The following day, the sun was brightly shining, and although the temperatures were still dropping, it didn't matter. It was warm enough not to cause anyone much discomfort. The land smelt fresh due to the previous night's storm, and due to the muddy ground, everything was steadily getting dirtier as the day continued. Raindrops still fell from trees and roofs around the city, the sound blending into ordinary village noise. Arthur was seated at a bench in the palace gardens as she looked over some papers that Morgana assured were of importance. Arthur was distracted; she hadn't been able to stay concentrated while in her office, and the only thing she could think of to get her mind off Mac Airt's approaching visit was to go out to the gardens. Hopefully, she could clear her mind there.

The paper she read over was nothing too detailed. In fact, she didn't deem it of importance, but Morgana was Morgana and whatever she said was vital meant that extra care must go into it. Arthur sighed in exasperation and set the paper down next to herself. She threw her head back and looked up at the thin rolling clouds above her. She extended her right hand out towards the sun to shield her sight, and her eyes landed on her ring.

Bloody ring, she thought. The golden lion stared back at her as if taunting her. More and more, the enchanted ring was starting to seem more like a prison than a helping hand. Was Morgana right? Did her freedom and happiness mean the kingdom could still prosper? Foolish thoughts these were. Of course, she could never be free. For a split second, she imagined how different life would be if her father never introduced her as a boy but as a girl...how much more difficult would it have been to ascend to the throne? Would her people hate her? She shook her head and closed her eyes, letting her hand fall back on the stone bench to support her as she leaned back. The light of the sun warmed her face, and she took steady breaths. There was no use in thinking of what could've been...it's not like she could turn back time.

Could she ever be herself?

The tapping of boots against the interlocked stone path caused her eyes to shoot open. She sat up straight and picked up the document from beside her. She cleared her throat and pretended to be engrossed in her 'important kingly documents,' as Morgana so eloquently called them.

Arthur lifted her head from the paper and looked in the direction of the approaching footsteps. There she saw him; Diarmuid, who was suited up in armour and looking rather determined. Instinctively, she reached out to her push a bit of her hair behind her ear, but she stopped herself as soon as she realized her action. Get your head straight, idiot!

"My—Arthur," Diarmuid corrected himself as he reached her. He took a deep breath. "The Lady Jeanne informed me that you were looking for me."

Arthur stared at Diarmuid, head tilted up as she felt small. She thought back to when he steadied her. She shook her head to rid herself of the image. "Ah, yes." She pushed herself off from the bench. "I was meaning to see how you were doing with the brand. I know you might be in pain, and Morgana and Merlin haven't been doing much about it. I also wanted to bring you some..." She searched her mind for the right word, "news you aren't exactly going to be keen on hearing."

Diarmuid nodded. "I came to speak to you about that, actually."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, and her lips thinned. "You...know? Did Morgana tell you something?"

From his pocket, Diarmuid pulled out a letter and a small jewel. Arthur simply looked at him in confusion.

He held up the jewel in front of himself. "I met Youth on my day off. She was speaking all sorts of things but...I don't think she was lying to me. She...she said mint would cure the pain and stop the nightmares, and well, I tried, and it worked."

Arthur furrowed her brows. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Diarmuid sighed. "I had to figure out a few things. Whether the rest of her claims were true or not...and another thing." He lifted the letter he'd received. "I was thinking about this. About Grainne."

Youth and Grainne? Wow. Diarmuid did have a lot to think about.

Arthur reached for the letter, but Diarmuid pulled it out of her reach.

"With all due respect, my king, the letter is of private matters. However, it does state that Grainne will be visiting..."

Arthur's expression soured. "Mac Airt failed to mention that." She bitterly laughed. "Did he plan to marry her off to one of my courtiers?"

"Precisely." Diarmuid frowned. "It's his plan...but hers... she plans to," he paused. "To win me back, I guess."

