Title: Magic Words
Genre: Romance / History
Rating: T
Pairing: Merlin x Arthur
Spoilers: N/A
Summary: And they shall be among the people and they shall speak truths and whisper secrets. And thou shall know them by their craft… Thou shall not suffer a witch to live.
Word Count: 462
Warnings: AU
Disclaimer: Not mine. Summary from the Bible?
A/N: As someone obsessed with the Salem Witch Trials, this needed to happen.
Arthur Pendragon shook his head from the back of the church as he watched Samuel Parris make his sermon. The fact that he could not see or feel the unrest of his congregation spoke volumes as to whether or not he should actually hold this position.
Several weeks ago, the people of Salem had come together and decided to stop paying his wages (no doubt due to the new editions to the church – a set of solid gold candlesticks) because they felt he was using their money for superfluous goods. He had not taken it well. Calling them greedy, sinful, un-Puritan. They would let the Devil in with their wicked ways.
Understandably, it was not going well.
In the front row, sat the good reverend's family: his dainty, doe-faced little wife, Elizabeth, and their three children, Thomas, Betty, and Susannah. The youngest was barely out of childhood. All four of them were perfectly dressed and coifed, the perfect Puritan family, hands folded stilly in their laps, looking up at their father and husband, nodding along with his preaching as if they agreed with every word.
Of the remainder of the congregation, much of them were shifting uncomfortably in their seats, glancing from side to side at each other. Many of them were frowning.
Arthur could see the unease in the room. He could see the tensions rising, the moods shifting. These people were a powder keg about to explode. When he had traveled here from England to issue their new charter, Arthur had not expected so much unrest. It seemed as if the Salem colony wasn't doing as well as anticipated.
He could see the conflict stirring. With half of the townspeople against Parris' words, and the other half agreeing with him, the only thing that could unite the town would be some sort of catastrophe. Or Parris' removal.
Movement in the upper balcony caught his eyes, and Arthur glanced up instinctively. A young man was leaning against the railing, nonchalant and elegantly graceless. Coal black hair was tousled as if hands were run continuously through it. Arthur couldn't see his eyes from this distance, but he could see they were starting at Parris intently, and frowning.
As he watched, the young man turned his head, eyes boring into Arthur's for one long moment, before turning and vanishing into the shadows.