Chapter 1 - Merlin's Reconciliation

At the start of the Tale, Merlin, knowing he will join others of the family for the descent to the Pattern Chamber, wishes to seek out his Father Corwin, and discover why he has apparently rejected him. His mother, Dara, is reluctant to see her son hurt.

Rowan coughs rather loudly and clears his throat for good measure.

"You should let him go." he says looking at Dara. "Merlin has issues with his father. Let him say what must be said, right or wrong he must let his feeling be known. Before it is too late and he does not have the time to tell his father." Rowan then turns to Benedict. "Unless I am being out of line?"

Benedict shook his head. "Not at all. Time is urgent - let them sort it out, but we must make our way down below...."

"Merlin ... no!" Dara says in distress. She shoots a worried look at Benedict ... and then moves swiftly towards her son.

"He has every reason to feel cold towards us ... towards me. I used him ... as the Azeer ordered ... I wish with all my heart that he would blame only me, and not you ... but he has every right to resent what was done."

Merlin growls, "He has no right at all to feel cold towards me. What the hell does he think he's doing? He asks me to stay and listen to his story, drags me around and behaves as thought he's proud of me, and then when he is found after I thought him lost, he behaves as though... he's... someone... else..."

The young prince feels his world fall out from under him.

She lays a hand upon his sleeve, and her eyes rest anxiously on his face.

"You have me ... and you have Grandfather. It is not enough, I know. But please ... don't do this ... for you will only hurt yourself."

Merlin ignores the lack of propriety in the act, and hugs his mother for all to see, "I consider you my only friend, Mother. This has become too fast an obvious fact. I am the only one of my kind, and feel the lonelyness of a child with only half a family, maybe less..."

He buries his head in Dara's shoulder, and within seconds, all thoughts of Amberite pride run away, together with the silent tears that drain from the Chaos/Amber man's soul...

In the silence of the moment, after the other Amberites have filed out into the hall upon Benedict's summons, a hand falls gently upon Merlin's shoulder.

A familiar voice comes to his ears.

It is Corwin.

"I am sorry....my son."

Hair falling like ink past his features, the former would-be-king of Amber looks quite sad and troubled, his features fighting themselves to be both strong and reserved, and humane and empathic.

"Forgive me - I have had much to dwell on, I suppose, but I never meant to hurt you. Your mother and I have a past we have yet to work out, and seeing her again....I have let it affect you instead."

Dara realeases herself from Martin's grasp at this and moves away, towards the fire. She takes up a crystal goblet of wine and raises it to her lips, with a hand that isn't quite steady, as she watches father and son together.

Merlin turns and looks at his father, his arms loosening around his mother.

The young Princeling listens silently, fully aware of Dara's distance.

"Please...do not turn away from me. When this is over...if this is over ... I should like it very much if you and Dara would come with me to a place far from all of this ... if you desire ..."

Dara looks across at Corwin, startled.

Merlin also looks quite stunned, and turns to view his Mother for a moment before turning back to his Father, "If you're waiting for me to say no, you'll have a long time waiting!"

The young man holds out his right hand, open, palm to his left, in silent request for a hand given in the true friendship and love of a father-son relationship...

Corwin took his son's hand in a manly grip, his strong fingers clasping around Merlin's own, and allowed himself a small grin.

"Very well, then. I'll take that as a firm and decided 'Yes'!"

Arathorn appears briefly at the door of the study, glances within, then moves away quietly, his face thoughtful.

Corwin released Merlin's hand and glanced first to Arathorn, then to Merlin. "Will you be going downward? I'll see that Dara comes to no harm. We have...we have some things to discuss. I am sure you can appreciate that, Merlin?"

Merlin looks at Dara for a moment before looking back at his Father, "I... guess."

He shrugs, "I'm not too sure what I'm expected to do. I've been here for a few days and now I'm expected to figure out what to do without much guidance. Protecting Amber isn't exactly something I was... born... for."

Corwin clapped Merlin's shoulder. "The best men I've known have risen to the tasks they never expected, but did anyway. Amber is a confusing place, son, I can't agree more. But she's ours...and she's beautiful, and we need her as we need breathe. Keep that in mind, and ignore the assinine antics of those who inabit her."

"Okay Dad, I'll go save the world..." Merlin smiles and kisses Dara on the cheek. "Look after Mom for both of us, huh?"

Merlin runs after Arathorn...

Arathorn is seated in a window embrasure, and when he hears Merlin, he looks up with a slightly pre-occupied frown. When he sees who it is, however, his face clears and he nods in acknowledgement.

"Thomas is to walk the Pattern, and the rest of us to act as guards, it seems. Will you come? My man Wallace has supplied weapons."

"I'm coming with you, Arathorn. If you have a rapier spare, I'd appreciate it."

Corwin raised a hand in silent farewell.

Dara watched him go, then lifted the wine glass to her lips and drained it.

Then she set it down on the table, and looked at Corwin.

"So," she said. "We have much to discuss, you feel. And where should we begin? Do I apologise for my family's treatment of you and Grandfather? Do I apologise for using you as a prize stud to father the son I was destined to bear? Or do I convey my gratitude for your saving my life when your blade bled the Darke from me?

"Guilt ... or gratitude ... which do you demand?" She spread her arms wide. "As you see, I come to Amber this time a beggar. Even the dress I wear was borrowed from your sister. So make your demands, Corwin. Kolvir knows you have suffered enough to deserve them met ... "

Clasping his hands behind his back, Corwin gazed into the fire of the Oak Study, as if to relieve some inner coldness.

"No groveling, and I don't imagine an apology would do either of us good, would it?"

"I wanted to kill you once...I fantisized over how I would do it, while I was imprisoned. But I find that now, in this unexpected turn of events, that I have little desire to hurt my son so."

He removed on hand from behind his back, leaning against the mantelpiece, his face underlit in orange.

"Amazing how one can love someone so fully in so short a period of time", he spoke softly.

Whether he refers to Dara or Merlin, is uncertain.

 

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