#plus merlin would have that moment as hes putting little!arthur in the center of the spell circle to send him back

[justaz]

somehow some time magic goes wrong and young arthurs from different points in time are pulled into king arthur era. everyone kinda has this back and forth of who is going to watch the literal 8 month old. gwen and lancelot are pretty good at taking care of him, so is percival but he doesnt seem comfortable with it so no one forces him. elyan tried to hold him but baby!arthur started wailing after three seconds. leon is sorta good but he has like no idea how babies work or what they need so when baby!arthur found his sword and almost lobbed his own head off, leon was forbidden from taking care of the child. gaius is too old and busy researching how to reverse the issue. who the HELL would trust gwaine with a child? arthur has this Odd aversion to the child but no one pushes him on it. ofc merlin, magic incarnate, has this like aura or energy that draws all these innocent woodland creatures to him so obviously little arthur is also drawn to him. in fact, merlin seems to be the person he likes the most. and merlins a natural w kids apparently so hes often the one that baby!arthur is handed off to.

he complains about it at first but when baby!arthur breaks into a fit of giggles after merlin calls adult!arthur a clotpole, he has merlin wrapped around his little finger. merlin stops complaining but does let arthur know that the one thing he Will Not Do is change his diaper. arthur laughs and walks away. merlin talks to baby!arthur like they’ve been friends for years (bc they have). arthur points out that baby!arthur cant understand him and merlin retorts that its like how it normally is. merlin gets to perform magic in front of baby!arthur and he LOVES it

my point to this was merlin dotting on little versions of arthur is a way that no one ever really did for him growing up and adult!arthur seeing it and healing little pieces of his inner child as he watches merlin play games with baby!arthur and make sure he’s taken care of. it especially hits him when gaius finally finds a way to send baby!arthur back and while everyone seems torn between upset they have to say bye, they’re also relieved to get the baby back where hes supposed to be,, merlin is like choking back fat tears. everyone backs off to give them privacy and merlin just kisses baby!arthur’s forehead and whispers some encouraging and heartachingly sincere words that have adult!arthur choking back tears.

then BOOM the spell also backfires and while yes baby!arthur got back to where hes supposed to be, now theres toddler!arthur. he has this gravitational pull to gaius (can recognize him) and merlin (magic soulmates ofc he has an innate trust in the man). merlin is happy to have his little friend back and gaius goes back to the drawing board. now they have this little 2-3 year old toddling after them and blabbering something that sounds like english if you’re patient enough

(merlin makes another comment about how little arthur has changed over the years)

the cycle repeats, merlin and toddler!arthur get attached and adult!arthur watches and heals a bit more of his inner child. gaius finds another cure that falls through the same way and now they have child!arthur. he has a bit more of uther’s influence in him but hes still a child. he gets hurt and tries to fight back tears but merlin sees he’s in pain and tells him it’s okay to be hurt, to feel pain, to cry. child!arthur says in that stutter cry children do when they’re fighting back tears that his father says boys shouldn’t cry. merlin wipes a tear that slips down child!arthur’s face and whispers about how he cries and lets himself feel his sadness before picking himself back up and dusting himself off before getting back to it, that it doesn’t make him weak but stronger. adult!arthur hears this and this may not be the beginning of his deconstruction but it makes a tremendous amount of progress in him rewiring his brain away from his father’s toxic ways of thinking.

idk if they’d get a teen!arthur since gaius probably would’ve learned his lesson by then but if they did, we’d get to watch Merlin vs Arthur Showdown 2.0 as merlin humbles the young prince and i think that’d be funny. especially for gwaine since he didn’t get to see it happen the first time.

[feather-dancer]

Tales of Arcadia Fanfic Recommendations - Part 6

I do admittedly have things left to read in my tabs I’d normally prefer to clear out before posting one of these but when you sail past the 30 mark I think it’s about time to get it out my drafts, yeah? Most importantly means this will be out before Rise of the Titans comes and emotionally destroys us all.

Needless to say soon as this is posted I give it 24 hours before 7 starts, we’ve got some amazing writers in this fandom and there’s a couple I juuust want one more chapter before I feel I can recommend it. Hope you find something you enjoy :)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

If at all interested in my own writing you can find it here!

General Trollhunters

Romeo, Question Mark - Jim is figuring himself out and has a question for Toby though nervous of how he might react. Honestly the support Aromantic’s need when they’re either questioning or coming out, Toby is a gem.

By The Book - After his dad left changing his world Jim had moments in his life where he needed to wrangle things in a way he could understand them with some moral support along the way that wasn’t there to do it for him, just give a light nudge the right direction. Comes with light Jilaire fluff.

That I Could Fear a Door - Jim was pulled from the Darklands whole but you cannot escape the trauma of your experiences quite so easily. It will take a little time, a lot of patience and perhaps the right ear to listen but with it can come hope.

Lest Back the Awful Door Should Spring - Sequel to the above, Jim’s capture to be sentenced by the tribunal echoes his experiences in the Darklands a little too closely sending all his careful progress hurtling back in one fell swoop. Is it any wonder he chose a false freedom that Unkar offered?

Façade - The confirmation that Mr. Strickler is not the man you thought he was probably was not going to be an easy one, Jim’s thoughts sit ill after that dinner.

