Merlin lay in his bed asleep from exhaustion as the moons shone down on the silent palnes of Tintagel. The camp was quite in the dark, emptier than it had been recently thanks to a recent spike in adoption rates of the orphans. A small black cat, Pompompur, was curled by Merlin's feet as he sleeped.
Suddenly, threw the darkness, the sat phone on Merlin's desk ran. Merlin graoned into his pillow, waiting a moment for the ringing to stop, and when it continued, dragged himself to the desk, bleary eyed and grump.
"'Lo?" he mutterd into it.
"Mr Emrys. I am Catherine the Galactic Highness's King Uther Pendragon of the Camelot Nebula's Royal secretary." Melrin's heart stammered its beating in his chest. He couldn't speak, he could bearly even breathe, fully awake now, Merlin was on the verge of panic.
"Mr Emrys?" came the calm and neutral voice on the other end.
"Y-yes. Yes." he stuttered out.
"I am calling to inform you that you are honoured to have been appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the Galactic Empire. There will be a ceremony on Camelot, at the Royal Residence Dineault Castle. May I confirm your attendance?" said the secretary in an almost bored voice.
"Mr Emrys?" She repeated into the silent.
"Can I call you back?" Merlin blurted out.
"I will keep the line available for one hour." came the clipped professional response.
"Right. Right yeah, thanks." said Merlin, not paying attention to the words. Merlin put down the sat phine in shock and let out a small, slightly hysterical laugh, before running into the main area of the camp, not minding that it was dark night time.
"Gwen! Gwen!" he caled running to his friend's door and pounding on it. She emerged quickly, fully dressed and ready for whatever Merlin had to throw at her.
"I got a call and it's okay! I have to go, do you have a suit? I mean Lance. It's okay!" Merlin cried happily, grasping her small hands in his larger hands.
"What is it Merlin?" She said, asking the cuase of her friend's unrest.
"I've been awarded an MSE! I get to to Camelot! Where Arhtur is! Gwen he doesn't hate m!" he surge foreward and hugged her, enveloping her excited squeal at his achievement.
----
Gaius's suit was too big. Gwen had tried to take it in but she wasn't a seamstress and there was only so much she could do. Merlin shifted uncomfotrably, and the Sergan tat Arms in the doorway glared at him. Merlin felt himself burn scarlet under his piercing ambr gaze. He didn't fit in here and it was painfully obvious. His excitement and turned to anxiety to full on panic and now a toxic combination of nerves and misery roiled in his stomach.
He wished Gwen was with him. She'd agreed to come as his plus one - and looked absolutely stunning in a structure shell pink satin dress that made Lance gape at her, but apparently was just something she had 'tucked away' - but she was with the other guests in the main hall, watching the ceremony take place.
He hadn't seen Arthur yeet - not to surprising as he'd ben ushered from anti-room to anti-room since he arrived, and hadn't seen anyone beyond Catherine, Uther's secretary, a big man in a suit - probably secret cervice - that'd he'd hard being called Hopper, and the Sergant at Arms whom he'd been informed was named Major Kilgarrah. Merlin idly wondered if he was armed, though the ceremonial outfit seemed to have more gold cords than actual pockets, so he suspected not if one discounted the gilded heavy staff he banged on the floor when announcing people.
YOU ARE READING
Where Reason Fades
FanfictionCOMPLETE: Sentenced to charity work after a drunken incident, Prince Arthur is less than thrilled to meet the sarcastic head of the charity, Merlin; only he can't seem to get out him of his head. As the pair slowly grow closer, it seems the universe...
