The Cookie Fairy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alcesverdes) wrote2009-08-23 01:47 am
alcesverdes) wrote2009-08-23 01:47 am
Entry tags:
[BBC Merlin] A Promise Fulfilled
Title: A Promise Fulfilled
Fandom: BBC Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur, Merlin.
Rating: PG-13
Length: +3100 words.
Summary: Arthur and Merlin find their way into a cursed mountain where they have to decide if they will help a bound fairy to be free again.
Spoilers: None.
Author's Note: Written for the "What do you mean, we're related?" prompt from the cliche_bingo challenge.
They hadn't got lost, of course not. It wasn't like it had been Merlin the one reading the map and guiding them, after all. It was just that the landscape had changed since the map had been drawn. Yes, that had to be it.
"We're lost, Arthur," Merlin announced.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "We are not."
"Yes, we are. Do you see that mountain shaped like a snake?" Merlin said pointing at his right, where was one of the creepiest mountains Arthur had ever seen --it even had what looked like an open mouth full with teeth and eyes that reflected the sunlight and seemed alive. "It isn't even on the map!"
"How do you know what is and what isn't on the map, Merlin?"
"Because I looked at it last night."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And if you have such a great memory, why didn't you tell me which road to follow before we took all the wrong turns?"
"I did. You didn't listen."
"So now it's all my fault, isn't it?"
Merlin took a breath. "Well, yes. As a matter of fact, it is your fault." A pause. "Sire."
Arthur glared at his manservant for a few moments before he decided he would be merciful and just leave it at that, retrace their steps and never speak of the incident again. He rolled up the map. "Let's go," he said, pulling his horse's reins.
Wisely, Merlin said nothing as he followed.
They rode for about half an hour. Arthur was careful enough to keep his eyes on their tracks. He knew beyond all doubt they were on the right path when Merlin said, "Arthur?"
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked, eyes still on the ground.
"Look."
Arthur raised his head and followed the line indicated by Merlin's index finger.
On the other side, there was the snake-shaped mountain, again at their right.
"What?" Arthur asked. That was impossible. That should've been impossible. There was no way he would make the same mistake twice.
"I've got a theory, but you're not going to like it," Merlin said.
Arthur already knew what that theory was, and no, he did not like it. "Magic. We need to go away from here, quickly." He spurred his horse to the left.
After what seemed quite a long time, Merlin said, "Arthur, look."
But Arthur didn't want to look. "It's still there, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Arthur cursed under his breath. They were now under an enchantment and all because he'd been so busy thinking about the next saddle he'd by for his horse he hadn't paid much attention to the famous map. Yes, it had been his fault all along, and if something happened to Merlin as a result of this, he'd never forgive himself.
"Maybe we should go to the mountain," Merlin said suddenly.
Perhaps Merlin did deserve something happening to him, of only to make him gain some common sense.
"Are you crazy?" Arthur asked.
"I've been thiking: if we cannot go away, maybe we should get closer."
Arthur stared at Merlin. "Get closer to the source of the spell. Right. As soon as a winged bear appears."
Well, it didn't have wings, but it was huge and it had a beak, so it did the trick.
The giant bear with the beak gave them chase all the way to the mountain. From the beginning, Arthur had wanted to face it. He thought of drawing his sword and dismounting to allow his horse to escape but he couldn't move his legs. His boots were glued to the stirrups and his horse was too scared. Frustrated, knowing that he if he kept trying he would only fall from his horse and most likely kill himself, he focused on moving forward, even though 'forward' in this case was the last place he wanted to go.
It wasn't until they reached a cave on the side of the mountain that the creature pretty much vanished.
Merlin practically fell down from his horse. Arthur noticed he could now move his legs and dismounted as well. As soon as he did, he hit the nearest wall with his fist, furious at how everything had got out of control, how they had been forced so humiliatingly into that trap. The wall was made of rock and he hit it with all his might, which made his fist hurt, but it actually felt good.
Besides, the horses were frightened and exhausted, and Merlin was probably as well. As a matter of fact, Merlin was still on the ground regaining his breath.
