Hi everyone! I hope you'll enjoy this new story – thank you very much for taking the time to check it out. The first chapters are a bit short but I'll probably update very often: next chapter will be here in two days at the most.
I apologize sincerely if there are any grammatical mistakes :o please feel free to insult me copiously if you find one! :p
Chapter One: The Discovery
His first emotion hadn't been anger, it had been incredulity. Never before had he been thus insulted, and by what was clearly a commoner, no less! A deep satisfaction had then made itself known as he savoured in advance the idea of the boy's face crumbling in mortification as he learnt who he had slighted – only to be promoted from a mere ass to a royal one. A deep smouldering rage engulfed him anew as he mentally replayed the scene and Arthur's fists clenched in his blankets, sending a shot of pain towards his shoulder. Although he had kept his cool then, perfectly acquainted with what maintaining his reputation and image entailed, it had actually been a long time since he had felt such rage.
In truth, being so angry about the incident was nothing short of ridiculous. He had taken his revenge – surely the boy would have been taught his place by a night in the cells and a few hours in the stocks. And yet, there was just something about the blue eyes that had gazed disapprovingly upon him that made him want to scream and hit the nearest wall. This explained why he was currently lying on his bed instead of doing something productive, although it wasn't even dark out yet. With an annoyed sigh, he brutally pulled himself forwards, hissing under his breath when the movement put weight on the shoulder he had strained when his mace has inexplicably wrapped itself around a sword in the fight earlier.
Arthur was no stranger to pain, and certainly no wuss, but a walk to Gaius' chambers to ask for a potion suddenly seemed like the perfect solution to alleviate his restlessness and he immediately set off at a brisk pace. Once there, and in spite of his earlier haste, he hesitated in front of the door as he contemplated whether or not such a minor injury was worth disturbing the court physician over. Finally deciding that he didn't want to have crossed half the castle for naught, he raised his hand to knock; but as his knuckles approached the wood, he heard two raised voices.
Immediately curious – not much could make Gaius depart of his phlegm – he opened the door, cautious not to make any sound. Immediately, his eyes widened. The boy that had been plaguing his thoughts for the last hour stood there, his eyes golden, his hand extended: a bucket of water was floating in mid-air in front of him, each drop of water apparently suspended in time. A sorcerer! His mind screamed, made almost hysterical by years of his father's teaching, the boy was a sorcerer, and doing magic in the very castle!
Stumbling backwards, he let the door shut softly, barely hearing Gaius' harsh whisper of how the boy had to be extremely careful with his gift. Had he eavesdropped on the conversation the tiniest bit longer, he would have heard the old man explain that the boy had quite an extraordinary skill, but that he had to be very careful not to let anyone know, except if he wanted to be executed at dawn. Perhaps those words would have made Arthur pause – perhaps he would have considered what it would actually mean for the young man's secret to be revealed, perhaps picturing the warlock on the execution stage or tied to the stakes would have made him hesitate.
But the golden-haired man didn't ever hear the advice given to Merlin; he was already on his way to his father's quarters.