#albionsgate

@albionsgate / @clandekariios

"Oh do be quiet, Arthur," he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You have far a greater enemy than I encroaching upon your borders, and unless we can agree upon an allegiance of some kind then both our kingdoms will imminently be in grave peril."

"You do realize every time you do that I panic." Arthur said drily. "What if it had been poisoned, and you dropped dead?"

"Then you'd have a dead Court Magician on your hands, but not a dead Prince." Merlin said, handing the goblet over to Arthur as if it was just another day at court. But it was another day at court, a very boring day of watching Uther teaching Arthur the ins and outs of Courtly Politics and what it was to be The Greatest King of Camelot.

Dull. Boring. He'd rather be poisoned.

At least they had the excuse of leaving for the noonday feast. The extravagance of their lunches sometimes turned Merlin's stomach. How many of the poor could this be feeding? He only prayed that when Arthur took over, the extravagance would cease.

"I don't set them for myself..." Arthur mumbled, kicking at the dirt. "It's father...and his dumb rules.." he crossed his arms, not caring that he sounded a bit like a child. Merlin has known him his entire life. He was only a decade or so older anyways, they'd grown up together. Merlin had known him as a child. He understood the complexity of Arthur's relationship with Uther better than most. "How can I not make things a bit impossible when I'm expected to live up to the shadow of the greatest king Camelot has ever known? I have shoes to fill...and they're nearly impossible..."

"Oh, sod your father and his sodding rules." Merlin bemoaned as he paced back and forth. He was irritated, irritated at this whole situation. It had been bad enough that Arthur decided to just whisk away with barely a word on some self-seeking quest of foolishness, but now they were really in some serious danger. It was only by chance he'd seen the Prince sneaking away and followed after.

Now they were caught up in some sort of nefarious scheme of otherwordly creatures who had placed parasites in their heads.

Oh, yes, and Merlin now had golden scales growing on his face. Last he had checked, they were certainly not there before the tadpole. However, he'd also never heard of illithids turning people into dragons.

Now, Arthur was being a brooding mess of guilt and shame, and Merlin didn't have time for that. He was exhausted, trying to lift the Prince's spirits, and at this point he was just irritated. He plopped down beside Arthur with a great huff, leaning over to him and speaking a bit less harshly than before.

@clandekariios i could be a total smartass bratty bitch about and just bold everything but I'm gonna be nice and specify the Pendragons @albionsgate with this one

Bold = yes, Italic = maybe

Arthur

do i ship our characters together?: yes | no | not yet but maybe soon

would i like to ship with you?: yes | maybe, i'm willing to try | no

type of relationship i could see: childhood or high school sweethearts | exes | engaged | married | long-term relationship | crushes | unrequited love | fling | long distance | online relationship | just dating | new relationship | toxic lovers | friends with benefits | arranged marriage

tropes i'd enjoy writing for them: friends to lovers | enemies to lovers | exes to lovers | fake relationship / dating | forbidden love | grumpy and sunshine | star-crossed lovers | surprise pregnancy | second chance | soulmates | amnesia / mistaken identity | forced proximity | secret relationship | slow burn relationship

would i rather plot first or jump right in and see where it goes?: develop their relationship first | jump right in | something in between ( what specifically? )

what now?: let's plot something | send me shippy memes | i'll send you shippy memes | write me a random starter | i'll write you a random starter

Uther

do i ship our characters together?: yes | no | not yet but maybe soon

would i like to ship with you?: yes | maybe, i'm willing to try | no

type of relationship i could see: childhood or high school sweethearts | exes | engaged | married | long-term relationship | crushes | unrequited love | fling | long distance | online relationship | just dating | new relationship | toxic lovers | friends with benefits | king and consort |

tropes i'd enjoy writing for them: friends to lovers | enemies to lovers | exes to lovers | fake relationship / dating | forbidden love | grumpy and sunshine | star-crossed lovers | surprise pregnancy | second chance | soulmates | amnesia / mistaken identity | forced proximity | secret relationship | slow burn relationship

would i rather plot first or jump right in and see where it goes?: develop their relationship first | jump right in | something in between ( what specifically? )

what now?: let's plot something | send me shippy memes | i'll send you shippy memes | write me a random starter | i'll write you a random starter

Admittedly, there had been much wine and revelry at the feast that night, and the king was perhaps a bit drunk. But none questioned the late night summons of the bard to the kings chambers. Uther was mid bath when the tap on the door came, easing his tense muscles from the earlier battle. "Come," he raised his voice slightly and set his goblet down on the side table. "There you are, songbird." Uther smiled and extended a hand. "Join me, if you wish." (Albionsgate)

Tryck had expected to be summoned when he had watched the attendants help a stumbling King make his way to his chambers when the revelry had begun to die down. It had given him a chance to steal away from his constant spot at the King's side to be able to sit and chat with Arthur. He much rather enjoyed the Prince's company, mostly because he didn't lord over him the way Uther did.

Of course, he didn't have much choice in the matter. His mother was a baker in the castle, his father an alcoholic scribe of the King who owed Uther a great amount of debt. When his father died, the debt passed on to the young man. Thus the arrangement was made for him to become the court Jester, though it seemed more often than not his title should have been King's concubine.

When the guards came to bring him to answer the summons, Tryck gave a heavy sigh and an apologetic look to Arthur. "Forgive me, my Prince, but both you and I know it best not to keep your father waiting. I'll find you in the morning to continue our conversation."

When he arrived at the King's chambers, he took a deep breath before opening the door and walking inside. It wasn't as though he disliked his position. Far from it, truly, but... Well, Uther wasn't the Pendragon he necessarily wanted to share a bed with every night...

But there's a smile on his face for his King as he enters, and sees Uther in the bath, drink set aside. He might have phrased it as an invitation to join him in the bath, but Tryck knows that it is more of a command, and who is he to deny his King?

"I always wish to be closer to you, my King." Tryck's words are sweet and practiced, like a well rehearsed song that he knows Uther loves for him to sing. As he walks through the chamber to the bath, he's removing his clothing and dutifully climbing into the warm water, the scents of oils and salts stinging at his nose and eyes.

"I...don't know about that..." Arthur flushed, tucking a bit of hair behind his ear. "I'm..." he caught sight of the look on Tryck's face and sheepishly leant in, pressing a very chaste kiss to his lips. "Uh, is...is that alright? I mean, that's what you wanted...I..."

He's so innocent it's adorable.

Tryck chuckled as he watched Arthur flush and fluster. With the way that Uther had behaved, he had half-expected the Prince to be more experienced. But with the way he kissed Tryck, the way he was so flustered, it had Tryck absolutely curious.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Bards," he muttered under his breath. "Well can you tell me anything? Because from where I'm standing, our camp supplies are on fire, and the wizard is nowhere in sight."

"The camp supplies were on fire, thanks to the dutiful swiftness of our resident cleric and her divine intervention." Tryck said with a smirk, motioning to the smoldering pile of said supplies, soaked with water.