I hope you guys didn't mind the small fart joke in the previous chapter. Just needed some comedic effect there. Anyway, here we are at the next chapter of Magnus's story. Enjoy.
Making his way to his room in the castle Magnus he pulled the wooden carving the old woman had given him. He couldn't believe all this was happening, especially when his dream girl tried to kill him and acted gross at the dinner. Was this payback for him or something? Needing to get a walk, Magnus places the carving of himself on a nightstand. Sulking through the castle hallway with no specific direction in mind, he hears the muffled sounds of an argument. Taking a quick look around for any guards or servants, he follows the sound to a closed door as he heard two familiar female voices.
"You can't just do that!" yelled Elinor, a tone that surprised him in how harsh she was, especially for a prudish queen.
"I thought it'd make him laugh! The boys laugh at it all the time!" Merida justifies irritably.
"They're children. It's uncouth and inappropriate for a princess. You practically scared him off!" Magnus nodded to himself at the Queen's assumptions.
"It's not like he's a prince or anything." The princess mumbles.
"Maybe not, but he clearly comes from a well-developed clan. What if he goes back to tell his people of how we treated him. Your behavior reflects on all of us."
"What if he's just lying? Just a witch or wizard. I mean, long distance messages on a wee thing?"
"In any case, we must make allies, not drive them to conquer us." Elinor lectures.
With the sounds of heavy footsteps coming closer to the the door, Magnus scrambled away from it to the nearest corner. He normally wouldn't care about an authority catching him doing something innocuous as overhearing a conversation, but the fact that they're royal and the Queen is angry...yeah, not gonna take that risk!
The footsteps get lighter and faster as Elinor goes the opposite direction, allowing him to let out a breath didn't know he was holding. Laying his back against the wall, he let out a dejected breath, sliding his back down to the stone floors as he took in the conversation. Of course, they'd think his society was just a sort of magic, if not a fairytale. Too bad it's a society they'll never see, or he hopes they won't see. Doesn't even have the stuff to prove other than the clothes on his back!
Magnus came out of his thoughts when he hears as sounds of metal banging on something mixed with a sort of chopping and angry teenage grumbles. Without another thought, Magnus rushes his way into her room where he sees the princess, lying on her bed and hitting her bed frame with a sword.
Magnus took note of the behavior as it looked relatively similar to how he would settle stress and rage back at home. Merida stops her tantrum once she noticed Magnus standing in her room, her sword still in hand as she glares at the boy.
"What do ya want?" She groaned.
"I heard noises coming from here and wanted to see what your deal was this time." Magnus answered, angered at her sudden hostility to him again. "Do you have a problem with that or not?"
The princess rolled her eyes at his question. Both her and Magnus remain quiet for a few minutes, eyeing each other to say something first. Both of them had their fingers twitching with anticipation what the other might do.
"Look, at dinner earlier..." Merida began, hesitating before trying go back to her being moody. "I thought you, a boy, would like that kind of thing. I thought it would make you laugh."
"It didn't." He confirms flatly. "Not all guys like that."
"Well I know that now." She says, giving him a small smile.
The two stayed quiet again before Magnus decides to speak this time.
"So...I heard you and your mum talking about me earlier." He starts, trying not come across as too invasive.
"Are the things you said true?" Merida asked, almost excited.
"I thought you didn't believe what I said?" Magnus questions her on her change in tone.
"Eh, just didn't want mum to be on your case about it." Merida dismisses his confusion before moving from her spot on the bed for him to sit on it with her. Shrugging it off, Magnus sits with her on the edge.
"So these 'cars' ye have? They easy to work 'round?" She asked him not trying to seem too interested.
"Well...no. There's a whole a whole lot of technical stuff to work through and...well, it'd be hard for you or anyone here to use."
"So why get rid of the horses? You can train them and they're probably easier to handle than your 'cars.'"
"We still have horses, they're just...more for fun and to keep as pets than for travel or battle."
Merida still looked at him confused but intrigued. For the next hour, Magnus talked about his world and culture, without actually stating he's from an alternate world or future and answering the wild haired princess's questions.
"Do you think I could see it someday?" Merida asked curiously at the end of it.
"Uh, I'm not sure..." Magnus trailed off nervously.
He didn't know how he'd get back there, let alone if he could find his friends, wherever they might be in this enigmatic world.
"It just kind of depends. Maybe when I find the others." Magnus answered truthfully.
"I guess." Merida shrugged. "I'm sure you will."
