chapter twenty-two!
022. adelynn's grave secret
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
THEY SEARCHED for the Druid boy from nightfall to morning. Even as Camelot blossomed into a new day, the streets, the square and the castle corridors were heavy with guards checking each crevice and each corner. They kicked over barrels, upturned tarps and struck spears and pitchforks into travelling farmers wagons, destroying their produce in search of this boy. Adelynn watched them with a tense breath, standing at her brother's side in the outside corridors. She clutched her fingers so tight together they began to hurt, and she was glad they were hidden underneath the silk of her cloak.
Her brother scoffed at the sight of them puncturing radishes in the next wagon that was about to enter the citadel, "Yes," he muttered, "and a little boy is suddenly small enough to hide amongst radishes▬and when would he have snuck into those radishes in the time this wagon took to reach Camelot?"
Adelynn shuffled nervously at his side. She was accompanying him this morning around the castle▬being introduced more into the court. Originally, such things for her would start next Spring, but she begged her mother to then tell Ronyn (because he wouldn't listen to her if she asked him) her out of the blue request. Her mother believed it was because she was finally starting to mature into the role of a young, prestigious lady▬that it was time to buy better silks, have her help out with the household and learn what was needed before she was to marry.
The Lady Elayne was▬of course▬hesitant. She might be stern, and she might have a tongue that could very much lash out in order to discipline her children who have learnt to be quite defiant, but she understood and knew them quite well. She raised them more than any other. She knew her daughter more than she knew herself. She knew Adelynn's thirst for adventure, and her dislike of the thought of being married off and losing all of that. She knew her keen mind for knowledge: reading books on astronomy, botany and philosophy, learning how to paint and how to draw▬searching for the thrill of the world in the form of pages and her own imagination. She knew that just yesterday, she had snuck out away from her maid and came home later in the afternoon▬and she knew that perhaps she was asking for these things for another reason entirely.
(And of course, she was right. But the Lady Elayne did not say no, because she didn't want to deny Adelynn the chance, either).
(But what she did not know was that Adelynn requesting to be accompanied by Ronyn to a morning tea the Lady Morgana invited to her was because of a certain Druid boy they were hiding, and not in a wagon of radishes).
"Perhaps he is that small?" Adelynn spoke up softly, unsure. "A boy that small could easily sneak out of this castle into one of those wagons."
"A boy who is injured?" Ronyn frowned at her, shaking his head. "In a castle filled to the brim with guards and knights? No, he could not."
"He was magic, though▬surely he could use it?"
Her brother made a face, "Magic isn't just given to you, Adelynn▬sorcerers learn the art; a boy would never master magic, even if he is a Druid."
"What if he was born with it?" Adelynn questioned. "What if he just happened to have the gift▬?"
"Not such a thing exists," Ronyn told her▬and his tone had become rather sharp. She understood, just by the way he glanced over her shoulder at two maids that had glanced at them briefly▬they shared a look. He scowled at them before taking his sister's arm and moving her along. "And you should not speak of such things▬one wrong interpretation and you will follow this boy in execution."
She held her tongue, looking away. She clenched and unclenched her hands hidden within her cloak. Adelynn wanted to leave this square. She frowned to herself, hoping her brother did not see. She wondered how cruel it was▬how ironic, that a girl such as she who already felt so alone in this world, could be given something that only made her feel even more so. She was hated by her father, and sometimes even hated by herself. She stare in the mirror and scoff at her reflection just as her father once did▬a disappointment, a girl when all they wanted was another boy; a weak, little thing who had nothing to offer for this world. But at least she had her mother and she had her older brother, and now ... if they knew the truth; if they knew her secret, would they hate her, too?
She almost felt like that little boy: hiding▬alone and scared. Adelynn spoke of voices and hauntings in her mind, but the truth was ... she helped that little boy because deep down, she knew she saw herself in his terrified eyes.
But her brother noticed. Ronyn's frown deepened, leaning down a little so he could meet her gaze and ask, "Adelynn, what is it?"
Adelynn's words were stuck in the back of her throat. She stared at him, for once fearful to say anything to her own brother▬the figure in her life that had protected her from everything. Would he protect her from this? Would he turn her in? Would he leave her; look at her as nothing▬disown her for something she never chose to even have. She swallowed back the lump in her throat. She could see the slight fall on her brother's face to see her seem so scared▬and she knew he immediately thought it because of himself. She didn't want that▬she wanted to tell him that he did not scare her at all, and yet ... right now ... she knew if she said that, she'd be lying, and that was painful.
"But he's just a boy," she whispered in a croaky voice. "H▬how has he▬what wrong has he done to deserve execution?"
Ronyn watched her for a moment, not sure how to take her question. Then, he pursed his lips and sighed, squeezing her arm. "It is not for us to question. He has magic, and so that is his fate as verdicts the King."
"But he couldn't be evil," Adelynn shook her head. "When has he had the chance to be evil? When has magic had the time to corrupt him▬?"
"Adelynn," Ronyn stopped her from asking anything else. He shot another anxious glance around them in case anyone had listened to her. "Keep quiet about this, I swear to God. You don't want someone to overhear you."
She wasn't sure how to take his answer, "Do you agree?" she asked him, filled with a light chest of hope.
He did not answer. And it confused her. Instead, Ronyn gave her a stern look that matched their mother's perfectly to state: "Stop it. Come on▬let's get you to Morgana."
Adelynn said nothing else as they travelled to Morgana's chambers. She could tell her brother was eyeing her out of the corner of his gaze, trying to understand what motivated her to ask such questions. She continued to fiddle with her fingers and the threads of her cloak▬finding it hard to breathe within the air between them.
She was grateful when they finally reached the King's Ward's chambers. Ronyn knocked on the door and Morgana was there to answer it, peering her head through to check who it was. When she noticed Adelynn, the two of them shared a knowing glance and there was a breath of relief that washed down Morgana's face. Then, she turned to her brother, "Ronyn," she greeted. "What a pleasure it isn't to see you."
