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Entry tags:
Merlin - Certainty
Whoa, I actually wrote something! Blame the Fleet. *nods*
Title: Certainty
Genre: Gen
Rating: PG
Length: ~1,200 words
Spoilers: Character spoilers for 4.01
Synopsis: Trust is an earned thing.
Author’s Notes: For![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
camelot_fleet’s backstory challenge.
Disclaimer: I do not own this interpretation of the myths and am making no profit from this.
Merlin didn’t trust him. He did not trust him at all. Well, not at first.
Merlin watched as this stranger, this supposed uncle, strode in and was instantly granted Arthur’s trust with a simple embrace and a murmured, “You know I am always here for you.” Who was this Agravaine anyway? Why had Merlin never heard of him in all his years as a servant to the prince?
He looked for certain shape-shifting crystals for over a fortnight. For a fortnight after that, he dug through book after book, scroll after scroll, searching for a spell that would explain Agravaine’s appearance and Arthur’s inherent trust in the man.
Finally, when he began to eye the rare and possibly dangerous tomes on the upper level and Gaius began to eye him as though he had lost his mind, he asked.
Gaius, for his part, had simply laughed. He congratulated Merlin on taking his duties seriously, but assured him than Agravaine was someone known and real and had been busy taking care of his own lands for the past few years, though he had sent many a message and had always been willing to come if needed though Uther had declined for personal reasons.
Agravaine was Ygraine’s brother, Arthur’s uncle by blood. He and Uther had never seen eye to eye, but Agravaine had long commented that he always saw Ygraine when he looked upon Arthur, which was why he both promised he would have what needed and often times avoided the prince and king as the memories were simply too strong.
Merlin still did not trust him and still kept an eye out for suspicious crystals or any tell-tale glowing or such.
It was while he was keeping an eye out that he happened upon something quite peculiar.
Humbolt and Urien were high above attempting to move a large block of the ramparts back into place after all the destruction from Morgana’s reign. Little stones and dust rained down upon those trying to go about their ways below. A child from the village, no more than five summers old, watched warily as he tried to make his journey across. A larger stone, about the size of Merlin’s fist, tumbled down with the momentum and strength to surely do the child damage.
Before Merlin himself could even think to surreptitiously deflect its fall, the stone shone bright for the briefest of moments, and then fell harmlessly at the child’s side. The child lowered his hand and looked around nervously and Merlin instantly knew who had cast the spell.
Unfortunately, so did Agravaine. The Lord in all his splendour approached the child, cloak swirling imperiously around him. He bent low and grasped the child by the shoulders and Merlin tried to both sneak closer and think of ways to free a child from the dungeons with the current higher security measures because he could not bear to watch someone so young set aflame for simply saving themselves from an unfortunate accident.
It turned out not to be necessary.
By the time Merlin reached them, Agravaine had released the child and called after him, “Remember your promise!” The child nodded and scampered off and Agravaine turned to look right at Merlin, his expression similar to Gwaine’s when he was caught sneaking a sweet from the kitchens prior to a feast.
“The child...” Merlin began, wanting to verify the boy’s safety and longevity of life.
“Is just a child who did not think his actions through in the heat of the moment,” Agravaine said carefully. He looked Merlin up and down and must have found what he was looking for as his shoulders relaxed slightly as he assured him, “He has been sent home to his mother and made to promise to be more careful in the future.”
Merlin let out a breath he had not even realized he had been holding. He licked his lips and started, “The laws of Camelot-”
“Have a purpose,” Agravaine cut him off. “Magic has a horrific cost more often than not, both on the user and on those who choose to seek its aid.” He began to walk, the slight hesitation as he turned the only signal he expected Merlin to follow him.
Merlin sought for something to say, but found it was not necessary as Agravaine continued, “My own sister paid the price for magic, as have many others since her death. It is not something to be used lightly and there are consequences for its use, especially in a kingdom that has banned its practice after the death of its queen.”
“People are put to death here for simply possessing the ability,” Merlin cut in, never one for proper decorum with their supposed superiors. “My first day, I saw it for myself. It doesn’t matter the age or the reason why, Uther would have all magic users killed.”
Agravaine snorted in a very non-noble way and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like accusing Uther of blaming others for his own mistake. Louder though, he said, “First day? So you are not from here?”
“No, sir,” Merlin replied, remembering almost belatedly to add the proper respect.
“Hrm,” Agravaine mused. “That may well explain why you did not chase the boy down immediately to place him on a pyre.”
“I wouldn’t...” Merlin spluttered. He would never make another go through something he himself feared, especially if they had committed no wrong.
