Percival
The lovely magog-83 has lent me her Percy so I take full advantage of the fact.
Here you go ladies and gentlemen of Route to Advancement: Percy!verse fic.
Snippets of life and ale
Sometimes when Merlin decides that the King's job is being particularly stressful and straining, he will drag the King away to his chambers and summon bread and cheese and ale and often Percival, and it will be something like old times where Merlin will get pleasently buzzed and fall about the room until Arthur will exasperately mutter about lightweight sorcerers and idiot former manservants and hangovers as he shoves Merlin to the bed.
This is when Percival sees the layers of 'King-ness' (as Merlin liked to put it) fall off Arthur one by one until it is like they are all five years younger and carefree with nothing really to think about except for the next evil magical monster.
The next morning they will once again assume their roles as High King, King's Own and Knight of the round table.
But for now there is Arthur and Merlin and Percy.
And nothing's really changed at all.
-
Percival's been with the two long enough to consider himself a friend (and that took a lot of time, thinking and ale to admit even that. Especially ale.) and thinks that maybe he is versed a little bit better than most others in their ways and quirks.
That is why he does not have to think twice as he pushes a tankard of ale (although Merlin's had so many tonight it isn't healthy) towards the sorcerer as the kingdom celebrates the engagement of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere.
Merlin shoots him a bleary grin, bittersweet and painful, and downs it in one go.
-
Brutus likes his life.
His owner's a little bit dim mind, but he's alright for a two-legger.
The magic two-legger's the one he likes. He practically radiates his magic-ness all around, Brutus would know. Horses knew these kind of things.
The magic two-legger slips him sugar cubes and carrots and maybe an onion or two sometimes. Brutus likes it when the magic two-legger is near, its safe where he is Brutus knows.
Its refreshing to be around magic-ness. There's not been a lot of magic-ness for years.
Another two-legger he likes is the one with a mane that reminds him of straw. The two-legger sometimes helps the magic one feed him when his owner is not around. Sometimes he cansmell that they had mated beforehand but as long as they didn't do it in front of him it was alright. He had his sensibilities afterall. He was a very sensible horse.
Brutus munched on a carrot and liked his life.
-
They are at war when Uther dies.
A stray arrow from enemy fire hits his horse and Uther falls and he is killed instantly. It is too late to stop, retreating would put them in a severe disadvantage, there was nothing to be done. Arthur knows that and he turns his face away sorrowfully, his expression hardened. They would have to find the remains of his father's body later, if it was not too indistinguishable by then. He sees Percy urging his horse towards the body and he's just about to call out to him to stop, its too late, there's nothing to be done when the words die in his throat and he is struck speechless.
Because it is then that Merlin suddenly appears out of nowhere and is beside Uther, Merlin disappears with the body just as quickly and it is Percy's horse and Percy himself covering the body that nobody sees and Arthur knows that he has to call out the charge but he still cannot get his mouth to work.
Percy sees this and does it for him.
It is an overwhelming victory that day.
He pulls Percy aside later.
"It was insubordination what you did."
"Yes sir."
"You deserved to be flogged in the least."
"Yes sir."
"Do not let it happen again."
"Sir."
"And Percival?"
"Yes sir?"
"Thank-you."
-
Lightning splits the sky as thunder rumbles deafening in the sky. The rain falls in sheets and the wind slaps freezingly, it is unatural. It is magic.
And in the middle of it is Merlin. Dorky, clumsy, smiling Merlin who is calling lightning from the sky and the earth shakes at his power and Percy cannot believe his eyes.
And in the middle of it a boy screams.
Only the King dares to brave the storm. The other knights have fallen back as they try to calm their horses.
When they get Merlin back to the castle Percy does his best to halt the mummers of 'treason' and talks of bad magic. Sir Edwin helps him and so do some of the other knights like Owain, Leon and Bedevere. Those who had been with Arthur and to some extent Merlin the longest.
"Not fair." Percy hears Merlin whisper to nobody before the Sorceror had passed out, "Not fair, not fair, not fair."
-
Percy sits and celebrates with the other men who have been called up to be Knights of the Round Table. He cannot believe that he is one of them, even now when his name is etched on the head of his chair and the King is smiling at each of them in turn. Percy scans the party for Merlin but cannot find him. He makes to slip out and the King notices and shoots him a quizical look, Percy mouths 'Merlin' and Arthur nods with a slightly worried frown for he too has noticed the absence of his Sorcerer. Percy quietly moves past servants and tables as he goes outside.
He finds Merlin who is star-gazing outside in the courtyard. The stones do not look particularly soft but Percy sits down anyway.
"Sir Percival, Knight of the Round Table." Merlin says whimsically as Percy lowers himself next to him.
"Percy," Percy amends, "I mean, I'm still Percy."
