Work Text:
Title: The Masquerade Ball
Summary: A masquerade ball is held in Camelot to honor all of their allied Kingdoms, with the hopes of breaking the ice. A masked Merlin ends up catching the eye of the Lady Morgana. MERGANA!
...
An exhausted Merlin is woken up early by a very loud Gaius, pounding on his door and calling for him to wake up. Merlin groans as he sits up with his eyes still closed. “I’ll be out in a minute.” He calls groggily.
As he gets ready for the day, changing from his ratty sleeping clothes to his almost equally ratty day clothes, he begins chanting the spell that he’d stayed up all night to study. Finally, about half an hour after he’d been rudely awakened, Merlin finally emerges out of his room and greets Gaius with a “good morning.”
Instead of the usual “good morning” reply, Merlin is met with nothing but silence from the elderly physician. He looks over at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the surprised look on Gaius’ face.
“What?” He asks curiously. “Have I got something on my face?”
Gaius blinks at him before replying with a hesitant “As a matter of fact, yes. You do.”
Merlin blinks in confusion as he reaches a hand up to touch his forehead, before scrubbing his hand down his face. He pauses as his eyes widen when his palm comes to a stop at his chin. His suddenly scratchily hairy chin. He jumps, running to the bucket of water in the corner to check out his reflection, before he lets out an excited laugh. “I did it!” He exclaims proudly.
Gaius continues to stare at him in curiosity. “Did what, exactly?”
Merlin turns, grinning from ear to ear. “The spell I stayed up all night studying. I finally got it to work.”
Gaius snorts at that. “You stayed up all night to study a spell that gives you a beard?”
Merlin nods giddily. “Yes. And I did it.”
Gaius scratches his head in confusion. “Why do you need a spell to grow a beard when you could just grow one out naturally?”
Merlin stares at Gaius with his mouth slightly open. After a moment, he mumbles something incoherently.
Gaius turns his ear towards his ward. “Sorry, what was that?”
Merlin sighs heavily as he says aloud, “I can’t grow a full beard.”
Gaius raises an eyebrow at him. “Why would you want to grow a beard anyway?”
Merlin shakes his head as he goes to the table and sits down to eat the breakfast Gaius made. “The Knights were all talking about how I still look like I’m in my teen years.”
Gaius frowns at him. “And that’s a bad thing? I’d give anything to be in my teen years right now. Let me tell you, Merlin. It is not fun being old.”
Merlin sighs softly as he takes his spoon and pokes at his porridge. Gaius is completely missing his point. He doesn’t want to be seen as a teen because then no one takes him seriously. But perhaps if he had a full beard, the knights would take him more seriously. After eating his breakfast, Merlin makes quick work of reversing the spell, so as not to alarm everyone about how he grew a full beard overnight.
“I’m heading out for the day.” He tells Gaius as he makes his way to the door. Gaius bids him a great day and returns to his own work.
...
Merlin goes through the day with his regular chores. Fetching Arthur’s breakfast, polishing his sword, washing the laundry, hanging them up to dry, and then proceeding to mucking out the stables and feeding the horses, before returning to scrub the floors and finish up the other smaller tasks he does everyday.
As he polishes Arthur’s armor, he wonders how busy tomorrow night will be at the masquerade ball. He’d been excited when he first heard about it, although he doesn’t know why, considering he won’t be attending it... at least not as a formal guest.
He has never been invited to anything in his life before. Of course, he’d been to multiple feasts and celebrations, but only as a servant. Every single event he’d been to had been unspectacular, simply because he’d always been working, pouring wine and fetching food for King’s, Princes’, Princesses, Lord’s, and Ladies.
That is, until Arthur suddenly asks if he’d like to attend the Masquerade Ball. At first, he blinks at the Prince and sarcastically replies with, “Who else is going to pour your wine and make sure you don’t drown in it later on?”
The Prince rolls his eyes and gives him a serious stare. “I meant as a guest, you idiot.”
Merlin nearly chokes on his own saliva, staring unblinkingly at the Prince. “What?” He manages a few moments later.
Arthur shrugs, “It’ll be packed with people from other Kingdoms. There will be new servants helping out, so you won’t be missed, I’m sure.”
“Wait...” Merlin narrows his eyes suspiciously at the Prince. “Are you inviting me to attend the Ball?”
Arthur rolls his eyes again. “Yes, Merlin. I thought that was obvious when I asked if you’d like to attend the Ball.”
“Why?” Merlin continued to hold onto his suspicions. After all, it’s unusual that Arthur is actually inviting him to the Ball.
Arthur huffs and glares at his manservant. “Because tomorrow night is important and I don’t want your clumsy arms and legs anywhere near the guests— at least not whilst carrying food and wine...” he trails off and looks away, shrugging his shoulders. “... also, you’ve been doing a half decent job at polishing my armor and scrubbing my floors, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt if you took the night off and attended the feast as a guest instead of a servant.”
Merlin almost couldn’t believe it. If he hadn’t just seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears, he never would’ve believed it. “You’re serious.” He says aloud.
Arthur shrugs, “Yes... but remember, I’m only inviting you this once because it’s a masquerade ball and no one will know who you really are under your mask; so don’t get used to it.”
Merlin felt his heart sort of float with excitement. He’d never attended a fancy event as anything other than a servant. He grins at Arthur and nods. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Arthur nods and grins at him. “It’s settled then. You’ll have to find a mask and something to wear.”
Merlin looks down at his clothes. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing right now?”
Arthur looks highly offended at that. “Let me rephrase that for you. You’ll have to find something to wear that won’t give away the fact that you’re my servant. If you show up in that, you’ll just look like Merlin with a mask!”
Merlin huffs and takes a second to try and figure out what he’ll wear, and where he’ll get it at such short notice. “May I be excused for the day?”
Arthur makes a face at him. “My inviting you to the Ball tomorrow is simply out of fear that you’ll end up tripping over your own feet and making a mess in front of our guests, Merlin. I’m not giving you a vacation.”
Merlin huffs and rolls his eyes at the Prince. “I know that, clotpole. I just don’t have anything to wear, so I’d have to go find something.”
Arthur thinks about it for a second before asking, “Have you polished my sword today?”
Merlin scoffs. “First thing I did this morning.”
“And my clothes have been washed?”
“Currently hanging out to dry.” Merlin confirms.
“And the stables?”
“Mucked out and free of horse dung.” He doesn’t wait for Arthur to ask again before continuing. “Also, I’ve fed the horses, polished your boots, scrubbed the floors, made your bed, put out your clothes for bed, and checked that your dinner will be delivered on time tonight. Mary should be sending someone up with it.”
Arthur squints at the manservant as he thinks. “Huh... Perhaps you’re not as bad a servant as I thought.”
Merlin smirks at him. “Is that a yes?”
Arthur sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes once more. “Fine. You can have the rest of the day off, but I expect you back in here bright and early tomorrow.”
Merlin grins and bows his head. “Thank you, Sire.”
He makes his way down to Gaius’ chambers and leaves the elderly man a note, letting him know that he won’t be back until late. He has an idea of where to get something decent to wear. His mother did say that she has something of his father’s’, kept safely away in the chest that he was never allowed to touch. Perhaps she’ll have something he can wear. As for the mask, he thinks Kilgharrah can help him with that.
He stops by Morgana’s chambers, hoping Gwen will be there. He finds Gwen almost immediately when he knocks and she opens the door.
“Merlin.” Gwen grins widely. “What brings you here?”
“Errr...” Merlin peeks over her shoulder where he sees Morgana stepping out from behind her changing screen with a smile on her face. She’s always so beautiful. Radiant and deserving of all the affection and attention in the world. He sighs softly.
“Merlin.” Morgana smiles as she makes her way over. She hadn’t seen him over the past couple of days. “How are you?” She asks curiously.
Merlin smiles politely and resists the urge to let out a dreamy sigh. “I’m good. Thank you for asking, Milady.” He bows his head before meeting her gaze again and asking, “How have you been?”
Morgana smiles widely and shrugs, “I’ve been quite well, thank you.” She looks him up and down for a moment, and then sends him another radiant smile.
Merlin nods and looks at Gwen. “Erm... I actually stopped by to ask Gwen a favor, but I can come back later if she’s busy.”
Morgana waves a hand dismissively at him. “No, no, I actually was letting Gwen leave for the day.”
“Oh.” Merlin smiles. “Right. Big day tomorrow.”
Morgana and Gwen exchange a look before Gwen replies with a secretive smile. “Indeed.”
He waves to Morgana as Gwen follows him out and down the staircase.
“So what did you need my help with?” She asks curiously.
