Hey guys,
Sorry for the late update…
"Right," Merlin said, he was going to go flat hunting today. If they were going to 'save Albion' they needed to be in the centre of it. Although London was a big step for a man who just woke up a thousand years in the future, they needed to be as much use as possible.
Merlin didn't know whether or not to bring Arthur with him. He would stand out like water in a desert if he were to go but Merlin couldn't abandon him, not after what had happened to him in the last day. Merlin would definitely not be taking Arthur on public transport; Arthur had jumped at the sight of the fridge when he first saw one. They would be going in the car, Merlin had a car, he'd brought it ages ago, he didn't use it much, occasionally drive to the airport when he went traveling but that was about it.
"Okay, are you sure you want to come?"
"Positive and Merlin, that bed was really uncomfortable."
"Well I had to sleep on the floor."
"There wasn't a difference between the two." Merlin sighed
"I'm telling you now, the place we're going are going to be a bit of a surprise."
"Merlin, I think I can handle it, after all I've seen, I don't think there's going to be anything worse." Merlin opened his mouth and then closed it again; he just hoped that today would go alright.
They soon walked out into the cold air, Arthur hadn't been outside since. Merlin thought it would be a bad idea. They walked round a corner where the car park was for the flat-holders. Merlin got out a silver key and put it into his old, red beetle and twisting it to open the door. Arthur stared at the car reluctantly.
"It's fine Arthur."
"I know, but I'd rather go on a horse."
"I don't have a horse. You'll just have to deal with it." Arthur slowly got in the front and sat down on the soft seats. He admitted that it was more comfortable than a horse but he'd rather go on one, just to feel at home.
Merlin started the car and it rumbled softly, he put his foot on the pedal and reversed backwards. They were soon on the road. Arthur found it more peaceful than the police car, less angry growls from the police dog and less awkward silence from Tom and himself.
"So what are we exactly doing?" Arthur asked curiously.
"We're going to find a new place to live."
"So you're moving kingdoms?"
"No, this is one big Kingdom I suppose. We just call it a country or an island."
"Who is the king of this 'island'?"
"Elizabeth II is the Queen."
"Oh, she rules the WHOLE land?"
"Yes, although the Prime Minister sort of is."
"Who's that?"
"Well at the moment it is David Cameron, he looks after the country."
"Is he the King?"
No, the Queen is Queen because of her family, like you inherited your kingdom from Uther. The Prime Minister is voted in by the people."
"He's voted in by the peasants?"
"They're more known as 'people of the public'."
"So this person is chosen by the public?"
"Yes, it's a democracy, all people over the age of 18 can have a say in who they want in terms of politics."
"Must be an easy life,"
"Not the easiest it can be." Merlin said sadly.
X
They travelled for half an hour mostly in silence; some explanations from Merlin, Arthur looked out the window a lot, looking at the world around him. It had changed so much. Instead of farms there were factories, instead of taverns there were tall, ugly buildings. Arthur missed the fresh air, which had turned slightly warmer now, the woods, the castle, the sense of life, the time were everything was simple.
Arthur's feeling of home sicknesses grew strong again, it had only happened once, sleeping in Merlin's hard bed. He missed his old bed with his wife there, keeping him warm. He missed the little things so much.
"Merlin, I'm bored." He admitted to his servant. Merlin sighed and turned on the radio. There was a song bombing out of it.
'That anything could happen, anything could happen, anything could happen, anything could happen, anything could happen, anything could happen-'
"What song is this?" Arthur asked, a bit confused, Merlin shrugged, he didn't keep up with the charts.
'Baby, I'll give you everything you need, I'll give you everything you need, oh I'll give you everything you need, but I don't think I need you.'
"Can you change the song?" Arthur suggested. "It's giving me a headache." Merlin tuned it to a new station and a new tune filled the car.
'Never had much faith in love or miracles, never wanna put my heart on the line, but swimming in your water's something spiritual, I'm born again every time you spend the night.'
"It's an alright song I suppose." Arthur shrugged, he admitted that the song was catchy but I wasn't like music in Camelot, the soft orchestra in the background while the person sang a ballad of love, better music than this anyway.
"I've grown used to this music I suppose, it may seem new to you but it's been through an evolution like Britain and the world."
"I suppose it's changed a lot." Arthur murmured.
''Cause you make me feel like, I've been locked out of heaven, for too long, for too long.'
"So have I," Merlin said quietly.
X
After three more hours in the car, they finally got out in a packed street.
"The place is…" he looked at a sheet of directions. "There." he pointed forward to a tall building.
"That whole tower is our house?" Arthur asked, finally something close to a palace, it was a bit vertical though.
"No, Arthur people share it; there are many individual homes in each."
"Oh," Arthur said, sounding a bit disappointing.
