Spellbound

[ayoungboy]

This week has been fucking exhausting. He'd been consuling all week and dealing with a threat over in Norway. Somebody trying to brew mind control potions, again. Why couldn't everybody just get along and stop fussing? He's finally back home, in England, heading up the wizarding council while they go over worldwide news, and he gets an invite - no, it isn't that. It's more of a demand, from King Pendragon.

He's a bit tired, really, and didn't feel like dealing with it. "Not now, thank you. Politely decline, for me?" He told the runner. "Send him some magical candy."

He just wanted to go home and finish his book, thank you. He didn't ask for these powers, but if he took a holiday the world would flip out. People held him in high regard for some reason - he wasn't that wise, or old. He was just a young man trying to do right. Yet somehow the King was demanding his presence.

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[ayoungboy]

Merlin smiles a little, toying with the napkin. He looks just like any regular bloke; perhaps a bit skinnier. "As are you, sire."

[royalpratness]

Arthur bows his head, smiling. "Don't call me 'sire'. It seems to formal. I'm Arthur."

[ayoungboy]

"Arthur." Merlin smiles a little. "...can I trust your confidence, Arthur?"

He shouldn't. Gaius told him to never...

[royalpratness]

Arthur looks up curiously. "Most certainly. What is it?"

[ayoungboy]

"My name isn't Emrys." Merlin confessed.

[royalpratness]

"Oh? Is Emrys your alias? Like Madonna?" Arthur grins, still looking curiously at Merlin.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin laughed loudly at that. "Sort of. It's the legend. I am Emrys...but my given name is Merlin."

[royalpratness]

"Merlin." Arthur repeats, liking the sound of it. "That's better than Emrys."

[ayoungboy]

"You think?" Merlin asks, laughing a little. "You can call me that, if you want. Just you, though um...no one's supposed to know my real name."

[royalpratness]

"Got it. Your secret is safe with me." Arthur takes a sip from his wine. "I actually have about ten middle names but I'll spare you with that."

[ayoungboy]

"Yeah? Aw, come on." Merlin teases, grinning a little as Arthur took a sip of wine.

[royalpratness]

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Arthur tilts his head back, trying to recall all his ridiculous names. "Arthur Harold Charles Alfred William Dayton Esmond Oswald." He finishes, pulling a face. "Pretty terrible, huh?"

[ayoungboy]

Merlin's grin only widens. "That's only seven, Arthur."

[royalpratness]

"Aren't seven terrible names more than enough?" He grins back at Merlin. "I mean, I'm grateful that I got Arthur has my given name, rather than Oswald."

[ayoungboy]

"King Oswald." Merlin gave a very un-powerful giggle, eyes bright.

[royalpratness]

Arthur cringes but then he laughs as well. "God no. I much prefer Arthur." It's funny, he thinks, how different this meeting is from their previous one. While he barely knows Merlin, Arthur feels already at ease around him.

[ayoungboy]

"Arthur it is," Merlin chuckles, toying with his own glass of wine.

[royalpratness]

Arthur leans forward, resting his chin on his hands, elbows propped up on the table. "So, Merlin. Since we're going to spend a lot of time together, why don't you tell me a little about yourself? Are you married? Any children?" Arthur's own personal life is anything but private and regularly discussed in various newspapers. The press still expects him to marry soon, though Arthur has no intentions to do so - mostly for the lack of a suitable wife.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin laughs, surprised by the question. "Ah, no. Not married, no children. Don't really...think there'll be any." Mostly for the lack of interest in women.

Well, he shouldn't say that. He was bi, technically, he just...tended towards males. He'd been with women before and enjoyed their relationships, though. "I'm a quiet sort of person, really. What about you? Any scandals going to break loose?"

[royalpratness]

Arthur nods, filing these information away carefully. Interesting.

"No scandals, no. I'm way too busy for that." He leans back in his chair. "When my father was still alive, he kept trying to set me up with some countess, but I always refused to marry for anything but love." He shrugs.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin just hoped he could take Arthur at his word and not have this come back to bite him in the arse.

"Love." Merlin smiles a little. He likes that Arthur's a little sentimental. Best magic in the world. "When do you think you'll find it? The entire kingdom is abuzz, you know."

[royalpratness]

"No idea. It's not like you can plan these kind of things. It might as well never happen." Arthur stretches his arms out over his head for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. "The only problem about that is the line of succession. The throne would have to be passed to one of my cousins."

[ayoungboy]

"You don't want to find it?" Merlin asks curiously. "Have you even been looking, Arthur?"

"Ah. And that's...bad, is it?" Merlin bites his lip, a little embarrassed at being so far out of the loop. But he was usually immersed in the magic community, so.

[royalpratness]

"I'm not saying that I don't want to, but it's difficult for someone in my position. It's hard to tell who is only after my money and a title and who likes me for me." He considers Merlin's first question and shakes his head eventually. "No, I haven't been looking, really. If it happens, it happens. If not..." Arthur trails off, shrugging once again. "It wouldn't be bad per se, but it's likely that the general public wouldn't be very happy about it. People love fairy tale weddings."

[ayoungboy]

"I can give you a truth spell." Merlin offers, only half-joking. "If you ever find somebody you like, well...for the kingdom, you know. Need their king to be happy."

"That they do," Merlin smiles again to himself, shaking his head. "You know, Arthur, if you believe in love, you believe in magic."