Fashion - All changelings take root somewhere in a human life before their changeling one succeeds it and Nomura is no different. She felt love she could not understand and the ache of loss will follow for as she meanders through this world by the Whisper Man’s orders and her own volition of needing to belong somewhere. She will try her hand with the humans and the trolls, paint the road with blood as much as indulging herself with the arts and even risking her heart until everything leads her to Arcadia’s doorstep.

In Deep Trouble - What happened in the Deep during Season 2?

Aftermath - Just after the finale of Season 2 the Market trolls are forced to run leaving their homes behind and follow the Trollhunter they had dismissed so many times into the great unknown before them.

Don’t think - Jim weighs up his options and attempts to settle his thoughts before making the final decision whether or not to go through with using Merlin’s potion.

Nocturne for a Trollhunter - Jim learns a new hobby that gives him another way to relax that doesn’t involve cooking, one that follows him beyond Arcadia.

The Asteroid - A rare 3Below fic for my lists if centered on a certain hedge witch and Wizard. The end of the world is coming but not by Morgana’s hand and Merlin certainly never warned Douxie about it so if this truly is the end then it’s the best time to bring your loved ones close so you won’t be going out alone. Yes it’s Zouxie.

A bright future so it seemed (but that light grew a little less bright) - Claire’s parents (Or more specifically Ophelia) set her on the perfectionist’s path early, even a little slip can feel like the end of the world

Rest, Master Jim - You might be able to escape the Darklands but you cannot escape the consequences of being trapped there for so long as easily.

General Wizards

Not Found - So why did neither Douxie or Archie find the two remaining changelings in Arcadia or bring back the sole Akiridion when Merlin asked?

Place of Power - A lovely bit of shameless Zouxie fluff in that brief period the gang was at Hex Tech before the plot came to get them.

Bitter Water - Only two of the old team remain in Arcadia and those were Jim and Krel, the rest having left to pursue educational pursuits and in one particular case kept away for Nari’s safety. For the Akiridion he is still here with reminders of his heritage and what it took to have this life on earth chasing him all the way. It’s always good to have friends with a listening ear and hot chocolate.

Together, Dearest - The very act of resting is a potential invitation for nightmares and Nari is no different but when once more in the waking world you will find you’re not alone, there are hugs available.

The Night Belongs To Us - Lovingly described Skraelroc fluff during their long hunt for Merlin and the strangeness that can be observed on clearer nights.

Nineteen Plus Nine Hundred, Give Or Take - 900 years is a long time by anyone’s standards but perhaps during that Douxie can figure out how to truly live.

Twelfth Century Wizard, Twenty-First Century Witch - The follow up to the above, when you’ve lived a long and interesting life things can still pop up in odd ways... Even if you haven’t quite mastered the sacred art of texting yet.

ERAS TÚ (It was you). | Tales of Arcadia One-Shot - Would you want to live forever if it meant leaving everyone behind? Jilaire.

the only way for us to go - From his rescue from the streets of Camelot to the eventual guardian of this realm, Douxie has come a very, very long way. Through the frustrations of trying to learn magic, the belittling of others, the faith of Morgana and the power of music his experiences throughout 900 years truly make him what he is.

lay down your head - Even the mightiest can be plagued with the not so humble migraine. Skraelroc fluff.

Stricklake

Merry Christmas, Doctor Lake - Some Christmas gifts are worth going all out for and getting your friends and family to help out to make it extra special.

Grocery Run - After the incident where Merlin dismissed Strickler for being a changeling it is time for an excuse to get out the house for a bit and have a frank discussion about their relationship, the future beyond the incoming battle and lingering insecurities of two worlds colliding.

Alternate Universe

Fashionista, How Do You Look? - An AU that very much takes the term very literally here where everyone is human, Skrael, Bellroc and Nari are fashion designers plus many other ToA characters we know and love are either in the industry in some way themselves or on the fringes because of their jobs/who they know. Sometimes you work with catty bitches and want to kick back and watch the fireworks you know? Contains friends to almost to enemies to friends to maybe we’ll get our shit together this time but the odds aren’t great Skraelroc. There’s also a Zouxie oneshot in this collection that was a gift for meee because of the corner I dug in the AU.

Atlas, Fallen - When a star falls from the sky it is a punishment so when Atlas suddenly finds himself amongst the humans he had observed from above for countless ages in a flesh body like theirs he fears his Mother is punishing him and unable understand what he did wrong. While trying to find his way back home he gets a crash course in what it’s like to be human making friends along the way. Slow burn Jilaire.

she once was a true love of mine - I put this under the AU section even though it wavers between that and not, a mixture of classical Arthurian mythos and the glimpses of the Camelot in Tales of Arcadia where one kingdom collapses from war another strengthens by taking their princess as queen. While Arthur might have turned her head once it is the sibling that seems to be catching Gwen’s eye of late as much as her thoughts. Morgwen but in the department of pining.

Pulled From The Ocean - AU doesn’t quite fit this one but it feels a bit more fitting than general. A little oneshot snapshot of Jim living with deafness and the contrast of one world that falls easily into supporting that whereas the other tries their best but it makes the slip ups sting even more.

you are a stranger here, why have you come? - Fate is a funny old thing, something happens a little bit differently such as a father not leaving alone and everything can change so drastically. Nari’s fondness for children strikes again and this time it involves a 5-year old Jim Lake Jr. ending in the Order’s care and their foray into found family. Somehow Jim is even more of a disaster and as likely surmised from the fact I write this trope myself I am very weak for it.

go into your local forest and you will find a friend and a boy - Toby was unlucky in the friend department and by the time he is ten he still feels miserable and lonely having to endure Steve’s increasing bullying all the while. This is of course until he finds a blue half-troll hiding out the daylight hours munching cans in the local woods...