"Stop being selfish, it'll be more than enough." Merlin said, locking the car and walking towards the door of the tower. "Stay close." Merlin said the last thing he wanted was Arthur getting lost.
Inside the flat was a café. On the right hand of the door there was a long line of buttons, they were numbered, which Merlin suspected was the house numbers. "The women said that she would meet us by the door." He said.
…
A few minutes a happy woman with curly, ginger hair came to meet them. She was wearing a white blouse and a knee-length, black skirt and a pair of glossy, black high heels that made her look several inches taller. She was also wearing gold loop earrings and her pale, white skin contrasted with the deep purple lipstick smothered against her lips. Her green eyes were heavily sketched with black eyeliner. "Hello, I am Caroline; I will be showing you around the flat today." She said in a northern, cheerful voice.
"Hi, I'm Merlin and this is Arthur."
"Ah like the legend great!" she said happily, Arthur frowned. "Are you two together?"
"No," Arthur answered quickly.
"We're just friends."
"Okay," Caroline said briskly. "Let's get started." She put a pin in the wall, near the door and it buzzed open. The room showed a long, vertical staircase going upwards or a lift. She pressed the button. "The lift is very useful, had it installed in the 1980s, it's never failed us." The doors opened and it was a small room with mirrors and a selection of buttons. Caroline pushed the control saying '13'.
Arthur was confused about what this room was but then the doors closed, he wheezed when he felt the weirdest experience in his life. The lift was moving yet it felt like they weren't. Arthur felt his stomach lurch. Soon later they reached floor 13 and Arthur gasped when he saw that when the doors open, it was a whole other scene.
"Arthur," Merlin explained quietly. "I'll explain later." Arthur gave a shaky nod and then stepped out of the lift to the different place. There were four doors and the staircase. Caroline chose door number 51 and they entered a nice looking flat.
It was equipped with a wide screen TV and white, leather sofas, among a glass table holding the TV remotes and a bowl holding fruit. The walls were white but also holding picture frames holding random things like pictures of roses or rabbits or a black and white photo of a beach. The living room floor held a white, soft rug and a window with a view of London, big buildings, trees and a big circle thing in the background. To the left there was a door with a big, modern kitchen with a table and breakfast bar. Behind the living room, there were three doors.
"Beautiful isn't it." Caroline said happily, Arthur had to agree it was fine-looking. "The cost is £7000 per month but the TV and furniture come free. If you follow me to the kitchen." She said, going to the door and pushing it open.
There were smooth, grey, marble work tops and an electric stove and oven with utensils dotted around the room. The breakfast bar was placed in the middle and another bowl of fruit was placed on it and four white, high chairs placed around. There was also a black table with high back, black leather chairs. The fridge was placed against the wall; it had an ice maker and a temperature.
"The room has cutlery, plates and glasses but you'll have to do the weekly shopping." She laughed. "Onto the bedrooms." She said, exiting the kitchen, and walking to the back of the apartment, she opened the door on the left and entered a big room.
A three foot bed was in the middle of the room and it was a couple inches off the ground with a thick mattress, grey sheet and grey, silk cushions. The room was also painted grey and had had an oak chest of draws. There were bookshelves and a desk with a lamp resting on it and several books, Arthur saw his reflection in an antique mirror with a frame made of woods making odd patterns. By the bed there was a bedside table with another lamp and an alarm clock. Above the bed there was a large picture of a white lily resting on water surrounded by lily pads. Arthur was confused with this random choice of pictures.
"This is one of the two bedrooms; you can see the other one if you wish but it is almost the same only with a green theme instead of grey. The bookshelf is mahogany from Bangladesh and the mirror is antique worth over £2000, we try our best to please people here."
She next took them to the bathroom. The floor was patterned with grey tiles and yellow, marble walls, the toilet was white and square and there was a deep sink with a selection of different coloured soaps and a rack with soft, linen towels. There was a wall with a large, square hole that took them to the other half of the bathroom. A white bath rested against the wall and then on the other side was a shower with a glass case going all around.
After they exited, they were back in the living room.
"The flat has been a comfortable home for all its residents and has never unsettled stayers. With its view you feel in the centre of London. There is easy travel to work with our London Underground nearby but we also hold a car park if you have a vehicle. There is a park that was voted the safest park in London a few years back and in the summer it has green trees and a lake that sparkles in the sun. The place is very high secured and there are many people who will make sure you are as safe as you can be."
Merlin thought for a moment.
"So what do you think?"
"We'll take it."
Hope you all enjoyed that chapter.
The songs were 'Locked Out of Heaven' by Bruno Mars and 'Anything Could Happen' by Ellie Goulding. This is set a year back so the songs will have been from around that time.
The chapters will be a bit simple to set the story off but there will be more action in future chapters : )
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