Thank you for all the follows and favourites! :) I really appreciate it.
This isn't one of the best chapters, but it's necessary to the plot... so please bear with me. The next chapter is a big one though! :)
Chapter Seven
Dear Emrys,
Sorry I didn't send my email yesterday. I haven't mentioned this to you before, but I'm actually going to uni too. I start today.
The reason I didn't mention it before was because - this is going to sound totally absurd - I didn't actually think it was going to happen. But it did. I packed my stuff, got in a car and drove (It's ridiculous the amount of schools that open on the same day. I was stuck in traffic for hours). But anyway, I'm here now. It's so… alien to me. I'm sure that's how you must feel too, what with never having left your town before and all.
That's terrible about your brother. No one should have to go through that. But I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. I know it sounds awful - me saying that when your brother is suffering so much - but I feel like maybe being away from theatre will lead him to something better. I don't know. It's a personal philosophy, really. I just think having a little hope is better than having none at all.
Don't worry about not knowing what you're going to do with your life. You'll figure it out one day. Just… keep exploring, I guess. That's what my uncle always says. Try and do everything you possibly can. Maybe one day you'll find what you're looking for.
I know this is probably not what you want to hear right now, but the truth is I've known from the day I was born what I want to become. And I'm well on my way to becoming it. It's sad though, because there are people out there who have the same job who don't want it. I'm not one of those people - I want this more than anything in the whole world, and I honestly believe that I could do it well. I'm not doing it for myself, either. I'm doing it because I know I can help people. I want to help them. But the problem is that other people keep getting in the way. There are people that can make you hate what you love… and I know far too many of them. But I don't want to feel that way. I don't want to hate it.
I'm probably not making any sense. I'd better stop now.
But yes… about the name Ares. As I mentioned, I never knew my mother. So ever since I was a boy, my father has been the one telling me bedtime stories. He didn't know very many children's stories, so after I outgrew fairy tales he began telling me cleaned-up versions of Greek myths. Ares was his favourite god. Personally, I find Ares to be a bit of a douche. I mean, he sleeps around with other men's wives and he's known for his ability to slaughter thousands of men in battle… he's not exactly a role model. I could never understand what my father saw in him. But he liked him because he's brave and powerful, and he'd always tell me to aspire to be like him. So, I chose it for my pen name. But you're right… Adonis would have been far more accurate.
What about your pen name? How did you come up with it?
Cheers,
Ares
Arthur was sitting alone in his suite when it occurred to him that this new start at university was his opportunity to change his image.
Percival had helped him unpack and was now in a conjoined room, unpacking his own stuff. Arthur had reached campus late and had missed both the campus tour and the orientation dinner… so while everyone else knew at least one other person on campus, he was stuck with only his bodyguard for company.
He lay down on the freshly made bed and contemplated his new situation. Throughout his life, people had constantly taken advantage of him for his money and fame. And the only way to prevent that, he had been told, was to make sure people were scared of him. That's what his father always said - make them fear you, and they will never touch you.
But Arthur didn't want to be a cruel king. He didn't want to be like his father - blindly killing people who had magic. He had always insisted that they, like anyone else, deserved a trial at the very least. But his father told him that strict rules and fear kept people in control. And a king had to be in control, right?
It had always surprised Arthur that despite everything - the duties, the unwanted attention, the phonies, the bloody rules and expectations - he still wanted the crown. He wanted to be King; not because of the wealth and power that came along with it, but because he believed deep in his heart that he could be a good one.
He had once met the crown prince of Ceraltin - Prince Fyro. He had heard about Fyro before, of course. The boy was constantly showing up in the newspapers for creating trouble. And not for small things either. Practically every week there would be an article about how he almost destroyed some historical monument, or how he was found in the possession of some sort of dangerous narcotic. But when Arthur met him at Princess Elena's 20th birthday celebration, Fyro had confessed that he was purposely creating trouble because he wanted to live a normal life more than anything in the world. He didn't want to be the king, he said, and he was hoping his terrible behaviour would somehow convince the people and his father to crown someone else.
Arthur assumed that's how all princes and princesses were supposed to feel. Then why didn't he feel that way? Why didn't he hate that he was born into a practically pre-determined way of life? It obviously wasn't as glamorous a life as the ordinary citizens believed it was, yet Arthur wanted the crown more than he could possibly say. It was the profession he had always dreamed of, the person he saw himself becoming.
Yet, despite his shortcomings and his cries for help, perhaps Fyro was more suited to being king than he was. Fyro was surely not the type of guy who would let people take advantage of him.
Arthur stared at the smooth, unblemished ceiling. If he wanted to become king someday, he had to take a stand. I'm not going to be cruel, he told himself, but I am going to be strong. I'm not going to show any sign of weakness.
Arthur wasn't about to let another Tomas come into his life. From this point on, he decided, he was going to call the shots.
"Merlin!"
Merlin stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Gwen walking towards him, waving her arms wildly. As she stumbled through the thick crowd, Merlin noticed that there was a beautiful, slender girl beside her. She had clear, pale skin and thick, lustrous hair that fell in waves down her back, stopping as it reached the top of her short black skirt. As she walked towards him, holding herself quite regally, several boys did double-takes. Merlin noted with a smile how adorable and mousy Gwen seemed in comparison.
