Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 17

William of Deira was doing surprisingly well in the tournament, one that Miriam watched from the stands with Gwen. But when she returned to Gwen's house to have dinner with Arthur, she'd reached her limit.

"I think I'll have a bath," Arthur said as he stretched out his sore limbs, dirty dishes still on the table.

"I'd like to see how you'll accomplish that seeing as Gwen doesn't have a bathtub," Miriam pointed out, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the cool stove.

"Really?" Arthur asked, confused. "Perhaps you could prepare me a bowl of hot water. I take it Gwen has a bowl."

Miriam scoffed.

"What was that for?" Arthur asked and her electric blue eyes were annoyed as she turned to him.

"Let me ask you something, my prince," she spat and Arthur knew that he'd done something to vex her. "Why are you going through all this trouble to win this tournament?"

"Because I fear people treat me differently because of my title."

Miriam's scoff was smaller this time.

"I doubt that's true of everyone but do you really expect your subjects, who are commoners and poor folk like me, to treat you as if you are anything other than their future king?"

Arthur nodded at her words.

"That's fair enough but, I need to know if I do have the skill and not just a title. So when I win this tournament without my title under the guise of William, if I win this tournament, it will be because I deserve it and not because I am prince Arthur."

Miriam analysed him from her position, her eyes raking him up and down and making him feel oddly vulnerable.

"If only that was your outlook on other matters not concerning your pride," she said nonchalantly.

His brows furrowed as his anger began to boil at her blatant insubordination.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he spat and Miriam rolled her eyes.

"I am here to keep you company out of courtesy for my brother, when for the last two days you've done nothing but order me around. I am not a servant Arthur, I'm a physician's apprentice. Making your food and getting you hot water are not what my job entails. And how can you expect to be treated as more than a prince when you do nothing but act like one? Tell me, Arthur, where do you think I sleep?"

Arthur was at a loss for words.

"Let me show you," she said as she stormed past him and pulled back the curtain that revealed the bedroll she'd left on the floor. "Because you are too arrogant and rude to care about anyone but yourself, I sleep here and you sleep in the only actual bed in this house. And I know that you are accustomed to better luxury but that is no reason to act like the snobbish prat that you are. So, I will go out in the cold and fetch the water from the well on the other side of the town but you can heat it up yourself because afterwards, I'm going back to Gaius' for the night. Farewell, my prince," she said before fastening her black cape around the shoulders of her pale green dress and disappearing out of the door.

And as he was left alone with his thoughts, Arthur realised, that as much as he'd screwed up, he really hated the sound of his title from Miriam's lips.