Part 7
The next few days after Merlin had been introduced to the knights of the round table had made him a better servant in Arthur’s eyes. Arthur didn’t complain about him being late or yelling at him for not doing something the right way. It made his days go by much quicker and before he knew it he was back to check up on Morgana who was still sleeping on the worktable turned bed that Gaius had made for the patients who had to stay the night. She seemed to have made herself at home in this small little hospital wing of the castle and whenever she felt restless she was found with a book in her lap, turning pages whenever she got bored of looking through the medical books Gaius happened to keep for Merlin to look over. It was a nice sight to see someone else going through his homework pretty much for him.
That night, Arthur had complimented him by telling him he was the best servant he had ever had so far in his young life and he had skipped home. Merlin spotted Morgana flipping through the fairy book that he happened to neglect for these last few days. It was a bad idea not looking it over considering he needed to know everything about this fairy everybody would be fighting whenever the time came. Nobody knew exactly when the big fight was going to happen, but it didn’t matter because he had faith that he could take down the small, weaker fairies that would most likely be there, making up the army.
“Enjoying the book?”
Morgana looked up embarrassed. “Oh, well, it’s one of the books I have enjoyed so far. Gaius really doesn’t keep an extensive book collection here.”
“Ah, now you know how I feel with him shoving these things down my throat,” he told her with a wide grin on his face. “Anything important you have discovered so far about your fairy friend?”
“Just that they fly and have magical powers. I just opened it before you walked in, Merlin.”
“Well...if you spy anything, call me.”
“I should let you read it, Merlin. This is your fight.”
“You should know the information, too, Morgana.”
“You don’t have to do this Merlin. Nobody should have to fight over me. They want me for some reason I cannot understand, but I don’t think anybody should try and take me back from them. Maybe this is what I was meant to become: a fairy princess.”
“Don’t think that, Morgana. Why would you think that? Arthur loves you like a sister and Gwen would do anything for you. If Uther knew about this and your way of thinking he would surely lock you up.”
“I’m already locked up. I can’t leave here remember?”
“Not until we have a definite plan. You know this.”
“When will that be? I want to go walk around the kingdom one more time before this war begins over me.”
“Who says it will be a war?”
“He told me so the other night. He stopped by to remind me my time was coming to become one of them.”
Merlin was suddenly worried. Morgana had never told him about the fairy king coming by and visiting her once more. “Morgana...you can’t keep information like this from us. How long ago did he visit?”
“Three nights ago.”
“How come you didn’t tell me?”
“It wasn’t important. You have so much to do already.”
Running a hand through his short hair, he gave it a tug in exasperation. “If you want us to protect you you have to be completely honest with us.”
“I’m sorry, Merlin.”
“I have to go tell Arthur. Don’t go anywhere.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Merlin ran back to Arthur’s room, managing to catch him sitting at his desk and writing another letter. “Arthur! Morgana has been visited by the fairy king.”
Looking up, Arthur sighed. “When did this happen?”
“Two nights ago. She just told me this today.”
“I hate when she doesn’t tell anybody right away. I should have known this would have happened.”
“What do we do?”
“What did he tell her?”
“That the time was coming soon. She mentioned it after mentioning to me that she wanted to walk around the kingdom again before she got captured.”
Arthur sighed once more, placing the feather back in its pot of ink. “I don’t think it’s too late, Merlin. He might still be waiting for us to let her walk around the kingdom again. It doesn’t seem to me that he is on to us and our plans.”
“How can you tell?”
“She would be gone by now.”
Merlin nodded, understanding completely where he was coming from now. It made sense what Arthur told him about her being gone by now if the fairy king was onto them. If that had happen they wouldn’t have a chance to even set up a battle plan and actually be able to go through with it. And Uther would wonder why all of them had kept this from him. Merlin couldn’t even begin to fathom what would happen if Morgana was already gone.
“Do you believe that the plan will work?”
“Why wouldn’t it work, Merlin? We went over it a ton of times and everyone is doing exceptionally well with what to do. You worry too much.”
