Metanoia

"Catch Me In The Crossfire"

Merlin

I stood in place with a defiant posture, glaring intently at Alvah with darkened eyes.
"I know what you did," he hissed, his breath grazing against my face ever so slightly. "Your actions won't go without consequences. I took notice to the quill and ink on the floor."
I grimaced slightly, trying not to let him see it. I had forgot Arthur and I had left the objects there. Suppressing my pinched posture, I quickly pulled out into a confident facade. "Is that so?" I replied, giving false amusement, cocking a brow. "I am the King. You cannot tell me what orders I must execute."
Alvah chuckled darkly. "Yes, but I will find other ways."
My expression faltered upon hearing the words. What exactly had he meant with that?
"Merlin!" a third party's voice tumbled throughout the hallway. After giving a cold smile to Alvah, I turned, seeing Arthur stride towards me with aching legs and a grave gaze. Ignoring the lord, I walked up to Arthur, who was slightly flushed, breathing heavily.
"Arthur?"
"We need to talk," he lisped off in a hushed tone, glancing to Alvah behind me. "Alone." Before I could question, Arthur's hand gripped my arm, dashing away.
"I'm sure we will talk soon, Milord!" Alvah's voice echoed. I swear I could practically hear a malicious grin wipe over his face. My brain was trying to tell me otherwise, but I couldn't escape the feeling—I was frightened.

Arthur

Closing the door, I whipped my face to meet Merlin's, analyzing his features with heaved breaths before continuing. "Selma's right."
I watched as Merlin instantly shut his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Arthur-"
He got cut off by an item being placed into his hand. His eyes then opened, gazing down to see the object with weary eyes. "Arthur-"
"It's poison," I remarked, pulling Merlin's lips to silence as he scanned over the item. Shaking it, the foreign liquid sloshed inside of it, bubbling up from the released gas the substance emitted.
"King Keres was planning to lace my goblet with it," I continued. My eyes desperately searched through Merlin's, trying to detect what he was thinking right now. "Merlin?" I asked after a pause.
"Why would he do this?" he mumbled in reply, shaking the object once again, mesmerized by the effects it had created.
"Maybe because he somehow knew you weren't going to agree to the betrothal with Selma."
Merlin's eyes met mine, giving a slow nod of agreement. Another silence followed, as Merlin gazed at me with an unknown expression. What was he grasping for? I felt my face instantly warm from the attention, fingers twitching by my sides. "Merlin?"
"Princess Selma had told me of something I was unaware of," he replied quietly, trailing his finger over the carvings of one of the chairs in my chambers. The carvings were intricate—each custom made.
"What is it?" I questioned, eyeing him with a confused gaze. After our argument, Merlin had become awfully quiet. It was like he was trying to avoid me at all costs. But even during our heated debate, something had deterred in him. Merlin was having an internal conflict, and I wasn't sure what it was.
"She told me of you," he started, visibly gulping in a harsh motion. What was he anxious of? "You," he murmured again, raising his eyes to meet mine. "You and how you looked at me."
The soldiers began to pound on the mental walls in my brain, as I felt myself pale. What had Merlin found out? Without a doubt he doesn't feel the same way—even after what had happened with the removal of his memory. "What are you on about, Merlin?" I laughed nervously, fingering the loose thread on my tunic. Somebody needed to cut that.
"Don't play dumb with me, Arthur," Merlin replied, his eyes sunken in defeat. He was tired. Of what and why, I wasn't sure. "She said you had the gaze of 'a lovestruck girl meeting the man of her dreams for the first time'." Lovestruck I was. But how had Selma figured out? Surely she wouldn't know the same stare.
Would she?
Maybe that's why she toyed with Merlin. She knew of my feelings.
She tried to take my Merlin away from me.
So many emotions fled through my veins currently. I felt hatred—resentment—towards that woman. But I had also experienced compassion and loyalty when she had confessed of the planned assassination. Had she changed? Or what if Merlin was right?
What if this was another one of Selma's tricks?
Giving a glance to Merlin's lips for a short moment, my eyes rested on the object in his hand. I hadn't smelled it—I didn't want to try. But was that really poison? It could've been some foul liquid for all I know.
"Arthur," Merlin spoke again, separating me from my thoughts. My eyes trailed up to his lips again. It was tempting—the unknown force continuously dragging me in, begging me to just get a whiff of the essence.
"Is it true?" Merlin questioned softly. He took several steps forward, setting the bottle in his hands down on the table, analyzing me with concerned eyes.
Tell him it's true.
I know he doesn't reciprocate the same emotions.  
Give in. Do something you've wanted to commence for so long. Do it.
It was alluring. I internally sighed. I couldn't be that cruel to Merlin.
"No," I lied smoothly, gazing up to see soft orbs of azure. I had always looked in them with curiosity, wondering what Merlin was up to.
"You're lying," he quickly caught, striding closer. It was like a game with him. Wrong answer, and he would close me in so the void could call me once more. Or was Merlin unsure? What if he was calling a bluff? Either way, Merlin was clever to catch me in the crossfire.
"Why would I?" I replied, keeping my eyes trained on his. If my pupils weren't dilating before, they were now. My orbs could detect the splash of freckles that adorned his face. The look honestly suited him well.
"Because," he started, stepping closer, "you're afraid I won't feel the same way."
The answer was obvious to my brain, but once my ears picked up on it, my heart stopped. Merlin just speaking those words began to pick at my heart.
"But what if I was wrong?" I said, breathless. Merlin was inches away, staring at my face with a soft gaze. He was even more beautiful close up.
"What if..."
Merlin raised a brow to my pause, edging me to continue.
"What if it was possible that you had obtained certain emotions for me?"
I watched with dyspnea as Merlin's eyes fluttered to face the ground. I would assume he was playing coy with me, but when he gazed back up, tears formed puddles in his eyes. It was barely there, and he had tried to control it. If I wasn't so close I probably wouldn't have seen it. But I'm glad I did. My orbs could detect every emotion laying in his.
"Arthur," Merlin breathed. My hands were clamped with nervous sweat. Oh how I loved when he spoke my name. It encased me in blankets of undying heat and comfort.
"Merlin?" I questioned back with the same tone.
"You said people marry for love. Not for politics. Not for convenience. Not for protection. Not for-"
"Wealth and power," I concluded with a wispy smile.
"Not for wealth and power," he agreed, placing a hand delicately on my cheek. "For love."
I couldn't hold back the grin that washed over my face. "Oh, but Merlin, what would you know about that?" I joked.
He gave a small smirk, breathing along a light laugh. Pure bliss. "I lot more than you think, Arthur Pendragon."
It was just like the first time, but with happiness replaced with sadness. There was no death. No grief.
Just.
Plain.
Euphoria.
And it was the most beautiful thing I had ever felt.

A/N: Hello everybody! See? I told you they would make up! Infact, better than make up! (I'm excited too, boys) ANYWAY, if y'all have enjoyed this book so far, please leave a vote or comment! It would mean so much to me! Thanks! Bye!