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Chapter Text

Merlin was unhappy. Very unhappy. Him and his mother had been walking through the woods for what seemed like forever! He was hungry, tired and really wanted to use his special superpower. Mother said he wasn’t allowed to on the journey, or in Camelot at all.
The people in Merlin’s village weren’t very nice to him the other day and tried to throw him in the lake. Merlin pleaded with his mother to let them stay and that he had found it very fun but she wasn’t listening to him. The next day, Merlin was locked in the house while mother had things to do and when she came back he was told to go and get his stuff so she could pack it up.

Merlin wishes he had used his ability one more time before leaving the village as mothers rules weren’t as bad there. He could use it at night in his home or out in the woods with Will! Will was his very best friend in the whole entire world and oh no. Merlin’s heart broke. He had forgotten to say goodbye to Will. He pulled on his mothers arm hurriedly. 

“Yes birdie? I know you’re tired but we’ll be there before you know it. I promise.” 

His mother called him Birdie because Merlin’s were a type of birds! He wished he was a bird sometimes, then he could fly above everything and be in Camelot already. In fact, he could go back and see Will whenever he wanted. His mother stared at him as he tried to turn into a bird. Nothing happened and Merlin felt tears appear into his eyes. 

“Oh Merlin. Come here, Why don’t I carry you for a bit huh? You can get some sleep on my shoulder.” 

Merlin nodded and fell into his mothers arm. He smiled in triumph as when she stood up, it almost seemed like he was flying. 

—————————————————————

Merlin awoke to the sounds of hushed whispering. He opened his eyes half way to see his mother and an odd looking old man leaning over him. He yelped back in surprise, making a pot behind them go tumbling to the floor. 

“Ah. I see.” The old man smiled at him before turning back to clean up the mess he had made. 

A shot of panic went through Merlin. He has broken the rules just by waking up! His mother was going to be so mad at him. 

“Im sorry mother. Do we have to go now?” 

His mother laughed before scooping him into her arms. 

“No birdie, we don’t. This is Gaius, an old friend of mine. We’re going to be safe here okay? No harm will come to you anymore.” 

Merlin eyed Gauis suspiciously. His mother had taught him to be weary in front of strangers and to never use his magic in front of one. Since he had broken one of those in front of mother and she hadn’t been mad, Merlin decided to give this man a chance. 

“Hello Gaius. Im Merlin.” 
He chuckled as Merlin gave him a small wave. 

“Yes I know who you are Merlin and I am very happy to have you here. I’ve heard much about you these last few years.”

He had? Merlin tried to remember if he had ever seen this strange man before and came up empty. He had never had someone know who he was? Wasn’t this exciting! 

“It is getting late now Gauis, we must get young Merlin to bed. Would you care to show us where we’ll be staying in Camelot.” 
Merlin decided to clamber into Gaius’ arms last minute to the old man’s surprise. Merlin thought it was the best way to show love. 
He chuckled and led his mother out of the chambers with Merlin in tow. 

They walked out of the castle, which Merlin thought wasn’t that impressive and could do with a colour that wasn’t red on the walls. When they left the castle through some very scary gates, he huddled further into Gaius’ clothes. He never wanted to see those gates come down. His village never had anything as big or as scary as Camelot did. It was going to take a while for Merlin to get used to it.

They passed rows and rows of small huts with candles in the windows, some had people in them and others didn’t. It wasn’t long before Gaius stopped in front of one and opened the door for his mother. Gaius put Merlin down on a small table in the middle of the room which he immediately leapt off. 

“Get yourself ready for bed Merlin, I just need to talk to Gauis for a moment outside. I won’t be long.” His mother brushed a kiss on his forehead before leaving him alone in the dark. 
It was really cold in this place and there was no light other than the moon coming in through the small window at the front and a larger one at the back. Merlin rushed towards the larger one and glanced out at all of the people with their candles. 
His mother had done so much for him so far, he should go and get Candles so she wouldn’t be cold through the night. 
After a quick check to see if her and Gauis were still outside. Merlin jumped out of the window and into the night. 

His eyes searched for the dim glows of light from each window and found one that shone the brightest at the end of the path. Smiling, he ran down towards it. He reached the hut that looked the same as his within a few seconds. He pulled back the cloth that blocked their windows and thought about taking them as well to keep out even more of the cold. He decided to take the candles first to be safe and the next night he would come back for the cloth. 
No noise came from the window as he wrapped his hand around a large candle, the wind blowing it out as he brought it through the window. 
This candle was perfect in every way. Mother was going to love it! 
Merlin turned around to a sword pointed to his chest. He screamed and his foe screamed too. The candle ignited in a flash of flame. 
The boy in front of him had hair that glowed just like the candle, Merlin wanted to touch it. Before he could move the boy shouted at him. 

“What was that? Did you do that?”

Merlin didn’t know what he was talking about. 
“What?” 
“The candle!” 

Merlin glanced down to see that the candle was very much still lit even though the wind was blowing it out over and over again. Oh no. Merlin was in so much trouble. 

“No. It was like that when I er found it.”

”No it wasn’t! Plus you didn’t find it you stole it.” 
Merlin shook his head rapidly. He was really panicking now. His mother was going to be so mad. 

“Are you a sorcerer? Have you come to hurt me?” 
Hurt him? Merlin didn’t even know who this boy was. 

“No! I do magic on accident, it’s not my fault. Please don’t tell my mother.”

Merlin shut his eyes and waited for the golden boy to hurt him. The hit never came. 

“What’s your name?” 
Merlin opened his eyes and saw that the sword had been put away. 

“I’m Merlin. Who are you?”

“Arthur. I’m sorry if I scared you Merlin but you shouldn’t be stealing. It’s not very nice.” 
Merlin hung his head. 
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to help my mother.” 

Arthur nodded. “Are you poor?” 
The candle floated from Merlin’s hands to knock Arthur on the head. 
“My mother says you should never ask people about money.” 
The boy rubbed his head and stared in shock at Merlin. 

“You have to be careful with your magic Merlin. People use it for scary things.” 
Merlin frowned.

“Are you scared of me?”

Arthur shook his head. “No.” 

“Maybe you should be. The people from my village were, they threw me in the lake. That’s why mother made us leave.” 

A beat of silence passed. 
“Where’s your mother now?” 
Merlin waved towards their hut as a shout rang out from the opposite direction. 

“Arthur?” A man and a woman came running over, taking in the scene before them. Merlin prayed they wouldn’t take his candle away from him. 

“Arthur what is the meaning of this? Weaponry is not to be played with. Especially my sword. You could’ve hurt someone.” 

Merlin held in his argument to Arthur of why he was being judged by him for stealing a candle when he had stolen this man’s sword. 
“I wanted to help keep Camelot safe. Like you do father.” 

He handed the sword back over as the woman knelt down to embrace him. She opened her eyes to release him and finally noticed Merlin. 

“Who’s this Arthur?” Everyone turned to look at Merlin now. He didn’t like it. 

“This is my new friend Merlin. He has just arrived here in Camelot.” 

Merlins heartbeat slowed down. No mentions of the candle or his magic. Maybe he had made a friend on his first day. Mother would be so pleased. 

“Your friend Arthur?, you can’t be friends with this boy.” 
“Oh Uther stop it. He’s around Arthur’s age, at least he’s making friends.” 

“Non- appropriate ones my love, Arthur is the prince. He can not be seen with a peasant boy.” 

Merlins whole head exploded. He had just talked to the prince of Camelot, which meant that this man in front of him was the king of Camelot! Merlin was just deciding whether to bow or kneel when his mother came rushing towards them.

”Merlin! What are you doing?”
She pulled Merlin towards her and started apologising profusely to the king and Queen. 
Arthurs mother smiled but his father was very angry. 

“You need to keep your boy away from my son. In fact I never want to see the thing ever again. Are we clear?” 
His mother nodded, leading Merlin away from then the second she could. Merlin offered a last wave at Arthur who had kept his head down during the entire thing. Arthur gave him a small smile back before Uther yelled his name again. 

Once they were back in the hut, Merlin’s mother gave him an earful. 

“That man is so dangerous to you Merlin. We’ll be safer here if you stay as far away from him and his son as you can get.” 

“How are they dangerous mother? Arthur didn’t hurt me.” 

“They hurt people with special superpowers like you birdie. This is why you must keep it hidden at all times while we’re here. Your life depends on it.” 

Merlins heart rate picked up. Arthur knew about Merlin’s abilities. His father and his kingdom would kill Merlin if he told them. 
Merlin started to cry. He was as good as dead. 

Chapter Text

Arthur woke to the sound of his mother’s voice calling his name. It wasn’t the best way he’s ever been woken up, considering last week cook held a fresh bit of bred under his nose until he opened his eyes. He sat up in bed all of the same, it was the only way he was going to shut her up so he could go back to bed.

“Arthur?” He groaned and rubbed at his eyes. 

“Yes mother? What time is it?”

She clasped her hands around his and moved them away from his face. Her expression was serious which made Arthur’s head hurt because it was too early in the morning to be serious. 

“It’s a little after dawn, my sweet. I’m sorry for waking you.” 

Arthur scrunched his blanket up so that he could cover half of his face. 

“I wanted to talk to you last night. About that young boy.” 

A small sliver of panic slid into his heart. Was he going to get scolded because of this boy again? 

“Your father was hard on you, and I am sorry I allowed it to happen. I want you to be able to chose your own people and follow your heart. That is how you rule a kingdom Arthur. I think sometimes your father forgets that.” 

She had begun fiddling with her hands on top of his bed sheet. She didn’t even make any eye contact. 

“Why is he so cold sometimes mother?” 

Arthur couldn’t believe he had let the words past his lips. Surely his mother wasn’t going to be happy to hear him talk of his father this way. He should apologise. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to speak out of turn.” 

“Oh no Art heart, you can never speak out of turn with me. I’m your mother.” 

Another moment of silence passed and Arthur was seriously considering apologising again. But then his mother began. 

“Your father can be tough, I know he can probably better than you. I do believe that he is a good man, he just has a temper that he hasn’t been able to check since I first met him. His heart shall never go cold, for we keep it warm Arthur.” 

“Me and you?” 

She smiled brightly. 

“Yes Arthur. Just me and you.” 

She kissed his forehead softly before leaving him abandoned and sat up in bed. After a few moments of silence Arthur began to wonder whether the conversation had happened at all. 

—————————————————————

Arthur and his mother never spoke of their early morning conversation, or of the boy Merlin. He had decided to put the whole situation out of his mind and prove to his father that he could be a good prince. That was all that he wanted after all. 
Mother and Father were always busy during the day so he was handed off to this woman. She insisted that Arthur called her ‘nanny’ like he was a baby. He was six years old! They both really knew her name was Maggie. 

The only good thing about Maggie was that she’s blind as a bat. Shapes and colours shes great with but anything above that you better go ask someone else. 

Sometimes Arthur felt bad running from her, knowing that all she could do is shout after him, but he had things to do. Very important grown up things that Maggie couldn’t help him with.

This is why he now stood outside of Gaius’ chambers. He heard his father talk about wounded knights coming home last night before he ventured out into the darkness. Arthur wanted to help them in any way that he could. He was destined to be one when he was older in anyways. What better start than to show his father that he cares for Camelot's knights. 

People ran in and out, not seeing the young prince and almost knocking him  off his feet multiple times. It was only when He climbed onto the table to look at a fair haired young knight that anyone noticed him. 

Gaius waddled over the second he saw him staring at a gross looking wound. 

“Prince Arthur, you shouldn’t be in here. These fine young men are very unwell.” 

He reached up to help Arthur off of the table but Arthur didn’t take his hand. He was staying and that was that. 

“I want to help. Can I help?” 

Gaius sighed and crinkled his eyes down at him. 

“You could do a very special job for me Arthur. Although I am afraid it’s not going to be in my chambers.” 

Arthur was very skeptic. He had heard every ploy in the book to get him to leave before. He was not so easily tricked. 

“What is it?” 

Gaius turned from him and for a second Arthur thought he had forgotten their conversation. Then he turned back with an old looking book in his hands. 

Arthur stared down at the gently coloured picture of a flower. Its green stem curving into a peculiar yellow petal. 

“This flower lies just beyond Camelot’s gates. It is vital for the healing process this young man needs. It happens that I have just ran out. If you can find it for me and bring it back you would have saved this man’s life.” 

Arthur stared in amazement. 
“Really?”

”Yes my young prince. Now this is very important. Can I trust you with this?” 

Arthur didn’t think he had ever nodded his head so fast and so frequently in his entire life. 

Gaius laughed as he extended the book to Arthur, open on the page he needed. It was very heavy and to Arthur’s embarrassment he couldn’t lift it very high. Gaius took note of this and ripped out the page with the flower on it and handed it to him. 

“Why did you do that? What if I lose it?” 

“Arthur, I could draw that page with my eyes closed. Lose it or keep it forever, it does not matter to me. Now run along, this is an urgent matter.” 

Arthur did as he was told. Clutching the paper tightly on his way out. 

The good thing about being the prince of Camelot was that no one questioned where you were going unless they knew you were supposed to be somewhere else. All Arthur had to do was say that he was allowed to be out of the gates. The guards wouldn’t dare question him, otherwise Arthur would fight them. 

They let him out with a small shared smile that made Arthur want to scream. He wasn’t cute and he wasn’t small. He was a prince! 
He couldn’t way to see the look on Gaius’s face when he succeeded this quest. His father too. They would be so proud and never underestimate Arthur again. 

Gaius had said they were just outside the gates so he walked on the outskirts of the walls searching for the yellow flower. 
Having no luck he turned around and walked the opposite way. When he still couldn’t find it, Arthur started to get frustrated. How was he supposed to be a great prince if he couldn’t even find a stupid flower?

He stomped further into the wild grass to widen his search. It had only been a few minutes but Arthur was starting to feel hungry. He should have asked Gaius for food in exchange for his heroic efforts. 
Arthur decided to just search for food along side the flower. 

Then he decided to enter the forest as that’s where most things grew. He should’ve began his search there to begin with! It was so full of greenery and living things. Arthur wanted to climb every tree and chase every butterfly. Like the golden one that came up beside him, twinkling as if made by stardust. The more he saw, the more Arthur wanted to eat. There had to be some kind of crop or fruit that he could feast on around here. People were always going to the forest without food. They must’ve known that they can eat for free in here! 

In the midst of bushes, Arthur spotted a patch of small red berries. He has definitely eaten something similar in the castle! This must be where they got them from. He picked a few and watched as they stained his hands with a grimace. He should have brought gloves. The next time he comes here he was going to bring gloves, or maybe something to eat to start with. 

He sat down on a piece of fallen bark and was just about to tuck in when a shape came hurtling at him. The weight knocked him off of the log and the berries he had expertly picked flew out of his hands. He was in such a shock that it took him a moment to realise that the shape was a person and that then person was Merlin. 

“Mer-Lin! What are you doing?” 
He shoved the raven haired boy off of him and propped himself up. 

“Saving your life Arthur. Those berries you were about to eat are poisonous dollpohead!”

Arthur recoiled. Who did this boy think he was talking to him like that? Making up words to call him?

”I am not a dollophead! I don’t even know what that means” 

Merlin smirked. 

“How are you so sure you aren’t it if you don’t know what it means Prince?”

Arthur had had enough. He tackled the boy to the forest floor. 

“OW! Get off of me you oaf!” 

Merlin tried to push back at him but failed miserably. Then suddenly Arthur had lost a shoe and it was somehow hitting him in the head repeatedly. 
Magic. He knew it was. That was not allowed. 

“Hey! No magic allowed. That’s cheating.”

He stared down at Merlin who used his magic AGAIN to flop Arthur down beside him. 

“Should’ve declared the rules. It’s not my problem you’re a dollophead.” 

Arthur grunted in response as he lay there, trying to catch his breath. 

“What are you doing out here in anyways?” 

Arthur so no point in lying to Merlin so he told him the truth. 

“I’m on a mission to find this flower for Gaius!” 

He opened up his palm to show him the picture to realise that he had crumpled it during their scuffle. 

Arthur felt a wave of sadness wash over him. Gaius had ripped this out of his special book for him. He hadn’t found the flower and he had crinkled his page. 

Merkin stared at him for a moment which made Arthur feel increasingly awkward. Especially when he held his hand out for the page. 

When Arthur made no move to give him it he rolled his eyes…which were now GOLDEN. 

Arthurs heart rate shot up as he launched forward to look at them more closely. Merlin backed away carefully, nodding at the now pristine page that Arthur held in his hand. 

“It won’t ever crinkle again!” 

He stared at the page in awe as so many questions raced around his head. How had he done that? His eyes were golden? What did he mean it would never crinkle again? His eyes were Golden?

Merlin laughed freely at Arthur’s reaction, tilting his head up to the sky. 

“What are you doing out here Merlin?” 

He stopped laughing to answer him. 

“I wanted to explore! I’ve never been in these woods before” 

“Really?” 

”Yes. I’ve never been to Camelot either, mother always told me stories of it though. It is very strange being here.” 

Arthur found himself smiling. It was nice to hear someone speak of Camelot that hadn’t lived here their whole life. Refreshing. 

