Breaking Tradition
Author: inspired_being
Title: Breaking Tradition
Rating: G
Pairing/s: None
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: Merlin was almost certain this kind of magic was not normal.
Warnings: Cliffhanger (again, sorry!)
Word Count: 686
Prompt: #17 Tradition
Author's Notes: The next instalment in the Seen and Hidden ‘verse. Although I did have a plan, these emotional boys got away from me and, in the end, I had to push my plan aside for another week. Hope this will tide you over until then.
The air across Arthur’s skin was warm but magic was making all the hair on his body stand on end.
He thought he knew the man standing across from him, but Merlin was showing him just how much he hadn’t known.
He felt the power coming from the tall, slender body and as much as his eyes were telling him it wasn’t possible, his head and his heart were telling him it was the truth. He had just let himself be blinded by his father, putting too much emphasis on the physical and not enough on his instincts.
Merlin had been slowly changing that over the years and somewhere in the back of his mind, or was it his heart, Arthur had known there was something different about Merlin right from the very beginning. He had known, but the better part of his mind had been closed to the idea, to the knowledge, of the magic in his Kingdom.
After Uther’s death, the doubt about his father’s way of ruling, which had begun to rise in him ever since Merlin’s arrival in Camelot, was maturing and it had led him to where he was now. Changing the laws his father had put in place to keep magic out of Camelot to laws which would see those who practiced magic being treated justly. Evidently, his manservant would be one of those people.
-
Merlin felt his power reach Arthur as numerous memories rushed through his head. He knew this wasn’t how magic was used in any tradition, but then he wasn’t exactly someone who followed tradition. He let his instincts guide him and his magic caressed the King, as you might an animal, in order to quell its fear and give it reassurance.
With the fear subsided, the memories of all the times he had employed magic after arriving in Camelot came to the forefront of his mind. This was his chance to be completely honest with Arthur, to give him the whole truth; the truth that had involved magic not wielded by those with malicious intentions.
He took a deep breath and lifted his hand up towards Arthur, fingers pointing towards the ceiling. If he had been standing closer to Arthur, he was sure his hand would have rested on the Kings chest, over his heart. Aimed at anyone else, it would have been a threatening gesture, but now his hand was just a tool for focusing his power towards its intended target.
-
Scenes darted across Arthur’s vision. At first they were just random places and people with no real clarity or context. It took some effort but he managed to see past the scenes and look at Merlin. His eyes seemed to be glowing brighter, like transparent gold, and his arm was now outstretched as if he was signalling for Arthur to stand still. That was about all he could do at that point in time anyway.
The scenes across his vision were getting stronger and Arthur’s eyes fought to push them aside and see the room he was standing in, to see Merlin.
“Arthur, please…”
A small burst of fear returned to the King when he realised he wasn’t sure whether merlin had said the words out loud or not.
“Arthur, I need you to know the truth; my side. Please, trust me.”
He knew Merlin had said that aloud. Then it occurred to him: the things he had been seeing were not just random things, they were Merlin’s memories. As much as he trusted his manservant and wanted to know the truth, he was also weary of how it might change their relationship, their friendship, further.
It must have shown on his face because the expression on Merlin’s face changed from pleading to worried. It told him that Merlin wanted him to know but was also worried about his reaction, yet not enough to hold back the truth any longer. This was important to Merlin and so Arthur would do what was necessary.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still feeling the magic pulse around him.
“Show me.”
Merlin did.
~*inspired being*~
Title: Breaking Tradition
Rating: G
Pairing/s: None
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: Merlin was almost certain this kind of magic was not normal.
Warnings: Cliffhanger (again, sorry!)
Word Count: 686
Prompt: #17 Tradition
Author's Notes: The next instalment in the Seen and Hidden ‘verse. Although I did have a plan, these emotional boys got away from me and, in the end, I had to push my plan aside for another week. Hope this will tide you over until then.
The air across Arthur’s skin was warm but magic was making all the hair on his body stand on end.
He thought he knew the man standing across from him, but Merlin was showing him just how much he hadn’t known.
He felt the power coming from the tall, slender body and as much as his eyes were telling him it wasn’t possible, his head and his heart were telling him it was the truth. He had just let himself be blinded by his father, putting too much emphasis on the physical and not enough on his instincts.
Merlin had been slowly changing that over the years and somewhere in the back of his mind, or was it his heart, Arthur had known there was something different about Merlin right from the very beginning. He had known, but the better part of his mind had been closed to the idea, to the knowledge, of the magic in his Kingdom.
After Uther’s death, the doubt about his father’s way of ruling, which had begun to rise in him ever since Merlin’s arrival in Camelot, was maturing and it had led him to where he was now. Changing the laws his father had put in place to keep magic out of Camelot to laws which would see those who practiced magic being treated justly. Evidently, his manservant would be one of those people.
-
Merlin felt his power reach Arthur as numerous memories rushed through his head. He knew this wasn’t how magic was used in any tradition, but then he wasn’t exactly someone who followed tradition. He let his instincts guide him and his magic caressed the King, as you might an animal, in order to quell its fear and give it reassurance.
With the fear subsided, the memories of all the times he had employed magic after arriving in Camelot came to the forefront of his mind. This was his chance to be completely honest with Arthur, to give him the whole truth; the truth that had involved magic not wielded by those with malicious intentions.
He took a deep breath and lifted his hand up towards Arthur, fingers pointing towards the ceiling. If he had been standing closer to Arthur, he was sure his hand would have rested on the Kings chest, over his heart. Aimed at anyone else, it would have been a threatening gesture, but now his hand was just a tool for focusing his power towards its intended target.
-
Scenes darted across Arthur’s vision. At first they were just random places and people with no real clarity or context. It took some effort but he managed to see past the scenes and look at Merlin. His eyes seemed to be glowing brighter, like transparent gold, and his arm was now outstretched as if he was signalling for Arthur to stand still. That was about all he could do at that point in time anyway.
The scenes across his vision were getting stronger and Arthur’s eyes fought to push them aside and see the room he was standing in, to see Merlin.
“Arthur, please…”
A small burst of fear returned to the King when he realised he wasn’t sure whether merlin had said the words out loud or not.
“Arthur, I need you to know the truth; my side. Please, trust me.”
He knew Merlin had said that aloud. Then it occurred to him: the things he had been seeing were not just random things, they were Merlin’s memories. As much as he trusted his manservant and wanted to know the truth, he was also weary of how it might change their relationship, their friendship, further.
It must have shown on his face because the expression on Merlin’s face changed from pleading to worried. It told him that Merlin wanted him to know but was also worried about his reaction, yet not enough to hold back the truth any longer. This was important to Merlin and so Arthur would do what was necessary.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still feeling the magic pulse around him.
“Show me.”
Merlin did.
~*inspired being*~