Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone. I've decided to continue, so be prepared for the sappiness. I know exactly how I want this story to end, but it's the in-between I'm struggling with. Class work has piled up, so I will most likely be taking a break from writing until I can get everything under control, as it's the pre-finals crunchtime.
Herald of a New Age
They've barely slept, for the coronation feast lasted until the latest hours of night and the earliest hours of the morning.
It's a comforting feeling, to wake up in his arms and know that he doesn't have to sneak away early or she has to clear her room of his scent. She likes his scent, and the way his arms hold her in the moments between sleep and waking up. She loves those moments, when they're bleary eyed and warm. His eyes are always half-closed as he mumbles about morning, chores, and the prat prince (now king) and something about Gaius, but not wanting to leave her bed. She always presses light kisses to his cheek, before he rolls off of the bed, dressing. It's usually still dark out and he sneaks off back to Gaius's.
There will be no more sneaking off, for Morgana made it clear the previous night at the feast that both she and Merlin are spoken for. After all, she merely rejected every invitation to dance and sent icy glares towards some of the maids who were chatting up her fiance. Merlin, being the polite man he is, didn't seem to have the heart to turn them down, so it was up to her to glide towards them, linking her arms with his, dragging him onto the dance floor.
The nobility stared oddly, turning to the king to see what his reaction would be. The king hardly noticed his foster sister and manservant in such close proximity, as if it was something he was used to. And he was. Because a few months ago he'd barged into Merlin's bedroom to reprimand him for unfinished chores and was stunned to see Morgana kissing him. At the sound of his confused 'What?' they broke apart, red-lipped and sheepish. After that, the then-prince decided to leave them be after administering warnings to the both of them. 'I didn't think you cared' Merlin had joked, earning an eye-roll. So, with the king's apparent indifference to the matter, the nobility went on with their business, speaking of money or estates, or whatever they did.
Everyone had been in such a good mood, dancing and chatting, and drinking. Even Nimueh seemed to be enjoying herself (well, that's what was assumed, seeing as she wasn't glaring at anyone or trying to set the castle on fire) when she had a chat with Gaius and found out that the former king was under arrest in his chambers, and that he'd be moved to the dungeons for some time. Morgause left early, making some excuse about Camelot not being her place, and that she feels more comfortable in Cenred's kingdom. Morgana had smirked knowingly as the older sorceress departed.
Morgana and Gwen found the newly minted King and Merlin nursing goblets of wine, more than a little bit tipsy. Never would she have thought Merlin could handle his alcohol intake better than Arthur, but she was proven wrong when the King stumbled up out of his seat, grinning at Gwen like a love-sick puppy. Morgana and Merlin watched in amusement as Arthur made declarations of love and Gwen's eyes widened like saucers in shock, cheeks reddening.
The pair shared a dance or two, and that seemed to sober Arthur up a little, which was a relief since people were beginning to notice his clumsiness. Merlin and Morgana were entrusted with damage control and making sure the King got to his chambers at the end of the night in one piece. Once everyone had left and gone to their own homes, the two sorcerers were left with an inebriated King. They stood on either side of Arthur, dragging him up the castle stairs. Merlin murmured something about him having gotten heavier, and Morgana nodded in pain. Her arms were going to fall off. They finally reached the King's chambers and dropped him on the bed, leaving him face down on the sheets, leaving him to sleep off his drinks.
Tired, the only two people left awake in the castle set off to sleep.
In fact, they only retired to her chambers-their chambers but three hours ago. The silk sheets are twisted about their forms, her arm draped across his chest and his hand drawing circles on her shoulder lazily.
"No running off this morning," she smiles impishly, pressing a kiss to his lips.
"Never again," he says, deepening the kiss and leaning over her. The sheet slides down his waist, hanging off of his narrow hips.
"I don't think you need this," she whispers conspiratorially, running her fingers down his pale chest and stomach. She's glad he doesn't seem as thin (though he is, by everyone's standards, thin) as he was in modern London. The sickly look does not suit him.
"Really?" he raises a brow, smirking. She nods, resting her head against the pillow.
She stands behind the screen, pulling a dress on over her head while Merlin dresses haphazardly, jumping up and down when trying to put his shoes on.
"Arthur is going to kill me," he bemoans his most certain fate. The new King has called a meeting to revise the laws of Camelot, and requested his new adviser's presence, as well as the presence of the High Priestess. Merlin is sure that Nimueh's already there, smirking left, right, and centre as she plots ways to make Arthur appear incompetent. Actually, she doesn't need to plan that. The young King is quite adept at putting his own foot in his mouth without any assistance from anyone else.
