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17% Sword in Stone / Chapter 17: Ripping the band aid off

บท 17: Ripping the band aid off

Artie opened her eyes, opened her mouth, and hesitated for a second before she spoke. 

"You aren't unattractive, Sir Gaheris, Sir Geraint. In fact, none of the knights I've met from the round table have been unattractive. I'm just not the kind of person who lets that affect the way I respond to others. Sure, I notice if others are appealing, but I'm usually busy with work. Hell, I'm usually too busy to date, let alone form relationships with others." She exhaled sharply, while the knights around her stared at her in silence. "Fuck! This was supposed to be a managering kind of thing, not a fucking dating sim!" Sir Percy was giggling again, and shoved Sir Lancelot's hand off of his mouth. 

"Sire has a foul mouth, doesn't she?" Artie gave Sir Percy a look as she tried to compose herself. 

"Sir Percy, I believe I made it clear that my previous profession was similar to a knight, right? How the hell did you think I wasn't going to have a foul mouth? Did you think they all held their tongue around me to protect my sensibilities? Most women actually are the most foul mouthed people I've ever met, they just hide it not to shock you." He chuckled, grinning from ear to ear. 

"What's a dating sim?" Sir Lancelot asked, confused. 

"Fuck. I was hoping you were going to ignore that." She muttered under her breath and she swore everyone fought smiles. "We need to keep moving now that we've gone over whatever the fuck that was. I'll try to explain the concept as we're moving, even if I want to do anything but that." Sir Lancelot double checked that Artie was okay before he took the lead again. Artie stalled for time, but the curious gazes from all four men finally got to her and she sighed. Her and her big fucking mouth. "So, you understand the concept of dating, right? Going out, hanging out with others you have romantic feelings for?" 

"Of course." Sir Geraint spoke for the group. 

"A dating sim is, well, first, I'll explain what sim means. Sim is short for simulation. It's…a fake situation. Like a story, only you actively participate in the story. Simulations can be many different things, and not just related to dating. You can have a story where you pretend to be a farmer, or a knight, or royalty or a peasant or even fay." 

"Wow. That's very interesting. The person who creates these stories must be very creative." She nodded in agreement. Artie wasn't going to really correct them on that idea. 

"Yup. I would say most times a group of people make up the simulations, so that they can make the best stories possible." She sighed. "Any of the concepts I just mentioned could be dating sims. It just takes the base premise, like, a farming sim, and throws in characters that you could date in that simulation." Sir Percy smirked. 

"So you didn't have time to date real people, so you dated stories instead?" Artie felt her cheeks flush. 

"I did not play-I did not participate in these stories often, and rarely of my own choosing. My…friend was fond of them, so I usually watched her go through the stories." Sir Gaheris approached Artie on the other side of her, so she was flanked by two men. His blue eyes were laughing. 

"I take it since these are stories, they could be more than just dating?" Artie knew she was blushing at his implications, and she cleared her throat, even as Percy's smirk grew naughty. 

"The ones aimed at mostly men were very sexual, while most of the ones aimed at women would usually fade to black at those scenes, but yes, they still had them." He smirked at the colour she was turning. 

"Our Sire is very cute when she's flustered. What scenes are you referring to?" He teased, and she glared at him while he laughed. 

"Most dating sims are raunchy, dirty, perverse games. Normal people would blush at even some of the premises of these games." Artie sighed, tired already. 

"Are you not most people, Sire?" Percy teased from her other side, and Artie ran her hand over her hair, forgetting the girls had put it up. She frowned. 

"Well, if I'm honest, I usually only played them to feel something." The teasing atmosphere got stuffy in an instant at her words. "Even the worst scenes didn't have as much of an impact compared to what I witnessed in my everyday life." Sir Lancelot glanced back at her, to find her eyes had a faraway sheen over them. "I knew that participating in these stories would be better for me than finding some random person and using them to feel something. After what I would see at work, that kind of treatment didn't sit well with me." Sir Lancelot's gaze, when it met Artie's, held sympathy. 

"Forgive me for saying so, but maybe it was the right time for you to take leave from your line of work." Artie chuckled, not disagreeing with him. It had been taking a toll on her. She'd gone into sex crimes because she knew that they weren't taken as seriously as they should, but they had left her with a lot of trauma in the end. Especially when minors had been involved. 

