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[getsthecredit]

[This place doesn't make any sense, as far as Arthur is concerned. And while interrogating what faculty he could taught him a little more about this whole school thing, it took a great deal of calm on his part not to draw his sword on them as his kidnappers. The fact that they were so congenial about the whole thing is the main reason he hasn't threatened anyone. Yet.

It wasn't until after a humbling talk with the headmaster that he calmed down and really began to look at his situation. After which he began wandering Balamb Garden, feeling unusually lost in more ways than one. A king without his kingdom, his people, was nothing more than a man. The only consolation he had was Excalibur, sheathed at his side. A small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

So that leaves one (1) King of Camelot, in full chainmail, a bright red cape, and a crown, wandering around exploring the place. And occasionally asking questions, because displacement aside, he's not exactly up to date on the modern technology.]

Comments

[nevergetscredit]

Rough times? What do you mean? He didn't get hurt, did he?

[getsthecredit]

[Goddammit. Well, he'd keep his word, if mainly just for more recent events.]

...I'm afraid Gaius was abducted by someone in league with Morgana, not so long ago. He was tortured, for information. More recently, he was left to starve in the dungeons when... Camelot fell to Morgana. Temporarily.

[Lots of details left out, he knew, but he didn't especially want to go into them. But he at least owed it to Merlin to let him know how Gaius was doing.]

But as I said, he's fine now. Both times he was rescued before anything worse could happen to him.

[nevergetscredit]

[Well, at least that has managed to make Merlin completely forget anything about magic and Arthur's lack of knowledge about it, because now concern for Gaius superseded everything]

What?! She tortured him? But Gaius, she couldn't...how could Morgana put him through that?!

[getsthecredit]

[He closed his eyes a moment, lips tightening as he resisted the urge to ask Merlin to stop bringing up Morgana. But he was the one who brought her up, and he was really beginning to wish that Merlin weren't so far behind. He didn't know what to make of it.]

If you'd seen some of the horrors she's unleashed upon us, you wouldn't be so surprised. I'm sorry, Merlin, but she's not the same Morgana we used to know. She's a sorceress and a traitor, now. All she knows is hatred.

[nevergetscredit]

[Merlin flinches at the way Arthur said 'sorceress'. If he ever needed proof, that alone was enough

When he answers, it's in a small voice.] Right.

[getsthecredit]

[He relents a little; he needed to be blunt about it to get his point across, but it wasn't his intention to intimidate his servant.]

I know it's hard. I never would have believed that Morgana could become the person she is today. Believe me, if there were any way I could bring her back to us, I would do it. But she has made her choice, and it is my duty to defend Camelot from her.

[nevergetscredit]

[Merlin pauses at that, biting his lip.] You would bring her back if you could? Even...even though she has magic?

[getsthecredit]

[That stumps him. Even if she were to go back to her old ways, become the Morgana he'd once known and trusted, she had committed the grievous crime of sorcery. In his father's day, it didn't matter who it was- those who used magic for any reason or even consorted with those who did were put to death. Would even Morgana have been subject to that penalty, had Uther had the chance? It was a chilling thought, one he hadn't thought to consider before now. For her to die a sorceress would break his father's heart... and maybe that was exactly what happened.

It was no longer Uther's reign, and though his own heart had been broken in his own way, it had not destroyed him the way it had his father. Now that he was gone, he was trying his best to be a good king on by own merit, without blindly following his father's extreme attitude toward magic. But could he ever truly forgive Morgana?]

...The reality of it is, I can't. It's too late to undo what she's done, and I'm sure she realizes that as well.

[If her most recent parting words to him had been any indication, she knew that very well.]

[nevergetscredit]

[Merlin deflates at that. Arthur might have been talking about how Morgana had gone past the point of being saved, but all Merlin heart was I can't. Even for Morgana Arthur couldn't trust magic.

To Arthur, Merlin just nodded, uncharacteristically silent]

[getsthecredit]

[This entire conversation had turned unbearably somber, and Merlin's unusual silence on top of that was enough to make Arthur want to lighten the mood before it could get any more depressing.]

But look at you- you look like a dog left out in the rain. [A brief pause as he looks over Merlin's lanky figure.] A starved dog. Why don't you take your mind off things by giving me a proper tour? You are still my servant, after all.

[nevergetscredit]

[Merlin puts on a smile at that - he's still feeling the mix of guilt and disappointment and worry, but Merlin's used to having to smile his way through that] I don't see why I should still be your servant here. You can't even pay me!

[And with that, Merlin tries to get his mind off of everything he's learned while he shows Arthur around]