Merlin smiles sheepishly as he scratches his head. “I was wondering if your father had any scrap metals laying around?”
Gwen thinks as she chews her lip. “It depends.” She replies. “There are different kinds of metals. Did you have anything in particular in mind?”
Merlin shrugs. “Not really... although, it would be great if it’s extremely light and thin.”
Gwen hums as they descend the stairs leading to the front entrance of the castle. “I’m sure my father has plenty of those laying around.” She pauses and looks questioningly at Merlin. “What are they for?”
Merlin smiles at her. “It’s a secret.”
“A secret?” Gwen smiles back.
Merlin nods. “Yes.” He doesn’t give an explanation, and Gwen doesn’t push him for one.
After thanking Gwen and leaving her house, Merlin discreetly makes his way to the clearing beyond the forest outside of Camelot. It’s the place where he goes when he needs to call Kilgharrah. He arrives there just before nightfall, and quickly checks his surroundings before calling on the Great dragon. He doesn’t have to wait long before he hears the unmistakable sound of flapping wings.
Merlin smiles as Kilgharrah lands in front of him with a bow of its head.
“Hello, young warlock.”
Merlin nods. “Hello, Kilgharrah.”
“I take it you need something?”
Merlin nods again, albeit sheepishly. “I need your help.”
The dragon regards him with a curious look. “With?”
Merlin scratches the back of his head as he points at the satchel he brought with him, containing the scrap metals Gwen gave him. “I was wondering if you could help me forge something.”
“Forge?” Kilgharrah raises a brow. “I am not a blacksmith, Merlin.”
Merlin nods as he goes to the satchel and picks it up. “I know.” He turns and empties it’s contents onto the ground. “But I’ve read of a spell, one that only dragons know.”
Kilgharrah sniffs as he lowers his head towards the metals. “The spell to create elemental weapons.”
Merlin nods in confirmation. “Yes.”
“A very complex spell.”
“I know... but not for you. I know you know it and I know you know it well.”
Kilgharrah raises his head and looks at Merlin. “Merlin, these flimsy scraps of metal are a horrible choice for a potential weapon.”
Merlin quickly shakes his head. “No, I don’t want a weapon.”
“Well then, what do you want?”
Merlin looks sheepishly at the dragon. “A mask.”
Kilgharrah blinks repeatedly at him for several moments, before snorting loudly. “You wish for me to use the spell of my kin to make you a mask?”
“Our kin.” Merlin says cheekily. “And yes. There is a masquerade ball that will be held in the Great Hall tomorrow night. Arthur has allowed me to attend.”
The dragon shakes it’s big head as he glances towards the forest. “Interesting.”
“Yes.” Merlin says blankly. “So will you help me?”
Kilgharrah sighs heavily before looking down at the young warlock. “Yes... but on one condition.”
Merlin raises a curious eyebrow at him. “What is it?”
“You must let me forge it.”
Merlin blinks confusedly at the dragon. “That’s— that’s what I need you to do—“.
“I mean you will have no say in what it looks like.”
Merlin frowns at that. “What?— That’s— what if it’s hideous?”
Kilgharrah looks offended. “I do not make hideous things, Merlin.”
Merlin stares at him as he thinks. After a few moments, he finally shrugs and nods his head. “Fine. But it must be a mask that hides my identity. No one should know who I am under the mask.”
Kilgharrah nods. “Of course.”
“Right.” Merlin smiles. “Errr— there’s actually one more thing I need your help with.”
Kilgharrah sighs again. “Yes?”
“Erm— could you give me a ride to Ealdor?” He winces slightly, before adding quickly. “And back?”
The dragon shakes his head as he bows his body down low enough to touch the ground. “Climb up.”
...
Merlin finds his mother at their home, cooking dinner. He grins widely as he approaches her quietly, before swooping in and hugging her fiercely. Hunith gasps loudly, eyes wide and frantic as she looks up at the intruder. As soon as she saw who it was, her face lights up immediately as she turns around to properly hug her boy.
“Oh my dear boy!” She cries. She pulls away quickly and playfully ruffles his hair. “You scared me half to death!”
Merlin laughs as he apologizes. “I didn’t mean to.”
Hunith laughs as she walks with him to the table. “What brings you all the way here? Is everything alright?”
Merlin nods as they sit down on the only two chairs at the table. “Everything is fine, mother.”
“Good.” Hunith nods with a smile. “And Gaius? How’s he doing?”
“Gaius is good too. He’s practically the exact same Gaius he was when I first met him.”
“Ohh.” Hunith coos softly. “That’s good to hear.”
Merlin nods, scratching his head as he glances at the corner of their small house, to where his mother put the box of his father’s things that he was never allowed to touch.
“What is it?” Hunith asks curiously, noticing the look on her son’s face.
Merlin looks back at her and shakes his head. “I’m actually here for another reason.”
“Which is?” Hunith inquires curiously.
Merlin nods at the box. “Father’s things... you told me that he was once a very well respected warlock who came from a family of dragonlords.”
Hunith smiles fondly at the mention of Merlin’s father. “Yes. He was practically royalty within the dragonlord community.”
“Yes... Erm— I wonder if he had any good clothes? Perhaps a cloak I could borrow?”
Hunith looks at Merlin with interest. “Are you going somewhere?”
Merlin laughs. “No, it’s— Camelot is holding a masquerade ball for it’s many allied Kingdom’s, and Prince Arthur has allowed me to attend it as a guest.”
“He has?” Hunith asks in surprise. “Oh, that’s so very nice of him.”
Merlin snorts at that. “Err— sure.”
Hunith springs from her seat and hurries to the box in the corner, taking it and carrying it back to the table. She refuses Merlin’s help when he goes to assist her, assuring him that she can still carry a small box on her own.
Merlin waits excitedly as his mother begins to pull off the dried vines she’d used to secure it. He’d always been forbidden from ever opening the box, and though he often wondered about its contents, he always obeyed his mother’s request not to open it.
Hunith slowly opens the box, smiling at it’s contents before reaching inside and pulling out the item at the very top.
Merlin stares as she pulls out a silver amulet, attached to a silver chain, meant to be worn around the neck. He leans forward, inspecting it curiously. “What is that?”
Hunith smiles at him. “It is your father’s dragonlord amulet. Back when dragonlords were free to roam the lands, way before the Great Purge, dragonlords had amulets that set them apart from other warlocks.”
Merlin takes it from her, his eyes wide as he stares at the amulet in awe. The amulet is silver, the shape of a dragon with it’s tail wrapped around a single red stone. “It’s beautiful.”
Hunith nods. “I thought so too.” She looks down sadly. “He gave it to me the night before he left. He told me to destroy it because it’s evidence of magic... but I couldn’t do it. It was a part of him. He loved it, his legacy, and a part of his family... his home.”
Merlin notices the tears in his mother’s eyes and scoots his chair closer to her’s so he could comfort her. “He would’ve been glad to know you kept it all these years.”
Hunith sniffles, nodding her head. “Yes... I never gave it to you, fearing that it might someday be discovered in your possession and giving away your secret.”
Merlin nods. “You were right to keep it. It should always stay where you are.” He tells her softly, handing the amulet back to her.
Hunith smiles, placing the amulet off to the side before taking out what looks like a very soft and fluffy looking cloak.
Merlin’s jaw drops as his mother opens the cloak up to reveal a material Merlin has only ever seen on Royal’s. Kings. “Whoa.” Is all he can say.
His mother laughs softly at that. “I originally thought your father was an overthrown King when Gaius first brought him here. He was badly wounded, covered in blood and bruises the size of my arm, but he was dressed like a King.” She reaches into the box and pulls out dark trousers and a very fine grey tunic made out of expensive silk. “He was wearing these when Gaius brought him. There were a few holes in them from when he was attacked and wounded, but I managed to fix them up quite nicely.”
Merlin takes the tunic in his hands, shaking his head in awe. “Was father rich?”
Hunith laughs at that. “His family was well known. He wasn’t a King or even a Prince, but they were paid handsomely for their services in deterring untamed dragons from decimating entire cities.”
Merlin silently runs his fingers across the fabric of the tunic, picturing his father in it, laughing, living, and here with them. His eyes begin to water as he puts it down and picks up the trousers. He pulls it down to his waist, surprised to find that they’re his exact size.
“Take them.” Hunith says proudly. “He’d want you to have them.”
Merlin sighs softly as he stares at his father’s clothes. “Thank you, mother.”
After talking with his mother over dinner which she insisted he stay for, Merlin finally bids her farewell and makes his way out to the clearing on the other side of the forest. He finds Kilgharrah there, snoring softly away in the grass.
