Fic: "In Your Honour, coda [You Are The Light That's Leading Me]"
Title: In Your Honour, coda [You Are The Light That’s Leading Me]
Author: smokey2307
Warnings: slash
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Merlin’s first impression of Saumare is that it’s warmer and sunnier than Camelot.
Disclaimer: characters belong to the Beeb, title to Lifehouse.
Word Count: ~2000
Author’s Note: Coda to the In Your Honour verse, a master post of which can be found here. As ever, this wouldn’t have been possible without xaritomene who once again gave me a plot and got overexcited about it.
I strongly recommend downloading the song that inspired this - I consider it to be the ultimate Merlin/Arthur song. It’s by Lifehouse and it’s called Everything, and can be found here.
You Are The Light That’s Leading Me
Merlin’s first impression of Saumare is that it’s warmer and sunnier than Camelot.
Gaius had told him that Uther had been debating whether or not to let Arthur go off on a sort of enforced leave - his way of giving him a holiday. Though of course, Uther was Uther and so had told Arthur that he was being sent as ‘good will ambassador’ to Saumare. Arthur had taken to the task with a seriousness and gravity that made Merlin smile and reach over to kiss him more than once.
They've been in Saumare for one day and already Arthur is bored. He had introduced himself to King Ioan and his wife Abertha with a little too much formality, a little too stiffly, and Merlin had nearly apologised for him before stepping up and shaking Ioan's hand himself. The whole family was very welcoming, and the kingdom itself was probably the most peaceful by a long shot. Magic has never been banned and so is everywhere, and Merlin can see it in a way that he knows Arthur can't but desperately wants to. It twists and turns and cartwheels through the corridors and down the streets like a playful child, calling to him.
Arthur had been expecting to sign treaties, help organise armies, and make nice with the household's fair maidens. Instead, Merlin had taken him from the castle, making him leave his crown behind and dress down, and led him onto the streets. There was a lightness and happiness here that never seemed to permeate Camelot's walls, and it made Merlin want, in a sort of odd, detached way, to not return to Camelot. But whether he liked it or not, Camelot was his home, and he'd always return there in the end.
They wander through the streets with no real purpose and Arthur tells him all that he knows about the kingdom - its family, its legends, and its people. It seems like the perfect place to live from all that Arthur says and Merlin finds himself wondering if maybe, Arthur wants to stay for longer than their allotted week.
The sun is high in the sky as they come across a relatively large house, and the gentle humming of conversation that's been following them around is broken by the high-pitched wailing of a newborn baby. Merlin doesn't even have to look to know that Arthur is following him as he ducks into the house.
The first thing that he notices is that the room is alive with magic, shining blindingly in the darkened house. It's overwhelming and wonderful, and when the light finally fades he realises that the room is filled with mothers nursing their young children, each of them nearly as bright as Arthur.
"Hello," he says to the nearest mother, bending to crouch at her side. Her child stares at him with enormous brown eyes, a tuft of dark hair sticking straight up on his head. "How is he, has he been looked over?"
The mother smiles at him tiredly, bouncing the baby gently in her arms.
"The physician is elderly, and cannot manage the walk from the castle down to this part of the town. But he's feeding and sleeping, so I'm not worried."
"Well, I was an apprentice physician. I can take a look, if you'd like."
She hands him over with a nod and Merlin takes him carefully in his arms, acutely aware of Arthur peering over his shoulder. He pulls back the cloth covering the infant and pushes just that little bit harder with his magic, adjusting his vision ever so slightly until he can see. And as the mother had said, everything seems fine - Merlin can see no abnormalities within the child's body, and all of his bones look strong and unbroken. He blinks to clear his vision.
"You're right, he's very healthy," he says absently, and he can feel the woman's blank stare even as he checks the smooth, soft skin for any discolouring.
"He's a very powerful sorcerer, too," Arthur says dryly, and Merlin feels his own lips quirk. As a passing thought, he rests his fingers gently on the baby's head and sets upon him a protection charm, and then a good will one just for the sake of it before handing him back to his mother.
"There's a protection charm on him," he explains, as the infant's forehead glows a faint golden colour before fading. "You know, just a weak one, keep him safe in a very general sort of way, nothing too specific."
"That's a kind gift."
Merlin looks up as Princess Carys steps into the room, her husband ushering her in, and beside him Merlin can feel Arthur's confusion.
"What do you mean?" Arthur asks, and Merlin nearly forgets to pay attention because he's just staring at Carys, and wondering how he missed it before.
"Charms upon infants are expensive things, Prince Arthur," she explains, reaching out to stroke the baby's head carefully. He gurgles happily at her. "Only the nobles can afford such things."