Arthur sighed deeply and pressed the bridge of his nose. He had to come to his senses. He was Merlin's prince and master. Merlin was his responsibility and he was not going to let him die --or worse-- there. Arthur straightened up and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
If there was no other way out of there than to face magic, then he would do it. If there was a curse to be broken, he would break it. For Merlin's sake.
He looked around. The cave wasn't too wide --barely enough for the two horses to be comfortable-- but there was an opening that led to a passage that went deep, and it was too dark down there. Luckily, he'd brought a few torches.
"Arthur," Merlin called.
"Did you find anything?" Arthur said, approaching.
"I'd say this is the skin of a snake," Merlin said as he stood up, holding the aforementioned skin.
Arthur inhaled sharply when he looked at it. It was brown and dark green, twice the length of his arm and it was as wide as twice Merlin's head. Nevertheless, the worse part was that it was obviously just the fragment of a whole snake.
"There's one piece bigger over there," Merlin said, pointing at a rock nearby.
Great. Now he'd have to fight a giant snake, Arthur thought.
"Snakes this big aren't necessarily creatures of magic," Merlin said. "Gaius told me there are places where you can find one that could eat an entire deer with no problem, and it is absolutely a creature of nature."
Arthur mused that information for a second. "Perhaps. But there is magic in this place and the mountain is shaped like one of those. It can't be just a coincidence, Merlin. We need to extreme precautions." He went to light up a torch with some flint and gave two unlit torches to Merlin. "Stay behind me at all times, understood?"
"Understood," Merlin replied.
They went through the passage. It never forked and they never saw the snake, only more patches of its skin, either as big or bigger than the first ones. The more they found, the more disturbed Arthur got.
He had to come up with a plan to attack --and defeat-- the snake, he had to consider it wasn't the source of the mountain's magic --even if it was shaped like one--, he had to make sure Merlin didn't kill himself, and he had to do it all at the same time.
But he could do this.
Once they were back in Camelot, safe and in one piece, he could make Merlin polish all the knights' swords in one night.
Suddenly, as they entered a chamber, a cave bigger than the one they first encountered, they heard a hissing noise. Arthur grabbed Merlin's collar and pulled him behind a rock. He put his finger to his lips to request silence and Merlin nodded.
Then, they waited.
It wasn't for long.
The snake appeared crawling in zigzag, its tongue prodding between the rocks. It was looking for prey.
Well, it would find it. And the prey would fight back.
Yet, as Arthur was about to draw his sword, the snake turned towards them and they saw its head. It had but one eye. One big yellow eye that occupied all that would be its forehead.
Repulsive.
It raised a bit, enough to be as all as two men, and opened its jaw. The fangs were big and they were oozing what was undoubtedly venom.
Merlin put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You can't take it, Arthur, not alone."
Arthur suppressed his urge to scoff. "You can't help me, Merlin."
"Of course I can!" Merlin said. "There has to be something even I can do, I mean," he added when Arthur stared at him.
Arthur offered the torch to Merlin. "You can wait here and let those with training in combat take care of things."
Merlin pouted. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, and then he said, as he took the torch, "Very well, sire."
"Good." Arthur now put his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I'll take you out of here alive and well, I promise."
Merlin sighed. "Thank you," he said.
"Thank me once we're out of this mountain," Arthur said as he drew his sword.
Arthur waited until the snake was looking to the other side before charging against it. His intention was to bury the blade up to the hilt in the creature's body, but its scales were far too strong; he didn't even make a crack on them.
The impact echoed in his arms. He felt them pushing his whole body backwards and he stumbled but he didn't fall.
He would not fall.
However, even if it didn't damage the snake, it felt the attack and turned around fast, really fast. But it didn't attack outright, it remained still, the enormous head hovering over Arthur, as if it were deciding whether he would be a proper meal or not.
Arthur took the opportunity to study his adversary.
The whole body of the snake was covered with the scales, as expected, and the only vulnerable spot seemed to be the mouth. The mouth, where those fangs and that venom were located.