"There was a reason I was trying to be a desk jockey, Sir Lancelot. It meant that I could attempt to gather myself back up, try to find myself again. Try to make sure that what I went through didn't happen to the rest of my men, and also be there when it did. Apparently, that was supposed to happen. The Captain had been training me, aiming for me to take over for him in a few years if Ginnie hadn't-" Artie cut off, jerking in her steps as her name escaped her lips. Artie couldn't stop herself from nearly collapsing to the ground, Sir Percy helping her to the ground so she didn't hurt herself or the sword. Artie's gaze was blank, unfocused as she stared at the tiles. She could feel the tears beginning to well in her eyes as the panic and pain began to settle in. When she had been coming face to face with death, it had been easy to deal with. Now that she had survived, and was supposedly, thriving, she was conflicted. So many emotions filled her, and she had to remind herself to breathe. No, someone else was ordering her to. She sucked in, and in and in, until her lungs felt full to bursting, before she released the air. She coughed, her lips trembling and she raised her hand there, her other going to her wound. No, she couldn't do this right now. She had so many other things she needed to do. This could wait. She could always wait. She was patient, she was smart, she was a good girl. She wasn't going to get in the other's way, especially now. They had just lost her King, and what had she lost? She had already known it was over. The knife just had a final tone to it. 

Her heart protested, angry that she was shoving her emotions aside, again. It screamed and screamed, furious that someone who she had trusted, someone she had loved, who she had built a home with, had betrayed her in the most horrendous way someone could. Not only had they taken her new home away from her, but they had then taken her trust, her love, her kindness, and then ultimately, her life. Without a single ounce of remorse. It was a crime, a sin that Ginnie was going to bear for the rest of her life. Who was going to stand up for her now that no one knew what she had done? Who was going to mourn her? 

No, Artie, you can't be weak. Do not fall down that rabbit hole. You are strong, you can get through this. You've gotten through worse.

Even as Artie told herself that, she wondered if that was even true. Who was she trying to fool? 

"Sire? Sire! Are you alright?" Lancelot's panicked voice finally broke through the haze that was filling her mind, and her lungs. She sucked in deeply, the screaming from her body silencing once she began breathing again. It took her a few more breaths before she had herself under control again. Her body was shaking, trembling, and Artie realised that she had worked herself into a full blown panic attack. She didn't have time for it, and slowly, she managed to control her finer functions better. 

"I-I'll be fine." Artie managed to get out before pulling herself up to her feet without their help, even as their hands hovered, ready to catch her. She would have smiled under any other circumstances at being treated so delicately. But she understood. She was in pain, but the pain in her midsection was nothing compared to the pain she felt in her soul. "I'll be fine." She stated firmly, and she stared each of them down, daring them to counter. 

"Her name was Ginnie?" Lancelot asked quietly, and she flinched. He couldn't have made her jerk more even if he had punched her. All of the men had sympathetic looks in their eyes. Artie sighed. She could tell what they were thinking, and she needed to deny it. 

"We weren't-" She cut off. The look in Sir Percy's, and even Sir Lancelot's eyes telling her that they weren't going to buy it. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't get stabbed by someone I was sleeping with. She was like family, a sister." The words sounded hollow, even to her. Sir Percy hid a cough behind his hand and she shot a glare in his direction. "There wasn't anything between us." The pain she felt in her chest at those words had Artie rubbing her chest, without her knowledge. 

"If there wasn't anything between you two, why did she try to kill you then? Love and hate are very similar emotions." It was Sir Geraint who spoke and Artie glared off into the distance. 

"We weren't lovers." She reaffirmed, before marching down the hallway, escaping. Sir Lancelot rushed to catch up, leading her in the right direction before she lost her way. Sir Percy was the first to break the tense silence. 

"You know two women can't create an heir, right?" She scoffed. 

"Neither can two men." He chuckled lightly. 

"Sire, do you prefer women to men?" He asked, and she shrugged. 

