My Kingdom for a Kiss

Evangeline rode out at once. After saying her last goodbyes to Merlin and Morgana.

In the dead of the night, she left. Her cloak flying wildly behind her as her horse ran a great speed.

After took a deep breath Arthur exited his door, turning to knock on Evangelines', but there was no answer.

He knocked yet again, only slightly less softer and was greeted, once more, by silence.

Arthur frowned lightly, his next knock pushing the door open slightly. It creaked in a
miserable moan and Arthur awaited the sound of her dulcet voice, but it never came.

He pushed the door open more yet, and saw nothing but darkness. But from what he could see through the thick veil of shadows, was near emptiness.

The bed was made and held no sign of the beauty that once lay on those richly colored sheets.

Arthur was confused.

''Evangeline?'' He whispered to the empty nothingness and his own words were whispered back to him.

He took a lit candle from his chambers and illuminated Evangelines' previous home.

But no sign of her living there was left.

Arthur felt a painful and sudden wave of anxious sadness. He felt as though he were the only person left in the world.

He rushed through the corridors, looking frantically around, though deep down, he knew she was long gone. It did not want to believe it.

Arthur quickly found Morgana's room and knocked vigorously against the hard wooden door.

Morgana took too long, in his opinion and when she finally answered the door, looking tired, but alarm and in her nightgown, Arthur came in without her consent.

''Where is Evangeline?'' He asked, before she could ask him what he were doing, though she already knew why he was here.

He rounded on her as she was shutting her door back, as calm as possible while he felt panicky inside and slightly out as well.

''She left.'' Morgana told him. ''She made me promise not to tell you.''

Arthur scoffed. ''No.'' He shook his head, in slight denial. ''Not when she finally opens up to me
a little!''

He ran a hand through his fair locks, sighing deeply.

''Well, what are you going to do about it?'' Morgana crossed her arms over her chest, raising a brow at him.

''What do you think?'' Arthur asked her. ''I'm going after her. I'm going to fight for her, even if it's she who I am fighting.''

''That's what I like to hear!'' Morgana smiled brightly. ''Now, Merlin is waiting in the stables.''

She knew already he would want and even need to go and find her.

Arthur smiled, excitement and worry weighing him down slightly.

He abruptly ran out of her chambers and down the stairwell leading away from Morgana.

He briskly made it to Merlin, who was sleeping on the hay next to the horses, not unlike what
Arthur had expected.

He slapped Merlin's knee and bolted up in lightning speed.

''Wh-? Oh.'' Merlin stood up, brushing straws of hay off of his clothing. ''I have the horses staddled and ready to go.''

''Good work, Merlin.'' He gave a rare compliment. He was anxious to see Evangeline, though he dreaded her rejection.

They rode until they reached the border and quietly, they prepared to knock out the guards of Bernicia.

It wasn't easy either.

When they at last thrown down the guards, they quietly crept through the trees, finding the castle soon enough.

Arthur thought it best they scale the castle walls and they found a large tower, praying it was were Evangeline was, they began their ascend up the gray stone that kept the King's castle together.

It felt as though they had been climbing for hours, the tower was so long. And Merlin found himself regretting this climb.

Arthur made it to the large open window first, and had to nearly throw himself inside.

A women's scream of surprise was what greeted him, as soon he had entered through the tall but narrow open window.

Arthur stood quickly, looking alarmed that someone had been in the room.

It was a handmaiden, and she stood frozen in shock. Her graying brown hair was in a net and the clothes she once had in her hands, were not thrown on the ground from her surprise.

Arthur bore no signs of his place of birth, for the reason that Evangeline's Father or Knights probably wouldn't be too pleased to see him.

He did not know what to say to the maiden and he simply stared.

Before the woen could scream for the guards, the long wooden doors, engraved with small wolves on the far side of the room opened.

It was Evangeline, and Arthur was so grateful and a bit flushed. She was far too beautiful for her own good.

When Evangeline looked up, her expression changed from the calm, nonchalant expression, to a look of anger and mortification.

''Beatrice,'' Evangeline smiled a stiff smile at her handmaiden and added, ''you my have the day off.''

The maid was hesitant, but she left.

''What are you doing here?! Don't you know when someone is trying to avoid you?'' She shouted in a hushed whisper, crossing the room to him.

''Why did you leave? Right when I thought things were getting better for us.'' Arthur said, his voice reflecting his look of raw sadness.

''Because I care too much.'' She said, looking away from him.

Arthur attempted to ignore the way her confession made his heart flip with glee, and asked,
''Isn't that a good thing?''