Arthur thought one of those heroes of the legends he used to read as a child, when faced with these circumstances, would only smile and think how fun this would be. Well, he wasn't a hero of legend, just a prince with the mission of saving a friend, and this wasn't fun at all. It was frightening, but it was a task he had to fulfill regardless of how hard it would be.
The snake raised itself a little bit higher, its eye bright and ominous.
Arthur breathed deeply and braced himself.
Whatever that was going to happen would happen right now.
Rocks happened.
Stalactites began to fall down from the cave's roof right on the snake's head. A couple nearly fell on Arthur's head, but most of them concentrated on the snake. It was odd, but useful.
He didn't stop to think about it either way since the viciousness of the falling rocks made the snake lower its head enough and it distracted it enough for Arthur to strike its palate without the creature thinking about striking him with its fangs.
It worked.
Arthur ended up covered in snake's saliva and snake's blood --and his own blood, given that his own forehead had been hit with one small but sharp stone-- but his plan had worked.
The snake writhed for a few moments before hitting the ground with a loud noise.
Part of Arthur wanted to just feel smugly for his victory, but the other one noticed: it had been the second time his live had been saved in a cave by unusual circumstances. He was certain it had been magic the first time around, when he was looking for that flower, and this time the falling of the rocks and their pattern had been too much of a coincidence.
"Arthur!" Merlin called as he approached. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." Arthur said. "Yes, I'm all right."
"That was such an incredible fight."
Arthur allowed himself to smile as he pulled his sword out of the snake's mouth. "Of course it was." He took the torch from Merlin. "Now let's see if there's another exit from the cave on the other side."
There was another exit, but it led to another passage which eventually, when they were on the second torch, led them to a third cave. This one was too different from the other two, it almost looked like a chamber in a rich palace: it was decorated with soft cushions and silk in soft colors, and there was a fountain in the middle. Behind the fountain there was a table with all kinds of fruit.
Both Arthur and Merlin's stomachs groaned.
"Don't touch anything," Arthur warned.
"I wasn't going to," Merlin said.
"Good."
Arthur gave Merlin the torch again and he entered the chamber with his sword high and ready. After a first inspection, he didn't find anything threatening, which of course didn't mean they should lower their guards.
There was a rustling of chains behind them.
They both turned towards it and they saw a most beautiful woman in a white dress. She was the one clad in chains --they were around her wrists, her legs, her neck-- and she was looking at them tenderly.
"I welcome you, noble knight of my lineage, and your trustworthy advisor."
Arthur frowned. "Who are you?"
"My name is Palatyne," she continued. "I've been waiting for the one who will save me, the one who would receive the treasures that are under my custody."
"I do not wish for any treasure," Arthur said.
"That's is why you shall receive them. And because they are your right, young knight."
"My right?" Arthur repeated.
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked.
"I was punished by my mother," Palatyne said, "because I imprisoned my father, Elynas, king of Albion to make him pay for his treason against us. When mother married him, she had him promise that he wouldn't see her give birth to the children they may had. He broke that promise and we had to leave his lands and renounce the lives that were our right."
Arthur was puzzled. He was sure he'd heard the name Elynas before.
"If I recall correctly," Merlin whispered, "he has to be one of your ancestors, back when Albion was one land under one king."
Arthur looked at his servant.
"Gaius made me learn your whole genealogy after a... a certain incident in his laboratory," Merlin offered, all smiles.
Arthur rolled his eyes. Then again, Palatyne had referred to Merlin as his advisor. Maybe she knew his would happen; they were dealing with magic after all. He decided to take advantage of Gaius's punishment --whatever knowledge Merlin could offer him would surely be most trustworthy than the one he got from that woman. "What happened to that ancestor of mine, Merlin?" he asked. "Was he really imprisoned?"
Merlin frowned and chewed his lips as he tried to remember. "He... ah... disappeared from all records all of the sudden."
"I see."
"It was also said his second wife was a fairy named Pressyne," Merlin added.
"Yes, that is the name of my mother, and yes, she is indeed a fairy," Palatyne said.