Maybe Arthur was right, maybe he was freaking out over nothing, but he couldn’t help it. If everything went wrong in a split second what was going to happen to their hard working plans? They would be stuck with a moody king who would blame all of them for Morgana’s disappearance and he was pretty sure the consequences of that would be anything but fun.
“I guess you are right, sir.”
“I am always right, Merlin. Do you have anything else to say to me?”
Shaking his head, he turned towards the door until he thought of something that he was hoping Arthur would want to do. “Sir,” he said, turning back around. “Would you like to go to the pub for a few drinks before this whole thing goes down?”
Arthur glanced up right away from the parchment he was reading and gave a small smile. “That sounds like a splendid idea.”
Merlin was taken back considering he didn’t actually think that Arthur was going to be good for the idea. It wasn’t like they ever hung out as friends or anything since Arthur liked to claim that Merlin was nothing but a servant. And a horrible one at that. So when he actually agreed to come out to the pub with him, he literally took a step back. “Oh...well. Okay.”
“Really, Merlin, you should have more faith in me then you do now.”
“But you have never shown an interest in going to the pub with me before.”
“Everyone is allowed to have a day at the pub. And it will be on me.”
_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merlin and Arthur had gotten to the pub and downed a few drinks each before finally slowing down to sip at them. It wasn’t even like they were in a rush to do anything, they just wanted to get as many drinks down their throats and into their bellies as soon as possible. And it seemed to be that Merlin was the light weight of the group.
“Merlin, you have barely drank anything and look at you!”
“What?”
“You are moving back and forth on your stool. It is pretty pathetic.”
“M’not pathetic.”
“Yes you are. You have had only four ale’s and you are doing this. We might have to cut you off soon.”
“Well what about you? You have had six ale’s and you are moving before my eyes.”
“That’s because you are the one moving, Merlin.”
“Why would I be moving when you’re moving?”
“Nevermind. It’s just funny that you can’t drink for the life of you.”
“M’not a soldier like you who can drink anything and still be standing strong. And I don’t go around all drunkenly and hit on women.”
“Aye, I do not do such a thing.”
“Yes you do. I see it.”
“What do you see, Merlin? There are no fine women in Camelot. If there are they are all below me and my father would never accept that.”
Merlin snorted, taking a sip of his drink, almost missing his mouth. “Whatever you say Prince Arthur.”
“Future king to you. I will be ruling this whole thing one day. Wait and see.”
“That won’t happen until your father dies and he is indestructible.”
“To you maybe, but I know what pushes my father’s buttons.”
“What would that be? Magic and....magic?”
“Oy, Merlin, let’s not talk about my father okay? We are out to have fun on my coin.”
“Fine fine fine..”
They sat there for a little while, nursing their ale’s when finally Merlin turned to Arthur with a crooked smile on his face. “You know what you gotta do? You have to run around naked at one point. I bet no one would suspect the prince would do that.”
“I would not do that to the people here in Camelot. Who do you think I am?”
“A wuss,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh you are one to talk, Merlin.”
“You just think I am one because you are jealous of me.”
“I am not jealous of a servant. I have all the riches in the world and can go anywhere I would like.”
“Noooo, you have daddy’s money and will inherit it. Why are women not falling over you?”
“Have you met my father?”
“Touche.”
“And now you see why women are afraid of me. It’s also why I can hold down my soldiers.”
“Just because you’re scary not any other reason.”
“If you say so, Merlin.”
“I do say so,” he said with a firm nod, a giggle escaping past his lips.
“Merlin, I feel like I have to cut you off the ale now.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“Have you seen how smashed you are?” Arthur shook his head at how drunk his servant was. Pushing away from the bar, he grabbed a hold of Merlin and picked him up, practically dragging him to the door. “Put it on my tab, Ernie.”
“If you want I will pay you back.”
“You don’t get paid enough, Merlin. Keep your coins, I have loads of them.”
“You don’t have to pay for me!”
“Now now settle down there.”
“I just don’t think it’s right that you think you have to take care of me all the time. Let me go, I can walk.”
