Invisible
Invisible
~oOo~
"I know you’re upset, I know your angry, it’s alright I'm not throwing you in jail"
"Then what are you doing"
"I'm breaking the law" the word again being left unsaid.
As he opened the cell door Arthur wondered if he was under an enchantment, as he felt he had suddenly become invisible. He watched as Merlin and Gaius stepped into an automatic embrace and felt himself a voyeur.
He stepped back closed the cell door and turned his back on his manservant. He could not risk leaving them on their own but tried to give them the privacy they deserved.
He tried hard not to listen in on the conversation, there were things being said that he must not be aware of, could not acknowledge.
"I can’t believe Uther would do this to you"
"He had no choice once Aeridian had found the amulet"
"I didn't even know you had such a thing"
"It isn't mine"
"Why did you say it was"
"I was trying to protect you"
He had committed enough acts of treason on his manservant's behalf already. He'd had his suspicions for long enough now.
"Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me"
"Who did that...? I know Magic when I see it, one of you made that happen"
"Arthur"
No, it did no good to go down that line of though.
He could not afford to let his mind wonder exactly why he had been prepared to yet again disobey his father. He was not truly prepared to acknowledge what his manservant meant to him.
~oOo~
"I don't understand... do you want to die"
He could hear the pain in Merlin's words, could feel the pain flow through him. How would he cope with this?
As Merlin stepped out of the cell and started to walk away, he shook the enchantment from himself and grabbed Merlin's wrist. He felt something rush through him as his hand wrapped itself around that pale wrist but yet again pushed it to one side.
He tried to lock eyes with Merlin but dropped them straight away. He felt that he should be embarrassed for the moisture in the boy’s eyes; instead, he just felt his own shame at seeing the honesty of those emotions. Merlin was never ashamed, always honest and truthful and wore his emotions like a badge of honour.
He made himself look back up into those now midnight blue eyes, was caught in the constellations that sparked there from the refracted light of the torch flames. Tried to breath, tried to warn him but all he could do was draw in a ragged breath.
Merlin whispered the word Thank-you gently removed his hand from his grip and gave him the tiniest nod of acknowledgement, turned his back on him and walked away with a purpose in his stride.
~oOo~
He was left there staring after him, wanting to what... run back after him, tell him to be careful, not to be stupid, not to leave him, what was he to say. Order him to keep safe, keep secret? Let him know that he didn't care as long as he was safe. No... no that wasn't an option.
Instead he turned back to the cell went to speak to the man he had always know. Who had looked after all his small scrapes as a child, fixed his first broken bones. Had always looked at him with more than the servitude due to him but a warmth he rarely saw in his own father.
"Gaius is there anything I can do for you" it was the least he could ask.
"Sire, all I ask is that… that you keep him safe, please he means the world to me"
Something twisted in his stomach, it wasn't even necessary to be asked, somehow it hurt that Gaius felt he needed to.
"Of course I will do my best for you, for him."
"Thank-you Sire"
"I must leave, I'm sorry if there was anything I could -"
"Sire do not fret I have made my choices." and the man smiled at him with a look that was meant to comfort him, as if he was the one sentenced to die.
He leaves then, makes his way back to his empty cold chambers and sits there trying not to think not to care, but he knows that this is not an option left to him anymore.
Fin
~oOo~
~oOo~
"I know you’re upset, I know your angry, it’s alright I'm not throwing you in jail"
"Then what are you doing"
"I'm breaking the law" the word again being left unsaid.
As he opened the cell door Arthur wondered if he was under an enchantment, as he felt he had suddenly become invisible. He watched as Merlin and Gaius stepped into an automatic embrace and felt himself a voyeur.
He stepped back closed the cell door and turned his back on his manservant. He could not risk leaving them on their own but tried to give them the privacy they deserved.
He tried hard not to listen in on the conversation, there were things being said that he must not be aware of, could not acknowledge.
"I can’t believe Uther would do this to you"
"He had no choice once Aeridian had found the amulet"
"I didn't even know you had such a thing"
"It isn't mine"
"Why did you say it was"
"I was trying to protect you"
He had committed enough acts of treason on his manservant's behalf already. He'd had his suspicions for long enough now.
"Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me"
"Who did that...? I know Magic when I see it, one of you made that happen"
"Arthur"
No, it did no good to go down that line of though.
He could not afford to let his mind wonder exactly why he had been prepared to yet again disobey his father. He was not truly prepared to acknowledge what his manservant meant to him.
~oOo~
"I don't understand... do you want to die"
He could hear the pain in Merlin's words, could feel the pain flow through him. How would he cope with this?
As Merlin stepped out of the cell and started to walk away, he shook the enchantment from himself and grabbed Merlin's wrist. He felt something rush through him as his hand wrapped itself around that pale wrist but yet again pushed it to one side.
He tried to lock eyes with Merlin but dropped them straight away. He felt that he should be embarrassed for the moisture in the boy’s eyes; instead, he just felt his own shame at seeing the honesty of those emotions. Merlin was never ashamed, always honest and truthful and wore his emotions like a badge of honour.
He made himself look back up into those now midnight blue eyes, was caught in the constellations that sparked there from the refracted light of the torch flames. Tried to breath, tried to warn him but all he could do was draw in a ragged breath.
Merlin whispered the word Thank-you gently removed his hand from his grip and gave him the tiniest nod of acknowledgement, turned his back on him and walked away with a purpose in his stride.
~oOo~
He was left there staring after him, wanting to what... run back after him, tell him to be careful, not to be stupid, not to leave him, what was he to say. Order him to keep safe, keep secret? Let him know that he didn't care as long as he was safe. No... no that wasn't an option.
Instead he turned back to the cell went to speak to the man he had always know. Who had looked after all his small scrapes as a child, fixed his first broken bones. Had always looked at him with more than the servitude due to him but a warmth he rarely saw in his own father.
"Gaius is there anything I can do for you" it was the least he could ask.
"Sire, all I ask is that… that you keep him safe, please he means the world to me"
Something twisted in his stomach, it wasn't even necessary to be asked, somehow it hurt that Gaius felt he needed to.
"Of course I will do my best for you, for him."
"Thank-you Sire"
"I must leave, I'm sorry if there was anything I could -"
"Sire do not fret I have made my choices." and the man smiled at him with a look that was meant to comfort him, as if he was the one sentenced to die.
He leaves then, makes his way back to his empty cold chambers and sits there trying not to think not to care, but he knows that this is not an option left to him anymore.
Fin
~oOo~