Metanoia

"A Little Too Well"

Selma

When I first saw him, I knew something was different. When the King had walked in with the finest silks and robes, that obviously proved himself of power and wealth—but that wasn't what caught my eye. It was the man's appearance. His eyes were stern, but had an undertone of gentleness and care that was differently discerned compared to other rulers. His orbs danced fretfully, but I knew underneath he was analyzing—detecting.
Merlin was different.
"You have done well so far, Selma," my father greeted, slapping a hand on my shoulder once he had made an entrance into my chambers.
"Thank you, father," I replied quietly, biting my lip as I continued to brush my hair, gazing at the almond strands in the mirror.
"I am sure that he will fall for you," my father then continued, releasing his hand from my shoulder, striding over to my wardrobe to retrieve a necklace. An expensive one—the beauty encrusted with an assortment of gems that many kleptomaniacs would find suitable in their collection.
"I'm not so sure, father," my voice came, eyes watching as his head shifted up from confusion.
"Oh?"
"There was this boy," I started, biting my lip to try to refrain from speaking. But the words escaped my lips subconsciously. My father wanted him for power. I wanted him for love. I would not allow the man to escape from my fingertips. "At the banquet." My eyes trailed to my face, watching as my father attached my necklace onto my neck. I analyzed my features. Does Merlin not approve of me? "His eyes were keen for the King," I finished, letting my lids sweep over to face darkness. I heard my father take a heavy inhale, as a hand then settled on my shoulder once more.
"Surely the boy is not a threat to our plan?" he assured.
I shook my head. "The boy is the former ruler of Camelot, father." I jumped as a bang then emitted from the vanity beside me. "Father-"
"You know I did not want the plan to switch to such drastic actions," he spoke quietly, giving a defeated sigh. "But he is a powerful ally. King Merlin would give us wealth, protection, and power unimaginable. Push the wedding to a sooner date if possible. I will take care of the rest."
My eyes popped open, giving my father a wide-eyed look in the mirror. "Father, please don't-"
"We don't have a choice at this point, Selma."
Before my mouth could open, he already left, the door remaining wide open. I glanced at my distraught features for a second, before gazing down to ogle the brush in my hand.
I couldn't let my father do it.
I can't let him kill Arthur Pendragon.

Arthur

I was falling apart. Every shred of hope was progressively being thrown into oblivion where I couldn't obtain anything from. The speed eventually picked up pace after some time had passed, but right now it was completely different.
Everything had stopped.
The gears had quieted, the ticking had ceased, and my mind was still. I was frozen.
"Arthur," Merlin's voice guided me. The sound cut through butter smoothly, encasing me in a blanket of warmth. My brain constantly meandered through past memories with the man. But even if those thoughts aided me, one question kept cutting through the motions.
Would he remember me?
So much dialogue and retention of many thoughts suddenly just stripped away. I gave a frustrated sigh from the internal conflict. Would I feel Merlin's lips once again?
"It's...it's a dragon," I remarked, eyes wide with an uneasy stance.
Merlin breathed an amused smile, keeping his grip on my hand steady. "His name is Kilgharrah."
My body went rigid, watching silently as he then tilted his head to the dragon in respect.
"The Fallen King has raised from his grave," Kilgharrah spoke eventually, training his eyes on mine, analyzing me with weary motions.
"You know Arthur means well," Merlin countered, giving the dragon a taut glare, before letting his guard fall, a smile wiping over his features once again. "I hope you would oblige to a ride out to the countryside?"
The dragon happily knelt down, awaiting for us to board. Merlin thanked Kilgharrah, before pulling himself ontop of the dragon gracefully. My brows raised. The man still managed to surprise me after this long. Positioning himself comfortably, Merlin then reached out a hand. I shielded my hand from the sun when looking up to see him—a figure casted by Belenus's gleaming light.
"Are you coming? Don't walk out now!" Merlin chuckled, sticking his hand out further to my reach.
After a moment, I reluctantly grabbed on to it, swiftly pulling myself beside him on the back of the magical creature. I huffed a breath, gripping on to Merlin tightly. "Please don't let the dragon kill me," I joked. "I feel that would be bad for your reputation."
Merlin's laugh rasped through the air. "I assure you he doesn't kill without reason."
I suppose there is a perk to being a dragon lord.
It then happened suddenly. Kilgharrah crouched down, wings erect in the air, ready to pounce. My grip on Merlin fell tighter, as I felt my body compress firmly against his, eyes closed with fright. Then next time I cracked my lids open, I was met with Merlin's soft curls.
"You can let go now," Merlin spoke in a benign tone.
Releasing my arms from him, I let go slowly with a cautious fashion, peering over to the side to meet complete azure. A laugh escaped my lips, as I then stuck my hands in the air, gazing at them as freed air rushed over them smoothly.
It felt amazing.

__________________

"When are you and Princess Selma planning to get married?" I asked softly, deciding to focus on the fresh air hitting against my face with gentle motions. The atmosphere was clear. Not a cloud in the sky. When moments passed, I gazed to Merlin for an answer. "You seem deep in thought."
Giving an irritated inhale, his eyebrows shot up, analyzing the sky lazily. "Everything just seems so sudden."
My brows laced. "How so?"
Merlin bit his lip, rolling his eyes. "I'm having a predicament." He readjusted in his position, his grasp onto the dragon now tighter.
White knuckles made an entrance into my vision, as I stared at them absentmindedly. "What is it?"
"Selma," he rasped out in reply. "The woman is perfect in every way. Her complexion, her smile, her confidence..." Both he and I knew the list could continue, but the exceeded information would be excessive. My eyes trailed from Merlin's fingers to his face. With squinted brows, he closed his lids for a moment, thinking. Gazing at him, my lips twitched, detecting an array of light freckles splashed onto his face. That was a new addition. So was his hair. Although he was recently groomed, his hair remained untouched, the strands free and flowing with the wind, the curls interlocking with one another, his locks ruffled.
Merlin was different.
But I have yet to think of that in a good way or not.
"She's a beautiful woman," Merlin suddenly croaked out, peeling his eyes open. "I do not desire her, though."
I pondered before answering. "What do you crave, then?"
His lips parted, about to speak, before patterns of heat scattered across his skin, as Merlin tried to desperately hide it by shielding his face from my view. He swallowed the lump in his throat, deciding not to answer.
"Do you not know?" I asked cautiously.
Merlin turned to face me, his blush prominent. He gave a playful scoff, fitful eyes deciding to meet mine with an undetermined approach. "I do know," he said. "A little too well."

A/N: Hope y'all liked the switch up with the point of view! A little more dialogue has been occurring lately, but I really needed to patch up some plot holes, so I tried with dialogue and an introduction, so I hope y'all liked it! I promise a LOT of action is coming up—I just needed a transition to get there! So stay tuned! Please leave a comment or vote if you are enjoying the story so far! Bye!