━━ ⦗the swan princess! ⦘
❝ you're beautiful!
thank you, but what else?
... what else is there? ... ❞
███████████ 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝
the courageous odette teaches the
once and future king a less...
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chapter fifty 050. beauty and the beast
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AS SOON as she could find an excuse to slip away from her duties, Odette raced after Merlin and Gaius with so many questions on her mind. She followed them to the physician's chambers, breathless from running. As soon as they were inside and Odette had closed the door, she burst out with her first question: "What happened?"
"Nothing," let out Merlin in frustration, storming into the chambers and beginning to pace. He looked drained; no, exhausted, even. "Nothing happened!" he sighed and slumped, sitting down. "I am sorry," he lamented, disappointed in himself. "I am so sorry. I tried. I gave it everything I had."
"It is not your fault, Merlin," Gaius reassured him. "You did your best."
The door burst open once again, and all three of them glanced over. Odette suddenly feared the worst▬perhaps someone had seen Merlin perform magic. But then that fear turned into relief, but also bewilderment to see Adelynn race inside. Her cheeks were flushed; she looked as if she had run all the way here, herself. She must have left her brother and mother with so many questions, and yet she still ran. She closed the door behind her.
"What happened?" she demanded, seemingly with little care that Odette and Gaius were here. She walked up to Merlin, and Odette couldn't help but curtsy quickly out of habit when she passed her. "You said the spell would work if we both perform it?"
Merlin slumped once again, shaking his head. "I underestimated her. O▬or I overestimated, I do not know▬" he stood up to meet Adelynn. Odette watched the interaction, taken aback by how close the two of them were; a friendship that had blossomed which not even Odette had known. It made her wonder how long Merlin had known about Adelynn's magic, and she had known about his. She wasn't a jealous person▬not by any means, and yet, there was a part of her that felt a little ... hurt. Or perhaps insecure. Insecure over Merlin having a close friendship with someone who had magic, like him, understanding him in a way Odette never could.
"The Spell of Revelation is powerful magic," Merlin said and Adelynn brushed her hair out of her face, looking very tired as well. "But she could feel it," he added and she met his gaze. Merlin nodded, determined. "I could see she could feel it."
Gaius sighed but nodded as well. "Her magic must be strong indeed to be able to resist both of you," he glanced at Adelynn, and a silent acceptance passed between them▬a silent promise that Adelynn's secret would be safe with them, no matter Gaius's thoughts on Merlin's lies.
Merlin rubbed his forehead, but then a thought struck him. He took off running out of the physician's chambers once again.