“You know you’re not invisible at night, right?” Merlin asks loudly.
Without opening his eyes, Kilgharrah yawns and replies. “I’m not the slightest bit invisible.” He finally blinks his eyes open. “However, I can hear you as well as everyone within miles of me. If someone even came close to entering the forest, I would’ve been long gone before they could even reach here.”
Merlin nods with a smile. “Right.”
“I take it you got what you came here for?”
Merlin nods. “Yes. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Kilgharrah rises up to his full height, shaking out its legs and stretching its wings. “Actually, I just got back not too long ago as well.”
Merlin raises a curious brow. “From?”
Kilgharrah doesn’t say anything, only lifting up one of his legs and letting it hover in front of Merlin. It’s then that the young warlock finally notices the cloth latched over one of the dragon’s taloned toes. He takes the cloth, noticing the feel of something metallic within it, and then he carefully opens it up to reveal a mask.
He’d almost forgotten about the mask. But now that he’s looking at it, he can’t help but be in awe of how utterly beautiful and perfect it is.
The metal had been fully shined to the point where it looked like real, pure silver. Engraved over it’s entirety are intricate designs that remind him of the vines that grow and slither outside the castle walls. At the very edge, near where his cheekbone would go, is a very small, but distinctive engraving of a dragon, it’s body wrapped perfectly around a black stone.
It would only cover the right side of his face, but the very top extends across to cover his forehead as well. All that would be left uncovered is the bottom left side of his face. That would still probably give away his identity to those who know him personally, but he has an idea of how to get around that.
“Wow.” He whispers softly. “Kilgharrah, it’s— it’s beautiful.”
The dragon actually smirks down at him. “A beautiful mask for a beautiful man.”
Merlin laughs at that. “You flatter me, oh Great one.” He replies sarcastically.
Kilgharrah laughs softly, before nodding it’s head towards the mask. “I hope this mask will serve it’s purpose.”
Merlin raises an eyebrow at the dragon. “Of hiding this magnificent face?” he gestures towards his cheek and bats his lashes playfully.
Kilgharrah tilts his head just a tad. “Of revealing something about your future.” He says seriously.
“What?” Merlin asks confusedly. He must admit, it really is annoying how cryptic the dragon is sometimes. But this time, he’s not sure if he’s being cryptic or just trying to confuse him.
Kilgharrah looks up into the skies, seeing the dark clouds begin to roll across the light sprinkle of stars. “We should head back. Nightfall is long behind us.”
After being dropped back off and thanking Kilgharrah repeatedly, Merlin finally makes his way back towards Camelot. It’s already dark out, so he has no issues sneaking back into the castle and up to his shared chambers with Gaius.
After putting his things away in the small cupboard in the corner, the manservant finally lays down to sleep. Despite his exhaustion, his excitement about tomorrow night doesn’t allow him that luxury. He stays up almost half of the night, imagining what it will be like to finally attend a grand feast as a guest, before sleep finally takes him.
...
As the other servants are busy cleaning, cooking, decorating, and preparing for the arrival of the guests, Merlin is busy getting Arthur’s formal traditional clothes and boots in tip-top shape. He actually does his best to make sure they’re clean and ready for the Prince.
“Merlin.” The manservant looks up from Arthur’s shiny boots to see Arthur himself staring at him with a curious look. “Did you find a mask and proper attire for tonight?”
Merlin hides a smile. “Yes, Sire... it’s— not the best, but it’ll have to do.” He lies.
Arthur nods. “Good. And it’ll hide your face?”
Merlin raises an eyebrow at the Prince. “Unfortunately.”
Arthur smirks at him. “Good. I’ll see you later then.”
Merlin nods. “Of course.”
“Oh, and Merlin?” Arthur pauses at the door and looks back at his manservant.
“Yes, Sire?” Merlin asks curiously.
“Please don’t get into trouble tonight.”
Merlin feigns innocence at that. “I would never, Sire.”
Arthur rolls his eyes. “Just don’t get caught.”
After making sure that Arthur’s clothes were laid out for the night, Merlin goes back to his room to work on his own clothes. He grins widely at his father’s cloak. It really is a very beautiful piece of work.
After putting the cloak and the rest of his clothes away neatly in a bag, Merlin takes a nice long bath, soaking in it for a few minutes longer than usual. After his bath, he dries off and changes into a fresh pair of his usual clothes, before taking his bag and making his way out.
He goes straight to the stables, picking out one of the newer horses that haven’t been inspected yet. He makes quick work of brushing it down and putting a saddle on it, before pulling it out of the stables. He’s just about to mount it and ride off to get ready in the forest outside Camelot, when he’s stopped by the sight of the Lady Morgana, making her way over to him. He quickly ties the reigns off to the edge of the fence around the stable, before turning to greet the King’s ward.
“Good afternoon, Milady.” He smiles innocently.
Morgana returns the smile, nodding her head to him. “Good afternoon, Merlin.” She looks past him at the horse he tied off, and then looks at him curiously. “Going somewhere?”
Merlin blinks at her, turning to look over his shoulder, and then shaking his head quickly. “Oh, no Milady. I was— just taking him out for a walk.”
Morgana raises an eyebrow at him and smirks as she looks past him again. She leans down a little, looking at something he can’t see, before straightening and letting out a small, cute giggle. “You mean her?”
Merlin blinks at her, confused for only a moment, before he turns to look under the horse. His face burns in embarrassment as he turns back around and smiles sheepishly. “Right... I errr— may have mixed her up with one of the gelding’s.”
Morgana laughs softly as she eyes him for another moment. She shakes her head quickly, and then asks, “Will you be at tonight’s masquerade ball?”
Merlin clears his throat and nods his head up and down. “Errr, yes. I believe so. Will you?” He immediately wants to slap himself, because of course she’s going to be there!
Morgana giggles again at his question. “I’m kind of required to attend. As is custom, being Uther’s ward and all, he thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for me to find a potential suitor.” She rolls her eyes at the last bit.
Merlin wanted to roll his eyes too. Customs really are annoying. Despite feeling a slight pang in his chest at the reminder that he could never potentially be anything but a friend to her, he smiles. “I really do hope you’ll find someone you’ll like, Milady. Someone good and worthy of your affections.”
Morgana stares at him, her eyes unblinking as she slowly bites her lip. They stay that way for another moment, simply staring at each other in silence, before she clears her throat and gives him another one of her breathtaking smiles. “Thank you, Merlin... that— that means a lot.”
Merlin smiles as he takes a step back. “I apologize, did you need assistance with anything?”
Morgana shakes her head and smiles once more. “No, thank you. I was actually just on my way down to the shops. There’s a piece I’m missing for tonight, but I’m not quite sure what it is... I wanted to go and see what’s available.”
Merlin smiles again and nods. He was going to head out into the forest and await the evening to ride back in, dressed and ready for the ball, but instead he asks her in a hesitant tone, “Would you like some company?”
Morgana’s eyes light up as she nods immediately. “I’d really like that, Merlin. Thank you.”
They walk side by side, Morgana talking about Merlin’s duties and how unappreciated he is. “Arthur really is a bit daft sometimes.”
Merlin laughs at that. It feels really good to know that at least someone understands and appreciates all the hard work he puts into his work as a manservant.
They come to a stop at all the little shop stands, full of small trinkets and handmade jewelries. Merlin stands back a little as Morgana begins perusing, smiling to herself as she picks up some of the one’s she likes. After a few minutes, she turns around and waves for Merlin to go over. Merlin moves quickly, standing beside her as she raises her hand and lets the necklace in it dangle from her fingertips. “What do you think?”
Merlin’s eyebrows shoot up on his forehead as he slants a look at the stand owner. “A dragon?” He looks back at the dragon pendant hanging from the necklace. It almost looks identical to the one engraved on his mask. He’ll have to look closely at it again.
Morgana nods as she grins. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is... but Uther isn’t really the biggest fan of dragons.”
Morgana smirks at that. “Which is why it’s perfect. If I can’t rebel against him directly, I can do it indirectly.”
Merlin sighs as he stares dreamily into her beautiful green eyes. She really is the perfect woman. Brave, fierce, kind, and amazing in every way. “I think it’ll look beautiful on you, Milady.” He says sincerely.
Morgana lowers her head to hide her blush. “Then all I need to do is pick a color.” She points at the small yellow stone sitting in the middle of the dragons coiled body.
