Chapter One: Songs of Old
In the early hours of the morning, the castle halls were mostly empty as the handmaidens and other servants were quietly going about their daily tasks that began long before the sun rose.
There was barely a whisper of sound when a low and lovely voice began to creep down the halls, singing a song that spoke of hope and love and fate. If one were to follow the voice, they would find themselves at the doorway of the physician's quarters.
Inside, Iris stood before a large cauldron, brewing a large batch of elixir that aided those with swollen joints that would later be delivered to the locals by Merlin.
While she worked and sang her songs, a part of her thought of Gaius, and her heart ached. These quarters seemed smaller somehow without him here, even though her and Merlin had hardly made any changes. They had merely gotten a larger bed for his quarters, and added a few tables that would serve as workstations for the ever-growing number of requests for medicine and other remedies.
Warmth seeped into her as she felt a familiar figure walk up behind her so he could wrap his arms around her waist.
Merlin rested his chin on her shoulder. Do you need any help?
No. I enjoy this. I'm almost done, then I can check on Morgana.
Merlin kissed her cheek, before moving away so he could make some tea for both of them. There was still time before they would have to go about their other duties, but in these quiet hours of early dawn, they spent it together.
It was not too long after the wedding when Merlin and Iris noticed a change in the bond that connected their minds. It now connected their magic, making them stronger together.
Our magic is compatible, Iris had said.
It always has been, Merlin insisted.
Merlin sat down, listening as his wife continued to sing, soothed by her voice. He still felt a jolt inside when he saw her next to him every morning, wearing his ring- or rings as Iris had pointed out, gesturing to the topaz ring he had given her a long time ago- and wondered what he had done to have Fate send her on a path to him.
"I know what you're thinking," Iris said. She looked over her shoulder, smiling.
Merlin had no doubts, even though he hadn't been using that bond of theirs. Iris always knew where his mind was, no matter how far away it wandered.
So he wiggled his fingers at her, grinning. Sparks shot off his fingertips, scattering over the table before smoldering.
Iris huffed, rolling her eyes at his antics. "Don't set fire to the table. Again."
"That," he pouted, "was not me. 'Twas Morgana."
'Twas Morgana, Iris mouthed, her eyes rolling skywards. "Fate save me from my idiotic husband."
Merlin's grin only grew wider. He got the tea kettle and poured the hot liquid into two cups, before using his magic to float one over to Iris.
Iris took the cup, and after giving the cauldron one last stir, went to sit across from him. She wore a midnight blue dress, which she told Morgana absolutely did not match the color of Merlin's eyes and therefore was not the reason she had bought the fabric from the local seamstress.
Morgana had snorted in a very unlady-like fashion and allowed her friend to keep up her obvious delusions.
Grinning at the memory, Iris sipped her tea.
When she looked over at Merlin, her heart jolted. Black hair, deep blue eyes, the same crooked smile… She blinked.
"What is it?" Merlin asked, reaching out to cover her hand with his. His thumb brushed a warm path across her knuckles.
Iris opened her mouth, then shook her head. "Nothing."
Ooo0ooO
Gwen hummed softly as she brushed her hair. She barely registered what she was doing, since her mind was half-lost in thought.
She had had the strangest dream.
Threads of gold wove themselves together with bright strands of crimson, set on a pure white canvas, before melting away like paint washed away in the rain…
Then she found herself wandering the hollow halls of a castle, except it was not quite the castle where she now lived… The halls were different, the stones were a off-white color rather than smooth gray, and from the windows drifted the smell of the sea.
A cry suddenly echoed down the hall, one that made her entire body jolt. A part of her recognized what it was, and even as she acknowledged it, she was moving forward. She needed to get to that noise, she thought. Every inch of her ached as the cries came more frequently.
It's all right, she nearly said. I'm coming, my love.
When she woke up, she stared into nothingness as she tried to decipher its meaning. But as she continued to lay there, her heart hammering in her chest, the images slowly faded until she was left with the feeling that she had forgotten something.
Gwen sighed, placing her brush down. The nagging thought was pounding like a bad tooth, but distraction came when there was a knock at the door and Morgana swept in the room.
Turning to her friend, Gwen forgot about the dream, or even the thought of it.
Ooo0ooO
Twilight came in shades of blues and purples that intertwined with the gray fog that had settled across the kingdom. The stars were barely visible above, and the moon was peering her half-face through the wispy clouds, ready to take her place in the sky as the sun slowly disappeared.
Merlin breathed in the smells of the forest, resting his hand on Nimbus's neck. The storm-gray stallion snorted, shaking out his mane as if to say, Can we go home now?
"Soon," he promised. "There's an apple in it for you after."
Nimbus leaned close, bumping his nose against Merlin's arm.
Merlin smiled, but turned his attention back to the task at hand. He had borrowed Nimbus since his own horse had been taken by Leon for border patrol, and despite being older, the now tamed stallion still had boundless energy.
Iris would smack you for taking her horse without her knowledge, a voice whispered in his mind, which sounded suspiciously like Morgana.
As if Iris doesn't already know, Merlin argued back, then realizing that did not make him feel any better.
Merlin had been going out on his own a few times every week to look for the missing Druids at night. It was not too difficult avoiding Iris, with her being distracted with her duties or spending time with her brother or Morgana, so he took advantage of every opportunity.