“I’m sorry my father was mean to you last night.” 

Merlin stared ahead blankly. 

“He wont be very happy if he knew you were here with me now, would he?” 

Arthur shook his head. His father would kill him. He was determined that he would never find out. 

“I wont tell him!” 
The words came shooting out of Arthur’s mouth louder and more eager than he had anticipated. Merlin jumped out of his skin and genuinely looked fearful. 

“Sorry. He just doesn’t have to know. My mother says I should make my own friends who I can trust.” 

He paused. 

“Can I trust you Merlin?”

“Of course!” 

“Then it’s settled. Me and you will be friends forever and my father never has to know you even exist.” 

A wide grin split Merlin’s features. 

“It’s settled.” 

He held out a hand towards Arthur. After a second and many inside battles, Arthur took his hand a shook on it. 

“Let’s find this flower you’ve been looking for and get back to Camelot then.” 

Arthur gasped. He had almost forgotten about the flower. It had been ages since he left Camelot now, The man could be dead! 

He hoisted Merlin off of the floor and did a panicked look around. It was starting to get dark. If he couldn’t find it in the light, how in the world was he supposed to find it in the dark! 

Merlin darted from his side and knelt down a few steps away from where Arthur was stood. 

“Merlin! What are you doing? we need to find this flower.” 

“I’m trying. Just give me a moment!” 

What did this buffoon mean ‘he was trying’ as far as Arthur knew there wasn’t any of these flowers in sight. Never mind in the pile of dirt he was observing. He really had picked the village idiot to be his friend hadn’t he? 

“Here!”

Merlin held out the exact flower Arthur had been searching for all day. 

“Where? What? I-“

”I grew it!”

Arthur decided then and there to not ask anymore questions and to just get to Gaius. 

Merlin understood and ran along side Arthur as he sprinted for the gates laughing. 

At the edge of the forest, Merlin pulled Arthur back. 

“What is it?” 
Merlin handed him the flower. 

“We can’t go in together Clotpole! Or have you forgotten?” 

Arthur stared. 

“You really are just making these up as you go along aren’t you?” 

Merlin laughed before pushing Arthur out onto the clearing where what looked like the entirety of Camelot was gathered. 

“Arthur!” 

Maggie grabbed him and hauled him back within the gates in seconds, shouting in his ear the entire way. 
He didn’t dare look back to see if Merlin was watching, especially when he saw his father waiting inside the gates. 

He bypassed his father and ran straight to Gaius who was standing just behind him. 

“I got it Gaius! I did it!” 

Gaius took the flower kindly and sent Arthur right back to his father without a word. 
He was probably off to save the man, Arthur thought. The man that would live because of him. 

“Arthur?” 

He turned around to face his father. His mother not in sight. They walked back up to Arthur’s chambers in silence. His father held his door open for him and slammed it shut behind him. 

“What were you doing in the woods all day? Gaius asked of you one single task that should’ve taken you just a moment.” 

Arthur knew he couldn’t say the real reason. 

“I couldn’t find it.”

His father shook his head. 

“I love you Arthur, but I have never been more disappointed in you. You are the prince of Camelot. You can not wonder into the forest alone. Actually, I am going to change that. You can not go into the forest ever.” 

Arthurs heart shattered. 

“But father!” 

“No Arthur. Now go to bed. You have made your mother very upset.” 

He stormed out of the room without a hug or a goodnight. Arthur felt tears well up into his eyes. He would not cry. Princes did not cry. 

Instead he walked to his bedside table and placed the preserved page into the top draw that locked. 
He had always wanted to put something in there and now he had. 

He locked the draw and slid the key onto one of his mothers chains that she had gifted him. Arthur clipped it around his neck as he slid into bed.
The key made him feel a bit better when the tears came. 

Chapter Text

The weather was terrible outside. It was also almost impossible to keep the wind out of their home. So there Merlin lay, on his makeshift bed, with no candles on and no warmth. Even with the wind, His mother was fast asleep. She had picked up a job farming the fields all day, most of the time she could barely keep her eyes open when she got home. 
Merlin had never told his mother of his high up best friend, or the trouble they get into all of the time. It didn’t seem worth it. It would only cause her more stress, and that was the last thing Merlin wanted to do. He prayed that she never found out that Arthur knew about Merlin’s magic, it would probably send her into and early grave. 

Merlin helped Gaius out in the daytime when he would let him. Gaius taught him of magic when he had nothing else better to do and even lent Merlin one of his old spell books to keep safe. Turns out Old Gaius had some tricks up his sleeves when he was younger. Merlin was learning things on the medical side too, especially with the colder weather coming in. 
As if Merlin had summoned it, another gust of wind came barrelling in and knocked over the candles Merlin had layer out. He quickly stopped them from hitting the floor with his magic, he didn’t want to wake his mother or anyone else. 

He set them down gently before upturning the large one that Merlin stole that fateful night, which was he had placed next to his bed where he could see it. When his Mother was up and out of the door before he woke and asleep when he got home, it reminded him that he always had someone else to turn to. 

Merlin tried to see Arthur as much as he could. They met a couple times a week, out in the woods where they first became friends. The pair always did it after dark when Arthur could sneak out of the castle and Merlin’s mother was asleep. 

There have been a few times when Merlin has spotted Arthur during his lessons in the courtyard or Arthur has seen Merlin go into Gaius’ chambers and they have had to act neutral. Sometimes it hurts, as Arthur has to pass his eyes over Merlin like he would any other commoner. He wouldn’t be able to manage it if Arthur didn’t tackle him to the floor laughing the next time he saw him.

Other times it was easy. 
Merlin and Gaius once watched Arthur successfully do a parry that he’s struggled with since he started training. Arthur had seen him come in and the second he did it, their eyes met in a shared look of triumph. 
It was that look that he held onto now, when he swore that his fingers were turning blue. 

—————————————————————

By the time morning arrived, the wind was even worse. Merlin would have loved to have stayed inside like everyone else seemed to be doing but Gaius was expecting him today to help with anyone who has been hurt in the storm. 

First, he begged his own mother not to go outside and that she could take a day off but her stubbornness prevailed. Merlin knew she was worried about money, he thought about it all of the time. It was the thing that always divided him and Arthur, magic or no magic. 
He hated it, but really there wasn’t anything he could do besides keep his head down. 

Merlin knew that Arthur steered clear of the conversation. It’s not that it was awkward, it’s just that when they were together they always had more exciting stuff to do than discuss money. Merlin didn’t want Arthur to think less of him. 

He hoped that at least Arthur had the sense to stay inside today, it would just be his luck to get blown away. 

Merlin took a few deep breaths before pushing his way out of the hut. The first wave of wind pushed him right back into his home and Merlin just knew this was going to be a long day.

The streets really were cleared, Merlin had never seen it this empty. He would have loved to enjoy it but he was too busy trying to not fall over. He sprinted the last few feet as what felt like buckets of rain started to drop. A servant chuckled at him as he walked past Merlin who must’ve looked like a wet dog. He wasn’t surprised at this but it was still really rude. Merlin would have went over there and have him a piece of his mind but Gaius was waiting… and that man was probably five times the size of him. 

He tried to dry himself as much as he could on the short walk to the physicians chambers; running a hand through his too long hair and scrunching out his shirt. 

Gaius had offered to cut Merlin’s hair for months now but he kind of liked its mess and apparently so did Arthur with the amount of times he pulled and ruffled it. Also Merlin feared that letting Gaius near him with with anything sharp would be the last thing he ever did.  
Speaking of the crazy old man, his chambers were packed with sniffling and coughing people. Merlin resisted the urge to pull his coat over his face.

Gaius saw him looking lost and made his way over. 

“This storm had better end soon Merlin,  we’re running out of supplies. I don’t know how much longer I can keep recommending rest as a treatment.” 

Merlin grimaced, rest would help but from what Gaius had told him they needed the strange green herbal remedy that Merlin could never remember the name of. He was trying his best, really. 

“It’s showing no signs of letting up, look at me!” 
He gestured to his body which was still dripping from the sudden pour. 

Gaius let out a chuckle. “Yes I can see that.” 

Merlin was not impressed and he hoped that his face said as much. 

“What can I do?”

The physician just shook his head. If there was nothing he could do, Merlin wasn’t going to be able to help. 

“I suggest you go home Merlin. From what I’ve heard the crops are failing, your mother should be home.” 

His heart dropped. He and his mother relied on those crops for food. 

“What’s happened? Why have they failed?” 

Gaius gestured to Merlin once again. 

“Do you really think anything can grow in this?” 

It was like alarm bells going off in his head. If the crops were failing, then his mother would have no work and if his mother wasn’t working then they would have no money to buy any food that comes from the crops. What were they going to do? 

Without a further word to Gaius, Merlin ran out of his chambers and into the storm again. He needed to speak to his mother, she would know what to do. At least he hoped she did.

He weaved in and out of the discarded fray that was the streets of Camelot today. He learned very quickly that if he kept his head down and ran as quick as he could, the wind didn’t push him as much. He may look like a fool but at least he was getting somewhere. 

Luckily for Merlin he didn’t even have to get all of the way home as he ran smack bang into his mother chest a few seconds later. 

“Merlin! There you are.”

His feet slid on the mud and only his mother’s steady hands stopped Merlin from falling. 

“Everyone’s been ordered to go home and stay inside. I was just coming to get you from Gaius’.”
He could barely hear his mother over the roar of the wind but a few years of having silent conversations across a room with Arthur gave him the ability to lip read pretty well. 

Merlin nodded in response just for their sake to get them out of this bloody weather. 

His mother practically dragged Merlin back into their hut where they dropped to the floor with backs to the window. He held his mother’s hand and tried not to wince whenever he heard thunder crack. 

They stayed like this in silence until night fell, that’s when his mother finally spoke. 

“Birdie?” 

He glanced up at his mother.

”Food… food is going to be scarce for a little while my love.” 

Merlin squeezed her hand tighter than he ever had before. 

“It’s okay ma, I know.” 

He turned away when her eyes started to fill and pretended that his weren’t doing the same. 

Mother wasn’t so talkative after that. She was soon asleep slumped against the wall so Merlin crept over to her bed and snatched the blanket to wrap around her. 

He was a good son. He was a good son. He. Was. A. Good. Son. 

The mantra soothed his beating heart a little bit but deep inside he knew that there was nothing more he could do for his mother.

Merlin urged to talk to someone about what he was feeling. Mother always said it was best to not keep things bottled up, but she was asleep and Gaius wouldn’t understand. He knew who he really wanted to talk to but he couldn’t, They didn’t plan to meet up today.
His heart started to race again. He didn’t want prince Arthur to think he was some lowly peasant who couldn’t afford to eat. Merlin just wanted to speak to his Arthur, the one who called him a prat, wrestled with him in the woods and wasn’t afraid of him. 

Oh Merlin was definitely going to do this he hated himself for it. 

The wind wasn’t so bad when he stepped outside of his house for what was hopefully the last time today. It didn’t really matter that the storm seemed to have subsided, the crops were still ruined and his mother was still out of work. They wouldn’t get things growing again for weeks. Merlin’s stomach growled, that was a long time to go without food. 

The revelation propelled him towards the castle and into the courtyard. Merlin knew the the royal household resided on the west wing of the castle because Gaius had mentioned it one time. He wasn’t really listening but he was glad that he was able to retain this one piece of information as it had come in handy after all.

He went to run out but quickly slid himself back into the shadows when a pair of guards walked past and stopped in front of where he needed to be. Bloody typical. Merlin then searched his surroundings for some kind of distraction and found himself smiling when his eyes set upon a barrel. He tried not to laugh when they went angrily chasing after it but allowed himself a small snort when they were out of range. Then it was time for business. He had collect a few stones on his way to the castle but found some smaller, less likely to break a window ones, under his feet. 

Up above Merlin had a choice of three windows that could be Arthur’s. Anxiously he thought it was best to try all of them just in case. Pebble in hand, he threw it upwards and then watch embarrassingly as it fell back towards the ground. He tried again and had to comfort his pride before he lost it all by using his magic to toss it into the air. He smacked it against the window four times before moving onto the middle window. He tossed it up and waited to hear it call yet to the floor or connect with the window. It did neither. He looked up to find Arthur Pendragon stood with his window open and pebble in hand. 

“I could’ve stopped you at the first pebble but it was a lot funnier watching you try and throw something” He whisper  shouted out of the window. 

This clotpole. Watching him struggle and probably laughing his head off. Ooh when he gets himself down here Merlin was going to give him a thorough telling off. 

“Will you come down Arthur?” Merlin replied in the same tone. 

“I shouldn’t Merlin. Guards are going to walk past any second and my parents haven’t come upstairs yet. If they don’t find me here an alarm bell will be sounded which wakes up the entire city!” 

Merlins heart sank. What was he doing here? He was just going to get him and Arthur into trouble. Who did he think he was strolling up to the castle and asking the prince of Camelot to come down to see him. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Arthur frowned at him from the window. 

“What’s wrong Merlin?” 

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter, I’m going to go home. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” 

He turned around and began walking away. 

“Wait!”

He kept going. That was until a candle smacked him in the head. 

“I said wait you prat!”

Merlin rubbed his head and picked up the candle from the floor. It wasn’t unlike the one he had stolen. 

He looked back up at the window to find Arthur not there. The stupid boy had come after him. 

Just then Arthur came barrelling through the castle doors. 

“Merlin! You’ve just made me run down three flights of stairs.” 

He glanced at him. 

“You didn’t have to come down.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes before gesturing to the candle. 

“Stealing another Candle are we?”

Merlin offered it out to the prince. 

“Keep it, I have too many.” 

Merlin nodded and pulled it closer to his chest. 

A silence hung over them as Merlin waited for Arthur to say something and Arthur waited for Merlin to say something. Eventually it was Merlin who spoke. 

“Can we go to the woods like usual? I want to speak to you.” 

Arthur nodded as he took one last look at the castle before following Merlin out of the courtyard. Neither of them spoke any further before they had gotten to their spot. 

“My mother lost her job today.” 

Arthur’s face fell. “No Merls, that can’t be right. What happened?”

Merlin pointed at the sky. “The weather. Lots of people have lost their job or their source of food.” 

Arthur paused. 

“What Category do you fall into?” 
“Both.” 

Arthur then paced and paced while Merlin stared at him from a log. 

“Do you have any money squirrelled away?” 

A part of Merlin wanted to snap and him and say no Arthur, they didn’t. Every single penny was used up to put food on the table. But he didn’t, he knew Arthur was just trying to help. 
Instead he said, “No.” 

Arthur quit his pacing and sat next to Merlin. 

“Are you hungry Merlin?” 

He nodded his head. “We all are.” 

“Is it… is it always like this?” 

“You get used to the constant hunger I suppose, so it’s not that bad.” 

Arthur stared at him as if he had something on his face. 

“How long has it been since you’ve had a proper meal Merlin?” 

He counted in his head. 

“A few days. Three maybe four, moneys been tight.” 

He shook his head largely. 

“Why didn’t you say something to me Merlin. I sit up there in that castle of money and you’re out here starving.” 

“I didn’t want to burden you with it. I thought you knew.” 

“No Merlin. I did not know.” Arthur’s voice was hearse. 

“Never again. You will never go hungry again.” 

It was a nice sentiment. 

“Art—No Merlin!” 

“I won’t stand for it any longer.” 

He rested his hand on Merlin’s shoulder before he did something bold and put his hand on his waist. 

“Your skin and bones Merlin! How could I not notice? All of those times I’ve knocked you to the floor, how didn’t I notice you didn’t weigh more than a few bags of flour at best?” 

Merlin wouldn’t have it anymore. 

“It is not your fault Arthur. There isn’t anything you can do.” 

“Oh yes there is!” 

Merlin knew that look in the boys eye. He had seen it all before with him. 

“Arthur no. That is final.” 

He got up and walked on. 
“I’m the one who makes the rules around here Merlin, not you. Now come on.” 

All Merlin could do was follow. 

Chapter Text

“Arthur.” 

He stayed silent. 

“Arthur!” 

Would this boy ever just stay quiet and let Arthur try and fix this? 

“Arthur!” 
The answered seemed to be no. 

“Oh my Lord! Yes Merlin?” 

He ran a hand over his face as the small raven haired boy chased after him. 

“Where are you going!” 

Arthur sighed. He thought he had made himself very clear. He was going to get Merlin some food, for his mother too. He wanted to fix this, he needed to. 

“We’re going back to the castle to get you some food to take home Merlin, try and keep up will you?” 

He grabbed him by the elbow and pushed him forwards so that he matched Arthur’s speed. 
It was going well until Merlin wormed his way out of Arthur’s grip.

”No! We are not Arthur. You can not take food from the castle to give to me. I forbid it.” 

Arthur chuckled. He would do what he wanted thanks very much. Now if Merlin wouldn’t walk he would have to be carried like the damsel in distress he was. 

“Come here.” 

Arthur charge into Merlin’s legs and allowed him to think that he was going to  knock him over. Not this time. Just before he started to fall Arthur pushed him over his shoulder. 