Merlin couldn’t help but see even more of the similarities between the dragon on his mask, and the dragon on the pendant. He suddenly remembers Kilgharrah telling him that the mask would reveal something about his future. Could it be that he was referring to the dragon on his mask? He looks at the other necklaces, noticing the different colored stones. His eyes are immediately drawn to the green stone. “The green one.” He says absently. “Like your eyes.” He looks up to see Morgana shaking her head as she picks up the one with the blue stone.
“I think the blue one is beautiful... like yours.” She stares up directly into his eyes.
Merlin swallows thickly as he nods slowly.
Morgana smiles as she turns to the shop owner. “We’ll take the blue one.”
“Excellent choice, Milady. The blue stone symbolizes trust and loyalty.”
“Oh?” Morgana looks over her shoulder at Merlin. “I believe it.”
The manservant blushes as he points at the green one. “What does the green one symbolize?”
The owner smiles at him. “It symbolizes balance and perfection.”
Merlin nods gratefully as he looks at Morgana. “Of course.”
As they walk back up towards the castle, they subconsciously move closer and closer to each other until their arms are touching. Morgana bites her lip as she asks the manservant beside her, “Have you ever been in love, Merlin?”
Merlin tenses beside her. He raises a hand and nervously scratches the side of his head. “Errr, I— I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure?” Morgana asks skeptically. “How are you not sure?”
Merlin nervously glances at her, not knowing how to tell her the truth. “It’s... It’s complicated.”
Morgana looks closely at him as they enter the castle. She frowns as she looks down at the ground. “Does she not love you back?”
Merlin clears his throat and shakes his head. “She actually has no idea that I’m—“. He pauses abruptly as he realizes something. “... that I’m in love with her...” he blinks rapidly as he stares straight ahead. “... which is just as well, because I have nothing to offer her. I have nothing to my name and I don’t even deserve her.”
Morgana is silent for a long moment as they start up the staircase leading to her chambers. They’re about a quarter of the way up when she finally asks in a quiet voice, “What is she like?”
“Milady?” Merlin slants a look at her.
Morgana shakes her head and smiles. “Just wondering who it is that stole your heart.”
Merlin laughs nervously. He’s silent for a few moments longer. He then looks at her, taking advantage of her not looking at him as they continue walking. “She’s amazing. Kind, passionate, strong, a little stubborn sometimes, extremely smart, and...” he trails off as he stares at the top of Morgana’s head. He sighs ever so softly. “She’s the most beautiful human being I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
They finally make it to her chambers, and Morgana turns to face him. She’s got a slightly strange look on her face, as if suddenly confused and sad at the same time. Merlin purses his lips as she looks up into his eyes and replaces the look with a smile. “Whoever she is... wherever she is...” she pauses to shake her head slightly. “She’s lucky to be loved by you.” She reaches forward, touching his forearm. She gently trails her fingers halfway down the length of his arm before stopping and continuing softly, “And you deserve to be loved, Merlin. You deserve the kind of love that is lasting and true. Every bit of it... don’t ever settle for any less than that.”
Merlin smiles at her, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms. She’s always so good to him. Better than he deserves, given his status. If she knew... “Thank you, Milady.”
She shakes her head. “Thank you. I’ve kept you long enough.” They stand there for another long moment, staring at each other. Merlin is the first to break away, remembering that he still has to get out into the forest to change.
“I’ll see you later.” He bows and leaves.
...
By the time he makes it into the forest, he realizes that he doesn’t have to wait anymore. The masquerade ball will be starting shortly. He changes quickly into his father’s clothes, throws on the cloak last, and then closes his eyes and concentrates on the spell he’d stayed up two nights ago to perfect. Once he has the image he wants in his head, Merlin whispers the spell under his breath.
Feeling the Magic course in his veins, he reaches his hand up to touch his chin. He grins widely at the stubble that runs along his chin and cuts off in a straight line just below his dimples. He finally takes the mask from his bag, placing it over his face. He feels the back of the mask begin to latch on its own behind his head, locking it in place. He smiles, grateful that Kilgharrah added that last bit to ensure it won’t accidentally come off his face. He pulls at the front a bit and feels the back unlatch again. “Perfect.” He whispers as he pushes it back onto his face and waits for it to lock back in place.
He walks to the small pond just several feet away from him, leaning forward over it to check out his reflection. The sight that greets him is one he could barely recognize. He didn’t look like Merlin the manservant anymore. Instead, he looked like someone of royal blood with his very silky shirt and the elegantly made cloak that clings to his shoulders. If he squints hard enough, he’s sure he looks just like his father did in these very same clothes, 21 years ago. The only difference is the length in hair. He smiles once more before turning away and mounting his horse.
Excitement fills his chest as he begins riding back towards Camelot. Tomorrow, he’ll have to go back to being Merlin the servant. But tonight... tonight he’ll be Merlin the Magnificent. Because that’s exactly how he feels.
...
Morgana rolls her eyes when the King is announced. As soon as he’s within earshot, he will no doubt remind her of what she is to do tonight... which is find a potential suitor. She sighs as he enters and makes his way down the middle of the hall to take his seat at the throne beside her. Moments later, several more people are announced from other Kingdoms.
Morgana doesn’t pay much attention to the guests arriving. She’s too busy looking around for a certain blue-eyed manservant. He did tell her that he’d be here tonight, and she’s eager to see a face that doesn’t annoy her. Even with masks on, everyone around her manages to stubbornly get on her nerves. Before she could even finish scanning the servants weaving their way through the crowds, she’s interrupted rudely by Uther’s low voice.
“I expect you to be productive tonight, Morgana. There are many nobles and royal heirs here. Choose wisely.”
Morgana resists the urge to snap at him. “Why should I choose someone tonight?”
Uther looks pointedly at her. “Because if you don’t, I will.” The doors finally close, signaling the last of the guests to arrive.
Morgana closes her eyes and inhales deeply, trying to keep calm. She opens them again, about to say something Uther won’t like, when the double doors suddenly open again, and a woman walks in, wearing a beautiful periwinkle dress and silver mask. Her hair is elegantly pulled up behind her head, with several strands framing her face. Her skin is olive and practically glowing as she makes her way through the hall.
Morgana hides her smile when she hears Arthur choke a little on— she looks over and sees him wiping some of his wine from his chin. She turns her attention back to the masked woman, who smiles widely at her. She winks back through her mask, waving her hand a little at her. She subtly glances to her right at Uther, who is nodding at some of his guests.
Arthur clears his throat loudly as he adjusts his mask a little and stands. “I think it’s time we acquaint ourselves with our guests.” Without another word, he makes his way down the steps and towards the crowd.
Morgana snickers softly as Arthur immediately makes a beeline for the masked woman she knows to be her maidservant and friend.
“Arthur’s right.” Uther interrupts her thoughts from beside her. “It’s about time you start getting to know some of our guests.”
Before she could say anything, the doors open yet again, and a man practically floats through, wearing a mask Morgana isn’t able to ignore. He’s a little far away to tell, but she can see the details of the beautiful pattern along its surface, and she’s pretty sure that the symbol on the right side of his mask, is a dragon. One that she somehow knew, would match the one hanging from the necklace around her neck.
When he walks, his step is balanced, slow but not exaggerated, confident but not conceited. His dark cloak flows behind him, billowing just above his heels. He commands the attention of everyone in the hall with the way he holds himself, head held high, shoulders squared, eyes bright, blue, and radiant. Morgana is instantly drawn to him, unable to keep her eyes from meeting his.
Her breath suddenly comes quick as he gets closer to the front. She can clearly see now, as she absentmindedly raises a hand to touch the dragon pendant dangling from her neck. Just as she suspected, the dragon on her necklace is identical to the one on his mask. That can’t be a coincidence, right? It’s much too specific... and that urge she had earlier to find a missing piece to her attire tonight was much too strong. It was like she was meant to find the dragon pendant. And when she did, she knew without a doubt that it had to be the one.
Uther curiously eyes the man as he stops at the very front and bows towards him.
“King Uther.” He says behind his mask. His voice is smooth and deep. “It is my greatest pleasure to be here.”
Uther nods, smiling widely. “It is a pleasure to have you here. I would ask you to reveal your name and the Kingdom you hail from, but this ball is meant for anonymity. A chance to intermingle and get to know everyone without the pressure of Kingdoms and duties.”
Morgana tries not to scoff out loud at Uther’s words. The man is constantly pestering her with reminders of her duty to marry well, and here he is, boasting about not being pressured by duties.
The mysterious man smiles and nods at the King. “If it is not too much to ask, I’d like to request a dance with the Lady Morgana.” The man looks over at Morgana, their eyes locking immediately. Her heart jumps, but she hides her excitement well.
