Between Memory and Reality
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: Between Memory and Reality
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Warning: none
Summary: Arthur knew he’d reacted badly. But was it enough to know if he refused to make things right?
Word Count: 595
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 503, cuddle
Author's Notes: unbetaed, there's a cuddle in there somewhere, maybe, amidst all the angst.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
------------------------------
Every night you are cuddling with a shadow
that lies there somewhere in between your
memory and reality...
Anna-Marie Rose Mar 2017
---------------------
Arthur knew he’d reacted badly.
The way Merlin’s eyes glowed as he threw the assassin aside, the trembling after, Merlin’s voice ragged and afraid even as he knelt before Arthur, just fuelled Arthur’s rage. How dare Merlin expect Arthur to smile and pull him into a thankful embrace as if nothing had happened, as if their friendship were anything but a lie, as if Merlin hadn’t made a fool of Arthur every day since the moment they’d met.
The law was the law, no matter how much Arthur’s traitorous heart told him otherwise.
That Arthur hadn’t run Merlin through right then and there was only justice. After all, Merlin had saved Arthur’s life and that had to count for something.
Watching Merlin being dragged away into the dungeon, into the depths of the earth to await his fate, was harder than it should have been. Standing there, his knights around him yelling for justice, begging for mercy, Leon’s quiet voice a counterpart to the others and reminding Arthur of his duty, Arthur didn’t really hear any of them. Instead, he watched Merlin’s pale face turn shroud-white as Arthur stared at him in stony silence.
It was clear what would happen. Death by axe or fire. The only fate for a sorcerer’s use of magic.
But the devastation in Merlin’s eyes was a dagger to Arthur’s heart. Even as Merlin disappeared around the corner and down, down, down into darkness, Arthur could feel the pain there and it only made him more furious.
Arthur turned away, then, ignoring his knights, his councillors, the people who would ask for something he couldn’t give.
They all knew that Merlin would die at dawn.
------------------
In the black night, Arthur tossed and turned, his dreams full of fire, screams about destiny and fate and love even as Merlin’s body melted into ash. But harder, too, was the memory of Merlin in his arms, their last night together as they warmed each other, Merlin’s certain touch as he pulled Arthur closer and whispered of his devotion.
It had all been a lie. But Arthur couldn’t get the knowledge of what they had been together out of his head. His body, too, reacted to the shadow of the past, of laughter and certainty, of love and commitment.
It wasn’t right. If nothing else, he had to confront Merlin and demand to know why he learned magic when he knew it would end this way. Arthur had to rid himself of his doubts about Merlin before it drove him mad.
-----------------
Of course, with Merlin, nothing was ever easy. The dungeons were silent, the guards asleep, Merlin’s cell empty. There hadn’t even been a whisper of alarm bells signalling his escape. Nothing left but rotting straw piled into a single corner and a neckerchief on top, spotted with tears.
Merlin was gone.
Arthur knew he should loose the dogs, that he should send out his knights to bring Merlin back to justice, to the headsman’s axe. But he couldn’t, no matter what the law demanded. He would let Merlin go into the night and count it payment for Arthur’s life.
Standing there in the darkness, cradling Merlin’s neckerchief in his hands, Arthur remembered Merlin’s soft voice whispering how he would be by Arthur’s side until the day he died.
Remembering the shadow of what they once had.
And knowing, too, now with Merlin gone, Arthur would be forever alone.
Title: Between Memory and Reality
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Warning: none
Summary: Arthur knew he’d reacted badly. But was it enough to know if he refused to make things right?
Word Count: 595
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 503, cuddle
Author's Notes: unbetaed, there's a cuddle in there somewhere, maybe, amidst all the angst.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
------------------------------
Every night you are cuddling with a shadow
that lies there somewhere in between your
memory and reality...
Anna-Marie Rose Mar 2017
---------------------
Arthur knew he’d reacted badly.
The way Merlin’s eyes glowed as he threw the assassin aside, the trembling after, Merlin’s voice ragged and afraid even as he knelt before Arthur, just fuelled Arthur’s rage. How dare Merlin expect Arthur to smile and pull him into a thankful embrace as if nothing had happened, as if their friendship were anything but a lie, as if Merlin hadn’t made a fool of Arthur every day since the moment they’d met.
The law was the law, no matter how much Arthur’s traitorous heart told him otherwise.
That Arthur hadn’t run Merlin through right then and there was only justice. After all, Merlin had saved Arthur’s life and that had to count for something.
Watching Merlin being dragged away into the dungeon, into the depths of the earth to await his fate, was harder than it should have been. Standing there, his knights around him yelling for justice, begging for mercy, Leon’s quiet voice a counterpart to the others and reminding Arthur of his duty, Arthur didn’t really hear any of them. Instead, he watched Merlin’s pale face turn shroud-white as Arthur stared at him in stony silence.
It was clear what would happen. Death by axe or fire. The only fate for a sorcerer’s use of magic.
But the devastation in Merlin’s eyes was a dagger to Arthur’s heart. Even as Merlin disappeared around the corner and down, down, down into darkness, Arthur could feel the pain there and it only made him more furious.
Arthur turned away, then, ignoring his knights, his councillors, the people who would ask for something he couldn’t give.
They all knew that Merlin would die at dawn.
------------------
In the black night, Arthur tossed and turned, his dreams full of fire, screams about destiny and fate and love even as Merlin’s body melted into ash. But harder, too, was the memory of Merlin in his arms, their last night together as they warmed each other, Merlin’s certain touch as he pulled Arthur closer and whispered of his devotion.
It had all been a lie. But Arthur couldn’t get the knowledge of what they had been together out of his head. His body, too, reacted to the shadow of the past, of laughter and certainty, of love and commitment.
It wasn’t right. If nothing else, he had to confront Merlin and demand to know why he learned magic when he knew it would end this way. Arthur had to rid himself of his doubts about Merlin before it drove him mad.
-----------------
Of course, with Merlin, nothing was ever easy. The dungeons were silent, the guards asleep, Merlin’s cell empty. There hadn’t even been a whisper of alarm bells signalling his escape. Nothing left but rotting straw piled into a single corner and a neckerchief on top, spotted with tears.
Merlin was gone.
Arthur knew he should loose the dogs, that he should send out his knights to bring Merlin back to justice, to the headsman’s axe. But he couldn’t, no matter what the law demanded. He would let Merlin go into the night and count it payment for Arthur’s life.
Standing there in the darkness, cradling Merlin’s neckerchief in his hands, Arthur remembered Merlin’s soft voice whispering how he would be by Arthur’s side until the day he died.
Remembering the shadow of what they once had.
And knowing, too, now with Merlin gone, Arthur would be forever alone.