Arthur froze. "What? You didn't mean that I-- What?" What he was so unsuccessfully trying to say was that he absolutely did not have fairy blood running through his veins.
Merlin seemed to have also realized the implications of what had been said and was now looking at his master with mouth and eyes wide open.
Palatyne laughed softly. "Yes," she said. "We are related, but you descend from the sons my father had with his first wife. You're entirely human, young knight."
After hearing that, Arthur felt he could breath again. And think again.
"You brought us here to set you free, then?" Arthur said.
Palatyne shook her head. "I didn't bring you here. I don't bring anyone here. Mother was merciful enough to make it part of the curse that the mountain would attract those of my blood brave and strong enough to set me free."
"Well, I see you were not freed when I killed the snake," Arthur said.
"No. That only let you come here. There is a second guardian."
"The bear with the..." Merlin said, gesturing in front of his face.
"Yes," Palatyne said.
"Let me guess, I'll have to defeat it to get me and Merlin out of here, right?"
Palatyne lowered her eyes. "Yes," she whispered.
"Fine," Arthur said. "Let's go, Merlin." He didn't want to drag Merlin to another battlefield, but he wanted even less to leave him there with a fairy, chained or not.
Arthur had indeed the intention of defeating the bear and set the fairy free, not because he thought it was for the best --fairies were creatures of magic-- even if they shared a common ancestor, but because of the unvoiced promise he'd made to Merlin.
Epilogue
"You turned down a big treasure," Merlin said as they were riding to Camelot.
The sun was rising right behind them, like if it wanted to protect him after all the hardships they had gone through. Well, Arthur had, anyway: Merlin had remained hidden behind some trees during the duration of the second battle.
The bear with the beak hadn't been an easy foe either, and its weak spot had been under his tail --nasty business--, but there had been a gust that had brought dirt into its eyes and let Arthur finish it off.
That made a third time, but now Arthur knew that he had the soft side of Pressyne's heart to thank for the last two. In a rhetorical sense. Because they wouldn't have got into that mess if it hadn't been because of her in the first place.
"It was under a curse," Arthur said.
"You broke it."
"It had been cursed for a long time. That doesn't fade away, Merlin. Ever."
"How do you know?"
"I do."
"It's good you can go back for it if you change your mind," Merlin muttered.
"I heard that, Merlin."
"You should be happy you saved your aunt, you know?"
"She's not my aunt."
Merlin shrugged. "I'm sure the correct term would be quite longer and include a lot of 'greats', but--"
"Merlin, please, remind me: why didn't I leave you chained in that cave, again?"
A pause. "Because the chains disappeared?"
"Exactly. But I can ask the royal smith to make more and I know where that cave is. Now, shut up, my head hurts."
Another pause. "Yes, sire."
After that, there was only silence. Blissful silence all the way back to Camelot.
End note: I absolutely have to re-write this from Merlin's POV. B-but later. :D
Fandom: BBC Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur, Merlin.
Rating: PG-13
Length: +3100 words.
Summary: Arthur and Merlin find their way into a cursed mountain where they have to decide if they will help a bound fairy to be free again.
Spoilers: None.
Author's Note: Written for the "What do you mean, we're related?" prompt from the cliche_bingo challenge.
They hadn't got lost, of course not. It wasn't like it had been Merlin the one reading the map and guiding them, after all. It was just that the landscape had changed since the map had been drawn. Yes, that had to be it.
"We're lost, Arthur," Merlin announced.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "We are not."
"Yes, we are. Do you see that mountain shaped like a snake?" Merlin said pointing at his right, where was one of the creepiest mountains Arthur had ever seen --it even had what looked like an open mouth full with teeth and eyes that reflected the sunlight and seemed alive. "It isn't even on the map!"
"How do you know what is and what isn't on the map, Merlin?"
"Because I looked at it last night."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And if you have such a great memory, why didn't you tell me which road to follow before we took all the wrong turns?"
"I did. You didn't listen."
"So now it's all my fault, isn't it?"
