One Man’s Fondness Is His Weakness
Author: sidhe_faerie
Title: One Man’s Fondness Is His Weakness
Rating: PG/T
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana,
Character/s: Braden Aduston
Summary: Plans come together for the peace talks.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1020
Prompt: 109 fond
Author's Notes:
The Golden Kingdom (Modern AU Series 3)
xx
One Man’s Fondness Is His Weakness
“Sire, I have a diplomatic pouch from the English that was just passed to me at the border by one of our couriers.” Braden bowed in front of Arthur.
“Ah Sir…” Arthur looked at Merlin.
Merlin mouthed the name ‘Braden’ and grinned.
“Braden.” Arthur said quickly. “Thank you for bringing this directly to me.”
“Yes Sire. The courier said it was directly from the Queen herself.” Braden said.
“It took them long enough.” Arthur muttered under his breath. “Thank you Sir Braden. You may go.”
Braden bowed and left Arthur and Merlin to talk.
Arthur opened the pouch and inside were an itinerary for peace talks and a letter inviting Arthur to the English Court. “They want to talk peace. It looks like I will be meeting with Charles again. Tell Morgana she’s coming with us.”
“Morgana? Why is she coming?” Merlin asked.
“Charles has a fondness for pretty women so we are going to need a distraction.” Arthur shrugged.
“You tell her.” Merlin laughed. “Morgana will kill me.”
“What am I going to kill you for?” Morgana asked as she carried over two mugs of tea. She handed one to Merlin.
“Arthur wants you to go with us to the peace talks because Charles has a fondness for pretty women.” Merlin said. “You know because of your distractions.”
“Take Gwen. She has bigger distractions than I do.” Morgana said with a smirk.
“It’s not possible.” Arthur said. “One of the rulers of the kingdom has to stay to make sure it is not lost. I need Guinevere to be here and take over the kingdom in my absence. If there is a second round of talks, we will host it and she will be sitting to my left as she has always been as my Queen.”
“I hate when you get all kingly.” Merlin said. “So Morgana flashes her distractions at Charles and we get everything we want. Is that the plan?”
“That is the plan.” Arthur nodded. “Morgana, you are the Royal Treasurer so it’s not a stretch for you to be at a peace talks.”
“Well, they do owe us a lot of money for what they didn’t pay us when we took the kingdom.” Morgana thought for a moment. “Why don’t you just send me and Gwen? Our combined distractions will make him go all wonky and make him to agree to anything.”
“She has a point.” Merlin said with a grin.
“Guinevere isn’t going to like it. She hates that kind of thing.” Arthur said.
“She will do it for the kingdom, Arthur.” Morgana said. “When is the meeting?”
“Two weeks.” Arthur looked at the letter. “What do we do about the shield?”
“I can get you or Gwen through with a masking spell.” Merlin said.
Arthur nodded. “Good.”
“Merlin, can I talk to you?” Morgana asked as she pulled him away from Arthur.
“Sure.” Merlin let her lead him away.
“How many of the Gold Knights are there here?” Morgana asked.
“There are five here at the moment.” Merlin told her.
“We will need to take one or two with us. I have a feeling that we are going to need a little extra protection. Let’s face it my sword skills aren’t what they once were.” Morgana told him.
“But your fireballs have never been better.” Merlin grinned at her. “Very flame-y.”
“Shame on you for teasing me.” Morgana said.
Merlin grinned. “There is something I want you to do for me.”
“What is it?” Morgana looked at him slightly annoyed.
“When you get to London, I want you to talk to Tauren. He has been working with the Ministry with protesters and the other magickal people working with us. He has a list of people that will want to immigrate when this is all over. I need that list.” Merlin told her.
“How will I find him?” Morgana asked.
“He has a little daughter that he dotes on. She goes to school near the Ministry. I think it’s the only school around there. He will be there to pick her up in the afternoons.” Merlin told her.
“What will be my excuse for being there?” Morgana asked.
“We are going to set up similar schools here for children with magick. You’re just taking a look for Arthur.” Merlin said. “Devon will need instruction on controlling his magick as well as a proper education.”
“So I am scouting out a school for magickal children but really doing spy work for Arthur. Also, I am to use my womanly wiles on Charles to benefit the kingdom Is that it?” Morgana asked.
Merlin nodded. He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."
“Don’t try to get on my good side now, Merlin. If this doesn’t work, remember me fondly to my son.” Morgana sighed and kissed him back. “You know that feeling of dread I get before something awful happens? I’m having it now.”
“Keep a close eye on Gwen and watch your back.” Merlin said. “I think this may be a trap set up to kill Arthur. They won’t expect Gwen. It will make them think on their feet and get sloppy. I’ll send two of the Gold Knights with Elyan and whoever else Arthur chooses.”
“Should we tell Arthur?” Morgana asked.
“I’ll tell him. Don’t worry about it.” Merlin said. He drained the tea in the mug he was holding and handed it back to her. “It’s time for you to take a shift on the shield, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Morgana took the cup and left Merlin standing there.
“What was that about?” Arthur asked as he walked up.
“I want her to check out the Ministry’s primary school for magickal children. We are going to need to set some up here soon.” Merlin told him.
Arthur nodded. “Good idea, Merlin. I had better send a message to Guinevere about the talks. Elyan can take it down to the abbey.”
“You better go write it.” Merlin said.
“Yeah.” Arthur nodded and headed to his temporary office.
Merlin watched his friend walk off. He had no intention of telling Arthur anything he was thinking.
