Hooray, still moving along. More exciting parts to be written in the next few chapters, so looking forward to writing those. I think we are in the home stretch. We are about 2/3 of the way through the story and then the plot can stop banging in my head. XD
Reviewer Responses
Guest: Your review was all detailed and stuff, I feel bad that I don't know who you are. XD And yeah, I always thought that Excalibur in the show could use a little bit more magic in it. Frio? Oh she'll be along soon. You'll see. :)
Morena Evensong: Yay! More unexpectedness! And nah, no shying from silliness. Merlin feels completely fine now, and hearing Merlin speaking so easily put Arthur's mind to rest a little bit. I think it was refreshing for both of them to not be in pain and/ or panic. As for Kilgharrah, I think he might have found it interesting but I think the ramifications of what was coming probably stole all the humor in him.
ravenwriter101: Oh things are going to be veeeery interesting. So excited for writing Merlin-sword!
Lush: No problem! Thanks for reading!
blackcallalily: Thanks! :)
Yami no Serena: Lol! You have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter!
1983Sarah: Yeah, we were due for some humor. Everyone's been tense for several chapters. XD
IvoryOak: Congratulations! Um... you win... the... the metaphorical equivalent of this candy-wrapper on my desk! Wooo!
flyaway213: GRINS!
Lady Willamina:Oh he nearly peed himself. XD It wasn't just that the words were foreign, they were also accompanied by a roar. Lol
Can't think of anything else to say, so...
I don't own Merlin, and here we go!
It was far later than intended when the king, queen, and knights arrived back in Gaius' chambers. The physician looked up from his potion table when they came in.
"I checked on Edlyn," he said. Arthur looked a little disinterested, but Gaius continued. "She has more than twenty deep cuts on her scalp, and she's lucky she didn't lose both eyes. Whatever Frio was eating before she attacked wound up inside the wound so there is an infection. I'm trying to treat it, but the infection and the blood loss might be more than she can come back from."
Arthur glanced to the open door of Merlin's chambers, where the servant's body had been moved. He could find little sympathy for the bitter woman. Dayla suddenly appeared from Merlin's bedside and hurried toward the king.
"Did the dragon agree to help?" she asked anxiously.
Arthur smiled at the small girl. However nervous he was about his kingdom's future, this girl warmed his heart. She had escaped a massacre at her village and run to the city on foot to deliver what could be their only salvation from the trials ahead. Despite all her suffering and work, she asked for no reward. She seemed simply happy to help. He knelt before her and nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes. Kilgharrah will be ready to help when you need him," he said.
She beamed and dashed from the room and back into Merlin's, a spring in her step. Gaius rounded his potion table to move toward the king, glancing over his shoulder at the girl.
"A strong girl, to be sure," mused the old man.
Arthur nodded. "Indeed she is." He looked to the physician. "The dragon mentioned something that Dayla will need to summon him; the Héafodwóð?"
Gaius nodded in recognition. "'Voice' in the language of the Old Religion. It was considered to be the voice of the dragonlords themselves. Uther acquired it from a dragonlord elder, I believe."
Arthur nodded, relieved that the physician seemed to know the object. "Alright then." Dayla jogged back out of Merlin's room just then, waving at something behind her.
Down the steps hopped Frio, seemingly reluctant to leave the room. Her broken wing had been splinted, but she flapped it with little trouble (other than the weight) as she attempted to keep up with Dayla. Arthur smiled and drew the sword, placing the tip on the ground in front of him to allow Merlin to see the bird. The druid girl drew to a stop in front of Arthur and looked at Excalibur.
"Frio!" cried Merlin. The bird stopped in her tracks and cooed at the sound of her warlock friend, looking around as though she had forgotten she left him in his chambers. She began meandering around the physician's quarters, checking under each table and on each shelf, clicking and calling quietly as she did.
Dayla beamed again. "I have healed most of the break. She will still need time to heal, but she is no longer in pain."
Arthur felt Merlin's relief wash over him as he watched Frio move easily about the room. It was intense enough that the king figured he would have shed a tear if he could. A jibe popped into his head about Merlin's rush of emotion, but considering the bird had saved their lives, he swallowed it.
