Growing Pains

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ

"I look perfect." He said blankly upon seeing his horrible state.

He had large eye bags under his eyes. And he knew it would definitely make the governess angry.
He looks like a zombie. Somehow alive. Yet somehow dead.

Merlin couldn't take his eyes off himself. Questioning himself out of the blue.

Is this it?
Is this what it takes to fit the crown?

Am I even worthy to bear it?

He looks at his crown that was placed beside his mirror. He only wears it on special occasions such as the annual ball.

"I have a crown..." Merlin mumbles but the words feel empty.

He stared at the crown for a while and eventually burst into tears. Staring at his own reflection on the diamonds on it. He felt so caged and small.

Is this really what it's like to become like his father? Is it even worth it?

"I have a crown." Merlin cried as he kneeled in front of the crown repeating the same words over and over again as if imprinting it in his mind.

"Let's call him Crown!"

"He's a fox!"

"Yeah! It's a wonderful name, don't you think?"

Merlin sniffled as he looked at the mirror. Looking at his tattoo on his neck.

He remembers something. A very old memory of him as a child...
And another girl, along with the little white fennec fox.

Then he suddenly remembered the bandit he met in the forest. The girl who had the same tattoo on her cheek.

She knew me...
Was she the girl?

Merlin suddenly stood up and ran to the old little house that Will previously showed him. He carefully went inside it and picked up the ugly doll.

"Crown..." he mumbled.

He stared at the doll. Trying to remember whatever he could.

About the fennec fox...
About the bandit leader who had the same tattoo as him...

+×+

"Cool! You know how to read now!" Merlin claps his hand proudly after Arme finishes reading him a whole paragraph without asking for help.

"Did you hear her, Crown?! She did it!" Merlin laughs as he picks up the white fox and starts jumping around.

"I did it!!!" Arme said happily as she too jumped in happiness.

The two ran after each other, mixed with small and playful giggles.

"I can read!!! I can read!" Arme sing song to Crown before she turned to Merlin with a devilish grin.

"Now it's your turn!" She said and ran to her bag to get her tattoo kit.

"You promised you'd let me tattoo a fox on your neck if I learn to read!" She said.

"Right! But don't make it too big!" Merlin said as he carefully put the fox down to sit beside the girl.

"Will it hurt?" He asks as he scans the kit with pure curiosity.