The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

Not that Arthur would admit it, but yesterday had helped to calm him down from the state of introverted confusion he'd been in since Thursday. He was no longer showing signs of such, or at least nothing that was as easily, visibly sedate.

He was, however, very focused on his own swordwork that morning. He'd asked Merlin to stand guard come with him into the salle, but now that what bothered him worst had gotten out, he was free to focus on his movements to ward off the rest of it. Slowly, carefully, and with full concentration, he lapsed into familiar patterns that were as easy as breathing by now.

[[ open salle, but I'll be SP in bursts until the evening ]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I did not say anything," Merlin ventured slowly. She hadn't done anything threatening yet, but he wasn't about to walk away so quickly after his conversation with Arthur.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"No," she agreed, "you didn't. You just sit there. Keep looking at me. Why?"

They don't trust you echoed in her head, in her Aunt Dallas's voice even if it'd been told to her in a text message. She wondered if that was just an oddity of memory or something about her family. After all, she knew they did things with technology as much as anything.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I'm simply looking after the safety of my lord."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

He could have slapped her, he wouldn't have gotten a more extreme reaction. Her eyes went wide, her cheeks turned red, and she swallowed hard around, well, something.

I changed it. I told him the truth and it changed everything.

She didn't know this person, had never actually ended up meeting Merlin, but she knew who Arthur was. He was the only one who went around calling himself lord this or that other than perhaps Karla and she was, obviously, no 'lord'. And, of course, it was time for their lesson. It didn't take a genius, or a girl who'd read too many books on logic.

She blinked a couple of times before replying and her eyes were suspiciously wet, though it didn't show on the rest of her face.

"Is that so?"

She hated that she sounded so hurt, even if a part of her was just glad she could feel anything without prompting. Of course it would be pain, despair. Of course after rage, this was all she could bring up.

"I'm just noticing you now, then?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"That's... possible," Merlin replied, looking back down at his work on the armor. "I haven't been hiding when performing my duties."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Right," she said quietly before looking at Arthur.

"Know what?"

She stepped towards Merlin, just the one step before stepping back again. No, she didn't want him thinking she was intending more than just a Talking To. She felt the nothing in her stomach roil.

"Please tell Arthur I didn't want to disturb him. A-and that he went back on his word."

Her father here, her brother here, and now this? Did they know? Maybe she was being paranoid in the wrong direction. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but she didn't feel like she was. She just felt sick. The up, the happiness of seeing her brother, and then this down. She wasn't being rational, fair, or anything like it but she didn't care.

"And that I won't bother him anymore if what I am, if something shared in confidence--" She swallowed.

"Forget it. Forget everything. Just tell him I left."

She turned on her heel before he would see she was crying.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin looked up at her retreating form. "...pardon?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She almost turned but ended up just shaking her head, growling, and stomping out. He could tell Arthur whatever he wanted to.

[sorry, she's being paranoid]

[bitchprince]

After a few more minutes, when the drill had finished, Arthur turned to find that Fiona wasn't actually there and what he'd caught from the corner of his eyes was, in fact, a flounce.

He stared at the doorway with an incredulous frown on his face. "Now what happened?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I'm... not actually certain," Merlin admitted.

[bitchprince]

Arthur just shook his head at the door and pulled a face. "She just decided to flounce off?" Girls.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"She asked what I was doing here and then reacted oddly when I told her I was here having a care after your safety," Merlin replied, watching the door still. "A bit moody isn't she?"

[bitchprince]

Arthur stared at the doorway one more long moment before breaking it and shaking his head. "That's women for you," he pointed out, and turned away.