The Rebirth of Camelot (Chapter 2)
Jul. 8th, 2009 01:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hopenightTitle: The Rebirth of Camelot
Author: HopeNight
Rating: PG-13 may get higher in later chapters
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Warnings: The usual madness and mayhem but nothing too bad except some language. And well it’s Un-beta’d which I hope to soon fix.
Genre: romance/humor/adventure/fantasy
Summary: Arthur Jameson is your ordinary twenty one year old. He has two loving parents, an annoying half-sister, and a decent job. Still he feels restless. Well…until he accidently stumbled upon a beautiful man encased in quartz and diamonds, which he accidentally freed. After which his life suddenly gets rather interesting.
As Arthur trekked through the surprisingly easy terrain, he could not help but feel like that he was being watched. He sighed as he climbed over some tree roots. Then the wind picked up, and Arthur could swear that he heard giggles faintly. He looked around wildly trying to find the source of the noise.
He sighed and checked his watch quickly. He had a half an hour until he absolutely had to set up some sort of camp. Then maybe he’ll try his hand at catching some fish from the river. He could hear the telltale signs of water rushing nearby.
Arthur walked for awhile until he hit meadow. He looked up and saw that he still had some light. He whistled as he set up his camp for the night. He unrolled his sleeping bag: deciding to forgo a tent on such a lovely night.
It was tasks that he had done a thousand times before. These tasks that nearly seem to be encoded in his DNA as he quickly gathered some firewood. Still he kept his mind focused on the tasks at hand instead of doing some wool gathering. He always found that his dreams would invade his waking mind if he allowed a quick wander about.
Still it happened.
It was raining and he was stuck in a cave that he luckily found.
“The fire is going, sire,” stated the voice as a glow suddenly erupted. A merry fire was going and he moved closer to the warmth. He looked at the shadow.
“Used your magic again didn’t you?”
“Perhaps,” the voice agreed.
“You should be careful.”
“It’s just us, Arthur.”
“I suppose so. But that doesn’t mean I stop worrying.”
“I am careful or I try to be.”
A rough but exquisite hand took his. The long fingers wrapped around his palm. His heart thundered in his chest. The figure was so close. He could feel his breath on his neck. He tried to suppress the blush that threatened to creep up said neck. Turning to the shadow, he stated gruffly,
“You better. I don’t want to look for another manservant.”
The figure laughed.
“I know. And I don’t want you too.”
“Would you be jealous?” he teased the shadow lightly. He always enjoyed their camaraderie. It was unforced and unquestioned. He didn’t have to work for it like he did with others.
With him, he knew exactly where he stood.
And did he relish that.
“Very,” whispered the voice in his ear. Arthur gulped.
They were so close that Arthur swore he could feel the shadow’s heart beat in time with his own. He turned to meet a pair of mischievous blue eyes that swirled with gold. The rain beat outside the cave and the fire burned so bright.
He shouldn’t kiss him. He was the Prince. He should not be cavorting with his manservant.
However, when a pair of chapped, dry lips was pressed against his own; it suddenly didn’t seem to matter.
Arthur shook his head from the daydream and cursed under his breath. It felt so real.
They always felt so real.
He shook his head as if to rid himself of the thoughts of his realistic dreams and a shadow man that he loves with all his heart. Arthur walked in the general direction he heard the rush of the river to take a bath.
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The water nymphs giggled as the King jumped naked into the water. Magic had told them to make the water warm and to make sure the currents were calm.
They grinned and swirled around the King’s feet. The made the water feel sun warmed and gently massaged the currents until they wrapped around his body like a watery blanket.
Oh Emrys would be please by them. For they loved their King and the Great Sorcerer with all their hearts.
They had missed him so and were happy to do as Magic asked them.
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Arthur was certain that there was never a time where he had a better bath in a river. The current wasn’t too rough and the water felt like that of a bath or his American cousin’s heated pool.
It was fantastic.
Despite the fact that he was certain that no one was in the area, he could have sworn that he heard giggling yet again. It was a silly thought and he shook it out of his head as he pulled on a dark red t-shirt and a pair of favorite faded jeans. He worn said jeans so many times that they looked like felt and a hole was starting to form in the right knee.
He headed back to camp deciding that he would try to fish tomorrow. He had some food in his pack and the sun was starting to set. Might as well eat and enjoy the crystal clear night.
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As Arthur began to devour some food he packed, the figure on the bed of quartz, crystal, and diamonds moved yet again. His eyelids fluttered slightly. It looked like he was close to waking but that was not happening. Well not yet away. He was teetering between wake and sleep. Like how a tight rope walker teeters across on only a piece of rope. He may pass the rope onto wakefulness or he could fall into the net of sleep again.
He had an audience though.