Merlin took a breath. "Well, yes. As a matter of fact, it is your fault." A pause. "Sire."
Arthur glared at his manservant for a few moments before he decided he would be merciful and just leave it at that, retrace their steps and never speak of the incident again. He rolled up the map. "Let's go," he said, pulling his horse's reins.
Wisely, Merlin said nothing as he followed.
They rode for about half an hour. Arthur was careful enough to keep his eyes on their tracks. He knew beyond all doubt they were on the right path when Merlin said, "Arthur?"
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked, eyes still on the ground.
"Look."
Arthur raised his head and followed the line indicated by Merlin's index finger.
On the other side, there was the snake-shaped mountain, again at their right.
"What?" Arthur asked. That was impossible. That should've been impossible. There was no way he would make the same mistake twice.
"I've got a theory, but you're not going to like it," Merlin said.
Arthur already knew what that theory was, and no, he did not like it. "Magic. We need to go away from here, quickly." He spurred his horse to the left.
After what seemed quite a long time, Merlin said, "Arthur, look."
But Arthur didn't want to look. "It's still there, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Arthur cursed under his breath. They were now under an enchantment and all because he'd been so busy thinking about the next saddle he'd by for his horse he hadn't paid much attention to the famous map. Yes, it had been his fault all along, and if something happened to Merlin as a result of this, he'd never forgive himself.
"Maybe we should go to the mountain," Merlin said suddenly.
Perhaps Merlin did deserve something happening to him, of only to make him gain some common sense.
"Are you crazy?" Arthur asked.
"I've been thiking: if we cannot go away, maybe we should get closer."
Arthur stared at Merlin. "Get closer to the source of the spell. Right. As soon as a winged bear appears."
Well, it didn't have wings, but it was huge and it had a beak, so it did the trick.
The giant bear with the beak gave them chase all the way to the mountain. From the beginning, Arthur had wanted to face it. He thought of drawing his sword and dismounting to allow his horse to escape but he couldn't move his legs. His boots were glued to the stirrups and his horse was too scared. Frustrated, knowing that he if he kept trying he would only fall from his horse and most likely kill himself, he focused on moving forward, even though 'forward' in this case was the last place he wanted to go.
It wasn't until they reached a cave on the side of the mountain that the creature pretty much vanished.
Merlin practically fell down from his horse. Arthur noticed he could now move his legs and dismounted as well. As soon as he did, he hit the nearest wall with his fist, furious at how everything had got out of control, how they had been forced so humiliatingly into that trap. The wall was made of rock and he hit it with all his might, which made his fist hurt, but it actually felt good.
Besides, the horses were frightened and exhausted, and Merlin was probably as well. As a matter of fact, Merlin was still on the ground regaining his breath.
Arthur sighed deeply and pressed the bridge of his nose. He had to come to his senses. He was Merlin's prince and master. Merlin was his responsibility and he was not going to let him die --or worse-- there. Arthur straightened up and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
If there was no other way out of there than to face magic, then he would do it. If there was a curse to be broken, he would break it. For Merlin's sake.
He looked around. The cave wasn't too wide --barely enough for the two horses to be comfortable-- but there was an opening that led to a passage that went deep, and it was too dark down there. Luckily, he'd brought a few torches.
"Arthur," Merlin called.
"Did you find anything?" Arthur said, approaching.
"I'd say this is the skin of a snake," Merlin said as he stood up, holding the aforementioned skin.
Arthur inhaled sharply when he looked at it. It was brown and dark green, twice the length of his arm and it was as wide as twice Merlin's head. Nevertheless, the worse part was that it was obviously just the fragment of a whole snake.
"There's one piece bigger over there," Merlin said, pointing at a rock nearby.
Great. Now he'd have to fight a giant snake, Arthur thought.
"Snakes this big aren't necessarily creatures of magic," Merlin said. "Gaius told me there are places where you can find one that could eat an entire deer with no problem, and it is absolutely a creature of nature."