Arthur rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Mac Airt would want to risk the reputation of one of my people, and Grainne would really want to steal one of my knights?" She rolled her eyes. "I will not allow other royals to think me a pushover." Then she extended her hand towards the jewel Diarmuid was still holding up. "And I will not allow Youth to terrorize you any longer."

Diarmuid handed her the jewel. "Arthur." He still struggled to call the King on a first-name basis. "As much as I want to believe it isn't true...I think Youth is trying to protect me."

Arthur scoffed. "Protect? You don't protect people by branding them. You protect them by standing up for them. What makes you think she wants to protect you?"

He rubbed his face and grunted. "She says she loves me."

Arthur straightened her posture and sighed. "Diarmuid, obsession is not love. Don't mistake those two; they are completely different."

"Whether obsession or love, what Youth does, she does to protect me in some way or form. I fear removing the brand will bring more bad than it could bring good. It's not doing me any wrong. Sure it aches from time to time but with the mint; there are no side effects."

Arthur ran a hand through her hair, and a few strands got stuck in her ring. She cursed the damn thing. "A brand means you're her property. Does that not infuriate you?"

"Of course, but Youth said something that I'd rather not risk the possibility of it being true."

"What did she say that scares you so?"

Diarmuid gulped. "She told me...there's darkness around me."

Arthur shook her head as she rolled her eyes. "And that scares you?"

He shook his head. "Not that. She said...she said you would be the death of me."

Arthur's face twisted in disbelief. She thought Diarmuid would lay down his life for her. Why was he saying she'd kill him? "And you believed her?" She felt offended. How could she not? He believed a wretched witch over her, his own king.

"No. But..." Diarmuid groaned. "I don't ever want to compare you to Fionn, but...I've died at the hands of my master before. I don't want this to happen again. I don't wish to die again, and definitely not because of you."

Arthur stepped back. "You would dare think I'd ever hurt one of my knights willingly? You came to Camelot because you said you believed I was a just and righteous king. You came here because you didn't trust any other ruler. And now...now you're saying I would kill you?" She threw the jewel into the intricate rose bush a few ways away from them.

"My king, I didn't mean to offend you." Diarmuid fell to his knees. "I don't want to believe it either. I just...I'm praying it isn't true." He looked up at Arthur. "Youth...she protected me against the Fianna, you can say she's the worst, but she has taken care of me before. She has told me prophecies that have come to pass. She might've cursed me, but she...she cares about me."

Arthur clenched her jaw and looked away. "I am offended that you would even think that I would hurt you. I'm disappointed in you. If you wish, go to Youth, I'm sure she'll be able to protect you from me." Arthur took a deep breath and collected her papers before she started to walk away.

"My king!" Diarmuid pleaded.

"Don't dare follow after me." She looked back. "If you trust me more than Youth, then you would want to remove that brand." Then she strode back towards the castle, leaving Diarmuid a frustrated mess.

How could he accuse her of intending to murder him? How could he trust that damned witch over her? She was his king! She accepted him into her kingdom and made him her knight! She looked past his terrible reputation, and she trusted him! How dare he! If Diarmuid even cared an ounce about being a knight—about being her knight—then he wouldn't believe Youth's horrible words.

"What devil possessed you, brother dear?"

Arthur rolled her eyes at the voice of her sister. "I'm not in the mood for your sarcastic comments, Morgana. Leave me alone."

Morgana raised an eyebrow as she caught up to Arthur, who was still stalking towards what she presumed was the Throne room or her office. "What happened? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed today?"

"Morgana, I swear."

Morgana grabbed Arthur's arm and forced her to stop. "What the bloody hell is going on with you?"

Arthur stared straight into Morgana's aqua eyes. Morgana could tell Arthur was livid. She was on fire with anger, and it was a surprise she hadn't taken out all her anger on poor Morgana.

"Diarmuid had the audacity to say I would be the death of him," she spat.

Morgana gulped as she straightened herself. "Really?"

"Can you believe that? Apparently, Youth told him that outlandish lie. I mean, what in the world was he thinking to believe her?"