Something suddenly changed in Merlin and Arthur could feel him staring at Frio. The bird suddenly perked up and floated down to stand in front of the blade, pecking at it a little and tilting her head from side to side. Merlin's thoughts were directed at her, though Arthur couldn't comprehend the message for a moment. When he finally did, he found that there were few words involved in Merlin's message. He was communicating a concept.
Protect Dayla for me.
Frio looked around the room again, back to the sword, and then to the girl. After a moment, the bird hopped over to Dayla and nuzzled her leg until Dayla stooped to run a hand along her back.
Arthur smirked at the communication that had not been lost without the presence of Merlin's body. It seemed he truly had lost the gift that Morven gave him. His thoughts began to drift to the man in his cells, but he quickly redirected them and turned to his knights.
"According to Dayla, if Camelot is to survive the approaching attack, we will need Merlin's help. I will leave in the morning to travel south and find Morgana," he announced. There was a surge in energy as all four knights moved forward a little, their eyes wide with concern at the concept of the king venturing out on his own. Arthur held out a hand before they could speak. "I will not be going alone. Percival and Gwaine, you will accompany me on the journey. Leon and Elyan, you are to stay and ensure that Guinevere has all the help and information she needs to ready the city for siege."
Gwen smiled. "I've seen my fair share of sieges on the city, Arthur. I will be fine."
Arthur nodded. "I'm sure you will, Gwen, but I want you to have all the help and protection you need should the magical defenses fail." He turned to Dayla and smiled. "Not that I fear they won't." His smile dropped. "But I don't trust that we know the entirety of Morgana's plan." The girl stood straight and nodded. He looked back to his knights. "We will leave at first light. Merlin-!" He caught himself.
"About to ask me to ready the horses, were you?" asked Merlin. Arthur tried to ignore the smile the servant sent him.
Arthur refused to answer the question. He looked to Gwaine. "Go to the stables and have three horses prepared for a long journey." He turned to Percival. "Go to the kitchens and retrieve food for the trip." The two knights nodded and hurried out.
"Speaking of, how exactly do we plan on finding Morgana? All we know is that she's in a cave south of here. With the mountains, there's a slim chance we'll just happen upon her."
Arthur was stumped. This was something that needed done, and so he had readied himself. It seemed suddenly strange that he wasn't entirely sure where he was going.
Dayla spoke before the king could formulate an answer. "Emrys, can you not feel it? You have a connection to the spell; and to the three druids that cast it. Open your thoughts, and your magic will show the king the way."
Arthur felt a rush of energy. It was as though he had taken a deep breath, expanding his lungs to the fullest. It was exhilarating. Every muscle in his body felt energized and ready to move. But as the energy built, he became light-headed and leaned on the sword for support. He felt Gwen grab his arm to steady him. Suddenly, the hilt pressed into his palm began to slowly rotate, spinning slowly on the point of the blade below it. Arthur looked down at the blade as the gem moved to face south. For a moment, he could almost see a thin thread of gold running from stone and disappearing into the south wall. He looked around, but the others didn't seem to notice the thread; their eyes were all on him.
The light-headedness turned quickly to disorientation and he stumbled a little. It was like he was just returning to his room after a feast and a generous amount of wine. He pointed at the south wall where he had seen the thread disappear. "It's that way," he said, clearing his throat. He tipped to one side and both Gwen and Dayla helped steady him.
"Careful, Sire. Emrys' magic will be a little overwhelming at first," said Dayla, glancing down to the blade.
"You're telling me," he muttered so only he could hear. He wasn't about to admit that his servant's simple expression of magic had so affected him. But even though the after-effects had turned to such disorientation, his mind drifted to the initial exhilaration. He had never felt anything like it. It was like bathing in pure power. It made him feel like shouting happily to the heavens as nature itself embraced him. There was no end to it. The cloud of power seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. It filled him with energy and confidence; like he could do anything in the world.