He scoffed, making a face at her immediate insult. "What is it Morgana? What have I done to you? Breathe?"
The Ward tilted her head, considering his words before nodding, "Yes, it would seem so."
Ronyn chuckled a dry laugh, replying with a sarcastic smile to which Morgana quipped back with one of her own. "And here I was going to offer to take a stroll with you through the royal gardens."
"Offer?" Morgana's brows bounced up. "As if it is a gift to spend time with you, Lord Vecentia?"
He mimicked her tone▬the both of them acting more of a child than Adelynn was! Then Ronyn passed Morgana a small book he had brought with him. An old, leather bound tale from his library telling the story of a Seafarer who speaks of his alienation from the world, set out at sea. "Here," grumbled her brother with all feigned hatred. "Take your book▬how many must you borrow and never give back from my library?"
Morgana took it with a playful smirk, "Only the ones that are worth the read."
"Yes," said her brother sarcastically, "I love the poem about an old man looking back on his life before death▬a life about the sea, no less..."
The King's Ward sent him a stare of mock sympathy, "Envious you do not have the mental capacity to understand and admire poetry?"
"No, I'm blissfully free," rebutted Ronyn. "Now, here you go, Adelynn▬enjoy your reading session about the sea."
She nodded goodbye to him with a strained smile before stepping inside Morgana's chambers. As soon as she did, the King's Ward closed the door and rushed forward to the screen where the boy hid behind, setting aside her poem without a second thought.
"How is he?" asked Adelynn, following her.
"I'm not sure," admitted Morgana, crouching down in front of the boy who rested amongst fresh sheets▬his chest shivered with each breath; he did not look the best. "He's very pale▬I'm scared he has lost a lot of blood."
"Has he spoken to you?"
The King's Ward shook her head, "No," she muttered, sounding very concerned. "He hasn't said a word. Merlin is supposed to be bringing some food for him▬I hope he might perk up a bit after he's had something to eat."
There was a second knock on the door. Morgana froze. She glanced at Adelynn before standing up, "That would have to be Merlin," and she left, leaving Adelynn sitting by the young boy.
She gazed down at his sleeping body and hearing his ragged breaths. He did not look well at all▬the wound still stained fresh bandages around his arm. Adelynn pursed her lips and reached out to feel his forehead; it was burning hot.
When she pulled it away, she was started to hear him finally speak to her again▬echoing in her mind, Adelynn, said the little boy. And he even sounded unwell in the depths of her conscious.
She hovered there, waiting for him to say something else. But he didn't▬or maybe he had no strength left within him to do so. Adelynn grew worried and she shuffled so she was on her knees. I'm here, she said to him in her mind. How do you do that? How can I hear you in my mind? Can you hear me in your mind?
His eyelids fluttered open, and he was barely looking at her. She knew what that was like▬to feel so ill that even focusing her gaze was exhausting. Yes, he managed, I can hear you. You have magic. Like me.
She felt as if she had lost her breath and her mind, frozen in horrifying shock as she heard those words: magic. Adelynn had come to the conclusion herself after the strange occurrences she's experienced▬but come to the conclusion with a dreadful mind and tears in her eyes. To hear someone say it to. To tell her she had magic, it made her almost want to break.
She didn't want to have magic. It was the last thing she wanted to have. Of all the adventures to face, to be the very thing hunted and persecuted in this land was the last type of story she wanted to tell for herself.
"Merlin," hearing Morgana greet the Prince's manservant made Adelynn glance back▬quite startled with tears brewing in her eyes. She wondered whether she was trembling.
Without fail, his eyes found hers across the room▬as if from the very moment the door opened, his gaze had been searching for her. They were wide and they were hard to describe ... mysterious, like dark waters of an ocean that held many secrets.
She grew unsettled and she had to look away. Wiping at her tears, Adelynn did her best to compose herself even though her heart pounded faster than a galloping stallion. Magic, the boy had told her. You have magic. Like me.
She heard their footsteps behind her. Adelynn looked up as Merlin crouched down beside her with Morgana in following and he noticed the boy's state immediately. He reached out and felt his forehead, too.
He glanced at them, stunned, "He▬he's burning up. How long has he been like this?"
Morgana shifted uneasily in her crouch, pale with worry, "Since early this morning. He's lost a lot of blood▬I think his wound may be infected."
Merlin pursed his lips and pulled his hand away. He ran it down along his cheek, growing restless at the thought of what was needed next. He shook his head, not wanting to come to the choice. But Morgana only leaned forward to say, "We need Gaius before it gets any worse."
"No," said the manservant. He shook his head. "No, we cannot involve Gaius. It is too dangerous. Besides, if he finds out about this, he'll execute me himself..."
Adelynn took a deep breath, pushing away all of her troubling thoughts to focus on the problem at hand. She rubbed at her eyes and tucked away her dark brown waves behind her ears. "We need to get him out of Camelot," she spoke up and the two of them glanced at her. She refused to meet Merlin's gaze again, not when she felt like he could see right through every lie she told. She instead glanced at Morgana. "We cannot do so while he is sick. We need a physician."
Merlin set his jaw. He knew they were right. But dragging Gaius into this wasn't a wise choice, and so, he decided, "I'll treat him."
Both Morgana and Adelynn's eyes went wide. The King's Ward stared at him, dubious, "Merlin, do you know how to treat an infected wound?"
"Uh ..." he glanced at them sheepishly, "... not exactly. But, I'm a fast learner."
Adelynn wanted to object; glancing down at this young boy, she knew he needed somebody experienced. Someone who knew what they were doing. She was worried that by trying to help, Merlin might just make the wound worst. But before she could voice her concern, loud footsteps echoed outside in the corridor. The three of them stiffened, listening and waiting to see whether they would disappear into the distance, but instead, they got louder and closer▬until they stopped right outside the door to Morgana's chambers.
