Sozo asdf for not answering your question but this chapter should do it :P I am actually quite proud for fitting some requests in here :D
If anyone has something they would like to happen before the final curtain feel free to ask and I shall see what I can do.
Also I apologize this confrontation is terrible WAYWAY harder than I thought sozzy
full apolagies and rant at the bottom :)
just to add Merlins not mine... again
Merlin's eyes opened with a flash of gold to find himself standing alone in a room. It was an oddly bare room, simple stone floors and walls, no decoration and no furniture. There was a window however and the shape of the room was familiar. It hit him as his eyes strayed to the view outside.
Arthur's chambers but completely bare of furniture. Feeling a surprised smirk work its way over his face Merlin let his eyes roam over the clear room. His vision was perfect, perfectly normal as well; as it had been before the accident he could make out every stone and blemish in the walls.
Merlin was still marveling at this when the heavy oak doors behind him creaked open and a familiar voice sounded behind him,
"Well you certainly are a hard man to reach."
Spinning round Merlin came face to face with a slim woman staring up at him with amused bluey-grey eyes. Long blond hair cascaded down her shoulders perfectly straight, the ends pointed like sword tips. Merlin found himself staring at the sweet heart shaped face and delicate completion as if he had just been slapped in the face.
"Nona?" Huffing and rolling her eyes the young woman strode forward in to the room.
"No need to act so surprised." She stated eyes scanning the room, "Is this seriously what you dream about?"
"I would be easier to clean in here if-" Merlin broke off blinking in surprise, "Wait, what the hell am I saying? What's going on?"
"We're in your head idiot; this is apparently one of your dreams." Her lips twitched in to what almost might have been a cunning smirk, "A shame really I was hoping for something more… embarrassing."
"What?" Merlin spluttered staring at the blond with wide eyes.
"Nothing." Nona quickly switched back to her cold meticulous personality her eyes latching on to Merlin's, "You did well Merlin as I knew you would." Now Merlin just stared at her mouth falling open. Nona frowned, "Is there something the matter?"
"No, you just called me Merlin for once, I'm not entirely sure you're not just a figment of my imagination yourself."
"It seems clear that you probably lack the imagination necessary." She sniped lifting her chin slightly. Again Merlin couldn't help but stare, was that a joke just then? "Anyway Byrne said I should use your chosen name" She continued head tilted to the side as she thought; "she also wanted me to give you her congratulations and best wishes… and also a kiss." Seeing Merlin stair at her even more intently she glared, "I said I wouldn't."
Merlin wasn't entirely sure if he was supposed to be relived or disappointed at this point, staring at the beautiful yet strong willed woman standing before him.
"Well... Thanks anyway."
She tilted her head to him slightly eyes carefully fixing on a point in the near distance away from him.
"Well done anyway, I was watching the battle. Your powers were… impressive."
Now Merlin really had heard everything, raising his eye brows he wondered how often the young woman actually complemented someone. "I complement people all the time." Nona suddenly said, glare fixed back in place, "I told Byrne she had a pretty name."
"Right…" of course we're in my head, she can hear my thoughts.
"Anyway" Byrne drawled moving on "what I'm really here for is to explain that I won't be visiting you within the castle. I'm going to find out who started all this mess and hang them from the nearest tree."
"Oh…"
"And also to say good luck with your prince and because Byrne said you were probably very afraid-"
"I'm fine." Merlin grumbled.
"-especially due to your current state I should assure you, you have only been unconscious a day or so have mostly recovered from your ailments also though the future king is ridiculously stubborn he holds your friendship very close to his heart." Merlin blinked as Nona finished her very clinical explanation nodding decisively as if glad she had got all her lines right. Pausing for a moment as Merlin took this in, finally he sighed heavily feeling his shoulders slump.
"Thank you." Nona seemed curios as to what exactly had earned this sudden gratitude but she didn't ask.
"I think you are waking up now Merlin." She stated her voice sounding lighter. Merlin looked up to see that the room did in fact seem to be diming.
"I will see you again?" he asked over the darkness that suddenly filled the dream. Nona eyed him curiously a brief smile pulling her lips up on one side.
"I suppose"
-M-
It's rather late when Merlin's mind finally drags itself back from the comforting inky black darkness of his mind. It's almost two days since the fight, two days since he had arrived home and, what? Three, four days since his execution?