"He can't kill you. Then there'll be no wedding," Morgana says dryly, stepping from behind the screen, wearing a purple dress.
Merlin looks at her, startled, "I thought we weren't going to have a wedding. We agreed, no big thing, just us and the Isle of the Blessed for the ceremony."
"That's called a wedding," Morgana snorts in an unladylike manner, "it'll be just us, Arthur, Gwen, Morgause, Nimueh, and your mother."
Merlin nods his head absentmindedly, "When is this supposed to be?"
She glares at him, "Out."
He nods, knowing that look all too well. He grins sheepishly, apologetic, and rushes out of the room just as a plate flies across the room, hitting the wall. Morgana lets out a laugh when he sticks his head through the doorway and sticks his tongue out. Her eyes flash gold.
"Lúcan," she says, and the door shuts. She hears Merlin's laughter from the other side of the door and his footsteps leading away. She shakes her head and sits down at her vanity, feeling lighthearted for the first time.
"You're late," the King scowls at his manservant...er, adviser.
"Sorry, my lord," Merlin's out of breath, as he ran through the castle to the meeting hall. He thinks it best not to use spells for the little things.
Unsurprisingly, Nimueh's already seated at the table, serenely regarding him with cold blue eyes.
"Sit down, Merlin, we don't have all day," she says evenly. Merlin rolls his eyes and she smiles a little. Huh. She's given them another chance at making things right. Maybe she isn't as heartless as he thinks she is. He sits down next to her and watches Arthur pace the room.
"I want to reverse the ban on magic," he starts, "but I'm afraid it will cause backlash. My father spent twenty years convincing everyone that magic is evil and that practitioners are wicked and cunning. They might fear that sorcerers will enter Camelot, and leave due to their prejudice and fear. But you, Merlin, are proof that not every person with magic is a vengeance seeking genius," the King rambles on and on, receiving a raised eyebrow from Nimueh (who seems to have mastered it from Gaius).
"Er, thanks," Merlin crosses his arms, watching the king pace due to nerves, "oh, by the way, I need to free the dragon your father's been keeping below the castle."
Arthur's eyes bug out and Nimueh lets out a short, genuine laugh.
"You're going to free the dragon?" he crosses his arms to match Merlin. Uther locked that thing up as a show of his power as King.
"Yep. I promised that once Uther is no longer king, I'd free him."
"What?"
With a sigh, Merlin goes into his tale of how the dragon, the Great Dragon, can see the future. How it's been foretold that he will help Arthur lead Camelot into the golden age and unite Albion. Arthur raises his brow and shrugs.
"Alright, then."
Nimueh shakes her head. This is the king she's supposed to work with? She's only thankful that her nephew has taken after Ygraine (may she rest in peace) instead of his insolent, tyrannical father. She frowns, sadly remembering her half-sister. No, Arthur doesn't have to know that Ygraine is her sister, making her his aunt. Too much has happened already. She's shaken out of her thoughts when the Merlin rushes out, eager to free Kilgarrah, and watches Arthur follow him. She stands, alone in the meeting hall. She decides to go see if Gaius needs any help with potions, because she used to help him, and because she doesn't want to be alone.
"You have succeeded, young warlock," the dragon says with approval, "you and the sorceress are fulfilling your destinies."
Arthur crosses his arms, "Is there something I need to know?"
Merlin shakes his head, "It's nothing. Just give me the keys."
Arthur huffs, and hands his friend the keys to the shackles holding the dragon. He watches sceptically, not trusting the dragon, though Merlin seems to do so. Merlin wants to ask Kilgarrah if his father is still alive, but holds in his curiosity. Perhaps, since he didn't have to save Merlin in this life, he's still alive, maybe even near Ealdor. He keeps his mouth shut, and focuses on freeing the dragon.
Merlin undoes the binds, "Free, áhreddan," his eyes turn gold as he frees the dragon with magic.
"Thank you, young warlock. King Arthur," the Great Dragon bows and flaps its giant wings, going up into the sky, disappearing from the castle.
The King scratches the back of his head. His first day on the job is proving to be interesting thus far.
The sorceress enters the small, messy home after knocking on the door lightly. She bites her lip to see it unoccupied. There are stacks of books, some old and some new, vials of potions, some of poisons.
"Hello," she says into the empty room, frowning. She decides to take the opportunity to rifle through a book. It's of antidotes and beasts, creatures that mortals fear.