Arthur let him go and watched as he tipped over, falling face first on the ground. He couldn’t help but laugh that his servant was laying down after having one too many ales. “Merlin, you sure you can walk home safely by yourself?”
“Of course I can,” Merlin commented, pushing himself up off the ground. “I am perfectly capable of walking to my room all by myself. I cannot always rely on you.”
“You do, Merlin. You can’t even fight with a sword very well.”
“That is a bloody lie. I can use a sword perfectly fine.”
“You can use magic very well...from what you have told me anyway.”
“I don’t want to be known as only using magic to fight my battles. I want to use my fist.”
“Can you use magic to give yourself muscles?,” Arthur asked with a laugh and a grin, loving the fact that he could pick on Merlin so easily.
“It doesn’t work that way! You are so bloody infuriating,” Merlin said as he swayed towards the direction of Gauis’ house.
“I’m just having a good time, Merlin. You should have some fun every so often.”
“I do have fun, but your idea of fun is completely different then mine.”
“Why because I tell you to run across a field with a big shield in front of your face? We don’t have any whipping boys around here and you’re the only one who is willing to do it.”
“I am not willing. You make me do it.”
“I would never do such a thing,” he said with a fake gasp and putting his hand over his heart, completely shocked.
“You do it all the time!”
“No need to shout, people are sleeping.”
“I am not shouting. I am talking.”
“Well, you talking while drunk makes you seem like you are shouting. My apologies.”
Merlin stopped in his tracks to turn back to Arthur, a bit shocked that he apologized. “Did you just apologize to me?”
“Nope. I did not.”
“I could have sworn I heard those words.”
“Merlin, let’s get you back to your room. I need you in fighting shape tomorrow. We are running out of time.”
“You have me though, you can’t do anything without me!,” he exclaimed with a laugh. He just couldn’t understand why Arthur didn’t seem to understand that he was a magical person who could do magical things. Not that he was still 100% sure how to defeat this thing called a fairy king, but he was sure he could at least hold the thing off for a while.
“Whatever you say, Merlin.”
Arthur walked Merlin back to his servants room and made sure he got into bed alright. As much as he got upset at the boy, he knew better then to do anything to ruin him or make him run away. He was pretty sure Uther was tired of replacing servants for him and if Merlin hadn’t run away yet he probably wouldn’t, if he was lucky.
Once Merlin was safely in bed, he made his way back to his room, too tired to notice the fairy king flying next to him as he walked.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, Merlin woke with a big headache, the sun filtering through his window blinding him and making his head pound even more. “Bloody hell!,” he shouted, falling off his cot.
Gaius came running in, a frying pan in his arm, looking around wildly. “What is it, Merlin? Is it the fairy king already?”
“No no no, Gaius. Just a bloody headache.”
Lowering the frying pan, he shook his head. “Very well then, Merlin. Don’t shout again unless it’s an emergency.”
Groaning, he shook his head and pushed himself to stand as Gaius exited the room, frying pan included. It took him a few seconds to realize why his head was pounding and what had gone down last night. Thankfully he lived with someone who could concoct something right away for this ridiculous headache. But as he made his way out into the other room, he happened to glance over at the empty cot that Morgana had laid on just last night. “Gaius? Where is Morgana?!”
Gaius looked over at Merlin and gave him a peculiar look, something very un-Gaius. “What do you mean, Merlin? Morgana hasn’t been here in days.”
“Gaius, she was here because of the fairy king.”
“Fairy king? Oh, Merlin, you always had a sense of imagination on you. There is no such thing as this fairy king that you are speaking of.”
Merlin just stood there, completely confused with what Gaius was even saying. There was just no way that Morgana happened to put a spell on Gaius because she didn’t even know she was able to do magic and he was really glad that he didn’t say anything to her yet. But this also didn’t make sense that she just happened to get up and leave without Gaius knowing what happened to her. Also didn’t explain how he could forget that she even happened to be there. Magic was involved and the only thing he could even fathom was the fairy king.