[bgnmagic]

Frozen Dreams - Merlin Fanfic

Summary: MODERN AU

Arthur, Merlin, and the boys (the knights) rent a cottage by the sea during winter to take a break for a bit. The only problem is when Merlin discovers the heat in his room is broken and he nearly freezes to death on the first night. Arthur comes to the rescue and helps him warm up.

Notes:

All I wanted to do was whump my boi Merlin. Hence this odd premise of renting a cottage by the sea with malfunctioning heating, in winter no less. Places can be fun to visit in winter too! lol I also wanted more bromance, they are so soft with each other I just can't help it. Pretend it's shippy if you want but I'm all for them being nice and sweet cause they are besties.

----

A heavy thump roused Arthur from sleep. Unsure if what he’d heard was merely part of his dream, he waited. Turning over to face the door Arthur shivered despite being covered in a down comforter. This place felt abnormally frigid; hopefully the rest of their trip would still be fun. After a few minutes Arthur didn’t hear anything else and decided to go back to sleep. It was far too cold to go outside in the hallway to investigate anyway.

Burrowing down into the bedding Arthur let his eyes slip closed. Then, he heard it again; there was something or someone in the hallway. Who in their right mind would be out in the middle of the night trying to break into their rental cottage? Everyone had drunk enough at dinner to be passed out right now. Easing out from under the covers Arthur bit back a hiss at the cold floor. Even wearing socks didn’t help dampen the sensation.

Sneaking over to the door he listened, but it was silent save for an odd chattering noise. Great, did they have a mouse problem to deal with as well? Unfortunately, nothing prepared Arthur for what he saw when he slowly pulled the bedroom door open.  

“Merlin?!” he half whispered in shock. His friend was sitting partially crumpled on the floor, hugging himself and shaking. Upon hearing his name Merlin lifted his head and looked about ready to cry. It was too dim in the hallway to really see clearly but it seemed as though Merlin was wearing his coat over his pajamas. “What’s happened? Are you hurt?” Arthur tried again. Merlin shook his head and attempted to shrug, although it looked more like an invisible force was shaking him violently.

Springing into action Arthur grabbed Merlin by his arms and hauled him upright. The younger man barely held his own weight as Arthur dragged him into his room and set Merlin down on the edge of the bed. Reaching out Arthur nearly knocked over the bedside lamp fumbling with the switch. When a soft yellow light set the room aglow, Arthur felt his insides twist. Merlin looked terrible.

His friend was pale and his lips almost looked blue. Panicking for a moment that Merlin had gone outside Arthur began checking for injuries. Maybe he’d been sleepwalking? However, they’d been friends for years and Merlin had never admitted to such behavior.  Finding nothing out of place after a cursory check Arthur decided to address the most pressing matter, Merlin was freezing.

“Come on let’s get you warmed up okay?” Taking stock of what Merlin was wearing revealed a thin pair of cotton pants and a button down flannel shirt. All of this had been topped off with Merlin’s ridiculously large puffy down coat. “Um, can we switch out the coat for something less bulky?” Arthur asked as he held Merlin by the shoulders. The lack of response was beginning to concern Arthur. It was almost as if Merlin had checked out mentally.

Too focused on Merlin’s well-being Arthur flinched when the door suddenly creaked and opened. Lancelot poked his head in looking a little worse for wear, “Wha’s going on?”

“Merlin’s not well, you can help actually,” Arthur replied reaching out and dragging Lancelot into the space. “I found him in the hallway a few minutes ago and he’s nearly frozen.  What’s the best way to help him warm up?”

Lancelot sobered immediately once he laid eyes on Merlin’s still shaking form; he took his job as a nurse seriously even when he wasn’t at work. “Do you have a spare jumper? Extra layers will help considerably. Then we can get him back to bed with some more blankets.”

“No, no, no, m’n-not going b-back in that ice b-box,” Merlin exclaimed, shaking his head vehemently.

Relieved that Merlin was at least communicating with them now, Arthur was still confused. “What are you going on about?”

“My r-room, is fre-freezing, c-can’t sleep.”

“I’ll go check, you help him change okay,” Lancelot offered before he disappeared through the door.

“P-please don’t kick me o-out,” Merlin begged.

“Idiot, I’m not going to kick you out. My bed is big enough, we can share.” Merlin slumped in relief and nearly fell off the bed in the process. Scrambling to catch him Arthur sat down and put an arm around Merlin’s shoulders. “Get that lumpy coat off and I’ll give you a nice cozy jumper instead.”

Merlin nodded and shrugged out of his coat. Arthur was already in motion, peeling off his own jumper; it was warm and just what Merlin needed.

‘C-can’t take this, it—it’s yours,” Merlin protested weakly.

“Shut up and put it on, I’ve got more.”

Merlin didn’t argue as he took the garment and quickly tugged it over his head. The small smile that graced Merlin’s trembling lips was enough to spur Arthur onto his next plan.

“Get under the covers, no need to be sitting here when you could be getting even warmer.” Guiding Merlin backward Arthur pulled the covers aside and watched as his friend burrowed into the bedding.

“R’thur, this is s-so warm,” Merlin mumbled quietly.

