(no subject)
Title: Where it all began
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG
Summary: Mr Gauis is taking his primary school class on a school trip to a ruined castle. (Sorry, I’m really bad at summaries.)
‘Who’d be a primary school teacher?’ Mr Gauis asked himself for the tenth time that day. Especially on a school trip to the castle ruins of Camelot castle. That would be hard enough in itself but then he had the son of the town mayor Uther Penndragon in his class who had left him with a long list of activities his son was and was not allowed to do. That was all very well but Arthur, or ‘Prince Arthur’ as he was insisting on being called today, had his own ideas. For a start he was intent on leading his ‘knights’, previosly known as Lance, Owain and Leon, around the ruins to hunt out dragons. Who thought selling wooden swords in the gift shop was a good idea anyway?
To make matters worse Gauis’s sister was unwell and had asked him to look after her son Merlin for the day. This may not be a problem with most nephews but Merlin wasn’t most nephews. No, Merlin was rather unique, rather special. Strange things happened around him. For example when they’d arrived Gauis had been certain an old vine, clinging to the walls of the castle had been dead. Later though, after Merlin had studied it intently it seemed to be growing bunches of ripened grapes. Rather strange for late spring.
He was relieved then when the tour guide took over and he just had to keep his eye on the misbehaving ones.
“And you can see over this wall how strategic the positioning of this castle is on the mouth of the river. This allowed the castle not only to defend the area but be safe in the knowledge that the castle could be constantly supplied.” The guide droned on as the children peered over the wall to look at the river.
“oooh!” Gwen exclaimed at the view. “It’s lovely.”
“I want to see,” Merlin cried, his bottom lip trembling as he found he wasn’t tall enough to see over the wall. He tried to get through to the front.
“please...”
“Oy, get back. We were here first.” Cedric protested pushing Merlin back.
“But, I really, really want to see,” Merlin stuttered, his eyes welling up. It was then that it happened. One minute Merlin was there and the next he was gone. Mr Gaius carefully rubbed his foreheard carefully, the only relief was the children and the guide seemed too pre-occupied with the view to notice Merlin’s sudden disappearance. It was only when a loud wail descended on them that Gaius’s panick reached the others in the group.
“What’s that?” Gwen asked as the wailing increased.
“It must be a damsel in distress,” Arthur cried, eagerly looking around. However there was no sign of Merlin anywhere. Gaius and the schoolchildren looked around the grounds of the castle but it was no use. Gaius only hoped Merlin hadn’t yet learnt how to vanish completely into thin air.
“There he is!” It was Morganna who spotted him first. A strange girl with an uncanny insight into things. Gaius looked where she pointed, to the top of the tallest ruined tower. There was Merlin at the very top crying his little eyes out.
“How did he get up there?” The tour guard asked in disbelief. “The staircase has been ruined for centuries.” Gaius didn’t like to explain. Anyway he didn’t have a chance to as no sooner was Merlin found than ‘Prince’ Arthur had lifted up his sword and yelled
“Charge”, leading his knights to the foot of the tower.
“They, they can’t go up there,” the tour guide stuttered. “It’s not safe and anyway it’s out of bounds.” Gaius raised his eyebrow and the guide immediately fell silent. No one blamed her, even Uther Penndragon fell silent at his raised eyebrow. Gaius was thinking about Uther now. How did you tell a mayor with strong anti-magic beliefs that his only son had died trying to rescue a young sorcerer in a ruined castle, when he was meant to be under Gaius’s supervision. He didn’t think that was on the list of do’s and don’t Uther had so meticulously provided.
Hurrying to the bottom of the tower he found Lance, Leon and Owen sulking at the bottom.
“The Prince says we can’t climb the tower.”
“It’s not fair.”
“He said it would be safer if only one of us climbed it.” Lance tried to stop his lower lip from wobbling, he didn’t think knights had wobbling lower lips.” He said as he was the Prince he had to climb it.” Gaius spared a thought for Arthur’s chivalry before calling up the dark, crumbling staircase.
“Arthur, come back down this instant. We’ll find a safer way to get Merlin down.” He got no reply though and could see nothing up the dark tower. He didn’t dare climb it himself.
“Arthur, Arthur can you hear me?” Still nothing. A short while later as Gauis and the knights waited on guard footsteps could be heard. They peered up the staircase again until gradually Arthur came into view, only this time he had a sobbing Merlin in his arms. He was walking very carefully and when he came to the bottom he gently placed the boy, still in his arms, onto the ground.
“Merlin...” Gaius began sternly.
“I, I, only wanted to see the river. I didn’t mean to...” he broke off into tears again and Gaius didn’t have it in him to tell him off. He settled for a simple
“Don’t do it again,” and a quick hug.
“Don’t worry, Mr Gaius. I Prince Arthur do pledge myself and my knights to ensure that Merlin comes to no more harm on this trip.” He placed his sword on the ground before him and knelt over Merlin whose face broke into his first smile for hours.
“Very well,” he sighed, preparing for more dragon hunts and sword fights. However it seemed that protecting Merlin, whilst there were dragon hunts and swordfights in their plenty, also included wrapping Merlin in Arthur’s too big coat to ensure he didn’t get cold, lifting him up so he could see over the walls, hitting Cedric over the head with a toy sword for calling Merlin a baby and even trying to teach Merlin to sword fight despite his inability to do it without falling over.
All in all it was one of the strangest school trips Gaius had ever led. However it was a very important one because it marked the start of the friendship of Arthur Penndragon and Merlin Emrys. It was one of the strangest yet most fitting friendships Gaius had ever witnessed and it continued as the two moved through his school and their next school before it blossomed into romance and then, inevitably, love. Then, years later, their marriage came and Gaius had great pleasure recounting to the tale for the many guests in attendance to see Uther’s pride and Merlin’s embarressment. For whatever ups and downs there had been along the way that was where it all began.