“Nevermind, Gaius. I have to go speak to Arthur. He wanted me to meet him bright and early.”
“Very well.”
Running away from Gaius, he made his way to Arthur’s room, not stopping when he bumped into anyone or when someone called his name. All he knew was that he had to make it to Arthur’s room without being stopped.
That night, Arthur had complimented him by telling him he was the best servant he had ever had so far in his young life and he had skipped home. Merlin spotted Morgana flipping through the fairy book that he happened to neglect for these last few days. It was a bad idea not looking it over considering he needed to know everything about this fairy everybody would be fighting whenever the time came. Nobody knew exactly when the big fight was going to happen, but it didn’t matter because he had faith that he could take down the small, weaker fairies that would most likely be there, making up the army.
“Enjoying the book?”
Morgana looked up embarrassed. “Oh, well, it’s one of the books I have enjoyed so far. Gaius really doesn’t keep an extensive book collection here.”
“Ah, now you know how I feel with him shoving these things down my throat,” he told her with a wide grin on his face. “Anything important you have discovered so far about your fairy friend?”
“Just that they fly and have magical powers. I just opened it before you walked in, Merlin.”
“Well...if you spy anything, call me.”
“I should let you read it, Merlin. This is your fight.”
“You should know the information, too, Morgana.”
“You don’t have to do this Merlin. Nobody should have to fight over me. They want me for some reason I cannot understand, but I don’t think anybody should try and take me back from them. Maybe this is what I was meant to become: a fairy princess.”
“Don’t think that, Morgana. Why would you think that? Arthur loves you like a sister and Gwen would do anything for you. If Uther knew about this and your way of thinking he would surely lock you up.”
“I’m already locked up. I can’t leave here remember?”
“Not until we have a definite plan. You know this.”
“When will that be? I want to go walk around the kingdom one more time before this war begins over me.”
“Who says it will be a war?”
“He told me so the other night. He stopped by to remind me my time was coming to become one of them.”
Merlin was suddenly worried. Morgana had never told him about the fairy king coming by and visiting her once more. “Morgana...you can’t keep information like this from us. How long ago did he visit?”
“Three nights ago.”
“How come you didn’t tell me?”
“It wasn’t important. You have so much to do already.”
Running a hand through his short hair, he gave it a tug in exasperation. “If you want us to protect you you have to be completely honest with us.”
“I’m sorry, Merlin.”
“I have to go tell Arthur. Don’t go anywhere.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Merlin ran back to Arthur’s room, managing to catch him sitting at his desk and writing another letter. “Arthur! Morgana has been visited by the fairy king.”
Looking up, Arthur sighed. “When did this happen?”
“Two nights ago. She just told me this today.”
“I hate when she doesn’t tell anybody right away. I should have known this would have happened.”
“What do we do?”
“What did he tell her?”
“That the time was coming soon. She mentioned it after mentioning to me that she wanted to walk around the kingdom again before she got captured.”
Arthur sighed once more, placing the feather back in its pot of ink. “I don’t think it’s too late, Merlin. He might still be waiting for us to let her walk around the kingdom again. It doesn’t seem to me that he is on to us and our plans.”
“How can you tell?”
“She would be gone by now.”
Merlin nodded, understanding completely where he was coming from now. It made sense what Arthur told him about her being gone by now if the fairy king was onto them. If that had happen they wouldn’t have a chance to even set up a battle plan and actually be able to go through with it. And Uther would wonder why all of them had kept this from him. Merlin couldn’t even begin to fathom what would happen if Morgana was already gone.
“Do you believe that the plan will work?”
“Why wouldn’t it work, Merlin? We went over it a ton of times and everyone is doing exceptionally well with what to do. You worry too much.”
Maybe Arthur was right, maybe he was freaking out over nothing, but he couldn’t help it. If everything went wrong in a split second what was going to happen to their hard working plans? They would be stuck with a moody king who would blame all of them for Morgana’s disappearance and he was pretty sure the consequences of that would be anything but fun.