Uther looks far too happy as he looks at Morgana and gives her a very serious look. He then turns back to smile at the masked man before him. “I’m sure she would be pleased to share the first dance of the night with you.”
Normally she’d be annoyed and maybe even protest Uther’s assumptions. But she finds that she really doesn’t mind it this time. She smiles at the man before them as she rises from her seat.
“I’d be delighted to dance with you, Milord.” She takes a step down as he comes to her, offering his hand. She takes it, and immediately feels something akin to sparks and an odd sense of floating in the pit of her stomach.
The masked man grins widely as he leans down and kisses the back of her hand. “And I’d be honored, Milady.”
The mysterious masked man leads her into the middle of the hall, where people part like the Red Sea for them. He turns, facing her as a smile stretches across his face. Morgana couldn’t help but stare at the dragon on his mask.
She’s reminded of earlier today, when Merlin had accompanied her to the shops in the city. She doesn’t know why she thinks of that. There is absolutely no way for Merlin to be this man. They are of the same height, and now that she’s looking into the man’s eyes, they seem to share the same eye color as well. But having blue eyes is not rare. She could name at least 10 people she knows with blue eyes. Despite the similarities in height, skin complexion, hair color, and blue eyes, Merlin doesn’t have a beard. He isn’t a noble. He isn’t attending the ball as a guest.
She offers a small smile to the man in front of her. For some reason, even though she feels an obvious connection to him, she can’t bring herself to fully appreciate this time with him. As he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her closer, Morgana’s eyes dart around them, still looking for a certain blue-eyed manservant.
The music starts, and they begin to sway. Morgana couldn’t remember the last time she’s ever felt this conflicted. A part of her wants to fully enjoy her dance with the man in front of her. But another part of her feels as if it’s wrong for her to be doing this. It’s frustrating to say the least. She owes nothing to the manservant who she’s been thinking a lot about. He is not hers and she is not his... but she’d be lying if she says she doesn’t have certain feelings for him. Strong, and very real feelings that started well over a year ago, and have been getting harder and harder to ignore.
And yet, when she looks up at the masked man pressed against her, she can’t help but feel like a very deep part within her soul is connecting with him. She can’t quite explain it. It’s as if her soul is calling to his. It’s as if a part of her knows something her mind doesn’t. But what is it?
The man pulls away gently to look down at her. He smiles again, and Morgana feels her heart jump at the sight of dimples. The similarities between him and the manservant are almost too many. Yet still, Merlin doesn’t have a beard. He’s not here in this hall, apparently, as she hasn’t seen him anywhere. She makes a mental note to ask Arthur about him.
“Milady... is there something bother you?”
Morgana looks up at the man once more. She smiles and shakes her head. “No... of course not, Milord.”
He cocks his head to the side, as if he knows she’s lying. She expects him to just agree and go about dancing with her without a care in the world. But he surprises her. “You seem displeased.”
Morgana bites her lip as she turns her head and searched once more for the manservant. She needs to see that he’s not here, standing somewhere and staring longingly at her. She sighs when she can’t find him again. “I’m just not feeling very well, tonight.”
Even with the mask on, she can see the way his face shifts. She can tell he’s handsome. “Do you feel faint? Do you want to sit?”
Morgana shakes her head gratefully to him. “No. Thank you, but it’s— I’m not ill... just out of sorts, I suppose.”
The man nods slowly. “Ah...” he trails off as he stares at her, his eyes roaming over her face.
Morgana notices and tilts her head slightly. “What?”
He chuckles softly and shakes his head. “It’s nothing... just—“.
“Just what?” She’s curious now.
He smiles as his hands move to her elbows, gently holding her still. “Even with a mask on, your beauty is still unmatched... it really does nothing to hide the perfection beneath it.”
Morgana feels her cheeks warm as she smiles up at him. Had she not been utterly smitten by the manservant who is currently nowhere to be found, she would’ve been all over him by now. “Thank you, Milord. You are much too kind.”
He grins as the song comes to an end. He pulls away, and for a moment, Morgana feels a slight disappointment at the loss of his touch. But then he stops her with a hand on her arm. “Would you be against accompanying me outside for some fresh air?” He looks around at the crowds of people beginning to dance to the next song. “I’ve never really been a fan of crowds.”
Morgana stares at him for a moment before nodding her head up and down. “I’d quite like that, actually.” Perhaps it will help to clear her thoughts.
...
Merlin tries his best to contain his excitement as the Lady Morgana walks beside him with her arm tucked inside his. When he entered the hall earlier, he felt like he was floating. All eyes were on him, but no one knew who he was. It was intoxicating. He felt as if he could do anything, be anything. He carried himself with pride, fueled by his father’s clothes and the magical mask Kilgharrah made him. At that moment, he felt free. Even without using his magic, just seeing the look on people’s faces made him feel powerful... because for the first time in his life, people weren’t just looking past him. People weren’t just seeing someone with a low status. People were looking right at him. Including the Lady Morgana. Emboldened by their looks, he decided that he was going to go straight for asking the Lady Morgana to dance with him.
“It’s beautiful, tonight.” Morgana says softly from beside him.
Merlin turns his head to look at her. He smiles. “It is.” He says softly. If only she knew how beautiful she looks, with her feather mask, her perfect skin, her tempting lips. If only she knew how much he wants to feel those lips against his. How many times he has dreamed of them, pressed against his own. He sighs again.
Morgana looks up to smile politely at him. “So... are you really not going to reveal where you’re from?”
He shakes his head and raises a hand, nervously scratching the side of his head. He sees her eyes follow the movement as he replies. “It doesn’t matter, does it?”
Morgana stares at him a moment longer before slowly shaking her head. “I suppose not.” They walk in silence until they reach the entrance to the Royal gardens. Morgana inhales deeply as she closes her eyes and tilts her head back. “This is my favorite place in the castle.” She opens her eyes and looks at the masked man.
He smiles as he steps into the garden and turns to hold his hand out to her. She takes it hesitantly, letting him lead her into the very center of the garden where all the flowers and plants are blooming in a beautiful circle around them. He turns, looking into her eyes, full of different emotions. He can’t tell exactly what those emotions are, but he can see the worry and curiosity warring inside them at the surface.
Something inside him longs to ease whatever is weighing on her mind. He takes her hand in both of his, cupping them around her palm. He smiles at her and whispers. “Can I show you something?”
Morgana stares curiously at him. She nods slowly, unable to reply as her mind begins firing thoughts back and forth.
He leans down between them, bringing her hand up to his lips. He presses his lips against her palm before closing his hands over it. He then whispers softly under his breath.
“Géwyrcan líf”.
Morgana gasps as he opens his hands and from her palm, rises a beautiful blue butterfly. Her eyes are wide with shock as she watches the butterfly hover above her palm for a few seconds, before flying off into the air and disappearing into the open skies above them. She turns her head back to look at the man in front of her with wide, unbelieving eyes. “You— you have magic.” She whispers.
He bows towards her. “Yes... and I use it only to do good. I use it to create, to help, to build, to heal, to bring peace.”
“You can do that?” Morgana asks curiously. “Control it?”
He nods. “Yes. If used correctly and for good, it can be the most beautiful thing in the world. It is the power that the Five Kingdoms need in order to unite.”
Morgana listens to him, fascinated by his words. A world that is united. Isn’t that what everyone wants? However, with Uther on the throne, that could never happen. At least not with magic involved. She understands then what that means. “Arthur must ascend the throne for that to happen... Camelot is one of the most powerful Kingdom’s in all the lands. If all Kingdoms are to unite, Arthur has to be King.”
The masked man nods. “Yes... he doesn’t know it yet, but he is the Once and Future King of Albion. The nation he’ll build will be beautiful. It will be full of joy, of freedom... one where people with magic won’t have to fear for their lives. One where we can all live happily together...” he trails off and watches the light in Morgana’s eyes. Filled with hope and wishes. “One where love prevails and status is just a word.”
Morgana blinks up at the man before her. The world he speaks of seems so far-fetched. So impossible. But what he has shown her, his magic... it gives her hope. It gives her purpose. A sense of peace in this chaotic world Uther has created. She knows now that this man, this magical, beautiful man before her... he isn’t an ordinary man with an ordinary life. He’s important. To Arthur, to Camelot, and to this glorious future he speaks of... so why is he outside with her at this very moment, telling her these things? Why did he choose to show her of all people, his magic? And for some reason, she does not doubt the future he speaks of. Maybe it’s because of his magic. She’s not sure how, but she knows he’s telling the truth. She shakes her head at him, her voice soft and curious. “Why are you telling me these things?” She tilts her head off to the side, trying to guess his motive. “We’ve only just met. I am no one special to you, but—“.
