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 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.

[royalpratness]

Arthur ties his rains of his horse to a tree branch and goes to venture through the grounds.

[ayoungboy]

The tents have names on them, stitched on the outside. Merlin's is a dark purple, with a thick, dark piece obscuring the entrance.

[royalpratness]

Since there is no door to knock on, Arthur lifts the tent flap an inch or two, peaking inside. "Hello?"

[ayoungboy]

There's no answer. Merlin, in fact, is a blanket burrito on his cot, fast asleep. There's a trunk marked 'props' in the corner, another, open one, near the foot of his cot full of costumes and in complete disarray, and a final, locked and unmarked trunk in the far corner of the room.

[royalpratness]

Arthur feels bad for trying to wake Emrys but this might be his only chance to talk to the man. "Excuse me." He clears his throat, speaking loudly.

[ayoungboy]

"...nngmph?" Merlin mumbles, barely twitching under his blankets.

[royalpratness]

"Sorry. I didn't know you were asleep at this time of day." Arthur takes a step further into the tent.

[ayoungboy]

He's not even completely awake when he peeks out at Arthur, bleary-eyed, hair mussed. "...huh?"

[royalpratness]

Arthur can't help but grin at the sight. In that state, Emrys looks nothing like a powerful wizard anymore. "Hello."

[ayoungboy]

"...who...oh. Hello, sir." Merlin yawns, voice sleepy. "...close the flap?"

[royalpratness]

"Arthur. My name is Arthur Pendragon." He turns, closing the flap behind him. "Sorry for intruding like this."

[ayoungboy]

"Mr. Pendragon," Merlin yawns again, blinking a little more now that the sunlight is gone, leaving them cloaked in quiet darkness. "...pardon me. No...it's alright. You didn't have any singing on your clothes, did you? I can fix it if you did."

[royalpratness]

"What? Singing? No, no my clothes are fine." Arthur looks curiously around the tent. "How did you do it?"

[ayoungboy]

"Oh, good." It takes Merlin a long time to process the question. "...do what? Oh. That was magic."

[royalpratness]

Arthur rolls his eyes. "Yes, of course." He tilts his head. "Did you use wires?"

[ayoungboy]

"Nope, no wires." Merlin shakes his head, face half-buried in his pillow. "Magic."