It was a hot day. The end of spring, there was freshness in the air. Couples were around, talking, laughing picking up flowers. Love was in the air. The only person it didn't seem to affect was the young prince, Arthur. Only a boy, but called himself a man. The boy had just had his eighteenth birthday. He felt that people could truly respect him now.
If the boy only knew…
The boy was brave no doubt, but he was also very arrogant, loud, selfish, his hand rested on his belt most days, ready for a fight. Not to mention the way he would treat his servants. They were his hitting targets, or his very own personal dummies. The young Arthur was throwing the knives at a wooden target (His servant said he needed to relieve himself. Of course Arthur didn't believe that but, he has his moments of mercy). He caught her out of the corner of his eye.
A beauty of no other.
He threw his knife but missed the target. Which he never did. And for the first time, he didn't care of the weapon he was holding. In fact he threw it down. He walked over to the Lady Morgana who was with the young woman. The Lady Morgana had lost her father in battle, her father was a good friend of the king, and he took her in. Morgana was very beautiful of course, but Arthur and Morgana would only bicker like young siblings.
Ha!
If they knew…
As Arthur walked closer he realized the beauty he was walking to…she was only but a servant. His footsteps slowed. This can't be…she's so beautiful. An elegant creature, with her light caramel skin, her dark brown ringlets…she was wearing a light purple. Lilac Arthur had thought. It suits her well. Arthur couldn't stop walking now; Morgana had already seen him and had waited for him. What was he going to do? He couldn't impress the young serving girl now, marrying out of your status was forbidden, not that the young prince was thinking of marriage. But then again, her being a serving girl she must already be impressed with his handsomeness alone.
"Hello Arthur," the Lady Morgana had said. Arthur nodded and smiled at the serving girl who blushed slightly. Arthur was pleased at the girl's bashfulness. She curtsies, he waves it off. "Arthur this is my new maidservant Gwen, short for Guinevere. She's lived her forever, but her father pulled some strings to get her into the castle."
"Yes, hello Guinevere," he liked the sound of her name. The way his tongue formed the shape of each letter, it fit his mouth well.
"Hello sire," Guinevere had said looking down humbly. She looked up from underneath her eyelashes…for a quarter of a second Arthur's shocked by the girl's beauty.
Guinevere's beauty.
Her eyes are light brown, maybe even hazel. They're so soft, sweet and innocent. Yet she seemed so passionate, as if she thought with her heart. Arthur didn't know what to do, as he gazed into her eyes he saw his reflection, but he also saw his servant come back, the boy picked up the wooden target that was meant for serving boys to hold and to move around with. Arthur felt his belt to find an extra knife on it. He grabbed it, turned and threw it at the unaware servant. The knife hits the target perfectly.
Bull's eye. The prince thought arrogantly.
Arthur looks back at Morgana and Guinevere to see the shock in their face. The square clapped well everyone who saw it did. He smiled his broad, cocky smile. Morgana's shock turned into a smirk, impressed, but Guinevere, she still seemed worried.
That wiped the smug smile off of the prince's face.
"Is he alright?" Guinevere asked concerned.
"Who? My servant? Yes, he's just a ser—," Arthur stopped himself before he finished. I'm such and idiot…The prince thought. "Yes, I do this stuff everyday. I've been trained since I was little," he tried to cover up. Gwen was nowhere near impressed. Arthur face fell a little, not enough for anyone to see or tell, but…all the same.
"Arthur! Arthur! You're father would like to speak with you," a page boy said coming up to the group of young beautiful people.
"Yes, I'll be right there," the page boy rushed off and Arthur looked back at the two young ladies.
"Well, it was nice meeting you Gwen. Morgana," Arthur nodded.
"Thank you sire," Gwen had said curtsying.
"I'll see you at dinner," Morgana said. He nodded once again and walked away. As he walked, he heard the most beautiful noise. He turned to see Guinevere laughing. At that moment the wind blew and a hint of lilac filled his nose.
Guinevere…
And for the first time, Arthur craved to be able to be like everyone else. To be able to love whoever he wanted, or to not love whoever he wanted. To have friends who cared about him for who he really was, to have someone care for you without getting paid, or their status increased. He wanted to pick flowers and give them to pretty women, to lay in a meadow and talk to lovely maidens.
He wanted to be the spring.
Arthur turned and walked inside the castle, towards his father, his king. He walked towards his future. Forever winter, never spring.
Forever winter.
Never spring.
