(no subject)
Everything changed the day Bedivere One-hand and his son came to Gwynedd. There had been no leisurely greeting, no hours spent catching up with the quiet regent, no Amren winking and flirting with the serving girls. Instead, after a brief conference with Maelgwn in the courtyard, the pair were lead to his room.
They stayed for hours, as the gossip blew a gale through the little Welsh court and Melehan’s tension mounted. He was sullen and snappish, reducing the plump and pretty Briallen to tears before driving Melou away with icy taunts. To go to his tree would be childish and, besides.
Something was telling him to stay.
Something, a cousin of the shattering of reality that were his visions, something deep inside his chest niggled and twisted and forced him to stay, pacing like caged (dragon) wolf, in the main courtyard. He paced, he waited, and when the oddly serious-faced Amren appeared in the doorway, Melehan was already on his feet. The young man paused for a moment, looking the boy over. Tall, pale-skinned and dark-haired, if it weren’t for his dark eyes he could have been his father. But it was those eyes that attracted Amren’s attention. Watchful, wary, with a silent promise of what would come if things didn’t go his way.
Amren nodded at him and just said simply,
“C’mon, lad. We need to talk to ye.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
The meeting was brief. Bedivere told Melehan nothing he didn’t know before - the question of succesion was still far from certain, they hadn’t heard from certain players (all of whom were older and more experienced then the boy-prince), and they’ll all see in a few more years.
Melehan had gritted his teeth, and nodded. Expecting to be dismissed, he was surprised when Bedivere gestured to his son and Amren produced a wooden box. Long and slim and light, Melehan opened it and stared.
His father’s sword.
A new sheath, of course, but the slightly battered hilt was the same, so Melehan knew it was his father’s beautiful, beautiful sword with a blade which was more like rippled silver wood then plain metal.
“It’s for you, prince,” Bedivere said in his velvet growl. “Your right as your father’s son now that you are fourteen.”
His hands shaking and vision blurred, the boy took the sheathed sword out of the box and hugged them to his chest. The room was spinning, and he couldn’t see through sudden tears, but the room was spinning spinning spinning with the beginnings of vision.
Thinking it just emotion, his uncle said,
“You’re dismissed, Melehan.” As erratic and unprincipled as Maelgwn was, he could be a generous man. With barely a mumbled word, Melehan bolted and nearly broke his neck down the stairs. Stumbling back into the courtyard, he fell against the wall and slide to the cobblestones as
he watched the small procession in the dark hall, Constantine walking down the center and his eyes were fixed on the throne grandfather’s throne father’s his and his cousin turned and sat and the fucking bishop put the crown on Constantine’s brown hair but only half the nobles cheered and he was angry and Melou was digging his fingers into his arm and just saying ‘Mele, calm down, Mele, don’t be an idiot, Mele Mele
a concerned voice asked,
“Melehan? Are ye alrigh’?”
Still shaking from the force of emotion generated by the vision, Melehan only slowly looked up.
“…what?”
Sulwyn made a face.
“I asked, are ye alrigh’? Ye came boltin’ out ‘ere and then fell, and ye’ve been such a dragon all afternoon.” She smiles, suddenly. “Bin a bit worried about ye, really.”
Slightly dazed, with his brother’s words still in his head - Mele, don’t be an idiot, it’s just like acohol really, new and exciting calm down - Melehan just said,
“Oh. Um. I’m…fine. Really. Probably should talk to my brother though.”
“He’s with Bri, most like. Probably in tha stables,” Sulwyn added with a knowing little grin.
She had, Melehan noticed in his somewhat confused state, very pretty teeth, and then mentally noted that that was an extremely stupid thing to think when he was sitting at this angle with a girl standing over him.
“Ah. It’s important, though, and I really really should-“
“Stay where ye are and get yer head back on?” Sulwyn supplied, crouching down to his level and putting her basket on the ground. Different angle, but a better one. If…a hell of a lot closer, and she was much more attractive then Constantine, really and then the dark-haired and blue-eyed girl kissed him.
…what? Oh. OH. I think I get it now…
Melou’s gonna kill me
definitely worth it
The boy really didn't notice anything else until his mind caught up with the fact she was now looking at him a little concerned.
“Melehan?”
