Fanfic: The Tinder Box (1/3)
Title: The Tinder Box (1/3)
Author: gal_znai
Prompt: The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~ 7600 words (all of it)
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, hints of Valiant/Merlin, Valiant/Morgana
Spoilers: Merlin S1, The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen
Warnings: slash, character death, Valiant being lecherous
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction - none of this ever happened. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
Summary: Arthur and Merlin may be in love but Merlin has to flee before they can work out their feelings. Fortunately, Merlin comes into the possession of a tinder box with unsual properties. Based on the fairy tale The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen.
Author's note: First of all, a huge thanks to my lovely beta englaroma. This was written for the tobreakthespell challenge. The story was initially based on The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen. Read the original story if you want. I had to change lots of bits because it didn't make much sense. I used parts of the original dialogue and description in the fanfic so if bits sound more fairy tale-ish than the rest, it's probably because it's from the original. (NOT MINE!) Also, I'd like to apologise for Valiant's behaviour beforehand. He developed a life of his own and wouldn't leave me alone. I blame Will Mellor. I hope you enjoy this somewhat fluffy story!
THE TINDER BOX
***Chapter One***
Once upon a time there was a prince who was an arrogant prat. His father was the king of a big and mighty country. One day the king and his court arrived at a royal estate near the border where they would stay for a month or two. It so happened that it was also the first day of work for the new servant. All the servants were busy making sure King Uther was satisfied. Uther was a ruthless and picky man and incompetent servants had been executed before. As no one wanted to clean the mess after an execution they kept the new boy away from the king. So Merlin - that was the new boy's name - received the honourable task of attending to Prince Arthur who was picky but didn't have the power to behead anyone.
Arthur was not quite prepared for what being served by Merlin had in store for him when the clumsy boy entered his room.
“Ah, here you are. Why is everything in this room so dusty? And where is my food? Have you any idea how long I've been waiting already? And my armour needs polishing, and while you're at it, my sword - “
Merlin had been staring at Arthur with disbelief for a while but he had had enough of the Prince's orders.
“I am Merlin. Nice to meet you, too.”, he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I don't care what your name is. You'd better start doing your chores.”
“Alright, alright. It's not my fault the room is dusty, it's my first day here. And no need to be rude...”
“You can't talk to me like that. Get to work or it's going to be your last day as your first.”
Arthur sat down at the table and eyed his new servant expectantly. Merlin rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded very much like “prat”. Arthur chose to ignore it but decided to keep an eye on Merlin. Obviously he was going to mess up at some point and Arthur had the strange urge to be the one who would berate him.
# # #
Merlin had really needed the job. He was all alone and had no qualifications to speak of. He could have earned money with his magical talents, however using them was forbidden under penalty of death. He had spend quite some time convincing Gaius, the administrator of the estate, that he would be a good and grateful servant. Gaius had known his deceased mother and had probably only given him the job because of her. He couldn't back out now. He had to serve Prince Arthur. One thing was sure though; he didn't like the prince and apparently the feeling was mutual. Merlin concluded that he was not satisfied with the standard of education of princes these days. Certainly, they were trained to kill since birth and he bet Arthur would look annoyingly gorgeous, swinging a sword, all blond-haired and blue-eyed. Nobody having taught him any manners however, he would remain a giant arrogant prat and the rudest person Merlin had ever met. Instead of asking for something nicely, he'd shout orders at Merlin and then he'd stare at him. It was a strange sort of stare, similar to the way people looked at a three-legged dog - it wasn't a pleasant sight but they couldn't stop watching. Merlin did not feel flattered. He knew he wasn't the perfect servant but he wasn't as bad as Arthur made him out to be. After a while he realised that his master's criticism was not to be taken seriously. Firstly, because he still had his job. And secondly, because Arthur's complaints had started to sound ludicrous.
“You are completely useless, Merlin.”, Arthur said matter-of-factly.
“What's wrong now?”, Merlin asked and added after an inappropriately long pause, “Sire.”
“My... the... my sword is too shiny.”
Merlin gawked. Of course it was shiny. He had even used magic to make it extra shiny. So much for trying his best.
“Excuse me?”, he spluttered. “You wanted me to polish it. What's your problem?”
“Merlin, Merlin, Merlin. Don't you know anything? If my sword is too shiny it's going to...”, Arthur was gesturing wildly while looking for the right words, “... blind my opponent.”
“Wouldn't that be an advantage for you?”
“It would be hardly fair. You obviously don't know anything about the values of knights.”