“I guess you are right, sir.”
“I am always right, Merlin. Do you have anything else to say to me?”
Shaking his head, he turned towards the door until he thought of something that he was hoping Arthur would want to do. “Sir,” he said, turning back around. “Would you like to go to the pub for a few drinks before this whole thing goes down?”
Arthur glanced up right away from the parchment he was reading and gave a small smile. “That sounds like a splendid idea.”
Merlin was taken back considering he didn’t actually think that Arthur was going to be good for the idea. It wasn’t like they ever hung out as friends or anything since Arthur liked to claim that Merlin was nothing but a servant. And a horrible one at that. So when he actually agreed to come out to the pub with him, he literally took a step back. “Oh...well. Okay.”
“Really, Merlin, you should have more faith in me then you do now.”
“But you have never shown an interest in going to the pub with me before.”
“Everyone is allowed to have a day at the pub. And it will be on me.”
_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merlin and Arthur had gotten to the pub and downed a few drinks each before finally slowing down to sip at them. It wasn’t even like they were in a rush to do anything, they just wanted to get as many drinks down their throats and into their bellies as soon as possible. And it seemed to be that Merlin was the light weight of the group.
“Merlin, you have barely drank anything and look at you!”
“What?”
“You are moving back and forth on your stool. It is pretty pathetic.”
“M’not pathetic.”
“Yes you are. You have had only four ale’s and you are doing this. We might have to cut you off soon.”
“Well what about you? You have had six ale’s and you are moving before my eyes.”
“That’s because you are the one moving, Merlin.”
“Why would I be moving when you’re moving?”
“Nevermind. It’s just funny that you can’t drink for the life of you.”
“M’not a soldier like you who can drink anything and still be standing strong. And I don’t go around all drunkenly and hit on women.”
“Aye, I do not do such a thing.”
“Yes you do. I see it.”
“What do you see, Merlin? There are no fine women in Camelot. If there are they are all below me and my father would never accept that.”
Merlin snorted, taking a sip of his drink, almost missing his mouth. “Whatever you say Prince Arthur.”
“Future king to you. I will be ruling this whole thing one day. Wait and see.”
“That won’t happen until your father dies and he is indestructible.”
“To you maybe, but I know what pushes my father’s buttons.”
“What would that be? Magic and....magic?”
“Oy, Merlin, let’s not talk about my father okay? We are out to have fun on my coin.”
“Fine fine fine..”
They sat there for a little while, nursing their ale’s when finally Merlin turned to Arthur with a crooked smile on his face. “You know what you gotta do? You have to run around naked at one point. I bet no one would suspect the prince would do that.”
“I would not do that to the people here in Camelot. Who do you think I am?”
“A wuss,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh you are one to talk, Merlin.”
“You just think I am one because you are jealous of me.”
“I am not jealous of a servant. I have all the riches in the world and can go anywhere I would like.”
“Noooo, you have daddy’s money and will inherit it. Why are women not falling over you?”
“Have you met my father?”
“Touche.”
“And now you see why women are afraid of me. It’s also why I can hold down my soldiers.”
“Just because you’re scary not any other reason.”
“If you say so, Merlin.”
“I do say so,” he said with a firm nod, a giggle escaping past his lips.
“Merlin, I feel like I have to cut you off the ale now.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“Have you seen how smashed you are?” Arthur shook his head at how drunk his servant was. Pushing away from the bar, he grabbed a hold of Merlin and picked him up, practically dragging him to the door. “Put it on my tab, Ernie.”
“If you want I will pay you back.”
“You don’t get paid enough, Merlin. Keep your coins, I have loads of them.”
“You don’t have to pay for me!”
“Now now settle down there.”
“I just don’t think it’s right that you think you have to take care of me all the time. Let me go, I can walk.”
Arthur let him go and watched as he tipped over, falling face first on the ground. He couldn’t help but laugh that his servant was laying down after having one too many ales. “Merlin, you sure you can walk home safely by yourself?”
