Title: The Piano
Rating: M
Total WordCount: 43K
Genre: Romance, Tragedy
Pairing(s): Arthur/Merlin, Merlin/Valiant
Warnings: Domestic abuse, violence & mutilation, minor character death, attempted non-con, homophobia.
Author's Notes: This has been written for reel_merlin , round 3, based on the film "The Piano" (1994) set in post colonial New Zealand. A huge thank you to my amazing beta, musicsage92 without whom I would have been completely lost. Also much love for nachte , who created the stunning piece of art to go with this fic.
Note for Readers: There are many pieces of music embedded into this fic - an author's plea for you to listen to them The whole fic revolves around music and it reads best if you click play when you see the embedded media throughout this fic. A complete soundtrack can be downloaded separately.

Summary: In which Merlin is a mute pianist.

When Freya dies from fever, unable to fulfill a promise of marriage, Merlin and his daughter Morgana are sent far away to the lonely shores of New Zealand where everything Merlin owns becomes the property of one Stewart Valiant. Silent, with only music for company, Merlin tries desperately to save his piano when Valiant refuses to take it with them and abandons it on the beach. When Valiant sells the piano to Arthur Pendragon, Merlin is forced to make a choice. And so begins a love affair, a journey with irrevocable consequences.

Крайне красивая и грустная вещь со счастливым окончанием. Иногда кажется что вместе с музыкой сливается во вполне живую картинку может и типичного, но бережно прорисованного романа.