Unfamiliar | Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon | G (Part 1 of 3)
Merlin rubbed his forehead. He was getting that headache again, that one that so often came from Arthur being... well, Arthur. "Sire, we need to do something about the mouse problem. They've nested in half the wardrobes in the castle and are making a complete mess in the kitchens. Cook is threatening to quit if that does not end, and you really don't want to know what some of the ladies of the court are saying, with their clothing all ruined."
Arthur crossed his arms and stuck his chin out even more stubbornly. "As I've already said, find a way to deal with it."
"Right," Merlin nodded. "And as I've already said, getting cats would take care of it--"
"NO. No cats. We've already discussed that."
The headache was growing. "We didn't 'discuss' it. You said, 'No cats,' and that was that."
Dropping his arms, Arthur stalked across his chambers toward his desk. "That counts as a discussion, when it's the king saying it."
"But, how do you expect me to do anything about all these mice, if you won't allow cats in the castle?" Merlin exclaimed, exasperated.
Arthur plopped into his chair. "I have complete faith that you will find a way."
The first few replies that came to Merlin's mind were not ones he could readily say. Finally, he demanded, "At least, tell me why you are so averse to having cats."
Arthur seemed as though he would refuse, but ended up gesturing for Merlin to come over. Once there was no way they could be overheard, even if someone was listening at the door, Arthur said quietly, "Morgana can communicate with them. Not magically, just... they understand one another."
Merlin met Arthur's eyes, waiting to see that prattish expression that meant Arthur was having one over on him. But Arthur's expression was entirely in earnest.
Merlin blinked. "They 'understand' one another," he repeated slowly.
Arthur nodded. "I know it sounds like magic-- well, maybe it is," he mused. "When I found out about it, I was unaware that she was a sorceress."
"Um." Merlin pondered where best to go with this conversation, and decided to back it up a bit. "How did you find out?"
Arthur sighed and began fiddling with his pen. "She showed me, years ago-- not long after she came to live at Camelot."
Still uncertain what to say, since Merlin could not imagine how so many years had passed without his knowing that Morgana possessed such an ability, he settled on, "How did she show you?"
Arthur snorted. "How do you think? She looked at one of the castle cats and it told her what I had been doing earlier that day. It even told her things I'd said."
"I see." That was a lie. While Merlin was well aware of familiars and how they worked, he had never once seen a cat anywhere near Morgana, which suggested to him that there was something else going on here. "Arthur... is it possible she was winding you up? Maybe she saw you that day without you knowing it, and overheard you talking?"
"No." Arthur shook his head emphatically. "All of that happened when I was watching Father train with the knights, and she was nowhere around."
That was odd, indeed, though Merlin remained unconvinced. "Just because she did that once, does not mean she still can."
"Of course, it does not." Arthur gave Merlin an indignant look. "She kept doing it until I got Father to ban all cats from the living areas of the castle."
Strange as it all sounded, Merlin seized onto what he could. "The living areas of the castle, right. So, I'll just go get a few cats for the kitchens--"
Arthur grabbed his wrist tightly. "You do so on penalty of death."
"But--"
"There has never been a greater threat to Camelot than Morgana now poses. To bring a cat anywhere near the citadel would be an act of treason."
That headache was taking hold again. "Fine. I'll find another way to deal with the mice."
Releasing Merlin's wrist, Arthur muttered, "See that you do."
Merlin rubbed his forehead. He was getting that headache again, that one that so often came from Arthur being... well, Arthur. "Sire, we need to do something about the mouse problem. They've nested in half the wardrobes in the castle and are making a complete mess in the kitchens. Cook is threatening to quit if that does not end, and you really don't want to know what some of the ladies of the court are saying, with their clothing all ruined."
Arthur crossed his arms and stuck his chin out even more stubbornly. "As I've already said, find a way to deal with it."
"Right," Merlin nodded. "And as I've already said, getting cats would take care of it--"
"NO. No cats. We've already discussed that."
The headache was growing. "We didn't 'discuss' it. You said, 'No cats,' and that was that."
Dropping his arms, Arthur stalked across his chambers toward his desk. "That counts as a discussion, when it's the king saying it."
"But, how do you expect me to do anything about all these mice, if you won't allow cats in the castle?" Merlin exclaimed, exasperated.
Arthur plopped into his chair. "I have complete faith that you will find a way."
The first few replies that came to Merlin's mind were not ones he could readily say. Finally, he demanded, "At least, tell me why you are so averse to having cats."
Arthur seemed as though he would refuse, but ended up gesturing for Merlin to come over. Once there was no way they could be overheard, even if someone was listening at the door, Arthur said quietly, "Morgana can communicate with them. Not magically, just... they understand one another."
Merlin met Arthur's eyes, waiting to see that prattish expression that meant Arthur was having one over on him. But Arthur's expression was entirely in earnest.
Merlin blinked. "They 'understand' one another," he repeated slowly.
Arthur nodded. "I know it sounds like magic-- well, maybe it is," he mused. "When I found out about it, I was unaware that she was a sorceress."
"Um." Merlin pondered where best to go with this conversation, and decided to back it up a bit. "How did you find out?"
Arthur sighed and began fiddling with his pen. "She showed me, years ago-- not long after she came to live at Camelot."
Still uncertain what to say, since Merlin could not imagine how so many years had passed without his knowing that Morgana possessed such an ability, he settled on, "How did she show you?"
Arthur snorted. "How do you think? She looked at one of the castle cats and it told her what I had been doing earlier that day. It even told her things I'd said."
"I see." That was a lie. While Merlin was well aware of familiars and how they worked, he had never once seen a cat anywhere near Morgana, which suggested to him that there was something else going on here. "Arthur... is it possible she was winding you up? Maybe she saw you that day without you knowing it, and overheard you talking?"
"No." Arthur shook his head emphatically. "All of that happened when I was watching Father train with the knights, and she was nowhere around."
That was odd, indeed, though Merlin remained unconvinced. "Just because she did that once, does not mean she still can."
"Of course, it does not." Arthur gave Merlin an indignant look. "She kept doing it until I got Father to ban all cats from the living areas of the castle."
Strange as it all sounded, Merlin seized onto what he could. "The living areas of the castle, right. So, I'll just go get a few cats for the kitchens--"
Arthur grabbed his wrist tightly. "You do so on penalty of death."
"But--"
"There has never been a greater threat to Camelot than Morgana now poses. To bring a cat anywhere near the citadel would be an act of treason."
That headache was taking hold again. "Fine. I'll find another way to deal with the mice."
Releasing Merlin's wrist, Arthur muttered, "See that you do."
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