"Where are you off to?" Gwen asked breathlessly as she reached him.
"Hall 106. I have 'Introduction to Art History' in five minutes."
"Morgana is in that class too!" Gwen squealed excitedly.
The girl next to her smiled graciously at Merlin, and he responded in kind.
"Oh sorry," Gwen continued, shaking her curls, "Merlin, this is my roommate Morgana. Morgana, this is Merlin."
"Nice to meet you Merlin," she said, "It's nice to know someone from one of my lessons before I've even started."
"Likewise!"
"I have Economics now, so I'll see you both later." Gwen said hurriedly. "But Merlin… maybe you and I can have lunch together?"
"Yeah, I was planning to meet my roommate in the Stevens Dining Hall at one-thirty. Why don't you join us?"
"Sounds good!"
She gave them a small wave and a wide smile before disappearing into an open classroom. Merlin and Morgana began walking down the hallway, an air of self-consciousness suddenly between them.
"So, Merlin…" The way she said his name was peculiar, like it was a foreign taste on her tongue. Merlin couldn't tell if he liked it or not. "How has Sorsbrooke been treating you so far?"
"It's been pretty good… but then again, I haven't really done much." When she didn't say anything in response, Merlin went on awkwardly. "I mean, I just met my roommate, went on the campus tour, had dinner with Gwen, worked out my schedule and watched Breaking Bad till I fell asleep."
Morgana mock gasped. "You fell asleep during Breaking Bad?"
Merlin laughed, relieved to find something they had in common, and they continued chatting amicably about shows and bands until they reached the large hall. For a moment they stood uncertainly next to the small stage at the front of the classroom, looking into the vast seating space that was dotted with students. Merlin eventually suggested they sit in the third row and Morgana complied, settling down in the seat next to him.
"So, you haven't run into the famous Arthur Pendragon yet, have you?" Merlin asked, as soon as they sat down.
Ever since reaching campus, Merlin had been bombarded with stories about people who had seen Arthur Pendragon - Gwaine had mentioned seeing him walk past the library, at dinner Gwen had gone on for half an hour about how she saw him getting out of a car, and on his way to brush his teeth Merlin bumped into a group of people from his dorm, only to get sucked into another conversation about the 'devilishly handsome prince'.
Secretly, by bringing up Arthur, Merlin was sort of hoping to find someone like him… someone who didn't think the prince was the human incarnate of a Greek God.
He waited patiently for Morgana's answer.
"Not yet," she said, finally, and Merlin thought he saw a playful glimmer in her eye, "I think the prat's been avoiding me."
He laughed, and Morgana gave him an amused half-smile.
"People haven't been able to shut up about him," Merlin confessed, "It's refreshing to meet someone whose first question is not 'Have you seen the prince? Oh my god. He's so fit'."
"Eh. He's not that good-looking."
"That's a first."
"Well, I mean…"
Morgana was cut off, however, when a slouching man with graying hair and a scruffy salt-and-pepper beard walked in and slammed his briefcase on his desk. The chatter in the large classroom slowly died down.
"Good morning, everyone," he intoned, "my name is Professor Septus." He scribbled a few lines on the board. "Here is my email address in case you need to get in touch with me about anything."
And so the lesson continued in a regular fashion. There were too many students for everyone to introduce themselves and still have time to learn about art, so Professor Septus rearranged them into several smaller groups. Merlin and Morgana were separated into two different groups, where they learnt the names and collected the university email addresses of their peers. Professor Septus then proceeded to continue with the lecture.
The lesson was fascinating, but after an hour Merlin started getting fidgety. He wasn't used to lessons where there was only a lecture and hardly any classroom discussion. As much as he enjoyed it, it was hard to pay attention. Though it was his fault, honestly. What else did he expect from a university with over 10,000 students? He tried to focus on the professor's words, but the room suddenly felt too hot, the air too stuffy. He agitatedly checked his watch, mentally commanding the minute hand to go faster.
"Picasso, for example, didn't start experimenting until much later in…"
Professor Septus was cut off by a loud hiss and Merlin jumped as a loud crack filled the room. The white board, which just a few moments prior had been bolted firmly to the wall, suddenly teetered dangerously. With a gasp of alarm Septus managed to jump out of the way right before the board fell to the ground with a deafening crash. The entire class stared at the fallen board in terror, unable to comprehend what just happened.
"My god," Septus mumbled, "can someone help me with this?"
Normally Merlin would have offered his help, but given the circumstances of what just happened he found himself unable to move. He knew what that was, and it wasn't a freak accident.
That was magic.
Someone had a sudden burst of magical impulse (emotion-related, Merlin guessed, based on his own past experiences) and the board had been ripped off the wall. Someone had accidentally used magic. Someone that wasn't him.
His head was buzzing. He glanced around the classroom, but everyone was in an identical position, gaping at the fallen board and the three boys who were now helping the professor pick it up.
There was someone in his class with magic.
Statistically, that shouldn't have been a surprise. But Merlin found himself shocked all the same. Shocked, but also extremely relieved. He wasn't the only person in Sorsbrooke who was trying to keep their powers hidden. Someone else in his Art History class was also struggling to hide their powers…. and he was going to find out who.
Reviews would be lovely. I've been working on this story for quite a while now, and I'd really love to know your thoughts on it.
