20. Melodramatic

He couldn't wrap his mind around the concept of rejection so he went to the place all good men go when a woman stomps on their heart, the pub. Arthur entered the bar to accept an invitation from Percival, his long time friend, for a cold ale after the long day. Arthur located him at the end of the bar with a large mug of ale in front of him, Arthur join his friend with a hefty sigh.

''I though you were meeting the girl tonight?'' Percival asked with a sly smirk. He knew things with the girl hadn't been quite going to Arthur's expectation.

''I did.'' He looked gloomily at the bartender as he ordered a cold ale from the heavy set man.

''Didn't go well then I take it?'' Perci asked, sipping on his intoxicating drink.

''I just don't get it Perci. Did I say something wrong? Come on too fast?'' Arthur questioned, drinking the ale he ordered heartily.

''Eh, I'm sorry mate, but I think I'm gonna side with the girl on this one.'' Perci replied, looking at his friend and commander meaningfully.

''What do you mean you side with her?'' Arthur looked confused at his friend.

''Well think about it from her perspective. She just found out a shit ton about her heritage, much like you did when you battled Vortigern. You wouldn't have taken on a relationship then, why should she now?''

''This is different, I didn't know her then.'' Arthur replied disdainfully towards his friend. Somehow hearing logic didn't seem to make him feel any better.

''I've known you for 20 years Art and I ain't never seen you this worked up about a girl before.'' Perci chuckled, drinking from his mug.

''Its stupid is what it is.'' He sighed. ''I don't care about the rest of it. I just want to be able to crawl into bed next to her and all she wants is to be left alone.''

''Well did you try telling her that?'' Perci asked, as if the solution were that easy.

''It doesn't matter, she doesn't like me.'' Arthur sighed. He had felt like he ruined the only chance he could get and he didn't't even know what he did.

''Being a bit melodramatic for a King, don't you think?'' Perci asked with a hearty chuckle. He knew he shouldn't be enjoying his friend's grievances, but he couldn't help it.

Arthur glared at his friend. ''I'm going home. Getting drunk alone sounds better anyway,'' he huffed and got up from his chair where he chugged the rest of his drink. If his friend wouldn't sympathize with them then there was no point staying to talk with him. He'd rather wallow in his misery alone.

He exited the bar and dragged his feet back to the castle that held his cold empty bed chamber. He entered through the kitchen, finding a bottle of wine left out on counter. He snagged it as he walked by, making his way the the Great Hall. He walked over the the fireplace that heated the grand room.

His head hung low as he leaned against the mantle, staring vacantly into the unlit fireplace. He took a big swig of the wine bottle, the bittersweet alcohol grippig at the back of his throat. He sighed. Becoming King was surreal at first, but now the responsiblites weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was no longer a street rat who had petty scuffles with slimely con men, but rather a leader of a kingdom who now faced entire armies. Relations with the Saxons hadn't improved as reports of Vikings around the area and in the city continued to come in with more and more detail. Greybeard had assured him neither he nor his men would continue to hang around, but he couldn't say the same for other clans. Despite this and his extensive responsibilities, what seemed to bother him the most were his dreams.

Previously plagued with nightmares about his parents' death, he was now haunted by the possibility of who he would have been had he grown up in the castle like a prince is supposed to. He would spend hours wondering about who is parents were and what they were like. He considered all the people who wouldn't have died if Vortigern had never overthrown his father. He wondered what the kingdom would look like if he had recieved the throne naturally, like he would have if his parents were still here. All these unanswered questions and only one thing, one person silenced them. Lucy. With her it didn't matter if he ever really knew his parents because if he had grown up just a little bit differently, it ran the possibility that he would have never seen her at his crowning and had been mesmerized ever since.

''Who does she think she is, turning down me, Arthur Pendragon, the rightful King of Britain?" He mumbled to himself.

He finished the bottle, tossed to the side, and it clattered against floor. He began to drunkenly trudge to his room. Arriving to his destination he entered the room mutterring to himself, ''I'll show her.''

She sat in an open meadow, wild flowers around her in bloom. A densely wooded forest surrounded her, closing in on her slowly. The place felt familiar, as if she had been there before, maybe as a child.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a shadow move. She whipped her head around, searching the woods around her for any hint of movement. Nothing. She looked up into the dull gray sky, fascinated by the detail in the rolling clouds above her.

''Do you remember this day sister?'' Mary asked, suddenly appearing beside Lucy in a dark red cloak and a raven perched on her shoulder. Her dark brown hair flowed down her shoulders, out of the hood covering her head.

''It was the day mom died, And I ran away.'' Lucy never spared her sister a second glance. She couldn't look at her and see what she had done. The guilt weighed heavily.

''Heh. Don't worry, I'm doing just fine without you.'' Mary pursed her lips contemptulously. ''Not like I 'ran away'.''

Lucy whipped around and faced her sister head on. She wouldn't let her be this person. ''What I did was wrong, I should have never abandoned you like that.''

''Wow, you say that like it actually matters.'' Mary laughed sarcastically. ''I hate you and I hate everything about you. You're this sad pathetic thing and still, somehow, you managed to land a King of all people. Oh and not just land him, no, that wasn't enough, no you have entrapped him, not even a voodoo love spell will pull him away from you.''

''But, I haven't done anything to him.'' Lucy whined. What kind of sorcery was her sister accusing her of?

''You know what you've done, and for that you will pay.'' Mary hissed.

''Come back, I'm not done talking to you!'' Lucy shouted.

''Mary!?!'' She called out with no response.

''Anyone?'' She whispered. She felt alone, as if she was pushing away everyone who had ever cared about her. She realized how few people that was. She wondered if she died tomorrow, how many people would miss her. The awareness of her emotions was almost crippling, she just wanted peace.

After what felt like an eternity of sitting and listening to the chirps and clicks of the bugs and insects who inhabited the grassy meadow, Lucy decided to get up and explore the forest.She needed to get out of this place. She ran in circles around the densely grown forest, a sense of fear growing in her. Was she trapped?

''Lucy!'' She suddenly heard her name, whipping her head around to determine where it came from. Nothing but silence settle around her. She waited and waited.

''Lucy?'' She heard it again and ran towards it. Suddenly she was in the castle, in Arthur's room. He was talking to someone. A mysterious blonde girl who only faced her back to him.

''Lucy, why won't you talk to me?'' He asked the blonde figure.

Lucy watched from a distance as he kept trying to talk to the girl in front of him. She felt his pain and his panic, it was almost overwhelming. It was then she realized she was in Arthur's dream. How did she get here?

It was then the blonde girl turned around, revealing nothing. She had no face, just a pale blur where a face would be. Arthur paid no attention, but Lucy noticed.

''I will never love you.'' The blonde monstrosity said to Arthur.

Without a bit of notice Lucy was ripped from the dream and suddenly sitting up in her bed. Taking account of her surroundings she didn't fail to notice the warm body beside her.

''Arthur? Is that you?'' She asked a loud to the evident darkness surrounding her.

''Lay back down, it was just a nightmare.'' He mumbled sleepily.

Author's note:

Another 'Early' Update! Woo!

So gonna be honest, Chapter 18 kinda sucked. I really didn't want it to turn out that way but it had to be done. I don't want their relationship to progress to fast otherwise it starts to feel unauthentic. But have no fear ladies (and potential gents) Arthur hasn't given up on his dream girl yet!

I really like this chapter, it came together much better than I thought it would. I hope you guys like it as much as I do!

P.s. Long weekend so maybe longer chapter again?

-Surviving (8/31)