The very fact that the intelligence of his servant now inhabited his sword proved, if nothing else, that Merlin was possibly the incarnation of magic. His mind twirled with the faces of all those magical creatures and people that had caused him pain over the years. How could the wondrous magic around him be the same as that of those? There was nothing but good and beauty in Merlin's magic.
He shook off the thoughts. What was he doing in awe of Merlin? That was not how things worked around his palace! Although, Arthur figured that a great deal was to change once they came out the other end of all this. Assuming they did.
Having let Arthur wonder at his magic for a bit (He wasn't going to say anything to ruin the moment. After all, this was Arthur's first encounter with purely good magic) Merlin caught Arthur's last thought.
"We will make it through this, Arthur," he assured him. "We always do."
Arthur looked at the sword and then sighed, sliding it back into its sheathe. He felt heavy and tired, as though coming off the effects of wine and he gave a long yawn. He glanced to Dayla and Gaius, placing an arm across Gwen's shoulders. "I probably won't see you tomorrow before we set off, so I want to say thank you, Dayla. I think I owe you more than I could ever repay." The small girl blushed for a moment before dashing forward and wrapping her arms around one of his legs in a hug.
"Mama told me stories about you," she said quietly. When she looked up at him, Arthur could see tears in her brown eyes. "She said that one day you would set us free."
Arthur felt Merlin's emotion as well as his own and he struggled not to tear up as well at the small girl's words. He settled for patting her on the back. "I promise I will, Dayla."
She released him and he looked to Gaius. "Take care of her," he commanded. Dayla beamed and trotted over to stand next to the old man, taking one of his fingers into her small hand. Frio shook herself and followed her.
Arthur could feel Merlin think at the bird, but he didn't bother trying to decipher it. He was too tired, and his mind too full to attempt to sort through anything coming from the sword at the moment.
He put an arm around Gwen's shoulders and nodded to Elyan and Leon, who headed out the door. Arthur looked back to Gaius. "We should get some sleep. We will be up early tomorrow." Gaius and Dayla bowed as the two left.
The walk up to the royal chambers was a quiet one. Arthur kept his arm around Guinevere's shoulders throughout and Merlin remained quiet. Arthur could feel the servant's anxiety trembling at his hip, mixing with his own. The combined emotions made his heart pound in his chest. His mind raced with all that was about to be set in motion. The amount of planning that had gone into this attack of Morgana's frightened him. It was not only her plan, but the plan of druids going back centuries. He had little doubt that Dayla had spoken the truth; that Merlin would be needed for this fight. The fact that so much had gone into restraining him was proof enough of that. But no matter how much he wanted Merlin at his side, the idea of leaving Camelot with such a threat looming above terrified him. Even though he had sent his knights to prepare for the journey, his mind constantly tried to present scenarios which would allow him to remain in Camelot whilst others went to face the druids and retrieve the stone. No matter what his mind presented him with, he was continuously brought back to the sword itself. Every fiber of his being rebelled at the thought of another holding it, and he wasn't sure why.
As soon as the door to their chambers closed behind the king and queen, Merlin spoke up.
"You're not abandoning anyone, Arthur."
Guinevere turned to look at the sword and then up at her husband. Arthur leaned back on the door and sighed. "You're wrong," he muttered. He stared at his feet until Gwen stepped up to him and placed a hand to his face. "I know I said I would leave, but I don't think I can." He motioned to the window that overlooked the courtyard. "How can I, when I know what is coming?"
His wife grabbed his chin gently and pulled it to face her. "You're not abandoning your people, Arthur. You are ensuring their safety." She placed a hand on the hilt of Excalibur (Merlin held his tongue about the weirdness of the caress). "There is no one here that would doubt that you can return in time." She poked his nose. "Except you."
Arthur conceded a small smile and looked down again, his eyes studying the leather of his boots. "It feels cowardly and self-serving," he grumbled.
Guinevere shook her head and placed her hands on his shoulders, holding herself close. "Not at all, Arthur. You are embarking on possibly the more dangerous of the two missions. You, your sword and only two knights to face the strongest of a druid tribe?" She let her forehead rest against his. "Even if it wasn't necessary, this is who you are; both of you. You look out for one another. I've always known how important you are to each other, but now I know that this kingdom cannot reach its full potential unless both of you are at its head."