"What are you doing here?" his voice startles her, and she jumps back from the book.
"I thought you might need some assistance," she says calmly.
"Nimueh, why are you here?" he asks again, raising his brow.
"I wanted to apologise. For calling you a traitor. For fighting with you. We were friends once, Gaius," she looks at him, cold eyes no longer so cold, but warmer like they used to be, "I was young and foolish. I'm sorry."
Gaius nods tensely, regarding the woman who still looks so young. He remembers going to the Isle of the Blessed to ask her to help Ygraine, surprised to see a slip of a girl, barely out of her teen years. They had worked side by side with Alice, the three of them friends, until Nimueh grew colder and distanced herself from them. It was the circumstances surrounding Arthur's birth. The price of magic.
"I'm going to make my rounds around town, if you want to come," he doesn't forgive her. Not yet, anyway, but he can be kind to the girl (woman).
She's sitting on her bed, reading, as she likes to do. For once, it's not a spell book, but a novel she found in the library. There's a brief knock at the door, and Merlin enters, hands behind his back. She looks up, smiling.
"You don't have to knock, this is your room now, too," she says, sliding off of the bed. He looks around the room and wrinkles his nose.
"It's a bit too feminine," he quips, "perhaps we could add some masculine touches."
Morgana scoffs, "Like what? A pile of dirty, smelly clothes?"
"Are you saying I smell bad?" he looks affronted and she laughs.
"No, you smell like a field of flowers," she smirks.
"It's probably because I was in a field of flowers. I got you these," in his hand that had been behind his back is a bunch of purple wild flowers, the colour of her dress. She takes them with a smile.
"Merlin," she whispers. She remembers this. Back then, after her miraculous return to Camelot and his apologies, he had gotten her flowers. But it was too late for her, then. She was already bitter due to his murder attempt.
She hugs him close to her, and he rubs her back while she murmurs unnecessary apologies.
"I thought we've moved past this," he says quietly, holding her.
"Sometimes, the memories, they just come up and I can't stop them," she admits and he responds by hugging her tighter. They remain that way for a few moments until they're interrupted.
"Oh for Camelot's sake," comes an exasperated sigh from the doorway. It's then that they remember they left the door open, "at least close the door."
Arthur has his arms crossed and he looks between his foster sister and new adviser. He still needs to find a new servant, now that he thinks about it.
Morgana glares at him while Merlin scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. It's just like the time he caught them snogging in his room.
"I've written a speech," he says, and they notice the parchment in his hands. He hands it over to the magical beings and they read it. Morgana looks up and him with a wide grin and Merlin looks gobsmacked. He knows Arthur wants to allow magic in the land again, but he didn't realise he'd write a speech so quickly.
"Hold on. You wrote this ages ago, didn't you?" Merlin asks, looking up from the parchment to Arthur.
"Yes," he admits, "I just never brought it up because of father," he shrugs.
Morgana gives him a quick hug and Merlin smiles. Magic is no longer a crime in Camelot, but practitioners of dark magic are still not welcomed. It's a start.
His head is resting against the cold stones of the dungeon, much like his son's was a few nights ago. He, Uther Pendragon, locked up in a dungeon cell like some common criminal. He lets out an aggravated sigh and narrows his eyes at the loaf of bread and water that had been brought to him. He supposes he deserves this.
He looks up when he sees his son, crown atop his head.
"Father," Arthur says.
"Come to punish me further?" he asks tiredly. Arthur falters and bites his lip.
"I've come to inform you that I've reversed the ban on magic. Lord Geoffrey has already added it to the law books. I thought you should know," Arthur says, waiting for a snarky comment or backlash.
Uther merely nods, "Yes, yes. I figured you'd do as such."
A wistful smile crosses his lips, "I used to think magic could be used for good, too."
"It still can be," Arthur says softly.
Uther stares at him with clear green eyes, wrinkles surrounding his face. Arthur wonders when his father had started to look so old.
"You'll only be here a little while longer," he says quieter still. He's arranged for Uther to be under home arrest, not to leave his chambers unless supervised.
The old king nods and watches as his son leaves him alone in a dungeon.
Yeah. That's it for now. It's so strange to be writing a Merlin story that isn't angsty. Well, maybe a little angst. I'll be taking a hiatus to catch up on schoolwork and outline exactly how I want this story to go (hopefully writing the chapters to completion before I start posting again). Thank you so much for reading, and please, leave a review.