“I know, I’ll grab another blanket, just stay there,” Arthur was happy he’d thought to tuck Merlin into his side of the bed. It was already warm from earlier. Lancelot came back when Arthur was unfurling the last extra blanket he could find over Merlin. The look on Lancelot’s face was worrying. “What’s wrong?” Arthur asked.

“The heat stopped working in that room, plus I found a draft. A whole chunk of one of the window frames is missing. The curtain was hiding it!” Lancelot hissed. “No wonder Merlin was freezing, that room really is an ice box.”

“Shit, he could have frozen --, “Arthur trailed off, he didn’t want to think about the worst case scenario if Merlin hadn’t woken up in time.

“Keep an eye on him tonight and make sure he warms up, if anything changes come get me,” Lancelot instructed.    

“Should we be worried about Merlin getting sick or anything?” Arthur asked.  

“Merls, how ya feeling bud, any better?” Lancelot asked of the lump on the bed, by way of an answer.

“M’warmmmm,” was the garbled response.

“Tell us if you need anything okay?”

“Mhmmm, m’good now, m’warm.”

“I think you found him in time, we can talk more in the morning. One thing is certain no one is sleeping in that room. It’s not habitable in this weather,” said Lancelot.

“Oh, I’ll be calling about that in the morning, this is unacceptable,” Arthur huffed.

Lancelot nodded and went back to his room. It appeared they’d not woken anyone else up, that was a blessing. Arthur knew Merlin hated to be the center of attention. Turning back to his friend all Arthur could see what a tuft of black hair sticking out. Merlin had made himself a cocoon with the blankets, guess he was feeling better.

Quickly grabbing another jumper Arthur wasted no time in crawling back into bed and turning off the light. No sooner had the room plunged into darkness did Arthur feel something cold touch his hand under the covers. “God Merlin your fingers are still ice,” he hissed. Taking Merlin’s hand in his own he held it tight. Merlin didn’t say anything but Arthur felt him squeeze back once or twice.

After a few minutes Arthur deemed his job complete and let go only to have the other hand thrust his way. Smiling Arthur took hold and warmed it up as well. “I’m not holding your feet, so don’t get any ideas,” he teased. Merlin snorted softly but kept quiet.

When Merlin’s hand wasn’t ice cold anymore Arthur assumed they’d both go back to sleep, but the younger man kept fidgeting next to him. Something was still on his mind. “Are you warmed up yet?” Arthur checked.

“Mostly, but can I um, can we um, sleep back to back?”

“I’m onto you Merlin, you’re trying to leach more of my body heat off me,” Arthur complained halfheartedly as he turned around in the bed to do as Merlin asked. The minute Merlin’s lithe frame leaned into him Arthur heard a content sigh. When two cold feet started to tangle with his own legs Arthur flinched but stayed put. “How are you this cold?!”

“Dunno, but this feels really nice.”

“Think you can sleep now?”

“Yeah, thanks for helping, I was so cold I didn’t know what to do,” Merlin admitted.

“Don’t worry about it, you know you can always come to me for help, you’re my best friend Merlin.”

“I know, I didn’t want to bother you though, I --,” Merlin paused to yawn loudly before he went quiet.

“You what?” Arthur asked, “Did you fall asleep over there?”

“Hmmm, ur’warm.”

Chuckling Arthur shook his head and gave up trying to continue the conversation, Merlin was clearly very tired. “Go to sleep, we’ll talk more in the morning.” A faint hummed acknowledgement was all Arthur received followed by the sound of Merlin’s breathing evening out. Thanking god he’d found Merlin in time, Arthur pushed back a little more and wrapped the blanket tightly around his shoulders. The extra warmth from Merlin helped lull Arthur back to sleep.

--

Something heavy on his chest prevented Merlin from taking a full breath. Struggling to move he soon realized the great weight he was feeling was Arthur. The man was tucked neatly under Merlin’s chin with most of his upper body pinning him in place. Their legs were tangled together and if Merlin were being honest, he’d have to say this was the best way to wake up, warm.

Wondering if Arthur would agree with this sentiment he stopped moving and enjoyed the feeling. Last night had been terrible; this little moment of bliss was well deserved. The room he’d picked seemed fine during the day but once the sun had gone down it got down right unbearable.  Stupid cottage by the sea, this was supposed to be a fun getaway with his friends, not a death wish.

A soft knock on the door roused Merlin from his thoughts. Answering back he waited to see who would appear. Lancelot came into a view a second later and smiled when he saw them. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“So much better, I don’t ever want to go through that again, I’ve never been so cold in my life.”

“Do you need some help moving him?” Lancelot laughed pointing at Arthur.

“Noooo, he’s my human blanket at the moment, if you take him away I’ll get cold again,” Merlin whined.

“He’s not gonna stay that way forever, I think he was really wanting to explore the cliffs down by the beach later today.”

“All well and good Lance, but I’m not waking him up.”

Lancelot laughed and shook his head, “you’ve been warned. I’m going to go see about getting some breakfast started, I’m hoping Leon will get up soon and come help. Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival probably won’t be getting up anytime soon after all the shots they had last night.”

“That’s what they get for playing a drinking game!” Merlin huffed. “They’ll be in bed till noon most likely.”

“Hey don’t pick on them too much, it’s nearly eleven and you’re still in bed.”

“Is it really that late? Wow, I guess I was more exhausted than I realized.”

