sidhe_faerieTitle: The Future Is Now (Chapter 36)
Rating: PG
Pairing/s:
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Arthur gives Merlin the scroll and he finds out something he didn’t want to know.
Warnings: none
Word Count:
Prompt: 350. Whispered
Author's Notes:
Chapter 36
His head was still reeling when Arthur walked into the office and looked around for Merlin. Once he found Merlin, Arthur went directly over to where he was sitting and grabbed him by the arm.
“We need to talk.” Arthur whispered in Merlin’s ear.
“Arthur! Wait I have…” Merlin started to protest as Arthur pulled him out of his chair and down the hall to his office. “I swear she's not pregnant. She just miscounted with everything going on it was easy….” Merlin whispered as they were walking
Arthur froze mid stride and glared at him. “That isn't why I need to talk to you. But we will talk about that too.” Arthur whispered back.
Merlin nodded. “Of course.”
Arthur pushed Merlin inside his office and closed the door behind them. “I had an interesting surprise this morning. Care to guess what it was?”
“Uh…. No.” Merlin shook his head. “What you and Gwen do is not my….”
“Merlin!” Arthur sat on the edge of his desk. “I had a visit from the Queen.”
“Gwen?” Merlin was confused.
Arthur rolled his eyes in frustration. “No Merlin. Queen Elizabeth. The Queen!”
“You mean The one that lives in Buckingham Palace?” Merlin asked.
Arthur nodded. “Yes Merlin, that Queen. She had me get in her car for a bit of a chat. I think her driver was carrying a gun.”
“Really? What would she want with you? You're just an earl. It's not like you're the… oh.” Merlin winced. “So she knows about the Prophecy, doesn't she?”
“Yes and she thinks I’m after her crown so she paid me a visit. Sort of a ‘get to know your usurper’ chat. There was something else.” Arthur pulled the scroll out of his pocket. “She didn’t just want to meet me. She wanted to give me this.”
“A scroll? What's it say?” Merlin eyed it like it was going to bite him.
“You're going to have to tell me. It's in dragon tongue.” Arthur handed it over to him. “Try not to take all day to translate it. You have work to do. And Merlin….”
“Yes?” Merlin looked at the scroll in his hands.
“This is between the two of us. Do you understand?”
Merlin looked up and nodded. He took a breath and wrinkled his nose. “Arthur, about that other thing….”
“You and Morgana need to be more careful.” Arthur warned him. “If you get her pregnant, our father’s head will explode.” Arthur stood up and went to open the door. “And I, well, I'd just use my ancient magick sword in you.”
Merlin laughed then stopped. “You're not kidding, are you?”
“Not a bit.” Arthur opened the door. “Get back to your desk and work on that. Don't tell anyone where it came from. Try not to be obvious.”
Merlin nodded. “I won't tell a soul what it is or where it came from.” He walked out and Arthur shut the door behind him.
Arthur leaned on the closed door and took a deep breath. His life was so complicated these days. It was maddening and exciting all at once.
Merlin rushed off to his desk. He took out a pad of paper from his desk and started to translate the words on the scroll. When he was done, he sat back and reread the translation one more time to be sure.
Merlin rolled up the scroll and picked up the translation and headed for Arthur’s office. He had to share what he learned right away.