"Well, Merlin will give them to all of the babies here free of charge," Arthur replies as though it's the most obvious thing in the world, and Merlin feels a rush of pride.
"I'll come back in the winter and bless and charm yours for you too, if you want," he suggests, and all at once Ofydd moves to stand in front of his wife as Carys' mouth drops open. Arthur tries to push Merlin behind himself in a wasted attempt at chivalry, but nearly trips over a child's toy and manages to make the move look intentional.
"What are you talking about?" Carys asks in a hushed tone, pushing Ofydd carefully out of the way, and Merlin just smiles.
“Nobody glows quite like a woman with child, my Lady,” Merlin says warmly, and she closes her mouth abruptly. “And I mean that in a magical sense as well as figuratively.”
“You mean to say that I am carrying a warlock?” she whispers, eyes wide and furtive, and Merlin shakes his head.
“No, it’s not magical, it’s just… the magic I’m connected to is very old - it’s as old as the earth, and it’s a part of nature. And trust me when I say that nature gets very excited about babies. It treats them like the miracles that they are.”
A pleased flush spreads over Carys’ features and she smiles, ducking her head, and Ofydd breaks into a blinding grin.
"We're to have a child?" he blurts, and Merlin nods slowly. He can feel Arthur's hand on his elbow.
"A healthy baby boy, and he will be born in the winter. He appears to be strong and healthy - take good care of him."
Carys looks as though she can't decide if it would be appropriate to hug him, so instead she just does something that looks like a cross between a curtsey and a wave and hurries from the room. Ofydd watches her with a faint smile, and Arthur holds his hand out.
"I believe congratulations are in order," he says warmly, and Ofydd takes it with gusto.
"Her father will be so pleased," he says happily, his whole face shining. "Thank you, Merlin. Thank you so much."
Merlin watches as he weaves through the room to follow his wife. He feels Arthur's hand move to press against his lower back, and leans into the touch as he folds his arms over his chest.
"They'll be good parents, I think," he says slowly, and Arthur unexpectedly presses a kiss to his temple.
"They will. Now come on, I promised them that you'd bless and charm all of these babies. So you'd best get on with it, I want to be back up at the castle before I starve to death," he said blandly, and his hand shifts to squeeze Merlin's hip before he moves away and approaches another new mother.
It's then that Merlin realise that Camelot isn't his home.
Arthur is.
***
It’s not until much later that night, when the chambers designated to Merlin are empty and they’re both curled up on Arthur’s enormous bed with the summer night breeze brushing over them that Arthur starts to complain. Merlin makes a mental note to tell Morgana that he lasted one day.
“I can’t believe we spent most of the day charming and blessing babies,” he mutters, and Merlin strokes his hand in vague patterns over Arthur’s chest where he’s pressed into his side.
“We were hardly going to be doing anything else - there’s nothing else for us to do,” he reasons, and yawns. The charms themselves didn’t put even the slightest strain on him, but the small children - some of them old enough to be talking - took more energy than anything else he’s ever done. But for once, it’s a good, satisfied sort of tired.
“But I don’t understand,” Arthur grumbles, and Merlin could swear that he’s almost pouting. “I thought that my father sent me here with a job to do. A mission.”
“Arthur, he’s giving you time off. A holiday,” he explains, reaching his right hand up to curl around Arthur’s neck and into his hair. “He’s sent you to the most peaceful kingdom in the land, where there are no princesses to be foisted upon you and no troubled alliances to calm. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
Arthur’s face crumples, a look of annoyance passing across it, but Merlin can feel the gratitude and relief rippling through him as he leans into his touch.
“I don’t see why he couldn’t have just told me that.”
“He didn’t tell you because the Pendragon men are manly men and as such, they are incapable of expressing emotions very well,” Merlin shoots back, but they both know that he’s joking. He fits himself better against Arthur’s side anyway, and the Prince’s arm tightens around him.
“How did you know, anyway?” Arthur asks, prodding his arm gently, all of the resentment drifting from his voice and his breathing beginning to lull Merlin to sleep. But it’s not often that they get to just lie here like this - the last few months have been busy and full and half of the time, they’re not even sleeping at the same times - so he forces himself to stay away and prolong this.
"Your father discussed it with Gaius whilst I was nearby."
"Nearby. Next room nearby? Or a few corridors over, nearby?"
"I'm blind, Arthur. My other sense are enhanced, remember?"