Arthur suddenly groaned and lightly pinched Merlin in the side, “Shut up, m’tryin to sleep. Lance, go away you’re makin’ my pillow move!”

Merlin rolled his eyes for good measure even though Arthur couldn’t see. After sharing a look with Lancelot he kindly waved him off and settled back into the pillows. “Can I sleep in here for the rest of the trip? I’m worried it’ll be cold downstairs if I try and sleep on the sofa.”

“Merlin, what did I just say? Shhhhhhh, and where else would you sleep, idiot, it’s ten times warmer when we share anyway.”

“Prat,” Merlin mumbled softly already drifting off again.

“Clotpole,�� replied back Arthur fondly.

Merlin was far too gone to argue that ‘clotpole’ was his word. That conversation would have to wait until breakfast, or lunch for that matter. He was warm and relaxed. Maybe this little vacation wouldn’t be so bad after all. https://archiveofourown.org/works/33627802

[albionmyway]

love is patient (while albion unites) ch 1

The Administering

*tumblr note: I do a better job updating this on emryses!! to see the prologue, everything is under the tag #merthurbyuserana, and there is an easily found tab on my tumblr page dedicated to this fic. message me if you want to be tagged in future posts.

a/n: wow i wasn't expecting this lovely feedback, especially for a fandom i've never particularly wrote for. but it really does feel good for me to get back into writing again, it truly is an escape.

this'll be the last chapter that has a primary focus on alined and trickler, and then it'll center more around merlin and arthur.

enjoy this chap. xx

Trickler had a few obstacles that were in the way of his plan for his master: in order to get a love potion to give to Prince Arthur, he needed to collect a lock of hair from the prince's manservant. It seemed pretty easy, but.

There was something off about the boy. Trickler couldn't put his finger on it, but there was just something about this... servant that made him think that this plan wasn't going to be as easy as his master thought it was going to be. Besides, this wasn't just any servant. This was the prince's servant.

He needed a lock of the boy's hair, and he had to figure out how to get it in one piece.

There were a couple options: he could try and sneak next to the boy's bed at night and get the hair, but that would involve a) potentially waking up and angering the court physician, or b) potentially waking up the boy, and neither scenario would result in success.

He had to do something, though, before his master decided to make him walk the carriage all the way back home as punishment! Dear lord, he'd die if he had to do that again! Quite literally.

So, as the boy was delivering something to someone, Trickler followed him, stealthily. When he turned towards an empty alley, the jester took a hard rock and threw it toward the boy's head, causing him to be knocked out cold.

He quickly leaned over, grabbed a lock of the boy's hair, and fled the scene.

x

"Heavens!" exclaimed Gaius as Merlin quickly entered his chambers and handed Gaius the ingredients that he wanted. "Why are you so late?"

Merlin groaned, still rubbing the back of his neck. "I was getting the ingredients you needed...and then five seconds later, I was on the floor. I think I was knocked out."

Gaius motioned for Merlin to come over, and Merlin obeyed. Gaius examined the bump on Merlin's neck. He finally nodded, "Yes. You were definitely knocked out."

"The thing is," said Merlin, the gears turning in his brain. "By who?"

Later that night, when Gaius was fast asleep, Merlin lay awake, listing in his brain the people that would possibly want to knock him out.

Uther would never go through that trouble - besides, if the king ever found him out, he'd be executed, not...unconscious for five minutes. And while it might be tempting for the royal ass to knock him out, he definitely knew it wasn't Arthur either. The guards were under their control, they wouldn't do anything without permission. He knew it wasn't Gwen or Morgana.

It must be one of the foreign guests. That King Alined and his jester looked pretty sketchy...but then again so did King Olaf and his daughter…

(He'd have to keep a close eye on all of them, then.)

x

King Alined looked over at his jester, sneering. "How long will it take to make the potion?" he demanded.

"Give me a day, my lord," said Trickler reverently. At this point he honestly thought it was too far to make the prince fall for his manservant - he'll be a laughingstock - but Trickler thought that anything was better than him having to walk the carriage home again, to be honest.

Alined nodded. "If you take longer than one day…" his voice was threatening, causing Trickler to shudder.

Trickler bowed once more.

"Then there's the matter involving how we're going to get the potion in the hands of the Camelot Prince…" mused Alined, giving Trickler a sharp look, which immediately put him on edge.

"We could...put it in his drink?"

Alined glared at him, "And you expect to be able to slip it in the prince's drink without being noticed?"

Trickler nodded in resignation, knowing that his master was right. He knew that getting the hair from the servant was risky. But the prince? He was pretty sure he could sneak into his room and administer a few drops of it.

"While he's sleeping, then."

His master's eyes were already glittering with ruthless satisfaction. "If you succeed in this, boy...I'll make sure you are rewarded."

Trickler's face filled with happiness at that statement.

If Alined and his jester had merely eyed the edge of the door, they would've seen the eyes of Merlin peeping through the hole.

The thing was, they didn't.

x

Merlin was horrified, well, after he bit back the chuckle of Arthur being head over heels for him. 'No,' he told himself sternly. 'This is serious.' He had to tell Gaius about it and then stop him from giving the potion to Arthur before it's too late.

Needless to say, Gaius was also equally as horrified when he found out the news. "Are you certain?" he demanded, giving Merlin a meaningful look.

"I heard them," he insisted, his voice holding no doubts in the slightest.

