title to work in my favor." He says and places his hand over yours and takes the wet rag from you. "As King I hereby declare this is a day off for you, and you shall spend it with me." Arthur says and crosses his arms. You smile.
"Arthur that's really sweet but I need to get paid if I'm ever going to afford a place to stay..." You say and his happy expression falls.
"What do you mean?" He asks. "What happened to your mother's house?"
"It was burned down in a fire." You explain and he frowns and brings you into a hug.
"Oh...I'm so sorry Y/N." He says and you hug him back. "Where have you been staying?"
"With the Noble who runs our part of the Kingdom. He says we can stay with him as long as we pay him." You explain and Arthur smirks.
"Well how about instead of that, you stay in the castle for free?" He asks and you gasp.
"Arthur that would be amazing but I can't take advantage of you like that." You explain to him.
"You wouldn't be taking advantage of me at all." Arthur insists. "I'm just your best friend who happened to get adopted by a Holy Knight and became King of Camelot who is now trying to help said best friend when she's in need. If I have to I'll command you to come live with me...You wouldn't want to disobey your King now would you?" He asks and tilts his head to the side and gives you one of his goofy smirks. Goddesses you couldn't say no to that face.
"Very well, Your Highness." You tell him and he scoops you up again and spins you around, making you laugh. "But I do insist that I should pay you back somehow." You say and he sighs then smirks again.
"How about you pay me back by spending time with me?" He asks.
"How would I do that?" You ask.
"Whenever you have free time you spend it in my company." Arthur says. "Pay me with time."
"That will be hard to do if I'm working a job." You say and he holds his chin and puts on an adorable thinking face. Then he gets a goofy grin.
"I know!" He says. "Your mom still makes those really good snickerdoodles right?" He asks.
"Of course she does!" You say. "Everyone in town loves them!" Arthur grins.
"Then how would you and your mom like to be my personal bakers." He says and your face lights up.
"She would love that!" You exclaim and he bounces excitedly and grabs your hand and pulls you away from the tavern.
"Then let's go!" He says and leads you away.
"Hey your shift isn't over yet!" Your boss calls you from outside the tavern.
"I quit!" You yell back and you and Arthur laugh. "It seems you've awoken my playful side." You tell him and he laughs.
"Maybe the two of us should play a game." He suggests.
"What should we play?" You giggle. Arthur looks over your shoulder and notices Merlin.
"How about hide and seek?" He suggests and quickly pulls you into an alley so Merlin can't find him.
"Is there someone that we're hiding from?" You ask and he blushes.
"Merlin might be mad that I snuck away from her..." Arthur admits sheepishly. You smiled. He really hadn't changed much from your childhood together. "Come on let's go explore!" He exclaims and you laugh as he drags you down the alley. Merlin looked down it just as the two of you left.
"Hmm...Where is that child?" Merlin asks herself and continues to look around for Arthur.
Arthur took you around to some food stands set up because you said you were hungry and both of you tried a bunch of different sweets. You had forgotten that Arthur had a sweet tooth. You would need to keep that in mind, considering your new job. Another thing to get used to was the fact that everywhere the two of you went, people recognized him and immediately started bowing. Even though he wasn't dressed in his golden armor, his casual clothing was still very expensive. Arthur tried to act casual and waved off any attention but it still made you start to feel self-conscious. What would people think of their beloved King dragging a common girl around town? It sounds pretty scandalous. You were dragged from your thoughts when you noticed a really pretty necklace at a jeweler's stand. It was a heart shaped locket with your birth stone in the center. You knew there was no way you could afford it so you just stared in appreciation and then continued to look at the other stands. "Wow there's a lot of party stands set up around here." You notice and Arthur looks around. "It's like they're getting ready for a festival."
"Oh yeah..." Arthur says, remembering something. "They're getting ready for my birthday!" He exclaims.
"Your birthday?!" You ask. "You forgot when your birthday is?"
"Well I've been so busy I sort of forgot when it was..." He admits and you punch his arm.
"Only you would do that!" You joke and he rubs his arm and smiles at you. Then he pushes you onto the ground when a spear goes flying by the two of you. You stood up terrified beside Arthur when you noticed some guards running towards the two of you. They pointed their weapons at you.
"You're under arrest for assaulting the King." They say and you shrink away in fear but Arthur brings you close to him and stands up straighter. He had a new air about him. One you had never seen on him before.
"She wasn't assaulting me." Arthur stated. "We were just playing with each other. If anything it's you who should be arrested for trying to hurt her." Arthur mentions to the man who's spear was in the wall behind him. "Let it be known among the soldiers that this woman right here," He says and smirks at you. "Is allowed to touch me wherever she wants." He says and your face turns bright red and he laughs. "Your face is priceless!" He exclaims and laughs.
"You jerk you made that sexual on purpose!" You say and throw some more punches at him which he catches and keeps laughing. The guards stood and watched, dumbfounded. They knew their King was still a young boy but they did not expect him to act in such a manner, considering his status and the fact that this woman was a mere commoner. The two of you run off and you jump on his back and try to tackle him and he laughs and holds onto your arms and legs so you can't get off of him. Then he spins you around and holds you bridal style. "Wow...Looks like you've gotten stronger too..."
"Yeah. I've been training with the Holy Knights to get stronger to better protect the Kingdom. You can't beat me up as easily as you used to." Arthur says and sets you down. He notices a game set up where if you hit a target by throwing a ball, you win a stuffed toy. "How about I make it up to you by using this new strength to win you that bear?" He asks and you blush.
"Oh Arthur you don't have to do that..." You tell him and he laughs.