"Doesn't really matter to me. I didn't-I wasn't around her because she was a woman. I was around her because she felt safe. Honestly, there were men I worked with who gave me similar feelings, but they entered relationships while we worked together so I didn't think anything of it. I was a busy woman. Still am." Percy kept pace with her while the other two knights hung back, but with big ears. 

"We won't tell anyone if you don't want us to, Sire. Merlin of course, has to know, and probably already knows, but no one else needs to. We'll say your sister betrayed you to the public. They'll believe it." Artie couldn't help it. As much as she denied it, the seed of hatred she had for her bubbled up and she rolled her eyes, snorting.

"Oh yes, because she had sisterly feelings for me." The words that came out of her were coated with bitterness. Percy watched her face, her expression, his face awash with concern. 

"You weren't…you didn't start the relationship?" He seemed confused, or at the very least, quizzical. 

"No, she did. She kissed me first." She agreed grimly. "I was actually going to end our relationship that day. I already had." Sir Percy kept most of his emotions inside, but his eyes were awash with them. 

"Something happened." He stated, and Artie continued to follow Sir Lancelot, her hands clenched tightly. Speaking of this, even if it had been over a week for everyone else, felt like it had only happened yesterday.

"I had some of my men come forward with evidence that they had spotted her with another man. I trusted them, but they weren't stupid enough to not come forward with physical proof. They had everything, date, time, who it was, the whole thing." She chuckled, shaking her head. "And you wanna know the worst part? It was a man I used to know, who I had dated in my younger years, who I was also chasing for some very serious crimes. Turns out, I was right to be worried. They'd been seeing each other the whole fucking time, even while I dated him back in the day. They were going to try to use me in some way, but I never got the details. I ended it before I did, and then she stabbed me, and here we are." Percy swore before he jerked Artie to a stop and hugged her tightly, making sure not to hurt her wound. 

"Fuck. Sire, I am so sorry." Artie felt her eyes water again. She'd pushed this all away while trying to deal with the stress of the situation, but it was like they'd ripped the band aid off. She wrapped her arms around Percy and held him like a lifeline. She held her tears in, because she really didn't want to get yelled at by Moira. It felt good to be held. She'd been avoiding physical contact because she didn't want it, didn't think she needed it. But it was clear, she was wrong. Sir Percy's arms around her were enough to prove her a liar, especially since she clung to him.


ความคิดของผู้สร้าง
CalyB CalyB

Artie kind of acknowledged that she had some shit she needs to deal with. Too bad she won't actually do that.

บท 18: A plan to look after a King

Eventually, she let him go and he cupped her face in his palm. His brown eyes were soft, but serious. "Sire, once this is all over, maybe before you're crowned and everything picks up again, we are going on an outing out of friendship and you are getting black out drunk. It'll be great, and you can tell me all about it. Maybe I'll invite Sir Kay, and SIr Tristan, since Tristan is a great musician, and we'll have a gay time. Forget about them. They can't hurt you here." She smiled weakly before nodding. 

"I also promised to be a wingman for Sir Lancelot at a pub at some point." He chuckled, still cupping her face. 

"The King? As a wingman? Lucky guy." She sniffed. 

"I'll purposefully look bad at any game just to prop him up. It should work. I was always good at getting others together." Sir Percy watched her. 

"I don't doubt it." She didn't like what Sir Percy was seeing in her, so she broke contact with him, and turned her gaze away as well. He smirked.

"Alright, we should brighten up. Merlin has to be around the corner here somewhere with Lady Morgan, and you need to be an overwhelming King." She nodded, before she gave her cheeks a light slap and hyped herself up. Sir Percy watched her, his eyes kind as he looked her over. 

"Alright, let's go!" Sir Percy watched over her as she seemed to work herself up, but in a completely different way from before. This time she seemed to be rallying herself, clearly trying to change her mood. It seemed to be working, and the knights let her wander ahead as they held back to chat since she was going in the right direction. 

"The Sire isn't like Sir Arthur in this sense." Percy murmured to Sir Lancelot, who gave a jerk of his head in response. 

"She bottles everything inside. She admitted it to me earlier too. She never complains I am going too quickly for her wound." Sir Percy nodded. 