Arthur smiled again, placing both his hands on her face and brushing her cheeks softly with his thumbs. After a moment, he placed a kiss on her forehead and stepped past her, pulling his sword belt off. "Both of us, eh?" he chuckled. Seeing his mood lifted, Gwen grinned and vanished behind the changing screen. "You sure having Merlin around won't bring the city tumbling to the ground?" The king pulled the sword from its sheathe and placed it in its holder against the wall.
"What happened to all that awe from earlier?" asked Merlin with a chuckle of his own.
Arthur stopped and his cheeks flared a light shade of pink. To his horror, Gwen stuck her head out from behind the screen to see the color change. She laughed and vanished again.
Arthur looked to the sword and pointed at the gem. "That was not awe, Merlin. That was... surprise," he fumbled.
"No...no I've seen you surprised. That wasn't it."
"Shut up, Merlin," groaned the king, pulling his shirt up and over his head before tossing it off to side and onto the floor.
"First of all, I'm short a few hands at the moment, so you might want to pick up after yourself for a few days." Arthur gave the sword a glare, but decidedly did not pick up the shirt. "Secondly, your threats are a bit empty at the moment. What are you going to do, throw things at me? Give me more chores?"
Arthur leaned down to look directly into the gem, his hands behind his back and a wicked smirk on his face. "No... but keep in mind, Merlin, you have to come out of there sooner or later." Merlin said nothing as the king stood straight and crawled into bed. After extinguishing the candles that Elde had lit earlier in the night, his wife joined him. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned back against the pillows. She snuggled against his chest and he placed a kiss into her thick black hair.
"Don't leave the guards for a minute while I'm gone," he muttered against her head. "I want you safe while I'm gone."
Gwen raised her face to his and planted a kiss on his lips. "I'll be fine, Arthur. I'm more worried about you. I want you safe as well."
Arthur kissed her again. "I'll be fine. I've got a jabber-mouthed sword at my side. What could possibly go wrong?" He pressed his lips to hers again and held her closer.
"You guys know I'm still here, right?"
Arthur smiled in spite of himself and sat up a little to glare around the bed curtains at the hanging sword. "Go to sleep, will you?"
"I'm a sword. How on earth do you expect me to go to sleep?"
Arthur groaned and fell back against the pillow, Gwen giggling at him. She gave him one last kiss before shifting to her side of the bed and snuggling against her pillows. Arthur turned on his side and placed a hand around her waist before placing one last kiss below her ear and breathing, "I love you."
~ooOoo~
The king tossed and turned throughout the night. Several times he stirred to the sounds of crashing and bumping as though his mind were playing out various worst-case scenarios for their upcoming journey. When he woke, however, he discovered that the reason for the sounds was something entirely different.
The morning felt strange. Merlin was not throwing open the curtains with his usual annoying morning energy. The smile on his face usually did little more than enrage the sleepy king. This morning, though the sunlight was the only thing that woke him. He squinted at the light and looked toward the window, trying to judge the time, but found himself with an odd question.
Why were the curtains drawn away from the window?
The lit candles in the room the night before was evidence that Elde had been in to prepare the room for the night whilst the king and queen were down in Gaius' chambers, and the servant was currently not in the room as a glance to the foot of the bed confirmed. Elde was far too fastidious to have failed to close the curtains. As he came round, he found that the slightly open curtains weren't the only thing out of place in the room. He glanced to the blankets that covered him and found that several shirts lay haphazardly across him, along with a few pairs of breeches and one or two belts. He looked to the desk.
The candlesticks that normally stood on either side of his desk had been toppled over and one now sat on the seat of his chair. He sat up quickly, placing a hand on Guinevere's shoulder to ensure she was still there. Had someone broken into his chambers in the middle of the night?
Wait... the wardrobe was missing.
Across from the foot of his bed where normally stood his large wardrobe was nothing but the stone wall. He wrestled himself from under the covers and peered over the edge of the bed to see that the piece of furniture was lying face down with its doors wide open like a dead man laying spread eagle. He glanced to the rest of his chambers and nearly fell off his bed and yelped a little bit.
