ARTHUR PENDRAGON โ arthur-rex
The throne room remains quiet as the Queen comes to her decision on Utherโs fate. Arthur inwardly relaxes, once Morgana makes her announcement.
The family cottage, or the castle.
The former prince snorts; he does not need to look at his father to know Uther would rather retreat to the well-stocked, lavishly-decorated, yet isolated homestead in the countryside, than remain in a palace and have to rub shoulders with sorcerers.
He would continue to visit his father though. Despite everything. Not to lean on the ex-King for guidance, nor in desperate longing for a greater attachment to a father he never really had. No, Arthur would continue to visit his father because Uther is still human. Just as Merlin said. Uther would still need company from time to time, and not only from the cows and the sheep grazing on the fields. Also, the serfs would most likely appreciate it should Uther not be left wholly in charge of the household. Arthur makes a point to speak to his sister about having a Lord appointed โ to watch over the ex-King and veto any decisions he might make that could endanger his or anotherโs life.
Thinking to make a petition to the Queen that very moment, Arthur is blindsided by the announcement his half-sibling makes next. And you, dear brother, I expect you at my side, as the people would approve of your guidance as well.
Frowning, the prince looks over at Merlin, wordlessly desiring some kind of confirmation of what he thinks he is hearing. The Court Sorcerer, never more so behaving as Arthurโs old manservant in that moment, simply smiles and shrugs. Arthurโs eyebrows rise. Cheeky bastard. But it appears as though Merlin had not been expecting such an announcement as well as the rest of the court. ย
Arthur Pendragon started the day as a prisoner. He ends it as a potential King.
Looking from his oldest friend to the rest of the court, the nobles and knights, the blond finds himself unable to give an immediate answer. It feels as though the world is tilting rather oddly again, similar to how it did in the prison cell two weeks prior, when Merlin gently coaxed him out of his depression. So many lies had been spun, so many truths withheld; grotesque distortions of reality that kept Arthur from knowing his heart, from knowing what he should do. ย
And in the middle of it all had been Uther, the father who told his son explicitly never to trust anybody, because a King has no friends.
It takes Arthur a moment to realise that he is staring at the old man; withered grey hair and bent form more obvious, now the fire has been taken out of him. Uther is staring back at his son too, curious as to what he will do next. As if in a dream, Arthur walks over to his father, taking his hands in his again. The red lines upon Utherโs skin that marked where the iron manacles had dug in are still visible. They will take a while to fade. The blond sighs, looking up from the other manโs wrists.
โAre you not frightened father? What sort of monarch did you envisage me or my sister becoming? You may not like the man I have grown into, and I may never stop resenting what you did to me, to Morgana and to the people of this Kingdom โ but that does not mean I will treat you harshly, whether as a king or confident to the queen. I am, and will always be, your son.โ
โArthur, your motherโฆโ
The blond flinches. Time slows down, shuddering to a halt. Blood pounding in his ears, Arthur tenses; certain he can hear a faint screaming that has lingered on the edge of dreams for far longer than he can remember. The prince shakes his head, feeling faint. ย
Uther relents. โYour mother would have wanted to see you take the throne. I am pleased you will do so. You will be a King, and you will rule as she wanted you to. Accept the position, my son.โ
Blue eyes meet steel-grey, and Arthur stills, overwhelmed by the unexpected nature of the confession. The rush of understanding that accompanies it hits the blond boy equally as hard. Because for just a moment, the bitterness in Uther is gone, and Arthur can see the man underneath all the rage and vicious spite. He sees a man that loved Ygraine de Bois fiercely, to the exclusion of everyone and everything else. A man that lost his sanity in her death. Perhaps his father in turn saw the shadow of her in his reflection, after all this time.
It is a strange turn of fate, that both Morgana and Uther would ask the same thing of him. Arthur presses his lips together, feeling the weight of expectation settling on his shoulders.
The Court still attends his decision. Arthur considers it carefully in his mind. Truthfully, he had not wanted this โ leaving it all behind for a life on a farm seemed far more appealing to a man whoโd just been through psychological hell โ but a Prophecy, it seemed, had to be fulfilled. Rolling his eyes, the blond sighs quietly under his breath as he exchanges another glance with his old manservant (they would be having words after this) yet he turns at last to the Queen, bowing his head.
โYour Highness. I am not sure I warrant this office, but I accept.โ
Raising his head, Arthur gazes at his sister. The crown on Morganaโs head looks heavy. Perhaps the metal feels lighter, when shared with another. ย
โFor the people of Camelot, I pledge to do my upmost to make this a period of peace and tolerance.โ
Merlin was just as surprised to hear the words from Uther. He had expected protests, demands that Morgana was to step down from the crown, that Arthur should be on it instead. But it seemed that Uther had finally decided that it was time for a change, even if it was one that he would not really be involved in. Merlin looked to Morgana, who looked just as surprised as he had been. However, the surprised showed more in heroes than anything else, she had always been good at hiding her emotions, after all.
โA decision has been made,โ Morgana said, standing straighter than before as she spoke to Arthur and the crowd.
โArthur will join me on the throne tomorrow evening. You all are welcome to attend and there shall be a feast, of course. Any of the leftovers from the meal will be donated to those outside who need it.โ
The last bit was unexpected, but Merlin saw how everyone seemed to perk up a bit at the idea of a feast. He grinned over at Morgana and then Arthur. A feast and then they would help the people however they needed to, as things should be. Things were going to be changing very soon, it seemed.
The next day, the kitchens were a bustle as was the rest of the palace. Everyone was preparing for the coronation of Arthurโs crowning. They were to have a King alongside their Queen. It was under unique circumstances, but they certainly werenโt the first to do such a thing. Merlin was looking forward to it and even he was humming around more than usual as he helped where he could. He had just left Morganaโs chambers, making sure that she had everything she needed before he knocked gently at Arthurโs door before letting himself in.
It almost felt like old times again, almost. They would never go back to how things used to be, but that was okay.
โDo you need any help getting dressed, Sire?โ Merlin asked as he went about tidying things up. It was a task that he did not need to do anymore and had not done in some time, but it was an old habit that would be hard to break whenever he entered Arthurโs chambers.
โHow are you holding up?โ He asked once he finally faced him. โYou have a few hours yet until the ceremony. Are you doing okay?โThis was their first chance to talk since yesterday and he wondered if there would be more to him said after the events that had taken place. Knowing Arthur, there probably would be.
But then, it seemed he might be the type to want to keep to himself after having been jailed and after everything heโd been through. Merlin wished that he could take it all back for him, that he could have been there for him too, but he wouldnโt have been able to help. Not with Uther having been on the throne.
โI heard your father is packing, but heโll be at the feast. Thatโll be different, eh? You had the front of the table instead?โ He was rambling, chattering on like he used to do before everything happened. โAnyway, Iโm looking forward to seeing you crowned. It happened in a different way, but itโll all work out, Iโm sure of it.โ
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