bitchprince | Citadel Overlooking Camelot, Sunday Afternoon

Occasionally, Arthur had an hour or so to spare in between his duties. Sometimes, especially these days, he liked to come up here when he did so, peering out from the parapets and onto the streets below. Today was such a day; he'd climbed up here on his own, shirking his heavy jacket somewhere along the line.

He propped his foot up on the battlement, leaning one shoulder against a merlon. He'd had a lot on his mind, these days: Morgana's newly-revealed magic, the king's inability to relent in the face of innocent magic users (so far, he told himself, repeatedly. He wasn't about to give up on his father yet), the everpresent danger of Merlin being compromised somehow.

Lost in thought, he wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings, so much.

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Which made Arthur very... hopeful if you asked Merlin.

"Arthur?"

NINJA WIZARD IS NINJA.

From:

bitchprince

Arthur almost startled, but he had better senses than that, thank you.

Optimism was his main vice, anyway. He drew an irritated breath. "Merlin."

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bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

"Oh, did you want to be left alone?" Merlin asked, looking around at the lack of anyone there.

From:

bitchprince

"Yes," Arthur said, rubbing at his face. "No. Just don't bloody sneak around like that."

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bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

He wasn't sneaking! Okay, yes he was. It was possibly his default manner of moving about these days.

"I could go..."

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bitchprince

"You're already here, I can't see how you could possibly make even more of a nuisance of yourself," Arthur replied. "Other than stomping back down the stairs. Stay."

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bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

Merlin just shot him a look before taking a seat next to the man. "You're in a mood."

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bitchprince

"I don't get moods." A very strong argument, Arthur.

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bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

"...right."

Yeeeeeah.

From:

bitchprince

Arthur leaned his arms down on the battlements and stared out over the city again.

Moodily, yes. "And why are you here? I thought you were picking flowers for Gaius, or whatever." ~~Merlin never got him flowers. What was up with that?~~

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~~WELL, MAYBE IF ARTHUR APPRECIATED HIM AND TOOK THEM ON HOLIDAY TO PLACES WHERE THEY DIDN'T GET ATTACKED BY VARIOUS MAGICAL BEASTS...~~

"Herbs," Merlin replied, ignoring the foul mood. Ignoooring. "I saw you heading up here."

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bitchprince

"Just finished with another bloody council meeting," Arthur muttered.

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bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

"Ah." Merlin went silent, looking out as well. "More searches of the lower town?"

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bitchprince

"Someone used a charm to make a field of wheat grow faster," Arthur said, shutting his eyes and taking a breath.

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bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

"Someone did, or someone accused them of doing so?" There was a difference, after all.

From:

bitchprince

"Accusation," Arthur said, slanting a look at him, "But it's fairly obvious if you compare his field with the others that something was tampered with. It could be a jealous neighbour, of course, but..."

Well, father had cast that theory aside fairly quickly.

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"He could have better luck," Merlin pointed out. "Or a richer field. Magic isn't the only conclusion."

From:

bitchprince

"They also found something that could have been a poultice, though no one is certain what it is. It's enough to condemn him, however. I've been trying to convince father the evidence is all circumstantial, but..." He sighed again.

From:

bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

Merlin was almost sure you could find something that could have been a 'poultice' in any house if you really looked. But he was going to be kind and simply nod.

"He won't listen."