It's rather dark when he opens his eyes. It takes him a moment, just a moment to processes that yes; while it is dark it isn't all dark. That while the blackness is there just as it had been before Byrne had partially healed his sight right now he's starting to see a little more than he did then. Because right now he can see his room, his room in sparklingly clear detail, all untidy homely and there, all set out and illuminated by the light of the moon shining soothingly through his window. No glowing lines, no magic traces. He's seeing the room as he left it, as he always saw it.
It's this point that almost has him grinning. Coupled with the safe sense of normality it almost makes his heart soar to be back in the place he knows as home. But still there is that achingly familiar feeling still, the room is empty and dark. There is no one here. He is for all intent and purposes alone.
It's that which brings him back to cold hard reality. Camelot will be out to kill him, his room may as well be his jail cell because he won't leave, not when he is still so uncertain, not when Arthur…
He remembered moments, fragments of the fight where Arthur wanted him to hold on, wanted him alive and breathing. Had that all been a dream?
His mind was whirring so fast he didn't even notice the hesitant steps that had already paused halfway up the stairs to his room. Part of him had noticed them of course and it only took a few more moments for the Warlocks mind to go full circle and wonder back to what had woken him in the first place.
In this time the dark figure had made his way slowly and quietly up the rest of the stairs, lingering in the doorway like a child afraid to enter his parent's room. His usual mask had been worn away by pure exhaustion and now as his dazed blue eyes gazed in to the room, his messy gold hair all scruffy and night clothes crinkled from their time hopelessly tossing in bed. Now there was no prince, no knight or lord of any title or status. Now there only stood Arthur looking tired, resigned and maybe even a little afraid.
It was dark in Merlin's small room and Arthur's eyes had yet to adjust from the torches in the corridors. He didn't notice as Merlin's heavily lidded dark eyes followed his movement across the room, watching as he reached and slumped down in to Gwaine's previously evacuated chair.
Merlin watched as Arthur leant back exhaling in one long sigh closing his eyes tightly and rubbing at his tired face. He felt like a rabbit lying frozen in the brush waiting for the sleeping hound to wake and spot its prey. He felt hopeless defenseless and so very, very relieved.
Because there, next to his bed sat the once and future king, Arthur his destiny, his friend. Looking tired beaten and betrayed but still there; still breathing and that meant more than anything to the tired Warlock at that point.
Still the moment couldn't last as Arthur's tired instincts kicked in. Feeling eyes burning in to him he froze midway through rubbing his forehead. His head snapped up in an instant light blue eyes locking with stormy ones as the Prince and his Warlock stared back at each other.
"Hey Arthur." Merlin croaked, trying and failing to sound at ease.
"Merlin…" it seemed Arthur's voice failed him and Merlin got the feeling that he hadn't expected him to be awake when he'd paid this late night visit. It made him smile slightly at the thought. Slowly he felt his eyes falling closed again without his consent before he blinked heavily trying to keep them open. Arthur still seemed at a loss of things to say, his head was bowed fighting with his resolve. Merlin waited, he had time… or at least as far as he knew he did.
Slowly the hard cold calculated prince returned to those blue eyes, the one that formed strategies, stormed castles and trained knights. The one that questioned traitors to the crown. Merlin didn't react when those cold eyes board back in to his, he should've expected it.
"Why?"
It was a simple question and one that undoubtedly made sense to the prince but Merlin's tired addled brain was too tired to deal with so broad a question.
"Why, what?" he croaked trying to ignore the way his throat burned when he spoke.
"Why did you become a Warlock?" Arthur's voice was firm and angry when he said it. His voice burning with all the righteous indignation he could muster. Merlin blinked, then snorted.
"You can't choose to be a Warlock Arthur. I was born this way, I didn't have a choice-"
"How is that possible?" Arthur snarled. Merlin felt his eyes narrow in irritation detecting the ever familiar tone of Arthur doubting his words.
"I don't make the rules Arthur." He murmured eyeing the prince, "I could move things across the room before I could speak."
"And the spells?"
"I learnt them later for more complicated things, to keep control."
"So you did choose to learn?"
Merlin sighed his headache burning in the center of his forehead. His stomach was churning uncomfortably making him feel nauseous while his chest panged painfully. He was too tired to untangle the pained signals his body was sending, he had to deal with the angry distant friend who currently held his life and future well being in his angry betrayed hands.
