Preview of To You I Pledge by Beren
Title: To You I Pledge
Author: beren_writes
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings/Spoilers: general for season 1, explicit sex
Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.
Word Count: ~45,160
This story is fundamentally a reveal fic where Arthur and Camelot find out about Merlin's magical abilities. I am a total sucker for reveal fics, so when the Merlin Big Bang came up I knew exactly what I had to write.
If this story was a Fighting Fantasy book by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson and you were Arthur it would go something like this:
Page 1) You see Merlin's eyes glowing and him doing magical things in front of the whole court, do you:
a. Leap in to destroy this terrible danger to Camelot - go to page 7
b. Stand there amazed as he saves your life - go to page 2
~~~
Page 2) Uther opens his mouth to condemn Merlin do you
a. Allow Merlin to be dragged away, after all he's just a servant and a sorcerer to boot - go to page 7
b. Challenge Uther to stop Merlin being taken and risk being thrown into the dungeon yourself, he's your friend - go to page 3
~~~
Page 3) Uther starts to tell you how dangerous Merlin is and everything like that, do you:
a. Back down and allow Merlin to be dragged away - go to page 7
b. Refuse to give up and point out how Merlin just saved all your lives - go to page 4
~~~
Page 4) Uther demands Merlin be locked up somewhere safe do you:
a. Allow Merlin to be taken away - go to page 5
b. Agree, but go with Merlin - go to page 6
~~~
Page 5) One of the knights decides Merlin is too dangerous and since the king wants him dead that that would be best. He contrives to run him through, claiming he was about to do magic to escape - go to page 7
~~~
Page 6) Etc. etc. etc... trying to get to page 8
~~~
Page 7) Merlin dies, a big magical beastie comes along and, with Merlin not there to stop it, eats Camelot. THE END
~~~
Page 8) Everyone lives happily ever after. THE END
At each page turn Merlin's fate hangs in the balance and what doesn't help is that Merlin has his own book with his own set of choices which could all end up at Page 7 as well. Page 8 seems to be a very, very difficult page to find, if, indeed it exists at all.
To find out if Page 8 is real or mythical and if Arthur and Merlin are gallant and brave (and possibly foolish) enough to find it, click on "To You I Pledge" when it is published in the Big Bang on the 5th (please ... I'm willing to beg :)).
Exceprt
There were no signs of life in the body sprawled on the floor, no discernable movement, nothing to indicate that Merlin was not as dead as his foes. Only as Arthur's fingers touched the cold skin of Merlin's face did he feel the slightest breath on his hand and it was as if some of his own heat leeched into Merlin from the point of contact.
"Gaius," he said loudly, ignoring everything else and looking to the court physician for his help.
The way Gaius met his eyes told him all he needed to know as to whether Gaius had known of Merlin's abilities or not. There was fear in Gaius' expression, but it was not of Merlin, it was for Merlin. Arthur stood out of the way as Gaius sunk to his knees beside Merlin's still form and he waited until Gaius gave him one look. Only then did he turn to his father, knowing that he had to forestall the headsman's axe, no matter what else he did.
Author: beren_writes
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings/Spoilers: general for season 1, explicit sex
Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.
Word Count: ~45,160
This story is fundamentally a reveal fic where Arthur and Camelot find out about Merlin's magical abilities. I am a total sucker for reveal fics, so when the Merlin Big Bang came up I knew exactly what I had to write.
If this story was a Fighting Fantasy book by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson and you were Arthur it would go something like this:
Page 1) You see Merlin's eyes glowing and him doing magical things in front of the whole court, do you:
a. Leap in to destroy this terrible danger to Camelot - go to page 7
b. Stand there amazed as he saves your life - go to page 2
~~~
Page 2) Uther opens his mouth to condemn Merlin do you
a. Allow Merlin to be dragged away, after all he's just a servant and a sorcerer to boot - go to page 7
b. Challenge Uther to stop Merlin being taken and risk being thrown into the dungeon yourself, he's your friend - go to page 3
~~~
Page 3) Uther starts to tell you how dangerous Merlin is and everything like that, do you:
a. Back down and allow Merlin to be dragged away - go to page 7
b. Refuse to give up and point out how Merlin just saved all your lives - go to page 4
~~~
Page 4) Uther demands Merlin be locked up somewhere safe do you:
a. Allow Merlin to be taken away - go to page 5
b. Agree, but go with Merlin - go to page 6
~~~
Page 5) One of the knights decides Merlin is too dangerous and since the king wants him dead that that would be best. He contrives to run him through, claiming he was about to do magic to escape - go to page 7
~~~
Page 6) Etc. etc. etc... trying to get to page 8
~~~
Page 7) Merlin dies, a big magical beastie comes along and, with Merlin not there to stop it, eats Camelot. THE END
~~~
Page 8) Everyone lives happily ever after. THE END
At each page turn Merlin's fate hangs in the balance and what doesn't help is that Merlin has his own book with his own set of choices which could all end up at Page 7 as well. Page 8 seems to be a very, very difficult page to find, if, indeed it exists at all.
To find out if Page 8 is real or mythical and if Arthur and Merlin are gallant and brave (and possibly foolish) enough to find it, click on "To You I Pledge" when it is published in the Big Bang on the 5th (please ... I'm willing to beg :)).
Exceprt
There were no signs of life in the body sprawled on the floor, no discernable movement, nothing to indicate that Merlin was not as dead as his foes. Only as Arthur's fingers touched the cold skin of Merlin's face did he feel the slightest breath on his hand and it was as if some of his own heat leeched into Merlin from the point of contact.
"Gaius," he said loudly, ignoring everything else and looking to the court physician for his help.
The way Gaius met his eyes told him all he needed to know as to whether Gaius had known of Merlin's abilities or not. There was fear in Gaius' expression, but it was not of Merlin, it was for Merlin. Arthur stood out of the way as Gaius sunk to his knees beside Merlin's still form and he waited until Gaius gave him one look. Only then did he turn to his father, knowing that he had to forestall the headsman's axe, no matter what else he did.