Grieving
Author: ajsrandom
Title: Grieving
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: The new king is hesitant to take time to grieve.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 405
Prompt: bingo, Grieving
Author's Notes: canon era
........................................................................................................................................................................
Merlin watched as Arthur bent over to receive the crown. It had been a long few days for the brand-new king, and he’d had to do it all while grieving the death of his father. Uther had left some big shoes to fill, and Arthur must do it his own way while maintaining the balance of power throughout the five kingdoms.
Later that day, Merlin found Arthur pacing in his rooms, mumbling to himself. He didn’t even look up as Merlin set the dinner tray on the table. “Arthur,” Merlin said.
Arthur looked up but shook his head and kept pacing. Usually Arthur sat right down to dinner, but the last few days had been hardly usual. “Arthur,” Merlin repeated, “you need to eat.”
“Can’t,” Arthur replied. “Too much to do.”
“Isn’t that what advisors are for? Delegate-it works.”
Finally Arthur halted. “Merlin, I’m the king now. I can’t just trust everything to advisors.”
“Of course you can. That’s what you did as regent, and that’s what you can do now.”
“Merlin! You just don’t understand.” He turned away.
Merlin slapped both hands down on the table. “Here’s what I understand. You are a son grieving his father. You need to acknowledge this and give yourself time to grieve. Delegate what you can and reschedule the rest. Right at this moment, you need to eat.”
Arthur turned back to Merlin. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“No, I can’t. But I’ve been working for you for a long time now, and I’ve noticed you think better on a full stomach.”
“I . . . you’re right. And not just about that. All of it. The grieving, the delegating. It’s just that I have new responsibilities.”
“No, they are exactly the same, since you were doing all of it and your father none of it. Think about it. Arthur, give yourself permission to grieve.”
Arthur pulled out his chair and sat. “Where do I even begin?”
“At the beginning.” Merlin pulled out another chair and sat. “Tell me what your father meant to you.” He dished up Arthur’s dinner and placed it in front of the new king.
Slowly, Arthur began eating and talking about his father. It would take time for Arthur to deal with this, just like it took time for Merlin to deal with the death of his father, but he would be there for Arthur, just like he always was.
Title: Grieving
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: The new king is hesitant to take time to grieve.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 405
Prompt: bingo, Grieving
Author's Notes: canon era
........................................................................................................................................................................
Merlin watched as Arthur bent over to receive the crown. It had been a long few days for the brand-new king, and he’d had to do it all while grieving the death of his father. Uther had left some big shoes to fill, and Arthur must do it his own way while maintaining the balance of power throughout the five kingdoms.
Later that day, Merlin found Arthur pacing in his rooms, mumbling to himself. He didn’t even look up as Merlin set the dinner tray on the table. “Arthur,” Merlin said.
Arthur looked up but shook his head and kept pacing. Usually Arthur sat right down to dinner, but the last few days had been hardly usual. “Arthur,” Merlin repeated, “you need to eat.”
“Can’t,” Arthur replied. “Too much to do.”
“Isn’t that what advisors are for? Delegate-it works.”
Finally Arthur halted. “Merlin, I’m the king now. I can’t just trust everything to advisors.”
“Of course you can. That’s what you did as regent, and that’s what you can do now.”
“Merlin! You just don’t understand.” He turned away.
Merlin slapped both hands down on the table. “Here’s what I understand. You are a son grieving his father. You need to acknowledge this and give yourself time to grieve. Delegate what you can and reschedule the rest. Right at this moment, you need to eat.”
Arthur turned back to Merlin. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“No, I can’t. But I’ve been working for you for a long time now, and I’ve noticed you think better on a full stomach.”
“I . . . you’re right. And not just about that. All of it. The grieving, the delegating. It’s just that I have new responsibilities.”
“No, they are exactly the same, since you were doing all of it and your father none of it. Think about it. Arthur, give yourself permission to grieve.”
Arthur pulled out his chair and sat. “Where do I even begin?”
“At the beginning.” Merlin pulled out another chair and sat. “Tell me what your father meant to you.” He dished up Arthur’s dinner and placed it in front of the new king.
Slowly, Arthur began eating and talking about his father. It would take time for Arthur to deal with this, just like it took time for Merlin to deal with the death of his father, but he would be there for Arthur, just like he always was.