Merlin fic: Destiny Twisted (1/1)
Title: Destiny Twisted (1/1)
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, OC
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. Legend of the Seeker is property of ABC Studios.
Summary: There was a before and an after. Before the magical plague, Arthur had been the Crown Prince of Camelot. After the plague, Merlin ascended the throne as King of Camelot. It’s a year into Merlin’s reign, and Arthur still hasn’t taken that final step.
Author’s Notes: The idea of a true Listener is thanks to Legend of the Seeker. This story is a variation of a world mentioned (and will be further explored) in my fic, “The Wolf and the Phoenix.” I would like to think this fic is the more positive, ‘happier’ version of the world.
~ * ~
With a crash and burn, we can make it better…
Kickass (We Are Young) by Mika
~ * ~
Since the plague, Arthur found himself thinking in terms of before and after. Everything had changed so much, so quickly, over a short span of time that it still made the blond’s head spin. Before, he had lived a life of expectation. It was wholly familiar to him for as long as he had lived. But then not long after his twenty-fourth birthday, a magical plague swept through Camelot and, horrifically, everyone who did not have magic in their blood dropped dead. Literally.
The king, his father, died. Most of the knights, except for a few who shockingly enough carried some magic in their veins, succumbed to the plague. Guinevere had died as well, no matter Merlin’s desperate attempts to save one of his closest friends, the first one he had made in Camelot. Gaius had died before the plague hit. His death due to old age was almost a mercy considering how bad the plague became.
Morgana had already been long gone from Camelot prior to the plague. But with the talk of his sister being the ‘mad witch of Blackbird Pond’, Arthur figured that she wouldn’t have been affected by the plague. Though discovering that Morgana had magic inside her at such a harrowing time did little to improve Arthur’s mood. How could he have not suspected at least after living with her all those years?
All in all, over half of the people of Camelot had died because of the plague. People were nervous, scared, and in need of guidance. Arthur had tried to establish some order after his father’s death. It certainly wasn’t easy, as can be expected, and Arthur had the overwhelming responsibility of keeping the kingdom from falling into a blind panic.
But it had been hard with the number of knights dwindling as a result of the plague. The number of citizens now was devastatingly low. Arthur had little choice but to allow magic users back into the kingdom and to practice their magic freely, barring it wasn’t against Camelot of course, and without persecution in Camelot. If magic users could increase the crop yields, strengthen his armies, heal the sick and wounded, and just overall keep the kingdom’s economy afloat by simply being contributing citizens to Camelot’s welfare; then Arthur had to lift the ban on magic.
There had been no time to debate whether it was right or wrong - just how fast could the ban on magic be repealed and Camelot could return to a semblance of order and peace. And as the magical plague ended, it became startlingly clear that all magic users were left perfectly untouched by the plague.
And there were many of them compared to the few lucky ‘non-magic’ people who managed to survive the plague. Though talk spread that these previously deemed ‘non-magic’ or normal people did have a family history - no matter how far back - of magic, and maybe just maybe…the lucky ones did have magic in their blood, but it lay dormant to where one couldn’t properly call the person a ‘magic user’ or ‘sorcerer.’ These people didn’t even realize that they did have magic in their blood until the plague devastated Camelot. And finding out in such harrowing circumstances was certainly not pleasant.
Like it or not, Arthur knew that magic users were going to be the future of Camelot and he simply had to deal with that fact.
Now, this next part of the tale had an unexpected twist.
Merlin.
Fortunately, Arthur did know about Merlin’s magic before the plague came and went. They had come to an understanding over the delicate situation wherein Arthur told Merlin to be extra cautious with using his magic and he also promised to not have him arrested - granted Merlin continue to wield his magic in defense of Camelot and not against the kingdom.
But if Arthur hadn’t known before that Merlin’s brand of magic was exceptionally powerful and as such, unique, then the blond definitely knew now.
The magic users that he had allowed within Camelot soon expressed their discontent and uneasiness with Arthur, son of a magic-hating father, being the king of a kingdom with a predominant magic population. And why, most wondered, was Arthur still alive and well when he should not have a drop of magic in his blood?
Merlin, who Arthur had elevated to the position of magical advisor and ambassador of sorts to negotiate with the magic community, had done his best to appease the discontent.
Merlin had told the magic users that Arthur had been borne of magic, and that was the reason why he had survived the plague. Even if Arthur probably never would wield magic, being borne of magic may have been enough to save him.
Unfortunately, that explanation was simply not enough and Arthur could not dismiss the rumblings and serious discussion of making Merlin - of all people - the king of Camelot. That only then would the magic users be satisfied. And considering Merlin’s great power in magic terms, the magic community could think of no better candidate for the position. No matter if Merlin didn’t know the first thing about ruling a kingdom; Arthur could find no other compromise for these magic users.
Merlin wasn’t exactly thrilled about the magic community pressuring him to ascend the throne. He had made one last effort to persuade his fellow magic users.
Arthur still remembered how pale and anxious Merlin looked that one evening over a year ago when he had come into his chambers with papers in hand.
“You need to sign these,” Merlin said, desperation coloring his tone. “Please, Arthur.”
Arthur had looked up at him, wondering what this was about. He had asked his advisor as much.
Merlin had explained to him that he sort of forged these papers to prove that Arthur’s mother, Ygraine, was a daughter of a Druid priestess, and as such, Arthur had magic in his blood. Even if he could not wield magic - that could easily be explained away as the magic being dormant and unable to be used.
Despite being reluctant to go through with the lie, Arthur signed the papers that proved his mother’s magical heritage anyway.
But it hadn’t been enough…the magic users - never advocates of his father - went down on Uther. They called him a hypocrite and wondered why the former dead king of Camelot hadn’t killed Arthur after killing his wife. Because surely that is why Queen Ygraine died? Uther had discovered her magical heritage and he had sought to eradicate the blight. No matter the fact that Uther had started to mass execute magic users after Ygraine’s death - the magic community was so engrossed in their own made-up story, that they ignored the faulty timing of their tale.
And so, the most Arthur gained out of the debacle was some sympathy for having a cruel father whose need for an heir had been the only thing stopping him from killing his own son for carrying magic within his blood.
The magic community still clamored for Merlin to take the throne. And shortly after the “Arthur’s mother was a daughter of a Druid priestess” fiasco, Arthur relinquished power and Merlin was lauded as the new King of Camelot.
It was the true beginning of a new, magic-dominated Camelot.
~ * ~
Now the thing was…Arthur remained in Camelot, but he didn’t officially take up a position within the newly-established Court. Merlin had asked him again and again to be his head advisor in an official capacity.
But it had been a year now of declining Merlin’s increasingly pressured requests. Arthur wasn’t sure why he didn’t agree to being Merlin’s - King Merlin’s (still sounded a bit weird on his tongue) - official head advisor. Of course, Arthur did help Merlin when he needed it; but the blond was more of an unofficial advisor, particularly dealing with battle strategy. He hadn’t done the proper pomp and ceremony of being officially announced as head advisor to the public. Merlin had wanted to make it official, of course, but Arthur kept stalling.
Merlin had even warned him that this had to be made official for the sake of the people - that they had to all see that Arthur truly was a member of the new Court. Also, the gesture of being sworn in as an official advisor would show the magic community that Arthur openly supported the new regime, instead as privately as he did now.
Arthur had been raised as a royal, so he knew very well how Court politics worked. Maybe, he surmised, it was to do with him just not ready to fully embrace the change. To be King one day, however briefly, and Merlin as his trusted advisor to now where their roles were switched was incredibly jarring and surreal.
Arthur just needed some time to come to terms with the situation. Not that he planned to overthrow Merlin, no, certainly not. He wasn’t sure if he could do that anyway. He was no match against magic after all. And, well, he cared for Merlin too much to turn against his truest friend. Quite often, recently, the two of them were becoming more than friends…into more intimate territory. Then again, Arthur felt this had been the case even before the plague - just being friends was not enough for either of them, honestly. If Arthur declined being named official advisor, then he strongly refused to even be considered as King’s Consort - no matter how cheeky of a tone Merlin said it in.
