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alcesverdes) wrote2009-07-11 12:52 am
alcesverdes) wrote2009-07-11 12:52 am
Entry tags:
[BBC Merlin] The Librarian's Hope
Title: The Librarian's Hope
Fandom: BBC Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth
Rating: G
Length: +600 words.
Summary: Camelot's librarian muses on what is going on around him.
Spoilers: Up to 105.
Author's Note: Written for the "Hey, it's that guy: Minor characters" prompt from the cliche_bingo challenge.
Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth had been the court's librarian and the keeper of the records of Camelot for a very long time. His life-long dream had always been to write the heroic deeds of a great king and, well, he was yet to fulfill it.
All things considered, Uther Pendragon was a good king, and he'd been even better in the past, before he began to hate magic, when he had queen Igraine at his side. But the queen had passed, and the Great Purge had happened, and all Uther had left was a deep-rooted rancor, a a pain that refused to dull down, and a brave, handsome son whom the king protected just like dragons used to do with the gold they slept on.
Not that sir Geoffrey would ever utter that analogy out loud to anyone, but that didn't make it less true.
The point was that even though Uther was a good king, he'd also ordered the beheading and burning of hundreds of people whose crimes --in an alarming number of cases-- were based on the suspicion alone of what they might be able to do. It wasn't the court's librarian's place to judge a king, but History's, and History didn't judge kindly such matters.
Thus, sir Geoffrey kept observing and recording and keeping his thoughts to himself. That had helped him to remain out of trouble and to retain the king's favor, who let him do without any interference what he liked and wanted to do: his job.
One day, prince Arthur attracted his attention. He already had it, of course, being the heir to the throne and all, but this was different.
Arthur Pendragon had risked his life to save his servant. That was the sort of noble acts you only heard about in legends, even if said servant had knowingly drank from a poisoned goblet so his master didn't have to.
Then, a certain Lancelot had forged a nobility seal not too long after Merlin, the aforementioned servant had put his hands on a genealogy book. Sir Geoffrey hadn't mentioned that when Uther asked, since the direct question had been only if it was a true seal or not, but it'd been too much of a coincidence. Besides, Lancelot had ended up saving the kingdom from that beast, so at the end it'd been a good thing.
Sir Geoffrey started watching the pair as much as he could, seeing how they got closer and closer. Arthur's character seemed to be positively influenced by Merlin, and Merlin...
The boy had a secret. A secret he and Gaius did they best to hide but it sometimes they weren't as careful and anyone observant enough could notice a few odd things here and there.
Sir Geoffrey was observant enough, as it happened.
But he hadn't recorded any of that yet. The comings and goings of a servant weren't important after all, even if it was the crowned prince's servant. Although there was still enough time to see what it'd become of him. Of both them.
Perhaps, if he lived long enough, Sir Geoffrey would get to see the great king he longed for, and he'd record those heroic deeds before he died to preserve the memory of that king and his court for the centuries to come.
Sir Geoffrey would keep his musings to himself, as always. He'd hate to be disappointed but you didn't get from life everything you wanted, after all. On the other hand, if he was right...
He wondered if he wasn't placing too much hope in those boys but, what was youth for, if not for sustaining the elderly's hope?
Fandom: BBC Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth
Rating: G
Length: +600 words.
Summary: Camelot's librarian muses on what is going on around him.
Spoilers: Up to 105.
Author's Note: Written for the "Hey, it's that guy: Minor characters" prompt from the cliche_bingo challenge.
Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth had been the court's librarian and the keeper of the records of Camelot for a very long time. His life-long dream had always been to write the heroic deeds of a great king and, well, he was yet to fulfill it.
All things considered, Uther Pendragon was a good king, and he'd been even better in the past, before he began to hate magic, when he had queen Igraine at his side. But the queen had passed, and the Great Purge had happened, and all Uther had left was a deep-rooted rancor, a a pain that refused to dull down, and a brave, handsome son whom the king protected just like dragons used to do with the gold they slept on.
Not that sir Geoffrey would ever utter that analogy out loud to anyone, but that didn't make it less true.
The point was that even though Uther was a good king, he'd also ordered the beheading and burning of hundreds of people whose crimes --in an alarming number of cases-- were based on the suspicion alone of what they might be able to do. It wasn't the court's librarian's place to judge a king, but History's, and History didn't judge kindly such matters.
Thus, sir Geoffrey kept observing and recording and keeping his thoughts to himself. That had helped him to remain out of trouble and to retain the king's favor, who let him do without any interference what he liked and wanted to do: his job.
One day, prince Arthur attracted his attention. He already had it, of course, being the heir to the throne and all, but this was different.
Arthur Pendragon had risked his life to save his servant. That was the sort of noble acts you only heard about in legends, even if said servant had knowingly drank from a poisoned goblet so his master didn't have to.
Then, a certain Lancelot had forged a nobility seal not too long after Merlin, the aforementioned servant had put his hands on a genealogy book. Sir Geoffrey hadn't mentioned that when Uther asked, since the direct question had been only if it was a true seal or not, but it'd been too much of a coincidence. Besides, Lancelot had ended up saving the kingdom from that beast, so at the end it'd been a good thing.
Sir Geoffrey started watching the pair as much as he could, seeing how they got closer and closer. Arthur's character seemed to be positively influenced by Merlin, and Merlin...
The boy had a secret. A secret he and Gaius did they best to hide but it sometimes they weren't as careful and anyone observant enough could notice a few odd things here and there.
Sir Geoffrey was observant enough, as it happened.
But he hadn't recorded any of that yet. The comings and goings of a servant weren't important after all, even if it was the crowned prince's servant. Although there was still enough time to see what it'd become of him. Of both them.
Perhaps, if he lived long enough, Sir Geoffrey would get to see the great king he longed for, and he'd record those heroic deeds before he died to preserve the memory of that king and his court for the centuries to come.
Sir Geoffrey would keep his musings to himself, as always. He'd hate to be disappointed but you didn't get from life everything you wanted, after all. On the other hand, if he was right...
He wondered if he wasn't placing too much hope in those boys but, what was youth for, if not for sustaining the elderly's hope?