Title: One Man’s Fondness Is His Weakness
Rating: PG/T
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana,
Character/s: Braden Aduston
Summary: Plans come together for the peace talks.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1020
Prompt: 109 fond
Author's Notes:
The Golden Kingdom (Modern AU Series 3)
xx
One Man’s Fondness Is His Weakness
“Sire, I have a diplomatic pouch from the English that was just passed to me at the border by one of our couriers.” Braden bowed in front of Arthur.
“Ah Sir…” Arthur looked at Merlin.
Merlin mouthed the name ‘Braden’ and grinned.
“Braden.” Arthur said quickly. “Thank you for bringing this directly to me.”
“Yes Sire. The courier said it was directly from the Queen herself.” Braden said.
“It took them long enough.” Arthur muttered under his breath. “Thank you Sir Braden. You may go.”
Braden bowed and left Arthur and Merlin to talk.
Arthur opened the pouch and inside were an itinerary for peace talks and a letter inviting Arthur to the English Court. “They want to talk peace. It looks like I will be meeting with Charles again. Tell Morgana she’s coming with us.”
“Morgana? Why is she coming?” Merlin asked.
“Charles has a fondness for pretty women so we are going to need a distraction.” Arthur shrugged.
“You tell her.” Merlin laughed. “Morgana will kill me.”
“What am I going to kill you for?” Morgana asked as she carried over two mugs of tea. She handed one to Merlin.
“Arthur wants you to go with us to the peace talks because Charles has a fondness for pretty women.” Merlin said. “You know because of your distractions.”
“Take Gwen. She has bigger distractions than I do.” Morgana said with a smirk.
“It’s not possible.” Arthur said. “One of the rulers of the kingdom has to stay to make sure it is not lost. I need Guinevere to be here and take over the kingdom in my absence. If there is a second round of talks, we will host it and she will be sitting to my left as she has always been as my Queen.”
“I hate when you get all kingly.” Merlin said. “So Morgana flashes her distractions at Charles and we get everything we want. Is that the plan?”
“That is the plan.” Arthur nodded. “Morgana, you are the Royal Treasurer so it’s not a stretch for you to be at a peace talks.”
“Well, they do owe us a lot of money for what they didn’t pay us when we took the kingdom.” Morgana thought for a moment. “Why don’t you just send me and Gwen? Our combined distractions will make him go all wonky and make him to agree to anything.”
“She has a point.” Merlin said with a grin.
“Guinevere isn’t going to like it. She hates that kind of thing.” Arthur said.
“She will do it for the kingdom, Arthur.” Morgana said. “When is the meeting?”
“Two weeks.” Arthur looked at the letter. “What do we do about the shield?”
“I can get you or Gwen through with a masking spell.” Merlin said.
Arthur nodded. “Good.”
“Merlin, can I talk to you?” Morgana asked as she pulled him away from Arthur.
“Sure.” Merlin let her lead him away.
“How many of the Gold Knights are there here?” Morgana asked.
“There are five here at the moment.” Merlin told her.
“We will need to take one or two with us. I have a feeling that we are going to need a little extra protection. Let’s face it my sword skills aren’t what they once were.” Morgana told him.
“But your fireballs have never been better.” Merlin grinned at her. “Very flame-y.”
“Shame on you for teasing me.” Morgana said.
Merlin grinned. “There is something I want you to do for me.”
“What is it?” Morgana looked at him slightly annoyed.
“When you get to London, I want you to talk to Tauren. He has been working with the Ministry with protesters and the other magickal people working with us. He has a list of people that will want to immigrate when this is all over. I need that list.” Merlin told her.
“How will I find him?” Morgana asked.
“He has a little daughter that he dotes on. She goes to school near the Ministry. I think it’s the only school around there. He will be there to pick her up in the afternoons.” Merlin told her.
“What will be my excuse for being there?” Morgana asked.
“We are going to set up similar schools here for children with magick. You’re just taking a look for Arthur.” Merlin said. “Devon will need instruction on controlling his magick as well as a proper education.”
“So I am scouting out a school for magickal children but really doing spy work for Arthur. Also, I am to use my womanly wiles on Charles to benefit the kingdom Is that it?” Morgana asked.
Merlin nodded. He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."
“Don’t try to get on my good side now, Merlin. If this doesn’t work, remember me fondly to my son.” Morgana sighed and kissed him back. “You know that feeling of dread I get before something awful happens? I’m having it now.”
“Keep a close eye on Gwen and watch your back.” Merlin said. “I think this may be a trap set up to kill Arthur. They won’t expect Gwen. It will make them think on their feet and get sloppy. I’ll send two of the Gold Knights with Elyan and whoever else Arthur chooses.”
“Should we tell Arthur?” Morgana asked.
“I’ll tell him. Don’t worry about it.” Merlin said. He drained the tea in the mug he was holding and handed it back to her. “It’s time for you to take a shift on the shield, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Morgana took the cup and left Merlin standing there.
“What was that about?” Arthur asked as he walked up.
“I want her to check out the Ministry’s primary school for magickal children. We are going to need to set some up here soon.” Merlin told him.
Arthur nodded. “Good idea, Merlin. I had better send a message to Guinevere about the talks. Elyan can take it down to the abbey.”
“You better go write it.” Merlin said.
“Yeah.” Arthur nodded and headed to his temporary office.
Merlin watched his friend walk off. He had no intention of telling Arthur anything he was thinking.