Whenever the topic of being King’s Consort was brought up, Arthur usually ‘punished’ Merlin by tying him down to the bed and having his way with him. It was a mutually enjoyable occurrence…despite Merlin now being King, the dynamics between him and Arthur changed little. Mainly, Arthur had to remember to address Merlin properly when others were watching. Otherwise, idiot was perfectly accepted…Merlin even encouraged it. And Merlin continued to call him “prat” or “royal arse” and all together, there was a very nice reciprocity going on.
~ * ~
Arthur didn’t know exactly what finally pushed him to agree to making his position official. Certainly a factor was the uneasy way that the magic users, who made up most of King Merlin’s Court, looked upon him…as if he were secretly plotting to reclaim the throne. He was rightly frustrated by this - he had abdicated without great fuss, hadn’t he?
After months of subtle snubbing, it began to grate on Arthur’s nerves. He did hold other responsibilities besides advising Merlin, but that only satisfied him to a point. The blond had to admit he was grateful that he could still train the Knights of Camelot. True, all of them carried magic - some with a significant magical pedigree and others with just enough magic to survive the plague - but Arthur felt that some things were the same no matter if one used magic as a weapon. Discipline, strategy, and skill were all still very important.
Arthur was grateful (though he would never admit it to him) for Merlin training the Knights alongside him - mostly to keep the cockier, magic-dependent Knights from giving Arthur trouble. Surprisingly, his former, bumbling manservant was actually quite formidable when he was forced into the position.
And so when Arthur had impressed upon all the Knights the importance of sword-training in addition to wielding magic, Merlin only had to flash his eyes a fierce gold and any scoffing Knights were effectively cowed. For specifically magic-oriented training sessions, Merlin led them or one of the noblemen who had experience with ‘attack magic.’ The noblemen were foreigners, obviously, considering their impressive magical lineage that Uther would have had them executed for without a moment’s thought. Actually, quite a few foreign lords who were magically-inclined now made Camelot their home after Merlin’s ascension.
When Merlin was unable to be there to head training alongside Arthur (he was the King after all, he always had matters he had to attend to - Arthur didn’t envy the task as he knew quite well what it entailed to be leader of a kingdom), Blakeney, Arthur’s manservant did a more than adequate job of instilling the fear of the gods in the Knights by simply looking at them.
Arthur had been rather annoyed at first with having this boy - 16 years old - placed intentionally as his personal servant. After Merlin had explained to him why Blakeney was chosen, he profusely apologized to Arthur who had glared at him as he did so.
Blakeney was blond with eyes such a dark brown they were almost black. He had a lean build, but unlike Merlin, he wasn’t taller than Arthur (thank the gods for small mercies). The 16-year old was the perfect manservant - what Merlin had never managed to be while in Arthur’s service. Although Arthur thought that the boy having magic to complete his chores helped him to be ‘perfect.’ Still, Arthur could not deny that his current manservant was punctual, polite and all the other things he had dreamt of when Merlin… well, his point was made.
Now as to why Arthur had been bothered by Merlin’s explanation months ago about Blakeney being appointed to him…that was actually the same reason why the Knights were nervous around his manservant.
Blakeney was a Listener, which meant nothing to Arthur until Merlin told him what that meant.
A Listener was someone who could read a person’s mind - know immediately what they were thinking and discover any secrets they were hiding - simply by looking directly into the person’s eyes.
Some very vocal members of Merlin’s Court wanted reassurance that Arthur was supportive of the new Camelot. Unease still was prevalent because of who his father was and the fact that Arthur still had every right to seize the throne for his own. If this had been done properly, Arthur would have been killed in battle already and Merlin would have no potential opponents. So, the members requested that Arthur be given a manservant who could take careful note of his daily intentions. In effect, the magic community would gain the reassurance they desired that Arthur would ‘behave.’ And if the manservant found something worrying, then he would inform the King…who was Merlin, of course.
So one could understand why Merlin had sincerely apologized to Arthur for being forced to yield to his Court’s demands. He had told Arthur that he thought the whole matter absurd and he trusted Arthur completely. But Merlin just couldn’t ignore these demands.
Everyone at Camelot, including the Knights, knew of Blakeney’s special ability and the boy had free reign over who he chose to ‘read.’ He couldn’t exactly turn it off either way. The moment he looked at a person, that person could hide little from him. And most of the Knights held secrets - who didn’t? - that they’d rather not be found out. So the Knights were on their best behavior with the looming threat of having their deepest, darkest and most embarrassing secrets revealed.
That had certainly endeared the boy to Arthur - nothing like putting some of those cockier knights in their places. At first, Arthur had felt on edge around Blakeney. He had known there was little he could do to hide his thoughts from him. He couldn’t keep his mind completely blank all the time - he wouldn’t be human if he didn’t contemplate, didn’t think…
And most of the time, Arthur’s thoughts settled on Merlin. Blakeney had caught on to that fact not long after he had begun serving Arthur.
He had only shrugged at the knowledge. “So you really do love the king in that way?” He had voiced, tone curious, intrigued…nothing that set Arthur on the defensive.
Then Blakeney had surprised him a bit by telling Arthur that he didn’t care one lick why he had been put on as his manservant. That he was all too familiar with people abusing his talents and he didn’t plan on being Arthur’s ‘watchdog.’ That sometimes he grew sick of being a Listener because it wasn’t something he could turn off…unless the person made a point of not looking at him. And anyway, Merlin had, more or less, told Blakeney that Arthur wasn’t someone clandestinely scheming against Camelot. That Arthur had Merlin’s absolute trust.
So, in the end, Blakeney went about doing his manservant duties and if he read something interesting in Arthur’s thoughts, Arthur didn’t know about it. And over the course of several months, Arthur began to trust the boy.
It did help that Blakeney told him about his family, so Arthur got to know him better. Blakeney’s father had lacked magic. He was a normal, human man. His mother was a wood nymph, magical, of course. Because of his mother, Blakeney had magic. Though Blakeney wasn’t too sure where he gained his Listener abilities from…as the trait usually came about as a fluke and there was no rhyme or reason to who was born a Listener and who wasn’t. It was such a random, inexplicable thing that Listeners were rare, almost like an endangered species, in a way.
Sometimes, Blakeney had confided in Arthur, the boy viewed the ability as a rotten curse because he grew weary of finding out people’s private, sometimes wholly unpleasant thoughts. Although, he did not deny that the ability was useful when he earned money off his services. Any liars, cheats, spies and the like could be weeded out with Blakeney’s help. He had been in the service of rich lords and even royalty from a young age.
He had come to Camelot upon hearing of King Merlin’s coronation…and so he’d figured that a predominantly magic kingdom would be a nice place to live in. And after all, Blakeney had informed him - everyone in the magic community knew about the great, prophesized Emrys.
And as soon as people caught wind of a Listener, an honest to goodness true Listener, was residing in Camelot, Blakeney was made Arthur’s manservant…
And the rest was history. When Arthur had inquired after where Blakeney’s parents lived, all the boy said on that count was that he was an orphan. Blakeney did not go into the matter any further, and Arthur let the subject drop when he noticed the guarded look on the boy’s face the few times he had pressed him on it.
~ * ~
One morning Arthur woke up to a knock at his door. He still kept his old rooms even after Merlin’s ascension. Merlin had insisted even as some in his Court grumbled about it. Arthur didn’t feel right about going to back to being the prince after giving up his kingship.
So he was relegated to the position of nobility, which he did voluntarily…despite Merlin telling him that he could return to being a prince. He had been raised as royalty after all, Merlin had told him, but Arthur hadn’t wanted members of the new Court to be more bothered by the blond than they already were. Better to just keep a low profile and anyway, if Arthur could continue to call Camelot his home, then that was enough for him. At least he hadn’t been exiled, though Arthur suspected Merlin had a hand to play in quieting talk of exiling the former King of Camelot.
With that cheery thought, Arthur slipped on a red tunic and went to answer the door.
A servant girl was at the door. Cara was her name? Arthur couldn’t quite remember.
She curtsied briefly before speaking, “My lord, I apologize for disturbing you, but I thought you’d like to know your manservant is feeling ill.” And then she had the oddest look on her face like she wasn’t sure of her own words.
“What do you mean - ill?” Arthur asked her, raising his brow.