“Arthur! Hey Clotpole! Let me down now!” 

He kicked and screamed with no avail as Arthur carried on with his journey. Arthur knew that he wouldn’t dare use magic on him, he had made a promise. Arthur’s mother had almost been killed by invading sorcerers last year. After Arthur told him what happened he promised to never use his magic unless it was for something good. That meant that he couldn’t use it to fight Arthur, even if it was just jest. 

After about ten minutes Merlin calmed down having accepted defeat. Every now and then Arthur had to adjust Merlin on his shoulder. It’s not that he was heavy, he was anything but. Merlin was bony and that statement was what kept him going. 

Only when they reached the courtyard did Arthur place Merlin back onto the ground. 

“Do that again and I’ll tell Gaius” 

Arthur couldn’t hold in his cackle. 

“I’m shaking in my boots Merlin.” 

He shook his knees and pretended to back away. Merlin clipped him on the back of the head until he stopped. 

“Ow! Alright!” 

Merlin crossed his hands over his chest, happy with the result. 

Arthur pointed at him while rubbing his head. 

“You’re lucky you’re my friend Merlin. Now stay here and watch for me at my window.” 

Before Merlin could even respond, Arthur was gone. 

He crept past a few of the guards but eventually had to tell some that he was hungry and was going to the kitchens. Half of it was true, he was going to the kitchens but it wasn’t him that was hungry. 

Thankfully, it was late enough for the kitchens to be empty. Lots of cooks stay after hours to prepare food for the next day and as Arthur stepped in he realised that they had done more than that. They had organised a feast.

Surely no one would notice if Arthur took a few things? Every surface was packed with food. He did a quick survey of the room before piling a few things onto a small plate. Pastries, a slab of meat, a bunch of grapes and few vegetables. 

Arthur had took enough for it to fill them both but not too much that it was obvious. Even if he was found out, he was the prince of Camelot no harm would come by him. 

The food lie was a lot more believable with a plate in his hands and he managed to get to his room with no qualms. He quickly opened his window and waved to Merlin to let him know he was still there. The boy looked largely out of place in the empty courtyard. Arthur decided to cheer him up with a bit of tomfoolery. He got Merlin’s attention, waved goodbye and then pretended to go down a flight of stairs by slowly getting lower and lower to the floor. 

He could hear Merlin’s snickers from down below immediately. He loved to make Merlin laugh. 

After a few flights of stairs he decided it was probably time to try and get the food down to him. Now, here came the end of Arthur’s plan. He hadn’t thought father than this and now he was paying for it. How was he going to get this plate of food all the way down there?

Rope. He needed rope. A quick check around his room led him to the closest thing he had to rope. His curtain ties. 

Arthur unthreaded them quickly before turning back to the plate. This wasn’t going to work. The food would spill everywhere as he lowered it down. He needed a better way of transporting it. Then his eyes caught on his laundry basket. Yes. That was perfect. 

He dumped out the clothes that were in it and placed the plate into the centre. He then tied his curtain ties through the handles and held it up. It didn’t fall. 

He ran to the window and started lowering it down. He got about halfway when he realised that there was no more length to be given. 

“Can you reach it Merlin?” 

He once again could hear Merlin’s laughter. 

“I wish.” 

With a groan he pulled the basket back up and turned to his room again. Bedsheets, yes they were perfect. 

He was about to start tying when he heard another shout from below. 

“Don’t undo what you’ve already done, just add something onto it.” 

Well done Genius. 

“Yes Merlin, I gathered that.” 

He mimicked what Arthur said. 

Arthur let himself smile knowing that Merlin wouldn’t be able to see it.

He got to work tying a scrunched up bed sheet on the end of the curtain tie before sticking it out of the window again. 

“You got it?” 

“Just a little bit lower.” 

“Merlin!” 

“What?” 

“I can’t go any lower!”

”Oh well. Don’t drop it then”

”I wan’t going to— Arthur?”

Arthur did very much almost drop it. Stood at his bedroom door was his mother. A small smile on her face. 

“That’s no way to talk to someone, I’m sure he’s trying his best.” 
Is this what dying felt like? It must be. 

“Arthur? You there?”

He allowed Merlin a small shush before he turned back to his mother. 

“Hello mother? I’m just er… airing out my laundry.” 

He said it loud enough so that both Merlin and his mother could see it. His mother smirked and walked past him and looked out of the window. 

“Hello Laundry” 

Arthur could smell Merlin’s panic from here. 

“Erm hello” 

She laughed and managed to lower down the basket far enough for Merlin to grab it.

”It was lovely seeing you again Merlin but I suggest you take this and go home now. It’s late.” 

He nodded and ran away with the basket. 

She didn’t say anything to Arthur as she reeled in his makeshift rope. Or when she untied it all and made his room look normal again. 

Arthur realised she was never going to say anything when she kissed his forehead and made her way to the door. 
He couldn’t have that.

”Mother?”

She stoped at the doorway.

”Are you going to tell father?” 

A small smile played on her lips. 

“No my love, I am not.”

She shut the door behind her without another word. Alls well that ends well? Arthur asked himself. All he got back was a huff and a move to get into bed. 

It would all be fine. Merlin and his mother were fed. His mother wasn’t going to tell his father and he was in bed now. 

He just hoped that Merlin trusted his Mother too. 

Chapter Text

“Stand up straight Arthur, we need to make a good impression. These people are very important allies.” 

Arthur did what his father said and straightened his back even more. He knew how important this meeting was for his family, he could not disappoint them. 

They stood on the courtyard steps as the horses pulled up. Arthur’s father gripped him on the shoulder as he descended to greet them with Mother. Arthur on the other hand was under strict orders to not speak unless spoken too. It was probably for the best, he didn’t know what he would say in anyways. 

Arthur observed the chatter and the laughter from the steps. They had a son around Arthur’s age and he knew it wouldn’t be long before they were pushed together. 

As if reading his mind, father led the young boy over to Arthur. 

“Now Kain, this is my son Arthur. He likes swordplay too. I’m sure he would love to show you around the castle and train with you while your parents join us for a meal.” 

Uther patted him on the back and turned to walk his parents up the steps. Arthur didn’t meet the boys eyes until Kain stuck his hand out for Arthur to shake. 

He stared at it in subtle horror. He did not want to shake this boys hand. Arthur’s eyes then caught on his mother who was watching the interaction intently. She nodded her head towards Kain as if to tell him to shake it. He did not. He turned his attention back to Kain who had dropped the hand realising Arthur had no intention of taking. 

Arthur felt horrible. His parents needed this to go well and he couldn’t even do something as normal as shaking someone’s hand. 

In an attempt to salvage the situation he smiled at Kain. He did not get a smile back. 

“Arthur? Can I speak to you for a second. I want your opinion on something.” 

It was his mother. Their parents had reached the top of the steps and were now staring at them. Arthur took the escape before it was his father wanting to talk to him. 

“Of course Mother.” 

They moved to the side as Kain and his parents as well as Arthur’s father made their way inside. It was only when his mother was sure they were gone did she speak. 

“Arthur. I know you don’t like shaking peoples hands or hugs. I get it but you need to think of an alternative because it just looks rude.” 

He sighed and began playing with the chain around his neck that still held the key to his drawer. His mother eyed it before she spoke again. 

“Can I ask you something Arthur?”

He nodded. 

“Is Merlin allowed to touch you?”

He dropped the chain from his fingers. He didn’t even need to pretend to think because he knew that they both knew the answer to this. He bowed his head.

”Yes.”

She smiled at his secrecy. 

“Just for today, can you pretend that this boy is Merlin?” 

Arthur knew his face has scrunched up because his mother let out a laugh. 

“No mother. I cannot just pretend he’s Merlin!”

“And why not?”

Arthur started spluttering which left his mother in another fit of laughter. 

“Alright, alright. Just pretend I never said that. Can you image he’s friends with Merlin then?” 

It was Arthur’s turn to be confused. 

“But Merlin has no friends?” 

His mother groaned into her hands. 

“Just please Arthur. For our sakes pretend he does.”

He nodded begrudgingly. 

“Thank you Arthur. Now let’s go catch up with the others.” 

—————————————————————

They were ten minutes into this supposed castle tour and Kain had seemingly asked twenty questions. That’s  two questions per minute!

Arthur, like the good prince he was answered every single one of them with honestly and factual knowledge. 

He must’ve been playing with his key again because the next question was…

”What does that open?”

Arthur almost jumped out of his skin. He put the ring back under his shirt and out of eyesight. 

“A drawer in my room, nothing special.” 

He wished he had never said it as it opened a can of worms. 

“Can I see your room?” 

What could Arthur do? He had to say yes. Just the thought of someone he didn’t know going into his personal space sent shivers down his arms, but he had already messed up once today because of his own personal grievances. He wouldn’t again. 

“Of course. It’s er this way.”

Kain followed very closely to Arthur, it was beyond annoying. If he so much as slowed his steps by a beat the boy barely stopped himself from slamming into Arthur’s back. Arthur was sure he knew exactly what he was doing and that this was to try and knock his focus. 

At least they would be sparring soon, Arthur couldn’t wait to show Kain just how difficult he could be. 

Once they had climbed the final set of stairs and started to make their way down the last hallway, Arthur really began to dread his decision. 

Alas it was too late as they now stood outside of his bedchambers. Kain stood expectantly to his right, leering over his shoulder as his hands unsteadily reached for the door handle. He took a deep breath and opened it in a large sweep. 

Light was dancing in through the windows and cast itself on Arthur bed. Without even allowing Arthur to get through the door, Kain let himself in. 

No words came out of Arthur’s mouth as Kain sauntered around the place, looking through the windows and touching everything. 

Eventually Arthur stepped through the fresh hold and sat on the side of his bed, waiting for him to be done. Just after Arthur thought this might be the end of it, the boy started asking questions again. 

“This is nice? Did you do this?”

He had picked up a painted candle that Merlin had given Arthur for his birthday two years ago. Its natural colour was cream but apparently he had crushed up flower petals and water to make some kind of paint. So now it had flowers and stars and ocean waves drawn onto it. Arthur had never lit it incase it ruined it. 

“No it was a er friends” 

Kain flashed him a mischievous grin which implied he thought it was something else. Arthur rolled his eyes as Kain turned around to set it back onto the windowsill. 

The original idea of the candle was that if Merlin could see it from Arthur’s window then he was available and if not then he was off somewhere. Merlin also wanted him to move it if he was in bed but Arthur never did. 

“Where do you keep your swords and stuff?” 

Arthur jumped at the chance to get him out of his room. 

“It’s all in the armoury. Would you like to see it? Perhaps we can train?” 

“Yes I would.” 

The knights (juniors) were already on the fields training going over different moves. Sometimes they had actual Knights of Camelot teach them and others they just went off of Arthur’s word. This was one of those days. Arthur had been training for about three years now and was pretty good with a sword. He was still a ‘boy’ unfortunately so never got to do anything useful with it. He was allowed to hunt though, but was still getting the hang of it. 

The young nobles stopped what they were doing when they saw Arthur and Kahn step out onto the courtyard. 

“Morning sire.” 

“Morning Donwald. Will you show Kain here where he can find some armour. Mines just over to the side there.” 

The young man nodded and led Kain away. Arthur was without him finally. He walked over to where his Armour had been placed as well as his sword. His friend Leon came to help him put it on. 

“Who is that boy?” 

Arthur had known Leon for years. He was a couple years older than Arthur but didn’t decide to be a knight immediacy so they were on the same kind of level. He was also the first person he told Merlin about when asked about his friends. Merlin had went on and on about this Will character from his village so Arthur piped in about Leon. 

“A son of King Oswald. Strange boy. Very curious.” 

Leon laughed but quickly silenced himself as said strange boy sauntered up to them having found the armoury.

“Hello gentlemen. Are we sparring some time today or what?”

Leon tapped me on the shoulder to signal that he was done. 

“Actually today Kain we’re just doing some technique practice.” 

He twisted his face like I had just impaled his mother. 

“Really? What’s the fun in that.”

Leon gave me a smile and left me to deal with this and I absolutely hate him for it. 

“It’s the only way to get better. It can be fun too, we’re doing target practice today.” 

Kain rolled his eyes when he thought I wasn’t looking. I nodded at him with a smile before going to start up practice again. He could join if he wanted to and if not even better. 

Arthur shot straight bullseyes and celebrated with his friends when they did too. It was what he liked about knighthood. The brotherhood. He had once asked Merlin that if he was of noble blood would he become a knight and he said something about jumping off the nearest cliff. Arthur didn’t understand that. Maybe it was just how he was raised. His father had always said that a good man was made in battle. 

Kain stepped up to shoot and he was alright. Better than alright actually, he was really good. It was after a few of his shots that Arthur took a quick trip to the armoury to get more arrows. It was easier than constantly going to retrieve the same six. 

He left the armoury with the arrows in hand to see that Kain had gotten some poor boy to hold the target and run around. Leon was yelling at him but he kept on shooting. Arthur could hear his laughter from here as the boy scrambled to stay upright. 

This wasn’t right and Arthur was going to hurt him very badly when he got a hold of him. The boy then fell over and the target circle went rolling to the side. It wasn’t until he saw whose foot stopped Kain from picking it up again that Arthur began to run. 

Merlin stood over Kain, just taller than him. He was now in range to hear what they were saying. 

“I think you’ve had your fun my friend. Leave him alone now.” 

Kain laughed in his face. 

“Do I know you?”

Merlin shook his head. 

“Then we aren’t friends then.” 

Merlin smiled and Arthur knew it was all over. 

“Thank goodness. I could never be friends with such an arse!” 

“Do you not know who I am? You need to learn your place peasant or shall I put you in it?”

“Go right ahead, do me the honours.” 

Kain unsheathed his sword and pulled off a glove to drop in front of Merlin. The second it hit the floor Arthur felt his heart stop. Before he knew it he was pulling Merlin back and holding his sword out in front of him. 

“Arthur?”

He shushed Merlin who groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. 

“Do you want to pick the glove up Kain?”

He looked from Arthur to Merlin and shook his head. 

“I believe I challenged the boy, not you.” 

Arthur never took his eyes off of his face. 

“Go home Merlin.” 
His laughter erupted behind him. 

“And miss this, you’re joking?”

Arthur sighed and nodded his head to the side which Merlin at least moved too. 

“I’m stepping in for him. He’s of a simple mind.”

He heard Merlin scoff from the side as he held his sword out long and steady. 

“Firstly, you bully my people and make them run around after you. Secondly, you threaten an innocent boy who you know is not a knight and has no way of defending himself.” 

Kain smiled. 

“He deserved it. Cocky little bastard.” 

Arthur lowered his sword and grabbed the front of Kains chainmail. 

“Speak of him or anyone in Camelot like that again and I will have your tongue.” 

He pressed his sword up to his stomach just for good measure. 

“Arthur, your fathers coming.” 

It was Merlin speaking to him, ripping him and Kain apart. Arthur glanced over his shoulder to see his father approaching. It was the angriest he had ever seen him. 

He looked at Merlin who mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ at him.

Arthur was so screwed. 

Chapter Text

Merlin had just finished up his work with Gaius for the day and was headed outside. They had covered poisons today and had a look at Merlin’s control over his magic. The poison bit was easy but Merlin couldn’t say the same about his control. 

He stepped out onto the courtyard expecting to see Arthur laughing with his ‘brothers in arms’ or whatever but instead he only saw one boy laughing. He had gotten one of the farmers sons and forced him to run around with a wooden target. The laughing boy was shooting at it manically and Merlin could only see Leon trying to stop him. Merlin had never met Leon but from what Arthur said he was a lovely chap. 
One question still puzzled Merlin. Where was Arthur? 

He waited a few more seconds to see how he could step in when an opportunity sprang forth. The young farmers boy fell flat and the target went rolling right up to Merlin’s feet. He put his foot on it as the knight in training reached for it. 

“I think you’ve had your fun my friend. Leave him alone now.” 

The dark haired knight smirked at him. 

“Do I know you?” 

What kind of stupid question was that? Of course they don’t know each other. Had this boy been hit on the head? 

“Then we’re not friends then.” 

This little—

“Thank Goodness. I could never be friends with such an arse!”

He watched as what he said landed on the boy. 

“Do you not know who I am? You need to learn your place pleasant, or shall I put you in it?” 

Well someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning didn’t they? 

“Go ahead, Do me the honours.” 

Now you must know it was entirely Merlin’s fault for what happens in the next series of events and Merlin felt extremely guilty for it. 

The boy pulled out his sword and threw down a glove. Arthur had told him what this meant years ago. A duel. Challengers rule. He was going to kill him. 

Just as Merlin contemplated what to do Arthur bloody Pendragon pushed him out of the way, sword in hand. 

Now how was he going to tell him that he couldn’t fight this boy? Merlin could fight him but the prince? Fight another knight on behalf of a peasant? That was unheard of. 

“Arthur?”

”Shhhh”

He gestured towards him and groaned. How was this always his luck? It did also hit Merlin there that he called him Arthur, not sire or my Lord or Prince Arthur. No he called him Arthur in front of everyone. He just hoped no one noticed. 