The earth nymphs watched him curiously. It was their job to make the ivy grow around the crumbling castle where Emrys slept. It was their charge to make sure that the castle remained hidden in addition with their faerie cousins and sprite sisters. It was a job they took on proudly. For they loved Emrys and they knew he too loved them dearly.
Otherwise he would entrust them with such an important task.
‘Perhaps we should prepare him for our King. He is awfully dusty,’ stated one nymph with dark red hair and skin the color of clay. Her dressed of leaves rustled as she moved closer to the Sorcerer.
‘It would do some good for him to look nice when he is awakened by the King,’ agreed another nymph with dark green hair and skin the color of silt. Her skirt of rose petals bloomed as she moved closer to her sister.
The nymphs grinned and went to go enlist the help of the sprites and faeries.
The figure slept on unaware. He shifted again and a cloud of dust puffed as he sighed out softly,
“Arthur…”
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Meanwhile Arthur slept on unaware of what was happening. His dreams however with being in proximity with a lost kingdom became startlingly clearer.
“I’m sorry about your father, Arthur,” whispered the figure next to him. His heart clenched again as the hand gripped his tighter.
“You should be celebrating. He was persecuting your kind,” he murmured back to the figure. He did not pull his hand away though.
“He was your father, Arthur. I would not celebrate a death of a parent.”
“I’m just a man tonight. No longer am I a prince and my coronation not yet happened.”
“How does it feel?” whispered the figure next to him.
“Freeing," answered Arthur. A nice silence descended upon them for a moment.
“You will be a good king, Arthur.”
“What if I’m not?”
“You have me. And you can count on me calling you out for being a prat.”
He chuckled lightly, “Yes I have that. I need to put together a group of advisors. Then I need to find someone who would like to sit in a new position.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“High Sorcerer, I have someone in mind.”
“Really now?” inquired the voice in shock. He nodded and turned to face the person.
“You up for it? You’re the worst manservant ever. Perhaps you’ll be a better Sorcerer.”
A laugh cracked through his pained heart.
“Let’s talk of such things in the morning, Arthur. Tonight how about we mourn your father?”
“I would like that.”
Arthur’s eyes flew opened and he rubbed them. He groaned as he stared at the night sky. The stars were twinkling merrily back at him.
“Stupid dreams. Maybe I am going crazy.”
He could almost hear the voice from his dreams reply: “Well I could have told you that.”
Arthur groaned and climbed out of backpack. He grabbed a flashlight and decided to go for a midnight walk. He pulled on his boots, grabbed a torch, and made sure the fire was out. He turned on said torch and began to walk through the forest.
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The air nymphs floated gently rustling the trees, who told them that the King was wandering throughout the forest. That he was on the path to where Camelot was hidden.
The trees asked the air nymphs if they could please make sure he finds the ruins of the kingdom. If it wasn’t too much of a bother that is.
The air nymphs laughed brightly and danced throughout the trees. They woke the sleeping air sprites and danced around Arthur.
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Arthur walked through the forest. He could feel the wind ruffle his hair gently. He glanced around the area. The trees seemed to dance in the wind.
He sighed softly as he climbed over another large tree root. This place felt so alarmingly familiar. Like he had climbed this tree roots before, felt the wind ruffle his hair as he walked this path.
It was odd and frightening and exhilarating all at once. It felt like something was stirring in the back of his mind. He could see a shadow of a lean man lying amongst the tree roots reading and eating an apple.
It was like a flicker of a candle though. So brief and quick that he wondered if it happened at all.
He sighed and thought that his mind was playing tricks on him again. Maybe he should just go and check into a mental hospital. These vivid dreams, eyes playing tricks on him, his wool gathering, and those burning golden eyes are making him suspect that something is wrong mentally. Morgan wouldn’t be surprised.
Arthur shook those thoughts from his head as he pressed further. His feet navigated a trail that seemed to feel familiar to his body and some hazy part of his mind. Arthur sighed and decided that if must be crazy than he would not fight it anymore. He pushed through some bushes and gasped at what he saw.
Well shit…it’s a castle.
He didn’t know that there were any castles in the area. Still some part of him whispered to move closer, to go to the ruins of the castle. The light of the moon and his torch guided him as he climbed through an opening in a dilapidated wall. He quietly made his way through the halls of the strange ruin castle.
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‘There! He is ready. No one would resist trying to wake him,” declared the clay skinned nymph. The sprites that danced through her hair cheered.
‘The King approaches. We have to hide!’ squeaked a faerie to the two nymphs and all the other faeries and sprites. They all disappeared leaving the Sorcerer waiting for the King.
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Arthur tumbled throughout the ruins. His feet seemed to have taken on a mind of their own as he picked his way through. He walked the crumbling ivy covered passages that felt so damn familiar it scared him.
He moved closer and closer. He could feel the air crackle with energy as he moved into another ivy covered room. The something caught his eye. His breath caught in his throat.