Merlin had the suspicion that Arthur invented the knights' values whenever they seemed to prove his point. His point was pretty much always the same: Merlin was incompetent. So he decided to humour him.
“Maybe you'd like me to polish your opponents' swords as well?”
Merlin grinned. Arthur did not look amused by the suggestion.
“Oh shut up, Merlin. Don't you dare polish anybody else's sword.”
Merlin snickered. Arthur was definitely the jealous type.
Ever since that conversation, he just laughed whenever Arthur started shouting at him. No matter how angry he made Arthur, Merlin always got away with it. Even when their banter turned into a pillow fight, Merlin knew that Arthur was not actually serious. He figured it was Arthur's way of dealing with somebody who talked back at him. As far as he knew, the other servants thought the prince was a good and polite master. His behaviour was certainly annoying but at the same time somewhat sweet.
# # #
It had been a couple of weeks before Arthur admitted to himself that his fights with Merlin had turned into his favourite past time. He would seek out every opportunity to criticise his work and loved it so much that he was beginning to be rude on purpose. Of course, in order to be rude on purpose he had had to acknowledge how rude he had been to begin with. He had assumed that the servants had to respect him because he was the prince. Now that he thought about it, there was nothing respectable about a mere title. When he started paying attention to the servants, he realised that the nobles mistook fear for respect. After this revelation, there was no going back. Arthur was determined to earn the servants' respect with politeness. Funnily enough, Merlin was the only servant Arthur kept insulting. All the other servants were surprised how courteous Arthur had become. When it came to Merlin though... there was just something about Merlin that made Arthur's blood boil and made him lose control. Usually Arthur dealt with anger by hitting things. He was a warrior after all. Of course, he would never have hurt Merlin. Whenever Arthur shoved Merlin up against a wall, often followed by the exclamation “You are driving me mad, do you know that?”, he would be unable to hit him. He wouldn't feel particularly violent any more, all the passion that he felt during their verbal fights seemed to leave him when they touched. There was something about Merlin up close that was rather... breathtaking. There must have been, otherwise there would be no explanation for Arthur's behaviour when - once again - he was holding Merlin by his collar.
Merlin had dropped something in the hallway and one thing had led to another until their shouting match turned physical.
“Are you going to hit me, Sire?”, Merlin asked, trying not to laugh.
Arthur was staring at Merlin silently.
“Arthur?”, Merlin whispered.
Arthur closed his eyes, trying to figure out the riddle that was Merlin.
Merlin put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and leaned closer. Their noses were touching. Their breaths were heavy and Arthur couldn't have said when his grip on Merlin had turned into a soft caress. Their lips touched, a chaste kiss, and before it could turn into anything more Arthur heard his name being shouted. They turned towards the voice, still holding onto each other. King Uther was standing at the end of the corridor, looking furious.
“Guards!”, he growled between grit teeth. “Arrest this boy. He is to be executed first thing tomorrow!”
Arthur was paralysed. He wasn't sure what had happened between him and Merlin but it certainly could not justify what was happening. Arthur watched the guards drag Merlin away, his father's shouts piercing his ears. He wanted to order the guards to stop, shout back at the king, explain what had happened but he couldn't.
# # #
Morgana stormed into the king's council chamber.
“Arthur is a mess, his servant is in the dungeon and the rest of the household is terrified. What could he possibly have done wrong to be executed?”
“Morgana, you do not shout at your king, you have no right to question my actions. And you do not know what happened.”, Uther stated coolly.
“Then tell me.”, she pleaded.
Uther sighed. “You do not see the whole picture. When Arthur was only a couple of months old, the sorceress Nimueh told me that he would fall in love with a servant causing the end of my reign. She said it was a prophecy but I saw it for what it really was. A curse, a curse to avenge all the sorcerers I had persecuted. It was not enough for her to take away my beloved wife. She also had to turn my only son against me and ruin the royal bloodline. That is why I never allowed female servants near Arthur, knowing one of them might seduce him. When I saw Arthur with that boy I knew it was Nimueh's doing. She must have bewitched him to fall in love with a male. The only way to end the love spell is to kill the boy.”
Morgana stared at Uther. She never had approved of Uther's way of dealing with problems, which could be summarised with “when in doubt kill them”. She had tried many times to change his mind and ended up disappointed. Now she knew better; it made no sense to disagree with him openly. She had to go behind his back if she wanted to clean up this mess.
“I see. It is unpleasant but you have your reasons and I respect that. I will try to talk to Arthur, make him understand that there is no other way. He is confused right now but he'll soon be his former self again.”, she said in a calm voice that was so unlike her.