Arthur then went on to try and intimidate this boy who was apparently called Kain. A stupid name really, like rain but with a K. 

Then as Merlin looked past the situation he saw the king or most importantly Arthur’s father approaching and fast. He looked back to Arthur to see that he had grabbed Kain and was poking him in the stomach with a sword. Oh Good grief. 

Merlin rushed over and pulled the boys apart with whatever strength he had. 

“Arthur, your fathers coming.” 

He watched painfully as the sight of him dawned on Arthur. Arthur was in so much trouble and it was all his fault, again. What could Merlin do? He was only a peasant boy. He told Arthur he was sorry and watched as Uther dragged him away whispering atrocities in his ear. 

Kain trailed behind them, his own father yelling for him from the steps. He looked to Leon for answers but he shook his head. It was a dismissal and Merlin knew it was. He didn’t move until Arthur was out of sight and then he began to take the long way home. 

His mother still worked in the fields so they had an okay income. Even with this at hand Arthur still gave him whatever food he could manage to carry out into the woods whenever they met. They were supposed to meet tonight but Merlin was unsure whether Arthur would show. Merlin would still go, and he would wait. For how long, no one knows. 

—————————————————————

It was well into the night when Arthur did show up at their spot.

”Merlin? You here?”

”Yes.”

He pulled back the branch and smiled when he set eyes on him. 

“I’m sorry I’m late. My father wasn’t best pleased, as you can probably guess.” 

Merlin smiled back but really all he wanted to do was apologise over and over for what happened. 

“Thank you. For what you did today Arthur. Although it wasn’t necessary and got you into a loaf of trouble, it was nice of you.” 

Arthur turned to him. 

“Not necessary? He was going to beat you to a pulp! I can’t exactly be friends with someone smeared on the ground now can I?”

Merlin rolled his eyes and nudged Arthur’s arm. Now Merlin doesn’t know it yet but he will often reflect on this exact moment in time for years to come. 

Arthur winced in pain when their arms collided. Merlin’s eyebrow shot right up but before he could try and apologise again Arthur interrupted it. 

“Practice. Don’t worry about it.” 

Merlin would have loved to have believed him. He really would’ve, but he didn’t. Merlin had a suspicion of exactly where this injury came from, and yet he said nothing. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it and who knows? Maybe Arthur could be telling the truth. 

Arthurs fingers found his key necklace and twirled it around as they danced around the conversation. Merlin knew it was where Arthur kept the things Merlin gave him, like the book page or the pebble that he accidentally left in Arthur’s laundry basket when he returned it. 

He liked to think of it as Arthur’s version of his candle collection. Subtle yet strong. Arthur had made it a tradition to give Merlin a candle every year on his birthday. Sometimes they were wrapped in cloth for clothes, others came with letters and last years had Merlin’s name engraved on the bottom where no one else could see. The original candle, Merlin painted it and gave it to Arthur so it would have some use. 

“How’s your mother? Does she know I had to play save the peasant boy today?”

His mother did in fact not and he hoped she never would. 

“Err no and let’s keep it that way.”

Arthur cackled and it made Merlin feel happy too. 

“Oh Merlin, I almost forgot. The reason I was late was my father wanted me to meet his new ward. Her names Morgana or something like that? Her father died in battle and my father offered to take her. A debt to be paid or something.” 

Merlin stared in shock. 

“Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”

Arthur hesitated. 

“I’m not really sure yet. A part of me thinks this is just his way of showing me that he has another option. That I’m inferior. On the other hand it might be nice to have someone on my side for once, maybe she could be that for me.” 

“You do know I’m on your side Arthur?”

”Yes Mer-lin you better be but you can’t exactly stand against my father can you?”

He looked down. Even though Arthur’s mother knew about their friendship, Merlin still never visited the castle. Except for Gaius’ chambers of course. 

“I wish I could. One day I will.” 

Arthur sighed softly and flashed a smile his way. 

“I know you will. Oh mighty sorcerer Merlin.” 

“Yep. Learn the name Arthur, it’ll be all you’ll hear soon.” 

He laughed openly before swatting at Merlin. Then, as if he was a King, Arthur stood on top of the log and spoke like he was addressing a crowd. 

“And I am the mighty King Arthur Pendragon! Enemies quiver before me and my sidekick sorcerer Merlin!” 

Merlin joined Arthur in his position and purposefully stood in front of him. 

“My foes run from just a look in my eyes as my deputy Arthur stands there and looks pretty.” 

Arthur pushed him off the log. 

“My destiny can only be fulfilled by the side of MY deputy, the small sorcerer Merlin who I take pity on! What a tragedy that he fell off a cliff and died yesterday…” 

“Arthur?”

”Sometimes I can still hear him whisper, Arthur, go forth and finish your destiny.”

No one stood on the log now.  

“You are so stupid.” 

Arthur bowed. 

“Thank you, I do try.” 

A bird hooted and they both looked up at the sky. The moon had just went past the big oak tree. The sign that it was was actually past the time they should head home. The oak tree was just a time stamp, not a curfew. They went past it all of the time but they both decided that they had had enough for today and began walking back through the woods together. 

“I have to show Morgana around tomorrow, are you going to be at Gaius’?”

Merlin nodded, he was. 

“I’ll take her there and you can let me know what you think tomorrow night.” 

“Alright, I’ll do my best.” 

They reached the clearing and kept their heads down as they stepped out onto it. They had never been caught yet but it would only take once. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Merlin, look after yourself.” 

“You too Arthur. Try not to do anything stupid while I’m gone.” 

He shook his head and left the other way from Merlin. 

As he got further… and further away, the empty feeling inside of Merlin got bigger…and bigger.

—————————————————————

Merlin was sure he had looked at the door at least five times in the last minute or two. Gaius was rambling on about some leaf of a plant, Merlin supposed he wasn’t being too interesting either as he was obsessing over a door. 

“Merlin? Are you listening?” 

He snapped his head back towards the old man and put on a smile. 

“You are so out of it today Merlin, are you alright?” 

Yes Gaius, he was very well. 

“I’m alright Gaius, you worry too much.” 

He hummed, raising an eyebrow at Merlin. 

Merlin was about to go into a further defence when the door banged open. He winced at the noise it made and suppressed his laughter. 

“Sorry to disturb Gaius, I just wanted to show my fathers ward Morgana around.”

Gaius turned first, Merlin stayed facing the other way feeling Arthur’s eyes burn into his back. 

“Yes Uther told me about you just last night. May I offer my condolences for your father, I had treated him many times over the years and he has never been anything but kind hearted.” 

Merlin peeked over his shoulder to get a look at the girl. She was small and had long dark hair that fell over her shoulder. Morgana held herself tall despite her size and had the confidence to extend a hand out to Gaius. 

“Thank you Gaius, I’m sure you are an excellent physician.” 

He encompassed her hands with his.

”You are too kind my lady.”

Merlin made eye contact with Arthur and acted out horror at the sight of it. Arthur pressed his lips together so tight you could no longer see the colour. It was when Morgana turned to face Arthur, Gaius in hand did he lose control. 

Merlin heard the first second of laughter and quickly turned himself around so no one could see his. 

“What’s so funny Arthur?” 

Gaius enquired. This just made Arthur laugh even harder. Merlin was silent and still. The only sign of Merlin’s laughter was the slow shake of his shoulders. 

Unfortunately for Merlin, someone noticed. 

“And who is this?” 

It was a humoured tone but Merlin’s stomach still dropped when Morgana gestured to him. 

Arthur coughed, clearing his throat and ending the laughter. 

“This is er Gaius’ apprentice.” 

Silence followed as Merlin waved. 

“Does he have a name?”

“Merlin, my lady.” 

Arthur smiled at him as he introduced himself. 

“I am sure me and you will be fast friends Merlin, Arthur has clearly lost his head. Wouldn’t you agree?” 

“I fear he has Morgana. What would you recommend for treatment Gaius’?”

Arthur glared at the scenario. 

“Rest and a new sense of humour.” 

Morgana giggled along and offered her goodbyes to the pair. 

As Arthur led her out of the chambers he caught Merlin’s eye. 

Merlin nodded his head, he liked her. Arthur returned it, he did too. 

Chapter Text

Arthur was sat in the corner of his room. Head against the wall and legs stretched out in front of him. If you asked him how long he had been there, Arthur would not know. It felt like forever but could have only been a day or two. Full food trays lay by him as well as the mental picture of servants trying to get him to eat. He wasn’t hungry. 

Gaius had sat with him for a little while, explaining that she would feel no pain and would go quickly. The life of his mother had almost fully ebbed out of her and Arthur wasn’t allowed to see her until it ‘was time’.

His father had turned to anger as usual, he came in and trashed Arthur’s room when he found out he hadn’t spoken in a day. The outburst still didn’t make him utter a word. 

Two weeks ago everything had been fine. Everything had been perfect actually. Arthur celebrated his fourteenth birthday with the entire kingdom. Tournaments, feasts, dances the lot. 

When he met up with Merlin that night they had their own celebration. Arthur brought bundles of food and Merlin put on a magic show for him. The air glittered as butterfly’s swarmed pulling a laugh out of Arthur. 

When he got home his father was sat on his empty bed. Arthur was prepared for the argument of his lifetime but instead got the news that crumbled everything. His mother was very unwell, a sorcerer had gotten into the castle and poisoned her. There was no cure. 

At first he had been hopeful, no cure? What lies is this. Then as time moved on he lost more and more of himself. Now he is here, on the floor. 

A knock on the door sounded Arthur’s worst nightmare. Gaius, the physician who couldn’t cure his mother. 

“Arthur?” He didn’t raise his head. 

“Arthur your mother wants to see you. Please come quickly.”

His head shot up? She was awake, since when? 

He scrambled over the food trays and met Gaius who said not another word to him. Just led him down the corridor to see his mother. His father waited outside, as Arthur walked into the room, he turned away from him. The door slammed behind him as he made his way over to the bed. 

“Arthur? My dear is that you?”
A sob caught in his throat. 

“Yes mother it is. I’m right here.” 

Her lips barley parted as she spoke, the effort straining her. A soft blanket was pulled up to her neck and Arthur gripped it for support. 

“Hmm. You are so grown up now aren’t you Art Heart?”

He shook his head. He was not. He still needed his mother. 

A soft laugh escaped her lips. 

“No no my Arthur, you are strong. You are so strong and that’s why I need you to listen to me.”

He leaned in closer to his mother, holding her almost freezing hand.

“I am going to go soon—“

”No, no you’re not. You need to fight—“

”Arthur please.” 

She gripped his hand with whatever strength she had left. 

“You cannot let your father kill this kingdom because of me. Do not let him turn to hate. You need to stay strong in your goodness Arthur, it’ll be what saves Camelot.” 

He didn’t know what to say. 

“It’s too late now for your father, but not for you Arthur. Never for you. Don’t lose your Merlin, he keeps you right my love.”

Tears pooled in his eyes. 

“You and him are like two sides of a coin. Never one without the other.” 

She let out a laugh as her hand slowly slid from Arthur’s cheek. 

“Goodnight Arthur, I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“What? Mother?” He stood over her and watched as her eyes shut and never opened again. 

—————————————————————

It had been two weeks since his mother died, and four since his fourteenth birthday and the last time he saw Merlin. 

Arthur hadn’t ventured out of his room much never mind out of the castle. The painted candle lay under the window and out of sight. 

He didn’t want to see Merlin. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t think positively of his friend. Not only was he the last thing him and his mother talked about, but Merlin was a sorcerer. It was time he stopped dancing around the fact. His father always said magic was dangerous and stupid, naive Arthur never believed him. He hated that it took his mother dying to realise that he might be right. 

On another note, Arthur had hardly seen his father either. After he ran into his mothers room that day he had only seen him once and it was to tell him that his mothers funeral would be in a few days. That was three days ago. Today was the day. 

Arthur was dressed head to toe in black. He knew he was supposed to wear his crown but Arthur just couldn’t bring himself to even pick it up.
He could hear the crowd outside waiting for a glimpse of their king and prince on this day like sick vultures. He hated them all.

Only close family, knights and friends were allowed at the burial ceremony so at least he wouldn’t have to deal with a huge mob of condolences. A knock on the door, not unlike the one Gaius had sounded those weeks ago, pounded into his ears.

He walked to the door and accompanied the pair of knights, who thankfully only bowed their heads, down the stairs. He saw his father not far in front of him but made no move to quicken his pace.

He paused at the castle door and waited for Arthur to catch up. No words were exchanged between them, not even a look as the doors swung open.

A path had been carved for them to walk that was lined with Camelot’s citizens. As him and his father walked past they all bowed their heads. Arthur supposed it wa supposed to be a ‘we’re with you in grief’ kind of thing but really it just made him feel worse. Especially when he caught a glimpse of tussled brown hair and a muddy coat. Merlin’s eyes stared at him from the crowd. Almost begging to reach out, begging to say something. 

Arthur turned the other way. 

He could not do this. 

As they left the gates of Camelot, he swore he could still feel Merlin’s eyes like a burn on his back. 

He felt it still as he watched his mothers body be set alight, and even more so as she drifted away from him. 

————————————————————-

It has been 4 weeks since his mothers funeral. 8 weeks since his birthday, and the last time he spoke to Merlin. 

Today had been his first day back at training. Although little training really occurred. Arthur woke up still drunk from his binge the night before, and he woke up angry. On the training field he fought with no reason, no skill and no cares left to give. He was injured within the first five minutes and didn’t get back up when he was knocked down. 

Leon pulled him up from the ground, chest heaving. 

“Go home. Go sober up. Don’t come back until you’re ready.” 

The words seemed to do the second part a lot quicker than anything else. 
Humiliated, hungover and still so so angry, Arthur hobbled to Gaius’ chambers. 

It wasn’t Gaius he found there though, it was Merlin. 

The raven haired boy didn’t notice him at first, scrubbing tables and carrying a few glass bottles. When he heard the door close his head shot up and the glass he was carrying shattered on the floor.

”Arthur?”

”I thought Gaius was here, I’m sorry.” 

He turned to leave him and this mess when an arm caught his shoulder and slammed the door shut. 

“Arthur please.” 

Sorrow filled his face as he stared up with pity at Arthur. 

“Move out of my way Merlin.” 

He shook his head. 

“Merlin, move now.” 

“No!” 

Arthur grabbed the boys shoulders and tried to haul him out of the way but somehow he couldn’t move him. Magic, he thought. How dare he use magic here. 

“I know you a grieving Arthur and I understand that. People tell me you aren’t eating and that you’re drinking your days away.” 

Arthur avoided his gaze. 

“You can’t even look at me.” 

“No Merlin I cannot. Nor do I want too. I don’t know who I was fooling when I became friends with a sorcerer but it shall happen no longer. My father is right. We need to be rid of your kind.” 

Merlin bristled. 

“Arthur I know you! You don’t believe that, you’re just saying it because you’re angry and you are upset.” 

Arthur leaned in closer to Merlin, so that he could really hear him and be out of his life forever. 

“I hate you Merlin, and your kind. I’m only sorry that it’s took me so long to realise it. If you ever come near me again I’ll have you burnt at the stake.”

Tears poured down his cheeks but his emotions bounced off of Arthur instead of grasping his soul like they used too. 

“You are a good man Arthur Pendragon. Come find me once you’ve found your heart. I’m going home in the morning.” 

Merlin turned on his heels and thrust the door open just as a confused Gaius was about to open it. He took in Merlin’s tears  and Arthur’s state as Merlin took off without a word to him. 

“What happened Arthur?” 

It took him a moment to realise he was talking about his injuries and not what had just went on between him and Merlin.

”Training.” 

Gaius shook his head and began treating him in silence. Arthur felt the disappointment radiating off of him and wore it like a medal. It was what he deserved. 

Once Gaius had patched him up he headed for the doorway, Gaius watched him go with heavy judgement. 

“Oh spit it out Gaius.” 

The old man just shook his head. 

“There are no words left for me to say to you.”

Upon hearing that Arthur slammed the door behind him. 

—————————————————————

Later that night, Arthur sat at the foot of his bed with a bottle in his hands. He played restlessly with his key and thought over what he had said to Merlin. 

It was unfair, he knew that. Merlin had never done anything but care for him. Still the weight of his mothers death and its circumstances sat heavily within him. He missed Merlin somewhere inside him but the rest of his body felt like it had thawed. Drinking helped, it warmed him up a little bit. 

It wasn’t long until Arthur had finished his first bottle and got up to get another. He never sat back down and ended up pacing the lengths of his room. It wasn’t graceful nor was it in a straight line but pacing he still was. 

Then Arthur did something stupid and decided to seek out Merlin. He stumbled out of his room and ignored the guard who tried to contain him back inside. He only tripped twice on the stairwell but had to stop four times and lean against the cool wall on the grounds of feeling sick. 

The fresh air hit him like a ton of bricks, somehow he felt ten times worse when he stepped outside. Still strong minded about his mission he continued on. He did hit the floor a few times but he still got up. 

Then he faced the trouble of not remembering which house was Merlin, this was quickly solved by in Arthur’s mind. 

