[Third Person's PoV]
A hum resonated through the heart of the forest as a woman with long, snow-white hair and enchanting violet eyes tended to exotic plants. She cradled the head of a vibrant flower, bringing it close to take in its fragrance.
Snap
The woman turned slowly toward the sound, her gaze shifting from the flower to the source of the noise. Her expression shifted to one of confusion as she spotted a small boy standing at the edge of her secluded sanctuary.
The boy, no older than five or six, was covered in dirt and mud, his face, hair, and clothes all smeared with grime. Yet, even beneath the layers of filth, his charm was undeniable. His wavy blonde hair, although tangled with twigs and dirt, gleamed faintly in the dappled sunlight. His clear blue eyes, reminiscent of the open sky, shone brightly as he clutched a black kitten with striking purple, slit-like eyes.
Concern clouded the woman's face as she noticed the dried blood and numerous scrapes covering the boy's skin. Rising to her feet, she approached him gently, crouching down to his level. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.
The boy nodded cautiously, wary of the sudden and strange woman in front of him.
"Are you perhaps lost?" She continued to question.
The boy shook his head silently in response.
"No? Are you… running away?" she ventured, raising an eyebrow.
The boy hugged the kitten closer and nodded.
"I see…" she murmured, her tone laced with sympathy. "What's your name? Maybe I can help you."
The boy eyed her warily before replying, "It's rude…"
"Pardon?" she asked, leaning in slightly.
"It's rude to ask for someone's name without introducing yourself first," he stated, his tone cautious.
She chuckled lightly. "You're right. How rude of me. Let's start again. Hello, my name is Merlin. May I ask yours?"
The boy's eyes widened in surprise. "My name… is Arthur," he stammered.
"Arthur, huh?" Merlin smiled warmly. "That's a lovely name."
Arthur held out the kitten in front of him. "This is Cosmo."
"Cosmo?" Merlin echoed, amused as she regarded the kitten.
Arthur nodded earnestly. "His eyes are like the stars. Since they're held within him, he's Cosmo."
Merlin, still smiling, gently shook Cosmo's paw. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cosmo. My name is Merlin."
She stood and extended her hand to Arthur. "Come now, you're filthy and hurt. Let's get you cleaned up and figure out what to do next."
Arthur hesitated before tentatively reaching out to take her hand. "As long as you promise not to fatten me up with sweets and eat me later."
Merlin burst into laughter. "Do I look like I have green skin or live in a house made of candy?" she asked, gesturing to her cozy, flower-adorned home nearby.
Arthur shook his head with a small smile. "I suppose not."
…
Arthur sat down on a wooden chair by the table, his wide eyes darting around the cozy room. Merlin waved her hand in a fluid motion, and the grime, mud, and dried blood that clung to Arthur vanished. The cuts and scrapes on his skin healed instantly, leaving him spotless.
Arthur's face lit up with awe. "You… You just used magic," he whispered, his voice filled with innocent wonder.
Merlin tilted her head slightly, a curious expression on her face. "Yes, and from what I can sense, so can you. In fact, it seems you've used magic quite recently."
Arthur tensed, his body stiffening at her words. "Yeah… but it was accidental—"
Gargle
Arthur blushed faintly, clutching his stomach. "I'm sorry," he murmured, embarrassed.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Merlin said kindly. "I take it you haven't eaten?"
Arthur shook his head, holding Cosmo closer. "Not since yesterday…"
Merlin ruffled his golden hair gently. "Let's fix that. I'll make you something to eat."
A short while later, Merlin set a few plates of food in front of Arthur. "Here you go. Eat up."
"Thank you," Arthur said, his tone sincere. He began cutting the food into small pieces and feeding them to Cosmo. "Here you go, Cosmo~"
"Wait a minute—" Merlin started, but Arthur, anticipating her concern, shook his head.
"I'll be fine. I'll eat once I know Cosmo's had enough. I wouldn't want him to go hungry."
Merlin watched him with a soft smile. Once Cosmo licked Arthur's fingers, signaling he was done, Arthur finally started eating.
"So," Merlin said gently, "care to explain why you're all alone in the middle of the forest? Where's your family?"
Arthur froze, a spoon halfway to his mouth, his cheeks puffed out. He chewed, swallowed, and then smiled, swinging his legs nonchalantly. "They're dead," he said brightly.
