She Who is King

5 | powdered with sugar

England

MERLIN HOVERED above the ground for a second, making sure I was used to the fact that my feet were no longer attached to the ground.

I began to realize how much I had underrated gravity.

Before I had even began to process what in the world was happening, Merlin rocketed upward and we were off into the night.

It seemed that the stars were only a moment away. They glittered high above my head, and I knew they were far off, but I couldn't resist attempting to grab one. 

Merlin laughed at the clumsy, childlike grab, but I couldn't have cared less. I closed my eyes, and tried to take everything in at once.

There was the woosh of wind as it whipped at my hair, and the soft chirping of crickets below. There was the surprisingly strong arms of the wizard, and the freedom I had never known I was missing.

I now knew why birds learned to fly so early. If I was one of them, I wouldn't be able to get away from the feeling of the sky.

When we finally landed in front of a familiar cottage, I placed my hands on my knees to regain my balance and breath.

Spots dotted my vision when I attempted to stand up, so I settled for the relaxed position while Merlin and I awaited a younger him, and I supposed, a younger me.

"This way," Merlin said, leading the way to Grummore's front door. "How am I faster now than when I was younger?"

I laughed silently, but I knew Merlin hadn't meant for me to hear that last bit, so I pretended to be oblivious. 

"What am I supposed to be seeing?" I asked Merlin, watching the front door.

"You are supposed to be seeing whatever you see, dear. What sort of a question is that?" Merlin had a way of almost answering my question, but not actually answering it.

It was getting beyond frustrating.

"I understand that this is what you're using to prove to me that you're the one who delivered me to Grummore, and that I've been completely lied to my entire life. That was the point of this exertion, wasn't it? I would like to return to the palace, if it wasn't too much trouble, wizard." I was done playing around. Merlin was seemingly wasting my time, and I could have been sleeping.

Lord knew I needed it too, dealing with Alfred all day.

Merlin looked down at the ground sheepishly. "Really, it was to give my apprentice time to set up in the workshop. You're going to meet him tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure you were familiar with magic. Is that truly so bad, Majesty?"

Merlin had never shown me that level of respect before. I wasn't even the king yet.

"Honestly, you could have told me the truth. If I am to be a king, I need you to be able to be completely transparent with me."

"I hate to disagree, my liege, but I would rather stay opaque, if that was fine by you."

I rolled my eyes, but assumed I would need to get used to Merlin's literal since of humor. 

If I didn't, it would be a long reign.

"Well, may we go home? I have no desire to dig up the past. What is done is done," I said, refusing to look behind me, where I was nearly certain past-Merlin was landing.

I couldn't face the fact that Grummore had lied to me, and so I was weak and turned.

I felt a compelling since of sorrow, and so I grabbed a hold of the wizard's arm, and allowed him to melt the dream world away.