She moved aside and waved her hand at the opposite wall where Blakeney was sitting, his eyes closed and his right hand curled up as he was cradling something precious in his hand.
Arthur sighed and went to check on him. He knelt beside his manservant who muttered some incoherent words before falling silent, his right hand tensing as his fingertips pressed into his palm. Arthur pressed his hand on the boy’s forehead and found it too warm. He was running a fever -- that was clear. And Blakeney was certainly looking paler than normal.
The servant girl who maybe was named Cara told him earnestly. “He needs to see the Court Physician. I just saw him collapse as I was walking this way. I checked his brow and it was worryingly hot. I know it is early yet, but there is so much to do with the feast honoring King Merlin’s first year of rule…”
Arthur raised his hand to halt her words. All the servants were kept busy recently as preparations went underway for the big celebration for Merlin’s one year anniversary. “I understand. He’s my responsibility. I’ll take him to see Stephen.”
Stephen was the Court Physician who, unsurprisingly, was well-versed in healing magic. He could be a bit mad though. Unapologetically absent-minded, actually, and it had irritated Arthur more than he would have liked. But he was good at what he did despite his flaws, Arthur had to admit. And thankfully, he had a female assistant, a redhead sorceress named Mackenzie, who was much more level-headed than the physician.
As the girl made to leave, Arthur was startled to find Blakeney’s right arm turning into a branch with green leaves sprouting out of the branch.
Cara turned back at Arthur’s surprised exclamation, and she looked nonchalant about the whole thing. “His mother is a wood nymph,” she explained with a shrug, telling Arthur what he already knew. But honestly, no matter who Blakeney’s mother was, this was just too much for Arthur to handle.
Cara admitted she didn’t know much about wood nymphs as nymphs in general didn’t consort with humans all that often. Only sometimes the lone traveler may encounter one, which was probably how Blakeney’s father had crossed paths with the wood nymph…which led to Blakeney being born.
Blakeney didn’t appear in any sort of pain from the partial transformation, and a moment later, his arm and hand returned.
Arthur realized then that he would never completely get used to all that magic had to offer. Some things were just too…beyond comprehension. This was absolutely ridiculous.
The servant girl left him then and Arthur carried his manservant to the Court Physician’s chambers.
He arrived there and Mackenzie ushered him in and had Arthur set Blakeney on a cot.
She swept her hand over his manservant and a golden glow surrounded the boy. From his experience with this magic, Arthur understood this method as a way to discern what exactly was wrong with the patient. The caster would get the symptoms mentally listed in their head and then the person would deduce what the problem was. Arthur still barely understood it, but it was a method that seemed to work one way or another.
“I think he has a fever. He seemed fine yesterday, so it must have come on suddenly. A servant saw him collapsing in the hallway outside my chambers,” Arthur informed the assistant.
Mackenzie looked up and acknowledged his words with a hum. The glow around Blakeney subsided and she told him, “It appears that the fever was magically-induced,” she began as she had a bucket and cloth float over to her. Her eyes flashed a red-gold and the bucket filled with cool water. She directed the cloth into the bucket and now damp, the cloth wringed itself out a bit, magically sentient, and floated over to place itself at Blakeney’s forehead.
“Wait…someone did this to him?” Arthur uttered, annoyed at that. You see, that was one of the downsides of having a thriving magical population. It made it more likely for crap like this to happen.
The redhead nodded, looking displeased. “He should be fine given some rest and the right potions. Whoever did this put a time-delay on the spell, so the culprit could have placed the fever spell on him days ago and Blakeney wouldn’t have known when the fever would strike. As to why someone did this to him, then I would believe he angered someone and that person sought revenge.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Arthur declared, all righteous anger.
They heard something explode in the other room.
Mackenzie bit her lip. “Nevermind the noise. It’s only Stephen. He’s experimenting as he’s wont to do… but yes, I agree with you. Hopefully Blakeney will tell us any details we’re missing. It is quite likely, with him being a true Listener, that he had an ordeal with someone…who unfortunately took great offense to what ever truth Blakeney told him. The boy told me that it has happened before he came to Camelot.”
Arthur did not feel better at her words.
The sorceress noticed his frustrated demeanor and was quick to add, “But, of course, when he was in the employ of lords or kings, anyone retaliating against the boy was suitably punished. He was too valuable to them after all.”
Then Blakeney stirred and he muttered, more coherently now, “It was worth it,” he whispered. His eyelids fluttered, but they remained closed.
Curious, Arthur moved forward and decided to see what he was holding in his right hand, its fingers still enclosed around something.
“I’m sure there’s something in his hand,” Arthur said softly.
Mackenzie remarked noncommittally, “If you think so,” and she proceeded to the work table to prepare a potion for the boy’s fever.
Gently, Arthur opened his manservant’s palm. On his palm, he discovered a small image of a tree that was actually moving - the branches and leaves - as if there were a wind blowing past the tree. It really looked like a living, breathing tree had somehow become imprinted upon the skin of his palm. When Arthur moved to touch the tree, though, he found a smooth, green pebble in his hand. And when he looked, the tree was gone - as if his touching the tree had made it disappear, leaving a green pebble in its wake.
“Mackenzie, what is this?” He asked her, holding up the green pebble for her inspection.
She walked back to him and took a closer look at the small stone. Unfortunately, she looked as puzzled as Arthur felt as to what the pebble was.
“I don’t know, but well…his mother is--”
“Must that be the explanation for everything?” Arthur grumbled, interrupting her with a roll of his eyes. Mackenzie pursed her lips at him.
Arthur sighed. “Look,” he directed her, wondering if this would work. He set the pebble in the boy’s right hand and then the pebble seemed to seep into the boy’s skin. The living image of the tree appeared on his palm once again. “Is that normal?” Arthur questioned.
Mackenzie looked uncertain. “I’m not sure. Maybe Stephen would know, but nymphs are particularly enigmatic creatures. I would think the pebble is a possession of a wood nymph. Because Blakeney has nymph blood in him, the pebble transforms into that tree on his skin. There may be more to the pebble’s functions, but I would not know.”
“What if he angered someone to attain this pebble?” Arthur wondered. “It must hold some significance if he was holding on to it so tightly. And as far as I know, he has never possessed such a pebble before today. He would have told me about it, at least.”
“That’s a good deduction,” Mackenzie agreed. “Now you should go…I’ll make sure Blakeney’s well taken care of. You haven’t had your breakfast, have you?”
Arthur shook his head. “No,” he said. She looked at him knowingly, realizing that he had to deal with his manservant’s predicament first thing that morning.
“I’ll come back later. Thank you,” Arthur said with feeling.
“Oh, it’s no trouble,” the redhead said lightly, waving her hand.
Arthur laid his hand atop the boy’s head, brushing away a blond lock of hair, and then he patted Blakeney’s hand a bit uncertainly. He gave him an almost tender look, before clearing his throat and turning to leave.
~ * ~
Arthur went to have breakfast with Merlin as he usually did. Merlin was already awake and tucking into his breakfast when he came in.
“Good morning, Arthur,” He said cheerily. “Cara came to tell me you had a bit of a rude awakening this morning. She said you hadn’t eaten yet. She seemed rather upset about waking you.”
The blond sighed as he sat down at the table. Merlin pushed a plate full of food and a goblet as well toward him.
“It can’t be helped. Blakeney has been stricken with a fever… Mackenzie said someone placed it on him, that it wasn’t a natural fever,” Arthur explained unhappily.
“Huh, it’s probably Duke Ambrose. Never was fond of the man,” Merlin told him.
“Maybe… I suppose we can only wait now for him to wake up. I believe the altercation had to do with the pebble Blakeney now has in his possession. Mackenzie believes the pebble originally belongs to a wood nymph.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s probably trying to find her.”
“Find who? His mother?”
Merlin nodded. “All nymphs are immortal. I suspect she purposefully let him go and left him in his father’s care,” he explained.
“Why?”
The dark-haired sorcerer rubbed his brow. “That is not for me to say. As you can imagine, it’s an unpleasant topic for Blakeney and he doesn’t relish talking about it. Maybe he will tell you in time. But if he did anger someone and they come forward, then he has to be punished… especially if this was simply for his personal gain.”