“But you are.” He cuts her off softly, tentatively. “You may not know it now, but you will know it someday.”
“Know what?”
He smiles as he raises a hand and cups her face. “How much you already mean to me.”
She honestly has no idea who he is and what that even means, but in that moment, she felt in her soul that this moment, this— whatever this is, it was meant to happen. He was meant to be here with her, and she was meant to meet him, to know his secret. She felt drawn to him in more ways than one. Something inside him— maybe his magic, pulls at something inside her.
And without a word, she closes her eyes, reaches up, and pulls him down to meet her.
Their lips meet shortly afterwards, and the only thing going through Morgana’s mind, is that she likes the feeling that immediately spreads through her chest, all the way down to her bones. That, and the fact that he tastes of grapes, and sweetness, and hope. When she pulls away, her eyes opening slowly to meet his, she’s surprised to find herself staring at something on his mask. The dragon, with it’s previously black stone, is now glowing green. “Your dragon... on your mask.”
He reaches up to touch it as she reaches a hand up to touch the blue one hanging from her necklace. He looks down at her necklace and smiles. “Blue... Trust and loyalty.”
She stares at him as her eyebrows furrow. Not in confusion, but in thought. “Yours is green now. It means—“.
“Balance and perfection.”
Morgana’s eyes widen for a moment as she leans forward, looking up into the man’s eyes more closely. However, before she could fully focus on them, he closes them and takes a step back.
“It’s late.” He says softly. “I— I’m afraid I must be going.”
Morgana suddenly feels her chest ache at the thought of him leaving. “Going where?”
He smiles at her as he steps back towards her and kisses her again, fully. She kisses him back immediately, her hands moving up to rest over his chest. He deepens the kiss a moment later, only to pull away again. “One day you’ll see me again, Milady... really see me. And I’ll tell you everything you wish to know about me.” He rests his masked forehead against her masked one. “Until that day, I hope you won’t forget this night.” He pulls away fully this time and takes several steps back. “I will never forget it.” And with those parting words, he turns and walks out of the gardens, disappearing into the darkness.
She returns to the hall, where the ball is still in full swing. Morgana looks around for Merlin, but still can’t find him anywhere. She makes her way over to Arthur, offering an apologetic look at masked Gwen. The Prince looks incredulously at her.
“Morgana, may I remind you, that I am the Prince—“.
“Yes, yes.” Morgana waves dismissively at him. “I know. But where is your manservant?”
Arthur pauses, eyebrows furrowed as he begins to look around at all the masked men walking around. He shakes his head slowly. “I honestly have no idea.” He pauses his search to look suspiciously at Morgana. “Why are you looking for my manservant?”
Morgana easily thinks of something. She scoffs at the Prince. “Because he’s the only competent person in this bloody Castle.”
Arthur makes a face at her. “I have no clue what you’re talking about, but if you must know, I haven’t seen him all night.”
Morgana sighs heavily. Not wanting to get more questions from the Prince, she turns and leaves the hall again. This time, she decides to call it a night.
...
For the next few days, Morgana is completely distracted by thoughts of the mystery masked man she met at the ball. She can’t believe she let him leave without first telling her his name. In the daytime, she thinks about him and all he had said would someday come to pass. At night, she dreams of him and the brief, yet amazing kisses they shared in the royal gardens. Her only relief from the ache in her chest, is seeing Merlin.
Somewhere at the surface of her growing feelings for the masked man, is a deep guilt at feeling such things for a stranger, when the man she has grown so fond of is right there, in front of her... although, not really in front of her.
She has noticed something about Merlin. When she looks at him, trying to catch his eye, he would immediately look away. When she approaches him to ask about his day, he’ll say something completely random before practically running away from her. When she enters a chamber with him in it, he leaves shortly afterwards, slipping out unnoticed. Or so he thought. She noticed, and she begins to fear that he may have seen her with the masked man on the night of the masquerade ball. Because when she asked him about the ball, he simply complimented the way she had looked in her red gown and feathered mask, and then proceeded to leave abruptly.
Whatever the issue is, she can never seem to find a time to ask him about it. Which brings her to the conclusion that he’s actively avoiding her now... and it hurts.
She approaches Arthur to find out what he knows about Merlin’s whereabouts during the night of the ball. She casually brings it up in the middle of a conversation. “So... did you ever find out for sure where your manservant was on the night of the ball?”
Arthur looks at her, questioning her question. “Why are you interested in where Merlin was on the night of the ball? It’s a little hazy now, but I do remember you asking me where he was that night.”
Morgana shrugs, trying to act nonchalant as she quickly thinks of something to say. “Because Gwen wasn’t there either.” Is all she could come up with.
Arthur freezes at that. “What?... you think— you think Merlin and Gwen were off together somewhere?”
Morgana makes a disgusted face. “What— no! I gave Gwen the night off that same night, and I thought perhaps you did the same for Merlin.” She fibs.
Arthur seems to deflate with relief. “Oh... well, Merlin told me that he was there, working early on in the night, but he left shortly after it began because he didn’t feel too well... right before they started announcing our entrances.”
Morgana immediately feels bad for the manservant. Had he been feeling ill the whole night while she was out talking to a masked stranger? She sighs. Why should she feel bad? He already told her that he’s sort of in love with someone. Yet, that doesn’t make her feel any better. She’s unable to further wallow in her sadness when she remembers something Merlin had said to her three days ago.
“You looked beautiful in your red gown and feather mask.”
At the time, when he’d said those words to her, she’d only been grateful for his compliment. Grateful that he noticed her. But now, with Arthur’s statement, she becomes suspicious. If Merlin left before she entered the hall, then how did he know what she was wearing? She bites her lip as she thanks Arthur for his time, and leaves his chambers to ponder on this new information.
After exactly 11 days, Morgana has had enough of Merlin avoiding her. She has always ignored the way she’s felt about him before. She knew there was no pursuing a relationship with him. She knew that they could only ever be friends. But with the future the masked man spoke of, she has hope. There’s no denying her feelings for the manservant anyway. She only feels slightly bad for the masked man because she has no idea when she’ll see him again, if ever. But this man, Merlin, he’s right here and he’s avoiding her, and she’s going to change that.
If he wishes not to be her friend after this, then so be it. But she’ll be damned if she doesn’t get an explanation for his behavior. She wants to hear it from him.
In the morning of the twelfth day, she gets up early and takes her time bathing and getting ready. When she’s done, she absentmindedly reaches a hand up to touch the dragon pendant hanging from her necklace. She’s been wearing it everyday, unable to fully decide whether it’s because it matched the masked man’s dragon, or because the blue stone reminded her of Merlin’s eyes. After all, his eyes were the reason she picked the blue one in the first place. She bites her lip as she closes her eyes and sends up a silent apology to the masked man. Wherever he is, she hopes he is well. She hopes that she never forgets the short time they spent together. For today, she’s taking a chance on Merlin.
...
The young manservant makes his way out of Camelot and into the neighboring forest to search for the herbs Gaius needs for his work. He didn’t complain too much when Gaius asked him to run an early errand for him, mainly because he needed to consult the Great Dragon as well. He’d been holding off on letting him know that he’d sort of showed Morgana his magic, and he knows he shouldn’t hold off any longer.
After gathering Gaius’ herbs, he makes his way out to the usual clearing, and calls on the Great Dragon. Like most times, he doesn’t have to wait long.
The dragon lands several yards away from him, and Merlin mentally prepares himself for what he’s about to tell the dragon. However, as he comes to a stop about 15 feet away, Kilgharrah actually ends up starting out their conversation.
“I take it you’ve discovered something about your future?”
Merlin blinks confusedly. He remembers what Kilgharrah had said the other day about his future, but he’s not entirely sure he really discovered anything. And if he did, he certainly has no clue what it is. “Errrr... what?”
Kilgharrah leans back on his hind legs, regarding the young warlock with a curious look. “Did you notice anything on the night of the ball?... namely, something on your mask?”
Merlin slowly nods as he asks, “The dragon?”
Kilgharrah grins. “Yes.”
Merlin swallows hard. “Yes, ermm... speaking of masks... I errr— I kind of— sort of revealed my magic to the Lady Morgana.” He quickly shakes his head and raises his hands in front of him. “But I swear to you, it wasn’t just me showing off. For some reason, I couldn’t stop myself from showing her. It just felt like I needed to, and it felt like it was the right thing to do.”
Kilgharrah stares amusedly at Merlin as he tilts his head to the side. “Merlin, what was significant about the dragon I engraved on your mask?”