“It’s a good thing,” Agravaine waived off his protest. “For a man should know the difference between guilt and blind hatred. Like any weapon, whether magic serves the purposes of good or evil is in the hands of he who wields it. The boy protected himself and no others were harmed in the process. Should he be put to death for such a simple thing? No. Should he be warned of the consequences of his actions? Yes, for next time there may be far less forgiving witnesses.”
Someone up ahead called towards them and Merlin recognized him as one of Uther’s advisors, no doubt requesting Arthur’s uncle’s presence at yet another meeting. Before he left though, Agravaine advised, “You would do well to remember this lesson, and even better to try to get such a thing through Arthur’s thick skull. You are a trusted friend, servant or no, and perhaps together we can try to change him. Then again, I do fear his father’s influence has already taken hold.”
To the nobleman’s retreating back, Merlin called, “Arthur is a good man, and will make a fine king.”
“Perhaps,” Agravaine considered. “If he is given enough time and guided in the right direction, he well could make a great leader. One can only hope he is gifted with these things, for the sake of his future as well as our own.”
He disappeared into the mass of fine capes and cloaks, and Merlin was left behind to wonder if maybe, perhaps, his mistrust of the man was premature. He did not hate magic for the sake of magic, despite what had happened to Ygraine. He even implied there could be a place for magic in this world, if it was used correctly. All things considered, far worse advice could be bending Arthur’s ear at the moment, so Merlin really should take what he could get.
He was still going to check under Agravaine’s bed for crystals though. One could never be too sure.
End.
Feedback is always welcomed.
Title: Certainty
Genre: Gen
Rating: PG
Length: ~1,200 words
Spoilers: Character spoilers for 4.01
Synopsis: Trust is an earned thing.
Author’s Notes: For
camelot_fleet’s backstory challenge.Disclaimer: I do not own this interpretation of the myths and am making no profit from this.
Merlin didn’t trust him. He did not trust him at all. Well, not at first.
Merlin watched as this stranger, this supposed uncle, strode in and was instantly granted Arthur’s trust with a simple embrace and a murmured, “You know I am always here for you.” Who was this Agravaine anyway? Why had Merlin never heard of him in all his years as a servant to the prince?
He looked for certain shape-shifting crystals for over a fortnight. For a fortnight after that, he dug through book after book, scroll after scroll, searching for a spell that would explain Agravaine’s appearance and Arthur’s inherent trust in the man.
Finally, when he began to eye the rare and possibly dangerous tomes on the upper level and Gaius began to eye him as though he had lost his mind, he asked.
Gaius, for his part, had simply laughed. He congratulated Merlin on taking his duties seriously, but assured him than Agravaine was someone known and real and had been busy taking care of his own lands for the past few years, though he had sent many a message and had always been willing to come if needed though Uther had declined for personal reasons.
Agravaine was Ygraine’s brother, Arthur’s uncle by blood. He and Uther had never seen eye to eye, but Agravaine had long commented that he always saw Ygraine when he looked upon Arthur, which was why he both promised he would have what needed and often times avoided the prince and king as the memories were simply too strong.
Merlin still did not trust him and still kept an eye out for suspicious crystals or any tell-tale glowing or such.
It was while he was keeping an eye out that he happened upon something quite peculiar.
Humbolt and Urien were high above attempting to move a large block of the ramparts back into place after all the destruction from Morgana’s reign. Little stones and dust rained down upon those trying to go about their ways below. A child from the village, no more than five summers old, watched warily as he tried to make his journey across. A larger stone, about the size of Merlin’s fist, tumbled down with the momentum and strength to surely do the child damage.
Before Merlin himself could even think to surreptitiously deflect its fall, the stone shone bright for the briefest of moments, and then fell harmlessly at the child’s side. The child lowered his hand and looked around nervously and Merlin instantly knew who had cast the spell.
Unfortunately, so did Agravaine. The Lord in all his splendour approached the child, cloak swirling imperiously around him. He bent low and grasped the child by the shoulders and Merlin tried to both sneak closer and think of ways to free a child from the dungeons with the current higher security measures because he could not bear to watch someone so young set aflame for simply saving themselves from an unfortunate accident.
It turned out not to be necessary.
By the time Merlin reached them, Agravaine had released the child and called after him, “Remember your promise!” The child nodded and scampered off and Agravaine turned to look right at Merlin, his expression similar to Gwaine’s when he was caught sneaking a sweet from the kitchens prior to a feast.
“The child...” Merlin began, wanting to verify the boy’s safety and longevity of life.