For the third time that morning, Morgana received a knock at her chamber entrance. But this time, there was no one else she was expecting.
They all shared an anxious exchange. Morgana looked prepared to ignore it, hoping that the person would go away. But when there was no answer, the knocking only returned▬louder and more obnoxious than before. She shuffled on the spot, not sure what to do, until Merlin nodded at her to tell her to go over.
The King's Ward hesitated, but she stood on her feet. Giving the two of them a final look, she reached up and closed the curtains▬once again, Adelynn found herself hidden from view with Merlin and the Druid boy, and this time, she wanted nothing more than to sneak out; finding it suffocating at the manservant's side.
She felt Merlin shuffle beside her, gently tapping her shoulder to make her move over to the side so he could carefully tug the curtain back enough so he could peer through. Despite the overwhelming feeling she held that felt as if she was drowning, Adelynn hovered right over his shoulder so she could see as well. He tensed at the movement.
They watched as Morgana opened the door and forced a smile onto her face, "Arthur! To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Merlin rolled his eyes and scoffed under his breath, "Of course," he muttered to himself, "who else would have a more obnoxious knock?"
The Prince stepped into the bed chambers, taking a wide glance around. Adelynn has been around Arthur quite often whenever he decided to visit her brother's home▬she'd watch them spar in the gardens and share a morning tea here and there. He was her older brother's closest friend▬ever since they were young children.
"Don't get all excited, Morgana," said the Prince, eyeing her room with a keen eye. "It's not a social call. We're looking for the Druid boy. I'm afraid I'm going to have to search your chambers."
Adelynn tensed, feeling her heart start to pace▬if he just looked this way, he might see their faces watching, hiding behind the screen with the boy he was looking for ... right beneath his nose. And then that would be it▬they would all be executed with him.
She knew this was going through Morgana's mind, but the King's Ward showed no fear whatsoever, responding with the same sharp and irritated tone as she always did whenever in conversation with the Prince. "You are not searching my chambers."
Arthur rolled his eyes at her, "Don't take it personally." He started to pick at the fruit on her table. "I have to search the entire castle. It will only take a few minutes." He threw the grape into his mouth and moved on past her. As he did, Morgana shot a distressed glance to the two shadowed behind the curtains.
"I'm not having you mess up my things," she tried to deter him out, but the Prince only scoffed as he opened up one of her cabinets to peer inside. He made a face at all of the jewellery and instantly closed it.
"I'm not interesting in your things," he said loudly, rather annoyed. "I'm just looking for any evidence that the Druid boy's in the castle."
Adelynn's stomach jolted as▬just as he spoke those words▬she saw them. The boy's boots were sitting there, only just out of sight behind one of the columns near the screen. She started to grow distressed, anxious that if Arthur just glanced a little to the left, he would see them. She turned to Merlin hovering beside her and saw a similar look upon his face.
One of them would have to go out and grab them. She understood that. Though she wondered why Merlin suddenly looked so terrified and sick that she was sure he would collapse in a sweating fit just like the boy. She frowned at him, very confused. He glanced at her, then at the boots, then back at her, and Adelynn knew whatever was going through his mind, it would have to wait▬they were wasting time.
"Perhaps the Druid boy's hiding in your chambers. They're usually such a mess, you'd never know."
"It is hardly my fault I have such a lazy idiot for a servant."
Adelynn had to take the chance with Arthur's back turned, facing the window. She crouched, ready to slip out but before she could, Merlin grasped her arm tight, keeping her still in her spot.
She frowned at him, starting to grow frustrated, "What are you doing?" she whispered to him harshly.
The side eye he sent her was frantic, his breath uneven▬but he soon swallowed it and fixed his gaze onto the boots set against the column. Adelynn was about to demand her question again▬until those words were snuffed right off the tip of her tongue when she heard ... no louder than a whisper ... something breathe from Merlin's lips.
She watched his eyes flicker in the dim light▬they changed to gold and then, just like that, the young boy's boots rose up and started to walk straight towards them. Adelynn couldn't move, she couldn't think▬she just stared, unable to believe what she was seeing right before her eyes.
"If you can't even find your own servant, what hope do you have of finding the boy?"
Arthur slowly turned at the comment and in a matter of seconds, Merlin breathed another spell and the boots switched positions, shuffling backwards to hide behind the next column.
"Really, I am touched by the confidence you have in my abilities. And as much as I'd love to stay and talk, the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll be finished."
Adelynn felt something rise up her throat▬she wasn't even sure what it was. Fear? Horror? Shock? She shook her head, her words at a loss▬far from her. Merlin wouldn't look at her. He kept waiting for the right moment before incanting his charm once more, and the boots made the rest of the journey towards the curtains. He grabbed them swiftly and passed them off to her. She took them, stumbling and dumbstruck. His gaze darted to her, and then it left, tense. She could hear his ragged breath just as she could hear the boy's. She could hear it in her mind like the voices that surrounded her▬she remembered the strange feeling she felt when she brushed past him, running out of Edwin's chambers ...
She didn't know Merlin at all. She barely knew him anything more than the smallest waves of water breeching the shore. He was a complete stranger.
Merlin set his jaw, but finally, he forced himself to meet her gaze. He looked apologetic more than he was scared▬waiting for her to say something or do something, but Adelynn was stunned into a petrified silence.
"Well," Morgana's voice was distant in the back of her mind. Adelynn could not move her stare away from the Prince's manservant hiding with her behind these curtains, "I'll save you the trouble."
"Trust me," grumbled Arthur, grabbing a few more grapes from her fruit platter on her dining table, "if I could find him, I would."
Morgana walked up to him. She quirked a brow and without an hesitation, she said: "The Druid boy's hiding behind the screen."