“He has a fever spell on him now,” Arthur reminded him bitterly. “I think he’s been punished enough. And what gives anyone the right to exact punishment like that? He’s my manservant. I should be made aware of these situations before all others.”
Merlin bit his lip. “Yes, but rules must be followed. And magic could be such a destructive force when abused for reasons such as personal gain. I want to keep Camelot as peaceful as possible despite how valuable Blakeney is to us.”
Arthur gave a curt nod. “You’re right. Of course, I understand.”
“It’s a wonder you hated him when you first met, but now you’re defending him. It sounds familiar, actually,” Merlin said to him, lips quirking into a wide smile.
“Yes, well,” Arthur said, shrugging. “He does manage to complete his duties better than you ever did. He’s deserving of my loyalty.”
“Well, I was busy saving your royal arse half the time. I apologize if that wasn’t good enough for you,” Merlin retorted with a cheeky grin.
Arthur rolled his eyes, and he leaned forward to shut up the king with a kiss.
After he pulled away, Arthur looked at him carefully and said resolutely, “I’m ready, Merlin. I want to make it official.”
Merlin raised his brow at him. “Oh, to be my Consort?” He remarked smartly.
“Merlin,” the blond said sharply.
Merlin laughed then, and Arthur couldn’t resist chuckling with him. His laughter was infectious.
Merlin clasped his hands together. “Well, this is most certainly good news. I finally have an official head advisor. You do realize the nightmare I’ve had trying to get everyone to accept your place in Camelot? Quite a few people have been clamoring for you to make a public show of support.”
“Yes, I know. I appreciate your efforts,” Arthur told him sincerely. “I could have handled this better, but you understand - after the plague and knowing that I will never be King of Camelot as I’d planned to be...” he drifted off, the thought still upsetting him even now.
“Well, you were king for a brief period of time. And I never wanted this position, you know that, Arthur. But it was either me or other sorcerers battling for the right to rule. This way, you and I remain in Camelot and unnecessary war is avoided,” Merlin said reasonably.
But Arthur already knew all of this. Still, it was nice to be reminded of it every so often…just to remember how worse things could have been.
Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He took a healthy swig of his drink and then wondered aloud, “How did things get like this? Doesn’t it feel like just yesterday I was yelling at you for your general incompetence?”
Merlin gave him a small smile. “Our lives did take a funny turn, didn’t they?”
Arthur nodded. That couldn’t be refuted.
A moment later, Merlin spoke again, “Well, with my upcoming one year anniversary celebration, my counsel believes it best that I marry. Since they know quite well that you are against being my Consort. And we - I - need you more in the advisory capacity. I require an heir at any rate. You understand how that works.”
“Yes, Merlin. I know all about the birds and the bees,” Arthur said, intentionally misreading his words. Merlin looked amused. But then, Arthur shifted to a more serious tone as he said, “Yes, of course. I’ve heard about it. Fortunately the other Court members don’t completely keep me in the dark… some words slip through,” Arthur said sardonically.
“Well, once you show your support publicly, I’m certain they’ll be more prone to include you,” Merlin was quick to reassure him. “And, if not, I’ll intervene.”
“I can look after myself. I think I’ve finally gotten the Knights - even the more difficult ones - to trust me. They expressed their appreciation for my expertise. I have been trained to kill since birth after all,” Arthur commented, his lips twisting into smile.
Merlin looked at him in mock exasperation.
Arthur smiled at him serenely in return. “Now, I’ve heard the main consideration for who you should marry is Lady Celeste who lives in another realm. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but what I really want to know: is it true that her paternal grandfather is a retired star?” He asked Merlin, his gaze curious.
“That’s retired celestial star, yes,” Merlin corrected lightly.
Arthur looked at him expectantly, prodding him to continue.
And Merlin did.
~ * ~
One week later…
“I have the pebble, Cypress,” Blakeney informed her as soon as he reached her in the clearing, a brook beside them.
The brunette nymph only hummed at him. “Your blood is needed in addition to the pebble key. Only those who carry the blood of a nymph may enter. Perhaps even silly, half-nymphs like you.”
Blakeney sighed. “Yes, of course,” he said, and he pulled out a dagger.
She took the dagger from him. “Oh, allow me to do it,” she offered.
He looked at her uncertainly, but then gave her his right hand, palm open. The image of the living tree was upon his skin.
She shook her head. “Oh no, the unblemished hand. The blood will need to be applied over the key.”
With mild exasperation, he offered her his left hand. She sliced into his palm carefully and then the nymph swiped at the blood with her finger, moving to the other hand. With practiced ease, Cypress outlined the tree with the boy’s blood.
Once she finished, the nymph raised the bloodied hand to her lips and kissed it softly. The cut closed and healed, the blood gone. It was as if the hand had never been sliced open by the dagger.
“Thank you,” Blakeney told her sincerely.
She only gave him a soft smile in reply. Then she said, “Now, I hope no humans will be looking for you. I don’t want any trouble. And you’re too human to stay.”
Blakeney just resisted glaring at her. “But I could at least visit, right?” He asked. The nymph shrugged, affirming his words, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Then he informed her briskly, “It’s my day off. No one is expecting me.”
“You better be telling me the truth,” she warned him. He gave her a firm look. “Very well. I do not know if your mother will be there, but best of luck seeking her out. If you do not find her today, then you could try other times. You may meet with me again when you wish to venture to our wood a second time.”
He nodded at her, feeling determined.
The nymph directed him where to place his hand, which simply ended up being in front of him, the breeze whistling past his open palm.
She said a few words, and a circular opening appeared before them. Blakeney could see a very different wood inside the opening. He could feel the heavy blanket of magic in the nymphs’ wood, so much stronger than the magic in the regular woods and forests he was more familiar with.
“Go on then, step on through,” Cypress coaxed him, gently pushing him forward.
Taking a deep breath, Blakeney entered the wood of the nymphs.
~ * ~
“Where were you yesterday, Blakeney?” Arthur asked his manservant at breakfast the next day.
“It was my day off, my lord. I was just enjoying myself,” the blond boy said with a small smile.
He refilled Arthur’s goblet when he noticed it running low.
“Hmm, yes, I know. What did you do? I’m just curious,” Arthur assured him. Then he raised his brow at his manservant when his goblet started to move of its own accord, spinning around in its place.
“Oh, sorry,” Blakeney apologized, though he smiled a little too widely. A moment later, the goblet was stationary.
Raising his goblet toward him, Arthur pressed him lightly, “Did you do anything interesting? Something to do with that green pebble you procured?”
Blakeney bit his lip, debating what to tell him.
“I may not have magic like most everyone here, but knowing Merlin for years now, I’ve learned quite a lot about magic. Well, as much as I can bear,” he smirked, eliciting a small eye roll from Blakeney.
“All right then,” His manservant conceded. “I’ve been dying to tell someone anyway,” he said, his excitement shining through.
And as Arthur listened to Blakeney’s account of his time in the nymphs’ wood, he mused that this twist of fate he’d been dealt wasn’t turning as badly as he’d first feared. It had been so strange, alarming at first, to see his world, his Camelot, change so much; but at least the kingdom was ruled by a good man. Even if Arthur was not the King of Camelot, he couldn’t have picked a better person than Merlin to rule instead (well, the fact that the majority of the population were magic users was a big factor, of course, but his point still stood).
Certainly now being publicly declared as King Merlin’s head advisor helped in getting others to accept him more fully than before. And with that taken care of, Arthur could take all that magic entailed - nymphs, celestial stars looking human (how did that even work?), other magical realms and more - in relative stride.
~ * ~
A/N: The ‘retired celestial star’ idea is from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Though in the Dawn Treader, the star is the girl’s father instead of her grandfather. And the girl ends up marrying the king (their relationship isn’t really developed…it’s pretty much a love at first sight/typical fairytale deal). So I couldn’t resist including Lady Celeste in there as the woman Merlin will marry (not confirmed in the fic, but really…she’s the granddaughter of a star…how can anyone else beat that? ;)). But, of course, Merlin still maintains his thing with Arthur on the side…maybe it’s a little more subdued (to be fair to Merlin’s wife unless she is made aware of the relationship and accepts it), but it’s still there.
