Hey everyone :)
hope you enjoyed last week's conclusion to the whole magic-shmazzle situation. Thanks to you guys who reviewed! They'll be a few more fluffy one-shots, and just because I enjoyed keeping you all hanging, the concluding chapters will be continuous and probably contain cliffhangers... yes, I am so sadistic :D
If you're enjoying this story, PLEASE go to my profile page and take the poll on how you want it to end: I haven't written the conclusion yet, so all the votes will effect my decision!
Sorry this chapter's a bit short... read, review, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. It's wistful thinking.
Nine.
In a time where his subjects celebrated beginnings and successes, their king mourned when backs were turned. In between were the buds of the new, growing slowly, before blooming for all to see and illuminating even their architect's dark brooding moments.
Merlin sometimes still felt jealousy- what could this wide-eyed world-virgin bring that he could not? But such thoughts were pummelled and locked back away in the growing skeleton closet of his mind. His own emotions- of all kinds- he decided, were his own fault. And because when Merlin really looked into her replicated little eyes all he saw was him and her. Together- and that was exactly what he had chosen for them. Forever.
And the seams in his patchwork heart tore a little more.
***
The mantra of agitated footsteps ticked like the clock.
"Arthur."
They paused. "What?" He snapped.
"Stop."
Arthur thumped into the stone chair next to him. Merlin considered hitting him when Arthur's foot started tapping in exactly the same rhythm as his feet had.
"Arthur!"
His own fingers, however, drummed on the side of his chair.
"She will be fine. Morgana is just as capable as I am," If only that were true.
"I know!"
"I mean, we would know if anything had gone wrong and I'm sure they would call me in if they needed my help-"
"I know!"
"- So there is no way anything can possibly go wrong then. It could always take this long; you and me don't know anything about this, do we? And-"
"Merlin, shut up!"
They receded into a strained silence again, tense with listening. Merlin peered out the window at the sun. How could it have been only half an hour since he lasted checked?
"I'm going in," Arthur declared, standing up suddenly and striding to the door at the end of the corridor.
"Arthur, no, not a good idea-"
Merlin hurried in front of him, babbling about trauma and his mental scarring.
"Merlin, let me through-"
"Sire, Arthur, really no-"
"Get off me-"
"Let go-"
"OUCH!"
"You-"
A door banged open at the end of the corridor and the scuffling pair looked up from their two-way headlock. "Get in here!"
Morgana stood there, looking very tired and her hair falling in dark wisps out of her plait. Her green dress was stained and her eyes were exhausted, but she looked strangely triumphant.
"It's a girl."
Take the poll, take the poll, take the poll...
:)