Gaius pursed his lip. "Well, I'm not surprised that Alined of all people is planning that."

"Something has to be done," said Merlin, "Otherwise, Arthur will be hopelessly in love with me…" he once more fought back a chuckle at that thought, before his face became serious again, "And there's no way he'll be of sound mind to take the throne."

Gaius nodded, before giving him a look that clearly read do what you must. "If they succeed in that...then I fear for Camelot."

x

Trickler was on edge the following evening. He had to deliver the potion to the prince during the night, and if he wasn't successful then that'd lead to dire consequences and punishment would follow. Whenever he'd felt the slightest bit against the plan, he'd remember walking the entire carriage and he'd shudder, continuing on. Plus, there was the reward if he was successful.

There weren't many obstacles, besides a couple guards here and there, and he was a castle guest - they didn't mind.

He peeked his head into Prince Arthur's room, wincing at his loud snores. Now, all he had to do...was administer this potion…but there was one obstacle in the way. It was that servant, sitting there by the prince's side as if he were expecting someone. His blood ran cold.

For the moment, though, the boy was too busy staring at the prince with an unreadable expression on his face to even notice that someone's head was peeking in. But Trickler was pretty sure that if he actually went in the room, the boy would hear footsteps and do something.

There was only one course of action for the jester to take. He waved his hand, casting a strong sleeping spell on the boy. Then he was able to tiptoe in very slowly, and administer the drops into the Prince's lips.

"Sleep well…" he chuckled. "...Prince Arthur."

He couldn't wait for his master to finally give him the respect he deserves.

(Little did poor Trickler know, he'd never get that respect, at least not with this plan.)

x

a/n: lmao this is bad, i apologize. part of the reason merlin failed in his plan is bc he was too busy staring at arthur :p anyways, in chapter 3, you'll see exactly how arthur reacts to merlin being asleep on his floor, and i can assure you it's not proclaiming undying love for him, like poor trickler thinks. anyways i hope you enjoyed the chapter xx

love,

ana

[princessofthedarkrealm]

Dark Phoenix Rising- Chapter 7

You had heard of the phrase blind trust. But to have to do it literally… Your stomach was in knots the whole time Walter carried you. You knew that he had done it before while you were unconscious, so it shouldn’t have been that bad. But to have your sight temporarily revoked was chafing at your nerve bad. Plus the fact that you had no idea what you were about to be walking in to wasn’t helping. You decided to lighten the moment.

“So uh…do you have any family? Any parents? Siblings?”

Walter chuckled. “You’re adorable sometimes.”

You could practically hear him smiling.

“Why ‘cause I asked you about your family? You know stuff about me. Isn’t it only fair?”

Walter’s grip on you tightened. Touchy subject? you wondered.

“My father is Maerlyn.”

“Wait. The Merlin. As in King Arthur’s Merlin?”

“Yes, ma’am. Or as the rest of the universe calls him: Arthur Eld. Though the story is quite different than the one you’ve learned.”

“Will you…tell it to me one day?”

Walter’s steps faltered for just an instant.

((((()))))

Walter almost stumbled. Almost. He stared down at the girl in his arms. She wanted to know about his family. Boy wouldn’t that make a pretty bedtime story for her? She would probably run from him kicking and screaming.

And she wanted him to tell her about it one day. She was actually talking about the future. A future with him? Walter’s breathing quickened. Could this actually be happening? He had the power. And the best part was, so did she. So close.

“One day.”

When they got to their destination, he set Y/N down. He opened the door and told her to step forward. So she did.

“Open your eyes.”

((((()))))

You opened your eyes. The grey fog was gone. You had entered a building. You heard loud sounds, like people talking and clambering around. Walter put his hand on the back of your neck as he went past you. You followed. A short line of people stood to your left and two men to your right. As Walter walked past them, they stopped talking and bowed their heads. Several of them were dressed like they were going to a club. A couple wore hoodies. The women wore dark makeup. They reminded you of an underground crime ring. You felt small all of a sudden. Vulnerable. Right beyond the room widened. A small group of people stood before you, some of them standing, some of them sitting. They were wearing the same kind of clothing as the group you had just walked past. A few of them held goblets. One of them was a woman wearing what you would describe as sultry aristocratic garb. They all turned when you and Walter approached. Amongst them was a short man with a bald head. When he turned, you squinted your eyes at him. Several red dots adorned his face. You wondered what that was about.

He bowed at Walter. “Sire. We were not expecting you for some time now.”

You stepped forward to stand besides Walter and the man’s eyes grew wide when he noticed you.

He inclined his head at you. “My lady.”

My lady? What had Walter been telling his followers about the two of you? And how did the man know right away who you were? Did Walter never go anywhere with anyone? Especially women?

“To what do we owe this honor?”

“One of your portals here in New York has been activated.”

The man raised an eyebrow at Walter. “Forgive me, sire. We were not aware. Did you find who it was?”

“Already on it.”  Walter held up something. It looked like a sliver of clear glass. The tip was red. He must have found it at the abandoned mansion. “Would you mind uh…” he held the glass out to the bald man, “doing your thing?”

You watched in rapt fascination as the bald man took the glass and put the red end in his mouth. He sucked in a loud breath.

“The blood belongs to a boy. About fifteen or sixteen years of age.” A grin lit up his red dotted face. “His shine is pure.”

“He killed a house demon.”

