az: Randomly, I wonder if I should regret starting to write fics on this fandom. XP. Updates gonna be sporadic, I guess. Random plots would still be posted under Oddly Botkins but this particular set would be the extension of the Reveal plot as well as the Revival of Magic plot. Timeline in here would be similar to Oddly in the manner that one chapter may not happen directly after the previous ones.

End up getting this muse in the middle of making new chapter for Oddly.

Tiny Steps

Written by Izzu alias honou-no-izumi

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"Merlin... sit down."

Merlin looked down towards Arthur, who had been sitting at the dining table with his lunch and several scrolls and parchments at his side. He tried his best not to look overly patronizing at such bad habits, of Arthur trying to do two things at once. He took the chair right beside the king as Arthur handed him a scroll.

"Read it, tell me what you think. Though I supposed you might want to reword everything up to perfection—since you're always tend to nitpick and you always do—but you know, that's the reason I've always end up needing your aid to write my speeches, right?"

Merlin turned to stare at Arthur warily to try to see if Arthur was serious or joking before turning his attention towards the scroll on his hand.

Arthur paused from munching on his drumsticks as he tried to read Merlin's reaction to the content of the scroll. When a hint of a smile gradually lifted from the corner of his lips, Arthur heaved a sigh of relief.

It meant that he had done something right—at first try after all—considering this was something he had thought out all on his own. He had not asked for help from anyone... not even Merlin, since he wanted this to be a sort of gift to his friend—one of the many things to come—and hoped he did it well.

Merlin looked up towards Arthur. "Arthur... this was great—I mean...," Arthur grinned over the tell-tale signs of Merlin being excited as the young warlock frowned slightly, "—you're right, I do need to fix some of the things written here... but honestly, this was great! This move may not be so big, yet... it's a good start. It's the first step towards reaching the dream of Albion after all."

Arthur turned his eyes away from Merlin's as he tried not to appear too flustered. Honestly Merlin, could he not appear very proud of him as if he had done something really great? But it was a great move... and decision, a first step towards opening up towards magic and removing the hostility towards the good and the innocents. After all, he had learnt that not all who had magic seek to do evil. While some still do, he would not make the same mistake as his father to turn all who could have been a good ally for Camelot into an enemy he would rather not have. Morgana and Mordred were more than enough for them. There have been enough sacrifices made, no need to add more.

While the move to rewrite the laws over magic in this kingdom might be slow in undertaking, at least... by discontinuing those bounties for any single magical persons or creatures to be brought to Camelot and killed, things might just start to change. For the better.

Of course, people who used magic for the wrong reason would still be arrested and punished—but at least this time, there would be a trial to judge their actions to see if the punishment befits the crime. It would be as fair as any trial that would be given to any other citizen in Camelot who had done something wrong.

It might not be enough... yet—considering the notoriety of the Great Purge as well as the things his father had done—like Merlin said, it was a great move. And hopefully, this would be a mission that he could complete in his lifetime. There were still a lot of things to do, a lot to accomplish.

He did not want Morgana or Mordred to interfere with this in favour of their own agenda—as righteous as they might want to believe their cause is—because one extremity does not make another right.

Arthur shoved his other plate—still full of assorted number of dishes, untouched and uneaten—towards Merlin as his friend stared at him in confusion.

"Eat up, I doubt you've managed to eat a proper breakfast this morning or even a proper lunch. I don't want to have my future Court Advisor to be so skinny and underfed." Arthur tried to appear unaffected by the look Merlin was giving him. "Of course... if I wanted such person in my court. Though by then, that person should have been able to get his own proper meals."

Merlin stared at him suspiciously. "Advisor... eh? Not some other title with some magical effect?" he asked as Arthur made some secretive gestures... even though it was only the two of them inside the hall.

"It's a start. That was still a promotion, you know. I can't have you remained being my manservant even when it would start to be more obvious that I'd be needing your constant presence and wisdom during many more important matters in the future. I can't openly do that if you're still a servant in the eyes of many. About time you getting all the credits you deserved. Let's talk about magic once the kingdom became less hostile to it," he said as Merlin nodded.

Arthur stared towards Merlin. As much as he tried to make the situation sound much more solemn and serious, it seemed the effect was lost... seeing that wide grin on Merlin's face now. Arthur sighed to himself before smiling. He wondered if this decision was made for the good of the kingdom, or just for the sake of seeing that smile on Merlin's face. He shook his head before turning his attention to his lunch.

Ah...

Don't think about it too much...