Arthur mused that information for a second. "Perhaps. But there is magic in this place and the mountain is shaped like one of those. It can't be just a coincidence, Merlin. We need to extreme precautions." He went to light up a torch with some flint and gave two unlit torches to Merlin. "Stay behind me at all times, understood?"
"Understood," Merlin replied.
They went through the passage. It never forked and they never saw the snake, only more patches of its skin, either as big or bigger than the first ones. The more they found, the more disturbed Arthur got.
He had to come up with a plan to attack --and defeat-- the snake, he had to consider it wasn't the source of the mountain's magic --even if it was shaped like one--, he had to make sure Merlin didn't kill himself, and he had to do it all at the same time.
But he could do this.
Once they were back in Camelot, safe and in one piece, he could make Merlin polish all the knights' swords in one night.
Suddenly, as they entered a chamber, a cave bigger than the one they first encountered, they heard a hissing noise. Arthur grabbed Merlin's collar and pulled him behind a rock. He put his finger to his lips to request silence and Merlin nodded.
Then, they waited.
It wasn't for long.
The snake appeared crawling in zigzag, its tongue prodding between the rocks. It was looking for prey.
Well, it would find it. And the prey would fight back.
Yet, as Arthur was about to draw his sword, the snake turned towards them and they saw its head. It had but one eye. One big yellow eye that occupied all that would be its forehead.
Repulsive.
It raised a bit, enough to be as all as two men, and opened its jaw. The fangs were big and they were oozing what was undoubtedly venom.
Merlin put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You can't take it, Arthur, not alone."
Arthur suppressed his urge to scoff. "You can't help me, Merlin."
"Of course I can!" Merlin said. "There has to be something even I can do, I mean," he added when Arthur stared at him.
Arthur offered the torch to Merlin. "You can wait here and let those with training in combat take care of things."
Merlin pouted. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, and then he said, as he took the torch, "Very well, sire."
"Good." Arthur now put his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I'll take you out of here alive and well, I promise."
Merlin sighed. "Thank you," he said.
"Thank me once we're out of this mountain," Arthur said as he drew his sword.
Arthur waited until the snake was looking to the other side before charging against it. His intention was to bury the blade up to the hilt in the creature's body, but its scales were far too strong; he didn't even make a crack on them.
The impact echoed in his arms. He felt them pushing his whole body backwards and he stumbled but he didn't fall.
He would not fall.
However, even if it didn't damage the snake, it felt the attack and turned around fast, really fast. But it didn't attack outright, it remained still, the enormous head hovering over Arthur, as if it were deciding whether he would be a proper meal or not.
Arthur took the opportunity to study his adversary.
The whole body of the snake was covered with the scales, as expected, and the only vulnerable spot seemed to be the mouth. The mouth, where those fangs and that venom were located.
Arthur thought one of those heroes of the legends he used to read as a child, when faced with these circumstances, would only smile and think how fun this would be. Well, he wasn't a hero of legend, just a prince with the mission of saving a friend, and this wasn't fun at all. It was frightening, but it was a task he had to fulfill regardless of how hard it would be.
The snake raised itself a little bit higher, its eye bright and ominous.
Arthur breathed deeply and braced himself.
Whatever that was going to happen would happen right now.
Rocks happened.
Stalactites began to fall down from the cave's roof right on the snake's head. A couple nearly fell on Arthur's head, but most of them concentrated on the snake. It was odd, but useful.
He didn't stop to think about it either way since the viciousness of the falling rocks made the snake lower its head enough and it distracted it enough for Arthur to strike its palate without the creature thinking about striking him with its fangs.
It worked.
Arthur ended up covered in snake's saliva and snake's blood --and his own blood, given that his own forehead had been hit with one small but sharp stone-- but his plan had worked.
The snake writhed for a few moments before hitting the ground with a loud noise.
Part of Arthur wanted to just feel smugly for his victory, but the other one noticed: it had been the second time his live had been saved in a cave by unusual circumstances. He was certain it had been magic the first time around, when he was looking for that flower, and this time the falling of the rocks and their pattern had been too much of a coincidence.
"Arthur!" Merlin called as he approached. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." Arthur said. "Yes, I'm all right."