Lancelot had spotted him after his first excursion out, having been on guard duty along the castle walls. When the knight confronted him, Merlin confessed to his nightly missions. Lancelot had not agreed with Merlin keeping this a secret from Iris, but he promised to not breathe a word to anyone.
You cannot hide this from her forever, the knight had reminded him, with a knowing look in his eye. So why do you bother? She would help you in a heartbeat…
Merlin's mind had flashed with images of the visions and prophecies, of Iris staring at Kilgharrah when they had discussed her vision of the battlefield and how the dragon's eyes had saddened, and he shook his head.
I have my reasons, was all he offered before walking away, with Lancelot staring after him.
After a couple of hours, Merlin sighed with frustration like he had many times over when he realized his efforts were fruitless. He mounted Nimbus, casting the spell that would guide them back home through the dark.
Once he had Nimbus settled in the stables, had skirted past the knights on duty, and made his way back to his quarters, Merlin was exhausted. He could sense Iris was inside, her magic calling to his, beckoning him to her.
He followed the call.
The quarters were dimly lit with several candles, which casted long shadows across the floors and walls that danced like ghosts. Merlin crept through the space, opening the door to his chambers quietly, then froze.
Iris was sitting in the middle of their bed, her face tilted up towards the window. Her skin was awash in an iridescent glow from the moonlight, as if she was absorbing its energy. It took him a moment to realize she was naked, having been mesmerized in the serene expression she wore.
When she opened her eyes, he was stolen away into their depths, the swirling green and blue shining silver under the full moon. She might have used a spell to bring him to her, he was not sure, but it was like gravity that pulled him to her.
On their own accord, his hands reached out to touch her, caressing the soft skin along her ribs and her cheek. She was beautiful and wicked and perfect.
Iris waved her hand, those quicksilver eyes flashing gold, and his clothes fell away from him. Her hands were warm as they gripped his shoulders, guiding him down to the bed and to her.
When their lips finally met, that glow that surrounded her seeped into him, until they both gleamed like stars.
Merlin watched as Iris pushed him back against the bed, straddling his hips. His hands continued to stroke her, worship her. He knew every scar, every freckle and mole, every curve and edge.
Then Iris bowed back, taking him into her, her deep red hair tumbling down her slender back. Merlin was lost, there was nothing else but her and the moonlight.
Their magic was intertwined as intimately as their bodies, pulsing like a heartbeat, growing hotter and brighter with every gasp, every stroke until they shattered in each other's arms.
Merlin gained some of his senses back after a while, stroking Iris's back and shoulders as she curled against his side with her cheek pressed against his chest. The glow slowly faded from their skin, and the world seemed to lose its effervescent edge.
Ooo0ooO
After sleeping for a handful of hours, Merlin woke up when the sun was slowly beginning to rise. The sky was still a pale lavender-gray, while the moon had long since faded.
Peering down at the sleeping sorceress next to him, Merlin smiled. This was not the first night they had spent wrapped up in each other, losing themselves to each other and their magic.
Merlin gently untangled himself from her, kissing her temple as he rose to begin his day. He walked over to the dresser to dress, then felt a tingle run down his spine. Glancing over his shoulder, he grinned.
Iris was staring at him, her turquoise eyes smoldering as they raked over his bare skin.
To Iris, watching Merlin was a pleasure she fully intended to enjoy for the rest of her life. He had grown out of his gangly body, having filled out over the last few years thanks to training with her and the knights. She knew his body as well as her own, and felt a possessive sort of pride knowing he was hers.
His skin was a map of scars and smooth lines, pale and soft, and seeing him bare before her always made her mouth water. She knew he was watching her watch him, and she was pleased when he crossed the room in two strides to pull her up and close to him, his lips finding hers in a flash of heat.
Iris ran her nails over him, then through his hair, shivering when his body covered hers as he filled her.
Afterwards, they were both running behind to start their morning duties. When they parted ways, each with flushed cheeks and satisfied expressions, he would avoid the knowing gazes of the other servants and knights while she would merely smile coyly, unabashed.
Ooo0ooO
The Isle of the Blessed sat quiet and still under a cluster of rumbling gray clouds that promised a storm.
The entire place was painted in muted shades of gray- from the tumbled ruins, to the grass and the lake that hugged its edges. The only slash of color was two figures that walked amongst the ruins, each draped in thick cloaks in black and deep red.
Under his black hood, Mordred's pale eyes focused on the stone table that sat in the centre of the ruins. This had once been a great castle, and here a massive throne room, and now it was nothing but weathered stone with moss and mold creeping along the few half-walls that still stood.
The magic here could still be felt- a dark, heavy sort of feeling that invoked images of the sorcerers and sorceresses that once stood here, chanting their spells and songs of old.
The figure next to him all but purred, as if picking up on his thoughts. "It is heady, is it not? The taste of power, of its temptation."
Mordred made an impatient noise, waving away her words. "I do not care for the temptation you speak of. You know what I desire."
Pulling back her hood, the sorceress smirked. "But of course, my lord."
Mordred's eyes darkened briefly as he smiled coldly. "I think you will be of great help to me, Nimueh."
Ooo0ooO
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC's Merlin or its characters.
Author's Note: The last line of this chapter is a reference back to To Love a Sorcerer, Once and Future (Part Two).
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