The dining table had been turned on its side and balanced, in a very unnatural manner, on top of the two top legs were four of his chairs. Along all of the walls were stacked bowls, plates, pieces of armor and various pieces of silverware that stood erect on their ends like little soldiers guarding his room. Every piece of clothing that he and Guinevere owned was spread over the entirety of his chambers, one of Gwen's dresses hanging from a corner of his bed canopy. Around this time, Gwen sat up and began to look over the room with the same awe and confusion as her husband. Her eyes fixed, along with Arthur's, on what was floating above the table and chairs. One of his clay pitchers was hovering in the air, surrounded by four brass goblets. The pitcher poured water slowly into one of the goblets and another scooted in to take its place. They watched as all four goblets were filled and then lifted higher to pour the water back into the pitcher.
As the pitcher began to pour again, it suddenly vaulted toward him, with a cry from Excalibur.
"Arthur! Thank the gods you're awake!"
The pitcher slammed into one of the bedposts and shattered, dousing the king and queen with very cold water. There was a loud commotion as the four chairs balanced on the table suddenly fell to the floor and every piece of silverware clattered onto its side. The four goblets dropped out of the air and clanged against the ground, scattering across the floor. The doors flew open at the commotion and two guards raced in, stopping short at the state of the chambers. They glanced this way and that, looking to Gwen sitting on the bed (averting their eyes quickly since the queen was in her night attire), and then to the shirtless king, who was stumbling out of bed and attempting to cross the littered floor. The guards exchanged a look and then stared at the king.
"Is everything alright, Sire?" one asked, wringing his spear in his hands.
Arthur waved them off. "Yes, I'm fine. Leave me."
The hostility in his voice was enough to send the guards fleeing.
"Merlin!" the king cried, stalking over to the sword. As he got closer, he began to feel Merlin's sheepish grin. "What the hell are you doing? Did you do this to my chambers?"
"Have you ever sat completely still and wide awake for seven hours?" Merlin demanded. "Do you have any idea how bored I've been waiting for you two to wake up?"
Arthur spread his arms wide and motioned to the room. "What on earth happened?"
He could feel Merlin glancing around the room. "I thought I would pick out your clothes, and then... well the wardrobe kind of... burst." He silenced meekly for a moment, as though expecting a violent outburst from his king. When Arthur did nothing but stand and fume, Merlin continued. "My magic is so free now. I thought I would entertain myself. But it seems... it's a little uncontrollable in this raw state. My words aren't physical enough for me to use spells on my own, but I can still do the magic I don't need spells for."
Arthur pointed to the floor. "Well, you better get that magic working and clean this place up!"
Gwen giggled softly and began sorting through the mess, looking for a gown of some kind that she could put on without help. She glanced to the sword. "Merlin, there is a blue dress somewhere, do you um... know where it went?"
For a moment, Arthur felt Merlin pondering. Then, from the far side of the room, a simple blue frock rose from a particularly large pile of shirts and floated erratically toward Gwen. The queen caught the dress and smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't thank him!" Arthur cried, pointing now at the sword. "He's the one who did all this!"
"You mustn't be hard on him, Arthur," laughed Gwen from behind the screen. Arthur fumed again as he could feel the self-satisfaction radiating from the blade. "You would go mad if you had to do nothing for so long."
Arthur glared mildly at the screen and then looked toward the smiling sword. He gave a huff and motioned to the room. "Just... find me something to wear."
From behind him, a red shirt flopped over his head as though it has been tossed and a pair of breeches wrapped around one of his ankles like a snake. Arthur growled loudly and made his way over to the bed, having to jump over the wardrobe as he did. He replaced the black trousers he wore to bed with the breeches and jumped when the wardrobe to his side creaked as it was slowly righted. He grabbed his comb and began to work it around his hair as Gwen sat down at her vanity and began to brush hers. The clothes began to float awkwardly over to the bed, eventually creating a pile. The table righted itself and the chairs were lined on the side opposite the large doors. The silver utensils clanged loudly again as they were lifted and dropped onto the table along with the wooden bowls and plates.
