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Heavy is the Crown (Harry Potter) Chapter 3: Tutorship
🕑 Added 2025-04-09 21:00:07 +0000 UTC[Third Person's PoV]
The Next Day…
Arthur was eating breakfast, a meal that Merlin had prepared for both of them. She had even set aside a portion for Cosmo, who sat on the ground beside Arthur.
“So, have you thought about what you're going to be doing?” Merlin asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking it over since last night and this morning,” Arthur replied, his cheeks slightly puffed with food. He swallowed and asked hopefully, “Just to be sure we’re on the same page and I’m not getting ahead of myself—you’re going to be my tutor, right?”
Merlin nodded. “Indeed, I am. You appeared before me with no other place to turn to. I’m taking guardianship of you, which includes teaching and guiding you.”
Arthur set down his utensils and bowed his head. “I am grateful…”
“First lesson,” Merlin interjected, causing Arthur to look up curiously. “You are a descendant of the main Pendragon family, as we discussed last night. A Pendragon must never lower his head to anyone.”
Instead of agreeing, Arthur shook his head. “But you’re not just anyone. I’m merely expressing my gratitude. If I were to bow my head to anyone, it would be you, Merlin,” he said with a sincere smile.
Merlin sighed. “We’re going to have to work on that personality of yours,” she said in exasperation, though a faint smile crept onto her face.
“What? What’s wrong with my personality?” Arthur asked hesitantly, almost defensively.
Merlin shook her head. “Never mind that. Just continue with what you were saying.”
Arthur nodded. “Very well. As I was saying, I’ve thought about this, and I’d like to learn everything I can from you. Of course, I want to learn magic, but I also want to learn swordsmanship, potions, enchantments, Defense Against the Dark Arts—practically everything I can get my hands on,” he said with a giddy enthusiasm.
“You won’t be able—” Merlin began, closing her eyes, but Arthur interrupted.
“I’ve thought about that too, and I have a solution. Your dream-walking magic—whatever that was when you visited my dreams—we could use that to train me while I sleep. I could train my body during the day and learn theoretical knowledge at night,” Arthur said excitedly.
Merlin paused to consider. “Hmm... That’s an interesting idea—studying while you sleep. It could work,” she muttered, then looked at him skeptically. “Why do you want to learn swordsmanship? The age of swords is long over.”
Arthur blushed and looked down at his food. “Because... swords are cool.”
Merlin watched, amused, as his ears turned red. Arthur looked up again and added, “Just imagine this: I’m in a fight, and suddenly—‘Expelliarmus!’—my wand goes flying out of my hand. ‘Oh no! What am I going to do now?’ Boom! Sword!” he exclaimed with a grin.
“Solid reasoning,” Merlin said dryly. “So, who do you wish to kill?”
Arthur’s smile faltered. “Kill?” he repeated, his face falling.
Merlin nodded. “A sword is a weapon designed to end lives. When someone wields such a weapon, it’s usually to kill. So, whose life do you wish to end? Who do you intend to kill? Did you enjoy killing your father and want more?”
Arthur’s smile disappeared entirely, replaced by a frown. He sighed. “You’re going too far,” he said quietly.
“Am I? I think I’m being realistic,” Merlin retorted.
“...”
“I obviously don’t want to kill anyone… but to be fair, it won’t matter what I want, will it? I know I’m going to have to—I already have. I often hear the phrase, ‘A weapon is an extension of ourselves,’ in stories and shows, and I completely agree. A sword isn’t just a weapon; it’s a tool, just like a wand. What we choose to do with that tool defines what it is. A wand, or even magic, can be just as dangerous—if not more so—when used to end lives. So, it’s unfair to simply classify a sword as a weapon for killing. I alone choose what to do with the sword, not the other way around,” Arthur explained, his expression serious, his eyes reflecting brightly in the morning sunlight streaming through the window.
Merlin’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling with approval. “Good! Very good, actually! You passed. If you had said something like, ‘A sword isn’t just for killing; it can be used to protect,’ I would have failed you.”
