Skeletons From my Closet

It had been a peaceful day — a peaceful week, even — with no sudden attempts on the king's life, no council members making ridiculous demands, no magical threats to fight.

Maybe that's what encouraged him. The peace.

Arthur had been king for a while, and finally, everything around the kingdom seemed to have settled.

That might have been it as well.

Not mentioning the lack of executions.

Whatever it was that made Merlin suddenly stop his task — his fingers working mindlessly in every link of the king's chain mail — and stare into the fireplace with empty thoughts, he would be forever grateful.

"I have magic," he said to the quiet room.

For a second, he tensed up. His heart skipped a beat, and he clenched his teeth while holding his breath.

He was as surprised as the walls, to have heard his own voice say the words. But say them he did, and so, he waited for what would follow.

"I know," Arthur answered from his desk, not even seven heartbeats later.

Merlin exhaled, still staring at the fire, and let tears pool his eyes.

"Oh…" Was all he managed to say.

He heard the sound of paper sheets as Arthur continued his work.

"Thank you… for telling me," the king said, "I… appreciate the trust."

Merlin bit his bottom lip and nodded to the fire, unseeingly — his tears blurring the world in front of him.

"Come read this speech. Tell me what you think of it," Merlin heard the sound of paper again.

He cleared his nose with a sniff, and dried his eyes with his hands, before standing up. When he looked back to the king, he saw that Arthur held the paper up while resting his elbow upon the desk. He hadn't turned his head.

Merlin took a step forward before hesitating. He looked down to where his work lay scattered, and trying not to think much about it, waved his hand, letting his eyes shine golden shamelessly.

"All right, let's see the disaster you've put up together this time," Merlin mumbled as soon as he reached the desk, taking the paper from the king without looking at him.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur whispered.

The tone of Arthur's appreciation startled Merlin enough that, when he next noticed, his eyes were meeting Arthur's own tearful ones. He lost his breath once again to the intensity in them.

"Just doing my job, my lord," he whispered back, still breathlessly. "Can't let you run around the kingdom with a half decent speech."

Arthur nodded and turned his eyes away, giving Merlin a chance to start his reading.

"Once you're done with that," Arthur started again, "I found a few interesting set of laws that became obsolete — what? About thirty years ago? — I was wondering if you would help me revisit them."

Merlin smiled.

"As you wish."