There was a table that looked to be made from diamonds. Rainbows refracted from the moonlight shining on it. Arthur dropped his torch and ran closer to the table.
There was a person on the table. Shit, was that person gorgeous.
Pale, alabaster skin made luminous from the diamond table. Silky black hair splayed across a single dark red pillow. High cheekbones, full lips, long dark eyelashes that kissed the pale skin. He was wearing a long blue shirt made of fine silk and a pair of brown pants. His feet were bare.
Then he saw the sword. The hilt was grasped by a pair of exquisitely long-fingered hands. Arthur moved closer to inspect the inscription on the sword.
Excalibur
“Well…shit,” murmured Arthur as he moved toward the sleeping man.
“Excuse me? Wake up?” He shook the guys shoulder. He kept at it for several more moments before deciding that tactic wasn’t working.
“Kiss him you moron! It’s like Sleeping fucking Beauty,” shouted a voice that sounded suspiciously like Morgan. Maybe she did find a way to invade his brain with her connections in Hell. Arthur sighed. He should have never told her that he was gay.
Well it didn’t hurt to try? Did it?
Arthur leaned in and gently pressed his lip to the man’s.
The Third Spell
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 05:50 am (UTC)I love how you described the nymphs and elves and sprites. This is great :)
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 10:59 pm (UTC)I always loved mythical creatures. So it was fun. There were these woods near where I grew up. I just pictured playing my games from there.
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Date: 2009-07-08 06:04 am (UTC)“Kiss him you moron! It’s like Sleeping fucking Beauty,” - totally morgana XD
can't wait for the next part :3
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:07 pm (UTC)Lol I love Morgana in this too. It's fun to write her!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 06:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:11 pm (UTC)Heheheheh making Arthur thinking he's crazy is fuuun.
My mom loved those pictures. Plus there were some woods near the house where I grew up. Naturally I played in there like the strange child I was. So I used those games I played when writing this.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 07:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:11 pm (UTC)argg
Date: 2009-07-09 02:54 pm (UTC)but I am sure, merlin's beauty can compete with those of all those princesses :D
Re: argg
Date: 2009-07-10 01:31 am (UTC)I wanted to switch it around a little bit! ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:33 am (UTC)You can actually picture the story as you read it, especially the nymphs and faeries - well done!
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Date: 2009-07-08 11:12 pm (UTC)I'm glad you like the story and my descriptions! I worry about the way I word things sometimes.
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Date: 2009-07-08 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 06:53 pm (UTC)Great chapter! Thanks for not stringing us along by keeping us waiting for "the finding" for like, 6 chapters. I enjoyed Arthur's reactions to everything.
And my favorite line? "Well shit...it's a castle."
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:15 pm (UTC)Ugh! I hate that I rather get to the juicy part so I can play with the characters! If you saw my Torchwood fanfic, I have it out in the open around chapter three. And the audience knows like a paragraph in chapter one!
I love writing Arthur. He's an awesome character to craft!
That line was awesome!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:15 pm (UTC)Plus I got my senior pictures tomorrow
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Date: 2009-07-09 03:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 04:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 06:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 01:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 01:40 am (UTC)I loved writing about the magical beings in the forest plus the Sleeping Beauty reference was fun to throw in.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 12:27 am (UTC)Firstly, the nymphs are hilarious, particularly the ones perving on him in the water. I think we all now wish we were water nymphs.
Secondly, simply beautiful. The story felt magical. I'm assuming you know arthurian legend. The legends of nature itself loving its king and helping him have always been one of my favourite parts, so I enjoyed that here. Also, arthurian legend always had everyone connected in the great magical plan, not just magically gifted people. I really felt in this the importance of Merlin and Arthur, the land needed them both. It's beautiful and felt real.
The dreams were written in such a touching way, it was almost heartbreaking as Arthur unwittingly pined after what he once had. Loving the sleeping beauty angle!
Sorry, I'm gushing, but I love this story.
Thirdly, I love your icon. That was one of my favourite 'once-and-future-king' quotes
no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 01:54 am (UTC)Thank you for the kind compliment. I know some Arthurian Legend but not a lot. Still I knew about how Nature loved the king. So I thought it would be interesting to show that love.
For the risk of sounding repetitive, they are two sides of the same coin. I think that's what they are trying to show in the show. They are phsyically different in addition to their personailites. One in short needs the other in order to be the best they could be. I'm going on the Ancient Greek belief of soulmates.
See the Ancient Greeks believed that man was once whole and the gods feared this. So they split man's soul into two separate pieces. Basically I'm using this mind set when writing Merlin and Arthur's relationship.
The dreams broke my heart too! If I was like how Arthur is I would always be looking and not know!
It's okay to gush! I love explaining things to people who enjoy my works!
Thanks! I love yours too! Arthur golden eyed?! Sexy very sexy!