“Is just a child who did not think his actions through in the heat of the moment,” Agravaine said carefully. He looked Merlin up and down and must have found what he was looking for as his shoulders relaxed slightly as he assured him, “He has been sent home to his mother and made to promise to be more careful in the future.”
Merlin let out a breath he had not even realized he had been holding. He licked his lips and started, “The laws of Camelot-”
“Have a purpose,” Agravaine cut him off. “Magic has a horrific cost more often than not, both on the user and on those who choose to seek its aid.” He began to walk, the slight hesitation as he turned the only signal he expected Merlin to follow him.
Merlin sought for something to say, but found it was not necessary as Agravaine continued, “My own sister paid the price for magic, as have many others since her death. It is not something to be used lightly and there are consequences for its use, especially in a kingdom that has banned its practice after the death of its queen.”
“People are put to death here for simply possessing the ability,” Merlin cut in, never one for proper decorum with their supposed superiors. “My first day, I saw it for myself. It doesn’t matter the age or the reason why, Uther would have all magic users killed.”
Agravaine snorted in a very non-noble way and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like accusing Uther of blaming others for his own mistake. Louder though, he said, “First day? So you are not from here?”
“No, sir,” Merlin replied, remembering almost belatedly to add the proper respect.
“Hrm,” Agravaine mused. “That may well explain why you did not chase the boy down immediately to place him on a pyre.”
“I wouldn’t...” Merlin spluttered. He would never make another go through something he himself feared, especially if they had committed no wrong.
“It’s a good thing,” Agravaine waived off his protest. “For a man should know the difference between guilt and blind hatred. Like any weapon, whether magic serves the purposes of good or evil is in the hands of he who wields it. The boy protected himself and no others were harmed in the process. Should he be put to death for such a simple thing? No. Should he be warned of the consequences of his actions? Yes, for next time there may be far less forgiving witnesses.”
Someone up ahead called towards them and Merlin recognized him as one of Uther’s advisors, no doubt requesting Arthur’s uncle’s presence at yet another meeting. Before he left though, Agravaine advised, “You would do well to remember this lesson, and even better to try to get such a thing through Arthur’s thick skull. You are a trusted friend, servant or no, and perhaps together we can try to change him. Then again, I do fear his father’s influence has already taken hold.”
To the nobleman’s retreating back, Merlin called, “Arthur is a good man, and will make a fine king.”
“Perhaps,” Agravaine considered. “If he is given enough time and guided in the right direction, he well could make a great leader. One can only hope he is gifted with these things, for the sake of his future as well as our own.”
He disappeared into the mass of fine capes and cloaks, and Merlin was left behind to wonder if maybe, perhaps, his mistrust of the man was premature. He did not hate magic for the sake of magic, despite what had happened to Ygraine. He even implied there could be a place for magic in this world, if it was used correctly. All things considered, far worse advice could be bending Arthur’s ear at the moment, so Merlin really should take what he could get.
He was still going to check under Agravaine’s bed for crystals though. One could never be too sure.
End.
Feedback is always welcomed.
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Excellent story. Thanks for the great weekend start-up! :-)
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Oh, that was very interesting. I love that Merlin is suspicious of Agravaine - somebody really ought to be, Arthur. But I also love how Merlin let his personal bias cloud his judgement (it's a very Merlin thing to do). Agravaine is a huge weasel, he's just a weasel on Merlin's side...this time.
I've been wondering what, if anything, Gaius told Arthur about Agravaine. If Gaius thinks Agravaine hates Uther, why didn't he say something? Or did he, and Arthur ignored him? It's weird to me that Gaius would just shrug off such an obvious threat, when Uther is at his weakest. It's even weirder that Arthur would.
Anyway, good job thinking through this interesting and (so far) officially unexplained story. :)
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I could see this, though. I feel like Agravaine is more than just Morgana's puppet (or I would like him to be more). I'd like to see him as someone who wants power, yes, but has his own reasons for it. I guess I'm looking for another Edwin or Sophia or Mordred, someone with a history and motivations beyond "Oh look, I'm evil!"
(In other words, well written! You've made me think about this character far more than I would have just from watching.)
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I love their conversation over the child's use of magic. So much told in so few words. And I dunno, Merlin didn't even out himself. And yet, he still spoke his mind. You got him right. :)
Hmm... I doubt the show would give a backstory for Agravaine though... :/ Whatever, well done! I'd like to think in an AU somewhere... you are writing scripts and being paid handsomely for it. ;)
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And you always say the sweetest things - thank you for being your awesome self!
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Very clever setup for a fic, though!