"That was such an incredible fight."
Arthur allowed himself to smile as he pulled his sword out of the snake's mouth. "Of course it was." He took the torch from Merlin. "Now let's see if there's another exit from the cave on the other side."
There was another exit, but it led to another passage which eventually, when they were on the second torch, led them to a third cave. This one was too different from the other two, it almost looked like a chamber in a rich palace: it was decorated with soft cushions and silk in soft colors, and there was a fountain in the middle. Behind the fountain there was a table with all kinds of fruit.
Both Arthur and Merlin's stomachs groaned.
"Don't touch anything," Arthur warned.
"I wasn't going to," Merlin said.
"Good."
Arthur gave Merlin the torch again and he entered the chamber with his sword high and ready. After a first inspection, he didn't find anything threatening, which of course didn't mean they should lower their guards.
There was a rustling of chains behind them.
They both turned towards it and they saw a most beautiful woman in a white dress. She was the one clad in chains --they were around her wrists, her legs, her neck-- and she was looking at them tenderly.
"I welcome you, noble knight of my lineage, and your trustworthy advisor."
Arthur frowned. "Who are you?"
"My name is Palatyne," she continued. "I've been waiting for the one who will save me, the one who would receive the treasures that are under my custody."
"I do not wish for any treasure," Arthur said.
"That's is why you shall receive them. And because they are your right, young knight."
"My right?" Arthur repeated.
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked.
"I was punished by my mother," Palatyne said, "because I imprisoned my father, Elynas, king of Albion to make him pay for his treason against us. When mother married him, she had him promise that he wouldn't see her give birth to the children they may had. He broke that promise and we had to leave his lands and renounce the lives that were our right."
Arthur was puzzled. He was sure he'd heard the name Elynas before.
"If I recall correctly," Merlin whispered, "he has to be one of your ancestors, back when Albion was one land under one king."
Arthur looked at his servant.
"Gaius made me learn your whole genealogy after a... a certain incident in his laboratory," Merlin offered, all smiles.
Arthur rolled his eyes. Then again, Palatyne had referred to Merlin as his advisor. Maybe she knew his would happen; they were dealing with magic after all. He decided to take advantage of Gaius's punishment --whatever knowledge Merlin could offer him would surely be most trustworthy than the one he got from that woman. "What happened to that ancestor of mine, Merlin?" he asked. "Was he really imprisoned?"
Merlin frowned and chewed his lips as he tried to remember. "He... ah... disappeared from all records all of the sudden."
"I see."
"It was also said his second wife was a fairy named Pressyne," Merlin added.
"Yes, that is the name of my mother, and yes, she is indeed a fairy," Palatyne said.
Arthur froze. "What? You didn't mean that I-- What?" What he was so unsuccessfully trying to say was that he absolutely did not have fairy blood running through his veins.
Merlin seemed to have also realized the implications of what had been said and was now looking at his master with mouth and eyes wide open.
Palatyne laughed softly. "Yes," she said. "We are related, but you descend from the sons my father had with his first wife. You're entirely human, young knight."
After hearing that, Arthur felt he could breath again. And think again.
"You brought us here to set you free, then?" Arthur said.
Palatyne shook her head. "I didn't bring you here. I don't bring anyone here. Mother was merciful enough to make it part of the curse that the mountain would attract those of my blood brave and strong enough to set me free."
"Well, I see you were not freed when I killed the snake," Arthur said.
"No. That only let you come here. There is a second guardian."
"The bear with the..." Merlin said, gesturing in front of his face.
"Yes," Palatyne said.
"Let me guess, I'll have to defeat it to get me and Merlin out of here, right?"
Palatyne lowered her eyes. "Yes," she whispered.
"Fine," Arthur said. "Let's go, Merlin." He didn't want to drag Merlin to another battlefield, but he wanted even less to leave him there with a fairy, chained or not.
Arthur had indeed the intention of defeating the bear and set the fairy free, not because he thought it was for the best --fairies were creatures of magic-- even if they shared a common ancestor, but because of the unvoiced promise he'd made to Merlin.