The bald man raised an eyebrow and studied the glass. “A boy with a shine strong enough to kill a demon?” he mused. “Sounds like he’s definitely worth looking into.”

“But if he went through the portal…”

Walter and the bald man both turned their attention to you.

“He could be anywhere in Mid-World,” you continued. “How are we supposed to find him?”

Now it was Walter’s turn to raise an eyebrow at you.

“Sayre,” the woman sitting with the goblet spoke up, “didn’t two-skins have trouble with a boy yesterday?”

**********

On the way to Walter’s hideout, you had sat perfectly still in his arms. Now it took all you had not to jump out of them. You had so so many questions. You and Walter didn’t speak for a while. Finally you started hearing fast moving traffic. You hadn’t heard that on the way to the hideout. He must be taking you back a different way. Finally you couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Walter, what’s a shine?”

“It’s what we call psychic powers. You have it, but it’s just a trace.”

“Who was that man with the dots on his face? And why did he call me ‘my lady’? What have you been telling them about me?”

“Only the truth. That you would one day end up in my arms. And here we are.”

You clamped down on Walter’s shoulder. Was that all he thought of you as? Something to be conquered? You heard cars zooming by you now, but it sounded like they were underneath you. Where in the hell were you? Suddenly, you didn’t want to be around people anymore. You just wanted to face the self-centered, egomaniac who held you.

“So I’m still just another goddamn conquest for you,” you muttered. “Hooray for fucking me.”

You gasped as Walter almost threw you out of his arms. You landed in a crouch. Your eyes flew open. You wanted to scream at the stupid fog. You stepped forward, but Walter’s arms came around you.

“Conquest? You think you’re just a fucking conquest, Y/N?”

Your eyes cleared in a flash and you almost did scream. You had almost walked into a railing.

A railing on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Vehicles zoomed underneath you. You didn’t exactly have a problem with heights, the sudden shock caused a wave of dizziness to come over you. You fought against Walter’s grasp.

“Is that all you think I think of you as?”

“Let me go!”

He turned you sideways and released you. You pushed yourself away from him and turned to face him.

“Well apparently that’s all you talk about people like I am,” you hollered.

“When I first met you,” he countered.

You put your hand over your mouth. Images started flooding your mind of all the times Walter had tried to pursue you in Tull. A cyclist rode by you and you jumped.

“Do I treat you like a conquest, Y/N?”

You swallowed.

“Do I?”

You jumped again at the sharpness in his voice. You shook your head.

He slowly advanced on you.

“If you were just a conquest, would I have brought you some place quiet and comfortable to rest until you woke up?”

You wrapped your arms around your midsection. You couldn’t meet Walter’s gaze.

“If you were just a conquest, would I have stopped this morning when you asked me to?” He grabbed your arms and turned you to face him. “Would I have gotten you food this afternoon or would I have just taken you in some alley to fuck you raw against some wall?”

You tried to pull your arms out of his grasp and he released you. Finally you did meet his gaze.

“You don’t know how stressful this day has been for me.” You raised your voice to make damn sure he heard your every word. “I finally get to come back to my own world, but in another time period? I don’t know what’s happened to my family. I don’t even know if my baby brother made it out of Pennywise’s lair or not or if he’s just a skeleton lying there. And now I find out that you’re about to go after some kid yourself. I mean, are you planning to hurt him? Hell, Walter, I don’t know. I don’t know a goddamn thing about you.” You spread your arms. “I told you earlier that I felt like we were going on a date and what do you do? You remind me yet again that my life is never going to be the same. Like I actually need reminding of that.” You turned away from him and placed your hands on the wide steel railing, staring out at the wide river that ran underneath you. “I am so unbelievably tired of wondering what’s going to happen next with you.”

You crossed your arms on the railing and leaned on them. The wind buffeted you and for a moment you wanted so badly to be in the Tower that it was almost a physical pain in your chest. You missed Eleanor terribly. Your unborn daughter’s death had left a wound in your soul that still cut like a knife every time you thought about it too hard.

And then another thought came to you that twisted the knife. What if Walter would decide to leave to Tower in peace? And what if you could bring him up there somehow? What would he think of Eleanor? You could so picture the two of them together.

You thought of the child now growing inside you. What kind of environment would you be bringing him into? Would you be raising him with Walter or with someone totally different?

You felt Walter’s arms on your shoulders and automatically leaned back against him. He put his arms around you and rested his cheek against your temple. As you closed your eyes, you heard him whisper two words so softly the wind took them away as they left his lips.

“I’m sorry.”

**********

Walter closed the door softly. You glanced around, relieved to finally be back in Walter’s room.

“I’ll have someone bring dinner to you shortly. Feel free to help yourself to the books. In fact, I actually want you to. I believe there are some things in there you may find useful, but I highly suggest you don’t try anything when I’m not around.”

You couldn’t help but smile. They were books on magic. And Walter wanted to teach you.

“Are there any that talk about any of your abilities?”

Your eyes met Walter’s.

“Most of them.”

His eyes quickly scanned your face and you glanced away. You tucked in your bottom lip.

“I have to return to New York.”

Of course. He still needed to see about the boy that the man Sayre had told him about. You had asked no more questions after your little spat on the bridge.

“Will you uh…come back when you’re done? To come meet me?” You laced your hands in front of you and in just a few strides, closed the distance between you and Walter. Your eyes met again. This time, you didn’t look away.

“If that’s what you want.” His voice was shockingly soft.

