Hiya! Got a prompt on Tumblr for a Mergana fic and this is the aftermath, so here you go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, nor do I claim to.
Breath shuddered and swirled in the room as a heavy chest heaved, the shattered breath fell heavy in the room, much like a man whom had fallen in battle. As eyes flashed open, eyelashes fluttering awake as the sound of her heavy breath shuddered and clattered around the room, lame in its movements. Shaky ivory hands reached out to cup and clutch at cotton sheets. Emerald eyes burning with unshed tears as the young ward sat up straight as an arrow in her darkened chambers. Her vain attempts at sleep cursed by yet another nightmare, the evil hag ridden world of her unconscious had crawled in to the forefront of her mind. Her darkest ideals and fears pulled to the stage of her mind and forced to partake in the play of her nightmares. Her mind was as dark as the ink filled skies that crowded high above the castle. Once her breath had transformed from a plethora of heavy shudders to simple light gasps she set out to find her hand maiden. A woman more friend than an employee. Slender alabaster toes touched down on cool to the touch stone, of which she knew not, as her feet press lightly into it as she padded around to the small room the woman occasionally occupied. But upon pushing the door forward she found it undisturbed, implying the woman had returned to her own home and to her own family. A large wash of salty bitter loneliness washed over and threatened to crush the young ward. The sinking feeling which had inhibited her gut moments ago returned with vengeance as fear crawled back from the caged depths of her mind, hidden by the hope on another had sprung free and clamped back in to the stage of her mind, clawing a heavy pathway behind it. The young ward felt the bitter rancid tears begin to quell in the corners of her eyes once more. She brought a small ivory hand up to wipe away even the trace of her supposed weakness.
As her hand angrily pushed away the bitter tears that threatened to fall over reddened rims. Her thoughts turned back to the very play her mind had been performing. The citadel had been attacked, not an abnormal for the young ward once her mind graced the subject. But this time it was not some winged beast, or a plague, or any monster of the sort. It had been a woman, a witch. Of whose face was very familiar, a face of which graced her vanity of each morn.
Once more the ward opened eyes she did not release had closed as her door squared in resistance as if was forced open. The ward looked towards the open threshold, not even sure who to expect as this time. Her emerald eyes cast themselves over to the figure who stood in the form of an awkward silhouette. She did not need to inspect further, only one person she knew would be awake at such a time and who held themselves with such a stance. At the idea of his presence she felt the corners of once firm set ruby lips twist in to a ghost of a smile. Her heart pulled its self from the twisted vice her night terrors always cast it in.
"Merlin." The word slipped past chapped lips and hovered in the air between the two. Hanging gently suspended in the air. The word had not rolled past her tongue in the light tone she had pleaded for. Instead it had passed her lips far too needy for her tastes. Such was not supposed for a ward. As a representative of the castle they were meant to be emblems of the strength of the kingdom. Even of such strength was but a rag on a wound, even if it did not plunge within the soul of the person, it was to be cast as a mask. But in this moment she could not find it in herself to even cast a care in the direction of the idea of the image she had had bestowed upon her.
And in a moment of weakness a small sob ripped from within her throat as the fears she had since repressed had resurfaced. Her dream had suggested at an idea she had had form in her mind a while ago. The idea that she herself had the curse of magic. As the thoughts danced fleetingly across her mind she found her stomach sink once more for the second time in but a few minutes. It was an idea that she knew held truth, ever since the candle incident it was a truth that hid heavily in her mind.
And as this truth began to ring true, a fact she had began to consider it, rang true she found that her fears had began to pull her down.
It was as if she was out in the great lake and suddenly the hands of this secret had reached out grasped her might gown in her fingers and pulled. As the ward slid down the wall her head feel in to her hands, it was as if the weight of all her thoughts was acting like a dead weight. As once more a sob, this time louder, ripped painfully from her throat. As such echoed darkly and hauntingly though the room she felt a pair of hands elope her around her middle. Pulling her towards the owner. Her head falling ungracefully on to their shoulder as they were placed in front of her. As she surrendered to the warm arms, her body no longer feeling her own as sobs began to rack through her painfully.
"Shhh Morgana it's okay. It was only a dream." Were the words that fluttered openly from his lips and settled beside her ears, the tone rich an sweet, a tone normally reserved for lovers. Her eyes once more looked up this time all they claimed were a pair of sweet wide sapphires that gleamed helpfully.
"But they are not." She protested emptily, they both knew the truth. Even if he ran from such, even through his reasoning she questioned but could never understand.
"Merlin. You and I both know what this means." Her words this time different from their counterparts, this time the tone she held out at court, offering them to the lords and ladies. This was a tone of confidence and they were something not to be argued with a tone of finality twisting them.
"And that scares me."
"They are just dreams, they mean nothing." His lies settled hard between them, as if a wall had been built pulling the two souls separate.
"We both know that's not true. We both know what this means." Her tone was without the sobs now, although not entirely strong. A sombre note in them stung them both bitterly.
As the words settled between them once more small sobs erupted from the ward. The servant pulled her closer, holding her to his chest as he whispered small lies of comfort. His words obvious in their deceit, but sweet in their lies as they come fourth as words of comfort. The whispers of his words coming off as honey to her ears. Words along the lines of "It's okay." "Shhh." As he pulled the young wards closer to his chest. Before pulling her up to guide her back to bed. She lied back down, her thoughts quelled slightly with the sweet words of the other. He was the other she could fully confide in, fully seek comfort in. She could not hold the small leaps her newly choke-hold free heart made at his promises even though they both knew they were false. But the comfort of such, even his presence was enough for now. Her eyes too heavy to argue with his logic. Her mind to addled with many a though to string one clearly.
"Thank you Merlin." She did not just mean for the small moment of comfort he had offered in the past few moments, she meant the many a moment she could seek solace in the other, with his words, or even just with his presence. She also meant the light chatter the man provided, and sweet honey to her day his general presence could add. As the words brushed lightly against her lips she laid a sweet chaste kiss of thanks upon the others pale slightly reddened stubble light cheek. Her lips pressed against the man's skin for longer than what could count as a friendly thanks. She pulled away, relining back to her cotton sheets, her eyes too heavy to say any more. As the young wards breaths evened out to a gentle hush the young serving boy leant over and laid a just a chaste kiss on the other's forehead.
"You are welcome and I promise it will be okay." He spoke his eyes swept the other's figure before he jauntily swept away ungracefully from the other's chambers, his high cheek bones rouged lightly.