“MERLIN!”

His screams scared of a group of birds as he took another gulp of courage. 

“MER-LIN!”

He noticed a few candles come on in several windows but none of them were his Merlin’s candles. He would know. 

“MERLLLLIIINNNN!”

His vocal cords cracked and he started to cough also very loudly. 

“MERL-“

A hand smacked over his mouth. 

“Alright dickhead I’m here.” 

“Merlin!” He said excitedly although it was still muffled by his hand. 

Merlin pulled him into the shadows behind his house and hit him across the head, not once, not twice but three times. 

“What in the good grief do you think you’re doing!”

His whispered shouts made him giggle. 

“Are you seriously drunk right now Arthur?”

Arthur shook his head vigorously. 

“Yeah well what’s this then?”

He snatched the bottle off of him and held it up tauntingly. 

“Merlin are you drinking? That’s not very good!”

Arthur cackled at his own joke which Merlin had to silence again. Merlin looked around nervously before dragging him away. 

“Come on, we can’t stay here.” 

“Why Merlinnnnn?”

He hauled Arthur by his shirt and into the woods. 

“You’re drunk, far too loud and the prince of Camelot. Even though you have more than a lot to make up for, I won’t let people find you like this. Now come on.” 

Arthur huffed and followed his Merlin in anyways. 

He would follow him anywhere.

Chapter Text

Hello my lovely’s. I hate to be the bringer of bad news but you aren’t going to get an update until next week. The chapters are written and ready to send out (they’re really good too) but I am abroad at the minute and the signal is TERRIBLE. I’ve tried to send them out multiple times but it just can’t cope with such a large file. So, next Saturday I’ll post them both and try to get you that weeks chapters too. Essentially you’ll get four chapters next weekend instead of two. I’m really sorry for the inconvenience but at least now you have something to look forward to. I love y’all, see you next weekend. 

Chapter Text

Merlin was very sick of his life. Not only had Arthur ruined his day, maybe his life even, he also had to ruin his nights sleep. Although, he must say that he hadn’t slept a wink before he heard Arthur’s drunken shouts. He was just glad that his mother hadn’t woken. How would you ever explain why the drunk prince of Camelot was screaming your name at lord knows what time? He didn’t know and thankfully he didn’t have to find out.

Now, instead of being in his home, he was leading the wobbling prince into the forest and holding him up when his legs gave way.

”Merlinnnnn?”

He slung an arm over Merlin’s shoulder and spoke close to his face. 

“Yes Arthur? We’re almost there.” 

Giggling, was the only word Merlin could think of to describe what Arthur was doing in his ear. 

This made Merlin laugh a little too at hearing such a weird noise out of his mouth.

It stopped abruptly as Arthur fell face first through a bush, luckily it was the bush that led to their spot so Merlin didn’t have to really hoist him up. Instead he sat next to him and watched as Arthur tried to sit up straight. 

“I’m sorry Merlin. You were right! I was just angry!” 

He hummed as the blond exclaimed his reasonings. Merlin knew it was true. He did. There was just something about the words that came out of his mouth. He didn’t know if he could ever forget them. 

“You threatened to put me on the pyre Arthur. To put me to death. Do you know what that feels like?”

Arthurs smile dropped and his eyes stared into his own. 

“Nuh uh. I don’t. I’m an idiot for ever saying that to you Merls, do you wanna know why?”

He’d humour him. 

“Because when I said we were going to be friends forever, I meant it stupid.”

Even though it was ruined by Arthur almost tipping to the floor, a soft smile still held itself on Merlin’s lips. 

“I am going to make it up to you. Tomorrow.” 

He paused looking down at himself. 

“Maybe not tomorrow but…soon.”

Merlin laughed and grabbed Arthur from falling again. 

“I don’t want to go home Merlin, can we stay here?” 

His heart dropped. 

“Yes of course, we can stay here for as long as you want. You’re safe with me Arthur.” 

It was as if I a weight had been lifted off of him. He slumped against Merlin and rested his head against his.

”Merl’. You’re safe with me too. No matter what I say.” 

He slapped his cheek twice before turning his face into Merlin’s chest. This boy was falling asleep against him. 

“Arthur?”

A smile cracked open on Merlin’s face as the prince groaned and pressed himself further into his top. 

“We can’t sleep here Arthur, wakey wakey.” 

“Five more minutes hmmmm?”

He loved laughing. That’s what Merlin decided in that moment. He loved laughing with Arthur. He loved being with Arthur. Hearing his sleepy voice. Helping him escape from his problems. If Merlin thought about it long enough he would realise he loved all of Arthur. 

“Alright, just five more.”

Merlin waited ten minutes before shrugging the prince awake. 

“Arthur, we need to go.” 

Arthur huffed and shook his head. 

“Arthur? Come on I’m serious you can’t sleep here.”

He tried pressing his fingers to Merlin’s lips in an attempt to shush him. Merlin looked down at the half asleep prince and sighed, he supposed they could stay a little bit longer, besides it wasn’t everyday Arthur was so honest with him.

“Five more minutes Arthur, then we have to go.”

“Mmmhmmm alright Merl’. You have to shut your eyes too so you’re not watching me.”

Merlin cackled.

“Why am I gonna watch you sleep?”

“Stop shaking I’m comfy!”

Merlin stilled his laughter.

“You’re gonna look at me with those eyes and then I can’t sleep and I don’t want that.”

Arthur rambled off a few other words that Merlin couldn’t quite catch before settling back against his stomach. Going against his protests, Merlin stared at Arthur and took in every detail he may not have noticed before. Well he was before Arthur reached up and covered his view.

“Eyes Merlin.”

“Alright, alright you crazy man, I’ll close my eyes.”

He did.

“That’s captain crazy to you.”

He laughed again, opening his eyes slightly for Arthur to somehow sense it and close them again.

“As long as I can be your crazy deputy.”

He didn’t hear a response and was too scared to open his eyes. It took a second but Arthur responded.

“I’m glad you’ve finally realised you’re MY deputy.”

Merlin groaned before they settled into silence again.

“Thank you, deputy.”

He smiled and yet couldn’t see if Arthur was too.

“Anytime Captain.”

—————————————————————

Merlin was having a strange dream about a lake that he believed to be not far from Camelot. His mind knew that the way it glimmered was probably just from the sun that shone down, but a feeling tugged at him and made him suspect otherwise. Magic possibly, but why? Images flashed, taking the lake from sight. A sword, a field of green, and Arthur. Except it wasn’t his Arthur, not the one he knew today at least. This one looked about ten years older and was head to toe in shining armour. Although there was no evidence the word KING leapt out at him. Still trying to make sense of it, Merlin shook himself awake.

It took him a few minutes to realise that he wasn’t next to a lake and that his Arthur was still by his side. It also took him this long to realise that they were royally fucked.

Arthur was still next to him. It was morning.

Merlin couldn’t quite believed that he’d fallen asleep, all he could remember was shutting his eyes for a few minutes. Clearly it had been longer.

He stared down at the prince to make sure he was alright, after all anyone could have came over and hurt them. Arthur was perfect though, still snoozing against him. He almost felt sorry for having to wake him. Almost.

“Arthur! Get up!”

He shook his side and when that didn’t work he patted his face.

“Argh, what now Merlin! I told you five more minutes didn’t I?”

“Five minutes! Try five hours, if not longer!”

Arthur’s eyebrows furrowed as he took in the words. His body shot up the second he processed them. His head whipped around to look at the sun high in the sky.

“Oh Gods above.”

Merlin scrambled to his feet before pulling the prince with him.

“They’re gonna be looking for you everywhere! They’re gonna find me and hang me from the nearest gallows for abducting the prince!”

Arthur stared blankly ahead.

“Oh Gods above.”

“Will you stop saying that!”

He shook his head a few times to get himself out of the daze.

“Merlin my head is throbbing, please take your voice down.”

“That’s not my concern right now Arthur! Keeping my own head attached takes priority don’t you think?”

Merlin went on in his hysterics, it came to a point when even he didn’t know what was coming out of his mouth.

“Merlin? Merlin! MERLIN!”

Arthur’s hands on his shoulders stilled his pacing .

“They aren’t going to take your head you idiot. I’ll just go back to the castle by myself and you can go home.”

Some plan that was.

“Oh yeah Captain? What you gonna say when they ask you where you’ve been hmmm?”

Arthur thought about it. Merlin noted that it was almost like you could hear his brain working.

“I’ll just say I was lost or something.”

Merlin let out a breath through his lips.

“Stellar plan.”

Arthur thwacked the back of his head.

“Oww what was that for?”

He grinned.

“Doubting your captain.”

Merlin went to say something in his defence but knew it would be useless.

“You’ll come find me if something goes wrong?”

Arthur eased at Merlin’s final acceptance.

“I promise.”

He extended a hand for Merlin to shake so he took it. Using the leverage of the handshake Arthur pulled him into a hug.

“You’re not going to lose your head on my watch. I don’t want you to worry about it.”

He murmured into Merlin’s shoulder.

“Now go home to Hunith, give her my best.”

Merlin pulled away and shot him a look.

“You know I won’t.”

“It was worth a shot.”

Arthur burst into laughter at the look on Merlin’s face before dragging him back towards the entrance to the forest.

—————————————————————

Morgana was sweltering. She had been away from Camelot for a few weeks, not long after poor Ygraine death. She hadn’t know the queen very well, she was always busy with something or just emotionally resigned. Morgana feared that she was the only one who seemed to notice in that kingdom as everyone went on as if it was perfectly normal for a queen to spend most of her days in the gardens or in her rooms. 

She was always a good mother to Arthur though, it pained her to see him become more and more like her in the wake of her death. Arthur hadn’t come out of his room for weeks on end and from what he heard barely eating his meals either. He didn’t want any visitors so she couldn’t see him and she believed that neither could his father. 

Not like he’d been any better, he was one of the reasons she was out of Camelot. It was like he had died. The kingdom is falling and only respect for the dead queen is keeping attacks at bay. She knew this. Everyone knew this. Yet nothing was being done about it. 

When she went to speak to the king those weeks ago he couldn’t bare the sight of her. Shouting and demanding for her to be removed from his chambers and sent on a trip to another kingdom. So here she was, riding a horse through another forest and on her way to another castle tour. 

Only Arthur’s letters had kept her sanity. He kept her up to date with what was going on and allowed her to feel like she had someone in the world. If Morgana was going to tell you a secret, she was waiting for the day Arthur trusted her enough to tell her why he was always sneaking off into the forest at night. Every couple of days like clockwork he would adorn a cloak and he was off. She never followed him deciding that what was his business wasn’t hers and that he was probably sneaking for a reason. 

Arthur was still very much a mystery to her but she thinks she likes him very much so far. She cast her eyes back to the direction she thought Camelot was in and wondered what the prince would be doing now. Probably sulking, training or bothering that serving boy Merlin into talking to him. Morgana didn’t know what it was about the boy that intrigued Arthur so much but she was glad he had someone other than her when she was gone. 

She hoped she could go home soon.

—————————————————————

It took Arthur exactly four minutes and twenty seconds to realise that no one noticed his absence. His father was nowhere to be seen, knights let him passed freely and no bells were going off. 

He didn’t want it to bother him, he really didn’t but there was just something about no one noticing he was gone that irked at him. He could have been dead. 

He supposed he should be grateful, no one would lose their head today. 

The sentiment was lost on him as he opened the door to his bedroom. Maids had been in to clean up the trays and yet not one had notified anyone that he was gone. Typical. 

Arthur moved to his draw and took out the painted candle before putting it back in its rightful place on the windowsill. The notion cemented his thoughts. 

No one really mattered to him except Merlin… and maybe Morgana when she was home. Clearly no one else cares for him but then two. They were his family and he was tired of acting like they weren’t. 

Chapter Text

Arthur had propositioned the trip six times just in this past month and 4 the month before. Merlin still wasn’t having it. Oh but so much could go wrong Arthur! The people could kill you in your sleep Arthur! When he reminded Merlin that he was sure the people of Ealdor weren’t simple minded savages he stared mysteriously off into the distance and whispered ‘I barely made it out alive.’ 

The only thing that kept the subject on the table was the thought of seeing his mother. Hunith had went back home the spring after last after the crops failed for the third time. She said it was too much stress and she missed the quiet life. Hunith only decided to leave after Gaius promised to take Merlin in properly and offered him his other room. 

Once she had left Merlin came to see Arthur with the reminisce of tears still in his eyes. He promised Merlin that they would go back to Ealdor together one day to see his mother. It soothed Merlin then and he believed it soothed him even now. 

The only thing still getting in the way of their plans was Arthur, or he should say Merlin’s concern for Arthur. 
He thought that the people who lived there would riot at the sight of the prince before mobbing him with their harvesting tools. Those were his exact words if you were wondering. 

Arthur just wanted to get out of the castle. He would hate to leave Morgana for the time their trip took but he had to believe she would be alright. She has travelled between kingdoms and kingdoms without him before. Although that was when his father seemed to hate her, now it was a lot different. He treat her as if she was his own daughter. Not that the feeling was mutual between them, behind his back she would burst into Arthur’s chambers raging about what he had said to someone today. 

It was mostly about women or magic users, his hatred for the latter had gotten even worse after the death of his mother.  He was sending out raid after raid to Druid camps and practically had his ear to the ground for even a whisper of someone acting strange in Camelot. Whenever he saw the pyre being built or someone being dragged into the throne room his chest tightened. One of these days it was going to be Merlin, he just knew it. 

Morgana hated it just as much as he did. A few months back she started having nightmares or visions you could call them. Arthur was the only one who knew. He wasn’t sure if you could call it magic, she couldn’t do any spells or enchantments but maybe if she was taught she could. He told Merlin to see if he had any insight but he wasn’t so sure. Merlin was born with magic so therefore never really had to learn anything, but he did say that he had a vision once. Merlin wasn’t so forthcoming about what he saw but he did say that he didn’t think anyone without magic would be able to have visions. 

So now, both of the people Arthur cared about most were magic users. He was sure his father would die on the spot if he knew. 

Arthur turned away from the wardrobe he was putting things back into and sighed. Maybe he should bring Morgana, she would be a lot safer by his side. He shrugged the thought away and decided that he should probably figure out a way to convince Merlin to actually go before inviting someone else. 

Arthur racked his brain and scanned through almost every conversation he had ever had with Merlin until he stuck on something. When they first met, Merlin had no idea who he was. Arthur was sure that if his mother and father hadn’t been stood next to him neither would have Hunith. As long as Arthur didn’t wear any symbols and kept his head down no one would know it was him! 

He turned back to the wardrobe and quickly looked through it. Everything he owned was either Camelot red or way too nice for a commoner. He would have to borrow something of Merlin’s. The boy was a lot skinnier than him and depends on who you asked, just an inch taller. It wouldn’t be perfect and that’s what would sell it the most. Commoners don’t have custom made clothes. 

Arthur did a quick sweep of his room before deciding that he didn’t need anything. He was going to go straight to the physicians chambers but thought it would be better to tell Morgana first. 

She didn’t know how long him and Merlin had been friends but when she returned from her trip she asked after Merlin to which Arthur truthfully replied. He knew then that this is how he would slip their friendship into knowledge. They were well acquainted with each other, that’s all she knew.

He knocked on her door which was just down from his. Two girls chirped just a minutes at him. One was Morgana and the other he knew would be Guinevere, her maid. The pair had hit it off from the first day and had been almost inseparable since. 

The door opened at Gwen stood in front of him smiling. “It’s Prince Arthur m’lady.”

Arthur had been trying to get her to call him his name for the last year and a half with no luck. Morgana told him that she barely used just hers either. A mark of respect or something. 

“Let him in Gwen.” 

The maid moved past the door and went back to undoing Morgana’s hair. Arthur shut the door and made his way over too. 

“What have you come to chew my ear off about now Arthur?” 

He rolled his eyes and placed his hands on the back of her chair. 

“I have a proposition for you.” 

She swivelled towards him and Gwen had to move round to keep working on freeing a lifetime amount of pins from her hair. 

“Oh do tell.”

He grinned. 

“Merlin is going home to his village Ealdor for a few days and I want to go with him.” 

Morgana laughed. 

“Uther driving you up the walls is he?” 

He could see in his peripheral that Gwen was pressing down on her bottom lip hard to keep herself from smiling too. 

“I don’t think I can get any higher up the walls ‘gana, I’m on the roof.” 

Morgana burst into a laughter so hard that Guinevere couldn’t keep working. 

“That’s so true Arthur, so true! I had to stop him from arresting a young boy yesterday because he caught him wishing to fly!” 

Arthur shook his head just at the thought of it. 

“So what do you need me for?” 

“To cover for me if you can. Say I’m out hunting with a few knights and I’ll be back soon. Anything to keep him off my case. Do this for me and I’ll bring you back something nice.” 

Morgana waved him off. 

“Trying to buy my silence are we? If you hadn’t said anything I would have done it for free but now I’ll take it. Oh and something for Gwen too!”

Gwen gasped as Morgana shook her arm in excitement. 

“That’s really not necessary sire! My lips are sealed.” 

