After an officer finds an unconscious boy dressed in medieval clothing and discovers he has no memories of where he came from, she decides to take him under her wing. She realizes quickly, however, that medieval clothing is not the only thing that m...
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Alex sat on the back on Llameir, gazing gloomily at the fog that was thickening around his steed's legs. He couldn't even see the ground anymore and the trees were hazy and blurred so he gave up his game of counting them. His shoulder felt stiff and sore, as did his backside from nonstop riding for nearly a whole day. He'd only slept a few hours before he'd set out again. In that span of time, Alex had one of his weird memory flashes. But it wasn't a flash this time...it felt like an actual memory.
He remembered sitting on the ground beside his desk in his chambers, head on his arms, feeling like his heart weighed a thousand pounds. He heard a rapping at his door but he didn't respond. His body felt like a statue, unable to move or react to anything. A few moments of silence proceeded before he heard his door lock unlatch. Alex's lip turned down in irritation.
Merlin.
"Arthur...," said a tentative voice.
Alex said nothing but he sensed Merlin take a few steps closer to him. "Look, I understand I'm the last person you want to see right now. But...I wanted to give you something. Even if you want me gone, I couldn't leave without knowing you'd be safe. So I think this may do the job."
Alex finally turned around to see Merlin holding out a sword to him.
The sword was the most magnificent thing he had ever seen. The rarest of gems decorated the sheath alone. He immediately wanted to ask where Merlin had acquired it, but he reminded himself that this was a gift coming from someone who had been lying to him for months.
Merlin seemed to sense his reluctance, because he simply set the sword gently against his desk. He started to reach out a hand toward him but caught himself and lowered it. He quickly turned to leave, whispering "I'm sorry," as he went.
Alex didn't know what came over him, but he suddenly found himself desperately latching onto Merlin's wrist. "Wait."
Merlin halted.
"Why...why didn't you tell me?" he tried to conceal the hurt in his voice.
Merlin seemed to detect it immediately. He walked over and sat next to him. "I was scared that I'd be executed. Your father...well," he glanced sideways at Alex hesitantly. "he had a reputation for that. But mostly..." he took a deep breath, "I was afraid I'd lose you. I know how you feel about sorcerers."
Alex finally returned his gaze. "How my father felt about sorcerers," he corrected. "I'm not him. I loved him, but he had his faults and a warped view of the world. I only truly realized this after you revealed your...talents to me."
"Really?" Merlin raised his eyebrows at first but then they turned down in sadness again. "I wanted to tell you from day one," he said softly. "I won't lie to you again."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, it's your actions that count," Alex replied quietly. "But I do believe that you wanted to tell me." He sighed. "Honestly, Merlin...you are one of the most brave, caring, and thoughtful people I know—nothing like the sorcerers my father described." He wanted to be angry with Merlin, but he understood where he was coming from. Before he could comprehend what he was doing, he leaned forward and pulled Merlin into a hug.