"She was conscious the whole time they sewed her back together, and even gave them advice." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "She needs a friend, and I am more than happy to be that, but," he cut off, a frown marring his face. Artie was about to steer off course when Sir Gaheris rushed forward, turning her in the right direction and also engaging her in conversation so the others could continue to discuss Artie in secret. 

"She needs a Queen, and not only that, she needs a Queen who won't betray her. Like Lady Guinevere." Sir Geraint added, and all three sighed. 

"Is there even a man capable of that kind of commitment on the round table? Sir Lancelot, we jest, but your heart is the only one I can think of, and it is promised to another already. She needs someone who will put her first, since she won't do that for herself. She didn't…she wouldn't cry." Sir Percy was passionate about this now that he was out of the running, like a true friend of Artie's. Sir Lancelot's face was grim. 

"I don't know of any knight who could treat her the way she needs without the information we've learned. I know you promised her loosely Percy, but that level, that type of betrayal…it defines a person." He shook his head. "This also happened recently. Her arrival here is tainted by this betrayal. I am worried that this might halt her building connections with the others." The others sighed, nodding in agreement. 

"We will just have to try harder. Those who want to get closer to her, whether it be for romantic pursuits or otherwise should know the truth. The public can know it was a sister, but no one who is actually trying to get to know her. I can begin the tale, sneak out now. I don't think I'll be missed with Gaheris as a distraction. I know a few of the knights will have no interest, but they should still know. You are right when you say that her arrival here has been tainted by this tragedy, but she is now our King. This information could protect her from serious threats." Sir Geraint added, and the two nodded in agreement. 

"A sound plan. I agree with you. Sir Percy and I will do our best to distract her from your absence, and I wish you luck in hunting them all down. I also suspect she might want to call a meeting soon, especially since she is now awake, so pass that along as well." Sir Lancelot's tone was serious as he spoke, and watched as Artie laughed at something Sir Gaheris said and Sir Lancelot shook his head, his face scrunched in pain. "Was it too much to hope for a Camelot not built on pain and betrayal?" He asked and Sir Percy sighed. He nodded to Sir Geraint, sending him on his way as Percy wrapped his arm around the gentle man. 

"It was and is not a bad creed, Sir Lancelot. Our new Sire aside, we cannot control who comes to us. We can, however, make it a safe place just like what Sir Arthur wanted before our new King. I believe the two of them share quite a bit in common." He added and Sir Lancelot's expression didn't clear for a few minutes. 

"She brought him up, you know. Apparently there are quite a few tales about us. Arthur, Lady Guinevere and I." He laughed, and Percy picked up on the bitterness there. "Apparently I will never get the girl, Percy." Percy scoffed. 

"It may be a little rude, since it has only been a little over a fortnight since he passed, but King Arthur is dead. Lady Guinevere's first husband has passed. Is the new Sire planning to keep everything the same?" He asked and Lancelot shook his head. 

"No no, nothing like that. She treats Lady Guinevere very much like a sister. Especially since-'' Lancelot cut off, his face falling into a grim line. He shook off Percy's hold, much to Percy's confusion. "Let's go. We are in a rush." Percy stared after the head knight, shaking his head. 

~

Artie hadn't noticed that the men had a discussion about her since she was busy trying to 'take in the surroundings around her'.That meant she had her eyes fully open when the average size stone hallway led into open air, but this wasn't a courtyard. These were the actual front doors of the castle. She noticed that the castle, at least in the front, wrapped around like two branching arms, providing some covered alleyways for people to use when it rained and the ground became muddy. The area was large in between the two arms, and the air was full of the sounds of animals, humans, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This area had a small set of horse stables,merchants with their stalls, and many others running around to make sure that the castle was running smoothly. Hen and geese clucked and honked in the distance, as well as the sound of children laughing and running around. Artie hadn't heard any of these noises since she had arrived, and she had forgotten that she missed them. She'd always lived in the city prior to this, and granted, it hadn't been too quiet for her, but it was slightly noticeable. These sounds, and these people running around, soothed something inside of her and she sighed, content. Sir Lancelot came to stand beside her. 

"Sire?" He asked, and she chuckled. 

"I'm just taking in the view." She responded, and he could only nod. There was an actual view here, and it was the gates. 