Arthur smiled slowly at the pair. 

“Thank you both. I won’t be too long and I’ll be back with something for the pair of you I promise.” 

Before he left Arthur turned to Guinevere. 

“Keep her from killing my father will you?”

Gwen smiled but didn’t say anything. 

“If she can, you mean.” 

Morgana grumbled into her mirror. 

Arthur placed a hand on her shoulder in goodbye and nodded at Gwen. He left Morgana guessing what he was going to get them and Gwen scolding her for even suggesting he buy her anything. Guinevere was right on her way onto Arthur’s mental list of care, in another year her name would probably be added he thought. 

A smile still on his face from the interaction, Arthur made his way down towards the physicians chambers. He hoped Gaius wouldn’t be in but he supposed it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he was. Gaius knew they knew each other just not at the lengths they actually did. To him it would probably be weird if Arthur came storming in to try and whisk his ward away to Ealdor. 

He reached the door and could hear Merlin’s ramblings through it. He waited a beat to see if anyone else was in there but heard no other voices.

Arthur barged into the room with a thud that almost made Merlin drop an array of glasses, only his magic kept the largest one from clattering to the floor. 

“You absolute idiot. That could’ve been anyone!”

Merlin rolled his eyes and set the glasses down.

”I saw it was you first Clotpole, I’m not that stupid.” 

Arthur murmured an ‘are you sure?’ when Merlin turned his back. 

“I heard that arse.” 

“You were supposed to!

Merlin yelped when Arthur messed up his raven hair as he walked past to place a stack of books on the bench behind him. 

Once all of the movement stopped, Merlin stared expectantly at Arthur. 

“Pack your bags Merlin because we are off!”

Arthur stomped his way into Merlin’s room to try and find something to wear. Merlin chased after him shouting. 

“What do you mean ‘we’re off’? Where are we going?”

Arthur slammed open one of the only bits of storage he had in there and rummaged through the few bits of cloth.

”Ealdor! Keep up Merlin!”

His fingers found the largest garment and pulled it out. A blue tunic stared back up at him. It was on the smaller side but it would have to do. 

“We can’t just leave Arthur, we’ve talked about this. People will recognise you and dismember you!” 

He ignored the nonsense and took off the shirt he had on to make the change. 

“Why are you stealing my clothes? That’s a decent tunic don’t ruin it!”

He couldn’t quite remember how to tie the laces right so he left it. Arthur then began to search for some kind of trouser to wear, still blocking out the shouts of his friend. He stared to unbuckle his belt when a scream ripped through him. 

“STOP TAKING YOUR CLOTHES OFF.” 

He spun around to stare at Merlin, his eyebrows as high as he could get them. 

“Are you quite finished?” 

Merlins face was slightly flushed which must be from all of the shouting. He nodded once. 

“I’m changing into your clothes so that people don’t suspect that I’m noble.” 

Confusion flashed across his face before the enlightenment came. 

“Ohhhhhh so they don’t know you’re the prince. Right I’ve got you now.”

Arthur dragged a hand over his face. 

“Come on Merlin, you’re supposed to be the brains of the operation.” 

“And what does that make you?”

Arthur grinned up at him.

”The beauty, obviously?”

Merlin snorted. Looking down at himself he could almost see why. The half dressed in much smaller clothes persona wasn’t him at the top of his game. 

Arthur finished putting his new pants on barely before pulling the rest of Merlin’s clothes out of their place. There wasn’t much choice and they were going to have to do both him and Merlin for the few days they were there. 

“Where’s that old brown bag of yours Merlin?”

Merlin sighed before passing it to him. Arthur could tell he wasn’t fully on board with the plan. 

“We’ll see your mother soon Merlin, cheer up.” 

The thought of it sent a flash of warmth into his eyes and Arthur knew he had won him over. 

“We’ll need to grab some other supplies and I’ll need to write a letter to Gaius to tell him where I’ve gone. I trust you’ve figured out an excuse?”

He followed Merlin out into the main chamber. 

“Hunting trip.” 

Merlin groaned as if he was actually going on it. He then handed Arthur two water skins and pointed to the small store they had for patients probably. He filled them up one at a time while Merlin disappeared to find some food to take with them. 

He came back shorty with a small bundle of food wrapped in cloth. 

“Where did you get that?” 

Merlin shrugged. 

“Kitchens won’t miss it.” 

Arthur chuckled as he stored the water and food in the bag. 

“Can you get us horses or are we walking?” 

Arthur drew back. 

“You really think I’m going to walk? We’ll use the horses thank you.” 

Merlin mouthed ‘spoiled prat.’ 

To which Arthur replied ‘peasant’ 

Merlin placed his scrawled handwritten letter on the table before they ducked out of the doorway nudging each other. 

“You look ridiculous.” 

“Yet I still look better than you.” 

Merlin pursed his lips. 

“Seriously Arthur come here. You’ve not even tied the laces.”

Arthur dropped his arms to the side as Merlin reached for the string. 

He tied them tight but not too tight, just how he liked it. 

His face squinted in concentration has he knotted them. It was adorable. He gave Arthur a once over before sucking a breath through his lips and reaching for his hair. Arthur rolled his eyes but inclined his head in anyways. Merlin ran his fingers through it before sectioning his parting correctly. Once he was finished he beamed up in pride at his masterpiece. 

“Done?”

Merlin nodded and they made their way out into the courtyard to get the horses. They stuck to the shadows and nobody really noticed another two possible farmers getting their horses. 
Merlin watched as Arthur tacked the horses and laughed when he hid behind it as they walked them out of the gate. 

Once they cleared Camelot's walls the pair jumped on their horses and set off. 

“Ready Merlin?” 

“After you Pendragon.” 

Chapter Text

Merlin’s whole body was very sore. They had only been riding a couple hours but Merlin hadn’t been able to feel anything below his torso in a while. Of course Arthur was fine, sat upright making commentary about hunting spots and all of that drivel. He knew that Arthur had experience being on horses all of the time and he was probably just used to it. How you get used to the numbness is beyond him. 

“Falling asleep again are we Merlin?”

He shot upright out of his slouched position. 

“Just resting my back, and my head… and my eyes.” 

He turned away from Arthur to try and ignore the guffaw that came out of his mouth. 

“We’ll be there shortly Merlin, don’t be such a girl.” 

He mimicked the words back to Arthur who pretended not to hear him. 

“Are you ready to see your mother again, your home again too?” 

Merlin sighed. 

“I can’t wait to see my ma, but I wouldn’t really call Ealdor my home anymore. I was born there, that’s all.” 

Arthur nodded along. 

“So your home is in Camelot then?” 

“No, it’s in the bog not far from the towns gates. Of course it’s my home dollophead!”

Arthur moved his horse closer to Merlin’s.

”Oh my was that sarcasm? In the grace of your future king? That won’t go over well in court.” 

“I knew you would figure out my secret in the end. There is just no fooling you my Lord.” 

He tried to pout but his lips kept twisting up into a smile. Arthur shoved Merlin and his horse to the left by pushing at his face. 

“I’m going to tell my mother that a bad man is trying to take me away.” 

Arthur turned to him with fake concern. 

“You shouldn’t talk of my father that way Merlin.” 

When Merlin says it’s the hardest he’s laughed in years, he really meant it. Arthur had to pull their horse over because somehow Merlin had dropped the reins and doubled over. 

The sight of Merlin laughing always made Arthur laugh too.

”I’m glad I make you laugh so much Merlin.”

That sobered Merlin up into a neutral stance. 

“No you don’t.” 

Arthur smiled softly. 

“Merlin you’re crying.” 

He made no effort to wipe away the tears. 

“It’s because I have to look at you all of the time.” 

He stuck out his tongue at Arthur before pulling at his reins again. Arthur had to quickly jump back into his horse to catch the smug look on Merlin’s face as he rode ahead of him. 

“This is not deputy behaviour Merlin. I’ll demote you!”

He turned back in his saddle.

”I can’t hear you!”

Arthur tightened his grips on the reins. 

“You wouldn’t be responding if you couldn’t hear me!” 

Merlin stuck his tongue out again before finally allowing his horse to break out into a run. Arthur, already far behind him took this as a personal challenge. The race was on. 

—————————————————————

After almost ten minutes of racing through trees his horse pulled him through a clearing were Merlin was spread out on the floor next to his horse taking a long drink of water. 

“Glad you could finally join me Prince.” 

He threw the other water skin at Arthur as he also dismounted. 

“How far away are we now?” 

Merlin pointed to the circle of trees that surrounded them. 

“It’s just through them trees there, shouldn’t take more than a five minute ride.”

Arthur sighed and sat down next to his friend. 

“Have you thought about what you’re going to tell your mother yet?” 

Merlin removed his lips from the water skin and looked at him. 

“The truth I think. There’s no hiding it from her, she’ll obviously recognise you. We just have to make sure nobody else does.” 

“You think she’ll be angry with you?” 

Merlin laughed openly at the sky. 

“Oh she might just kill me.” 

Arthur took a beat before he spoke again. He knew the subject was a bit sore with Merlin. 

“Are you sure you’re alright with going back? People weren’t totally fond of you when you left.” 

Merlin dropped his water skin back into his bag. 

“It was only really the children that never liked me. Partly because I was strange, partly because they knew something was wrong with me. Their parents were nice enough to me. None of them got too close to become accountable but I was just a child in the village to them, if that makes sense.” 

“It does. As long as you’re in no danger because of them then I’m sure we’ll all get along fine.” 

Merlin smiled as Arthur got up from the grass and offered him his hand. 

“Let’s hope ay?” 

—————————————————————

When Hunith saw her son walk into the village she thought she was seeing things, when she realised who was walking besides him, she knew this had to be in her head. 

The crown prince of Camelot sauntered closer and closer to her home, muttering in the ear of her son whenever he saw something new. She watched from the window as they laughed together all the way up to her doorstep. 

The knock on the door proved that it was real. This was real. She opened it carefully and within a beat her son was in her arms again. 

“Ma!” 

Her Merlin. Her birdie. 

“Merlin! What are you doing here!” 

She didn’t think he had even heard the words or if she had actually said them at all. Her eyes were squeezed tightly closed as she held him close. 

When he finally let go her eyes moved past him to the other boy that was now stood in her house. 

“Merlin?” 
“Yes mother?”

She spun his body around so that he was looking at the prince too.

”Why is Prince Arthur Pendragon stood in my doorway?” 

The golden haired royal broke into a smile and waved slightly. 

“It’s a long story ma, do you mind if we both come in and I’ll explain it all to you?”

Her mind spun. 

“The prince of Camelot! In my home!” 

A hand slapped over hers but it was just her sons. 

“Maybe keep that bit just between us alright?” 

She knew Merlin to his core. He wouldn’t be saying any of this if it wasn’t necessary. Hunith nodded to the pair and led them into the house. 

Merlin showed Arthur where he could sit at the table and dropped down on the chair right next to him. Hunith decided that it would be best to sit opposite the pair, easier to question them. 

All three of them sat in silence as Hunith stared at the Pendragon son. After another beat Merlin elbowed the prince in the ribs. 

“Merlin!”

Prince Arthur exclaimed at the same time as Hunith. 

“Say hello to my mother Arthur.” 

Arthur ducked, a light tint of flush on his cheeks. 

“Oh yes sorry. Hello Hunith it’s lovely to meet you.” 

All Hunith could do is stare in shock. Her son had just hit the crown prince of Camelot. How—What. She couldn’t even. 

“It’s alright Ma, he’s not used to peasant people things.” He side eyed the prince like he was weighing up his options. 

“Or in fact normal people things.” 

Hunith ducked her head into her hands. This was not normal. What had her son been doing when she left? Corrupting the crown!

”Merlin I don’t think this is helping.” 

Merlin looked puzzled at her and then to Arthur. 

“I’m not sure what to do now… Are you feeling alright mother?” 

“No Merlin I am Not!” 

Arthur half stood up as soon as the tension leapt up too. 

“Alright, alright. The pair of you just be quiet for a second, I’m going to explain what we’re doing here.” 

“Do you not want me to explain Arthur?” 

Arthur smiled down softly at him as if he were much smaller than him. 

“No I fear you’re just making things worse.” 

Merlin huffed but the calmness finally made Hunith remove her hands from her face. 

“Merlin is my friend. We’re friends. Hello I am Arthur Pendragon and Merlin is my best friend.” 

“You don’t have to say it like you have a problem Arthur.” 

“Not now Merlin.”

Hunith groaned and sighed and shouted internally. This had to be a joke or a loss of a bet. Princes didn’t make friends with commoners and especially not her son the magic user. 

“I’ve known Merlin for a very long time, you even caught our first meeting actually. With the candle? Remember that?” 

Hunith nodded. She did. She didn’t think Merlin had remembered that never mind made strong friendships out of it. 

“We’re here because Merlin misses you obviously and Ealdor in general. The reason I’m here is a long story actually, you met my father didn’t you-“

”Arthur.” 

Merlin had pinched his nose between his fingers and held Arthur from speaking farther with an arm on his shoulder. 

“Save her the details will you.” 

Hunith interrupted before the pair could go on any more. 

“I understand boys. You can stay here for a few days of course, but a young prince shouldn’t be far from his kingdom for too long.” 

“Yes of course Hunith. Thank you.” 

Hunith fixed her eyes on Merlin. 

“Could I borrow a moment with alone with my son please?” 

Arthur stood up awkwardly banging his knee on the table on the way up. 

“Yes you can, I’ll just step outside.” 

The prince shuffled outside and soon it was just the two of them. 

“Merlin.” 

“I know I’m sorry. What he says is true ma. He’s my friend.” 

Hunith threw her hands into her hair. 

“Would he still be your friend if he knew about your magic Merlin? No he wouldn’t be. He’d throw you on the pyre!”

Huniths heart stopped as she saw Merlin actively avoiding eye contact. Somewhere in the mix her voice broke as she lifted a hand to her mouth. 

“Oh Merlin. He doesn’t?” 

The raven haired boy nodded. 

“Merlin no.” 

Silence that could kill her if it continued threatened to swallow her up. She didn’t want Merlin to feel detached from her. Never. 

“Are you sure about him Merlin?” 

A small smile made its way onto his face. 

“I am ma, I really am.” 

Hunith knew that was what he was going to say. She knew Merlin, as she had said. 

“Then I am too.” 

Merlin grinned and ran back out of the house to grab the boy kissing her cheek on the way out. 

The boys reentered with Merlin dragging Arthur by the arm. 

“You can sleep over there boys, I’ll make up some beds for you.”

Merlin kicked off his shoes as Arthur unpacked their bags. They all worked together to get the room ready in no time. It reminded Hunith of the nights her and Merlin had in Camelot together as he grew up. It was a little lonely here without him but she got by. Ealdor was her place, Camelot was his.

“Goodnight Birdie.”
She looked past him.

“Goodnight Arthur.”

—————————————————————

The moment Hunith left the room he heard Arthur laugh besides him.

“Birdie.” 

“I’d keep your mouth shut Art heart.” 

Merlin ruffled his head before laying down on his cot, ignoring his questions. 

“Err Merlin how do you know about that?”

”Merlin? Merlin!”

He sighed and rolled over. 

“Goodnight Arthur.” 

Arthur groaned and turned away from Merlin in a huff. 

“Dollophead.” 

“That’s my word.” 

“doesn’t make it not true.” 

Chapter Text

Arthur would like to say he had a long and restful nights sleep. It would make him feel so cultured and grounded if he could say that. Arthur could not, and he felt absolutely shocking about it. He hadn’t brought his armour or anything too thick as that would surely give him away, so instead he was in Merlin’s threadbare clothes that did nothing against the bartering wind. Arthur had slept on the ground on a few occasions with the knights, while travelling usually or if they were caught out too late on a hunt. Keeping that in mind, Arthur could positively say that the cot he slept in last night was ten times worse than sleeping outside. 

What annoyed him the most was that Merlin slept soundlessly the entire night. He didn’t understand how he did it for so long. Arthur had only slept here for one night and his back and neck were killing him, how Merlin continued his everyday life in such agony bemused him.

Speaking of Merlin, the boy stirred in his cot and slowly peeled his eyes open. The sun wasn’t too high in the sky and Arthur was slightly surprised to see him up this early. 

Merlin yawned and glanced around the room, looking past him with a brush. Suddenly, he frowned and snapped his gaze back to Arthur as if he had forgotten he was here at all. He had, Arthur realised as he watched Merlin sort his brain out. 

“Mornin’ Arthur” 

His voice was husk which surprised Arthur, he hadn’t heard the boys voice in the morning before. 

“I am absolutely ravenous Merlin, what’s for breakfast?” 

The raven haired boy groaned and lay back down before sighing and shooting up to go and prepare something for him. 

Arthur’s eyes followed him around the room as he began clattering about with bowls and what looked like oats. 

“Where’s Hunith?” 

Merlin didn’t turn around to respond to him. 

“She’ll be out in the fields by now, won’t be home till late.”

Arthur hummed and took the bowl that Merlin turned around to offer him graciously. 

On the way here Merlin had told him that staying in Ealdor would be the polar opposite of everything he had in Camelot, and so far he could definitely agree. 