You took a deep breath and exhaled. It was a sigh of contentment. What reason did you have to be afraid of him anymore? If anything you were becoming afraid to be without him.

“I do.” You smiled and nodded. “I really do.”

**********

Walter scowled at the two two-skins that sat across the table from him at a restaurant, a man and a woman. He still couldn’t believe the boy had gotten away from them. It was a mistake they would soon regret.

“I must say, it is an honor to meet you,” the woman crooned. She was older, in her mid-fifties. “When we heard you-”

“What happened?” Walter asked.

“We went to his house. He was actually going to come with us, but when he saw us, it’s like he knew something was up,” said the man.

“It was like he knew what we were,” the woman added.

“Name. Address.”

The woman reached into her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. She handed it to Walter. His eyes scanned it. What he saw staring up at him was the next best thing to if she would have handed him something saying how to enter the Tower.

Walter grinned. “Jake. Chambers.”

He said the name like a litany. Like a prayer. He tucked the paper inside his coat.

“Now kill,” he gave his pathetic two-skins one last idle glance, “each other.”

The man and the woman started brutally hitting each other. They both fell out of their chairs. Walter heard someone cry out. He casually stood.

“Calm down. Enjoy the show,” he told the crowd of people standing before him, waiting to order their food. They all turned as one to watch the two-skins fighting, as though some invisible force had made them. Which it had. At the same time, the crowd parted to let Walter pass. He sauntered through them as though he were king of all.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

**********

Walter heard the footsteps up the stairs. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when the boy’s parents stepped into the kitchen and froze like a couple of statues.

“I hope you don’t mind me making myself at home.” She smiled up at them. “Where I come from, we don’t have chicken.”

“Who the hell are you?” the boy’s pathetic excuse of a stepfather demanded.

Walter whacked at the chicken breast that he had just placed on the counter.

“Oh you know who I am, Lon. You called me. Not with the phone of course, but with every desire to get rid of your brat stepson, all so that Mommy here,” he gestured at Jake’s mother with the cleaver, “will love you best.”

Whack.

Lon strode towards Walter. “Who the hell do you think-”

“Lon…It’s the man from Jake’s drawings.” Walter heard Laurie whisper.

Walter turned, his interest now peaked. “Drawings?”

He took off the chef’s apron he had been wearing and set it on the counter. He waved his hand at Lon. “Stop breathing.”

Lon fell to the floor, dead.

Laurie’s horrified gaze fell to her husband, a cry escaping her throat.

Walter held his hands up. “Quiet.” She shut up. He got in her face. “Drawings.” He said it calmly, but she still obeyed.

Laurie led him to Jake’s bedroom. She turned on the light. Walter put his hand on her shoulder. “Show me.”

Images like ghosts flickered to life: Jake in his room, Jake and his mom in his room, Jake putting drawings on the wall above his desk. Walter watched all of this, his hands on his hips. There were easily a couple of dozen drawings. All of them either of the Tower or of Walter.

“Well it looks like I’ve got myself a stalker.”

Suddenly an image of Jake popped up at the desk. He was drawing Roland. So the boy had seen the gunslinger as well. Walter glanced up at the wall again. He turned to leave, but something stopped him. The drawings weren’t done popping up yet.

Her. They were all images of her. His future queen. One of them was with her and Roman. And another…

Walter bent forward to study the image closer. And as he did, he felt his blood run cold.

Y/N was surrounded by what appeared to be stone, in some kind of doorway. Her back was too him, but her head was turned. It was definitely her. Walter knew those eyes and that hair anywhere. Y/N had wings and was holding a sword.

It had been eons since Walter had seen a valkyrie, a winged woman who dealt out judgement on whose souls could be ferried to the afterlife on the field of battle. Basically they were a lower class of angels.

Was this what Y/N had been in her previous life, or what she was going to become? Either way, this didn’t sit well with Walter at all. He turned back to Jake’s mother.

“This son of yours is quite special isn’t he? And you wanted to send him to the asylum.” He shook his head.

He could see the fear in Laurie’s eyes as he approached her. Walter would never deny his own son. But would he have to deny his son’s mother? The woman he had fallen so deeply in love with.

He got in Laurie’s face.

“Shame…on you.”

**********

Not a trace of smoke covered Walter as he slipped without a sound into his bedroom. It had been a dirty business killing Jake Chamber’s mother, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t deserved it. What kind of woman treated her son that had that phenomenal of a gift like he was a head case?

He heard the soft, even breathing of his woman coming from their bed. Their bed. He could get used to that. He magicked himself a pair of loose-fitting pajamas (black of course) and climbed into bed with her under the sheets. He would have climbed in naked, but considering their conversation they had had later that day on the bridge, he didn’t want to unnerve her. Did she really just see herself as an object of Walter’s unbridled sexual desires? After all he had done for her? He would have to do something about that? Unless it was as she had said, she had just been really stressed when she had said that. She had been stressed at that moment. And sad. He had felt that. And he hated it. Would she hate him after he brought the Tower down? Or would he be able to make her see that in the end it didn’t matter anyway?

He sidled up against her and slid his arm around her. She moaned softly, then readjusted her position. She settled back down with a sigh.

He nuzzled his nose against her ear.

“Sleep tight, baby girl. I’m not going anywhere,” he said softly. “And you’re not either.” He settled his face in her hair, breathed in her scent. “My future queen. My future wife…My life.”

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