Arthur chuckles at that, and presses his lips into Merlin's hair, inhaling loudly before puffing the air back out, ruffling the black mop. It's an oddly comforting gesture that really shouldn't be, but it's just another one of those things about Arthur that is entirely unexplainable but also completely endearing. Merlin would consider these moments ones that remind him of why he loves Arthur, but he never does need reminding.
"What you did today for those people - all those children - was wonderful," Arthur says softly in the darkened room, and Merlin curses him for finding another topic of conversation when he'd been about to drift off.
"The mothers were happy," he agrees sleepily, curling his hand around Arthur’s ribs, the Prince’s heartbeat strong and steady beneath his wrist.
"I never realised that some children deal with such - difficulties,” Arthur continues, sounding a little awkward even to Merlin’s exhausted ears. "And all children deserve the same protection, not just those born with titles."
Merlin forces his eyes open, and reaches up to press a kiss to Arthur's forehead as a warm flush spreads through his chest. "One day, Arthur," he says, quiet and firm, "You're going to be a great king, because you'll understand things like that. And until then, I'll bless and charm every baby from here all the way to the Western Isles for you. Now, please, can we go to sleep?"
He doesn't need the gentle, flickering candlelight to know that Arthur is smiling fondly at him. The Prince leans down suddenly to capture Merlin's lips in a gentle kiss, warm and soft and loving. He's still smiling as he slides his hand from Merlin's ribs down to his hip, palm fitting over the sharp jut as though it was made to rest there.
"Yeah. Let's sleep," he murmurs, his other hand reaching to take a gentle hold of Merlin's upper arm. "Let's sleep."
Merlin extinguishes the candlelight with a blink, and settles his head into Arthur's shoulder. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be curled up in bed with a magical Arthur, acting as Camelot's court advisor to another kingdom, he would have laughed in their faces and said something that probably would have had him thrown in the stocks.
That night, all those months ago, he had been ready to give up his life for Arthur's. He'd done it before and that time was no different, except he had actually died. He certainly hadn't expected to be brought back to life. He certainly hadn't thought before that there was any gift greater than life.
Merlin can feel the strength and love and courage and compassion that fills Arthur, and he knows that he was wrong.
There are so many things that he had expected from his life, so many different directions that he'd envisaged himself going. Gaius' apprentice, a village sorcerer, Arthur's servant for several more years. For all of his magic, he could never have predicted that things would turn out the way that they did.
He doesn't care.
Merlin is with Arthur, and he is at peace.
***
You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You’re everything
***
Concrit loved, thank you for reading xx
Author: smokey2307
Warnings: slash
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Merlin’s first impression of Saumare is that it’s warmer and sunnier than Camelot.
Disclaimer: characters belong to the Beeb, title to Lifehouse.
Word Count: ~2000
Author’s Note: Coda to the In Your Honour verse, a master post of which can be found here. As ever, this wouldn’t have been possible without xaritomene who once again gave me a plot and got overexcited about it.
I strongly recommend downloading the song that inspired this - I consider it to be the ultimate Merlin/Arthur song. It’s by Lifehouse and it’s called Everything, and can be found here.
You Are The Light That’s Leading Me
Merlin’s first impression of Saumare is that it’s warmer and sunnier than Camelot.
Gaius had told him that Uther had been debating whether or not to let Arthur go off on a sort of enforced leave - his way of giving him a holiday. Though of course, Uther was Uther and so had told Arthur that he was being sent as ‘good will ambassador’ to Saumare. Arthur had taken to the task with a seriousness and gravity that made Merlin smile and reach over to kiss him more than once.
They've been in Saumare for one day and already Arthur is bored. He had introduced himself to King Ioan and his wife Abertha with a little too much formality, a little too stiffly, and Merlin had nearly apologised for him before stepping up and shaking Ioan's hand himself. The whole family was very welcoming, and the kingdom itself was probably the most peaceful by a long shot. Magic has never been banned and so is everywhere, and Merlin can see it in a way that he knows Arthur can't but desperately wants to. It twists and turns and cartwheels through the corridors and down the streets like a playful child, calling to him.
Arthur had been expecting to sign treaties, help organise armies, and make nice with the household's fair maidens. Instead, Merlin had taken him from the castle, making him leave his crown behind and dress down, and led him onto the streets. There was a lightness and happiness here that never seemed to permeate Camelot's walls, and it made Merlin want, in a sort of odd, detached way, to not return to Camelot. But whether he liked it or not, Camelot was his home, and he'd always return there in the end.
They wander through the streets with no real purpose and Arthur tells him all that he knows about the kingdom - its family, its legends, and its people. It seems like the perfect place to live from all that Arthur says and Merlin finds himself wondering if maybe, Arthur wants to stay for longer than their allotted week.
