Fairedenale

"I am trying to get this spell right...Do you know where I can get a ring that was found by a magpie and blessed by the fates? Wait what does that even mean??" He read the sentence again but decided it still made no sense and dramatically fell back, summoning a pillow from the nearby cot to avoid hitting the floor with his head. A sigh escaped him after his eyes changed back to blue.

"What is it for?" The former maid asked.

Hunith sat in front of the fire and grinned, Guinevere had the patience of an angel.

"Arthur. Not the ring per se, I need that to make the protection spell for some lady, because the painter who made the portrait of Ygraine claimed he had sketches but he refused to give them up unless I help his girlfriend who had angered some ancient spirit." He rubbed his hands over his face. "And I hate ancient spirits! They have nobody to talk to which is sad but that means when you summon them they'll always start to ramble and they won't shut up, Gwen!" He grabbed her ankle and shook it without much force so he wouldn't hurt her. "They never shut up!!!!"

A giggle spilled over her lips as she looked down at the Court Sorcerer of Camelot pouting on the floor.

"Good thing you like Arthur more than you apparently hate these ancient spirits." His mother remarked with a poorly hidden grin and an arched eyebrow as she knitted some socks.

Gwen promptly chimed in: "And that must say something considering you really hate these spirits."

Merlin glowered at both women. He would have had a witty comeback, no doubt, but was cut off when the door opened again.

"Uncle Mewlin!!" Finch exclaimed as they entered the room. Arthur held the boy but he started to wiggle when he spotted the sorcerer. Lancelot, who stepped over the threshold a moment after the king put the boy on the ground smiled at Gwen.

Summoning a tiny gust of wind Merlin closed the book next to him, hiding his notes inside as he sat up and held his arms out to greet the boy.

"Hello little one. Has Arthur bored you enough?" He questioned lightly.

Arthur only laughed and went over to greet Hunith with a kiss on the cheek. "Has Merlin bored you enough? Should I give him some chores?"

"Oh you know how he is." She replied fondly, squeezing the kings arm.

Meanwhile Finch's tiny form had collided with the warlock and he was now planted on his lap demanding-

"Magic! Pwease!"

"Your wish is my command! What extraordinary spell would my lord want to see me perform?"

"Can you make a baby cat? Dada said I'll get one for Yule!"

The look Gwen gave Lancelot suggested that Dada was in a lot of trouble for that.

"I can make one but you know it won't last, remember?"

His magic could make life, but he hadn't dared to test it on something bigger than a butterfly yet and he didn't plan to. To create life was not a power that should be wielded out of curiosity, it was a responsibility.

Finch nodded seriously. "I know. Wait Uncle A'ther should watch too! Mom, Dad and Hunif Uncle Mewlin does magic!!" The boy was so excited it was hard for him to sit still and despite his sudden nervousness it made Merlin smile fondly. He vividly remembered the day Lancelot and Gwen had asked him and Arthur to meet them in Gwen's home. The couple had been married for a year, so it was not a huge surprise, when Gwen told them teary eyed that she was pregnant. The real surprise came from Lancelot after he squeezed his wife's hand. "We know this is no small thing to ask but we would love you both as godfathers for our child."

Arthur had cried. Not that the king would ever mention it whenever he told this story. Another part he failed to say anything about was that when Gwen went into labor Arthur was pacing the hallways like a caged animal. Only when the first cries of the child announced his wellbeing and Gaius joined the both men in the corridor to give the young family some space, could Arthur calm down enough he let his body sink on the floor next to the spot where Merlin had patiently waited.

Finch as it soon turned out was the human embodiment of a bright summer day, his smile lightened up the entire kingdom and like the first messengers of a storm on a summer evening, the boy always seemed to be on some mission or another. Keeping up with him took indeed an entire village.

Now Merlin spoke the words to mold his magic into the form of a small kitten. Finch watched with his big brown eyes as it started to purr and rub its little head against the boys hand before it darted over to where Hunith's yarn was pulled up as she continued to knit.

"Whoa!" The toddler was up in a second, following the cat as Merlin let it grow into an adult. "Mommy, Dada look!"

Before the boy could become to attached Merlin tugged at the spell and made it shrink until it fit into a hand and then let it explode like the magical fire Mordred sometimes summoned.

“Is he searching about the soulmate sickness again?”

“Gwen, all I ever see him do is search for the soulmate sickness. I’m surprised that he passes all his finals.”

Merlin put his coffee next to his laptop. “I do study, unlike somebody.” Gwen laughed at the offended expression Will made and soon they were deep in conversation.

Of course, some prat had to move too close to their table and bump into it. Of course, Marlin’s coffee was gonna be the one that spills.

“Are you kidding me?!”

The stranger looked past his shoulders, his broad shoulders, with indifference. “Maybe next time don’t put it too close to the edge.” And he left. Leaving Merlin gobsmacked and coffeeless.

“What the fuck?” Will broke the silence with his eyebrows dangerously close to his hairline.

