REGICIDE ➳ MERTHUR

chapter three

The next morning, Arthur awoke alone in his chambers. It took him a moment to realize where he was and what had happened, still confused after his week spent in the dungeons and the eventful day before. Merlin's face lingered in his mind, from when he was being crowned to when he was helpless with Arthur's hands around his throat. At that moment, it had seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't have been able to kill Merlin. It had never been something that he'd wanted to do, so he couldn't follow through with it. And Merlin's eyes, weak, staring up at him with the same look of idolization he used to have... there was nothing Arthur could've done but let go.

He sighed, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. There were no servants present, and he wasn't about to go find one when he doubted he had that right. Even if Merlin didn't treat him like a prisoner, it wouldn't change that he felt like one. There were no set boundaries and Arthur didn't know how far they would stretch for him, if there would ever be an end to what he could ask of Merlin. After last night, he didn't know what to do. There was no chance for escape because Merlin wanted him here, for whatever sick, twisted reason he had.

As he rose from his bed, Arthur realized he had no duties because he was no longer a prince. While once he would've been happy about such a fact, it no longer brought him joy when his most loyal friend had taken away his own birthright. Arthur was no one, now, except for the last male of the Pendragon line—not that it meant anything, anymore.

What am I going to do?

~•~

"Gaius, the more I think about it, the more I realize how bad of an idea this was. I can't run a kingdom, I've already had three meetings today and I'm afraid my brain is going to turn into porridge." Merlin complained, sitting at the table in Gaius's workroom and holding his head in his hands. "And Arthur... I don't know what to do. His father has taught him so much wrong and I don't think I'll ever be able to change that." He had glimpses of his dream from the night before, and a chill ran through his body at the thought of it. It wasn't something he wanted to tell Gaius about because all it would do was make him worry, and Merlin didn't want Gaius bearing the same strain that weighted down his own shoulders.

"Does he know Sigan was the one who killed the king? Perhaps if he knew you were not the one who–,"

"Of course he knows, Gaius. That was the first thing I said to him, but it doesn't matter, all he sees me as is the sorcerer who killed his father for some sort of cold-blooded revenge. And you know Arthur, Gaius. He's stubborn and won't listen to me! He never has, and he's not going to start now." Merlin complained.

"Well, you're not going to be able to change his mind if you avoid him now, are you?" Gaius responded, lifting an eyebrow in that condescending way that Merlin had come to respect and detest simultaneously.

"Of course not, but I don't know what to do!"

"Merlin," Gaius sighed, stepping away from whatever potion he was concocting and wiping get his hands. "Maybe you should start with showing him you haven't done this for yourself,  but for the people. Once he understands, he won't harbor hate for you anymore."

"I hope you're right, Gaius..." Merlin said, before waving goodbye to him and walking out, trying to mentally prepare himself for the long line of meetings he had that afternoon.

~•~

Three days passed in the citadel for Arthur. Merlin had not spoken to him once since the coronation, but he was all Arthur could think about. Besides thinking too much, Arthur had spent his days lazing about in his chambers reading for a lack of anything better to do. Sometimes he ventured out into the courtyard or went to watch the knights on the training grounds, but there was no one he could speak to, and he was very well known to be a prisoner to the king. No one wanted to be seen consorting with a prisoner, much less when he was the ex-prince of Camelot.