It was only then that Adelynn's trance broke. She jumped and darted backwards, following Merlin's lead as the two of them kept themselves far away from the gap in the curtains. Her breathing quickened; she locked his gaze again▬her brows furrowed in utter disbelief and he pursed his lips, looking as though he had just thrown his life into her hands. And suddenly, it seemed like he had.
(Why?)
Morgana chuckled by her dining table. Amused, she approached Arthur's tense stance as he fixed his gaze on the curtains beside her screen▬he did not move an inch; there was nothing more terrifying for a boy such as him than what might be hiding behind a girl's screen.
With a smirk playing on her lips, the King's Ward taunted him with words that flowed easily off her tongue, "I'm sure your father would love to know how you wasted your time by rifling through my things." She stopped right in front of him. She nodded to the curtains, starting to grin. "Go on," she told him.
Arthur bit at the inside of his cheek. A brow arched, he cleared his throat and gestured to her screen, "Right," he managed, "so you can have the satisfaction of making me look like a fool?"
Morgana pouted with mock pity. She clicked her tongue, "In my experience you don't need any help looking like a fool."
The Prince propped his hands on his hips, staring at her with all inability to speak. Morgana chuckled at the dumbfounded look upon his face. "What are you waiting for?" she teased. "Take a look."
Arthur huffed indignantly at the playful grin she held, "Why don't you▬" he gestured to her, trying his best to find a better come-back, but nothing clever seemed to be able to come out of his mouth, "▬I don't know▬go back to brushing your hair, or whatever it is you do all day?"
And just like that, the Prince stormed out of her room▬not even caring about the Druid boy at all. Morgana laughed at him as he left, calling out a final jest: "Bye, Arthur▬good luck with the search!"
She was met with the slam of her door.
Morgana slumped with relief▬but there was no relief behind the red curtains. There, Adelynn Vecentia stared at Merlin Wyllt, shaking her head with a mixture of horror and disbelief. The sorcerer sitting opposite her swallowed down a lump in his throat, staring at her with such fear she didn't know what to do. She remembered how he had found her, in that hallway with the boy clutching her hand, and she had wondered▬terrified▬for a moment whether Merlin would hand them over to the guards. Instead, he had taken her hand and pulled them to somewhere safe. She had a feeling she looked then just like he did, now.
And yet, why would he tell her? Surely this boy didn't mean so much to him that he'd let his secret go to a young girl he barely knew. That didn't make sense▬she had a feeling Merlin was reckless, but not that much so. She had so many questions. So many.
She felt the sudden need to cry, realising with a sudden strike to her chest that even though it seemed as if she was standing before some strange creature, she was very much the same. She had magic, too.
Maybe he knew. Maybe somehow, he knew. Maybe he had heard her talking to the boy. Maybe that was why he stared at her so intently, and so strangely▬like he could read every secret she held without offering up one of his own. Until now.
Merlin took a shaky breath, "Adelynn," he began in a whisper, "listen▬" he tried to shuffle forward but she only rushed backwards, her heart pounding. He stopped, pained. But he didn't not pressure her. He stayed there, hurt and confused▬as if somehow, he expected her to be understanding.
"I▬" her voice cracked. "I▬I need▬I need to go▬"
And she left Morgana's chambers▬without another word despite all of her questions. She had to get out of here. She had to run. She had to hide▬the feeling inside her chest was getting bigger and bigger, tighter and tighter. For a moment, Adelynn thought she was going to find the King, until she found herself falling down to sit in the corner of a dark and lonely alcove. There, away from everything, Adelynn Vecentia could finally find the capability to breathe.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
CLAUDIA was concerned when Adelynn wanted to be alone that night. She prepared herself for bed, letting herself soak in the warm waters of a bath scented with flower petals before drying herself off and dressing into her night gown. Her maid said little, but she was worried▬Adelynn could tell in the way she glanced back at her as she left, hesitating as she opened and then closed the door. As soon as she did, the youngest Vecentia slipped into her bed and stared out of the window she had yet to draw the curtains on. She thought of the boy, feverish and hot in Morgana's chambers. She thought of Merlin▬what he had done▬
Merlin had magic.
The Prince's manservant; a sorcerer right under Uther's nose. Adelynn had always found him mysterious and cautious▬like he was always watching over his shoulder and keeping every secret locked underneath his tongue. She knew nothing about him, and now, suddenly, she felt as if she knew too much.
How had he managed to keep it hidden? How had he done it▬so close to the King's son who shared little difference to his father's belief on magic?
It sort of scared her, just how cunning someone would have to be to hide such a secret in plain sight, and yet seem so gentle and clumsy▬ridiculous, as Adelynn has heard the Prince say.
He had magic. And what was she supposed to do with that? What could she do? Does she ask him questions? Does she tell him about the voices and about what the boy said? Could she trust Merlin with such a grasp on her life? Could she ask him all her questions and get the answers she wanted? Could she tell him ... that ... that she had magic, too? That it haunted her, and it cursed her, and it made her want to curl up under her covers and hide away, hoping it would keep the voices away. That it overwhelmed her until she felt it burst, and it would shatter like broken glass.
She tried to sleep, but she couldn't.
Did he already know?
That thought scared her the most.
Adelynn didn't know whether it was trust, or whether it was a fear of magic itself. She just knew that she had always been told that magic corrupted the goodness that lived within people's hearts. Turning them black and withering until there was nothing left of the person they once were. She didn't want her heart to whither to evilness. She didn't want to end up like her father. And if she had the blood of a man who couldn't love without magic tainting his soul ... what did that mean for her who had both?
The knock on her door confused her. It was soft▬she barely even heard it, and yet she still did as if it was the loudest sound in her room. Adelynn glanced over, hidden underneath her sheets and duvet with tear-stricken cheeks.
Her breath hitched. She watched the wooden oak for a moment▬as if part of her seemed to know who stood behind it, and yet she couldn't figure it out. She felt disassociated from herself; as if what lied beneath the covers and what hovered above it were two completely different people. One of them was a scared, little girl, and the other was the harbinger of her nightmares.