Merlin sat down next to him, neither of them making a move for the table. It was too cold he thought, Arthur didn’t think he could move away from the thin blanket he was wrapped in if he tried. 

Merlin tucked in instantly, his shoulder knocking against Arthur’s as he started to eat. Arthur could feel the cold emitting from Merlin’s body, Arthur was just chilly compared to him. He looked around for Merlin’s blanket to realise that he didn’t have one. Arthur untucked himself from his to throw it over his shoulders, in doing this Arthur saw that he had two blankets. Two. It would be a good time to note that he did not have two last night. Merlin had given him his when he was asleep and now he was freezing. 

“Merlin!”

He looked up from his bowl with questions in his eyes. 

“Take your blanket back, you’re freezing!” 

He finished the bite in his mouth before grumbling “You looked cold.” 

Arthur, with his free hand, smacked Merlin on the back of the head. While Merlin was cursing, he wrapped him in the blanket and left his arms out so he could eat. 

Merlin rolled his eyes but made no attempt to give it back. Right, Arthur thought, I can finally eat now. 

Arthur picked up his spoon and and shovelled some in. It wasn’t awful per say, it almost tasted like it had..

”Salt?”

Merlin flashed him a grin. 

“Camelots finest.” 

Arthur stared in shock, his mouth agape as Merlin cackled. 

“I should throw you in the stocks! This is stealing! Treason! Regicide!”

Merlin wheezed. 

“How the hell is it Regicide?” 

Arthur took another bite from the bowl, it really wasn’t that bad. 

“If my father finds out,” He spoke with half a mouth full. “He might just die.” 

This sent Merlin into a further laughter. 

“Over salt?”

”He loves his salt.”

Merlin got back up to present the small pouch they kept it in to him. Arthur wasn’t surprised to realise that Merlin hadn’t brought it with him, it had already been there. Sneaky Hunith.

“Well offer His Majesty my deepest apologies for wanting a little bit of flavour.”

Arthur laughed into his bowl as he finished up.

“If he asks, I shall.”

Merlin flopped back down next to him.

“What do you wanna do today?”

Arthur put his bowl down.

“You could show me around? I didn’t get to see much when we came in last night.”

Merlin stacked their bowls and pushed them to the side.

“Sounds like a plan.”

————————————————————— 

They had gotten dressed into Merlin’s clothes in a hurry. For Merlin it was no bother, Arthur on the other hand looked like he was about to split the seams.

The pair stepped out of the door and Merlin led him around the village, pointing out anything of note. 

“There used to be a huge tree there but it blew down when I was a baby. The villages apprehended the fall and managed to catch it with sheer strength in numbers and push it out of the way. My mother was one of them.” 

Arthurs eyebrows knitted. 

“Surely not! Catching fallen trees is a step to far Merlin.” 

Merlin held a hand over his heart in mock horror. 

“That is basically my origin story! I can’t believe this blasphemy.” 

Arthur laughed and Merlin smiled at the sight before they were interrupted by a strong voice. 

“By the light of the morning, is that Merlin?”

They both snapped their heads behind them to identify the voice. A brown haired boy that looked around their age was staring at them, an older woman stood next to him smiling. Before Arthur knew it Merlin had made a move for the boy. 

“Will?”

The boys embraced in a hug before quickly pulling back. 

“I can’t believe it, you’re finally taller than me Merlin!”

”Wasn’t hard.”

He laughed until his eyes locked behind Merlin, on Arthur. 

“Who’s this Merlin?” 

He turned around and waved for Arthur to come forward. 

“This is my friend Arthur, I met him in Camelot. He’s here with me for my stay.” 

Will looked Arthur up and down before nodding. 

“Does he speak?”

Arthur made a move to step forward and show this boy just what he could say but Merlin stepped in between them. 

“Oh Will be nice.” 

Will, will, will. Arthur had heard all about this Will character since he was six years old. Ten years later and they were finally meeting. Arthur hated him already. 

“Don’t worry about it Merlin, now where we’re we? Your origin story?” 

Merlin glanced at will and then back at Arthur and somehow sensed the discomfort. 

“Err I’ll find you later Will, I’m just showing Arthur around.” 

Will laughed deeply but Arthur couldn’t quite see what was funny about that sentence. 

“Well Arthur, you’ve already seen the main event but have fun on your tour. I’ll catch you later Merlin, much to discuss.”

He slapped Merlin on the back a few times before disappearing down the path. 

Merlin sighed before turning back to Arthur who stood with his arms crossed still staring down the path Will had gone down. 

“Oh pack it in.” 

He hit Arthur in the shoulder and began their walk again. 

“I don’t like him.” 

Merlin rolled his eyes and muttered “Not a lot of people like you.” 

The cheek.
Arthur grabbed his head under his arm and started ruffling his hair hard. Merlin kicked Arthur in the back of the leg and watched him fall without realising Arthur still had a hold of him. They fell together still elbowing and kicking each other on the way down. 

“Boys!”

Merlin shot up, leaving Arthur to quickly scramble into a stand. 
Hunith stormed over and to both Merlin and Arthur’s surprise clipped them both on the back of the head. 

“Enough gallivanting. Go be dears and find rosemary’s lost sheep in the woods. She’s heartbroken.” 

Merlin stared in shock. 

“Ma?”

Her cheeks turned pink.

”Oh yes I’m sorry. Go be dears and find rosemary’s lost sheep in the woods… your highness.” 

She looked around to check if anyone was watching before quickly dropping into a curtsy. 

Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief but Arthur didn’t know why, he thought it was quite funny. 

“We’ll go just, don’t say anything more. I’m begging you.” 

Hunith waved him off and planted a kiss on his forehead in goodbye. 

“I’ll be home for supper Birdie.” 

She gave Arthur a smile and a little wave before leaving them. 

“Well, looks like we’ve got our plans for today.” 

Merlin groaned as he followed after Arthur. 

“Let’s go catch some sheep Birdie.” 

Merlin ran after him and Arthur sprinted faster than he ever had while laughing so hard. 

—————————————————————

“Arthur we’ve been searching for two hours now, can we just go back? Rosemary loses her sheep all of the time!”

Arthur spun around to him sternly.

”We are finding the sheep Merlin and that’s the end of it. It’s fun!”

”In what world is this fun?”

Arthur paused. 

“Erm ours?”

Merlin waved him off and looked around again. 

They were deep in the woods now, not far from this supposed creak Merlin said they could rest by.  

“How far can two sheep go Merlin? I am so confused.” 

Merlin shrugged and hopped over a Protruding tree branch. 

“They’re wanderers Arthur, you can’t control it.” 

“Merlin?” 

“Yes Arthur?”

”Do shut up.” 

Merlin wobbled his head at the comment as they broke out of the trees.

The creak, they had finally reached the creak. 

Merlin ran over and collected the water, he waved his hand over it before drinking. Arthur suspected he was getting rid of anything that wasn’t water with his magic. 

After a long sip he offered the water to Arthur who drank the rest. 

As he finished drinking Merlin broke out into a grin and pointed just behind Arthur. He turned around and to his shock the two missing sheep were stood having a drink. 

“Guess we weren’t the only ones who were thirsty.”

Arthur laughed and ran over to the cattle. The left sheep baaaaa’d at him and he jumped away quick enough. 

“Don’t intimidate it Arthur.” 

“Hardly, I think this sheep is just being a prat.” 

“Awww Birds of a feather.” 

Arthur laughed and that was his first big mistake. 

The noise of his laughter set the sheep on edge enough to charge at him, his second mistake was not jumping out of the way. The sheep barrelled into Arthur and knocked him into the water at quite a force. 

He saw Merlin shout and the sky above him before he slammed into the water and felt his head hit something hard. Then, Arthur didn’t feel anything at all. 

————————————————————-

Merlin watched the fall in slow motion. Arthur’s laughter, his beautiful smile and then horror as the sheep got alarmed on charged into him. His eyes connected with Merlin’s for just a second before he was submerged. 

“ARTHUR!”

Merlin threw off the bag he had been carrying and didn’t care as some of the contents spilled out. He waded into the water where Arthur had fallen and tried to run to him but the water slowed him down. The sheep ran off again as Merlin’s splashes hit them. 

The creak wasn’t too deep but it was deep enough that if you lay down in it you would be fully submerged. Merlin dropped to his knees and felt about in the water until he brushed what felt like Arthur’s hair. He quickly moved down to his shoulders and thrust his top half out of the water. 

Merlin’s breath held as he saw that what usually was golden hair was now red. 

He used all of his might to pull him to shore, coughing and spluttering as the water reached his mouth. Water dripped into his eyes that he couldn’t wipe, his hands fisted on Arthur’s too tight shirt. 

With a final heave they had made it to dry land. Merlin made quick work of kneeling above him and smacking his chest to try and get the water out. He was also conscious of the head wound that was still bleeding. He scrambled around for anything he could use to wipe it but came up empty. 

Then his eyes snagged on a piece of red cloth. A neckerchief that he always carried around in his bag. It would have to do. 

He reached for it and only just grasped it from where he was next to Arthur. He scrunched it up before deciding that it would be best if he could tie it around Arthur’s head somehow to keep the pressure. He found a way and secured it, hoping it would stay on. 

Then Merlin brought his eyes back to Arthur’s chest and realised that it wasn’t rising. He patted his chest more and even turned him on his side hoping he would cough it all up. Nothing worked. Tears filled Merlin’s eyes as he realised he would have to break his promise to Arthur, he would have to use magic on Arthur without his permission. 

“I’m sorry Arthur but you can’t die alright?” 

He didn’t know why he waited for a response. 

“Who else is going to gift me candles and tell me I’m wrong all the time huh? You’re just going to have to forgive me for this one.”

Merlin took a deep breath before placing his hands on Arthur’s chest and closing his eyes. 

He imagine the water rising out of his chest and spilling out of his mouth, he pushed all of his magic into that thought. 

Nothing. 

He closed his eyes and tried again and this time they were forced open by the sound of retching. 

“Arthur!”

He turned him on his side once again and rubbed his back until he stopped. 

“My head…”

His hands flew to touch it but couldn’t get to the wound because of the wrap. 

“Is this a Neckerchief Merlin?”

Merlin who was now laughing through the tears tightened it on his head. 

“It was all I had. I thought you were going to die Arthur!”

Arthur put a hand on his chest, almost to make sure that he was indeed breathing. 

“Yeah, me too.” 

Merlin grasped the hand that lay on his chest and squeezed it tight.

”We are going to have to go back to Camelot tomorrow.” 

Arthur started to protest but winced when he tried to lift his head. Merlin raised his eyebrows at him until he conceded. 

“Alright. We’ll leave in the morning but we’re staying the night.” 

Merlin pursed his lips. 

“You won’t be fine if I don’t get you something for that head wound. I think my mother might have something but we’re going to have to hurry. Can you walk?” 

Arthur used Merlin’s weight to hoist himself up. He tried to let go of Merlin’s hand but stumbled. Merlin hooked Arthur’s arm around his shoulder and threw the bag over his other one. 

“Don’t fall asleep on me alright Arthur?, we need to keep you conscious.” 

Arthur nodded the best he could. 

“You promise?” 

“Yes Merlin I promise.” 

Merlin started to move back through the woods. 

“What about Rosemary’s sheep?”

Arthur couldn’t exactly feel the words as they came out of his mouth but he still said them. 

“She can take her sheep and shove them up her arse, we’re going home.” 

—————————————————————

Arthur didn’t remember much after that, he saw glimpses of the woods and Merlin’s voice. Even now lying as he was he couldn’t keep awake for more than a few minutes. 

The only time Arthur felt like he could speak, he called out for Merlin who must’ve been by his side as he was there in an instant. 

“You’re alright Arthur, don’t worry. I’m taking you home in a few hours.” 

He couldn’t move much of his body and it hurt very bad to keep his eyes open but he did and he kept his eyes trained on Merlin. 

“I’m not dead am I?”

Merlin chuckled and Arthur could only just make out what looked like tears on his cheeks. He tried to wipe them away, to grasp Merlin’s hair and tell him it was all alright as they were together. Alas, he couldn’t. 

“No you’re not Arthur and I’m glad of it. What’s a deputy without his captain?”

Arthur hoped he was smiling. As he started to shut his eyes again he uttered one last word. 

“Birdie.” 

Chapter Text

Merlin had paced the room four times in the past minute and his legs style urged to make it five. You see, yesterday Arthur hit his head badly and Merlin brought him back to Hunith to treat the wound. It was going fine, Arthur was awake and talking, and his head stopped bleeding because of a neckerchief.

That wasn’t the part that was making Merlin pace. The fact that after eventually losing consciousness just as they had gotten home from the creak, Arthur still hadn’t woken up. 

There had been fits of consciousness that came and went but nothing final. His mother said that he was just resting and that a hit like that needed more time to mend. Merlin knew it was true and yet he still found himself… pacing. 

Hunith had left for work two hours ago, leaving him with only a kiss on the head and a verbalisation of the last words Arthur had said to him. Birdie. 

He could not stop thinking about it. Normally whenever his nickname that Hunith had given him as a child was brought up, Arthur would laugh himself ill. This time, he send it with such tenderness and softness in his eyes that Merlin really didn’t know what to do with. 

Was it supposed to be a comfort? An expression of sorrow? Tiredness? Delusion? He did not know.

His mother also did not ask him what he was doing today, they both already knew the answer. Merlin was going to stay in this room and pray that the pratish golden haired boy Merlin had met ten years ago would finally wake up. It was what he had done last night, and it was what he was going to do today. 

After another moment of staring at the scene like he was a ghost, not really here, not really there, Merlin moved to sit back next to Arthur’s bed. 
Well, Merlin says bed really it was just his cot with both Merlin’s and Arthur’s blankets piled on. He slumped down on the cold floor next to him and let his head bang off the wall. 

Merlin longed to take him back to Camelot, he really did. Gaius would know how to help him and he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor like a shitting peasant. 

He wouldn’t have to steal salt to find any enjoyment in meals, he wouldn’t have to chase around sheep to feel like he was doing something good, and he wouldn’t have fell in the river with only a stupid neckerchief to stop his bleeding head. 

Merlin wishes he could give Arthur even half of the stuff Arthur had given him, but he couldn’t and he never would even if he saved for the rest of his life. 

Tragic, wasn’t it?

Merlin found it hard to believe that this was his life. Sat far from Camelot with its injured prince. It was almost humorous, Almost. Arthur would have found it funny, if only the idiot would wake up.

Merlin started at Arthur for another few seconds but he didn’t open his eyes. 

He declared then and there that he would not move from this spot until he did, even if it took him forever. 

————————————————————-

Arthur woke with a banging headache and blurry vision. His senses didn’t come back to him all at once, it was slow and one at a time. Arthur’s throat felt like it had been stuffed with rocks and his ears rang more than the alarm bells did in Camelot. 

Arthur managed to focus his eyes enough to search to see if Merlin was in the room, he had so many questions. It wasn’t until Arthur finally noted the weight pressing on his right side did he see Merlin. 

The raven haired boy must have fallen asleep next to him, his head resting on Arthur’s shoulder and their hands clasped together.

A small smile broke out on Arthur’s face at the sight, he was just too adorable. 

Still grinning, Arthur tried lifting his arm to wake Merlin. It was a little stiff but he managed to push past the feeling. 

“Merlin? Merls wake up.”

At the sound of his voice Merlin’s eyes shot open and he scrambled to get up. 

“Arthur! You’re awake!”

Arthur rubbed the back of his head where bandages had been placed. 

“Thanks for stating the obvious Merlin. How long have I been out?”

”Since yesterday. I need to check your head, can you sit up?” 

Arthur racked his brain for any kind of memory after his fall but came up with only blurry pictures of a red neckerchief and Merlin’s worried face.

Merlin moved to help him sit up but honestly didn’t have the strength to. Arthur laughed and did it himself. 

Merlin peeled off the bandage and Arthur was more than glad that he couldn’t see the injury, he had never been a fan of blood. 

“Looks alright, should heal up nicely in a few days. You might have a scar though.” 

Arthur hummed, scars were cool. 

“As long as your hair hides it then no one should ask questions.” 

Merlin came back around to face him with two thumbs up. 

Arthur rolled his eyes and slowly peeled himself from the cot he lay in. Merlin hovered by incase he needed any assistance but Arthur didn’t, he was doing fine. 

“Are you hungry, thirsty, cold, warm, tried, all of the above?” 

Arthur took Merlin in. He stood just above Arthur (unfortunately) with his hands placed delicately on his hips. 

“I am fine Merlin, do calm yourself.” 

Merlin mimicked the words back to him and got him a jug of water regardless. 

Arthur took two sips before speaking again. 

“We need to get back to Camelot.” 

Merlin nodded his head and pointed over to wear two bags laid already packed. 

“It’s you I’ve been waiting for” 

Arthur laughed loudly and freely, it felt good to liven the situation. 

“I wish to have one more meal with my mother before we leave. She will be home soon for dinner, we can leave after.” 