Evangeline glanced back at him. ''Not with you!''

Arthur looked down at the black fur rug on the stone floor and sighed.

''Arthur, please leave? If my Father knew...'' Evangeline looked very worried, and rightfully so.

''Will you come back?'' He asked desperately.

''No!'' She nearly shouted, adding a much softer, almost inaudible, ''I can't.''

Just then a loud grunt and a thump interrupted. Merlin had arrived.

Evangeline couldn't help but smile as Merlin crawled to a sitting position, his cheeks flushed and his hair slightly wet with sweat.

''Merlin!'' She greeted, helping him over to her very large bed, lined with burgundy velvet, gray fur and silver silk.

''Did you scale the tower?'' She asked, slightly amused.

Merlin nodded, his mouth dry.

Evangeline sighed, shaking her head. ''Merlin,you could have just took the stairs.'' She smirked.

Merlin glared at Arthur lightly, for making him climb as well.

''Merlin, go away!'' Arthur banished him.

And Evangeline glared over at Arthur. ''You made him scale the tallest tower for your own selfish reasons and now you intend to throw him out?''

Merlin shakily walked out, in search of water, no doubt.

''You are your Father's son! That is one of the reasons I can not be with you.'' She didn't mean to admit such things to him, but in the heat of her anger, she could not control her tongue.

''What do you mean, Evangeline?'' Arthur asked, his brows knit together to display his confusion. ''Whatever has my Father done to you?'' He asked, his tone curious.

''More than I can say.'' She said bitterly and bleakly.

Arthur sighed. ''Please, Evangeline! Tell me something! Tell me one thing straightly.''

''I can not.'' She stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from him in obstinacy.

Arthur closed his eyes lightly, breathing a sigh of exhaustion and exasperation.

''Arthur, I'm sorry I can not give you want you want. I think it's time you move on.'' She told him, as much as it would pain her.

Arthur scoffed, opening his eyes. ''That is unlikely to happen.''

Evangeline shook her head, clenching her jaw. ''You must!''

Though all Arthur could do was smile. He knew that would never occur. Even if he wanted it to. He wished she would just love him.

To change the subject of her attempting to convince him to leave and never look back, he asked, ''What's with the skulls?''

He was referring to the human skulls poking out ever so slightly from her walls, they were stuck in hardened cement where the ceiling touched the walls.

She glanced back at them, as if she were so used to them, she had forgotten they were there.

''The bones of our enemies.'' She spoke casually, his attempt to distract her worked.

Arthur rose a brow to their interior design, praying that Camelot and Bernicia never found themselves in a war.

The grotesque macabre style of her chambers was somehow beautiful to him. He felt he was seeing a part of her for the first time. Like she was opening up to him, without realizing it.

Arthur wanted to close the space between the and kiss her full red lips, but he knew he was
pushing his luck already and thought he had better not.

He glanced down, biting his lip to suppress his relentless desire.

''Arthur,'' She got his attention once again, but it only made his strong urge to kiss her more merciless when she spoke his name.

''Please leave? I'll do anything to make you go.'' Evangeline told him desperately, she feared what her Father would do to him if he found him there.

She feared her Father's shame if he ever found out about the two of them and imagining it only made her hate the idea and herself more.

''Kiss me.'' Arthur spoke softly, longingly.

Evangeline glanced up at him, frowning lightly. ''I can't.'' Her tone was faint and sorrowful.

''Come on! Just let go of everything. I know how you feel about me.'' Arthur plead, wishing she would accept him.

''Give it up!''

With her eyes cast down, she sighed, biting those plump lips he has come to adore. ''I can't give it up.''

Her voice was hardly louder than a whisper and it haunted Arthur. He knew why, or at least he thought he did.

He did not understand her, though he yearned to.

''I love you, Evangeline.'' Arthur told her, hoping against hope, that she would at least believe him.

''I wish you didn't.'' She frowned lightly, unable to look into his baby blue eyes.

As much as it pained her, she felt very happy when he had told her that. But, they couldn't be. She knew that.

Arthur frowned, deeply hurt by this.

Though, despite his sorrow, he closed the space between them and embraced her, though she did not embrace him back.

''Just know, my love, that I need you.'' He whispered into her long, raven hair.

She could not suppress the shivers his words had caused her, but what he had said, had also brought her sadness.

''I know it's selfish, but I do. Even one day without the possibility of seeing you would be too much for me to bare.''

''Arthur, please...?'' She sighed, her frown taking over her emerald green eyes.

And just then, the door opened.