Aw, hi all you beautiful people! *toothy grin* I'm back, to write all for you!
Wow you're feeling cheesy today
CHEESE! Omg, I am so hungry right now!
Omd (meaning oh my dragon) I'm so hungry too!
Omt (oh my turtle) You know what I am in the mood for?
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Oh yeah. Warm, gooey, crunchy, tomatoey...
*Together* PIZZA!
Oh my turtle, I need some pizza. Or popcorn. I am in the mood for popcorn.
Same! I'm in the mood for popcorn...and pizza...and chocolate
Omt. I have it. A chocolate pizza with popcorn on top.
AND STRAWBERRIES
STRAWBERRIES! YES! Rich, juicy flavoursome strawberries...oh, my tummy need's food...hang on...STRAWBERRIES?!
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
YEP.
*together* FREYA!
Omt! Freya...Merlin...don't we have a fic to post?
omd we do!
Right. Let's get to it. This is a very BROMANCEY chapter.
Awww
Have some relief from the boom boom splat last chappie.
Boom boom splat boom boom splat *starts beatboxing*
*rapping*
Yeah, were sick,
We"re awesome too!
And here we have
An update for yooooou!
*mad air drumming* cough cough... *awkward silence* umm...
Lets...just post this.
Yeah. Here we go...
"Dammit!" Arthur shouted, punching the table so hard his knuckles split, blood seeping over his hand. "God dammit! That thing's been plaguing this land for weeks now, and you're telling me it's immortal?"
"S-sire...I...we tried everything in our power..." Leon stammered, sounding on the verge of tears. Merlin grasped his shoulder tenderly.
"Leon, you did admirably. And the information you have brought is very useful. Thank you," he said softly, and Leon looked up at him like a scared, lost puppy.
Arthur sighed. "How many deaths?"
It was Gwaine's turn to stand up. "Well, out of the eight we took, sire, only three of us returned."
"And the others?"
"Let's just say it wasn't very pretty."
Merlin winced inwardly, seeing the whirl of emotions clouding the king's face: anger, sadness, fear. He knew this look, and it wasn't a good one.
Arthur was raging up a storm. Merlin turned to him. "Arthur...calm down..."
"Calm down? Calm down? Five good men died because of an immortal shadow, and you are telling me to calm down?!"
"Arthur, they did everything in their power!"
"It wasn't good enough. I want it dead."
"It. Cannot. Be. Killed. You need to think..."
"Think?! What would you know about anything like this? You are being stupid - "
"Stupid? Me, the stupid one?! I waited for so long for you, Arthur, for my brother to return. I have seen many, many things, and you dare to call me stupid?"
"How dare you!" Arthur spat, and Merlin's eyes widened as Arthur raised a gloved had and brought it down with a crack on Merlin's cheek.
Merlin felt his head snap to one side with a sickening crack, the side of his face smarting from the violent slap. He took a deep breath, not sure how to react to the king's temper, but before he had time to say anything, do anything, Arthur had stormed from the room. He glanced helplessly at the circle of knights before following his king, his friend.
Just before he could leave the room, however, Gwaine put a hand on his shoulder. "He hit you," he said, voice shaking with rage.
"Y-yeah, he did...I need to go and talk to him, Gwaine, I might be the only one who can..."
"Merlin?" The warlock looked up. "If he does it again, I will hit him back thirty times harder."
A smile flickered on Merlin's face as he followed Arthur, his midnight blue bellowing out behind him.
Leon frowned. "Arthur never hits Merlin like that. Especially since he made him Court Sorcerer. It isn't right."
"Princess has had a rough time, I'll give him that," Gwaine said, tossing his hair and leaning against the table.
"Yeah, but..."
"Don't worry about it, Leon," Elyan put in, drumming his fingers against the back of the king's chair. "What Arthur needs right now is a friend, and, well, that's Merlin."
"So why did he, hit him, then?" Gwaine countered. "Friends shouldn't hit friends. Especially not my friends." he added under his breath. The other knights had no reply, instead falling into silence, recalling the terrible events the last days had brought.
"Arthur! Wait!" Merlin called after the swirling red cloak. No reply. He tried again, "Arthur! Wait! I need to talk to you!"
"Why would you want to?" Arthur asked quietly. Merlin froze when Arthur whipped around, and was vaguely surprised to see the hint of moisture in the royal's eyes.
"Because you're my friend, and you need to talk to somebody," Merlin said softly. Arthur slowly came closer.
His eyes flickered to Merlin's cheek. "I slapped you."
"Arthur..."
"I hit you, Merlin! I slapped you! You can see my handprint in your skin! I hurt you, and you are my brother! I don't know what came over me! I'm not worthy of your friendship!" Arthur cried, and he span on his heel and went to leave.
"Arthur, wait," Merlin called, and he half jogged to keep up with him, and when he did he span him around to face him. "You are troubled. But that does not mean you are not my friend." Yes, the side of his face did sting, but Arthur seemed more wounded than Merlin had been. They looked into each other's eyes, trying to see what the other was thinking, but in the end Arthur sighed and looked away sadly. Merlin put his arm around his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Arthur,"
"Why?" Arthur pushed him away, his tone angry once more. "Why are you sorry, Merlin? You have nothing to be sorry for! It's me who should be sorry!"
"No, Arthur. It wasn't your fault, what happened on the woods. Don't blame yourself."
"Yes it was!" Arthur almost shouted. A single tear rolled down his cheek, splashing onto his glistening armour. "I sent those men out there Merlin, I sent them to their deaths, I wasn't there to protect them, but I still made them do it. And... and then… and then I... I slapped you Merlin. I slapped you." He repeated, his head falling into his hands.
"No, Arthur. It wasn't your fault." Merlin echoed his own words as he pulled Arthur into a hug.
Arthur was unsure what to, standing awkwardly...but then, as he felt another sob rising, he returned the embrace, burying his head into Merlin's shoulder.
"I-it's me...I'm horrible..."
"No, no...shhhh..."
"I-I hit you...I hit you..."
"Shh...it's ok...you were not to blame..."
"But...but i-it was my hand that did it...!"
"But I forgive you. It's forgotten. I never blamed you...it's ok..."
Merlin felt his heart melt as his shoulder got damper. Arthur was more pained by the fact he had hurt him than the fact that he had lost some knights.
And Merlin cherished it. The noblemen hugged in the middle of the corridor, Arthur like a child, Merlin an older brother.
Suddenly, after a blissful five minutes, footsteps came down the corridor. "Finally!" Gwaine yelled happily. Arthur glared at him. Merlin grinned. Gwaine was unfazed, and ran towards them, arms outstretched.
"GROUP HUG!" he cried, and seemingly out of nowhere grabbed Leon and Percival, and as Gwen came down with Elyan down the corridor, she pulled him over to join in.
A few minutes later, a servant was walking down that same corridor, and dropped his tray in shock as the Court Sorcerer, King, Queen, and the closest knights of the Round Table all in a warm embrace. George's mouth dropped open, as a hand - probably belonging to Gwaine - pulled him into the hug.
R&R!