~ * ~
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, OC
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. Legend of the Seeker is property of ABC Studios.
Summary: There was a before and an after. Before the magical plague, Arthur had been the Crown Prince of Camelot. After the plague, Merlin ascended the throne as King of Camelot. It’s a year into Merlin’s reign, and Arthur still hasn’t taken that final step.
Author’s Notes: The idea of a true Listener is thanks to Legend of the Seeker. This story is a variation of a world mentioned (and will be further explored) in my fic, “The Wolf and the Phoenix.” I would like to think this fic is the more positive, ‘happier’ version of the world.
~ * ~
With a crash and burn, we can make it better…
Kickass (We Are Young) by Mika
~ * ~
Since the plague, Arthur found himself thinking in terms of before and after. Everything had changed so much, so quickly, over a short span of time that it still made the blond’s head spin. Before, he had lived a life of expectation. It was wholly familiar to him for as long as he had lived. But then not long after his twenty-fourth birthday, a magical plague swept through Camelot and, horrifically, everyone who did not have magic in their blood dropped dead. Literally.
The king, his father, died. Most of the knights, except for a few who shockingly enough carried some magic in their veins, succumbed to the plague. Guinevere had died as well, no matter Merlin’s desperate attempts to save one of his closest friends, the first one he had made in Camelot. Gaius had died before the plague hit. His death due to old age was almost a mercy considering how bad the plague became.
Morgana had already been long gone from Camelot prior to the plague. But with the talk of his sister being the ‘mad witch of Blackbird Pond’, Arthur figured that she wouldn’t have been affected by the plague. Though discovering that Morgana had magic inside her at such a harrowing time did little to improve Arthur’s mood. How could he have not suspected at least after living with her all those years?
All in all, over half of the people of Camelot had died because of the plague. People were nervous, scared, and in need of guidance. Arthur had tried to establish some order after his father’s death. It certainly wasn’t easy, as can be expected, and Arthur had the overwhelming responsibility of keeping the kingdom from falling into a blind panic.
But it had been hard with the number of knights dwindling as a result of the plague. The number of citizens now was devastatingly low. Arthur had little choice but to allow magic users back into the kingdom and to practice their magic freely, barring it wasn’t against Camelot of course, and without persecution in Camelot. If magic users could increase the crop yields, strengthen his armies, heal the sick and wounded, and just overall keep the kingdom’s economy afloat by simply being contributing citizens to Camelot’s welfare; then Arthur had to lift the ban on magic.
There had been no time to debate whether it was right or wrong - just how fast could the ban on magic be repealed and Camelot could return to a semblance of order and peace. And as the magical plague ended, it became startlingly clear that all magic users were left perfectly untouched by the plague.
And there were many of them compared to the few lucky ‘non-magic’ people who managed to survive the plague. Though talk spread that these previously deemed ‘non-magic’ or normal people did have a family history - no matter how far back - of magic, and maybe just maybe…the lucky ones did have magic in their blood, but it lay dormant to where one couldn’t properly call the person a ‘magic user’ or ‘sorcerer.’ These people didn’t even realize that they did have magic in their blood until the plague devastated Camelot. And finding out in such harrowing circumstances was certainly not pleasant.
Like it or not, Arthur knew that magic users were going to be the future of Camelot and he simply had to deal with that fact.
Now, this next part of the tale had an unexpected twist.
Merlin.
Fortunately, Arthur did know about Merlin’s magic before the plague came and went. They had come to an understanding over the delicate situation wherein Arthur told Merlin to be extra cautious with using his magic and he also promised to not have him arrested - granted Merlin continue to wield his magic in defense of Camelot and not against the kingdom.
But if Arthur hadn’t known before that Merlin’s brand of magic was exceptionally powerful and as such, unique, then the blond definitely knew now.
The magic users that he had allowed within Camelot soon expressed their discontent and uneasiness with Arthur, son of a magic-hating father, being the king of a kingdom with a predominant magic population. And why, most wondered, was Arthur still alive and well when he should not have a drop of magic in his blood?
Merlin, who Arthur had elevated to the position of magical advisor and ambassador of sorts to negotiate with the magic community, had done his best to appease the discontent.
Merlin had told the magic users that Arthur had been borne of magic, and that was the reason why he had survived the plague. Even if Arthur probably never would wield magic, being borne of magic may have been enough to save him.
Unfortunately, that explanation was simply not enough and Arthur could not dismiss the rumblings and serious discussion of making Merlin - of all people - the king of Camelot. That only then would the magic users be satisfied. And considering Merlin’s great power in magic terms, the magic community could think of no better candidate for the position. No matter if Merlin didn’t know the first thing about ruling a kingdom; Arthur could find no other compromise for these magic users.
Merlin wasn’t exactly thrilled about the magic community pressuring him to ascend the throne. He had made one last effort to persuade his fellow magic users.
Arthur still remembered how pale and anxious Merlin looked that one evening over a year ago when he had come into his chambers with papers in hand.
“You need to sign these,” Merlin said, desperation coloring his tone. “Please, Arthur.”
Arthur had looked up at him, wondering what this was about. He had asked his advisor as much.
Merlin had explained to him that he sort of forged these papers to prove that Arthur’s mother, Ygraine, was a daughter of a Druid priestess, and as such, Arthur had magic in his blood. Even if he could not wield magic - that could easily be explained away as the magic being dormant and unable to be used.
Despite being reluctant to go through with the lie, Arthur signed the papers that proved his mother’s magical heritage anyway.
But it hadn’t been enough…the magic users - never advocates of his father - went down on Uther. They called him a hypocrite and wondered why the former dead king of Camelot hadn’t killed Arthur after killing his wife. Because surely that is why Queen Ygraine died? Uther had discovered her magical heritage and he had sought to eradicate the blight. No matter the fact that Uther had started to mass execute magic users after Ygraine’s death - the magic community was so engrossed in their own made-up story, that they ignored the faulty timing of their tale.
And so, the most Arthur gained out of the debacle was some sympathy for having a cruel father whose need for an heir had been the only thing stopping him from killing his own son for carrying magic within his blood.
The magic community still clamored for Merlin to take the throne. And shortly after the “Arthur’s mother was a daughter of a Druid priestess” fiasco, Arthur relinquished power and Merlin was lauded as the new King of Camelot.
It was the true beginning of a new, magic-dominated Camelot.
~ * ~
Now the thing was…Arthur remained in Camelot, but he didn’t officially take up a position within the newly-established Court. Merlin had asked him again and again to be his head advisor in an official capacity.
But it had been a year now of declining Merlin’s increasingly pressured requests. Arthur wasn’t sure why he didn’t agree to being Merlin’s - King Merlin’s (still sounded a bit weird on his tongue) - official head advisor. Of course, Arthur did help Merlin when he needed it; but the blond was more of an unofficial advisor, particularly dealing with battle strategy. He hadn’t done the proper pomp and ceremony of being officially announced as head advisor to the public. Merlin had wanted to make it official, of course, but Arthur kept stalling.
Merlin had even warned him that this had to be made official for the sake of the people - that they had to all see that Arthur truly was a member of the new Court. Also, the gesture of being sworn in as an official advisor would show the magic community that Arthur openly supported the new regime, instead as privately as he did now.
Arthur had been raised as a royal, so he knew very well how Court politics worked. Maybe, he surmised, it was to do with him just not ready to fully embrace the change. To be King one day, however briefly, and Merlin as his trusted advisor to now where their roles were switched was incredibly jarring and surreal.
Arthur just needed some time to come to terms with the situation. Not that he planned to overthrow Merlin, no, certainly not. He wasn’t sure if he could do that anyway. He was no match against magic after all. And, well, he cared for Merlin too much to turn against his truest friend. Quite often, recently, the two of them were becoming more than friends…into more intimate territory. Then again, Arthur felt this had been the case even before the plague - just being friends was not enough for either of them, honestly. If Arthur declined being named official advisor, then he strongly refused to even be considered as King’s Consort - no matter how cheeky of a tone Merlin said it in.
