The sediment isn’t entirely foreign. Hadn’t he mentioned a similar thought on more than one occasion when something far from the normal had been done out of love or to protect the people? Many a prisoner and now dead man spoke to his father before being engulfed in flames or decapitated. You have let your fear of magic turn to hate. As a child, he initially struggled with empathizing with Uther’s decrees against all sorcery in his kingdom. Fables from youth, read to him by Gaius, always depicted a neutrality to the subject. At the time, he didn’t understand, so he asked. Those stories were never read to him again — most of them burned.
He relented without thinking and, upon realizing it, without remorse, “That may be so.”
His question earned only an even stare, waiting and patient. Without a spoken command, his belongings sorted themselves out until the floor was clean. Any hints of doubt disappeared then, leaving the only conclusion he could draw from the events. Merlin was a sorcerer, and his power sent a spark of unexpected fear through the blonde’s nerves. So much power in such a compact, thin frame. Those hands could level the castle, the whole town, without any real effort. He half wondered how the boy could appear so humble under that knowledge. Something bubbled in his chest, a feeling he could not place until it burst forth from his slightly parted lips. A laugh — an honest-to-goodness laugh — because there is something he finds utterly hysterical about being afraid of Merlin.
Then the fear is g o n e.
The apology followed far too quickly for him to comprehend, so he rested dumbly against his chair while listening to the babble. How like Merlin to chatter on even at a time like this. As much as he wanted to insist the information should have been shared sooner, he understood why it hadn’t. Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, had never been expressly a friend to those of magic either. There were things he regretted doing. Especially now. Unsure how to respond, he does so the only way he knew how, “Don’t be such a girl, Merlin.” A smirk before he lowered his gaze awkwardly. “You did what you thought was—safest. Probably was, really. I’m not sure how I would have reacted early on.” No, he knew. Straight to the prison because he wouldn’t have known about his servant’s wisdom or loyalty then. He wouldn’t have known.
Blue eyes snapped back to high cheekbones and bright eyes at the ending remark, fighting to hold back warmth.
One day you will be a great king.
Believe in yourself.
”And will you be here on the day I do become king? After all, a decent manservant is hard to come by.”
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