Fire and the Flood ✺ Arthur Pendragon

𝒊𝒊𝒊. courage, magic, strength and hope

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       Rapunzel was like a curious child. 

       Every tiny flower had to be picked by her, her bare feet submerged in the lake. She had an irresistible need to climb every tree they encountered on their way and run out with every gust of wind to feel the blast of freedom in her hair. 

      And Arthur hated every minute of it. 

       "I still cannot believe I did this!" One hand around the tree, which she circled in a dancing motion. "Oh, Mother would be enraged with me if she found out that I had left the tower. But no harm done, what she doesn't know won't kill her, right?" 

       Arthur had no idea that one person could talk that much and change one's mind so frequently. 

        He could have sworn that only ten minutes earlier Rapunzel was lying face down in a field of wildflowers and despairing what a terrible daughter she had been.       

       "This is the best day ever!" The girl exulted joyfully, hopping away from the tree to find herself next to Arthur a second later. 

       To his misfortune, he could not say the same about his day. 

       Rapunzel noticed the displeasure on his face, which was not hard to discern. Since they left the walls of the tower, there was no vestige of a genuine smile on his face, only a scowl.

       The girl perceived him as a dreary man: Or maybe he was like that because she outwitted him and whacked him over the head with a frying pan not once, but four times?

       She did not know.  

       But Arthur noticed that there was something about the way she walked. The wind blanketing her face with its coolness. The sun bathed her face, the rays beaming down on her freckled nose and her hair with the subtle catch of light looked like gold. 

       Everything was bright about Rapunzel  ⎯  as if she were the sun herself.

       The sound of a branch breaking made them turn their heads in the direction from which the sound that disturbed them was coming.        

       Arthur drew a sword when Rapunzel jumped back and hid behind the Prince, gripping onto him tightly. 

       She observed a bush whence the rustling noise had come, her nerves splintering. 

       "Show yourself," Arthur commanded, his sword drawn toward the sound, while Rapunzel still gripped to his arm. "Or I will run you through." 

       "Is it, ruffians, thugs?" Rapunzel listed with apprehension the likelihood of whoever was lurking about them. "Have they come for me?"

       Arthur gave her a glance that said a lot about how annoyed he was with her constant chatter. Especially when he thought someone was lurking about, not knowing how innocuous the creature might be. 

       The tension mounted, Rapunzel huddled behind Arthur as if he were her very own human shield, until the provoker of their unrest revealed itself.

       A white bunny. 

      Rapunzel gave a nervous laugh, freeing his arm from her grasp. "My apologies." She apologized with a hushed chuckle. "I assume I am feeling unduly nervous." 

       He smirked down at her. "You are fortunate enough that I am not easily frightened." Arthur said in a teasing manner. "Stay near me and I will protect you from ruffians, thugs or whichever you may fear." 

      "I presume so." Rapunzel said with a wan smile. "As long as your opponent does not have a frying pan in their possession, I reckon we are both safe." 

       Her words shattered his suitably frail ego, which had been already bruised that day. 

       "You caught me off guard!" exclaimed Arthur with his arms spread wide open as Rapunzel pulled ahead of him.

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      Gwaine signaled to Merlin to stay put while he checked the perimeter. 

       Merlin nodded understandably and set off straight for the bridge once his companion in the mission was gone.

       As the young warlock approached, the Keeper of the Bridge emerged seemingly out of the blue. "So, Magic has arrived."

      "What?"

       "There is nothing to be afraid of." A Dwarf named Grettir reassured, noticing the perplexity on Merlin's face. "Your presence is essential if Arthur is to succeed on his quest." 

      As Arthur's name slipped, Merlin became more suspicious and defensive. "How do you know about Arthur? Who are you?"

       "The Keeper of the Bridge." Grettir revealed his identity. "I only wish to see the Fisher King's lands restored and prosperity reign again. Until your mission is complete, this cannot happen."

       Merlin shook his head. "It's not my mission, it's Arthur's."

        "That's what you choose to believe. It's no accident that Arthur chose this path or you chose to follow him."

       Grettir was gratified when Gwaine approached. The star-scribed pieces started to come together to form the picture-perfect quartet that had a purpose on this journey. 

       "Ah, finally!" The Keeper of the Bridge called out contentedly. "Strength has arrived. And something tells me that Courage has finally found his Hope. The quartet is completed." 

      Quartet? 

       Merlin wondered who this enigmatic fourth person who was called Hope might be. What was their task, and above all, what reason would be in their interest for Arthur to succeed?

       Gwaine concluded that the small man in front of them posed a threat and drew his sword. "Who is he?" He asked with a hint of suspicion, his weapon aimed in his direction at a safe range.

       But when the pair arrived on the bridge, the ostensible height difference between the two, Grettir disappeared as quickly as had appeared.  

       Gwaine looked around, confused by what has just happened. "Where is h⎯"

      A voice that was less than pleased with what he saw captured the attention of everyone. "What the hell are you doing here?" Arthur stared at Merlin with wide widened eyes, ignoring Gwaine's presence for a moment.

       A sigh left Merlin's lips, an artificially satisfied grin forming on his face. "Why can you never just say thanks?"

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filler chapter at its finest but the chapter is actually the worst LMAOO

anyways... giggling and kicking off my feet because merlin and rapunzel's friendship will be the funniest with them shit talking some embarrassing shit on arthur 😭😭