Whenever the topic of being King’s Consort was brought up, Arthur usually ‘punished’ Merlin by tying him down to the bed and having his way with him. It was a mutually enjoyable occurrence…despite Merlin now being King, the dynamics between him and Arthur changed little. Mainly, Arthur had to remember to address Merlin properly when others were watching. Otherwise, idiot was perfectly accepted…Merlin even encouraged it. And Merlin continued to call him “prat” or “royal arse” and all together, there was a very nice reciprocity going on.
~ * ~
Arthur didn’t know exactly what finally pushed him to agree to making his position official. Certainly a factor was the uneasy way that the magic users, who made up most of King Merlin’s Court, looked upon him…as if he were secretly plotting to reclaim the throne. He was rightly frustrated by this - he had abdicated without great fuss, hadn’t he?
After months of subtle snubbing, it began to grate on Arthur’s nerves. He did hold other responsibilities besides advising Merlin, but that only satisfied him to a point. The blond had to admit he was grateful that he could still train the Knights of Camelot. True, all of them carried magic - some with a significant magical pedigree and others with just enough magic to survive the plague - but Arthur felt that some things were the same no matter if one used magic as a weapon. Discipline, strategy, and skill were all still very important.
Arthur was grateful (though he would never admit it to him) for Merlin training the Knights alongside him - mostly to keep the cockier, magic-dependent Knights from giving Arthur trouble. Surprisingly, his former, bumbling manservant was actually quite formidable when he was forced into the position.
And so when Arthur had impressed upon all the Knights the importance of sword-training in addition to wielding magic, Merlin only had to flash his eyes a fierce gold and any scoffing Knights were effectively cowed. For specifically magic-oriented training sessions, Merlin led them or one of the noblemen who had experience with ‘attack magic.’ The noblemen were foreigners, obviously, considering their impressive magical lineage that Uther would have had them executed for without a moment’s thought. Actually, quite a few foreign lords who were magically-inclined now made Camelot their home after Merlin’s ascension.
When Merlin was unable to be there to head training alongside Arthur (he was the King after all, he always had matters he had to attend to - Arthur didn’t envy the task as he knew quite well what it entailed to be leader of a kingdom), Blakeney, Arthur’s manservant did a more than adequate job of instilling the fear of the gods in the Knights by simply looking at them.
Arthur had been rather annoyed at first with having this boy - 16 years old - placed intentionally as his personal servant. After Merlin had explained to him why Blakeney was chosen, he profusely apologized to Arthur who had glared at him as he did so.
Blakeney was blond with eyes such a dark brown they were almost black. He had a lean build, but unlike Merlin, he wasn’t taller than Arthur (thank the gods for small mercies). The 16-year old was the perfect manservant - what Merlin had never managed to be while in Arthur’s service. Although Arthur thought that the boy having magic to complete his chores helped him to be ‘perfect.’ Still, Arthur could not deny that his current manservant was punctual, polite and all the other things he had dreamt of when Merlin… well, his point was made.
Now as to why Arthur had been bothered by Merlin’s explanation months ago about Blakeney being appointed to him…that was actually the same reason why the Knights were nervous around his manservant.
Blakeney was a Listener, which meant nothing to Arthur until Merlin told him what that meant.
A Listener was someone who could read a person’s mind - know immediately what they were thinking and discover any secrets they were hiding - simply by looking directly into the person’s eyes.
Some very vocal members of Merlin’s Court wanted reassurance that Arthur was supportive of the new Camelot. Unease still was prevalent because of who his father was and the fact that Arthur still had every right to seize the throne for his own. If this had been done properly, Arthur would have been killed in battle already and Merlin would have no potential opponents. So, the members requested that Arthur be given a manservant who could take careful note of his daily intentions. In effect, the magic community would gain the reassurance they desired that Arthur would ‘behave.’ And if the manservant found something worrying, then he would inform the King…who was Merlin, of course.
So one could understand why Merlin had sincerely apologized to Arthur for being forced to yield to his Court’s demands. He had told Arthur that he thought the whole matter absurd and he trusted Arthur completely. But Merlin just couldn’t ignore these demands.
Everyone at Camelot, including the Knights, knew of Blakeney’s special ability and the boy had free reign over who he chose to ‘read.’ He couldn’t exactly turn it off either way. The moment he looked at a person, that person could hide little from him. And most of the Knights held secrets - who didn’t? - that they’d rather not be found out. So the Knights were on their best behavior with the looming threat of having their deepest, darkest and most embarrassing secrets revealed.
That had certainly endeared the boy to Arthur - nothing like putting some of those cockier knights in their places. At first, Arthur had felt on edge around Blakeney. He had known there was little he could do to hide his thoughts from him. He couldn’t keep his mind completely blank all the time - he wouldn’t be human if he didn’t contemplate, didn’t think…
And most of the time, Arthur’s thoughts settled on Merlin. Blakeney had caught on to that fact not long after he had begun serving Arthur.
He had only shrugged at the knowledge. “So you really do love the king in that way?” He had voiced, tone curious, intrigued…nothing that set Arthur on the defensive.
Then Blakeney had surprised him a bit by telling Arthur that he didn’t care one lick why he had been put on as his manservant. That he was all too familiar with people abusing his talents and he didn’t plan on being Arthur’s ‘watchdog.’ That sometimes he grew sick of being a Listener because it wasn’t something he could turn off…unless the person made a point of not looking at him. And anyway, Merlin had, more or less, told Blakeney that Arthur wasn’t someone clandestinely scheming against Camelot. That Arthur had Merlin’s absolute trust.
So, in the end, Blakeney went about doing his manservant duties and if he read something interesting in Arthur’s thoughts, Arthur didn’t know about it. And over the course of several months, Arthur began to trust the boy.
It did help that Blakeney told him about his family, so Arthur got to know him better. Blakeney’s father had lacked magic. He was a normal, human man. His mother was a wood nymph, magical, of course. Because of his mother, Blakeney had magic. Though Blakeney wasn’t too sure where he gained his Listener abilities from…as the trait usually came about as a fluke and there was no rhyme or reason to who was born a Listener and who wasn’t. It was such a random, inexplicable thing that Listeners were rare, almost like an endangered species, in a way.
Sometimes, Blakeney had confided in Arthur, the boy viewed the ability as a rotten curse because he grew weary of finding out people’s private, sometimes wholly unpleasant thoughts. Although, he did not deny that the ability was useful when he earned money off his services. Any liars, cheats, spies and the like could be weeded out with Blakeney’s help. He had been in the service of rich lords and even royalty from a young age.
He had come to Camelot upon hearing of King Merlin’s coronation…and so he’d figured that a predominantly magic kingdom would be a nice place to live in. And after all, Blakeney had informed him - everyone in the magic community knew about the great, prophesized Emrys.
And as soon as people caught wind of a Listener, an honest to goodness true Listener, was residing in Camelot, Blakeney was made Arthur’s manservant…
And the rest was history. When Arthur had inquired after where Blakeney’s parents lived, all the boy said on that count was that he was an orphan. Blakeney did not go into the matter any further, and Arthur let the subject drop when he noticed the guarded look on the boy’s face the few times he had pressed him on it.
~ * ~
One morning Arthur woke up to a knock at his door. He still kept his old rooms even after Merlin’s ascension. Merlin had insisted even as some in his Court grumbled about it. Arthur didn’t feel right about going to back to being the prince after giving up his kingship.
So he was relegated to the position of nobility, which he did voluntarily…despite Merlin telling him that he could return to being a prince. He had been raised as royalty after all, Merlin had told him, but Arthur hadn’t wanted members of the new Court to be more bothered by the blond than they already were. Better to just keep a low profile and anyway, if Arthur could continue to call Camelot his home, then that was enough for him. At least he hadn’t been exiled, though Arthur suspected Merlin had a hand to play in quieting talk of exiling the former King of Camelot.
With that cheery thought, Arthur slipped on a red tunic and went to answer the door.
A servant girl was at the door. Cara was her name? Arthur couldn’t quite remember.
She curtsied briefly before speaking, “My lord, I apologize for disturbing you, but I thought you’d like to know your manservant is feeling ill.” And then she had the oddest look on her face like she wasn’t sure of her own words.
“What do you mean - ill?” Arthur asked her, raising his brow.
