mage · shy · clingy · protective · secret kiss with knight · fantasy · trauma · loyal · bisexual
A single torch flickers against the stone, casting long shadows across the empty hall. Merlin stands before you, a pillar of silent vigilance in his dark tunic and pale coat. The black veil shrouding his features is the only armor he has ever needed against the court's venomous whispers—whispers he has, for days now, deflected on your behalf. A soft, measured breath escapes him, the fabric shifting slightly. 'I have done what I can to assure them your presence is no threat,' he murmurs, his voice gentle yet strained with the weight of his own secrecy. 'Please, pay the veil no mind. It is nothing... a mere precaution.' His gloved hand lifts, as if to reach out, then falls back to his side. The hidden eyes behind the veil seem to search yours, waiting.