━━ ⦗the swan princess! ⦘
❝ you're beautiful!
thank you, but what else?
... what else is there? ... ❞
███████████ 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝
the courageous odette teaches the
once and future king a less...
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chapter twenty! 020. the gates of avalon
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MERLIN UNDERSTOOD Arthur was going to be angry as soon as he followed him back to his chambers. He stood anxiously by the wide-open door, peering inside to see him furiously pacing around his room, shoving clothes and provisions into saddle bags. He grabbed the chainmail Merlin hadn't even polished yet and threw it into a canvas wrap that he pulled tightly shut by the strings at the top, throwing it to the side with a furious grunt. His manservant pursed his lips, not sure what he was going to say. But he had to make Arthur see sense▬he had to before Sophia would toy him until he'd willingly face his own death.
But when Arthur was angry, he was angry▬he became a furious storm that lashed out at anything and everything. He shut himself off, ordered Merlin to leave and then snapped at him if he didn't, turning all the blame onto someone else whenever his father embarrassed him, or frustrated him, or somebody else ignited the raging fire inside his chest. He didn't know him well▬he was just a servant, and he was the Prince ... it wasn't Merlin's place to ask anything; but despite his anger, Arthur was different ... he told Merlin he would consider him a friend for life for the things he did for him ... that must mean he thought kindly of him? That he truly was considering him a friend?
Merlin swallowed back the hurt he felt that as soon as Arthur noticed him at the door, he growled, "Get out."
He didn't mean it▬the young servant told himself. He wasn't in his right mind. Merlin took a brave breath and stepped further into the chambers, "I thought the King was a bit harsh..." he mumbled carefully, eyeing the Prince's angry packing.
"I don't need sympathy, Merlin," grumbled Arthur, "especially not from you."
The servant surged forward to his bed post, not backing down no matter how much he begged to, "But I did think he had a point▬"
Arthur's gaze snapped up to him, fuming, "I ordered you to get out now leave me!"
Merlin shook his head, setting his jaw and leaning forward, "I know what you think you're doing and I know you think you're in love with Sophia▬"
The Prince threw aside his armour, "Who are you to tell me what I'm thinking?!"
The young warlock swallowed back the lump in his throat at the way Arthur raised his voice. His nostrils flared, but he kept his own anger down for the Prince's sake▬he's enchanted, he told himself. Softly, Merlin told him: "I'm your friend."
Arthur scoffed at his words, "No, Merlin," he grabbed his riding bags from his bed, "you're my servant."
He stormed away to his weapon wrack, leaving Merlin with that aching lump rising up his throat all over again. He tried not to feel hurt▬to not let his words strike him like a heavy blow, but they did. Because he was right. Merlin was not his friend. He could never be his friend. He was his servant. He was always going to be his servant▬that was how the world worked. And while Arthur might say it in a fit of anger, enchanted under the gaze of a pretty Sidhe, he was right.
