Little Runaway | Arthur/Gwen, Merlin | G (part 1 of 2)
"What are you doing here?" Arthur crouched down to be on eye level with the person he had just discovered hiding behind his and Guinevere's changing screen.
Delyth gripped her favorite blanket tighter to her chest. "I'm running away," she announced, her small voice quivering with the same resolve that shone in her bright blue eyes.
Arthur's eyebrows rose. "I see. And, um, do your parents know about this?"
Her lower lip wibbled as she glanced off to the side. "No..."
He gave her a gentle smile. "Don't you think they'll be worried when they can't find you?"
"Arthur?" Gwen came into the room then, calling when she did not immediately spot him.
"Over here." He kept his voice low, not wanting to upset the child any more than she already was.
"What are you--? Oh. Hello, Delyth." Reading that the situation called for calmness, she copied Arthur's tone, even as she shot him a curious look.
"It seems we have a runaway," he explained.
"Oh, dear." Arthur rose and made room for Guinevere, who held out a hand for the little girl. "Why don't you come out here, we'll sit down, and you can tell us all about it?"
After a hesitation, Delyth took Gwen's hand, clutching her blanket as she let the queen lead her into the room. Figuring it for the most comforting place to sit, Gwen sat on the edge of the bed, and lifted Delyth to sit with her. Arthur pulled over his favorite chair.
"So, what's going on?" Gwen asked.
Delyth drew a shaky breath. "I wanted to climb the dragon, but Papa said I had to ask Mama, and she said no, so he said no, too."
Arthur did his best to keep his voice gentle. "And, you felt the answer was to run away?" Guinevere shot him a warning look, but he truly did not follow.
With a sniffle, Delyth said, "They never let me climb the dragon, even though Papa's the dragonlord."
Gwen smoothed down one of the girl's long, dark curls. "Have they ever told you why?"
At first, the six-year-old seemed to consider whether or not to answer. "Mama says I could fall and get hurt. But, they could both fix me if I did," she pouted.
Arthur and Gwen met one another's gazes. "They do not want you to get hurt in the first place," Gwen said.
"And, not everything can be fixed," Arthur added softly. Gwen gave him a wistful hint of a smile.
"Kilgharrah won't let me get hurt," Delyth argued.
"Not even dragons can keep all bad things from happening," Gwen said.
Delyth frowned as she thought that over. "I thought maybe they said, 'No,' 'cause I'm a girl, so I won't be a dragonlord."
"I'm sure that has nothing to do with it," Gwen replied soothingly.
Biting her lip, Delyth said hesitantly, "They're going to be angry at me for running away."
Arthur could not imagine Merlin being actively angry at any of his children and started to say so, but was interrupted by a rapid knock at the door.
"What are you doing here?" Arthur crouched down to be on eye level with the person he had just discovered hiding behind his and Guinevere's changing screen.
Delyth gripped her favorite blanket tighter to her chest. "I'm running away," she announced, her small voice quivering with the same resolve that shone in her bright blue eyes.
Arthur's eyebrows rose. "I see. And, um, do your parents know about this?"
Her lower lip wibbled as she glanced off to the side. "No..."
He gave her a gentle smile. "Don't you think they'll be worried when they can't find you?"
"Arthur?" Gwen came into the room then, calling when she did not immediately spot him.
"Over here." He kept his voice low, not wanting to upset the child any more than she already was.
"What are you--? Oh. Hello, Delyth." Reading that the situation called for calmness, she copied Arthur's tone, even as she shot him a curious look.
"It seems we have a runaway," he explained.
"Oh, dear." Arthur rose and made room for Guinevere, who held out a hand for the little girl. "Why don't you come out here, we'll sit down, and you can tell us all about it?"
After a hesitation, Delyth took Gwen's hand, clutching her blanket as she let the queen lead her into the room. Figuring it for the most comforting place to sit, Gwen sat on the edge of the bed, and lifted Delyth to sit with her. Arthur pulled over his favorite chair.
"So, what's going on?" Gwen asked.
Delyth drew a shaky breath. "I wanted to climb the dragon, but Papa said I had to ask Mama, and she said no, so he said no, too."
Arthur did his best to keep his voice gentle. "And, you felt the answer was to run away?" Guinevere shot him a warning look, but he truly did not follow.
With a sniffle, Delyth said, "They never let me climb the dragon, even though Papa's the dragonlord."
Gwen smoothed down one of the girl's long, dark curls. "Have they ever told you why?"
At first, the six-year-old seemed to consider whether or not to answer. "Mama says I could fall and get hurt. But, they could both fix me if I did," she pouted.
Arthur and Gwen met one another's gazes. "They do not want you to get hurt in the first place," Gwen said.
"And, not everything can be fixed," Arthur added softly. Gwen gave him a wistful hint of a smile.
"Kilgharrah won't let me get hurt," Delyth argued.
"Not even dragons can keep all bad things from happening," Gwen said.
Delyth frowned as she thought that over. "I thought maybe they said, 'No,' 'cause I'm a girl, so I won't be a dragonlord."
"I'm sure that has nothing to do with it," Gwen replied soothingly.
Biting her lip, Delyth said hesitantly, "They're going to be angry at me for running away."
Arthur could not imagine Merlin being actively angry at any of his children and started to say so, but was interrupted by a rapid knock at the door.
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