One Prison is much like another - part 40A
Title: One Prison is much like another - part 40
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius
Summary: Dragons are a handful, whether they be days old or centuries. Arthur wasn’t having any of it.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 891
Camelot Drabble Prompt #620: Pawn
Author’s notes: Arthur is regent in all but name. AU and all.
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Gaius started to get up, babbling something about mistakes and misunderstandings, but Arthur wasn’t listening to him. Instead, Arthur tore over towards Merlin, knife in hand, looking about ready to shout or maybe stab Merlin in the chest and be done with all the nonsense, the betrayals and expectations.
But instead of running or hiding or making excuses that wouldn’t work anyway, Merlin rose up, standing his ground as Arthur came closer.
“Enough,” Merlin shouted, then softer, more resigned. “Enough.”
Surprised, Arthur stopped short and stared at Merlin as if he’d lost his mind.
“I came to warn you, but I knew you’d be too pig-headed to listen.” Merlin looked at Gaius and shrugged. “But for the sake of everything, for the sake of our friendship, one-sided though it has always been, I will try anyway.”
“What are you going on about? You knew your life would be forfeit if you came back and yet here you are.”
Arthur’s glare would have destroyed a lesser man but Merlin’s heart was already shattered. All he could do was try not to beg for understanding. As if Arthur ever would understand after this.
“And yet here I am, hoping that you would pull your head out of your arse and listen for once,” Merlin said, staring at him, wishing for some way to get through to him.
“You know I never listen to you,” Arthur snapped back.
That echo from the past just made Merlin’s chest ache. But he had to pull himself together. “True enough and yet for all my warnings, all the times I had to couch the very real dangers as bad feelings, I was more right than you would ever admit and yet while you were getting ready to send out your men or sacrifice yourself, I had to go and fix it all. Without reward, without thanks, without any acknowledgment that I was right.”
Arthur looked at him as if Merlin were talking gibberish. “How the hell was I supposed to know that when you were using magic behind my back? Your funny feelings? I just thought you were scared. I tried to protect you and my reward was that you lied to me about everything.”
“It was that or lose my head.” Merlin lifted one shoulder, feeling both helpless and annoyed. They’d shared so much and yet still Arthur clung to everything his father had taught him. “But at least now you know the truth.”
“You were my friend and all you did was stab me in the back and you expect me to thank you for it?” Arthur let out a pained grunt as his hand tightened on the knife. Even from a distance, Merlin could see the white knuckles flexing on the hilt and hear Arthur’s furious breathing.
Arguing would do no good. Better to tell Arthur what he needed to say to him and escape into the woods.
“For once, just listen.” Arthur looked about ready to murder him so Merlin just ignored everything in his traitorous heart and told him instead, “Morgana’s dragon has been sighted near the Castle of Fyrien. And there have been men gathering in the forest near there.”
Arthur must not have heard him properly. Instead he stood there, scowling at Merlin as if he already knew it all. “I have sent Sir… wait, Morgana has a dragon?” The look of horror on Arthur’s face grew and grew until it seemed it had taken over the world. Arthur stepped back, mouth working, turning away a moment, then roared at Merlin, “Is it one of yours? You and Mor…gana? Am I just a pawn in your schemes?”
With that, Arthur threw the knife he’d been holding at Merlin, yelling as he rushed him. “I trusted you!”
The knife missed, instead thudding into the wooden door behind Merlin. But Arthur was already on him, grabbing Merlin’s neckerchief and pulling tight, his other hand busy trying to beat Merlin senseless.
Merlin wasn’t having any of it. Without magic, he’d be no match for a trained warrior, especially one of Arthur’s skills. But all instinct, twisting Arthur’s hands to get him to let Merlin go, he threw the prat over his shoulder, scrambled to where Arthur lay, and pinned him to the floor.
He didn’t want to hurt Arthur, but as Arthur fell, his head hit the stone floor with a thump, enough to stun, and for a moment, Arthur just lay there, glaring up at Merlin.
Struggling to throw Merlin off, a feat usually easy for Arthur, his body writhing with fury and fear, he kept shouting about betrayal and traitors and how he’d never let them win.
Merlin wanted to cry. But instead, looking up to see the knife sticking out of the door, then back down into Arthur’s furious eyes, Merlin said, “You are an arse. I knew you were blind, but this… this is beyond anything I’d have expected from you. Do you honestly think I’d betray you that way? With her?”
“What am I supposed to think?” Arthur shouted, then tried again to throw Merlin off, writhing and kicking at him.
It didn’t work. Instead, sitting on him, Merlin gave a long, defeated sigh. “I came back to warn you and this is my reward.”
