#open.

“Anybody need a hug? Let’s spread some love around here!

arthur had long since learned that desire was best kept concealed. to bury it beneath discipline, because a prince who reached for anything he wanted, like his brother, was a liability to the crown. a prince who buried his wants in the name of duty, however, became somewhat indispensable. he knew what this country needed, the kind of leadership, and it wasn't edmund.

she had been promised to edmund before arthur had ever met her. when she had arrived at court, a future queen, arthur had paid little attention to the excitement surrounding her arrival. that was, until, he had met her. it hadn't taken much - a single smile and arthur had been caught entirely off guard. all his opinions about burying desire and remaining disciplined now seemed rather silly. he hadn't known desire until then, and he had coveted her since that very moment. but she was not for him so arthur made sure to keep his distance, to admire from afar. watched as edmund neglected her - though charming when he wanted to be, his brother's attention wandered easily, but she never complained.

the library had always been arthur's refuge. it was one of the few places within the palace that was always quiet. silence was expected here rather than seeming awkward, and conversations could be had without an audience, which was precisely why he had come, seeking a moment of solitude away from endless council meetings about his brother's latest indiscretion. he hadn't expected to find her there, balanced upon the rung of a small ladder, her brow furrowed in concentration. arthur cleared his throat to announce his presence so as not to startle her. "need some help?"

edmund had once believed those who suggested that affection could be directed and trained towards the most suitable match. that was, after all, exactly how his parents had fallen in love. foolish perhaps, for him to believe that without having ever experienced it himself. it wasn't until princesses started arriving at court with their flawless manners and immense dowries that edmund realised he had been misled. every conversation felt rehearsed, every laugh forced. he found them predictable, boring, and his interest in finding a wife dwindled. was it any wonder that his attention had strayed? for weeks now, his interest had been focused on a lady-in-waiting to one of his sisters. it was a thoroughly inconvenient fascination in that she carried no political weight and, as his tutors and councillors and his father all loved to remind him, a future king did not marry for love, and they would sooner accept a foreign alliance than an unsuitable match. these were, however, reminders that fell on deaf ears. edmund paid no heed to them. he would be king one day, and he would do as he pleased.

edmund spotted her long before she noticed him. he was hidden in the shadows of an archway and she was across the courtyard, balancing an armful of what looked like neatly folded silks. he watched as she drew closer, oblivious to his presence, and when she was within arms reach, he started forward and purposefully bumped into her, just hard enough to knock the silks out of her arms so that he had an excuse to help her pick them up. "my apologies," he kneeled to her level, inwardly amused at how horrified certain members of the court would be if they could see him now. "here, let me help you."

aveline had always known her fate. her parents had betrothed her to the crown prince, now king, long before she had any understanding of what that meant, the agreement between the kingdoms having been signed and sealed with wax all before she had turned 6 years old. she had never questioned it until she had realised that, if not for the birth of her younger brother, she would be first in the line of succession and her father's throne would one day be hers. she would be queen in her own right and free to marry whomever she wished. most importantly, she would not have been shipped off to a far away kingdom where she knew not the people nor the customs.

the king was not cruel as she had spent the entire journey imagining. he was courteous when the situation demanded it, unfailingly polite before the court, but otherwise indifferent towards her. he would occasionally visit her bedchambers in his attempt to produce an heir - an attempt that had thus far been unsuccessful - but beyond that, they barely interacted. aveline told herself that she ought to be grateful for the freedom his indifference afforded her, but she was quite lonely. she often found herself wandering aimlessly. today, she had wandered further into the palace gardens than intended, mostly because she could not bear another afternoon of needlework. she enjoyed trailing through the immaculately clipped hedges and admiring the climbing roses so much so that she scarcely noticed the armoured figure standing near the stone fountain until avoice interrupted her thoughts. your majesty. a respectful enough greeting but it startled her all the same. she turned sharply, finding one of her husband's knights inclining his head towards her, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword. he was unfamiliar to her, but so were most people here. "i didn't realise anyone else came to this part of the gardens," she replied coldly, her tone almost accusatory in her irritation at being disturbed.