Unlike the rest of the castle, which was mostly stone, the gates themselves were made out of wood. Giant, thick slabs put together and guarded on either side by tall, giant guard towers. It was a very clear show of power, and protection. Artie was fairly certain that the gates were rarely closed, and probably were because she had been asleep. She was awake now, and would quickly make that known so the people could go about their daily lives again. 

Artie stepped forward, onto the uneven ground, and moved towards the slightly taller of the two towers. Merlin had to be there, because there was only one figure on it, and the robes were a little too billowy for another guard. There was only one problem. Each person who saw Artie, and saw the sword at her hip, they would fall to their knees at the sight of her. Artie was doing her best not to flinch at their actions, this was a different time, but she would clench her hands tightly from offering them help up. This was a different time, and they would freak out if she did that. So, only slightly acknowledging them, she made sure she moved briskly towards the base of the tower, noticing a familiar form at the base. Lady Morgan stood in all of her aloof finery, the pearls still placed in her hair, but in different positions. She wanted to ask if she had slept with them in, but knew that would be taken as a slight, not a joke. She kept it to herself. Lady Morgan was doing a great job of trying to look like she actively hated Artie, while also serving her. It was making some of the people around them uncomfortable, so Artie smiled at Lady Morgan, looking genuinely pleased to see her. Lady Morgan openly frowned. 

"You slept quite some time, Sire." Artie couldn't help but smirk at her tone. Lady Morgan kept her hands clasped in front of her. She was an amazing actress. She would have made it big back home. 

"Well, being stabbed through the midsection does that to some people, myself included. How goes it, Lady Morgan?" She asked pleasantly, and Lady Morgan sighed. 

"You'll have to show yourself soon. Merlin has been holding off the crowning ceremony not just for you, but also so the lords can get here in time. He wants to make it a very grand event, with a large party afterwards. It is almost unheard of that the next King wasn't someone close to the previous, so it is taking some time to gather support among the normal lords. Your actions against Lord Byron are winning you some support though. Smart move." Artie hid her smile by turning her head. She was pretty sure she was getting a reading on Lady Morgan now. She was the kind of lady who would say one thing, but mean another, and she wasn't able to offer praise unless there was an insult next to it. Artie quite enjoyed her types, and looked forward to working with her in the future. But, she had some pressing issues and air to clear with her first. It seemed that Lady Guinevere was going to be busy for the time being, with her carrying King Arthur's child and all, and Artie was going to need an ally near her. She also wanted Lady Morgan to be recognised for her hard work. She didn't like how the knights spoke of her, and if they weren't against Artie being on the round table as a sort of knight, shouldn't someone they actually fought with, who had done a lot to get them all here, be on it as well? 

"We need to have a chat, Lady Morgan, and I'm not sure if you're going to like what I have to say, but I do think it needs to be said. Sooner, rather than later. Plus, I need your advice on some things as well." Her eyebrows shot up, clearly not expecting Artie to say something so soon. Artie turned to the…three knights behind her? She only furrowed her brows for a second before turning to Sir Lancelot. "After speaking with Merlin, and potentially the people, I'd like to call all those who are near to the round table. That includes Lady Morgan, since I would like to chat before the meeting, but Lady Guinevere is not to be called. She has a valid excuse, and I've already spoken to her this morning." Lady Morgan was staring at Artie with narrowed eyes, as if she was trying to peer into her mind and see what she was thinking. Artie smiled at her. "Does that sound reasonable, everyone?" Lady Morgan sighed. 

"I am curious to see what you are planning, Sire. Many do not take kindly to my presence." She said it very casually, but there was a bit of bite behind it. Artie's smile didn't falter. 

"And many are not going to take kindly to my own, either. The only thing saving me is Excalibur." She chuckled. "No doubt you understand what that feels like as well." Lady Morgan's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed slightly as Artie's sparkled. 

"I've already told the men you would like to meet with them, and sent off Sir Geraint to see to it." Artie nodded, appreciating Sir Lancelot's foresight. It was nice to know that she had people around her that were looking out for her best interests. 


ความคิดของผู้สร้าง
CalyB CalyB

Just a bunch a boys trying to look after their new boy. It's cute.

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