Merlin blinks up at the dragon, wondering if he’d even heard what he just said. “What?”
“The mask. Was there something about it that you noticed?”
Merlin stares at Kilgharrah, confused about why the dragon doesn’t seem to care that he had revealed his magic to someone. He drops his hands to his sides as he thinks about the question. He wonders, “Why are you so interested in the mask?”
Kilgharrah blinks slowly. “Do you not remember when I told you that your mask would reveal something about your future?”
“Yes... but I don’t— I don’t remember seeing anything about my future.”
Kilgharrah shakes his head. “You didn’t have to see your future. You only had to see the person who would one day be at your side when it matters the most.”
Merlin gapes at the dragon as he recalls the night of the ball. “The stone...” he trails off as his eyebrows furrow in further confusion. “It was black when you gave it to me... but after— after...” he trails off again, remembering the kiss he and Morgana had shared that night. The first one, right before the stone changed color. “It turned green.”
Kilgharrah nods his head and breathes in deeply. “Yes, it did. The stone was from the crystal cave. Tempered in dragon’s breath to achieve its deep, dark color. Infused with ancient magic. It still held its future revealing capabilities, and that’s why it changed color.” The dragon’s mouth stretched into a large smile. “Green, you say?”
Merlin nods, his eyes unblinking as his mind races to make sense of what the dragon is telling him. “Yes.”
“And who is it that you associate with the color green?”
Merlin didn’t have to think about it. Morgana is the only person he associates with that color. And over the course of the past week and a half, he has been thinking about her and the color green quite a lot. He swallows down the doubt in his mind as he says her name out loud. “Morgana.”
The dragon nods, closing his eyes for several moments. “Of course.” He finally says, opening his large yellow eyes and looking at the young warlock again. “Then she must be the one.”
Merlin shakes his head, still confused about a lot of things. “The one?” He asks hesitantly. “The one what?”
Kilgharrah smiles. “She is the one who will be by your side when it matters the most.”
“What— what does that mean? When what matters the most? By my side as what?”
“All in good time, Merlin.” Kilgharrah says softly. “The only thing you should know, is that you should trust her. Everyone around you will doubt you at least once. Even Gaius and the future King of Albion. The Lady Morgana will be the only one who will trust you and have faith in you no matter what.”
When Merlin makes his way back to Camelot after speaking with the Great Dragon, his mind is still reeling and his questions begin to grow. Kilgharrah left everything unclear. Merlin still couldn’t tell what Morgana is meant to be in his future. Maybe it’s the knowledge of who she is on the Royal ladder, but he doesn’t even dare to hope that she’ll be anything more than his friend.
...
Morgana reaches Gaius’ chambers in record time. She’d never been so nervous and excited at the same time. She finds the elderly physician on his way out to make his rounds for the day.
“Milady.” He greets with a smile. “I hope you are not here because you are ill.”
She smiles back and shakes her head. “No, I’m fine, Gaius.”
“Good.” He nods as he picks up his bag of medicine. “May I help you with something?”
Morgana shakes her head again, “Oh, no. I’m just here to ask Merlin about an errand I need him to run for me.” She lies easily. “Is he here?”
“Ah, he left earlier than usual to gather some supplies I need today. He should be back shortly though if you want to wait for him here.”
“You don’t mind?” She asks warily.
“Of course not, Milady.”
She takes a seat on the bench by the table, folding her hands in her lap as she waits patiently. However, after a few minutes of silence, she gets up and looks around the Physician’s chambers.
She smiles as she imagines Merlin walking in and out, probably with dirt or rotten food on his face and hair. She makes a mental note to speak to Arthur about his horrible punishment of throwing Merlin in the stock’s.
She looks through some of Gaius’ books, smells some of the herbs he has laying on a table, and stares at some of the dried things he has bottled up on the shelves. She ends up walking around, just taking everything in. Finally, she comes to a stop at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to Merlin’s small room. She stairs at the door before quietly walking up to it. She stops again, looking over her shoulder and waiting.
After a few moments of silence, she shrugs her shoulders and pushes the door open. She’s never been in Merlin’s room before, so she doesn’t know what to expect. What she finds though, is nothing she would have expected if she had actually expected anything.
His bed is made up neatly in the corner, small and not looking very comfortable. The shelf in the other corner is stacked with books and parchments filled with notes. At the foot of his bed, against the wall parallel to it, is a small dresser.
She bites her lip as she stares at the dresser, wondering how all of his clothes manage to fit in the small thing. She knows he doesn’t have much, but the dresser could barely be identified as a dresser. It’s more like a cupboard.
She walks over to it, running her hand over the wooden door before pulling it back slowly. Her curiosity over the amount of clothes he has wins out. She makes a mental note to buy him a nice new tunic for his birthday.
As she pulls the door back slowly, she’s met with the sight of exactly 7 pairs of tunics, hanging from a line inside the dresser, and 7 pairs of trousers, folded neatly at the bottom. She frowns at the fact that he literally has to wear the same clothes, every seven days. She’s saddened by this. The man is so overworked and so under-appreciated! She’s about to close the dresser back up, when she notices something peeking out from behind his stack of trousers. Something that didn’t look like all of his other clothes.
Morgana’s eyebrows furrow as she reaches back and pulls at the fabric, revealing a beautiful dark cloak made out of some of the finest materials she has ever seen. As she pulls out the rest of the cloak, something falls out and lands by her feet with a clang.
She steps back, eyes darting towards the object, and then just like that, her whole world freezes as she finds herself staring at a mask. Not just any mask, but the mask that her mystery masked man had worn to the masquerade ball.
She’s shocked, trying to gain some sense of understanding as she slowly stoops down and picks up the mask. She turns it, seeing the dragon on the right side of the mask, complete with it’s body coiled around the stone. Still green from the other night.
“Merlin?” She whispers under her breath, and then the the door behind her swings open.
She turns, finding herself looking at Merlin himself, staring at her with wide eyes.
“Milady, what are you...” he trails off as he looks at the mask in her hand. “I— I can explain.”
...
Morgana stares at the manservant, her eyes as wide as his as he slowly walks over to stand in front of her.
“Merlin?” She whispers.
The manservant looks down at the mask still in her hand. “Maybe you should sit down.” He gestures to his bed.
Morgana didn’t want to sit, but she does so anyway, if only because he’s looking at her so hopefully. She takes her seat on his bed, finding that her guess about it not being comfortable, was right. It’s hard and could barely be called a bed. She finally looks at him, their eyes locking as she asks, “Merlin, what is going on?” She looks down at the mask in her hand, and then back up at him. “Why do you have this?” She holds the mask up.
Merlin stares at her for a long, silent moment. “I— I have it because it’s...” he winces slightly. “... because it’s mine.”
Morgana stares at him, her eyes growing wider and wider with every passing moment. “You’re him.” It’s a statement, but she couldn’t find how that’s entirely true. That is, until Merlin suddenly kneels down in front of her, his eyes staring up intensely into hers.
He holds his hand out in front of her and whispers softly into his palm. “Forbearne”. Almost immediately, fire rises from his palm and swirls around his fingertips.
Morgana’s eyes are wide as she stares at the dancing flames, enthralled by its ability to stay alive without burning its makers hand. Her eyes move slowly from the flame to Merlin’s face, her eyes searching his for something.
She’s still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that he is the masked man. He is the one she has been feeling so conflicted over. And how did she not know? All the signs were there! The blue eyes, the pale skin, the height, the hair, the lips, the dragon, the way he nervously scratches the side of his head when he’s nervous, and the gemstones!
“That’s why you started avoiding me.” She says absently. Her eyes focus back on his. “You knew I would see more of the similarities between you and— well, you with a mask... and a beard.” She raises her eyebrows at him. “How did you have a beard? I saw you just an hour before the ball and you didn’t have a beard.” She shakes her head confusedly.
Merlin looks pointedly at her. “Magic.” He says softly.
She laughs in disbelief. “Of course... I didn’t even think of that.”
“I didn’t want you to find out this way.” Merlin says gently as he lets the fire in his hand die and he reaches for the mask, gently taking it from her hand. “Not like this.”
“Then how?” She asks him exasperatedly. “How did you want me to find out?” She narrows her eyes at him as another thought comes to mind. “When did you intend to tell me?”
Merlin looks down at the mask in guilt. “I— I don’t know.”
Morgana glares at him then, upset by what he means. “So, never.”
Merlin looks up then, his eyes focusing on hers as he shakes his head. “Morgana, I would’ve told you eventually.”