"Arthur, the Once and Future King. Grand isn't it?" Merlin continues as if Percy'd never spoken.
"Its the title you gave him." Percy replies and furrows his eyesbrows worridedly, "Are you alright Merlin?"
"I'm leaving soon." Merlin says suddenly, ignoring the question.
"When?" Percy asks surprised, he's not heard anything about Merlin leaving after all.
"Later." Merlin says quietly, "Maybe even now. I think I've got a few minutes left. Probably."
"When will you come back?" Percy asked.
"Tomorrow, next week, yesterday." Merlin laughs and the sound is loud and harsh in the empty courtyard.
Percy peers closely at him alarmed, "Are you drunk?"
Merlin shrugs going back to staring at the stars, "Yes, if one can be drunk on years."
"Surely you don't feel old?" Percy says trying to decipher his friend's words, "You're only twenty-three. You've got your whole life ahead of you." At his words Merlin stiffens.
"Percival." Merlin says somberly and Percy does not correct him this time, "If you could live forever," Merlin says carefully as if every word were dear as gold, "What would you live for?"
"For my King, my country and honey mead." Percy says with a slight grin but his answer is sincere. Merlin quirks an eyebrow with a surprised little grin back.
"Two out of three's not so bad." Merlin says, almost to himself.
"What's not so bad?" The King's voice comes from behind them and Percy startles because the King had been very quiet up until then.
"I'm leaving." Merlin says rather sadly, "Because where you go I cannot follow. I'll go and then I'll come back and it'll be too late."
"I'm not asking you to stay by my side forever." The King says and takes a seat at the empty spot next to Merlin.
"I want to." Merlin insists, "I really do."
"Its enough." The King whispers after a while of silence and Percy feels like he's missing something that only Merlin and Arthur knows, a feeling that's prevailed ever since he'd met the two of them but he lets it go knowing that he'll get in someday.
-
Its decades after the night in the courtyards but Percival cannot help but recall it as the King lies dying in his tent. Nobody can find the Sorceror and Percival feels a pang in his heart, he knows Merlin would have wanted very much to be with the King in his final moments and that is why he searches relentlessly until Arthur tells him very firmly and resignedly, to stop.
-
It is heartbreaking to see his King go. It is a peaceful death as he passed away in his sleep. For a man who's reign was war-filled as he took Albion piece by painstaking piece it was nonetheless a deserved one.
Modred takes over as High King. It is the King's final request after all. Modred who had been one of those at the King's side ever since Arthur had taken the throne and renounced his father's ban on magic.
It is a month after the funeral, Arthur's ashes scattered in the winds of the Lake, when Percival meets Merlin again. He and a group of new recruits are patroling the borders of Albion, no telling what their non-allies might do if it got into their heads that Camelot was defenceless without either Arthur or his Sorcerer. Percival can say, as a witness of the fact, that Modred is strong enough for both. Not as strong mind, just enough.
"Hello." Merlin says smiling, eyes sorrowfilled and empty. Percival looks around in astonishment for he no longer feels the wind on his back, nor does he hear the rustling of the forest. Everything is...still. Time has stopped for everything, and as a sharp glance at his men confirms, everyone but them.
"Merlin." Percival breathes because he knew of no one in this world with such power.
"He's dead." Merlin says quietly and Percival doesn't need to ask who. The question is rhetorical but Percival answers anyway.
"Yes." Percival says and Merlin's smile falters as if he had not really believed it until that very moment.
"Yes." Merlin echoes. There is complete silence as Percival struggles for something to say.
"I-"
"-am sorry?" Merlin finishes shaking his head, "Don't be, it was preordained many years ago that I was forbidden to be by him to his final breaths. It is cheating you know for I might capture his very soul and keep him in this world, life and death I will hold in my hand and that will upset the balance of the world." Merlin sucks in a breath.
Percival remembers a storm and screaming and it is a sickening feeling to finally understand.
"You will live forever?" Percival ventures finally for he cannot get the conversation in the courtyard out of his head.
"Close enough." Merlin says, "Until the world is is dire need and the Once and Future King is returned to us. Until then."
"What will you do?" Percival asks.
"I will wait." Merlin replies, "And I will spin legends. Of a King and a druid boy Modred and the beautiful sorceres Morgana and a brave Knight Percival, an old sorcerer with a greying long beard, maybe, I haven't decided yet. I'll wait until he comes back and then we'll be together, he and I, and die a final time."
"It is a painful life." Percival says at last after a while of silence.
"It is. And we may never meet again after this." Merlin says, "So goodbye, farewell. And thank you...Percy."
It is the last time he ever saw Merlin again.
But he keeps close to his heart the time of ale and honeymead and Brutus and magic nets and hopes for a time that they will all meet again.