Moving off her bed, Merida stood tall and determined, looking downward and pointing toward Magnus.
"Tomorrow, after lessons, we're goin' train ya." The princess declared.
"We?"
"Well, I wouldn't mind havin' a little bit of match." Merida tease. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on ya."
"Who says that's gonna be easy?" The boy counters back, swaggering over to the door. "Believe or not, I'm a pretty good shot as well."
"Well, then, this should be fun." Merida scoffed playfully as he leaves the room.
For the next couple of days, Magnus has been put though some lesson and other regimes by the royal Dun'broch family. While Fergus and Merida tired to get some fight out of the boy by challenging him to sword matches and training him to be a knight in the king's case of course, Elinor preferred books to swords and violence. With her, Magnus would be taught the history of Dun'broch, how the four clans came to be and a huge, disastrous conflict between them and caused them to go to war, especially about how a proper gentleman should act.
Magnus even had some archery matches with Merida and was impressed by the redheaded girl's marksman skills. Merida had grown rather soft on the boy, but was too stubborn to admit it. She would still act out grossly each now and then, burping and farting, much to Magnus's annoyance, but not very much, just for his sake. It was mostly to tease and annoy him for laughs. But onto Merida, as a princess, her mother is hellbent on making a proper, ladylike regal figure out of her daughter if it was last thing she did. Merida dreaded all the boring notes she had to take, all the books she needed to read, all the butt-ugly dresses she had to wear, it was hell for the young wild-haired princess.
One night when Magnus was helping her out with one of her lessons, Elinor stumbled in to find that they had both passed out and resting on the floor. Merida was sleeping right on top of him, holding a book in one hand. Confused by this scene, the queen eyed the scene suspiciously before slowly shutting the door. It wasn't because she hated the idea that they could possibly forming a romantic relationship. It's just that her daughter needed to be more responsible and elegant in the future when she becomes queen on day.
Merida stumbled across Magnus in the field one day, firing arrows at targets. Merida was once again stunned to witness his outstanding archery skills. Seemingly without effort, Magnus was able to aim his arrows right in the center every single time no matter what angle or stance he had. As he was ripping the arrows out, Merida causally approached him from behind.
"Hi." She suddenly said, catching him by surprise and making him jump.
"Fuckin' hell!" He hissed in irritation.
"Ooh, somebody has a dirty mouth." taunted Merida, not bothered by his shameless wording.
"What do you want, Dumb-rock?" grumbled Magnus, returning to where he stood with his arrows.
"What? I'm not allowed to watch you shoot arrows? And seriously, "Dumb-rock"?" Merida gripped gently, before acknowledging his insult with a 'seriously' face.
"You didn't need to scare the shit out of me." Magnus remarked, reloading his bow.
"Pff, whatever you say." Merida shrugged. "By the way, you do have the most impressive aim. I would almost say it's better than mine."
"You've seen nothing yet." Magnus shook his head before turning his back to the targets and before Merida could say anything, in rapid speed, Magnus fired at the targets behind him in perfect succession, striking all three of them right smack in the center in less than a second. Merida was gobsmacked beyond belief.
"My god!" She gasped in shock and also amazing. "How on earth did you do that?"
"My dad taught me that when I was a boy." explained Magnus. "I've been practicing archery an entire lot in my life."
"No kiddin'?" replied Merida intrigued. "And what does your dad do, may I ask?"
"He's dead." Magnus responded sharply with a deadpan, causing Merida freeze and go silent with wide eyes. "His kidney failed when I was 12. My mother moved on by marrying a spineless jackass named Sean. When my mother was not around, Sean would smack the fuck outta me, call me rude names and make me do everything around the house. Sometimes when if I ever spoke back, he would get the belt out and whip me senseless with it until I cried my eyes out, just to prove who the fuckin' man of the house is and that he'll always have dominance over him. If my mother ever asked about my distress or my injures, Sean forced me to keep quiet about it or else he would bury me alive."
Merida went silent by his rant, taking a step back as she processed it all. His mother marries a man and he just-...No, she doesn't know! He wouldn't let him speak! How dare he! Her pitiful gaze turned to anger as hands balled into fists.
"That bastart!" Merida growled. "Ya don't deserve to be treated like that! No one does!"
With that, she seized an arrow from her quiver, looking ready to shoot at an invisible enemy. Magnus shocked by her reaction takes his own step backwards from the girl, raising his arms to calm down.
"I swear if I ever see 'im, I'll shoot his baws off!"
