LC2: Entry 4: Bronze and Gold
Title: Bronze and Gold
Theme word/s: Inspire
Author: thy3tuth_iswon
Rating: PG
Word count: 857
Characters/Pairings: Arthur, Gwen, OC’s
Warnings: My head is boring. Also, this is unbeta’ed
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, BBC does.
Summary: “Do you like them?”
It was a tradition of sorts, one that started when the eldest boy gave his mother a paper flower chain he and his father made on New Years. Therefore, whenever a celebratory occasion came, the sons of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere gave their mother a gift they themselves had made.
Over the years there had more flower chains, bouquets of flowers (picked from wild fields and the royal gardens), poems, drawings, and knives- usually ones made during a forging lesson.
But because Duran, the youngest, had grown past the phase of drawings accompanied by the scrawling of I Love Mummy, he wanted to do something special for his mother for the Solstice. An idea came to him while he was with his father at the silversmith. He recruited his brothers by way of plaintive pleas and big brown eyes gazes.
Amhar, the eldest, reasoned that they could not let him do the task on his own. It was their duty to help their youngest brother. Jack had no objections to lending his own hand, it was Duran after all. And Gwydre agreed to it because he had no idea on what to give Mother other than another knife.
They set to work immediately
Amhar and Jack found some small wood planks to cut down and carve. Gwydre and Duran went to the forge the so to make decorations and nail them in, under the careful eye of the silversmith. All of them painted, with only Jack to have any success in the area. After muck time and effort, the gift was finished and it looked presentable.
That evening, just before the banquet, the family gathered in study of their father. The boys lined up in front of Gwen’
“Go on Duran,” Amhar whispered to Duran and the young boy went to his mother and presented their gift.
“Boys, you did this?” Gwen took it from Duran’s elated hands, and examined her offering with a bit of pride and much love.
The result of all their work was a long bronze box with a simple cabin latch. It was sturdy thing with an overall smooth surface but a closer look would show a few smudges and metal teardrops near the edges. Nailed to the bottom sides were thin slabs of dark cherry wood that had carvings of leaves and petals with paint of reds and greens. On its top, was a metal disc shaped in the likeness of flower petals and had polished red stones scattered in its middle.
“Oh, its lovely.” Gwen remarked, looking her sons.
Duran spoke up ecstatically, “I forged the box. Amhar and Jack did the borders, and see the carvings,” he touched one carved in leaf, “That’s theirs too. And Gwydre did the stones and he nailed on…”
Duran went on explaining his and his brothers’ work, detailing the forging and the pieces, praising his brothers and Gwen listened. His elder brothers stood in the back, enjoying the sight Mother smiling and Duran so happy.
“…We got the red stones so it’ll match…”
“Match?” Gwen asked Duran, confused.
“Father’s gift,” Duran replied, “We put it in already.”
Gwen saw her husband smiled quite satisfactory and she opened the box.
The inside of the box was just as rough as it was outside. There were more smudges, there were nails curled in so not to stick out and there was a thin velvet cushion squished in. Resting on the cushion was the inspiration of Duran’s box.
It was a set of three combs. They were gold and so had more shine to their metal. They were flowers-shaped, with petals spread out, and leaves that weaved around them. Long tiny teeth stuck out underneath and in the middle of each flower were three small rubies.
Gwen took out one comb, its rubies glinted in the light, and looked to her husband.
“You cheated.” She told him, for he was supposedly bound by the rules of the gift giving as their sons.
“I have you know that I had to give very specific instructions to the silversmith,” Arthur defended and gave a kiss to Gwen’s forehead. “Besides, Duran got his idea after he learned about the combs.”
“Do you like them?” Duran then piped up, “The box and the combs I mean.”
“Yes,” Gwen said as she put one comb intertwined delicately into her hair, “I loved them both. Thank you.”
“Good thing too,” Gwydre stepped in,”He kept trying to fix it, and we had to keep doing it over again.”
“He just wanted it perfect for Mother. Besides, you didn’t help when you broke the borders.” Jack argued.
“The hammer slipped, how many time do I have to apologize for that?”
“The border was messed up anyway. Good thing Jack only did the painting.” Amhar tried to neutralize the brewing squabble between the two.
Arthur ended it, “You mother loved the box, and now we have to go. All of you march.”
The boys filed out and made their way to the banquet hall.
“Thank you,” Gwen kissed him deeply and they soon left as well.
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