She held her shoulder as she rolled it, due to her sleeping position it had caused her to wake up in the middle of the night. She was seated on her bed, the blue pyjamas clinging messily to her body while her legs were tangled in the sheets.

She breathed while she stretched her arm, hoping the pain would soon subside and she was able to sleep for the next couple of hours before she had to hurry off to work. The memory of the accident dashed through her mind and she shook her head. There was a bit of fear in her eyes but she blinked it away, suppressing the memory.

She pushed herself from the bed and slowly made her way to the kitchen, filling a kettle with water and setting it on the stove. She made sure to make as little noise as possible so as to no wake Lancelot up. He was turning on the couch at the sound of the click of the stove knob.

Arturia could remember that he was a light sleeper, but she was always stealthy.

The whistling of the kettle snapped her from her gaze on Lancelot and she immediately removed it from the flames, placing a few tea leaves inside. She shot her gaze to her sleeping friend, praying she had not woken him—he was completely fine.

Arturia poured herself a cup and made her way towards the bed. She settled back in the covers, wrapping them tightly around herself while she sipped her Earl Gray.

Leaning into the wooden headboard she closed her eyes; the single thought of the car had her shiver and the pain in her shoulder continue.

The following morning, she stood from the bed when the rooster cocked. She walked towards the kitchen and shook Lancelot awake on her way there.

He yawned audibly, groaning and shuffling on the couch. He was usually a light sleeper but she noted that he slept more soundly out in the countryside. He stretched as he stood, yawning a couple of more times and groggily walking towards his best friend, "What's for breakfast?" he grumbled.

"Tea." She replied, eyes on the boiling water, "Go take a shower; Scáthach invited us to go to the city with her."

"Oh, really?" Lancelot raised an eyebrow, sleep still leaving his eyes half-closed, "Are you looking forward to heading out?"

She nodded, enjoying the silence of the early morning, "In fact, I am. In some way or form, I miss the city."

Lancelot laughed, walking towards the window and taking in the sight before him. Rolling hills across green and bright while the further ones cast blue shadows. He could spot the neighbours on the hill over tending to their farm, walking the sheep out towards the pastures for the day. The fluffy clouds strolled over them, forming shapes and dissipating. The strong smell of the countryside made him smile. The grass, the pines, the aroma of fresh air.

He could tell that Arturia did seem happier out in the middle of nowhere; far away from civilization and away from the power-hungry circle she was weaved into. She was free from the chains of social etiquette.

He turned towards her, "You love it here, don't you?" He asked, leaning against the window frame and crossing his arms over his chest.

Arturia glanced at her friend, a simple and humble smile snaking unto her lips. "I suppose."

"You don't want to go back, do you?"

Her smile dropped and she immediately looked back down at the simmering water that seemed nearly ready for the tea, "I never said that." She mumbled, flickering his gaze up to him for a few seconds, "One day I will return, but not any day soon."

"I would only hope." Lancelot nodded.

Arturia's ear perked at the sound of a knock on the door. She wiped her hands off on a kitchen cloth and excused herself before nagging Lancelot to take a shower. He followed her out of the kitchen and headed his respectful way to the washroom while the young lady hurried to the door.

She fixed her hair a little bit and opened the door with a short creak, "Hello," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi." A breathless smile from the brunette's part, "Are you ready to head off?"

Arturia bit her lip, "Grainne," she nodded in acknowledgement, "We are almost about ready. Lancelot is going to be running a little bit late."

"Lancelot? Oh! The boy that's staying with you? Dia told me a bit about it; I couldn't juice out all the information, sadly." She giggled as she let herself in, "Well, that shouldn't be an issue, really. Scatty is coming to pick us up with Dia."

"Hm?" Arturia tilted her head as she watched Grainne sit down, "You are... coming with us? What about Jeanne? I thought she was the one tagging along."

Grainne frowned, giving a sarcastic chuckle, "Yes, but she had to cover for her brother because he had asked to go out before she did. Life is only fair that way." She tapped her fingers on her lap.

Zzziiiiii

Arturia jumped at the sound of the tea pot, having forgotten all about the boiling tea, "Forgive me, I'll tend to the tea."

Grainne smiled at her and gave her an excusing nod before looking down at her pale blue nails.

"Artie!" Lancelot called from the bathroom, "Can you get me a towel? I forgot it."

Arturia turned her head towards the voice, a sigh escaping her lips. She turned off the stove and took a step towards the bathroom.

"Oh!" Grainne called, "I can take care of that, you pay attention to the tea. Where's the towel?" There was a soft smile on her lips, it looked genuine and so Arturia nodded and directed her towards the closet of the towels.

The brunette made her way towards the closet and pulled the door open, taking a white towel from the pile. Arturia watched as she walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Thank you, Artiechoke," the young man stuck his hand out from around the door's bend to receive the cloth.

Grainne giggled, "No problem."