Arthur crossed his arms as his boots landed ungracefully at his feet. He glared at the sword and could feel Merlin giving him a proud smile. Arthur sat on the bed as best he could and slipped them on. "Not exactly tidy though, is it?" he grumbled.
Guinevere smiled. "I'll have Elde arrange things. It will be fine, Arthur."
"Thank you, Gwen," said Merlin, a broad smile hitting Arthur in the head. He threw a deadly glare at the gem.
The rest of the morning contained little conversation. It was a flurry of activity as the rest of the palace prepared for a normal day and the king and his knights prepared to depart. The queen's calling of an emergency council meeting also had the rumor mill buzzing with activity, the betrayal of the druids on everyone's tongue and fear of war on their minds. Arthur had little inclination to tell them they were mostly right. Barely an hour after the chaos in the royal chambers, the king, Percival, and Gwaine rode out of the southern gate with little fanfare. The fewer that knew the king had even left, the better, but the stealthy exit left a bad taste in Arthur's mouth all the same.
The ride itself was quiet and fast-paced the first day. There was little chatter except for Arthur occasionally demanding that Merlin show him the golden thread again. There had been no sign of Morgana or any druids nearby, but since Arthur's leaving did fall into their plans, he wouldn't find himself surprised if an ambush was waiting nearby. The king avoided the main roads, the thread leading them mostly in a straight line. Oftentimes, it pointed directly into thick impenetrable brush and they had to rely on a map and their knowledge of the area to circumnavigate it.
Excalibur was sheathed and hung safely at the side of Arthur's saddle. Merlin's unease bled into him and they kept the ride silent even long after the towers of Camelot had vanished behind the trees and mountains. The magic that had been crying to Merlin every time he stepped outside since the attacks on the druid camps had suddenly gone quiet. Had his confinement within the sword affected the nature around them in some way? However self-important that sounded, he truly felt that the screams of the druids had been a warning, their magic reaching out to him to tell him of the impending danger.
He let his magic bathe the area. He had never felt so free. His magic spread along the ground like an invisible fog, touching plants and hidden animals as they went. He could feel the beat of an insect's wings as it buzzed near Arthur's horse and the thumping of a deer's heart as it heard the group pass.
Arthur's entire being tingled. He could feel Merlin's power wandering about the area. An irrational part of his brain worried that someone might see the invisible haze and discover them. The hours spent with Excalibur sheathed at his side and his repeated requests for guidance had already gotten him well used to the feeling and it no longer disoriented him. In fact, he was overwhelmed with curiosity.
The world of magic had always been a feared thing. Since the Purge, very few sorcerers remained within his grasp that could help him understand a people such as the druids. Unable to discover how to approach them due in part to this lack of understanding, Arthur had been elated to find that the druids had extended their hand first. With the exposure of Morven and Edlyn's true motives, he had first felt that peace was now out of his reach.
But now there was Merlin. Arthur had never before tried to breach the wall that his father had built between him and the understanding of magic. Even if he had the desire to, he hadn't the first idea how to begin. Uther's purge had been extensive, only saving things that could aid him in his cause or things which were too powerful to destroy. Merlin could be able to help him in his understanding. The young man had already done amazing things even since Arthur had discovered him. Perhaps he could help to banish the prejudices that had overcome his city. After all, his own mind had already been changed.
The day passed quickly to the king and his servant as they both got used to the new feeling of Merlin's magic. Though to Percival and Gwaine (who almost fell asleep in his saddle a few times) the day had been long and dull. As night set upon them, they eased up on the speed and quickly found a place to camp. Arthur divvied up the tasks, Gwaine to care for the horses, Percival to start on supper, and himself to collect firewood.
"There's a nice log over there," mused Merlin from Arthur's hip.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I see it, Merlin."
"And that area over there looks dry. You should grab some kindling from over there," the servant continued.
Arthur huffed now. "Merlin, I know how to collect firewood," he grumbled, but he did go to the indicated spot and collect the kindling.
"News to me."
"Don't smirk," growled Arthur. "I can feel you mocking me."
