England

I COULDN'T help it; I was excited that Arthur had asked me to walk with him.

The problem is I didn't know exactly why he had asked me.

Well, I did, but I wanted to believe he had meant something more when he had asked me to take a walk with him.

I sighed as a maid took my measurements for the new wardrobe I would be receiving. I was to only have one male outfit in my entire closet, and the staff wanted to make sure all of the dresses I was to wear would be fitted to my figure. They wanted to make sure my closet was benefiting of a queen.

It was all part of the plan for when I would tell my kingdom of my true gender.

Finally, after what felt like hours of being measured, the maid placed the bit of fabric she had been using into her bag and left the room silently. I slid out of the modest dressing gown I had worn for the measurements and walked into my closet, taking in the numerous outfits of a man. 

Would it be possible that I would have to dress as a man in the gardens? I would certainly have to think less on the matter of the clothing I wore.

I sighed, knowing I would never allow myself to wear anything of the sort around the palace, unless visiting dignitaries were to arrive before the coronation.

I walked through my closet, shifting through the garments, before settling on one and calling for a maid to help me dress. 

Alfred had insisted I begin to rely on the staff more, now that I was to take up permanent residence.

The lady's maid came rushing through the door, her face flushed a bright red.

"Your Majesty," she said, curtsying low, before she came to take the blue dress I had chosen out of my hands.

"Hello!" I greeted cheerfully, allowing the maid to help me step into the dress. With gentle hands, she secured the garment on my body and moved to allow me to sit down so that she could do my hair.

"What do you wish to wear for your hair today, Majesty?" the girl asked, pulling pins and clips and brushes out of the drawers.

"I'm not quite sure," I said, trying to sound friendly. "How about you choose?"

The maid looked taken aback, but nodded just the same. "Of course, my lady."

I sighed at the use of a title before closing my eyes and allowing her to work on my hair. I appreciated that someone else, who certainly was able to do hair was working on my head. My head would certainly look better than whatever ugliness I could have styled.

The maid poked and prodded my head, setting strands of hair every which way before she stepped away to grab a clip. After she was done, she made a noise of acknowledgement and stepped back, allowing me to look into the mirror at her handy work.

I gasped in surprise, shocked at how my blonde hair had been transformed. 

Strands of hair floated around my head, framing my face, while the rest of my hair was pulled back into an intricate bun with a braid woven around its base.

I touched the updo gingerly, and smiled at the maid. "You did a wonderful job. May I have your name so you can be put in as my lady's maid full time?"

The maid stood rooted in place, a faint blush coming over her cheeks. "Of course, my lady. I am Rose."

"Oh, nonsense," I said with a smile. "Now that you are to be my lady's maid, you may call me by my real name. I am Lyra." I winked at the befuddled maid and turned to the mirror once again.

"Thank you, my la-" I cut her off by meeting her gaze in the mirror. "Lyra," she amended with a smile, before sweeping out of the room.

I smiled to myself before standing and walking to the door. It had to be about four by now, and so I set off towards the gardens, trying not to smile to brightly.

One must never seem overeager to meet anyone; that gives them the power in the exchange.

I walked through the corridors of the castle, observing the beautiful filigree adorning the tops of the walls, right where they joined the ceiling.

I had never been surrounded in such finery before moving to the castle, and I doubted I would ever become accustomed to it.

When I reached the lush royal gardens, I had to stop for a moment to take it all in. As it was the middle of Summer, the flowers were all in full bloom. Fragrant roses dotted thorned bushes and delicate lilacs blossomed right next to them. There were hibiscus flowers in the trees and small dandelions sprouting along the edges of the planter boxes.

Overall, the gardeners were doing great work. I would have to remember to meet them, to tell them of their good work.

Arthur was pacing nervously at the beginning of the large hedge maze that took up the center of the garden. It seemed that he was mumbling to himself under his breath, and he wiggled his fingers as if to mimic the action of producing magic.

A small grin came to my mouth, and I held it there as I approached the bemused apprentice. 

"Lovely day, isn't it?" I remarked, having walked close enough to Arthur that we could begin a conversation. 

Arthur looked up, his eyes widening, before slipping something into the pocket of his trousers. He then turned his full attention to me, seemingly surprised to see me.

"Majesty," he greeted, not taking more than a few seconds to gather himself. The demeanor of the magician was back, and he met my grin with one of his own.

"We're long past formalities, Arthur. You are Merlin's apprentice, and by association, one of my advisors. You may call me by my name," I attempted to sound regal, imposing, but instead I ended up giggling after I finished my speech. It sounded so obnoxious out loud.

"Alright, Lyra," Arthur amended with a teasing smile, laughing with me. "Shall we?"

I took Arthur's outstretched arm and we began walking the dirt paths through the garden, finding odd conversation topics out of nowhere. One moment, we would be talking about my greatest hopes from being queen, and the next we were talking about his village, his family.

The afternoon passed in a blur, and I delighted in every second. When the bell tower chimed six o'clock, Arthur led me back to the castle doors.

"I need to stay out here a little longer, but you should go inside. I don't want to take up too much of your time," he said with a wink, and I was breathless. His blue eyes shone in the sunlight, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was possible to drown in them.

I hoped not, for that would lead to trouble.

And trouble was the last thing I needed right now.

"How generous," I murmured, watching him bend to sweep his lips lightly over my knuckles before releasing my hand.

Butterflies found a home in my stomach, and I again wondered how on Earth I was this effected.

The feeling was new and unexpected.

I loved it.

I HUMMED an old lullaby Grummore had taught me as Rose chose an evening gown and did my hair. I placed my trust fully in the capable maid, feeling justified after I saw what she had done for my appearance earlier.

I wore a deep green gown that gently swept the floor, and beads of gold dotted my earlobes. A necklace of similar simplicity was suspended on my collarbone, and my lips were slightly redder than they had been when I had sat down in front of the mirror. Rose had chosen to pull my bangs back into a tight bun, leaving the rest of my hair free.

I had never felt more beautiful in my entire life.

"Rose," I breathed, spinning in front of the mirror. "You've outdone yourself."

She smiled faintly, pleased with the praise. "Of course, Lyra. It is my duty to serve you."

"Oh, nonsense. You are my friend, who happens to have a wonderful eye for my clothing."

"Thank you," Rose said, ducking her head. She was shy in front of me, but I could tell she was warming up. Perhaps in a couple of days we would be able to hold a real conversation.

I decided I would rather like that, and I smiled kindly at Rose again.

After dismissing the flustered maid, I took a moment to look at myself a little more. I didn't consider myself vain, but I was acting it, the way I stared into my own blue eyes through the mirror.

When I was satisfied, I turned to the door and headed down the corridor, excited about the prospect of seeing Arthur again.

I doubted I would even mind Merlin's banter, should he choose to continue with his wizened old man act tonight.

I sighed happily, and could barely contain myself as I walked through the door, completely forgetting to be announced. 

Word Count: 1585

Total Word Count: 14338

I have decided to go with the flow word count wise per chapter. I don't want this book to feel forced, and I'm excited about some of the future details I'm ironing out. Hopefully you still talk to me once they're released 😏🤭

Thank you so much for reading! (And thank you for waiting patiently for this update!)

CJ