“ ‘Mele’. Just…‘Mele’ will do, really.” He squinted a bit, and then tilted his head back. “Could you, uh, maybe kiss me again?”
They stayed for hours, as the gossip blew a gale through the little Welsh court and Melehan’s tension mounted. He was sullen and snappish, reducing the plump and pretty Briallen to tears before driving Melou away with icy taunts. To go to his tree would be childish and, besides.
Something was telling him to stay.
Something, a cousin of the shattering of reality that were his visions, something deep inside his chest niggled and twisted and forced him to stay, pacing like caged (dragon) wolf, in the main courtyard. He paced, he waited, and when the oddly serious-faced Amren appeared in the doorway, Melehan was already on his feet. The young man paused for a moment, looking the boy over. Tall, pale-skinned and dark-haired, if it weren’t for his dark eyes he could have been his father. But it was those eyes that attracted Amren’s attention. Watchful, wary, with a silent promise of what would come if things didn’t go his way.
Amren nodded at him and just said simply,
“C’mon, lad. We need to talk to ye.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
The meeting was brief. Bedivere told Melehan nothing he didn’t know before - the question of succesion was still far from certain, they hadn’t heard from certain players (all of whom were older and more experienced then the boy-prince), and they’ll all see in a few more years.
Melehan had gritted his teeth, and nodded. Expecting to be dismissed, he was surprised when Bedivere gestured to his son and Amren produced a wooden box. Long and slim and light, Melehan opened it and stared.
His father’s sword.
A new sheath, of course, but the slightly battered hilt was the same, so Melehan knew it was his father’s beautiful, beautiful sword with a blade which was more like rippled silver wood then plain metal.
“It’s for you, prince,” Bedivere said in his velvet growl. “Your right as your father’s son now that you are fourteen.”
His hands shaking and vision blurred, the boy took the sheathed sword out of the box and hugged them to his chest. The room was spinning, and he couldn’t see through sudden tears, but the room was spinning spinning spinning with the beginnings of vision.
Thinking it just emotion, his uncle said,
“You’re dismissed, Melehan.” As erratic and unprincipled as Maelgwn was, he could be a generous man. With barely a mumbled word, Melehan bolted and nearly broke his neck down the stairs. Stumbling back into the courtyard, he fell against the wall and slide to the cobblestones as
he watched the small procession in the dark hall, Constantine walking down the center and his eyes were fixed on the throne grandfather’s throne father’s his and his cousin turned and sat and the fucking bishop put the crown on Constantine’s brown hair but only half the nobles cheered and he was angry and Melou was digging his fingers into his arm and just saying ‘Mele, calm down, Mele, don’t be an idiot, Mele Mele
a concerned voice asked,
“Melehan? Are ye alrigh’?”
Still shaking from the force of emotion generated by the vision, Melehan only slowly looked up.
“…what?”
Sulwyn made a face.
“I asked, are ye alrigh’? Ye came boltin’ out ‘ere and then fell, and ye’ve been such a dragon all afternoon.” She smiles, suddenly. “Bin a bit worried about ye, really.”
Slightly dazed, with his brother’s words still in his head - Mele, don’t be an idiot, it’s just like acohol really, new and exciting calm down - Melehan just said,
“Oh. Um. I’m…fine. Really. Probably should talk to my brother though.”
“He’s with Bri, most like. Probably in tha stables,” Sulwyn added with a knowing little grin.
She had, Melehan noticed in his somewhat confused state, very pretty teeth, and then mentally noted that that was an extremely stupid thing to think when he was sitting at this angle with a girl standing over him.
“Ah. It’s important, though, and I really really should-“
“Stay where ye are and get yer head back on?” Sulwyn supplied, crouching down to his level and putting her basket on the ground. Different angle, but a better one. If…a hell of a lot closer, and she was much more attractive then Constantine, really and then the dark-haired and blue-eyed girl kissed him.
…what? Oh. OH. I think I get it now…
Melou’s gonna kill me
definitely worth it
The boy really didn't notice anything else until his mind caught up with the fact she was now looking at him a little concerned.
“Melehan?”
“ ‘Mele’. Just…‘Mele’ will do, really.” He squinted a bit, and then tilted his head back. “Could you, uh, maybe kiss me again?”