Merlin's expression faltered. "Dead?"
"Mmhmm," Arthur hummed as he stuffed more food into his mouth. "Yup. My entire family is dead."
"I'm… I'm so sorry," Merlin said softly.
"Don't be," Arthur replied cheerfully. "There's nothing we can do about it, after all."
Merlin's eyes twitched at his casual tone. Arthur continued, "I mean, there's no reason for you to say you're sorry. You're not the one who killed them… I did."
Merlin's body went rigid. She stared at Arthur, her voice careful. "I'm sorry? What do you mean, you did?"
Arthur swallowed another mouthful of food before replying, "Like I said, there's no reason for you to be sorry. I was the one who killed my family." He continued swinging his legs, seemingly unaffected by his own words.
Merlin's eyebrows knitted together. "If you don't mind me asking, can you tell me what happened? Why do you say you killed your family?"
Arthur considered her for a moment before nodding. "Hmm… you did give me food, so I don't mind telling you. You see, both of my parents were Squibs—born into magical families but unable to use magic. They were kicked out of their families because of it, which is how they found each other."
He paused, his tone steady. "They apparently had a good marriage and loved each other, well that's what my mother used to tell me. Then something unfortunate happened, I was born. The problem was, I didn't look like either of them. My father had brown hair and hazel eyes. My mother had the same. But me? I had blonde hair and blue eyes. My father didn't believe I was his. He thought my mother had cheated on him."
Arthur tugged on his golden hair, his fingers running through the strands as if to prove a point. "See? It's not brown."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "Then my sister was born. She had black hair and blue eyes, just like mine." Arthur's feet swung lightly under the table as he resumed eating, but there was a slight pause in his voice.
"My father… he saw her as the final nail in the coffin. To him, it was proof that my mother had cheated. The resentment he had for her only grew stronger. But they didn't break up. I think they truly loved each other, which might be why my mother stayed, even when he started taking out his anger on us."
A heavy silence fell between them. Arthur filled it with a soft chuckle. "Then I did something stupid. I tried to use magic. I didn't know what I was doing, but I thought if my parents came from magical families, maybe I could, you know, do magic, I didn't know what to expect, but I managed to do it—by accident, really."
He shifted uncomfortably, scratching Cosmo's face. "The problem was, my father appeared right at that moment. He snapped. That was his breaking point. He tried to kill me, screaming that my mother had cheated with someone who could use magic. He couldn't believe it could come from them, being a Squib and all."
Arthur tugged at his shirt collar, trying to reveal the markings his father had definitely left around his neck. "Ah right, you healed me," he suddenly realized, blushing in embarrassment.
Merlin's face was etched with horror.
Arthur coughed softly, pushing through the embarrassment. "My mother heard the noise and tried to stop him. Their fight escalated, spreading through the house. In the kitchen, my father managed to grab a knife and… he slit my mother's throat." Arthur's voice wavered, but he pushed on. "I froze. She was bleeding out right in front of me. My father, seeing me frozen, charged at me with the knife. But then… my sister shoved me out of the way and took the knife herself."
Silence.
Arthur's smile was strained as he continued. "I don't remember much after that. I woke up with the knife in my hands, my father dying on the ground, cursing me. He called me a bastard, said if I hadn't been born, none of it would've happened."
His lips puckered slightly before he chuckled. "I mean, he wasn't wrong. I heard people trying to break down the door. The commotion must've drawn them. So, I ran. I booked it out the back door and into the forest, hoping to lose anyone chasing me."
Merlin sat in stunned silence, tears streaming down her face as Arthur continued to eat and smile brightly. "Look, you don't have to cry. There's a bright side to everything, right? If I hadn't gone into the forest, I wouldn't have met Cosmo. How cool is that? And now I've met a pretty witch who gave me delicious food!"
Merlin couldn't hold back any longer. She sat beside him and pulled him into a tight hug. "You don't have to pretend, Arthur. I know you're hurting. Please, stop pretending you're fine," she sobbed.
Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head. When Merlin pulled back, she saw tears streaming down his face, even as he continued to smile brightly. "Sorry. I can't do that. Pretending is the only thing I know how to do."
Merlin sobbed harder, holding him close. She cried for the both of them, for the tears Arthur refused to acknowledge, and for the pain he bore alone.
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