“Why should I reward a traitor?” Arthur snarled, then gave another great heave.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius
Summary: Dragons are a handful, whether they be days old or centuries. Arthur wasn’t having any of it.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 891
Camelot Drabble Prompt #620: Pawn
Author’s notes: Arthur is regent in all but name. AU and all.
------------------
Gaius started to get up, babbling something about mistakes and misunderstandings, but Arthur wasn’t listening to him. Instead, Arthur tore over towards Merlin, knife in hand, looking about ready to shout or maybe stab Merlin in the chest and be done with all the nonsense, the betrayals and expectations.
But instead of running or hiding or making excuses that wouldn’t work anyway, Merlin rose up, standing his ground as Arthur came closer.
“Enough,” Merlin shouted, then softer, more resigned. “Enough.”
Surprised, Arthur stopped short and stared at Merlin as if he’d lost his mind.
“I came to warn you, but I knew you’d be too pig-headed to listen.” Merlin looked at Gaius and shrugged. “But for the sake of everything, for the sake of our friendship, one-sided though it has always been, I will try anyway.”
“What are you going on about? You knew your life would be forfeit if you came back and yet here you are.”
Arthur’s glare would have destroyed a lesser man but Merlin’s heart was already shattered. All he could do was try not to beg for understanding. As if Arthur ever would understand after this.
“And yet here I am, hoping that you would pull your head out of your arse and listen for once,” Merlin said, staring at him, wishing for some way to get through to him.
“You know I never listen to you,” Arthur snapped back.
That echo from the past just made Merlin’s chest ache. But he had to pull himself together. “True enough and yet for all my warnings, all the times I had to couch the very real dangers as bad feelings, I was more right than you would ever admit and yet while you were getting ready to send out your men or sacrifice yourself, I had to go and fix it all. Without reward, without thanks, without any acknowledgment that I was right.”
Arthur looked at him as if Merlin were talking gibberish. “How the hell was I supposed to know that when you were using magic behind my back? Your funny feelings? I just thought you were scared. I tried to protect you and my reward was that you lied to me about everything.”
“It was that or lose my head.” Merlin lifted one shoulder, feeling both helpless and annoyed. They’d shared so much and yet still Arthur clung to everything his father had taught him. “But at least now you know the truth.”
“You were my friend and all you did was stab me in the back and you expect me to thank you for it?” Arthur let out a pained grunt as his hand tightened on the knife. Even from a distance, Merlin could see the white knuckles flexing on the hilt and hear Arthur’s furious breathing.
Arguing would do no good. Better to tell Arthur what he needed to say to him and escape into the woods.
“For once, just listen.” Arthur looked about ready to murder him so Merlin just ignored everything in his traitorous heart and told him instead, “Morgana’s dragon has been sighted near the Castle of Fyrien. And there have been men gathering in the forest near there.”
Arthur must not have heard him properly. Instead he stood there, scowling at Merlin as if he already knew it all. “I have sent Sir… wait, Morgana has a dragon?” The look of horror on Arthur’s face grew and grew until it seemed it had taken over the world. Arthur stepped back, mouth working, turning away a moment, then roared at Merlin, “Is it one of yours? You and Mor…gana? Am I just a pawn in your schemes?”
With that, Arthur threw the knife he’d been holding at Merlin, yelling as he rushed him. “I trusted you!”
The knife missed, instead thudding into the wooden door behind Merlin. But Arthur was already on him, grabbing Merlin’s neckerchief and pulling tight, his other hand busy trying to beat Merlin senseless.
Merlin wasn’t having any of it. Without magic, he’d be no match for a trained warrior, especially one of Arthur’s skills. But all instinct, twisting Arthur’s hands to get him to let Merlin go, he threw the prat over his shoulder, scrambled to where Arthur lay, and pinned him to the floor.
He didn’t want to hurt Arthur, but as Arthur fell, his head hit the stone floor with a thump, enough to stun, and for a moment, Arthur just lay there, glaring up at Merlin.
Struggling to throw Merlin off, a feat usually easy for Arthur, his body writhing with fury and fear, he kept shouting about betrayal and traitors and how he’d never let them win.
Merlin wanted to cry. But instead, looking up to see the knife sticking out of the door, then back down into Arthur’s furious eyes, Merlin said, “You are an arse. I knew you were blind, but this… this is beyond anything I’d have expected from you. Do you honestly think I’d betray you that way? With her?”
“What am I supposed to think?” Arthur shouted, then tried again to throw Merlin off, writhing and kicking at him.
It didn’t work. Instead, sitting on him, Merlin gave a long, defeated sigh. “I came back to warn you and this is my reward.”
“Why should I reward a traitor?” Arthur snarled, then gave another great heave.