The sun is high in the sky as they come across a relatively large house, and the gentle humming of conversation that's been following them around is broken by the high-pitched wailing of a newborn baby. Merlin doesn't even have to look to know that Arthur is following him as he ducks into the house.
The first thing that he notices is that the room is alive with magic, shining blindingly in the darkened house. It's overwhelming and wonderful, and when the light finally fades he realises that the room is filled with mothers nursing their young children, each of them nearly as bright as Arthur.
"Hello," he says to the nearest mother, bending to crouch at her side. Her child stares at him with enormous brown eyes, a tuft of dark hair sticking straight up on his head. "How is he, has he been looked over?"
The mother smiles at him tiredly, bouncing the baby gently in her arms.
"The physician is elderly, and cannot manage the walk from the castle down to this part of the town. But he's feeding and sleeping, so I'm not worried."
"Well, I was an apprentice physician. I can take a look, if you'd like."
She hands him over with a nod and Merlin takes him carefully in his arms, acutely aware of Arthur peering over his shoulder. He pulls back the cloth covering the infant and pushes just that little bit harder with his magic, adjusting his vision ever so slightly until he can see. And as the mother had said, everything seems fine - Merlin can see no abnormalities within the child's body, and all of his bones look strong and unbroken. He blinks to clear his vision.
"You're right, he's very healthy," he says absently, and he can feel the woman's blank stare even as he checks the smooth, soft skin for any discolouring.
"He's a very powerful sorcerer, too," Arthur says dryly, and Merlin feels his own lips quirk. As a passing thought, he rests his fingers gently on the baby's head and sets upon him a protection charm, and then a good will one just for the sake of it before handing him back to his mother.
"There's a protection charm on him," he explains, as the infant's forehead glows a faint golden colour before fading. "You know, just a weak one, keep him safe in a very general sort of way, nothing too specific."
"That's a kind gift."
Merlin looks up as Princess Carys steps into the room, her husband ushering her in, and beside him Merlin can feel Arthur's confusion.
"What do you mean?" Arthur asks, and Merlin nearly forgets to pay attention because he's just staring at Carys, and wondering how he missed it before.
"Charms upon infants are expensive things, Prince Arthur," she explains, reaching out to stroke the baby's head carefully. He gurgles happily at her. "Only the nobles can afford such things."
"Well, Merlin will give them to all of the babies here free of charge," Arthur replies as though it's the most obvious thing in the world, and Merlin feels a rush of pride.
"I'll come back in the winter and bless and charm yours for you too, if you want," he suggests, and all at once Ofydd moves to stand in front of his wife as Carys' mouth drops open. Arthur tries to push Merlin behind himself in a wasted attempt at chivalry, but nearly trips over a child's toy and manages to make the move look intentional.
"What are you talking about?" Carys asks in a hushed tone, pushing Ofydd carefully out of the way, and Merlin just smiles.
“Nobody glows quite like a woman with child, my Lady,” Merlin says warmly, and she closes her mouth abruptly. “And I mean that in a magical sense as well as figuratively.”
“You mean to say that I am carrying a warlock?” she whispers, eyes wide and furtive, and Merlin shakes his head.
“No, it’s not magical, it’s just… the magic I’m connected to is very old - it’s as old as the earth, and it’s a part of nature. And trust me when I say that nature gets very excited about babies. It treats them like the miracles that they are.”
A pleased flush spreads over Carys’ features and she smiles, ducking her head, and Ofydd breaks into a blinding grin.
"We're to have a child?" he blurts, and Merlin nods slowly. He can feel Arthur's hand on his elbow.
"A healthy baby boy, and he will be born in the winter. He appears to be strong and healthy - take good care of him."
Carys looks as though she can't decide if it would be appropriate to hug him, so instead she just does something that looks like a cross between a curtsey and a wave and hurries from the room. Ofydd watches her with a faint smile, and Arthur holds his hand out.
"I believe congratulations are in order," he says warmly, and Ofydd takes it with gusto.
"Her father will be so pleased," he says happily, his whole face shining. "Thank you, Merlin. Thank you so much."
Merlin watches as he weaves through the room to follow his wife. He feels Arthur's hand move to press against his lower back, and leans into the touch as he folds his arms over his chest.
"They'll be good parents, I think," he says slowly, and Arthur unexpectedly presses a kiss to his temple.
"They will. Now come on, I promised them that you'd bless and charm all of these babies. So you'd best get on with it, I want to be back up at the castle before I starve to death," he said blandly, and his hand shifts to squeeze Merlin's hip before he moves away and approaches another new mother.
It's then that Merlin realise that Camelot isn't his home.