Uther turned away from her.
“Arthur is not to know about this, Morgana,” he said in a voice that allowed no contradiction. There was a moment of silence.
“Of course, my lord.”, Morgana whispered before she left the room.
# # #
The dungeons were dark and cold and Merlin was scared. He didn't want to die. He didn't even understand why he was being executed. It had been only one tiny kiss. They could have denied everything and walked their separate ways. He didn't want to leave Arthur but dying wasn't a solution, either. He had to get out of here.
# # #
Morgana was hoping that Uther had calmed down by now. Maybe the news that Arthur had realised the impropriety of his behaviour would soothe his wrath. Of course, Arthur had only understood that disobedience would make everything worse. The moment that she was admitted into the king's chambers, a guard came running towards them.
“My lord! The prisoner has escaped! We are looking for him but - ”
Morgana's hopes that Uther's anger might have cooled down dissolved instantly.
“How could that happen? He is just a boy! Find him! If he has left the castle he will head towards the Mercian border. He must not cross it! Send me one of the guards who are watching Arthur. Immediately!”
“Yes, my lord.”
The guard ran off.
“He couldn't have escaped without any help.”, Uther murmured.
“But who could have helped him?”, Morgana asked. “No one but the guards on duty were allowed into the dungeon.”
Another guard burst into the room.
“My lord, I have been guarding Prince Arthur for the last two hours.”
“Is he still there? Is there any possibility that he helped the prisoner escape?”, Uther bellowed.
“No, my lord. He is still in his chambers and I have watched him throughout the whole time. He isn't speaking to anybody but the Lady Morgana and he couldn't possibly have helped him.”, said the guard, nervously watching Uther's reaction. The king nodded in acknowledgement.
“You may leave. Keep a close eye on him.”, Uther told the guard who looked more than relieved when he left the room.
Morgana watched the king intently. He seemed to be lost in thoughts which deepened the lines on his face. She had the feeling that Merlin's escape was only the beginning.
# # #
Merlin was running through the forest. His face should have been covered with scratches from the twigs that should be lashing at him. He was running for his life. Only they didn't even touch him, as his magic moved the twigs out of his way instinctively. He didn't look back because leaving without so much as saying goodbye to Arthur had been painful enough. He ran on and on and even when he passed the border to Mercia, he didn't stop.
# # #
-> Chapter 2
Author: gal_znai
Prompt: The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~ 7600 words (all of it)
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, hints of Valiant/Merlin, Valiant/Morgana
Spoilers: Merlin S1, The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen
Warnings: slash, character death, Valiant being lecherous
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction - none of this ever happened. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
Summary: Arthur and Merlin may be in love but Merlin has to flee before they can work out their feelings. Fortunately, Merlin comes into the possession of a tinder box with unsual properties. Based on the fairy tale The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen.
Author's note: First of all, a huge thanks to my lovely beta englaroma. This was written for the tobreakthespell challenge. The story was initially based on The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen. Read the original story if you want. I had to change lots of bits because it didn't make much sense. I used parts of the original dialogue and description in the fanfic so if bits sound more fairy tale-ish than the rest, it's probably because it's from the original. (NOT MINE!) Also, I'd like to apologise for Valiant's behaviour beforehand. He developed a life of his own and wouldn't leave me alone. I blame Will Mellor. I hope you enjoy this somewhat fluffy story!
THE TINDER BOX
***Chapter One***
Once upon a time there was a prince who was an arrogant prat. His father was the king of a big and mighty country. One day the king and his court arrived at a royal estate near the border where they would stay for a month or two. It so happened that it was also the first day of work for the new servant. All the servants were busy making sure King Uther was satisfied. Uther was a ruthless and picky man and incompetent servants had been executed before. As no one wanted to clean the mess after an execution they kept the new boy away from the king. So Merlin - that was the new boy's name - received the honourable task of attending to Prince Arthur who was picky but didn't have the power to behead anyone.
Arthur was not quite prepared for what being served by Merlin had in store for him when the clumsy boy entered his room.
“Ah, here you are. Why is everything in this room so dusty? And where is my food? Have you any idea how long I've been waiting already? And my armour needs polishing, and while you're at it, my sword - “
Merlin had been staring at Arthur with disbelief for a while but he had had enough of the Prince's orders.
“I am Merlin. Nice to meet you, too.”, he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I don't care what your name is. You'd better start doing your chores.”
“Alright, alright. It's not my fault the room is dusty, it's my first day here. And no need to be rude...”
“You can't talk to me like that. Get to work or it's going to be your last day as your first.”