"Yeah I do. I'm a 16 year old boy I have to show off to girls it's in my nature!" He jokes and you blush more. So is he trying to impress you?... Arthur went over to the guy running the stand and after he got over the shock of the fact that the King was there he of course let Arthur try his hand at the game. The young King wound his arm back and threw the ball at the target, practically destroying it with the force of the throw and left you and the man running the stand dumbfounded. He wore that goofy grin of his on his face when he handed you the stuffed bear. "For you, milady." He says and you blushed at your old nickname. In the past Arthur had always called you his lady, even though you were far from one. You still had no idea what an eccentric and interesting guy like him would see in a plain commoner like you. You take it from him, blushing when your hands touched.
"Thank you..." You say. "That throw was amazing."
"Yeah..." Arthur says and gets deep in thought. "I've been trying to figure out what my magic power is..."
"Magic power?" You ask him and he smiles at you.
"Yeah. Every Holy Knight has a magic power, and I'm supposed to have one too, but I have no idea what it is. That's why I've been fighting a lot and training lately. I feel like my power might awaken when I'm fighting in battle or something." Arthur explains.
"Wow." You say. "That sounds amazing."
"I bet you have a special power too." He says and brushes a lock of hair out of your face.
"I doubt it. I'm just an ordinary girl." You explain and Arthur shakes his head.
"Trust me Y/N. You are anything but ordinary." He says. "While I was last in Liones I met someone. One of the Princesses actually. Elizabeth. She thought she was ordinary, and that she didn't have any sort of power, but then I heard from Meliodas later on that it turns out she's an Apostle of the Goddess Clan and has this amazing healing power that she didn't even know about! So don't sell yourself short. You might have a hidden power like her." Arthur says and pokes your side. "And I'll do whatever I have to to unlock it!" He laughs.
"You've met Meliodas?!" You exclaim. "The Legendary Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins!?" You exclaim and he nods.
"Six of them including Merlin were there to help take back the kingdom of Liones. I ran into them when I was trying to help King Baltra. They're amazing!" Arthur exclaims and you laughed as his dorky side was starting to show. "They're everything that Merlin told me about and more! I wish you could've seen them fight! I wish I could've seen them fight..." He whines. "But I had to come back with Merlin to take care of Baltra." He pouts and you giggle and pat his shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get to see them in action some day." You tell him and he smiles at you. Then he notices someone running towards the two of you.
"There you are I've been looking everywhere for you!" Merlin exclaims. "Look the sun is setting! You have been gone all day!"
"Sorry...I ran into an old friend and wanted to catch up." Arthur says.
"You could have at least told me first!" Merlin exclaims. "I swear, you're so irresponsible sometimes. And to think you're the one running the country when instead you like to run off with common girls!"
"Hey Y/N is anything but common." Arthur argues and wraps an arm around your waist and brings you close. "She's the greatest friend I've ever had. And she's coming to live in the castle with us." Merlin's eyes go wide.
"Really?!" She asks and Arthur nods.
"We're going to have so much fun together!" He tells you. "It'll be just like old times when we would do everything together!" He exclaims and hugs you tight. "You're staying right by my side from now on!" He says and Merlin seems worried.
Later on that night you and your mother moved in and surprisingly Arthur was there at your room to help out. "Right this way milady." He says and carries some of your stuff into the room. You told him he didn't have to but he insisted on helping. Soon you were all set up. "Well I hope to see you both at dinner in an hour."
"We're dining with you!?" You exclaim.
"Of course you are! You're my best friend! You're required to eat with me." He jokes and you punch his arm.
"Not funny! The most important people in Camelot dine with you now!" You explain.
"Yeah and you're an important person in Camelot." Arthur says.
"No I'm not I'm not Royalty or a Noblewoman or-" Arthur puts his hands on your shoulders and tries to calm you down.
"Hey Y/N...Just relax. Don't be so nervous. You and your mom are my guests tonight. No one would dare insult or judge my guests. Not on my watch. And if anyone does, they'll have to deal with me." Arthur says and you blush from his kindness. "Oh I almost forgot!" Arthur says and pulls something out of his pocket. You gasped when you saw the locket that you were looking at in the market today. "I saw you looking at it and I thought I'd get it for you. It is your birthstone after all."
"You remember my birthday..." You say and blush as he gently puts the necklace around your neck and clips it in the back.
"Of course I do!" Arthur says. "Y/N you've always been my best friend. Even though we were separated awhile ago when we were still young, I still remember those days. Most of my most treasured memories are the ones I have with you. No matter how long we're apart I'd never forget you. You were my first real friend..." You smiled and played with the necklace.
"You too Your Highness..." You tell him and he smirks.
"I'll see you and your mother at dinner." He says and shuts the door.
"I think he still has a crush on you." Your mother says once he leaves. Your blush returned even redder. "I remember when you two were little he came to me and asked for your hand in marriage. Even though he knew it would be years before he was old enough to marry you, he just wanted to let me know in advance that he wanted to make you his wife!" She laughs. "And it seems like he still adores you...And in about a week he will be of age to take a wife..." She smirks and your heart started pounding. "But the one thing I could never figure out...Was that if the feeling was mutual?" She asks and you blush.
"It wasn't." You assure her. "I thought he had cooties for the first three years I knew him and tried to avoid him at all costs. But he kept coming back like an annoying fungus. And now after ten years it's come back again!" You exclaim and she laughs. "But now...I don't know." You admit and she smiles.
"It seems you two have a habit of always finding each other." She points out and unpacks her clothes. "Perhaps it's a sign."
"Maybe." You say and play with the locket on your chest.