I am so overtired, I can't even tell you. And the stupid people I work with are just horrible but here is chapter two...enjoy :)
/ / / Opening Ceremony \ \ \
Arthur rolled his shoulders.
"You'd think," Gwaine said, slapping Arthur on the back, "that as a Prince and all, you wouldn't be nervous about this."
"I'm not nervous about tonight."
"Then what are you worrying about?" Lancelot asked.
"I'm thinking about the heats," Arthur said.
Gwaine groaned and almost threw himself at Gwen where she was standing next to Lancelot. She laughed at him and pushed him away.
"It's three days away," Gwaine said. "And he's going to be a nightmare until after day eight."
Arthur gave him a look, Gwaine didn't react.
"It's not really about the rowing," Morgana said, walking over to them and nudging Arthur with her hip.
"Shut up, Morgana."
"Camelot," one of the Brazilian officials yelled. "You're next."
Arthur and Morgana stepped to the front of the athletes – this was what he hated. He and Morgana were not here because they were royalty; they were here because they had been working for this since they had been little. Yet still, they were singled out, they were separated from the rest of their teammates and told to stand at the front. He had had to demand that his father not place any pressure on the Camelot Olympic Committee to make him the flag bearer like he had tried to do in London. Arthur wanted to be one of the many but his father assured him that he could not be allowed to do that. Arthur remembered wistfully that Zara Phillips had been allowed to fade into the Great Britain team but Uther had never liked to be compared to a nation that had lost their regal power to a parliament.
"It's okay," Morgana told him quietly. "They do understand."
Arthur nodded. "That doesn't make it better."
"At least you're not Gwen," Morgana said, nodding at Gwen in front of them who was being handed the Camelot flag.
"Only because I threatened to publically refuse the honour if Uther pushed it again," Arthur said, eternally grateful that it was Gwen there. It was her first Olympics – the first time rugby had been included – but her amazing achievements and the fact she was the most loved athlete in Camelot had made her appointment universally approved.
"Are you going to let him ruin this?" Morgana asked.
Arthur shook himself off and smiled at her. "We're finally here together."
She pushed him away and pulled out her phone. "Smile."
Arthur did and she snapped a photo.
"Now we are going to go out there and have some fun."
He nodded. Arthur's eyes were glued to the back of Gwen's head, he could see her hands shaking around the flagpole, and he smiled – he had earned this, and Uther had no power over this, so he stepped out into the arena and felt that he had left Prince Arthur behind and was simply Arthur for the first time in weeks. He loved competing, but he hated the weeks that led up to it where he seemed to do nothing but give interviews about being royalty and representing his country at the Olympics. He had never been so thankful that their coach, Kilgharrah, was completely unfazed by Uther, the monarchy, and…everything that didn't happen in a boat really.
He heard the roar of support for them and beamed, waving at the cameras, and the crowd. He could feel the camera focussing on him but he ignored it – he had no one at home to wave to, and his father certainly wouldn't appreciate it. He felt Morgana wave directly at the camera and then pull him in, he smiled down into the lens and she turned to press a wet kiss to his cheek. He couldn't resist rolling his eyes and waving at the camera.
They continued around the stage and then into their spot on the floor – Arthur and Morgana encouraged over to plant the seeds as soon as they were standing in the athletes' section. Arthur smiled at the cameras as he pushed the seed in, Morgana blowing the camera a kiss as she did. Then they floated back to the middle of the Camelot team and got lost for the rest of the opening ceremony.
/ / /