Arthur is.
***
It’s not until much later that night, when the chambers designated to Merlin are empty and they’re both curled up on Arthur’s enormous bed with the summer night breeze brushing over them that Arthur starts to complain. Merlin makes a mental note to tell Morgana that he lasted one day.
“I can’t believe we spent most of the day charming and blessing babies,” he mutters, and Merlin strokes his hand in vague patterns over Arthur’s chest where he’s pressed into his side.
“We were hardly going to be doing anything else - there’s nothing else for us to do,” he reasons, and yawns. The charms themselves didn’t put even the slightest strain on him, but the small children - some of them old enough to be talking - took more energy than anything else he’s ever done. But for once, it’s a good, satisfied sort of tired.
“But I don’t understand,” Arthur grumbles, and Merlin could swear that he’s almost pouting. “I thought that my father sent me here with a job to do. A mission.”
“Arthur, he’s giving you time off. A holiday,” he explains, reaching his right hand up to curl around Arthur’s neck and into his hair. “He’s sent you to the most peaceful kingdom in the land, where there are no princesses to be foisted upon you and no troubled alliances to calm. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
Arthur’s face crumples, a look of annoyance passing across it, but Merlin can feel the gratitude and relief rippling through him as he leans into his touch.
“I don’t see why he couldn’t have just told me that.”
“He didn’t tell you because the Pendragon men are manly men and as such, they are incapable of expressing emotions very well,” Merlin shoots back, but they both know that he’s joking. He fits himself better against Arthur’s side anyway, and the Prince’s arm tightens around him.
“How did you know, anyway?” Arthur asks, prodding his arm gently, all of the resentment drifting from his voice and his breathing beginning to lull Merlin to sleep. But it’s not often that they get to just lie here like this - the last few months have been busy and full and half of the time, they’re not even sleeping at the same times - so he forces himself to stay away and prolong this.
"Your father discussed it with Gaius whilst I was nearby."
"Nearby. Next room nearby? Or a few corridors over, nearby?"
"I'm blind, Arthur. My other sense are enhanced, remember?"
Arthur chuckles at that, and presses his lips into Merlin's hair, inhaling loudly before puffing the air back out, ruffling the black mop. It's an oddly comforting gesture that really shouldn't be, but it's just another one of those things about Arthur that is entirely unexplainable but also completely endearing. Merlin would consider these moments ones that remind him of why he loves Arthur, but he never does need reminding.
"What you did today for those people - all those children - was wonderful," Arthur says softly in the darkened room, and Merlin curses him for finding another topic of conversation when he'd been about to drift off.
"The mothers were happy," he agrees sleepily, curling his hand around Arthur’s ribs, the Prince’s heartbeat strong and steady beneath his wrist.
"I never realised that some children deal with such - difficulties,” Arthur continues, sounding a little awkward even to Merlin’s exhausted ears. "And all children deserve the same protection, not just those born with titles."
Merlin forces his eyes open, and reaches up to press a kiss to Arthur's forehead as a warm flush spreads through his chest. "One day, Arthur," he says, quiet and firm, "You're going to be a great king, because you'll understand things like that. And until then, I'll bless and charm every baby from here all the way to the Western Isles for you. Now, please, can we go to sleep?"
He doesn't need the gentle, flickering candlelight to know that Arthur is smiling fondly at him. The Prince leans down suddenly to capture Merlin's lips in a gentle kiss, warm and soft and loving. He's still smiling as he slides his hand from Merlin's ribs down to his hip, palm fitting over the sharp jut as though it was made to rest there.
"Yeah. Let's sleep," he murmurs, his other hand reaching to take a gentle hold of Merlin's upper arm. "Let's sleep."
Merlin extinguishes the candlelight with a blink, and settles his head into Arthur's shoulder. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be curled up in bed with a magical Arthur, acting as Camelot's court advisor to another kingdom, he would have laughed in their faces and said something that probably would have had him thrown in the stocks.
That night, all those months ago, he had been ready to give up his life for Arthur's. He'd done it before and that time was no different, except he had actually died. He certainly hadn't expected to be brought back to life. He certainly hadn't thought before that there was any gift greater than life.
Merlin can feel the strength and love and courage and compassion that fills Arthur, and he knows that he was wrong.
There are so many things that he had expected from his life, so many different directions that he'd envisaged himself going. Gaius' apprentice, a village sorcerer, Arthur's servant for several more years. For all of his magic, he could never have predicted that things would turn out the way that they did.
He doesn't care.
Merlin is with Arthur, and he is at peace.
***
You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You’re everything
***
Concrit loved, thank you for reading xx