Chapter Text
Hurriedly pulled strings, clapping, and laughter echoed around the room. Swishes of colorful fabric and loose hair joined the chaos as the song got faster and faster but the dancing kept its rhythm. Shouts rang out and spilled wine and half eaten food as the night wore on and the more drunk others got.
Grinning, Merlin waited till the song was over and a slower yet still upbeat song played before he left the chamber. They were celebrating the second year of Emlet’s rise and Merlin couldn’t believe it had been so long already.
He silently pushed the doors open and breathed in the cool night air, relishing in the silence. A hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump as he turned to look who had joined him.
It was his mother, who’s cheeks were flushed from either dancing or drink, it could have been both. She had a smile on her face and Merlin couldn’t remember the last time she looked so happy. Her dress was a gentle gold with white lace at the top and her hair that was neatly pinned up before the party had mostly fallen out with the quick rush of the steps from dancing.
Merlin sent his own gentle smile as he watched her sit with some difficulty, so he sat with her to help steady the descent. She rested her head on his shoulder and Merlin inhaled deeply as he smelled the familiar and calming scent of the peppermint she drinks in her tea with the underlying smell from his childhood, honey.
“What are you doing out here?” His mother whispers, trying not to disturb the peace.
Exhaling,”I don’t know. I had to get some air,” he knows she isn’t satisfied and can tell he’s keeping something from her. He inhales again, as if to gather courage for what he knows she will ask.
“What is it really, my little bird?” and Merlin caves at his mother’s old nickname for him. He had hated it growing up, but he wishes she never stopped calling him it for many, many years to come.
“I... I feel like something’s coming. Something bad. Everything has been good for over a year, not great, just good, as everything has settled down now with the ban gone. I just feel like the world his to tip one way or the other. Either something great can happen or something very bad,” he’s been having this itch for a month now and it’s growing steadily to where at first he didn’t notice it till all of a sudden this prick of unease showed itself. He doesn’t know what it could mean, and it has unnerved him.
His mother doesn’t answer for a while and he thinks she might have fallen asleep and as he turns his head she speaks,”I think, you need to listen to your instincts. If you feel that something bad is on the way, prepare, but do not let it guide your every waking day,” she strokes his cheek and Merlin leans into the touch,”Pull some strings, see if any of your royal friends have heard anything,” tone teasing slightly as Merlin has gotten to know the kingdoms around him. Merlin smiles, kisses her forehead to which she gives a breathy laugh.
“My little bird, you would have figured it out on your own. Now, help a mother who raised you for over twenty years to her room,” his mother huffed as she tried to stand only to sway on her feet slightly and sit back down. Laughing, Merlin got up and pulled his mother up with him, letting more than half her weight rest on him as he took her back inside and to her room.
Glancing back at the hall on his way back down the stairs, he saw the party slowly dwindling down from the early hours as the new day makes an appearance. Passing a few of the houselves, he asked for one of them to find Gwaine.
“If he’s in the middle of something, interrupt him anyway,” Merlin answered to the elf as her expression changed at her task. He ended up promising she could help Hunith with something later, which seemed to appease the elf as she disappeared.
He crossed the east wing of the castle to get to his study to find a grumpy Gwaine muttering to himself as he paced. Merlin closed the door harder than necessary to gather the knights attention. The man jumped and rounded at the door with his hand on the hilt of his sword, tense and ready for a fight. Once the scene processed in his mind, Gwaine relaxed.
“Merls, this better be good. I was just about to win a wonderful amount of coin to spend on mead,” Gwaine’s words were annoyed but his eyes roamed his body for any outward sign of harm. Merlin hummed and sat in his seat as the knight waited for his to say something.
“Have you heard anything from Percival recently?” Merlin asked as he bit his lip. Gwaine after giving a face of confusion shook his head.
“Arthur?”
“No, Merlin. What’s going on?” Gwaine asked as he sat across from his king.
“I don’t know. A funny feeling, I suppose you could call it,” Merlin answered hesitantly. Gwaine for his part groaned,”Come on, Kilgharrah would have mentioned something, right?” A little tinge of desperation, wanting nothing to go wrong for just a week, was that too much to ask?
“He might be a thousand years old, Gwaine, but he isn’t all knowing. I learned that the hard way,” so, too much to ask.
“Alright, so what do you want to do?” Knowing Merlin has a plan and stepping into his role. He used to think Leon had it easy as first knight, but as the year ticked by, he knows it’s harder. From keeping track of patrols, to recruits, to a wayward king that tends to disappear, Gwaine would never make fun of the head knight of Camelot again.
“Double the patrols, and increase the lookouts on the borders. Make sure to stock the food supplies, as discreetly as possible. We don’t know if anything would happen as of yet, and I don’t need panicking civilians,” Merlin ordered and Gwaine nodded with pride. Merlin had come far in a year, listening to his heart and mind as he made decisions, he still listened to all advice and evidence he got but didn’t let others rule his final orders. Gwaine was happy to call his king his friend and brother in arms.
“Of course, right away,” Gwaine bowed and turned to leave before stopping.
“Merls?” Getting a hum in reply,”what do you think we might be up against?” Merlin didn’t answer, which was answer enough for Gwaine.
He shut the doors and calmly walked to give his orders. After all Merlin said discreet.
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Merlin sat in his chair with a sheet of parchment in from of him, absently rolling his quill in his hand. He had decided to message Queen Annis first as she had some of the best spies.
After all he only caught the ones in his kingdom because of his wards. It was how they met, actually, Merlin had journeyed after sending a scroll to announce his impromptu visit. She took it with grace and Merlin handed her spies over and had her impressed. She offered a peace treaty that included keeping one spy in his kingdom and Merlin was allowed the same. Of course, she didn’t call them that, more so ambassador, but a spy was what they were.
Merlin finished the request, sending it out as a magical paper bird. He then moved on to Arthur and a few surrounding kings and queens that he found he could trust the most.
He would have to wait a few days before they responded as they tended to use non magical ways to deliver their responses.