enchanted | a. pendragon [on hold]

ix | the eye of the phoenix

| i feel like anything that would follow the last chapter will be anticlimactic in comparison, so sorry if it's not super great |

"what do you mean i missed gwaine?"

[3.9 — The Eye of the Phoenix]

Quietly, Lia crept through the corridor and into the antechamber that led to the Throne Room. Merlin did not hear her approach, too consumed with spying on Arthur through the crack in the door. He startled when she set her chin on top of his head but relaxed, knowing it was her.

Lia peered into the Throne Room, which was dimly lit. Arthur was kneeling in the center of the room, dressed in a simple tunic and some kind of white ceremonial robe. She both understood and did not understand what the Prince was doing, as it was something her father had done in his youth as well — Lia just hadn't paid much attention to any of Florian's stories about battles and quests, finding them a bit boring.

"What's he actually doing?" Lia whispered.

"Thinking," Merlin replied, just as quietly. Had Arthur heard them, he'd never stop yelling at them for disturbing something so important.

"About?" she pressed.

Merlin moved so that Lia's head rested on his shoulder while he grinned slyly at her. "You." Lia rolled her eyes and knocked her head against his in lieu of hitting him. He shushed her before closing the door so that they'd be free to talk. "He has to decide upon a quest."

"And crouching on his knees all night is going to help?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Merlin told her. "He has to transcend his body so that the quest is revealed to him in a vision."

"And you're going to stay here and watch him?" she asked, biting back a smile. Merlin also realized how ridiculous the whole transcending thing sounded, but held back his mocking comments, knowing how important it was for Arthur.

"Lia, this is one of the most important days in a prince's life," he reminded her. "You know how significant it is."

"Well, then I suppose I'll be waiting with you," Lia said, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.

Merlin copied her actions and chuckled. "You should go to bed. It's one of your last nights before moving into your new chambers."

"Perhaps, but I cannot enjoy my last nights sharing a room with my best friend if my best friend isn't there," she pointed out. "It's horrible timing, really. Next time Arthur must go through a life-altering ritual, I'd prefer it to be at a more convenient moment."

"I will be sure to let him know that," Merlin said, chuckling. "Really though, you should get some rest."

"Got a perfect pillow right here," she said, smiling sweetly as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "We can just stay up and talk all night like when we were little. That way we're the first ones Arthur sees once he's finished transcending or whatever."