Another set of knocks followed▬just as soft and as careful as the ones before. Adelynn pursed her lips, and pushed forward enough courage to pull away the covers and step out onto the stone floor. She walked slowly to the door, her heart beginning to race▬but she managed to grasp the brass handle and open in slowly. Once it was ajar, she peered around the threshold and her breath hitched once more when she saw who stood waiting.
The manservant took a deep breath, meeting her gaze as he stood in the hallway of her brother's manor and greeted: "My Lady."
Adelynn wanted to shut the door on him. She almost did, but some strange part of her only just pulled it open more, "Merlin?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and stuck in the back of her throat from her tears. "What▬what are you doing here? How did you get in here?"
He went to say something, but then shuffled on his feet▬he made a face, wincing a little to himself that told her exactly what he had done: he had snuck his way into her home using magic of some sort of kind. Adelynn hugged her stomach with one arm and clutched the door handle tight with the other. He looked as same as he had earlier today, in a loose, old tunic that was dusty and made of fabric that made her skin itch just by looking at it. Over that was a dirty, thin leather jacket filled with moth holes and a scarf loosely wrapped around his neck that seemed to be made from another old tunic. His boots were scuffed and untied where thick socks billowed out over the edge where his pants hems bulged. He was only just two years older, but his youthful face made him look just the same▬except his eyes. He had the eyes of an old, wise man.
Adelynn took a deep breath. For some reason, she stepped aside and let him enter. Even though she knew it was wrong▬even though she knew her mother and her brother would kill her (and Merlin) if they found out (more likely kill Merlin permanently). It was improper, and it was scandalous▬a young unmarried lady should never invite a boy into her private chambers. Let alone a sorcerer ... But Adelynn did anyway.
She watched Merlin hesitantly follow her inside. He shyly met her red-rimmed gaze, and had to advert his eyes▬he looked just as scared as he had behind those curtains ... just as pained the moment she had flinched and ran away. Adelynn suddenly felt guilty for how she reacted.
The young Vecentia swallowed harshly as she closed the door once he was inside. Then, she muttered, "You shouldn't be here. If my brother found out, he would have you thrown in the stocks▬or worse."
Merlin managed a slight shrug and a face, "Ronyn?" he forced a chuckle. "Really? Do we know the same person?"
Adelynn only just pursed her lips and walked past him, not wanting him to look at her and see how shaken she was. Merlin watched her go and his smile faded. He took a soft, shaky breath and fiddled with his fingers. "Um ..." he began, his heart starting to pace all over again. "Uh▬Adelynn, about what happened▬"
"I haven't told anyone," she said in a very small voice.
Merlin's eyes shot up. They widened briefly. "You haven't?"
With her back turned to him, she shook her head. She grabbed her shawl from over her screen and wrapped it tight around her, hoping it would give her comfort. "No."
A tense silence felled upon them. Adelynn chewed on her bottom lip, and despite her fears, her curiosity won enough for her to burst out quietly: "You have magic?"
In the reflection of her window▬dim under the dying candles▬Merlin looked to his feet and nodded.
She eyed him this way ... it felt easier to stare at somebody through glass than it did to truly stare them in the face; let them see her soul and her secrets without a barrier to distort it. Adelynn wondered whether he noticed her shaking underneath her shawl. "Do ... did you ... when you found the boy and me in that castle hallway ... that wasn't by chance, was it? You ... you heard him? You▬" her voice disappeared, stuck. She swallowed the lump in her throat again to finish her sentence. "You heard me?"
He nodded again.
"That's why you helped me?"
Merlin Wyllt peered up out of the corner of his eye and admitted: "It ... it was a spur-of-the-moment decision ..."
Adelynn believed him. She believed those words more than she would have believed him agreeing to exactly what she said▬and she appreciated it. She knew what she had seen on his face in that corridor, and she did not want him to lie to her about it.
And so, in return, she supposed she shouldn't lie to him either. She hugged her shawl tighter and stared at herself in the mirror. In her reflection, she looked like a child lost in the wind▬ghostly and forgotten. It made her feel like she was still ill and on her death bed, not even able to tell her mother she loved her. "I ... I heard him," she admitted as well. Merlin glanced up and met her gaze through the window. She saw his jaw tense. "I heard him speak to me. I▬In my mind. I wasn't even in the courtyard but I heard him, as clear as day. And I knew I had to find him. So ... so, I did ... and then the next thing I knew I was running through the castle with him and I thought ... I thought I had truly lost my senses▬finally."
Merlin took a sharp breath through his nose. He stared at her▬she saw his eyes; dark like the evening's descent into night ... blue and mystical. The world outside reflected right into Merlin's gaze and they became one and the same. Sad, alone, misunderstood ... but he seemed to understand her so much it hurt him. It took her off guard.
Adelynn choked back a small sob. "I ... Is it ... is it magic?"
The boy had told her. She had thought it. But she wanted to hear it. She wanted Merlin to say it.
His eyes started to well up with their own tears. He started to nod. Then, voice heavy with emotion, he told her: "Yes."
Adelynn finally turned to face him. They stood across each other in the large room▬so far apart, and yet very close. "You knew?"
Merlin swallowed back his heavy words and said, clearer this time. "Yes. E▬ever since ... ever since I saw you in Edwin's chambers. I ... I felt it ... so hot, so unbearable ... I couldn't breathe."
She didn't understand the relief she felt wash over her after hearing him say that. But she felt it, and it almost made her collapse into the chair at her table. "You ... you felt that, too?"
His nod was barely there. But she saw it. Adelynn's cheeks had become wet with her tears. "You▬" she hiccuped, "▬you know what's happening to me? What▬what it is? You know why I hear voices in my mind? Why▬why things shatter and break when it gets too much? Why I look at things and ... and they move without me touching them? You know why I feel that?"