Arthur sat down at the table and eyed his new servant expectantly. Merlin rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded very much like “prat”. Arthur chose to ignore it but decided to keep an eye on Merlin. Obviously he was going to mess up at some point and Arthur had the strange urge to be the one who would berate him.
# # #
Merlin had really needed the job. He was all alone and had no qualifications to speak of. He could have earned money with his magical talents, however using them was forbidden under penalty of death. He had spend quite some time convincing Gaius, the administrator of the estate, that he would be a good and grateful servant. Gaius had known his deceased mother and had probably only given him the job because of her. He couldn't back out now. He had to serve Prince Arthur. One thing was sure though; he didn't like the prince and apparently the feeling was mutual. Merlin concluded that he was not satisfied with the standard of education of princes these days. Certainly, they were trained to kill since birth and he bet Arthur would look annoyingly gorgeous, swinging a sword, all blond-haired and blue-eyed. Nobody having taught him any manners however, he would remain a giant arrogant prat and the rudest person Merlin had ever met. Instead of asking for something nicely, he'd shout orders at Merlin and then he'd stare at him. It was a strange sort of stare, similar to the way people looked at a three-legged dog - it wasn't a pleasant sight but they couldn't stop watching. Merlin did not feel flattered. He knew he wasn't the perfect servant but he wasn't as bad as Arthur made him out to be. After a while he realised that his master's criticism was not to be taken seriously. Firstly, because he still had his job. And secondly, because Arthur's complaints had started to sound ludicrous.
“You are completely useless, Merlin.”, Arthur said matter-of-factly.
“What's wrong now?”, Merlin asked and added after an inappropriately long pause, “Sire.”
“My... the... my sword is too shiny.”
Merlin gawked. Of course it was shiny. He had even used magic to make it extra shiny. So much for trying his best.
“Excuse me?”, he spluttered. “You wanted me to polish it. What's your problem?”
“Merlin, Merlin, Merlin. Don't you know anything? If my sword is too shiny it's going to...”, Arthur was gesturing wildly while looking for the right words, “... blind my opponent.”
“Wouldn't that be an advantage for you?”
“It would be hardly fair. You obviously don't know anything about the values of knights.”
Merlin had the suspicion that Arthur invented the knights' values whenever they seemed to prove his point. His point was pretty much always the same: Merlin was incompetent. So he decided to humour him.
“Maybe you'd like me to polish your opponents' swords as well?”
Merlin grinned. Arthur did not look amused by the suggestion.
“Oh shut up, Merlin. Don't you dare polish anybody else's sword.”
Merlin snickered. Arthur was definitely the jealous type.
Ever since that conversation, he just laughed whenever Arthur started shouting at him. No matter how angry he made Arthur, Merlin always got away with it. Even when their banter turned into a pillow fight, Merlin knew that Arthur was not actually serious. He figured it was Arthur's way of dealing with somebody who talked back at him. As far as he knew, the other servants thought the prince was a good and polite master. His behaviour was certainly annoying but at the same time somewhat sweet.
# # #
It had been a couple of weeks before Arthur admitted to himself that his fights with Merlin had turned into his favourite past time. He would seek out every opportunity to criticise his work and loved it so much that he was beginning to be rude on purpose. Of course, in order to be rude on purpose he had had to acknowledge how rude he had been to begin with. He had assumed that the servants had to respect him because he was the prince. Now that he thought about it, there was nothing respectable about a mere title. When he started paying attention to the servants, he realised that the nobles mistook fear for respect. After this revelation, there was no going back. Arthur was determined to earn the servants' respect with politeness. Funnily enough, Merlin was the only servant Arthur kept insulting. All the other servants were surprised how courteous Arthur had become. When it came to Merlin though... there was just something about Merlin that made Arthur's blood boil and made him lose control. Usually Arthur dealt with anger by hitting things. He was a warrior after all. Of course, he would never have hurt Merlin. Whenever Arthur shoved Merlin up against a wall, often followed by the exclamation “You are driving me mad, do you know that?”, he would be unable to hit him. He wouldn't feel particularly violent any more, all the passion that he felt during their verbal fights seemed to leave him when they touched. There was something about Merlin up close that was rather... breathtaking. There must have been, otherwise there would be no explanation for Arthur's behaviour when - once again - he was holding Merlin by his collar.
Merlin had dropped something in the hallway and one thing had led to another until their shouting match turned physical.
“Are you going to hit me, Sire?”, Merlin asked, trying not to laugh.
Arthur was staring at Merlin silently.
“Arthur?”, Merlin whispered.
