A Little Competition (Arthur)

[kinguthersqueen]

Day Four, Morning

The festival had been going quite well thus far, and although things had not been completely smooth, few events ever were, everyone seemed relatively at ease, enjoying themselves. There were some problems with thieves making their presence known, and there had been a few arrests, but thus far, nothing major had occured.

This was the fourth day of the festival, and Uther had anticipated the hunting contest being one of the events that would be highly competitive among the nobles and knights, most of them eager to show their superiority and adeptness. This was one of the rare times commoners were allowed to hunt as well, and there was a bit of discontent about it from time to time.

It was expected that the king and prince would take part in the event, and Uther could detect a bit of friendly competitiveness in Arthur, something he'd fully expected. Of course, with that clumsy boy Merlin stumbling about and making such a racket, if Arthur's frequent complaints were true, the prince would be lucky to catch anything. Uther was certain this would prove to be an interesting day.

[Arthur Pendragon]

The festival was a rather great success. And it was still continuing, with the presence of many nobles from several kingdoms. And the most surprising thing . . . no magic. No sorcery had struck them so far and this was very refreshing indeed. People were enjoying the festivities, games, competitions, feasts, etc. And today, would prove to be very interesting with the hunting competition. It was very early in the morning and Arthur was glad in his regular hunting attire. A vest, shirt, boots, and pants. No armor of any sword. It was difficult to sneak up on prey when dressed in such heavy metal.

He held his gloves in his hand as he saw his father in the distance, standing alone, also preparing for the hunt. Of course, as they were the hosts of this entire event, it was up to them to ensure that all the necessary preparations were made and that everything went smoothly. "I hope you aren't too rusty father," Arthur lightly teased, implying that his father had not hunt for a while and therefore, may not be as keen as he once was. Of course, it was only teasing. He knew his father displayed strong skills; far too strong to have completely disappeared. "If you need any tips or helpful reminders, you can always ask me." He added jokingly, with a bit of a smug grin.

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther replied with a chuckle. It was not unlike his son to rib him about his skill or say that he was getting old. It reminded him of the other conversation, about his footwork. His body might be aging, but he was still at least somewhat able, and could more than hold his own in a lot of pursuits.He enjoyed the chance to show that he was still strong and capable, and would have readily joined in on some of the tourney events except for the fact that he'd probably have people letting him win because of who he was. Plus, he was expected to be in his place in the box, observing the events from the stands. He took the ribbing from Arthur good naturedly, and knew he could return some of his own.

"I might still well surprise you. My years may be increasing, but I am not completely incapacitated yet. Besides, you are not without your own challenges. I've often heard you complain about your servant and all the noise he makes. He'll give you a challenge, I fear. We shall see who comes out ahead in the end."

[Arthur Pendragon]

Oh damn. His father was right. Merlin still had a lot to learn about hunting and creeping up on prey. Yet, he seemed to get into his bedroom and sneak under his bed without the slightest sound. Well, that was rather disturbing indeed. Arthur just chuckled a bit. He enjoyed this side to his father. The side that allowed the King to relax, and not feel the pressures and stresses -- though Arthur knew that such things were never fully void from his mind. At least he could have a bit of fun, enjoy the festivities to his maximum potential. It made Arthur constantly wonder about just how different he would be when he became king. He would without a doubt, have to be far more serious than he was now . . . or maybe not.

"Your right father," he said with an exaggerated pensive expression. "Which is why, I offer Merlin's assistance to you for the duration of the hunting competition. He can carry whatever you need and I'm sure will be a great help." Arthur was of course kidding. He knew his father was not a big fan of Merlin -- even if he had been the one to appoint him as Arthur's personal servant in the first place. The King considered servants to be disposable, easily replaceable, and Arthur was slowly learning how untrue that was. First with Merlin. Now with Guinevère. "With him out of the way, my only challenge will be slowing down a bit so that I don't wound your pride too badly," he added, once again, in a kidding manner.