“Of course I can,” Merlin commented, pushing himself up off the ground. “I am perfectly capable of walking to my room all by myself. I cannot always rely on you.”
“You do, Merlin. You can’t even fight with a sword very well.”
“That is a bloody lie. I can use a sword perfectly fine.”
“You can use magic very well...from what you have told me anyway.”
“I don’t want to be known as only using magic to fight my battles. I want to use my fist.”
“Can you use magic to give yourself muscles?,” Arthur asked with a laugh and a grin, loving the fact that he could pick on Merlin so easily.
“It doesn’t work that way! You are so bloody infuriating,” Merlin said as he swayed towards the direction of Gauis’ house.
“I’m just having a good time, Merlin. You should have some fun every so often.”
“I do have fun, but your idea of fun is completely different then mine.”
“Why because I tell you to run across a field with a big shield in front of your face? We don’t have any whipping boys around here and you’re the only one who is willing to do it.”
“I am not willing. You make me do it.”
“I would never do such a thing,” he said with a fake gasp and putting his hand over his heart, completely shocked.
“You do it all the time!”
“No need to shout, people are sleeping.”
“I am not shouting. I am talking.”
“Well, you talking while drunk makes you seem like you are shouting. My apologies.”
Merlin stopped in his tracks to turn back to Arthur, a bit shocked that he apologized. “Did you just apologize to me?”
“Nope. I did not.”
“I could have sworn I heard those words.”
“Merlin, let’s get you back to your room. I need you in fighting shape tomorrow. We are running out of time.”
“You have me though, you can’t do anything without me!,” he exclaimed with a laugh. He just couldn’t understand why Arthur didn’t seem to understand that he was a magical person who could do magical things. Not that he was still 100% sure how to defeat this thing called a fairy king, but he was sure he could at least hold the thing off for a while.
“Whatever you say, Merlin.”
Arthur walked Merlin back to his servants room and made sure he got into bed alright. As much as he got upset at the boy, he knew better then to do anything to ruin him or make him run away. He was pretty sure Uther was tired of replacing servants for him and if Merlin hadn’t run away yet he probably wouldn’t, if he was lucky.
Once Merlin was safely in bed, he made his way back to his room, too tired to notice the fairy king flying next to him as he walked.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, Merlin woke with a big headache, the sun filtering through his window blinding him and making his head pound even more. “Bloody hell!,” he shouted, falling off his cot.
Gaius came running in, a frying pan in his arm, looking around wildly. “What is it, Merlin? Is it the fairy king already?”
“No no no, Gaius. Just a bloody headache.”
Lowering the frying pan, he shook his head. “Very well then, Merlin. Don’t shout again unless it’s an emergency.”
Groaning, he shook his head and pushed himself to stand as Gaius exited the room, frying pan included. It took him a few seconds to realize why his head was pounding and what had gone down last night. Thankfully he lived with someone who could concoct something right away for this ridiculous headache. But as he made his way out into the other room, he happened to glance over at the empty cot that Morgana had laid on just last night. “Gaius? Where is Morgana?!”
Gaius looked over at Merlin and gave him a peculiar look, something very un-Gaius. “What do you mean, Merlin? Morgana hasn’t been here in days.”
“Gaius, she was here because of the fairy king.”
“Fairy king? Oh, Merlin, you always had a sense of imagination on you. There is no such thing as this fairy king that you are speaking of.”
Merlin just stood there, completely confused with what Gaius was even saying. There was just no way that Morgana happened to put a spell on Gaius because she didn’t even know she was able to do magic and he was really glad that he didn’t say anything to her yet. But this also didn’t make sense that she just happened to get up and leave without Gaius knowing what happened to her. Also didn’t explain how he could forget that she even happened to be there. Magic was involved and the only thing he could even fathom was the fairy king.
“Nevermind, Gaius. I have to go speak to Arthur. He wanted me to meet him bright and early.”
“Very well.”
Running away from Gaius, he made his way to Arthur’s room, not stopping when he bumped into anyone or when someone called his name. All he knew was that he had to make it to Arthur’s room without being stopped.