"I chose to learn, get better and have more control. Power like this… can't simply be ignored."
"It's dangerous." Arthur stated.
"Most power is." Merlin replied.
They seemed frozen like that for a moment in stale mate. Neither looking away as they stared stubbornly in to each other's eyes.
"Why did you come to Camelot?"
Merlin smiled wryly, he always wondered what Arthur's reaction would be and he had planned for a stream of endless questions. He knew what he'd say, had probably considered every question he would ever ask.
"People in Ealdor Knew, they were getting restless. My mother was afraid they would try something so she sent me to Gaius hoping he could help me."
"And you just so happened to end up my manservant?" Arthur growled suspiciously. Again Merlin eyed him irritably.
"No, if you'll remember that was your fathers idea of a 'reward' for saving your ungrateful self, and before you ask no I had nothing to do with Marry Collins either, I only dropped the chandelier and pushed you out the way."
"You!-"
"Actually it's not like I was your servant for long you fired me… repeatedly." Merlin's words were flat, tired and humorless. His eyes had dropped to stair dully at the wall across from him and were absent of their usual spark. He was tired and afraid, as he sat there so close to Arthur he couldn't help but hear the small nagging voice in the back of his head. This is Arthur, Uther's son. What made you think he would ever understand.
And that's when Arthur said the one thing he hadn't expected.
"Y-You died." Merlin actually had to look up to confirm that the men sitting in the chair was still Arthur, the small vulnerable voice was nothing like his own.
"I know." Was all he could murmur in reply. His eyes sought out Arthurs but it seemed to be the princes turn to avoid eye contact.
"When we ran in to that man in the forest and he said… I didn't want to believe him. Then we get back and find the pyre." Arthur falls silent gritting his teeth as he leans forward in his seat, effectively hiding his face from view. Merlin winces at the mention of the pyre the familiar burn running over his flesh making him shiver, his hand tightens reflexively on his shirt sleeve and he has to bite don on his lip to prevent the faint whimper that came with the memory. "Do you have any idea how that feels?" Arthur whispers. Merlin's eyes drop again part of his mind still fixed on the court yard not far from here where he had slowly been burned to death.
"Maybe not but if it is anything like being strapped to a pyre you have my sympathies." His throat closes up around the last word and he swallows heavily right hand locked around his wrist.
"You never told me and you lied." Arthur states firmly staring at Merlin as if he'd never seen the young man before.
"I have told you, other people have told you and each time then you laughed." Merlin bit his lip and looked away as anger and bitterness began to well up along with the pain, "Then Gaius told you and you had me arrested like it was nothing. I apologize if I was a little less keen to tell the truth after that."
Arthur looked away but there was no regret in his voice when he spoke.
"You expect me to be sorry?" He asked his voice a harsh growl. Merlin looked at him then eyes tired and resigned.
"I didn't know what to expect Arthur, so I never told you." Merlin trailed off as his eyes began to close the adrenalin of the moment dead and leaving him even more exhausted.
"Don't you run away from this Merlin! What am I supposed to do!" The prince demanded. Merlin's voice was weary and lost in sleep when he replied.
"Still asking… for my opinion… Arthur?." His eyes fell closed head dropping back against the pillow for a moment Arthur thought he'd fallen asleep but as if to prove him wrong one last time Merlin spoke up.
"I don't care what you do Arthur just… do what you want…"
The silence that followed was thick with tension as the prince sat mind wiring over his options. The defeated Warlock slept on unaware resigned to whatever fate the prince had in line for him.
After long deliberation I wash my hands of this chapter! I have been clutching on to it for too long and I need to learn to move in…
I also just realized I have held this 'what is Arthur's choice thing way too long. I'm not doing this on purpose I was gonna end it this chapter but I'm a coward who can't seem to make up her mind on what way to do it. I think I've finally got it sussed now so the overdone tension will be bought to an end soon with my apologies : P
On a less frustrated note it is now my Easter holiday which might mean more writing… hopefully.
It also means I am ever closer to my A levels which is a major kill joy writer block bundle of misery.
Sorry for any delays
I had such bad writers block for the end of this chapter I ended up sitting in the garden in the dark (it was night) trying to work : P
Anyway enough of my rubbish Hope you enjoyed : )
SQ