"Speaking of which, this feeling-sharing thing is a little strange. Who knew you had this much affection for me?"
Arthur stomped his foot and bent to pick up a few more logs. "Being trapped in that sword must be making you delirious."
The camp was set up in short order, Percival's cooking proving to be quite satisfactory. The night turned out to be as tense as the day had been. Every crack of a twig was a potential bandit, and every gust of wind was a possible druid. Arthur unsheathed Excalibur and shoved the point into the ground and leaned back on a tree, staring at the small fire that Gwaine had built. The king and his knights chatted a small bit, but it was forced in an attempt to calm their nerves. During a moment of silence, Merlin finally spoke up.
"You're not angry," he said, directing the comment at Arthur. The knights looked to their king.
Arthur looked to the gem on the sword. "What?"
"You're not angry with me," the servant observed.
Arthur paused. He almost felt the need to investigate his own emotions. His mind had been such a mixture of pain, anger, concern, fear, and even another's emotions lately, he had to take a moment to confirm the statement.
"I don't suppose I am," he muttered.
Arthur could feel Merlin smile weakly. "I thought you would be angry with me for weeks if you didn't kill me."
"I did as well," he mused, allowing a smile of his own. "Now all I can feel is..."
"Sad," finished Merlin.
Arthur's cheeks burned, and he glanced defensively at his knights. He glared at the hilt. He knew Merlin could hardly help feeling his emotions, but that didn't make it any less uncomfortable. "I suppose," he conceded. He thought for a long moment before speaking again. "You've told me more times than I can count that I will be the greatest king this land has ever known." He fiddled with a small twig between his fingers. "And with all my talk of wanting to be a just and worthy king, you still felt you couldn't share your secret with me." Merlin was silent and Arthur felt a little bit of guilt trickle into his mind. "You didn't trust that I would be fair to you."
Merlin smirked wryly. "I guess it depends on what you mean by 'fair'."
"I mean not overlooking your years of loyal service in favor of simply executing you," said Arthur with an edge to his voice. Did Merlin think him that calloused?
"I guess..." Merlin began, struggling for words. "I didn't think it meant that much to you."
Arthur laughed. "You're an idiot, Merlin."
With the king's laugh, the air in the camp relaxed a small bit, the two knights watching the exchange with apprehension like two children witnessing their parents fight. But as the king and the sword finished their conversation, Gwaine sat straight and smiled at the gem.
"Merlin, tell us a story," he demanded.
Merlin paused and the king gave him a perplexed look. "What?"
"Tell us a story about using magic. Tell us about a time when you saved Arthur's arse and he didn't know it," he requested, ignoring the glare from the king.
Merlin chuckled and after a blithe wave from the king, consented. He spent a while telling the three about Cornelius Sigan, and Sofia and her father. He told of rock slides and falling branches, distractions and breaking enchantments. The three sat enraptured by the stories, laughing at some parts (mostly at Arthur's expense), and waiting with baited breath at others. He spoke until the three could barely keep their eyes open and as soon as silence fell again, they were sound asleep.
Merlin smiled within his magical prison. It was not any measure of self-gratification that lifted his spirits, it was the curiosity and wonder in their eyes that filled his heart with hope. Strides were being made toward acceptance, though they were still far from it.
Being unable to sleep, Merlin had appointed himself as the night watch and blanketed the area in his magic, feeling each movement within his net. He attempted to move a few things around, though his lack of control made it a little too loud for his comfort and so he settled on watching the fire dance upon the wood.
Several hours into the night, his net was disturbed and he was startled out of the trance the fire had lulled him into. They were behind him, to his right, to his left, and all the directions in between. He thought frantically for a moment before laying a thick layer of magic upon the three slumbering ones and speaking in hushed tones.
"Arthur! Gwaine! Percival!"
The three stirred and began to wriggle a little when they found they were unable to move. "Merlin!" groaned Arthur.
"Shhh!" hissed Merlin.
"What is it?" asked Gwaine in a whisper.
"Mercenaries!"
Ooh, no Old English to translate this time.
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See you soon!