She moved aside and waved her hand at the opposite wall where Blakeney was sitting, his eyes closed and his right hand curled up as he was cradling something precious in his hand.
Arthur sighed and went to check on him. He knelt beside his manservant who muttered some incoherent words before falling silent, his right hand tensing as his fingertips pressed into his palm. Arthur pressed his hand on the boy’s forehead and found it too warm. He was running a fever -- that was clear. And Blakeney was certainly looking paler than normal.
The servant girl who maybe was named Cara told him earnestly. “He needs to see the Court Physician. I just saw him collapse as I was walking this way. I checked his brow and it was worryingly hot. I know it is early yet, but there is so much to do with the feast honoring King Merlin’s first year of rule…”
Arthur raised his hand to halt her words. All the servants were kept busy recently as preparations went underway for the big celebration for Merlin’s one year anniversary. “I understand. He’s my responsibility. I’ll take him to see Stephen.”
Stephen was the Court Physician who, unsurprisingly, was well-versed in healing magic. He could be a bit mad though. Unapologetically absent-minded, actually, and it had irritated Arthur more than he would have liked. But he was good at what he did despite his flaws, Arthur had to admit. And thankfully, he had a female assistant, a redhead sorceress named Mackenzie, who was much more level-headed than the physician.
As the girl made to leave, Arthur was startled to find Blakeney’s right arm turning into a branch with green leaves sprouting out of the branch.
Cara turned back at Arthur’s surprised exclamation, and she looked nonchalant about the whole thing. “His mother is a wood nymph,” she explained with a shrug, telling Arthur what he already knew. But honestly, no matter who Blakeney’s mother was, this was just too much for Arthur to handle.
Cara admitted she didn’t know much about wood nymphs as nymphs in general didn’t consort with humans all that often. Only sometimes the lone traveler may encounter one, which was probably how Blakeney’s father had crossed paths with the wood nymph…which led to Blakeney being born.
Blakeney didn’t appear in any sort of pain from the partial transformation, and a moment later, his arm and hand returned.
Arthur realized then that he would never completely get used to all that magic had to offer. Some things were just too…beyond comprehension. This was absolutely ridiculous.
The servant girl left him then and Arthur carried his manservant to the Court Physician’s chambers.
He arrived there and Mackenzie ushered him in and had Arthur set Blakeney on a cot.
She swept her hand over his manservant and a golden glow surrounded the boy. From his experience with this magic, Arthur understood this method as a way to discern what exactly was wrong with the patient. The caster would get the symptoms mentally listed in their head and then the person would deduce what the problem was. Arthur still barely understood it, but it was a method that seemed to work one way or another.
“I think he has a fever. He seemed fine yesterday, so it must have come on suddenly. A servant saw him collapsing in the hallway outside my chambers,” Arthur informed the assistant.
Mackenzie looked up and acknowledged his words with a hum. The glow around Blakeney subsided and she told him, “It appears that the fever was magically-induced,” she began as she had a bucket and cloth float over to her. Her eyes flashed a red-gold and the bucket filled with cool water. She directed the cloth into the bucket and now damp, the cloth wringed itself out a bit, magically sentient, and floated over to place itself at Blakeney’s forehead.
“Wait…someone did this to him?” Arthur uttered, annoyed at that. You see, that was one of the downsides of having a thriving magical population. It made it more likely for crap like this to happen.
The redhead nodded, looking displeased. “He should be fine given some rest and the right potions. Whoever did this put a time-delay on the spell, so the culprit could have placed the fever spell on him days ago and Blakeney wouldn’t have known when the fever would strike. As to why someone did this to him, then I would believe he angered someone and that person sought revenge.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Arthur declared, all righteous anger.
They heard something explode in the other room.
Mackenzie bit her lip. “Nevermind the noise. It’s only Stephen. He’s experimenting as he’s wont to do… but yes, I agree with you. Hopefully Blakeney will tell us any details we’re missing. It is quite likely, with him being a true Listener, that he had an ordeal with someone…who unfortunately took great offense to what ever truth Blakeney told him. The boy told me that it has happened before he came to Camelot.”
Arthur did not feel better at her words.
The sorceress noticed his frustrated demeanor and was quick to add, “But, of course, when he was in the employ of lords or kings, anyone retaliating against the boy was suitably punished. He was too valuable to them after all.”
Then Blakeney stirred and he muttered, more coherently now, “It was worth it,” he whispered. His eyelids fluttered, but they remained closed.
Curious, Arthur moved forward and decided to see what he was holding in his right hand, its fingers still enclosed around something.
“I’m sure there’s something in his hand,” Arthur said softly.
Mackenzie remarked noncommittally, “If you think so,” and she proceeded to the work table to prepare a potion for the boy’s fever.
Gently, Arthur opened his manservant’s palm. On his palm, he discovered a small image of a tree that was actually moving - the branches and leaves - as if there were a wind blowing past the tree. It really looked like a living, breathing tree had somehow become imprinted upon the skin of his palm. When Arthur moved to touch the tree, though, he found a smooth, green pebble in his hand. And when he looked, the tree was gone - as if his touching the tree had made it disappear, leaving a green pebble in its wake.
“Mackenzie, what is this?” He asked her, holding up the green pebble for her inspection.
She walked back to him and took a closer look at the small stone. Unfortunately, she looked as puzzled as Arthur felt as to what the pebble was.
“I don’t know, but well…his mother is--”
“Must that be the explanation for everything?” Arthur grumbled, interrupting her with a roll of his eyes. Mackenzie pursed her lips at him.
Arthur sighed. “Look,” he directed her, wondering if this would work. He set the pebble in the boy’s right hand and then the pebble seemed to seep into the boy’s skin. The living image of the tree appeared on his palm once again. “Is that normal?” Arthur questioned.
Mackenzie looked uncertain. “I’m not sure. Maybe Stephen would know, but nymphs are particularly enigmatic creatures. I would think the pebble is a possession of a wood nymph. Because Blakeney has nymph blood in him, the pebble transforms into that tree on his skin. There may be more to the pebble’s functions, but I would not know.”
“What if he angered someone to attain this pebble?” Arthur wondered. “It must hold some significance if he was holding on to it so tightly. And as far as I know, he has never possessed such a pebble before today. He would have told me about it, at least.”
“That’s a good deduction,” Mackenzie agreed. “Now you should go…I’ll make sure Blakeney’s well taken care of. You haven’t had your breakfast, have you?”
Arthur shook his head. “No,” he said. She looked at him knowingly, realizing that he had to deal with his manservant’s predicament first thing that morning.
“I’ll come back later. Thank you,” Arthur said with feeling.
“Oh, it’s no trouble,” the redhead said lightly, waving her hand.
Arthur laid his hand atop the boy’s head, brushing away a blond lock of hair, and then he patted Blakeney’s hand a bit uncertainly. He gave him an almost tender look, before clearing his throat and turning to leave.
~ * ~
Arthur went to have breakfast with Merlin as he usually did. Merlin was already awake and tucking into his breakfast when he came in.
“Good morning, Arthur,” He said cheerily. “Cara came to tell me you had a bit of a rude awakening this morning. She said you hadn’t eaten yet. She seemed rather upset about waking you.”
The blond sighed as he sat down at the table. Merlin pushed a plate full of food and a goblet as well toward him.
“It can’t be helped. Blakeney has been stricken with a fever… Mackenzie said someone placed it on him, that it wasn’t a natural fever,” Arthur explained unhappily.
“Huh, it’s probably Duke Ambrose. Never was fond of the man,” Merlin told him.
“Maybe… I suppose we can only wait now for him to wake up. I believe the altercation had to do with the pebble Blakeney now has in his possession. Mackenzie believes the pebble originally belongs to a wood nymph.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s probably trying to find her.”
“Find who? His mother?”
Merlin nodded. “All nymphs are immortal. I suspect she purposefully let him go and left him in his father’s care,” he explained.
“Why?”
The dark-haired sorcerer rubbed his brow. “That is not for me to say. As you can imagine, it’s an unpleasant topic for Blakeney and he doesn’t relish talking about it. Maybe he will tell you in time. But if he did anger someone and they come forward, then he has to be punished… especially if this was simply for his personal gain.”
