AN: Three in a row! *fist-pump* Here's your last request, MF! :D
Prompt: "Gwen's thoughts about Arthur before Merlin comes/during the first season." –Got a little sidetracked on this one, too, MF. ;P I hope you still like it!
Characters: Gwen and Arthur
Ratings/Warnings: Characters age 13-ish. And… an OC who might be a familiar face to some of you. ;P
Word Count: 415
Arrogance
Walking through the courtyard at noon was something most maids her age and her size avoided like the plague.
However, today, as it was Morgana's birthday, there was no way it could be avoided, and as she trudged through the bustling, loud square with a heavy, overflowing load of her mistress's laundry and maneuvered through the excitable crowd of visiting nobles, rushing servants, and ambling folk, she took care to avoid getting the basket bumped or jostled by others.
Unfortunately, not everyone took care to avoid her.
A boy dashed past her and, having tried to avoid both her and another noble, he forcibly hit her arm, and with a startled, pained yelp, Gwen was nearly knocked off her feet, and a few articles of clothing nearly fell from the top of the pile.
Shifting the heavy load of laundry onto her other hip, an irritated Guinevere, who was not one to easily lose her temper, sighed wearily, and blew a strand of hair out of her face, and when she turned to face the offender, she started to scold, "Hey, watch where you're—"
Upon recognizing the boy, Guinevere pursed her lips and inclined her head docilely.
"Who do you think you are?" Kay, son of Sir Ector, one of Prince Arthur's greatest friends, and otherwise known to her (as were most, if not all, of the other noble children and some of their parents) as an arrogant pig, sneered disdainfully. "Speaking to me like that after so rudely running into me? I should teach you some manners!"
As he raised his hand as if to slap her, Gwen, despite herself, flinched away from the older boy, but his hand was caught from behind.
"Stop, Kay," Prince Arthur commanded with hard sapphire eyes.
The ginger-haired noble looked to his Prince, who was now surveying her for injuries with kind eyes, and flashing her a glare and curling his lip, he stood down.
Perhaps, Gwen thought gratefully as she smiled gently at the golden Prince, not all nobles are so bad…
A change, however, came over Arthur as Kay muttered something in his ear, and the compassion in his sky blue eyes disappeared as a smirk took place of the shy smile that had been twitching at his lips.
"C'mon, Kay," Arthur said in a lofty and mocking voice. "She's not worth the trouble anyway."
Gwen's smile dropped from her face, and she narrowed her brown eyes as the two, laughing, strolled away.
Arrogant. Pig.
AN: Titan16, your prompt's not been forgotten, and it will be up sometime this week. :)