More Merlin! And here is the long-awaited meeting of Merlin and Prince Arthur. I claim no ownership of "Merlin", no copyright infringement is intended; this story is just for fun.
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Merlin swallowed as he stepped into the palace which was to be his home for the forseable future. The job he had finally accepted had no end date but a simple "as long as the Prince wishes", so he had no idea when he would eventually leave again. Everyone knew that King Uther's requests were only (for the moment) polite orders, and that you simply obeyed them, if (when) they were given, and while this was somewhat less well-known outside of Albion, it was an easy fact to find out. Merlin was more than a little apprenhensive about both the terms of and the sheer grandness of his new environment.
As he was lead first to the rooms where he would be staying (they were nice, but then again, it was a castle) and then the studio where he was to meet the prince, he was surprised to see the well appointed, clearly well used studio and well-loved painting supplies.
It was with some relief that Merlin walked around the space, awaiting the Prince. Despite what he had been fearing, this was a true artist's studio, not some spoiled brat without a clue, not even one born to parents with a lot of resources.
Merlin turned around at a sudden cough behind him, and was greeted by the sight of the well-known face of the Prince of Albion. "Hello" said Prince stepped towards him, reaching a hand out to shake his with the easy ease of someone who was not only very confident in their own skin, but immensely used to meeting new people. "You must be Merlin. I am Arthur Pendragon". "Hi, eh... Prince Pendragon" Merlin replied, blushing. How could he not have researched how to address Princes before this?!
Arthur laughed. "Arthur is fine. There is protocol for formal occasions, and if you ever meet my father, it is 'your majesty'. Also if he is in the room, you address me as 'Prince Arthur'. Otherwise, we dispence with the titles, at least in here". Arthur gave him a reassuring smile, and Merlin let out a breath in relief at having caused no offence.
"You can take that off" the Prince then said suddenly, turning away. "Excuse me?" Arthur smiled. "Your jacket. I would prefer you in your shirt only for this. Will you undressing more be a problem? I read you've done kroki modelling in the past... I might want to do muscle studies later". "Oh" Merlin obediently took his jacket off. "No, no it wouldn't be. Yes, I have" "Good. Sit there, please" Merlin obediently took a seat as instructed, allowing the Prince to arrange him in a suitable manner. He did so softly, his hands warm and sure, and not unpleasant to be touched by.
Merlin was relaxing into the pose as the slightly older man started to set up and settle with his painting supplies. Unlike some painters he had worked with, he already felt safe with Arthur, and he was clearly very focused on his work. Judging by the other paintings around the studio, he also had an excellent hand.
"Do you mind" the Prince asked when Merlin took his third pose "that I feel your hair? I want to know its texture; it helps". "No, not at all" Merlin found himself growing increasingly comfortable with the setting. Arthur was soft-spoken and clearly intelligent, and obviously a very, very talented painter, he could bet on it just after seeing how he held the brushes. His eyes on him were professional, full of artistic interest and taking in every detail, but there was nothing there to make him uncomfortable.
The sun was already setting as Arthur had completed three paintings, several drawings and a whole slew of sketches. Merlin was starting to feel some new apprehension. It had been hours, and while he had changed pose several times, he had not had a break since they started. Nor had Arthur, of course, and the prince did not seem to need it, but Merlin was growing tired.
"Can you.." Arthur started, but Merlin cut him off, before he lost the nerve. "I'm sorry, Arthur. Do you mind if I take a short break? It is just..." "Oh!" Arthur looked up, his expression taken aback. "Of course! I'm sorry - I get so absorbed in painting, I forget. Of course you can".
He looked out towards the windows. "It is getting late, actually, the light is really too bad to continue for much longer. How about we call it a night? I have an outing tomorrow morning, but will you meet me here after lunch? And Merlin?" The Prince looked very serious, but not in any way unkind. "Tell me when you need a break".
