Burns Too Bright, Lives Too Fast

It had gotten increasingly harder to escape the castle now that spring approached. There were preparations to be done, last rations to be distributed carefully so that everyone would have enough, farmers to protect. It was exhausting, was what it was, and Arthur relished the chance to get out for a ride.

Eventually he made it back here, to his usual spot deep in the forest by a small brook. He got off his horse and sat down on the pebbles by the river, breathing in the air.

A little peace and quiet.

It took him about fifteen minutes to get terribly sick of it, which was when he flipped open his phone and started calling numbers. Really, Merlin's magic held up surprisingly well with these things.

[[ open for phone calls, etc. ]]

The discovery of Morgana's magic, three witch trials in a row, and his birthday only a scant few days away. Arthur had had a lot on his mind of late, and while the occasional distraction managed to keep the worst of his moods at bay, it still left him feeling uneasy. Avoidant, even, of anything to do with Fandom, which was just one of many things he hadn't told his father.

He knew he shouldn't feel this torn, especially since he considered his own moral stance to be right on this matter, but at the same time, it was his father. He'd sworn fealty, and he--

He was getting a headache.

That Saturday morning - at least that's what it was in Fandom time, not that he knew - he finally rode out into the woods until he'd reached the most hidden heart of them. He stopped there, and took out his phone, and placed a few calls, hoping they'd... settle something.

He wasn't sure.

[[ open for calls and/or he who also lives in Camelot. ]]

After the feasts of a few weeks back, Arthur had fallen into the routine he preferred above all. Training, training, and more training, interspersed with some talks about minor adjustments in grain dispersion and the occasional audience for the public, as well as the odd hunt.

But he was hunting for something else today; he was hunting for contact with Fandom, or rather, his friends both on and off it.

As it turned out, having his old routine back made his thoughts about the island far kinder than they used to be.

[[ for phone calls, yes! ]]