“He has a fever spell on him now,” Arthur reminded him bitterly. “I think he’s been punished enough. And what gives anyone the right to exact punishment like that? He’s my manservant. I should be made aware of these situations before all others.”
Merlin bit his lip. “Yes, but rules must be followed. And magic could be such a destructive force when abused for reasons such as personal gain. I want to keep Camelot as peaceful as possible despite how valuable Blakeney is to us.”
Arthur gave a curt nod. “You’re right. Of course, I understand.”
“It’s a wonder you hated him when you first met, but now you’re defending him. It sounds familiar, actually,” Merlin said to him, lips quirking into a wide smile.
“Yes, well,” Arthur said, shrugging. “He does manage to complete his duties better than you ever did. He’s deserving of my loyalty.”
“Well, I was busy saving your royal arse half the time. I apologize if that wasn’t good enough for you,” Merlin retorted with a cheeky grin.
Arthur rolled his eyes, and he leaned forward to shut up the king with a kiss.
After he pulled away, Arthur looked at him carefully and said resolutely, “I’m ready, Merlin. I want to make it official.”
Merlin raised his brow at him. “Oh, to be my Consort?” He remarked smartly.
“Merlin,” the blond said sharply.
Merlin laughed then, and Arthur couldn’t resist chuckling with him. His laughter was infectious.
Merlin clasped his hands together. “Well, this is most certainly good news. I finally have an official head advisor. You do realize the nightmare I’ve had trying to get everyone to accept your place in Camelot? Quite a few people have been clamoring for you to make a public show of support.”
“Yes, I know. I appreciate your efforts,” Arthur told him sincerely. “I could have handled this better, but you understand - after the plague and knowing that I will never be King of Camelot as I’d planned to be...” he drifted off, the thought still upsetting him even now.
“Well, you were king for a brief period of time. And I never wanted this position, you know that, Arthur. But it was either me or other sorcerers battling for the right to rule. This way, you and I remain in Camelot and unnecessary war is avoided,” Merlin said reasonably.
But Arthur already knew all of this. Still, it was nice to be reminded of it every so often…just to remember how worse things could have been.
Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He took a healthy swig of his drink and then wondered aloud, “How did things get like this? Doesn’t it feel like just yesterday I was yelling at you for your general incompetence?”
Merlin gave him a small smile. “Our lives did take a funny turn, didn’t they?”
Arthur nodded. That couldn’t be refuted.
A moment later, Merlin spoke again, “Well, with my upcoming one year anniversary celebration, my counsel believes it best that I marry. Since they know quite well that you are against being my Consort. And we - I - need you more in the advisory capacity. I require an heir at any rate. You understand how that works.”
“Yes, Merlin. I know all about the birds and the bees,” Arthur said, intentionally misreading his words. Merlin looked amused. But then, Arthur shifted to a more serious tone as he said, “Yes, of course. I’ve heard about it. Fortunately the other Court members don’t completely keep me in the dark… some words slip through,” Arthur said sardonically.
“Well, once you show your support publicly, I’m certain they’ll be more prone to include you,” Merlin was quick to reassure him. “And, if not, I’ll intervene.”
“I can look after myself. I think I’ve finally gotten the Knights - even the more difficult ones - to trust me. They expressed their appreciation for my expertise. I have been trained to kill since birth after all,” Arthur commented, his lips twisting into smile.
Merlin looked at him in mock exasperation.
Arthur smiled at him serenely in return. “Now, I’ve heard the main consideration for who you should marry is Lady Celeste who lives in another realm. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but what I really want to know: is it true that her paternal grandfather is a retired star?” He asked Merlin, his gaze curious.
“That’s retired celestial star, yes,” Merlin corrected lightly.
Arthur looked at him expectantly, prodding him to continue.
And Merlin did.
~ * ~
One week later…
“I have the pebble, Cypress,” Blakeney informed her as soon as he reached her in the clearing, a brook beside them.
The brunette nymph only hummed at him. “Your blood is needed in addition to the pebble key. Only those who carry the blood of a nymph may enter. Perhaps even silly, half-nymphs like you.”
Blakeney sighed. “Yes, of course,” he said, and he pulled out a dagger.
She took the dagger from him. “Oh, allow me to do it,” she offered.
He looked at her uncertainly, but then gave her his right hand, palm open. The image of the living tree was upon his skin.
She shook her head. “Oh no, the unblemished hand. The blood will need to be applied over the key.”
With mild exasperation, he offered her his left hand. She sliced into his palm carefully and then the nymph swiped at the blood with her finger, moving to the other hand. With practiced ease, Cypress outlined the tree with the boy’s blood.
Once she finished, the nymph raised the bloodied hand to her lips and kissed it softly. The cut closed and healed, the blood gone. It was as if the hand had never been sliced open by the dagger.
“Thank you,” Blakeney told her sincerely.
She only gave him a soft smile in reply. Then she said, “Now, I hope no humans will be looking for you. I don’t want any trouble. And you’re too human to stay.”
Blakeney just resisted glaring at her. “But I could at least visit, right?” He asked. The nymph shrugged, affirming his words, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Then he informed her briskly, “It’s my day off. No one is expecting me.”
“You better be telling me the truth,” she warned him. He gave her a firm look. “Very well. I do not know if your mother will be there, but best of luck seeking her out. If you do not find her today, then you could try other times. You may meet with me again when you wish to venture to our wood a second time.”
He nodded at her, feeling determined.
The nymph directed him where to place his hand, which simply ended up being in front of him, the breeze whistling past his open palm.
She said a few words, and a circular opening appeared before them. Blakeney could see a very different wood inside the opening. He could feel the heavy blanket of magic in the nymphs’ wood, so much stronger than the magic in the regular woods and forests he was more familiar with.
“Go on then, step on through,” Cypress coaxed him, gently pushing him forward.
Taking a deep breath, Blakeney entered the wood of the nymphs.
~ * ~
“Where were you yesterday, Blakeney?” Arthur asked his manservant at breakfast the next day.
“It was my day off, my lord. I was just enjoying myself,” the blond boy said with a small smile.
He refilled Arthur’s goblet when he noticed it running low.
“Hmm, yes, I know. What did you do? I’m just curious,” Arthur assured him. Then he raised his brow at his manservant when his goblet started to move of its own accord, spinning around in its place.
“Oh, sorry,” Blakeney apologized, though he smiled a little too widely. A moment later, the goblet was stationary.
Raising his goblet toward him, Arthur pressed him lightly, “Did you do anything interesting? Something to do with that green pebble you procured?”
Blakeney bit his lip, debating what to tell him.
“I may not have magic like most everyone here, but knowing Merlin for years now, I’ve learned quite a lot about magic. Well, as much as I can bear,” he smirked, eliciting a small eye roll from Blakeney.
“All right then,” His manservant conceded. “I’ve been dying to tell someone anyway,” he said, his excitement shining through.
And as Arthur listened to Blakeney’s account of his time in the nymphs’ wood, he mused that this twist of fate he’d been dealt wasn’t turning as badly as he’d first feared. It had been so strange, alarming at first, to see his world, his Camelot, change so much; but at least the kingdom was ruled by a good man. Even if Arthur was not the King of Camelot, he couldn’t have picked a better person than Merlin to rule instead (well, the fact that the majority of the population were magic users was a big factor, of course, but his point still stood).
Certainly now being publicly declared as King Merlin’s head advisor helped in getting others to accept him more fully than before. And with that taken care of, Arthur could take all that magic entailed - nymphs, celestial stars looking human (how did that even work?), other magical realms and more - in relative stride.
~ * ~
A/N: The ‘retired celestial star’ idea is from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Though in the Dawn Treader, the star is the girl’s father instead of her grandfather. And the girl ends up marrying the king (their relationship isn’t really developed…it’s pretty much a love at first sight/typical fairytale deal). So I couldn’t resist including Lady Celeste in there as the woman Merlin will marry (not confirmed in the fic, but really…she’s the granddaughter of a star…how can anyone else beat that? ;)). But, of course, Merlin still maintains his thing with Arthur on the side…maybe it’s a little more subdued (to be fair to Merlin’s wife unless she is made aware of the relationship and accepts it), but it’s still there.
~ * ~