"Heh, you don't know how much I wish I could do that." Magnus scoffed, smirking at how much she cares. "But it's illegal to well...attack him and I don't think I'm gonna see him again anytime soon."
"It's just not fair! Him gettin' away with that. No one should have to deal with that." The princess says furious for her friend.
"I know, I know!" Magnus tries to calm her. "But I don't have to deal with him now. I haven't had to deal with him since I came here. Who knows? Maybe I'll never have to see him again."
"What of your mum?"
Magnus could only shrug and say, "Maybe she'll finally see what an ass he is."
The two gave each small, reassuring smiles before going back to their own little fun competition of target practice. The two each pluck a strand of their hair, tying it to one of their arrows before raising their bows toward the sky. The two archers, after a second of focus on where or how far it will land, both let go as the arrows soars like they're aiming for the sun!
The two gave each other a mischievous look as the speed off further into the forest to find their respective arrows. Merida, knowing the forest more than Magnus, had a good idea where hers had landed as she ran further and further without the need of her trusty steed. Magnus, however, while still not used to this forest, is finding his way pretty well having followed where his arrow would land based the angle a force that he pulled it from.
He heard the leaves rustling and grass crackle along with the heavy breathing mixed with laughter from Merida speeding further to where her arrow may be. Knowing that he had to move fast he found his arrow that had gone through a tree's branch.
"Yes!" He exclaimed, pulling the arrow out as he checked that the it still had the strand of his black hair.
"I found mine first, Dumb-rock!" He called out to her in a sort of brag.
"Mine went the farthest!" Her victorious shout echoes from afar, sending a few birds flying out.
"Eh, I was just goin' easy on ya." Magnus teased as he ran to catch up to her, Merida having just plucked the arrow from the ground.
"Liar." She said playfully as she faces him.
They stood together, finally letting each other breathe and lying on the ground as they watch the sky.
"This is nice." Merida murmurs to herself.
"What?" Magnus questions suspiciously.
"This a good day." The red-haired girl clarifies hesitantly.
Magnus rolled his eyes before closing them, content with just how peaceful this all is. Granted, when it's like days off from training and lessons it is but just... nice. Merida's head shot up realization hitting her that it's going to be sunset in an hour and she has to make an appearance with her family to her kingdom. Magnus, following her lead, puts his helmet that he tossed aside back on to go as her guard.
Yet, before they headed back to Castle Dun'broch, Merida made a plan with Magnus.
"You, me, the Firefalls. Two days from now." She ordered.
Magnus nodded in agreement at their next little expedition, a little confused, but going to follow anyways.
Now the next couple of days have been a pain in the ass for Merida. Because, as princess of the kingdom of Dun'broch, there are certain expectations, standards and traits of character that she must live up to in her mother's eyes. Each day, she is put through some aggravating lessons all day and all night by Elinor, who makes it her life goal to make absolutely sure her daughter takes her responsibility as future queen more seriously.
For instance, when in the presence of her people, she has to look dignified and focused, walk right and have the correct posture. Behavior-wise, she must remain ladylike at all times. That means no burping, passing gas, picking your nose, scratching inappropriate areas on your body, especially in public, and let's not forget expletives either. Swearing aloud is not the language of a prim and proper regal princess.
The triplets were at their usual tricks once more; stealing treats from Maudie, one of the castle maids, as usual. Those three never learn, do they? And later that day, when the royal family needed to make an appearance, Magnus stood by the king and queen as the doors opened to reveal, to Elinor's annoyance,...Merida taking a bite out of an apple. Nevertheless, the queen quietly gestured for her to keep her posture right and the red-haired princess smiled widely as best she could, discarding her apple and marching toward her chair in an exaggerated way. Magnus sighed through his nose while Elinor gave her daughter a look.
"'A Robyn, jolly Robyn, and thou shalt knowe of myn..'" recited Merida one afternoon in a bored, monotonous tone while her mother was upon the upper level of the room overseeing her before interrupting.
"Project!" She cried.
"'...and thou shalt knowe of myn...'!" Merida projected a bit too loudly.
"Pronounciate! You must be understood from anywhere in the room or it's all for naught!" explained Queen Elinor.
"This is all for naught." Merida muttered grumpily to herself.
"I heard that!" Her mother called from the upper floor in a stern tone, earning a sigh of tired irritation from Merida, dropping her head. "From the top!"
It's been tough for me these past few days. I work as an usher at the Marcus Theater and it's been super busy lately now that Avengers: Endgame has arrived. Hope you appreciate it.