For Your Entertainment

[ayoungboy]

The circus comes into town in the late afternoon. It's a quiet caravan, but the whispers start immediately. It's not a regular circus. This one - this is the Camelot circus. One of the most esteemed traveling acts in the country, and not for the faint of heart. This one has a flaming sword eater and a terrifying magician.

A few brave people try to peek at the preparations, but once the big tent is up, all that can really be seen are food stands being set up, and a few podiums for acts unknown. Everything else is hidden from view. You want to see? Come buy a ticket.

Comments

[ayoungboy]

Merlin smiles mysteriously and carefully ties the cloth around Arthur's eyes. "Can you see anything, sir?"

[royalpratness]

"No, nothing." Arthur's hands ball into fists and he hopes he won't regret this.

[ayoungboy]

"Now, please watch carefully," Merlin is addressing the crowd, and they ooh and ahh at what he's doing. Which - not that Arthur can see - but he's making the knives and rings float up, into the air. The rings set themselves on fire, arranged in what appears to be a deadly, floating obstacle course.

[royalpratness]

Arthur has no idea what's going on but he tries to remain calm, not letting his discomfort show.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin moves back over to Arthur, resting a gloved hand on his lower back. "Ladies and gentleman - prepare yourselves."

"You're going to float," This is whispered to Arthur, and only. "Do not move once you're in the air; as long as you don't move, you will be fine."

[royalpratness]

Arthur tenses up at Merlin's words and gives a curt nod. Floating?! How on earth is he planning to achieve that? Surely, he should have attached some kind of wires to Arthur but there's nothing there.

[ayoungboy]

"Relax," Merlin's voice is soft and soothing, right in Arthur's ear.

"You all might want to buy him a pint after this!" Merlin says to the crowd, and they're suspiciously quiet. Merlin steps back, leaving Arthur alone, and slowly...the man is lifted off the ground by an invisible force.

[royalpratness]

Arthur barely surpresses a yell of shock when he is lifted off his feet and apparently floating. It's terribly weird and Arthur tries not to move.

[ayoungboy]

"Would you like the rope, sir?" Merlin asks calmly. He can tie Arthur up, if he'd rather, but it's usually more impressive if they don't use it.

[royalpratness]

"Err, no." He doesn't want to feel even more powerless than he already does.

[ayoungboy]

"Good sport!" The crowd claps politely, and Arthur starts moving towards the unseen obstacle course. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will need absolute silence for this portion of the act...as you can see, it's very dangerous."

[royalpratness]

Arthur is glad about the blindfold because he's sure that whatever is happening to him is rather dangerous.

[ayoungboy]

Arthur is being moved through the air, now, manipulated through the obstacle course. There are a few gasps and quickly muffled squeaks of terror, but the crowd is glued to the performance. He will probably feel the heat from the fire on the rings as Merlin sails him through it.

[royalpratness]

He does notice the change is temperature around him but he can't tell what exactly is going on.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin lets the suspense build, as Arthur moves slowly through the course, but he comes out the other side unscathed, and the audience bursts out into relieved applause.

[royalpratness]

Arthur's shoulders slump in relief. He takes the applause of the crowd as a sign that the worst is over now.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin gently lets Arthur to the ground, and unties the blindfold. Taking Arthur's hand, he bows with him, smiling brightly.

[royalpratness]

Arthur's hands are shaking but he goes with it and bows to the crowd. "How the hell did you do that?!" He whispers.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin winks privately at him, hidden from the crowd by his hat, thin lips curved in a secretive smile. "Magic."

[royalpratness]

"Bullshit." Arthur grunts, turning to join Elena again who is hugging him tightly.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin laughs and takes one last bow before his trick is cleaned up neatly and he disappears in a puff of smoke to make way for the next act.

[royalpratness]

Elena keeps on chattering all the time until the end of the show. Arthur doesn't pay much attention to any of the acts that follows - he wants to know how Merlin had made him float.

[ayoungboy]

The show ends and the crowd starts to filter out, discussing all that they had seen excitedly.

[royalpratness]

Arthur considers staying behind to look for Emrys but since Elena is still with him, he takes her home instead. He doesn't get that sleep that night, thoughts still drawn to Emrys and what he had done.

After lunch the next day, Arthur finds himself saddling his favourite horse, making his way to the circus campsite to look for Emrys.

[ayoungboy]

The circus is quiet, and it doesn't seem like anybody is out and about. Well - they've been up working all night, it's hardly a surprise.