Epilogue
"You turned down a big treasure," Merlin said as they were riding to Camelot.
The sun was rising right behind them, like if it wanted to protect him after all the hardships they had gone through. Well, Arthur had, anyway: Merlin had remained hidden behind some trees during the duration of the second battle.
The bear with the beak hadn't been an easy foe either, and its weak spot had been under his tail --nasty business--, but there had been a gust that had brought dirt into its eyes and let Arthur finish it off.
That made a third time, but now Arthur knew that he had the soft side of Pressyne's heart to thank for the last two. In a rhetorical sense. Because they wouldn't have got into that mess if it hadn't been because of her in the first place.
"It was under a curse," Arthur said.
"You broke it."
"It had been cursed for a long time. That doesn't fade away, Merlin. Ever."
"How do you know?"
"I do."
"It's good you can go back for it if you change your mind," Merlin muttered.
"I heard that, Merlin."
"You should be happy you saved your aunt, you know?"
"She's not my aunt."
Merlin shrugged. "I'm sure the correct term would be quite longer and include a lot of 'greats', but--"
"Merlin, please, remind me: why didn't I leave you chained in that cave, again?"
A pause. "Because the chains disappeared?"
"Exactly. But I can ask the royal smith to make more and I know where that cave is. Now, shut up, my head hurts."
Another pause. "Yes, sire."
After that, there was only silence. Blissful silence all the way back to Camelot.
End note: I absolutely have to re-write this from Merlin's POV. B-but later. :D
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Me gusta tu Arthur, terco y no queriendo admitir que hizo algo mal, hasta que ya no puede negarlo y se siente responsable por ello. Es igual que en la serie: quieres zappearlo al comienzo pero luego quieres abrazarlo.
Once they were back in Camelot, safe and in one piece, he could make Merlin polish all the knights' swords in one night. --> Ok, tal vez no XDD
ZOMG, aventura épica!!11! Con Arthur peleando manlymente y Merlin salvándole el trasero. Dos veces. Y Arthur no se da cuenta. Yay.
Rocks happened. --> Pensé que sería "rocks fall, everyone dies" XDDD
Interesante cómo metiste la historia de Palatyne, e incluso la liberaron =D La idea de que Arthur tenga sangre de hada me hace lolear por alguna razón *es silly*
"Merlin, please, remind me: why didn't I leave you chained in that cave, again?"
A pause. "Because the chains disappeared?"
^ Te amo por eso. Bah, te amo por todo el fic ♥
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ZOMG, aventura épica!!11! Con Arthur peleando manlymente y Merlin salvándole el trasero. Dos veces. Y Arthur no se da cuenta. Yay.
La vida de Merlin, let me show you it.
Pensé que sería "rocks fall, everyone dies"
Esa es la imagen que quería invocar en el lector. 8D *se siente realizada*
¿Y mi gasheta?
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Y olvidé mencionar que: A couple nearly fell on Arthur's head --> Merlin totalmente lo hizo a propósito, verdad? XDD
P-pero... tú eres la que da galleta! D= ¿Tengo leche chocolatada?
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La verdad, no sé :'DDDb
*se la toma* \o\
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AMO TODO. I A TI. ILU.
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QUÉ DECIR QUE NO HAYA DICHO YA? Te quedó muy bien, me gusta mucho ese estilo que tienes de poner escenitas con suspenso :D Y el epílogo quedó muy bien XD
Por cierto, en esta parte: "I didn't bring you here. I don't bring anyone here."When Pressyne married Elynas, she had him promise that he wouldn't see her give birth to the children they may had. He broke that promise and we had to leave his lands and renounce the lives that were our right." Mother was merciful enough to make it part of the curse that the mountain would attract those of my blood brave and strong enough to set me free."
Lo que está en itálicas creo que no va?
Anyway, excelente trabajo!!! :DDD Me haces recordar porqué adopté a Arthur XDDD <3
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Sí, fue error de copipasta. Ya lo quité. @@
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♥
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