"I..." Merlin froze up. Her brows knitted as she started to realise that perhaps even he was a bit bewildered by what happened. "I▬I'm not too sure, but ... but all magic is different▬"
"Am I cursed?" she then said before she could stop herself. Merlin's expression changed like a penny had dropped▬instant to a breathless shock. "Am▬am I cursed to be haunted by this? Will I ever be rid of it?"
He shook his head, as if unsure on what to say.
Adelynn only kept talking. "I▬I've always▬everyone says that magic corrupts the heart. That it turns even the purest of people into the darkest version of themselves. I don't▬I don't▬I don't want that to happen to me▬"
"Hey," Merlin cut her off. He surged forwards and she flinched at the sudden movement. She cursed herself for it, having never acted like that in front of people if she could help it. But she was so overwhelmed▬so aware of everything happening around her, that she was prepared for even the slightest of movement, as if her father's hand was coming to strike down upon her all over again. Merlin noticed and he slowed down, more gentle this time. He held his hands up, eyeing her curiously. "Hey," he said again, lowering them and walking up to her carefully. "Adelynn, magic isn't a curse. It doesn't haunt you. It's something far from that."
She sniffled, feeling her heart weigh heavy in her chest; as if it was filled with stone rather than flesh. "Then why does it feel like such a burden?"
The Prince's manservant staggered, as if her words caused him a mortal blow. "I ..." he furrowed his brows. Merlin looked ready to cry, just like her. "I know ..." he began again, "... what it is like. How ... how scary it can be. Especially when you don't know what's happening but now I know that it's not a burden▬it is not a curse. Magic ... it can be a gift ... it can be a force for good."
"A gift?" she scoffed through her tears. "How can threat of execution be a gift?"
Merlin shed his own tear. Her shoulders slumped seeing it. But then, he gave her a sad smile. She watched his eyes drift over to her dimming candle on the table and under his breath, he whispered: "Forbearnan▬" Adelynn jumped when the flame on her candle flickered upwards as if it had been sparked with new life. His gaze darted to her at the movement, but he didn't let it deter him. With a deep breath, he continued his spell▬his eyes glimmered gold just like the flames and then with his hands, Adelynn gazed upon with awe, he guided the flame to hover. It lifted and then it floated; it danced like a puppet on a string attached to his fingers ... but so smooth as if it had wings of its own.
Adelynn couldn't help it. The weight in her chest seemed to lift. As did her shoulders. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched into a gasp as the flame from the candle hovered towards her until it hung right before her eyes▬and she could feel the warmth of it tickle her nose. But never did it burn her. Never did it hurt her. And despite everything ... she started to smile because it was beautiful.
She didn't see Merlin glance at her▬too immersed in the magic he conjured; turning her flame into a flying light; glimmering with warmth and hope ... not something dangerous, not something dark or evil ... but gentle and hesitant ... testing her and checking whether she was okay▬tickling her nose and making her want to chuckle, like the voices that used to comfort her as a child. She didn't see the young warlock breath a smile, himself, emotional at the sight of someone in awe of his magic▬someone smiling and tearful, gazing at what he had done with a sudden glimmer of delight after being so upset ... and it made his chest tight and his throat ache ... Merlin started to feel not quite so alone.
For no one▬not one person▬has ever looked at his magic that way.
Strangely, he thought back on what the boy called him as he tried to treat him that afternoon: Emrys. And he thought on how Adelynn looked now▬he thought of what the Great Dragon had told him; how Albion would never be achieved without her help ... somehow, Merlin felt all of it was now linked, and he knew there was one being who could answer his questions on what he was supposed to do now.
While Merlin didn't want to leave Adelynn▬not after what had just happened, he knew he needed to. He bid goodbye to her, and knew that he would be back again, and again▬he would see whether she was okay in the morning, and check on her in the afternoons; he'd walk through the corridors and gaze out of the windows and wonder whether he could sneak to her yet again. It was thrilling to him▬amazing, even▬to know that someone was just like him. That they know who he was. That there was someone here that had magic, and had expressed feelings that he understood so deeply it was rooted within him; painful and yet it was relieving to know that someone else experienced the same.
He wanted to show her his magic. He wanted to show her so much and have her smile▬have someone smile at what he could do, instead of fear it.
The Great Dragon told him it was he that helped her reach her potential, and right now, he didn't know what that meant▬but he didn't care at the moment. All he cared about was that he might not be alone anymore. It almost made him as giddy as a little child.
The young sorcerer made the journey down through the darkest hallways of the dungeon▬travelled so deep that not even the guards dared enter down the winding staircase that delved far into the caverns below the citadel. With his torch alight, Merlin Wyllt entered the cavernous cell of the Great Dragon and blazed the darkness in order to see.
His beastly friend was no where to be seen; his chains dangling away from the rock centred in the cave. Merlin frowned▬he tried to see into the depthless corners but was met with nothing but darkness and shadows.
"Hello?" he called out, uncertain.
There was no answer. Merlin's frown deepened. Slowly, he stepped further out towards the darkness, careful at the feeling of the ledge beneath his feet starting to crumble. "Hello?" he called out again, louder and sterner this time, narrowing his eyes in search for golden scales.
The roar to the side made him leap right out of his skin. Merlin scrambled backwards, his heart pounding as he glanced up, watching the Great Dragon snarl from the depths right above him. He nearly collapsed with fright, and wanted to shout in frustration at the way the creature chuckled as he took flight to the boulder standing before Merlin.
When he finally managed to catch his breath (and was sure his heart hadn't stopped with fright), Merlin fixed his stance and grumbled, "Do you have to do that? You scared the life out of me!"
The Great Dragon folded his wings and leaned forward, gazing at him with ancient eyes. "The young warlock," he mused. "No doubt you're here about the Druid boy."
Merlin stared at him, rather suspicious, out of the corner of his gaze. Slowly, he asked, "How did you know?"
