As Arthur walked through the corridors that led to the outside world, he realised that he had no idea where he was going. He looked down at the young girl who was still crying away in his arms, albeit a little more quietly than before. He sighed, realising that the only way to find out would be to interrupt her crying, a path he was sure was doomed for more sobbing. He slowed down to let the others catch up before posing his first question. "What's your name?" He asked the girl gently, trying not to startle her, and sure tat he was saying the wrong thing. Fortunately however, the girl's tears seemed to have lessened slightly away from the ominous presence of Uther and his guard. Sniffing slightly, she raised her head to look at him and spoke.
"Jessica." She whispered, seemingly too scared to speak any louder, apparently under the impression that Uther was going to pop up out of the darkness of early morning and tie her up again. It appeared that she wouldn't feel safe again until she was back in her house in the arms of her loving parents and away from the frightening castle with it's kidnapping King and looming shadows in every corridor induced by the flickering torch light.
Arthur smiled down at her reassuringly, pleased that he had managed to get her to speak. "Hello Jessica." He said softly, following her lead and making as little sound as possible while at the same time making sure she could hear him. "My name is Arthur. I'm the Prince of Camelot." Arthur saw Jessica's eyes widen into large, round orbs, filled with a combination of both admiration and fear. "Are you King Uther's son?"
"Yes." Arthur said flatly, a very ugly look coming over his face. "It's too bad you can't choose your family isn't it?" The girl smiled weakly and Arthur found himself positively beaming back. "Who are your parents Jessica?" He asked, hoping to learn whose house he should be delivering her to. But to his horror, Jessica did not answer, choosing instead to burst into tears again. Shooting a desperate look at the guards, Arthur stroked her hair again, murmuring, "Shh, it's okay. We're going to bring you back to your parents Jessica. It's okay. Don't be scared."
"I want my mummy." Jessica whimpered, swallowing her tears. "Where's my mummy?"
"Shh, it's okay. We're bringing you to her Jessica. Who is she? What's her name?"
"She's called Mummy." Said Jessica, looking up at Arthur and looking honestly confused.
"Yes," Said Arthur patiently, chuckling at the girl's innocent face. "But what's her real name Jessica? Everyone has a real name."
"Oh." Said Jessica, realisation dawning on her tiny features. "Mary. She's called Mary." As she said this, they reached the large double doors that marked the entrance to the castle. Arthur was pleased to see that the prospect of freedom being so near had Jessica's voice at a normal level. "And my daddy is called Matthew. He's a farmer."
"Okay." Said Arthur, seemingly satisfied with the information. "So you live near the outside of Camelot?" It was more of a statement than a question but Jessica still seemed to feel the need to answer.
"Yes." She said "I-" But she was cut off by the sound of a loud, shrill scream which pierced the silence of the night like a spear. "I think your mummy has realised that you're missing Jessica." Said Arthur gravely.
"Mummy." She whimpered.
"It's okay." Said Arthur, reassuringly. "We're nearly there." He followed the sound of the scream which had sounded only a few houses away, and made his way over to a narrow street near an open field. There seemed to be some sort of disturbance outside one of the houses that dotted the road, and he assumed that it was Jessica's parents confronting the neighbours. Hurrying his pace, he set off in that direction, the guards practically jogging along side him, and Jessica being jiggled up and down in his arms. By the time he reached the scene of the disturbance, a crowd had formed, all of whom turned to stare as he approached until a scream of "Jessica!" Filled the air, and a frantic looking woman rushed up to him and wrenched Jessica out of his arms, glaring at him distrustfully for a moment, before crying into her daughter's hair. "Jessica, where have you been?" She wailed, asking the girl but seemingly waiting for an answer from one of the four men before her judging by the expectant glances she was shooting at them. Arthur sighed, too tired to tell the story, and sagged onto the shoulder of Sir Leon. He hadn't realised how exhausted he was. He guessed that carrying the girl had taken more out of him than he had realised. "Sir Leon." He murmured to the man, who seemed to understand his meaning perfectly, for he begun to explain what had happened, as Jessica reached over from her mother's embrace to hold Arthur's hand. Smiling tiredly at her, he took it before listening to Sir Leon's explanation, and preparing for the gratitude of the anxious mother.
He forced a smile as the woman cried shamelessly into his shoulder, thanking him over and over again, but the smile felt painful and dishonest on his face. Listening to Sir Leon's recount of what had happened had brought back everything that the need to get Jessica back to her family had washed from his mind. His father was now in control of his guards. He was going to send them to look for Merlin. And it was all his fault. What had he done?
Thank you for reading! Bit of a filler, I know, but it'll get more interesting! Promise! Please review! Reviews make me happy! I'll try to update ASAP. Read on! :)