The man gasped and after having a firm grip on the towel he retracted his hand and shut the door, "Arturia! Why did you not tell me we were having a guest?"

The blonde kept silent and faced the tea again, pouring three cups.

It did not take Lancelot long to exit the shower fully dressed and with a clearly embarrassed blush on his face as he strode past Grainne and straight to Arturia who remained in the kitchen, "Who is she?" he whispered.

"Grainne; Diarmuid's girlfriend." Arturia blinked, indifference on her features as was common to see, "She will be joining us instead of Jeanne."

"To your dismay..." Lancelot chuckled.

Arturia shot him a glare and picked up the tea cup, handing one over to Lancelot and pushing past him to the brunette, "Here," she offered, "It's Earl Grey, I hope you like it."

Grainne frowned, "Oh, I only drink herbal. Fruits always taste sweeter." She chimed, "But," her voice fell, "since you offered, I cannot deny." Her thin and soft hand reached for the tea cup, smiling brightly at the young female. "Have you had breakfast? I recommend you don't."

Lancelot raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Oh, well," the brunette laughed, "the ride is super bumpy and lots of winding roads... to say the least."

"So, vomiting is probable." The young man concluded, grey eyes flashing over to his best friend.

"Yup!" Grainne nodded, "Now, Dia is waiting and you know we can't keep him waiting any longer."

The drive to the city was long, and indeed very bumpy. Diarmuid had been told to sit in the front seat and Lancelot off to one side so that Scáthach had a better view of the rear of the car. The ride was mostly silent and usually interrupted by Grainne complaining that she was stuffy and Diarmuid assuring her it would all be over soon.

"Finally," Grainne groaned, "I thought it would never end." She stretched as she had closed the car door behind herself. Right before Arturia's face.

The blonde sighed and decided to exit through Lancelot's side, which he had generously opened for her. She gave him a displeased look and he nodded in agreement as the teacher locked the car.

"Here we are!" It seemed that the redhead was also ignoring her brother's girlfriend as she rounded the car to offer a smile to Arturia, "Do you like it?"

It wasn't much of a city, per se, rather another town; much larger than the one they lived close to. There were shops of all sorts that lined the main street, lamp posts looking as if they had remained from the 1800s with vines creeping around them and blooming flowers colouring the town. A city did not smell as fresh as this nor did it look as organized.

"It's lovely." She grinned, her eyes fixated on the many stone buildings. The sun was out this time, warming the streets with it's sweet light.

Diarmuid had an arm wrapped around the brunette as he made his way towards the other females. Lancelot was already off looking at something in a store, "I'm really glad that you're liking it." The handsome man returned the smile.

They began to walk through the streets, eyes occasionally catching glimpses of items they liked.

"Love, can we please go in?" Grainne fluttered her eyelashes after having seen a perfume store.

Diarmuid chuckled and gave her a nod before excusing himself from the other three.

"Watch," Scáthach frowned, lips cutting deep into her face, "She is going to ask him to buy Coco Chanel." She grumbled as they continued their way down the street.

"How about we split up?" Lancelot suggested, "We could go check out places that interest us and then meet up again. How does that sound?"

The older female nodded, "If that is what you would like."

"Thanks!" The violet-haired boy grinned and headed off, dashing toward a shop that was quite far away at that point.

"Do you want to head off alone?" Scáthach asked, eyebrow raising slightly.

"We could go around together, if you would prefer." Arturia mumbled, her eyes flickering to the other female.

Scáthach clapped her hands together, "Yes!" She grinned, "I would love that. You know, you're almost like a sister. Really wish you were the one with Dia."

Arturia blushed and shook her head, "No, you really would not like that."

She sighed, "I'm sure I would."

They walked towards a clothing store and began a hunt for something that they would like. They tried on a few outfits, Scáthach taking lots of pictures because it felt like a girl's day out. The women had ended up deciding to buy a few things.

"I'm going to find a bigger size for this. Wait at the cashier, okay?" Scáthach smiled down at a burgundy shirt.

Arturia nodded, "Take your time." She waved as she held the clothes in her other arm. The voices of the television caught her attention and she looked up to a small flat screen that hung from a corner in the store.

A blonde woman was seated before the camera, a business suit on as she informed the country about the latest news, "It has been two months since the disappearance of Britain's Conservative Candidates daughter has gone missing. Not many leads have been found and her family remains in despair. If you have any information on her whereabouts, you are asked to call this number." Not long after the woman started speaking, a picture of Arturia appeared on screen along with a number for where to call.

Arturia's eyes grew and she dropped the clothing on the floor before running out of the store, not even remembering that Scáthach was left behind. Upon leaving the store, her heart began to beat faster as she searched for a phone booth.

She ran towards one that was at the end of the block, her mind all over the place. The lights of the lamp posts lighting the path as the sun was just about to disappear below the hills.