Merlin had hoped that, that was the last they would see of the rude guy. His hopes and dreams had been crushed the moment he saw him in his class. Sitting in the front with his laptop open and laser focus on the professor. Merlin had later learned that the rude guy was an extremely talented transfer student named Arthur.

That meant war. Because not only was he rude but now he was Merlin’s rival. Merlin had to work double the amount to secure his place at the top of the class.

So, every exam had become a battleground. Merlin used any excuse to show off. He would answer the professors’ questions or casually drop his papers in front of Arthur, only to show that he had scored really high.

And soon, Arthur had also started to participate in this.

“Oh, only a 96 Merlin? I guess not all of us are smart enough.”

“Hey Arthur, did you see the scores board? didn’t see your name up there, man I guess we can’t win all the time.”

“Of course you got an 80 on this, I’m not even surprised Merlin.”

“HA! A 100! Arthur’s gonna be so mad.”

“MERLIN!” a loud bang on his desk made Merlin jump from his nap. “Will, what is wrong with you?! actually, good thing you woke me up, I need to review chapter 5 again.”

“Ugh Merlin, you can’t be serious.” Wills frown grew deeper when Merlin sneezed. “You need actual rest, not neck on book shrimp style nap.” Merlin blew his nose into a tissue while rolling his bloodshot eyes. “What I need is to study, the last thing I need is to fall behind Arthur because of this sickness.”

“ARTHUR IS ALSO SICK!”

“Wait what?”

“Arthur is also sick so you, the biggest idiot I’ve ever seen, need to take it easy! Seriously Merlin you look miserable I can’t believe I have to forc-”

“Wait, wait, wait Will. Did you just say Arthur has been sick too? For how long?”

“I don’t know man, maybe as long as you? It doesn’t matter; did you just listen to what I said? You need to res-”

Merlin’s feverish brain had no logic. Coincidence? Brain didn’t care.

Merlin listened to none of what Will was saying. He shuffled through all the used tissues on his desk to find a pen.

I’m gonna get a B because you stubborn prat! got us both sick!

This time though, Merlin didn’t have to wait for long.

– God, Merls…

– Gwen, I can’t pretend I didn’t see it, I can’t stop thinking about what it means.

– It doesn’t take a genius. He’s going to propose to you.

– What if he isn’t? Isn’t it too soon? Have we been together long enough to be bound in holy matrimony?

– Well, it clearly isn’t too soon for him, since he bought a ring. Which means he’s preparing to take that step.

– Yes, but he hasn’t taken it. What if it isn’t for me at all?

– Of course. He’s going to run away and secretly marry his mistress, which is why he’s been keeping the ring among his socks at home…

– What if it isn’t an engagement ring at all? What if it’s a present… for his sister, for instance?

– Have you got a photo?

– Sec… sent.

– Got it… No. That is definitely not for women. It’s beautiful, but too wide and sort of… plain. And the stone isn’t in the middle.

– There are lots of stones.

– I mean, if someone gave me that, I’d accept it, obviously, but I’d only wear it out of respect.

– Stop criticising it, it’s very beautiful. Have you noticed these tiny dark stones making a sort of background, and the larger sparkly ones like little stars?

– Oh, I thought the dark strip was the metal.

– No. Oh, they go all the way round the band.

– Then that is a hell of a lot of stones.

– That’s why I think it’s too fancy for an engagement ring. And the size is sort of… too small.

– Did you take it out of the box?

– Yes.

– Merlin, you’re crossing a line now. Put it back in, shut the box, and tuck it back exactly where you found it.

– These pale stones…

– Diamonds.

– Probably. But they’re arranged so carefully, as if it isn’t random. As if it really is bound up with the stars somehow…

– Stop it, put it back.

– It’s some constellation. Maybe it isn’t Arthur’s ring at all. Maybe one of his friends asked him to hold on to it, or even… Oh. Shit. No! No, no, no. GWEN!

– Merlin, don’t tell me you’ve put it on and now you can’t get it off.

– Yes. It won’t come off.

– Stop panicking, take a deep breath, relax your fingers.

– They’re not relaxing. They’ve gone stiff as sticks!

– Try soap.

– (sound of running water)… No. Gwen, the stupid soap isn’t helping!

– Congratulations.

– On what? On the fact that I’ll be single by tonight if I don’t get this bloody ring off? Arthur will be home in twenty minutes. He’ll kill me.

– On the fact that in half an hour you’ll either be engaged, or you’ll be seeing your best friend. Gwaine’s on shift today, isn’t he?

– Can I come down to you and hide, and then we can go to Gwaine together? We’ll pretend you felt ill and I’m helping?

– No, Merls, I’m in the office today. I’ll be here for another couple of hours. So you’ll have to face the fate you’re bound for.

– Gwen!

– I have to run, love. Message me later and tell me how it all ended.

***

Half an hour later, a WhatsApp message arrived.