“When?” Morgana fires back in frustration. “Five, ten, maybe even twenty years from now when I’ve already been forced by Uther to marry into another Kingdom?!”
Merlin shakes his head at her. “That’s not fair. You know I can’t just come outright and tell you that I’m the masked man. That I have magic. That I love yo—“. He cuts himself off abruptly as his eyes widen in horror. Great. He should just go and crawl inside a hole now and live out the rest of his miserable days in there. He’d just confessed to the Lady Morgana, Uther’s ward and a Royal house member that he’s in love with her.
“What?” Morgana’s eyes are wide as she leans forward and stares into his blue eyes. It’s ridiculous that she can see it so clearly now. His eyes are exactly the same as the masked man’s... how did she not figure it out immediately? She watches as he looks down at the mask again, avoiding her eyes. She reaches forward, taking his chin and tilting his head back up. “The woman you told me about the other day... she— I’m—“. her voice breaks just a little.
Merlin nods, knowing that he can’t lie out of this one. His shoulders slump and he hangs his head as his eyes lower to focus on her lap. “I’m sorry, Milady... I— I can’t control how I feel, and it doesn’t even matter, because—“.
“Do you love me?” Morgana asks, cutting him off.
Merlin couldn’t look away anymore. He raises his head and stares at her sadly. “It started little by little, from the moment I first saw you standing at the window of your bed chambers, watching as Uther ordered the execution of a man accused of practicing sorcery.”
Morgana gasps, her hand flying up over her mouth in shock. She remembers that day. The day he first showed up in Camelot. She drops her hand again and moves her other hand up to cup his cheek. “That— That was two years ago, Merlin.”
Merlin nods, offering her a sheepish smile. “I know... pathetic, right?”
She shakes her head as she cups his other cheek with her other hand. “No.”
Merlin raises his eyebrows at her. “No?”
She shakes her head again. “No... I— I didn’t know you’ve been— you know— with me, for that long.”
Merlin shrugs. “It doesn’t change anything. I know that it doesn’t mean anything. I know that it could never happen. And I am extremely sorry for what happened on the night of the ball, I just— I can’t control the way I feel.”
Silence.
Merlin bites his lip as he exhales through his nose. He’s about to apologize and just disappear before he further embarrasses himself, but she suddenly says something that stops him from doing anything.
“Neither can I.”
Merlin mentally backtracks, trying to decipher what she’s referring to and what that means. He finds that he can’t really remember what he’d just said. “What?” He asks confusedly.
Morgana takes the last step in front of him and looks up into his eyes. “I can’t control the way I feel either, Merlin.” She drops a hand, resting it on his chest. “The way I’ve started feeling since you risked your life for Gwen when she was accused of sorcery during the Afanc incident.”
Merlin blinks rapidly at her. “Wait, what?” He shakes his head disbelievingly. The Afanc incident was well over a year ago.
Morgana smiles at him and shrugs. “I’ve been falling in love with you everyday since.”
Merlin’s eyebrows threaten to disappear under his hair as he blinks rapidly up at the beautiful woman sitting in front of him. “You— what?” He shakes his head, wondering if maybe he’s hallucinating this entire conversation. There’s absolutely no way, that Morgana, the King’s ward and a woman who is way out of his league, could be in love with him... right?
Morgana smiles at the look on Merlin’s face. A look of utter disbelief and shock. She knows what he’s probably thinking. The man obviously has never properly looked at his own reflection, and that, coupled with the fact that he’s constantly undermined, has blown his confidence.
He has no idea how charming and sweet he is, on top of being attractive. Yes, he’s not what most women would gravitate towards, being so skinny and pale, but she’s not like most women. She has noticed all of the attractive features on him, like his deep blue eyes, his very prominent cheekbones, his full-without-being-feminine lips, his adorably large ears, and even his collarbones.
Underneath his bumbling behavior, which she finds endearing, his weird quirks when he’s flustered, which she has become quite fond of— and all of the other things that he does that annoys Arthur and makes her laugh, is a personality like no other. A man who is so kind, and selfless, so giving and outrageously brave, so fearless and forgiving. Morgana sighs softly, her eyes boring into his. So loving and so loved.
Morgana shakes her head as she grabs his face and holds it still. “Let me put it this way.” She leans down and finally claims his lips in a kiss. It takes a moment, but he kisses her back.
The kiss seals it for her. He truly is the masked man from the other night. As their lips fuse together, she feels every bit of the kiss she shared with him when he was pretending to be someone she does not know. The taste of sweet grapes, the feeling of safety, of contentment, of love. But it means so much more now that she knows it’s really him. The connection she felt with him when he was masked, was intense and undeniable. But this, being pressed up against him and knowing that their feelings are mutual, their connection is unbreakable.
When they pull apart for air, Merlin has a dazed look on his face as he sits back on his heels and lets out a small laugh. “Well... when you put it like that...” he smiles at her, albeit a bit sheepishly.
“So what now?” Morgana smiles at him.
Merlin finally gets up off his knees and holds a hand out to her. She takes it and lets him pull her up in front of him.
“What is to become of us?” Morgana asks softly.
Merlin stares at her, unsure of what their future holds. The only thing he can do, is trust her, like Kilgharrah had suggested. “I don’t know... but we both know that we could never be together in the eyes of those around us.”
Morgana shakes her head. “Then we’ll be discreet. It’ll be our secret.”
Merlin contemplates this. It could work, but for how long? “And Uther?” He asks hesitantly.
Morgana raises an eyebrow at him. “What about him?” She asks incredulously. “I’m not going to rush to him and tell him about us, Merlin.”
Merlin chuckles softly at her sarcastic comment. “I meant, what if he wants you to marry someone noble?”
Morgana smiles as she pulls him closer and pecks him softly on the lips. “Then I’ll marry the noblest man I know.” She wraps her arms around his neck and gives him a pointed stare.
Merlin chuckles softly at that. “I’m flattered, Milady. Truly. But you know Uther would never see me the way you do.”
Morgana smirks at him as she replies, “I should hope not, because I’m currently seeing you in a very intimate way.” She bites her lip playfully.
Merlin laughs, shaking his head as he playfully pokes her side. “You’re not taking this seriously.” He points out, prompting a very deep sigh from the King’s ward.
“I know... I just— I don’t know how things are going to play out in our future... but I have faith in the future you told me about. I have faith that Arthur will become the King he is meant to be, and that we will be together someday. Fully, and with no objections from anyone. I don’t know when that will happen and what obstacles we’ll have to face to get there.” She looks down at his chest and wets her lips with her tongue. She brings her gaze back up to meet his. “All I know for sure is this....” She untangles herself from him, and proceeds to take his right hand, placing it over her heart. “No matter what happens, no matter how hard things get, no matter how utterly against us everyone is, I will always be on your side. I will always stand by you. I will always trust you and love you, for as long as you do the same for me.”
Merlin smiles adoringly at her, remembering what Kilgharrah had said about her.
Everyone around you will doubt you at least once. Even Gaius and the future King of Albion. The Lady Morgana will be the only one who will trust you and have faith in you no matter what.
He pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her petite frame as he kisses her forehead. “Then if nothing else, I’ll have faith in you. And for better or worse,” he looks down at her and smiles. He can almost see the future Kilgharrah told him would someday come to pass. One where he would reap the rewards of all his hard work in protecting the future of Albion. But he knows that of all the things that could be given, Morgana is the one thing he wants. “I’m with you till the end.”
Morgana rests her forehead against his. “In that case, all we have to do is make sure Arthur doesn’t accidentally fall and break his own neck, and hope that he eventually pulls his head out of his ass long enough to figure out that Gwen is the only woman who will ever love him unconditionally.” She smirks.
Merlin laughs as he kisses her chastely. “You won’t believe how hard it is to keep him alive, Morgana.”
Morgana snorts softly as they begin making their way out to Gaius’ quarters. “Oh, I believe it. The man is utterly lost without you to take care of him. And now that I know you have magic, I finally know how he survived this long.”
Merlin laughs heartily as he pulls her to his side. There’s so much work that they have to do to ensure the future of Albion. But with the two of them together, nothing can stop them.
-END
...
A/N: This could be a multi-chapter fic, but I think it ends quite nicely here too. The rest is up to your imagination. I hope you all liked this oneshot. I made sure to end it on a nice note. I’ve written fics that end on subtle cliffhangers where Merlin and Morgana just sort of hope for a future together. For this one, I wanted it to be a little more clear about their future. It’s not fully closed to the threats they’ll eventually face, but it’s enough to paint the picture of how much potential their love and connection has, and all the obstacles they’ll overcome. Anyways, thanks for reading!
-McDiggin’It