Grainne smiled brightly, kissing her boyfriend on the lips, "Thank you, sweetheart." She giggled and gave him an even brighter smile.

"No problem babe," he kissed her on the forehead. They were also about to buy somethings until Grainne saw the blonde dash past the window.

Her brows furrowed, Where is she headed? Her curiosity got the better hand and she looked back up at Diarmuid, "Um, I'm going to be heading to another shop, is it okay if you could finish up here?" She fluttered her lashes and gave her best puppy eyes.

"Uhm," Diarmuid rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, don't worry."

"Awesome, thanks!" She kissed him again and then followed Arturia. She had left the store just in time to see the Englishwoman enter the phonebooth and she wasted no time in reaching it. She hid behind the nearest tree, which was only a foot from the booth.

Arturia slipped a coin in the slot of the phone and picked it up, gliding her fingers over the numbers as she dialed.

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

"Pick up, please." She hummed under her breath, foot tapping quickly on the floor.

Three times and more until it hit voicemail. She gulped and pushed in another coin hoping that this time around someone would answer the phone.

Ring...ring...ring...

"Please!" She managed to call out, her hands shaking a bit, heart still pounding harshly against her chest.

"Hello, this is the Pendragon residence."

She stiffened at the sound of the maid's voice. Her mind was slow in formulating words.

"Hello?"

"Hello! Is..." Arturia gulped, biting her cheek and grasping the phone tightly, her knuckles whitening, "is uhm, my...my mother home?"

"L-Lady Arturia?!" The woman gasped, "Ah y-yes! Right away!"

Arturia could hear the woman's foot steps fly through the house as she ran down hallways and up flights of stairs; she was already out of breath.

"Milady, your daughter," the maid huffed.

"Artie? Sweetheart? Is that you?" Her mother sounded frantic through the phone, her voice shaky and despair deep within.

Arturia closed her eyes, catching her breath as it had left her when she heard Igraine's voice, "Mother..."

"Oh, thank the heavens! You are alright, my baby." Igraine burst into tears, her sobs echoing in Arturia's mind, "Oh, thank you. Baby, where are you? What happened? Did they hurt you? Don't be scared." The woman could barely breathe through her excitement and sorrow.

"Mother, I am completely fine. I left on my own accord, no one was involved. You have to stop saying I was abducted." Arturia was not mad, she was scared. Her mind was hung up on what people would think of her if they knew who she was and what she had done.

"Sweetie, what do you mean? Are you hurt? Are you in danger?" Worry returned to her voice, frantic breathing cutting and impeding her speech, "Where are you?"

"I said I was fine, mother. I am fine. I..." Her short-lived anger disappeared, "I can't tell you where I am. Mother, I am safe and I finally feel happy—for once in my life. Please just understand that I won't go back. I can't."

"Why? Why can't you?" Igraine was searching for an answer, "I promise things will change."

Arturia shook her head, trying to hold back a sob as her throat dried and her nose stung, "No. No, I can't. Please, just let me be free; let me find myself and not just decay under social pressures. I am my own person and I want people that care for me. I finally found that here. I finally feel appreciated, cared for, loved. I need this."

"B-but what about all we did for you?"

"I thank you for that," a tear slipped from her eye, "but you left me alone. I was alone my entire life and now I finally have people around me."

There was shuffling and her mother gasped through the line before a deep voice entered the conversation, "Where are you? You have to come back, now!"

"No, father," she argued, "I won't return."

"Do you know what you have put us through? What your mother has endured these past months? Are you insane? Have you lost your mind, Arturia?" Uther screamed through the phone, causing Arturia's heart to ache.

"No, I have not. Can't you accept my happiness for once? Did you even think of what I had gone through for so long? What I had endured? No! You only cared about your stupid campaign and being a Prime Minister. You never cared about me. Both of you! You left me alone and you only cared about yourselves!" Arturia yelled, her throat stinging and tears springing from her eyes.

"Arturia—"

"Stop. Stop looking for me. Stop trying to ruin my life just as it is finally starting to move again. Stop tying me down to fit the idea of the perfect child that you want. It's not me."

Uther breathed, "We love you."

The sob she had been holding back for so long finally escaped and she began to cry. She sniffed, covering her mouth with her free hand while she tried not to be so loud in her crying. She stayed on the phone and just heard the unsteady breathing of her father and the soft crying.

Her shivers died down and she wiped her eyes, "I love you too." Arturia wasted no time in hanging up the phone and slowly exiting the booth. She lowered her head and tried to control her crying.

"Arturia?" Her head shot up and her blurry vision settled on the dark-haired man who had his brows furrowed. She could see he was worried but instead of questioning her tears, he brought her into a hug. His arms wrapped around her protectively and held her close. She slowly clung to him, crying into his chest.

"It'll be alright." He mumbled into her golden strands while rubbing her back.

Scáthach stood meters away, watching the two as they hugged. The problem was that at the end of the street, Grainne stood shocked.

"Shit."