Chapter Text
He puts on a good mask, you’ll give him that. Arthur always acts confident and strong when he believes that’s what the people want to see. As king, he’s felt that way more than ever. However, a lot of the times it’s the people who give gratitude, and the council who gives stress.
You see that one day.
Normally, you wait in Arthur’s room until he’s done with a meeting. So, that’s where you were today. Merlin was hell knows where, so you decided to tend to some of his chores like folding the king’s clothes. It wasn’t until you heard the door open that you knew Arthur was back.
It’s funny how the tiniest of things can alert someone to a problem.
“Nice to see you Y/N.” Arthur said with his usual smile, walking over to his desk as per usual. But before that, the way he opened the door sounded wrong. Like, he used way more force than necessary to open it. Almost like he was frustrated, but wasn’t going to let you know.
That’s so Arthur. Being stressed out but not about to let you know. So, now you have to pry it out of him.
“Arthur, how was the meeting?” You asked in a polite manner, putting his clothes away (which he thanked you for doing). It seems you said the words he was dreading to hear because Arthur got that thousand yard stare. However, in typical Arthur fashion, he blinked a few times before flashing you a smile.
“Fine.” He simply said, but you didn’t believe him. Arthur knew that as well as he placed his hands on the desk with a slight sigh.
“Really? Cause you seem kind of tense.” You pointed out while walking over to him. Arthur must certainly be stressed because it didn’t take long for him to give in.
“Alright. You caught me. I can’t deal with those old men…” He muttered as you walked over with a slight smile, moving to stand behind him.
“What did they say this time?” You asked while placing your hands on his shoulders, gently kneading the tension in his muscles. It was that question that seemed to make him more solemn.
“They were discussing…marriage.” Arthur said, and you felt yourself stop.
“Marriage?” You asked hesitantly. Honestly, you couldn’t picture Arthur being married, or perhaps you didn’t like the idea of him being married to someone that wasn’t you. You pushed that thought to the back of your head with a blush.
“Yeah. You know, they’re getting worried about me not having an heir and such.” You could tell that Arthur was trying to keep his composure, but he was crumbling on the inside. You rubbed his shoulders in a comforting manner.
“I don’t want to marry a stranger…” His voice was so small sounding, so broken, almost like he was on the verge of crying.
“Oh Arthur…I’m always here for you, you know that?” You said, trying your best to comfort the king who finally broke down due to all the obligations people were putting on him.
“I do know…that’s why I’d want to marry someone like you. Someone I care about, deeply.” He admitted while turning around to face you. You got all flustered, and despite the teary look in his eyes, he was smiling.
“Well…you’re the king. It’s ultimately up to you. Don’t give into the pressure they are putting on you.” You told him, causing him to smile a bit more.
“Thank you, Y/N. Thank you for being that shoulder for me to lean on.” He said before hugging you slightly. It was kind of awkward, but that was part of Arthur’s charm. You hugged him back as best as you could.
“Now, where was I?” He quickly went back to his serious manner as he looked at his desk, embarrassed by the hug. However, before he could look at any documents, you snatched them.
“Hey!” Arthur protested, but you just fanned yourself with them while smiling.
“Arthur, none of that. You need to relax, so I’m going to draw a warm bath for you. As you say, Merlin is useless.” You stated, walking away with the papers before he could protest. Normally, Arthur would’ve complained.
But he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
You were truly one of a kind. A special type of person that he viewed as perfection, where he could let his guard down. Heck, he could even cry in front of you without judgement. When the stresses of being king came to him, you were there to comfort him. However, some of your words raised a question for him.
“…Where is Merlin?”