Morgana rubbed her neck as she looked away.

"What?"

Morgana looked back at Arthur and gave a short, breathy laugh. "Nothing."

Arthur narrowed her green eyes on her sister. "What aren't you telling me, Morgana?"

"No, nothing." Morgana continued to walk towards Arthur's office as it was closest to them at the given moment.

Arthur followed after her. "Morgana." She called, but Morgana just sped up.

Arthur chased Morgana until they were in the safe confines of her study. She shut the door behind herself and grabbed Morgana by the wrist, turning her so she would face her. "Why are you acting evasive?"

Morgana sighed. "It's not something you should really be concerned about. Merlin and I are finding a solution."

"A solution? For what?" Arthur raised her voice. "Does this have to do with what Youth told Diarmuid?"

"Well..." Morgana took a sharp breath as she swung her head from side to side. "I mean...yes and no?"

"What do you mean yes and no?"

Morgana looked up at the ceiling. "Uhm...well...I didn't want to tell you because I mean, it's just a silly dream, right? And really, it shouldn't concern you or anything." She shrugged. "It's just...that...well..."

"Morgana, what dream? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I...I had a dream...that you..." She sighed. "How do I say this?" Morgana began fidgeting with her hands.

"Just tell me!"

Morgana cracked her knuckles, and she turned away from her sister. "Diarmuid was...dying in your arms."

Arthur took a step away from Morgana, letting go of her wrist. "What?"

Morgana huffed. "I mean, at first, I thought it was just a dream, you know...nothing to really worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? Morgana, you always get these prophetic dreams, and you're telling me you thought it was just a dream?"

"It isn't that. It's just...you can never be certain with these things." Morgana explained. "I have scary dreams all the time...I didn't...there's no reason for him to die, let alone in your arms. It's just...Sometimes these prophecies never come to pass. It works like that." She shrugged. "I didn't want to scare you. I just..." Morgana's voice trailed. She wasn't sure what to say.

Arthur sunk to the floor. She took a deep and shaky breath as her vision clouded over. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't form a sentence. She pushed out a loud breath. "I...Youth..."

Morgana knelt on the floor and took her sister's hands in hers. She removed the ring from her finger, and Arthur's hair grew back down to her shoulders, her chin narrowed, and her hands returned to being small but remained calloused and rough. "Artoria," Morgana said her name. It'd been years since she heard her sister call her by her real name.

Artoria looked through her unruly fringe, her eyes red and swelling up with tears. "Youth was right. I will be the death of Diarmuid."

"Artoria, it isn't true...He...I won't let it happen. Not every prophecy comes to pass, Artie."

Artoria pushed Morgana away, and her eyes filled with rage once more. "Prophecies are prophecies because they come to pass." She stood from the floor, a little shakily. "Diarmuid needs to leave. Dismiss him at once. That way, I...don't hurt him."

"Artoria! Don't be ridiculous! I told you Merlin, and I are working on it!"

Artoria looked down at Morgana. "Dismiss him, Morgana. Or you will be dismissed with him."

Morgana got up from the floor. "You can't dismiss me! I am your sister!"

"Watch me."

Morgana took a deep breath as she looked up at the ceiling and when she looked back, her eyes were glowing yellow. "You will be sorry if you even dare dismiss me."

Artoria glared at her sister. "Is that a threat against the crown? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're plotting treason."

Morgana blinked, and her eyes were back to their original aqua colour. "If it is what I must do to make you think straight, so it shall be."

author's note

finally back oooooffff sorry for late updates, now that I'm in Grad school, school is honestly out to kill me yikes. wow so what do you think about the new chapter...? A lot went down and I blame dark academia playlists haha. anyways when Artoria will now be how she is referred to as when she is Arthur and Lily remains when she is lily wow sorry for all the confusion if I confuse you out there. Anyway I hope you liked this chapter! Please don't forget to leave a comment as it is what keeps me going!

thank you for reading! love you all

xx