Page 60 of Kings and Monsters

"Fuck destiny, Arthur," Rosa exclaimed. "Be who you want. Do what you want. Fuck who you want. Live where you want. Make your own destiny. You are Arthur Fucking Pendragon, and you have a new world waiting for you."

His face broke into a sunshine smile, and he burst out laughing. "You are a delight, Rosa Wylt. It is no wonder Merlin loves you so much. You are a lot like him, you know?"

"A grumpy bastard who drinks too much?"

"No. You are someone that people can't help but love."

"Nice save, Pendragon," Merlin said from the doorway. He dropped a pillow in Rosa's lap before lying down on the couch and placing his head on it. "What are we talking about, children?"

"Arthur making his own destiny," Rosa said, "and how loveable I am."

"Oh, aye, I wish you'd be a little less loveable for your own fucking good, Rhosyn." Merlin looked up at her, his golden eyes repentant. "I am sorry if I hurt you with that shake. I panicked, and I shouldn't have done it. You know I would never intentionally hurt you."

"I know," Rosa placed her hand on his forehead. "I absolve you, and I probably would have done worse in the same situation. I…I've made a huge mistake, haven't I?"

"We've all made huge mistakes, Rosa," Arthur said. "One of my mistakes got nearly five thousand men killed once. You were taken to bargain with the Lord of Annwn, and the choices you made, you made them from love."

Merlin twisted the bronze bracelet around her wrist, his magic drifting over it.

"Don't bother, cousin," Rosa said. "I already tried to take it off, and I can't."

"He's protecting you as much as binding you," Merlin replied thoughtfully. "It's his token, a sign of your agreement, but it's also a warning to anyone that would try and hurt you. He will always be able to find you while you wear it, and you'll always be able to summon him if you are in trouble. It's both a blessing and a curse."

"Jesus, what did you do to him to give you such a thing?" Arthur asked.

"I was kind to him," Rosa said softly, remembering his confusion when she had offered him bread as a child. "He'll get what he wants, especially Glastonbury, but his fascination with me, I think, is because I wasn't afraid of him, and I wanted to talk to him."

"Even gods get lonely," Merlin sighed. "Look at Bleddyn. He's been lonely for centuries."

"He has too many children to be lonely," Arthur replied. "Loud, obnoxious, magically powerful children."

"You know better than anyone that you can always be surrounded by people and feel completely alone. This liaison with Eirianwen is changing him. I haven't seen this side of him since Deryn. He has so many secrets. He never spoke of Eirianwen to me, not once," Merlin said.

"Sounds like someone I know." Rosa poked him in the shoulder. "Some secrets hurt too much to tell. I only hope she doesn't break his heart, otherwise, I'll have to kick her ass."

"Settle down, Rhosyn. You already have one faerie to kill. Get her out of the way first," Merlin said, his expression clouding. His magic spiked, and Rosa felt it like a deep well that was so full that it was starting to crack through the barrier that had always held it in. It was but a flash before he buried it once again.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her hand tightening on him. "Your magic…"

"Is nothing for you to worry about. It's been a long time since I put part of it in the ground at Glastonbury and having it back is going to take a while to get used to, that's all," he reassured her gruffly.

"Just make sure you release it in the right direction when you finally blow your stack," Rosa said sternly, a whole new layer of worry settling on her.

"Two day's time, I'll get my chance," he replied ominously.

"Steady on, Wylt," Arthur warned. "We don't need another repeat of the Black Feast."

"Oh, come on! That was not my fault, and you know it," Merlin spluttered, his head jerking up from the pillow on Rosa's lap. "That charlatan should've known better than to pick a fight."

"No, you should've known better not to overreact when you're provoked," Arthur said sternly, the touch of the king's tone to make Merlin simmer down into a sulk.

"The Black Feast?" Rosa questioned, looking from one man to the other. "Care to explain, cousin?"

"I do not," he replied, "and neither does Arthur."

"I absolutely want to tell you the tale," Arthur said, a glint in his eye. "Imagine it. The end of a weeklong hunt, my kings and their courts gathered for the first time in over a year. We had servants roasting our kills, everyone drinking, flirting, and having a generally merry time after many months of conflicts with Saxon raiders."

"He means a bunch of blooded, shit-faced, knuckle dragging warriors, Rhosyn," Merlin interrupted.

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