Arthur closed his eyes, trying to figure out the riddle that was Merlin.
Merlin put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and leaned closer. Their noses were touching. Their breaths were heavy and Arthur couldn't have said when his grip on Merlin had turned into a soft caress. Their lips touched, a chaste kiss, and before it could turn into anything more Arthur heard his name being shouted. They turned towards the voice, still holding onto each other. King Uther was standing at the end of the corridor, looking furious.
“Guards!”, he growled between grit teeth. “Arrest this boy. He is to be executed first thing tomorrow!”
Arthur was paralysed. He wasn't sure what had happened between him and Merlin but it certainly could not justify what was happening. Arthur watched the guards drag Merlin away, his father's shouts piercing his ears. He wanted to order the guards to stop, shout back at the king, explain what had happened but he couldn't.
# # #
Morgana stormed into the king's council chamber.
“Arthur is a mess, his servant is in the dungeon and the rest of the household is terrified. What could he possibly have done wrong to be executed?”
“Morgana, you do not shout at your king, you have no right to question my actions. And you do not know what happened.”, Uther stated coolly.
“Then tell me.”, she pleaded.
Uther sighed. “You do not see the whole picture. When Arthur was only a couple of months old, the sorceress Nimueh told me that he would fall in love with a servant causing the end of my reign. She said it was a prophecy but I saw it for what it really was. A curse, a curse to avenge all the sorcerers I had persecuted. It was not enough for her to take away my beloved wife. She also had to turn my only son against me and ruin the royal bloodline. That is why I never allowed female servants near Arthur, knowing one of them might seduce him. When I saw Arthur with that boy I knew it was Nimueh's doing. She must have bewitched him to fall in love with a male. The only way to end the love spell is to kill the boy.”
Morgana stared at Uther. She never had approved of Uther's way of dealing with problems, which could be summarised with “when in doubt kill them”. She had tried many times to change his mind and ended up disappointed. Now she knew better; it made no sense to disagree with him openly. She had to go behind his back if she wanted to clean up this mess.
“I see. It is unpleasant but you have your reasons and I respect that. I will try to talk to Arthur, make him understand that there is no other way. He is confused right now but he'll soon be his former self again.”, she said in a calm voice that was so unlike her.
Uther turned away from her.
“Arthur is not to know about this, Morgana,” he said in a voice that allowed no contradiction. There was a moment of silence.
“Of course, my lord.”, Morgana whispered before she left the room.
# # #
The dungeons were dark and cold and Merlin was scared. He didn't want to die. He didn't even understand why he was being executed. It had been only one tiny kiss. They could have denied everything and walked their separate ways. He didn't want to leave Arthur but dying wasn't a solution, either. He had to get out of here.
# # #
Morgana was hoping that Uther had calmed down by now. Maybe the news that Arthur had realised the impropriety of his behaviour would soothe his wrath. Of course, Arthur had only understood that disobedience would make everything worse. The moment that she was admitted into the king's chambers, a guard came running towards them.
“My lord! The prisoner has escaped! We are looking for him but - ”
Morgana's hopes that Uther's anger might have cooled down dissolved instantly.
“How could that happen? He is just a boy! Find him! If he has left the castle he will head towards the Mercian border. He must not cross it! Send me one of the guards who are watching Arthur. Immediately!”
“Yes, my lord.”
The guard ran off.
“He couldn't have escaped without any help.”, Uther murmured.
“But who could have helped him?”, Morgana asked. “No one but the guards on duty were allowed into the dungeon.”
Another guard burst into the room.
“My lord, I have been guarding Prince Arthur for the last two hours.”
“Is he still there? Is there any possibility that he helped the prisoner escape?”, Uther bellowed.
“No, my lord. He is still in his chambers and I have watched him throughout the whole time. He isn't speaking to anybody but the Lady Morgana and he couldn't possibly have helped him.”, said the guard, nervously watching Uther's reaction. The king nodded in acknowledgement.
“You may leave. Keep a close eye on him.”, Uther told the guard who looked more than relieved when he left the room.
Morgana watched the king intently. He seemed to be lost in thoughts which deepened the lines on his face. She had the feeling that Merlin's escape was only the beginning.
# # #
Merlin was running through the forest. His face should have been covered with scratches from the twigs that should be lashing at him. He was running for his life. Only they didn't even touch him, as his magic moved the twigs out of his way instinctively. He didn't look back because leaving without so much as saying goodbye to Arthur had been painful enough. He ran on and on and even when he passed the border to Mercia, he didn't stop.
# # #
-> Chapter 2