“It was a test?” Arthur asked, taken aback.
Merlin nodded slowly, still smiling. “Yes, and honestly, you passed with flying colors. You understand that a sword is no different from a wand. Magic can also be used to end lives. You’ve shown me that you grasp just how dangerous magic can be.”
“Oh… I still think you took it a bit too far,” Arthur muttered, returning to his breakfast.
Merlin’s smile faltered, and her expression grew serious. “Arthur, I won’t be asking for your forgiveness.”
Arthur’s spoon paused halfway out his mouth.
“I’m going to be hard on you because life isn’t going to go easy on you. Challenges and difficulties won’t consider your feelings or state of being. Sometimes, life keeps kicking you while you’re down. As your tutor, I’m preparing you to face what’s to come, so I’m not sorry for the things I do or say that hurt you,” Merlin stated firmly.
Arthur nodded. “In that case, I forgive you and all future grievances you might cause.”
Merlin blinked rapidly, shaking her head in disbelief. That wasn’t the reaction she had expected. “Didn’t I say I wasn’t sorry?”
“You said you wouldn’t be asking for forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t want it. Sometimes, people don’t verbally express what they truly desire or want,” Arthur shrugged and resumed eating.
Merlin opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. “Your maturity is honestly worrying…”
Arthur looked at her in confusion, as if she should understand why he was the way he was.
“Not even adults show as much maturity as you do,” Merlin scoffed.
Seeing that Arthur wasn’t responding and was focused on eating, Merlin decided to move on with the topic at hand. “Alright, I’ll train you in swordsmanship.”
“Wait, you seriously know swordsmanship?” Arthur asked, giving her a curious look.
Merlin tilted her hand side to side. “You have to remember, I was the advisor to the King, someone who was a member of the Knights of the Round Table. I’ve observed all of their training regimes and sparring sessions, not to mention battles fought to the death. So, while I’m not a swordsman, I know my way around swords and how to effectively train someone.”
“Sweet!” Arthur exclaimed, kicking his feet excitedly.
“However, Arthur, you need to consider that there’s a lot you’re going to have to learn. I’ll be teaching you swordsmanship and magical knowledge, but as your tutor, I’ll also need to instruct you in other areas. You’ll have to learn how to walk, eat, sit, shake hands properly like nobility, politics, business, and different languages. It’s going to be a lot, and you might even hate me for it or find it boring. Just know that I take tutoring very seriously. You can ask any of my past students—they may hate me for how hard I’ve been on them, but they can’t argue with the effectiveness of my training,” Merlin said with a scoff.
“You’ve taught a lot of students?” Arthur asked curiously.
“I have, though less frequently in recent years. But yes, I’ve taken on quite a few students who turned out to be great wizards and witches,” Merlin said proudly.
“Do you like teaching? And how come no one has questioned what you're still doing alive? Or do you use different identities? ” Arthur asked, intrigued, wanting to learn more about Merlin.
“To your first question, yes, I absolutely adore teaching. Often, when I teach a student, I learn from them in return. That’s the beauty of teaching. As for your second question, yes I've used different identities. I’ve had multiple disguises over the years,” Merlin explained with a smile.
“So, when you taught King Arthur…” Arthur asked softly.
“Yeah… I was disguised as an old man. Being a witch wasn’t exactly safe during medieval times, so I chose the easy way!” Merlin explained.
“What about now?” Arthur asked, looking at her warily, curious if she was wearing a disguise.
Merlin shook her head. “I’m home and wasn’t expecting any visitors. Why would I be wearing a disguise in my own home? That would be weird.”
Arthur’s eyes widened slightly. “I see. Although I understand why you kept using disguises, you are very beautiful after all.”
Merlin smiled, appreciating the compliment. She noted that there was no hint of lust in Arthur’s gaze, just genuine admiration. Even if Arthur was still a child, his older soul would understand the temptations of lust, yet it wasn’t present in his expression.
Comments
ItsDragonking
Arthur's sword's man's teacher was Merlin. He had the best swordsmanship in Britannia. At list in fate