Simply, the creature answered, "Like you, I hear him speak."
The warlock pursed his lips. Then, he decided to say, "Adelynn told me she heard him▬just like I had. But when she was far from where he was hiding. She talked about voices▬more than one."
The dragon nodded, "It is not unusual that beings of magic, such as yourself, such as the Lady Adelynn, find a connection amongst the Old Religion rooted within the very ground you walk; the very roots that grow beneath the trees and whisper in the air you breathe."
Merlin thought on those words. He ignored how unsettled he felt, rather than reassured. "And that ... that is how the Druid boy could speak to me▬in my mind?"
"I suppose it is an example of such power, yes."
"Why does he call me Emrys?"
"Because that is your name."
Merlin made a face▬he wasn't sure how he felt about that answer. He breathed an incredulous chuckle that became dry once it left his lips, "No ... I am pretty sure my name is Merlin, always has been."
The Great Dragon let out another chuckle, too▬though this one felt patronising to the bone. "You have many names," he told him.
"Do I?" Merlin shook his head in disbelief. He was silent for a moment, not quite able to comprehend it▬and so, in the end, he just asked his next question. "How does the boy know who I am, then? I've never even met any Druids."
The creature hummed, titling his snout down at him, "There is much written about you that you have yet to read."
Merlin felt his stomach jolt with uneasy nerves. A chill travelled up his spine and almost made him shiver▬how could someone know a future before it has even happened; how can a story be foretold to then be written again and again, in the past, now, and far in the future? What did that make him? He was scared by it.
The Great Dragon took his silence as the chance to then state▬firm and chilling: "You should not protect this boy."
It startled Merlin. He staggered, standing up straight in sudden horror. He frowned at the Great Dragon, "W▬what? Why?" He wondered whether he wanted to know the answer at the blood-crawling feeling that travelled up his legs and his arms at the way the dragon looked at him. "He▬he has magic. He is just like me?"
The ancient beast shook his head, "You and the boy are as different as day and night."
Something didn't feel right to Merlin. Something felt very wrong. "What do you mean?"
"Heed my words, Merlin," said the Great Dragon gravely. Then, with a great gust of wind, he took off▬as he always did, leaving Merlin as dry as a lost man standing at the edge of a vast desert.
"What do you mean?!" cried Merlin yet again up at his distancing figure▬disappearing in a cavern so large, that it made even his colossal being seem small. "Why should I not protect him?!"
The Great Dragon did not answer him.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
THE YOUNG BOY'S condition did not improve. By the morning, he had stooped low into a severe sweating sickness. Odette watched him worsen from over Guinevere's shoulder, concern bringing an ache to her throat to see him barely even able to focus his gaze. His breaths were ragged, his skin glistening and wet, his hair drenched▬every moment here and then, his eyes would roll into the back of his head and they were scared that he wouldn't return to consciousness. Whatever Merlin had done, it had not worked the miracle they hoped.
But while Odette's concern was high, Morgana seemed beside herself. She had not left his side all night, nursing him with wet rags until she was pale and looking sickly herself. She wiped her own brow as she drenched the rag into the bowel of water she had beside her before setting it back onto the boy's forehead. His eyelids flickered, and for a moment, Odette saw a gaze cross-eyed and hazy.
She pursed her lips, not too sure whether she was more worried about him, or Morgana. Setting her chin on Guinevere's shoulder, the young second handmaiden found it a horrible sight to see a child in such pain and sickness▬and it bewildered her to see the King's Ward so attached to a boy she has never once met before.
Guinevere gently rested her head against Odette's, sighing out a breath of perplexed worry. They had discussions about it▬in the kitchens as they cleaned the rags and the sheets the boy slept on. They found it strange, Morgana's reaction. Of course, it was not bewildering knowledge to see how caring and motherly their mistress could be▬she often smiled and wished the children of Camelot wonderful days whenever they passed. Or hugged them if they asked▬tell a few that they were beautiful whenever they complimented her. She was kind, and she was caring ... but this was another level.
She was at this boy's side day and night. She nursed him and she tried to make him eat▬trying to nurse this fever out of him and fretted to almost the brink of tears at the thought he might die. The Lady Morgana was like that with no other child▬let alone a Druid boy they were smuggling out of the King's eye, dividing her loyalties with such ease.
Gwen chewed on the inside of her cheek, watching the way Morgana looked almost ready to drop with exhaustion. When she moved forward, Odette lifted her chin and sat back. "Let me care of him for a while," she offered, eyeing Morgana warily. She did not even glance at them. The blacksmith's daughter shuffled uneasily on her knees. "You need to sleep," she tried again. "You'll make yourself sick if you go on like this▬"
"His fever's getting worse," instead said Morgana, her voice thick with emotion. She finally turned to her maids and they shared an anxious glance. In silence, Gwen subtly raised a brow to Odette, and the second handmaiden's gaze widened, understanding her completely▬though she wasn't sure how she could try and persuade Morgana more than Gwen could.
But she didn't want to say no to Gwen's do it face▬like an exasperated older sister and so Odette took a deep breath and tried to face Morgana with all the gentle kindness she could. But before she could say anything, her mistress's eyes widened and her gaze snapped back to the boy. Her breath hitched, and a small, shocked whisper escaped her lips: "Did you hear that?"
Odette and Guinevere were both confused. They shared another glance. "Hear what?" muttered the youngest maid.
Morgana seemed shocked they did not hear the same thing, "H▬He said my name."
"Did he?" Odette's brows furrowed▬she frowned down at the Druid boy, briefly eyeing Morgana out of the corner of her gaze, feeling this strange suspicion rise up in her chest. "I didn't ... I didn't hear anything?"
She turned to Gwen for reassurance, and when her friend shook her head to tell her she heard nothing as well, that was when Odette really started to feel something unnerving.
