FIC: A New Day
Aug. 3rd, 2017 11:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fifty_fiftyTitle: A New Day
Pairing(s): None
Character(s): Merlin, mentions of Hunith and Gaius
Word Count: 616
Rating: Gen
Summary: Merlin wakes up to his first morning in Camelot
Notes: One drabble just wasn’t enough for this prompt. I had so many ideas! This is a missing scene for S01E01: The Dragon’s Call. Written for Prompt #273 - Wake Up for Camelot Drabble. On AO3 here.
Merlin woke slowly, sunlight streaming in from the window high up in his room. Though the sun was bright, he didn’t think that was what had woken him. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had.
‘Merlin?’ called a distant voice.
What was that? But how…? He opened his eyes and slowly looked around the room. Oh yes, Gaius’ tower. He sat up confused, but finally concluded that he must have been dreaming because he was alone in the room.
He could hear the faint sounds of the citadel preparing for the start of the day floating in through the window and grinned. He was in Camelot with the court physician. For the first time in his life, barring when he was ill, he had slept in a bed. His very own bed. He grinned even more, if that were possible.
He stood and stretched his arms above his head, continuing to listen to the busy sounds of the citadel outside and scrabbled up onto the box below the window to peer outside as he had done the night before.
By day, the city stretched out even further. It seemed to go on endlessly below him. It took his breath away. So many people; loving, caring, losing, but thriving. All living their lives. A thill ran along his spine. There was something about today… he couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what, but it was like the world was calling out to him. Like Camelot had been calling out to him.
He had been fascinating by the vibrant, lively city when he had made his way through the gates and towards the castle. He couldn’t keep his eyes off anything as he drank it all in. He’d never been to a city before, not even a town really, let alone a castle! It was incredible to behold. That this was to be his home. He could barely believe it.
Merlin watched the city waking below him and wondered afresh what difference he could make here. He was just a tiny drop in an ocean of people and with seeing just what happened to people with magic here...
He shook away the thought. No, it was a fresh start. A chance to start over new, just – no magic, he told himself. Despite his doubts, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something special was going to happen today. He would not let himself be brought down by fear and self-doubt.
He jumped down from the window and went to his bag, pulling out blankets, shirts, breeches and socks until he found what he was looking for. It was a flat, cool stone in a shade of blue that matched the colour of his mothers’ eyes exactly. He and Will had found it at the bottom of the river, the day before he’d left home. It had felt right to take it and bring it with him.
Mother. He gripped the stone in his hand and his heart gave a lurch of longing, he’d never been away from her for as long as this. He worried about her and missed her. He swallowed around the awkward lump in his throat and wiped his face with his sleeve. It wouldn’t do to cry. Not on his first day here. He slid the stone under his pillow and proceeded to dress in a clean shirt and breeches.
He smiled again as he remembered where he was. There was just too much to be excited about to be sad today.
He grabbed his jacket from the hook he’d hung it on before going to bed and pulled it on, leaving his new room ready to greet Gaius and hopefully break his fast.
Pairing(s): None
Character(s): Merlin, mentions of Hunith and Gaius
Word Count: 616
Rating: Gen
Summary: Merlin wakes up to his first morning in Camelot
Notes: One drabble just wasn’t enough for this prompt. I had so many ideas! This is a missing scene for S01E01: The Dragon’s Call. Written for Prompt #273 - Wake Up for Camelot Drabble. On AO3 here.
Merlin woke slowly, sunlight streaming in from the window high up in his room. Though the sun was bright, he didn’t think that was what had woken him. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had.
‘Merlin?’ called a distant voice.
What was that? But how…? He opened his eyes and slowly looked around the room. Oh yes, Gaius’ tower. He sat up confused, but finally concluded that he must have been dreaming because he was alone in the room.
He could hear the faint sounds of the citadel preparing for the start of the day floating in through the window and grinned. He was in Camelot with the court physician. For the first time in his life, barring when he was ill, he had slept in a bed. His very own bed. He grinned even more, if that were possible.
He stood and stretched his arms above his head, continuing to listen to the busy sounds of the citadel outside and scrabbled up onto the box below the window to peer outside as he had done the night before.
By day, the city stretched out even further. It seemed to go on endlessly below him. It took his breath away. So many people; loving, caring, losing, but thriving. All living their lives. A thill ran along his spine. There was something about today… he couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what, but it was like the world was calling out to him. Like Camelot had been calling out to him.
He had been fascinating by the vibrant, lively city when he had made his way through the gates and towards the castle. He couldn’t keep his eyes off anything as he drank it all in. He’d never been to a city before, not even a town really, let alone a castle! It was incredible to behold. That this was to be his home. He could barely believe it.
Merlin watched the city waking below him and wondered afresh what difference he could make here. He was just a tiny drop in an ocean of people and with seeing just what happened to people with magic here...
He shook away the thought. No, it was a fresh start. A chance to start over new, just – no magic, he told himself. Despite his doubts, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something special was going to happen today. He would not let himself be brought down by fear and self-doubt.
He jumped down from the window and went to his bag, pulling out blankets, shirts, breeches and socks until he found what he was looking for. It was a flat, cool stone in a shade of blue that matched the colour of his mothers’ eyes exactly. He and Will had found it at the bottom of the river, the day before he’d left home. It had felt right to take it and bring it with him.
Mother. He gripped the stone in his hand and his heart gave a lurch of longing, he’d never been away from her for as long as this. He worried about her and missed her. He swallowed around the awkward lump in his throat and wiped his face with his sleeve. It wouldn’t do to cry. Not on his first day here. He slid the stone under his pillow and proceeded to dress in a clean shirt and breeches.
He smiled again as he remembered where he was. There was just too much to be excited about to be sad today.
He grabbed his jacket from the hook he’d hung it on before going to bed and pulled it on, leaving his new room ready to greet Gaius and hopefully break his fast.