Before she could start to dwell and brood on it, a knock sounded on the door. The girls immediately tensed▬as they always did these days having this boy hidden right under the King's nose. Odette prepared to close the curtains until Merlin's voice called through the oak: "It's Merlin."
"And it's Adelynn," added the younger voice of a girl.
Odette wondered why they had arrived together, but let it pass, getting to a feet at the nod Morgana sent her and hurried over to open the door. Keeping it ajar, she let them slip in▬making sure she curtsied a little when Adelynn entered. When she stood back up, she quickly sent Merlin a curious look in passing. She knew he was purposefully avoiding it.
She followed him back anyway▬trailing behind him like a shadow until she stood right beside him, silently peering around his shoulder back down at the little boy. She glanced over him at Adelynn, quirking a brow at the way she shyly darted a brief slip of a gaze at Merlin▬a gaze she could not particularly decipher, as if there was something between them Odette wasn't privy to. There was a secret hanging in the air, and she had a feeling she could only tell because of how well she could just sit back and watch.
"How is he?" asked Merlin, a little tense as he noticed Odette's curious suspicion. Gwen glanced up at them in greeting, her lips still pursed and her brows still knitted.
"He's getting weaker," said Morgana warily, her attention completely fixated on the sickening boy lying in front of them. "Whatever you did yesterday, it hasn't worked. We have to ask Gaius for his help."
Instantly, Merlin disagreed. He sighed, shaking his head▬Odette understood. She was hesitant, too. She didn't want to endanger Gaius with this, but not just that; she was sure if he learnt she and Merlin had gotten themselves mixed up in this, he would very much place them on the execution block himself▬execution by disappointment, the worse form of the death penalty.
The two young servants met each other's gaze, knowing they felt exactly the same about involving the physician. Odette bit her bottom lip, frowning back down at the little boy▬they had no choice. Merlin sighed again, rubbing at his brow.
Morgana glanced up at the two of them, annoyed. "After all you've done," she told Merlin, "you can't give up now!" She noticed Merlin's hesitation and gritted her teeth. "Please. If he doesn't receive treatment, he will die."
They really had no choice. Odette took a deep breath and nodded▬she turned her nod to Merlin who was still reluctant. She quietly told him, it'll be okay, and he pursed his lips, but finally relented. "Okay," he muttered and spun on his heel, racing back out of the King's Ward's chambers to head to the Physician's tower.
As she watched him go, she turned back to the boy and chewed at her nail buds, shifting back and forth on her toes. Morgana frowned at her and so she answered, "I don't want to put Gaius in danger. If Uther finds out▬if someone sees him..."
"They won't," promised Morgana and Odette hugged her stomach. "And we cannot let this young boy die."
The young handmaiden took a deep breath before nodding and saying nothing more. She stared down at her mistress fretting over the young boy, and could feel that strange chill that made her double think all of this▬and that almost made her ashamed to be scared. But why shouldn't she be scared? If Morgana was found out, she might be belittled, she might be punished and lectured▬but Uther would never put her to the chopping block. But Odette? But Gaius? The King would not hesitate for a single moment.
Guinevere understood, as she met her gaze. She sighed and sent her a tiny strained smile▬because she felt exactly the same. But they also knew that they couldn't let this young boy die; Morgana was right about that. Because then what would that make them?
Odette slowly decided to watch Adelynn again and found her standing there with rigid shoulders▬she eyed her out of the corner of her gaze as well, eyes small like an animal cornered. She frowned at her slightly, rather taken aback by the look on her face.
She felt a little better when Merlin returned with Gaius at his side. The Court Physician did not look happy, but Odette breathed a smile when she saw him. He gave her a disappointed stare▬one that was stern, but not surprised and she shrugged. Gaius sighed and continued on, reaching Morgana, Adelynn and Guinevere still sitting by the boy's side. Merlin walked over with Odette, the two friends staying close as they watched from the edge of the screen.
"Is he mad?" whispered Odette to Merlin as they watched Gaius kneel down and set his equipment at the boy's side. Morgana hovered by him, on the edge with anticipation.
"I believe he's more worried," replied the young sorcerer and Odette linked her arm with his, resting her cheek against the leather sleeve of his jacket.
Gaius didn't say anything for a long time. They all watched him lean over the boy▬he pulled at his eyelids and checked his temperature. He muttered to himself and sighed with slight exasperation, and they all waited with bated breaths, not too sure on what he'll decide on doing. They could all tell he was worried and not particularly happy about any of this▬and what they were doing; how dangerous it was to harbour the boy so close under Uther's own nose.
But in the end, he sat back and turned to them. Gaius sighed again before saying: "I will treat the boy▬" they all nodded. Morgana let out a breath of relief. Odette smiled, grateful, "▬but as soon as he is well, you must get him out of Camelot. And woe betide anyone caught helping him."
Merlin shared a look with Adelynn across the small group they were in. She took a deep breath, still unsure▬the tense air between them was adamant, even if it had settled after last night. Odette watched the two of them with a slight narrow of her eyes.
Gaius reached over to check the boy's wound. He peeled away the bandage and assessed the treatment Merlin had done. He shook his head to himself, "Well," he spoke up again, "one thing we know for certain."
Merlin's brows lifted. He leaned forward, "What is that?"
Gaius shot him a scowl, "You are no physician."
Merlin breathed a small, sheepish smile.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
a/n: posting this at my sister's baby shower for my nephew. I am surrounded by children. The eldest and the youngest now the only ones without babies.
anyway. I did the magic reveal now with merlin and adelynn because I knew the longer I waited for it the least likely merlin would tell somebody of his magic. It is the most accurate of his character to reveal his magic quite recklessly to another magic user ('because they are like me!')
Because if I waited the boy would have never told Adelynn to truth even if he has magic and knew of her own. He becomes very guarded and paranoid.
And it hurt to write the scene because all the pain and fear and self hate Adelynn is feeling is exactly how he felt