Arthur nodded and went to sit back down after Merlin asked him to for the fifth time. Merlin was cooking them food and Arthur was only going to mess it up. So he lay back down on the cot and watched Merlin hum as he prepared the food. 
Arthur was glad to be alive. 

—————————————————————

Hunith came home a little while after the food was done. Merlin kept it heated with his magic to Arthur’s amazement. He didn’t get to see Merlin’s magic often and it was always a good day whenever he did. 

She dumped her bag on the floor and laughed excitedly when she saw Arthur setting out the plates on the table. 

“Oh I’m so glad you’re alright, my dear. We were worried sick.”

To Arthur’s shock she rounded the table and embraced him like any mother would. The thought comforted and disturbed him at the same time. 

Hunith sunk into her chair in the middle of Arthur and Merlin happily. 

“Oh but no one was more worried than poor Merlin here, I don’t think he slept a wink when he brought you in.” 

Arthur turned to Merlin who had just took his seat to find that he was pretending to have not heard a word that was just said. 

“He’s always struggled to find friends my birdie has, it used to be just him and that ruffian Will. I’m glad he has you to keep him right Arthur.” 

Merlin stared at his plate in horror at the words that kept tumbling out of his mothers mouth. 

“Merlin was an eager beirn, always trying to please and make people happier with those adorable little cheekbones.” 

She scrunched up her face and Arthur balked out a laugh. 

Merlin felt heat rush to his cheeks. 

“Mother I beg you, say one more word and I will impale myself with this spoon.” 

This just made the pair laugh harder. 

“He gets himself in a lot of trouble with those cheekbones mind you. He has no respect for the monarchy at all that it actually amazes me. How he’s still alive is beyond me.”

Hunith coughs on her water nodding her head. 

“Oh indeed! I tell you Arthur when I saw him facing off the king all those years ago my heart stopped.” 

Arthur moved closer to her. 

“Mine too, and I had only just met him!”

The pair chuckled on and on and on while Merlin finished his food in silence. 

It was only when they brought up Merlin’s snoring did he actually lose the plot. 

“Are yous both quite finished! All I wanted was a nice meal with my mother before I leave again for Gods knows how long and this is what I get! Yous should be ashamed!”

He stood up from his chair and stared them both down. 

They exploded into laughter. 

“He gets like this all of the time doesn’t he?”

Arthur asked to which a hunith replied “Only when something annoys him. Bless birdie he is adorable.” 

Merlin slammed his plate down on the wooden bench. 

“I am a warlock! You can not speak of me in this manner!”

Arthur stood in hysterics and walked over to ruffle Merlin’s hair again. 

“Alright fine mighty sorcerer, use your powers to wash up then.” 

Arthur dunked his fingers in Merlins jug of water and flicked it all over his face until the front bits of Merlins hair was wet. 

“Well I do say Arthur, when I first saw you coming up these steps with my Merlin I thought you were here to kill him. Now I realise you’ve been saving him all this time.” 

Merlin turned around from the dishes. Was this woman serious? ARTHUR SAVING MERLIN. 

“I cannot thank you enough Arthur.” 

She kissed his cheek and embraced him once again. 

“Well, he’s good fun to keep around.” 

Hunith giggled and they broke free of their touching experience. 

Merlin had had quite enough of this bonding, he wanted to leave now and for it to just be him and Arthur. Those were his favourite times. 

“We’re leaving now Arthur, grab your stuff.” 

Arthur sighed before whispering ‘I think he’s angry at us’ to Hunith. Merlin came behind him and flicked Arthur in the ear as he hauled his bag on his back. He handed Arthur his and quickly embraced his mother. 

“Do come and visit again Merlin, I miss you when you’re not around.” 

He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to remember the height of her and the way her hair smelled. 

“I’ll always come back home Ma, wherever I go.” 

She kissed him on the forehead and hugged Arthur again. They whispered between the two of them again but quickly broke apart. 

“Goodbye Birdie, I love you. Do bring Arthur with you again next time!”

Merlin rolled his eyes but promised to all the same. 

Once the door was shut and the goodbyes silenced, Merlin looked at Arthur and Arthur looked at Merlin. 

“Race you to the horses?”

Arthur looked at him ghastly. 

“But Mer-lin I’m injured?”

Merlin had completely forgotten. 

“Oh yeah sorry.” 

Arthur nodded solemnly and began to walk forward, just when Merlin had forgotten all about the race Arthur broke into a sprint. 

“Last one there is a dollophead!”

He had dropped his bag at Merlin’s feet and took off without another word. 

This ladies and gentlemen, this was the crown prince of Camelot. 

Merlin hurried after him, after all Arthur was his prince, and he couldn’t have him thinking he wasn’t a dollophead could he?

—————————————————————

Merlin and Arthur rode through the night to get home, it wasn’t practical albeit but they felt it was necessary. 

Only when they broke through the clearing with the castle in sight did Arthur stop. 

“Bollocks, I forgot to get Morgana and Gwen something.”

Merlin grinned before swinging his bag up from the horses saddle. He rummaged around before pulling out two strips of a strange woven fabric. Bracelets, Arthur realised. Merlin handed them to Arthur to have a closer look. 

The first bracelet was a deep green, woven with gold and red flowers on it. He wasn’t sure what material it was only that it was soft to the touch and that the piece was beautiful. The first bracelet even had a small M detailed in gold. Morgana’s, he thought. 

What must be for Guinevere was a sky blue with flowers of purple and pink, her G was a soft silver. 

“Where did you get this Merlin?”

He shrugged. 

“Will’s mother makes them, I asked her when you were unconscious to make them up. Did a splendid job don’t you think?”

Arthur nodded. The girls were going to love them. 

He put the fabric in his pocket and they rode on. 

—————————————————————

Arthur was right, Morgana and Gwen did love them and since that day he hadn’t seen them off their wrists. Guinevere’s was hidden by dress sleeves when working but when she moved in a certain way you could see it, but only if your were looking for it. 

Morgana wore hers loud and proud and answered every question with a daunting glare. 

Arthurs wound did scar and Merlin was right, his hair did cover it if he put it a certain way.  Some days, when he didn’t have to leave his room he brushed his hair back to normal so that you could see it. Merlin liked doing this for him in the woods too, to ‘see how the mighty scar was holding up’

It seems that all four of them brought something back with them from Ealdor as Merlin had now taken to wearing neckerchiefs everywhere he goes. He likes red ones the best but doesn’t mind a pale blue one either. 

At their first forest meet up since the accident Merlin strutted into the forest with a red one tied proudly around his neck. 

Arthur raised his eyebrows and Merlin answered ‘It was all I had at your time of need, I shall wear that proudly and never leave my chambers without one again.”

A grin took over Arthur’s face and he reached to mess up Merlin’s bird nest of a hair but Merlin beat him to it. 

He leaped forward and took Arthur’s golden locks in his hair and made it his mission to make him look awful. 

“The scar Merlin! Watch the scar!”

Those words would be repeated for years to come. Merlin never did watch the scar.

Chapter Text

Merlin knew everyone in town. He knew the blacksmith, the baker, the seamstress. He was aquaintances with the royal servants, the cooks and the stablehands. This woman, Merlin was sure he did not know and that was impossible because he knew everyone in town. The woman, or Lady, Merlin should say from the fine silk she was wearing, had been everywhere Merlin was that day. In the physicians chambers, out and about in the lower town and next to Arthur. He knew that something was off the second her whole demeanour changed when she cast eyes on the prince. Merlin had been delivering potions for Gaius and spotted Arthur roaming an empty corridor. He was about to call out when she came into view; The Princess Lanore. According to Gaius she was in Camelot for a visit with her parents. They were signing something boring and long and unimportant that Merlin didn't dare remember the name of. The important thing was that she was here, smiling at Arthur like he was the goddamned sun. Give him a break.

What made the whole thing worse was Arthur's pig-headed behaviour towards it. 

'Prince Arthur, you are even more dashing than people say.' This idiotic comment (which was really a backhanded one if you thought about it, It only comfirmed people were gossiping about him) Was said with a coy smile and an inperfect curtsey.  Upon hearing it Merlin wanted to throw himself out of the nearest window, but Arthur on the other hand relished in it. 'People whsiper about me?, Do tell.' The arrogant prat watched as she flushed over one of his award-winning grins before leading her away. Merlin stood in horror for a few extra seconds after they left before rushing to Morgana's chambers.

She was not on his list of patients to visit but if anyone asked he could just say he was checking in on her and asking about the nightmares she has. They both knew that her nightmares were magic, although not what type or how she can use it, but no one else had to know that. He knocked politley on the door and waited a few seconds before Gwen opened it with a warm smile. 'It's just Merlin, My Lady.' He heard a call to let him in quickly and then he was being shoved through the door. Merlin didn't have to ask why the rush, the room told him itself. Curtains, previously drawn lay in tatters and ashes on the hardwood floor. 'Morgana?' He swivled his body around until he clocked her on the other side of her bed. Her hair had been roughly and quickly tied back out of her face and Merlin saw the remenats of tears on her cheeks. Morgana offered him a small smile as Gwen began tending to the burnt curtains again. 'I was dreaming Merlin. Horrible, unimaginable things and I couldn't get out. I couldn't wake up no matter how hard I tried.' Her voice cracked and Merlin slowly slid to the floor to sit besides her. Morgana waited until Merlin was close enough to whsiper 'Magic Merlin, It was my magic.' He pulled her into a firece hug and muttered only good things into her ear. Merlin watched as Gwen wrapped any charred remains around whatever was left of the curtains and tie it off the best she could. Gwen left it by the door to be taken out later, he imagined. 

She came and replaced Merlin in the embrace and as she did so Gwen informed him of the full story. 'I heard screams and came rushing in. The candle had been knocked over and the whole thing was alite.' Merlin nodded. Guinevere did not know about Morgana's magic, or potential magic, at least not yet she didn't. Morgana had pulled Merlin aside yesterday afternoon and asked him if he thought she shoud tell her, he had said yes, but only to hers. Merlin's was his own choice and he would rather not have that coming out to her just yet. One day, soon. 

'Could you take the curtains to Gaius and have him discard of it? she doesn't want anyone to know.' Merlin mouthed 'Of course' and left to do so, but not without recieving a nod from Morgana that he was alright to leave her. 

'Oh Merlin?' He turned back at Morgana's voice just as he had reached the door. 'What did you come here for? Originally.' Merlin smiled and quickly peeked his head around her bed frame. 'Some new girl's taken their fancy to Arthur, it's disgusting,' The declaration had both girls shooting up and calling out a chorus of 'What!' as Merlin ran out of the room. They would see for themselves, Merlin thought. For now he had to give this to Gaius and talk to him about Morgana, as well as finish his list of patient runs for him. Merlins day was far from finished, he just hoped he didn't see Princess Lanore and her stupid dark curls. 

Arthur wondered the halls of Camelot with more that one thing on his mind. He was supposed to be greeting King Tenfer and his wife and daughterwith his father right now, but Uther had waved him off upon seeing him. He thought that Morgana would at least accompany him instead, but to his knowlege she was still safley tucked in her chambers. The thought of neither of them there was extremely strange to him, not to mention it was massivley out of protocol. Arthur knew he didn't have a great track record of this but it had went without mishap the past at least twenty times. He just had Morgana do all of the talking and touching and everything went accordingly. Simple as. 

Morgana was also playing on his mind. Her nigtmares had begun getting more frequet and vivid. Merlin thinks she should talk to Gaius about it but Arthur isn't so sure. Funnily enough, Arthur was the most causitous one out of the three when it came to magic. The thought of more people knowing what was just between the three of them did send a shiver all the way down to his toes. You can never be to careful. 

Arthur was about to go and sit with Morgana when his name rang out in an unfamillar voice. 'Your highness?' He whipped his head around and was met with stark green eyes. 'Hello?' The woman in front of him looked around his age and was staring at him weirdly. 'I am Princess Lanore, what a pleasure it is to meet you.'

Arthur was off gaurd in as many ways as possible, he swore alarm bells were going off inside his head. He managed to school his expression into something suave and responded with 'Prince Arthur, the pleasure is all mine.' His several personalites that day erupted in cheers at his quick recovery of this unexpected social interaction that would definitley find it's way back to his father at some point. 'Might I say Prince Arthur, you are more dashing than everyone says.' What does he do, what does he do, WHAT DOES- 'People whisper about me? Do tell.' His mouth somehow swooped in with an ambiguous save. He would kiss himself right now if that was even possible. Quickly, Arthur offered her his arm and prayed that she didn't notice he was taking her right back to wherever she ran off from. 

Now, It wasn't that she wasn't gorgeous or kind or nice or whatever he was supposed to be looking for in a girl, it's that he wasn't looking for a girl. Arthur had enough to deal with without the stress that came with bride choosing and overeager girls. He would flirt, if his brain allowed it and maybe flash a wink or two but there would be nothing more than that thank you very much. Arthur was only 18, he still had some freedom and a whole boat load of other girls he would have to meet. Somehow Arthur knew , just by looking into her eyes, that Lanore was not his soulmate. If he had to look into every girl's eyes in the whole five kingdoms to find her, then he would. But not now. Now, he wanted to drop this girl off, find Merlin, drag him to Morgana's chambers and listen to the pair mutter as he drifted to sleep. Yes, that is excaty what he was going to do. 

Uther Pendragon knew that something was off with his son, he wasn't sure when he came to this conclusion or how long something has been going on without his knowlege...but something, somewhere and somehow had changed in him. Uther saw less and less of him since Ygraine's death and when he did see him, he was searching for someone in a crowded room or courtyard, or laughing over wine with Morgana. He was sure that Gaius saw his son more than he did, after Arthurs new sudden interest in the 'health of his people'. He didn't buy it for a second. Even Morgana was distant with him, sticking to Arthurs side when she could or galivanting with that maid of hers. It puzzled him. Kings should never be puzzled, especially not when it came to matters of his own children.  Uther had devised a plan to make the pair think he was keeping his distnace from them, when really, he was going to be closer than ever. 'Princess Lanore of Mamore or whatever she was called should do her job niceley. If not, her parents wouldn't get that pathetic scrap of land they were begging him for just a few hours ago. 

Uther was Camelots king, he knew everthing. Or at least he would.

Chapter Text

The second Arthur saw servants running up a corridor, he took the lady Lanore down it. Usually when you see this sight its because his father was at the end of all this chaos, either in a foul mood or wanting to be undisturbed because they had guests. Lanore said something and giggled so he let out a chuckle too. So far she hadn't noticed Arthur checking every corridor and mapping out a plan in his head.

'Most people see what they want to see' Merlin had once said to him, he supposed it was true. If Lanore wanted to see a dashing young prince who hung on her every word, who was he to stop her? 

As they neered the end of the hallway, Arthur heard his fathers voice rise to a shout once again. 

'Leave us!' realisation dawned on Lanore's face as a sniffling young servant came bambling out of the room. Her head was down far enough that he couldn't see her face and she musn't have seen him either as the girl ran smack bang into him.  Her head shot up and he recognised her instantly. It was Guinevere, Morgana's maid. What she was doing serving the king baffled him, but the sight of her puffy eyes and flushed cheeks pushed the thought away. 

'I'm sorry, you're highness. Please excuse me.' 

She went to walk past him but he caught her arm. 'Go and serve Morgana, I'll sort this out.' Gwen nodded but didn't offer him an answer. Arthur watched as she walked away wiping at her eyes until he was sure she was going where he had told her too. He was going to make his way up to 'Gana's room after this in anyways but now he would have too. Servants shouldn't run away from you in fear, it wasn't right. Arthur wished to amend but alas, he could not. 

'Do you wish to see your father? Is that why we are here?'

Arthur pulled his gaze from the hallway and pasted on a smile again. 

'Yes, I wanted to meet your father and introduce myself properly. It's not often we get guests.' 

Lanore grinned at him like he was offering her a marriage proposal, which he was not, just to clear that up. He opened the door for the pair of them and took in the scene quickly. Uther was stood by the window, casting a gaze at Lanore's father to where he sat at the table. In front of the man was a single sheet of paper, he held a pen in his hand steadily. Their presence made him drop it. 

'Father, King Mor.' Uthers expression lay blank as he greeted the pair, which wasn't unusual, his father never was interested in his presence anymore.

'Mor, this is my son Arthur. I see you've met the princess Lanore?' 

Uther came behind Mor and clamped a hand dwon on his shoulder, Mor just stared at his daughter. Arthur knew something wasn't right here. Firtsly the fact that Uther was standing while Mor was sitting suggested that his father had all of the power. The absence of Lanore's mother meant that this was some kind of buisness arrangment, yet neither party looked particularly happy about whatever was going on here. He didn't think it had something to do with him, no the energy was too strange for that. It was probabaly another shady supply deal that Arthur pretended he didn't know about or a forced alliance. It wasn't for him to worry about, not yet. 

'Yes, indeed I have. We had a pleasant walk around the castle but I'm afraid I must get to training, We seem to have lost track of time.' 

Lanore had a strange look come over her before she turned to him and bowed. 'Farewell Prince Arthur, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon.' Arthur bowed too and watched as she joined her father at the table. Uther patted him on the shoulder and wished him a good train before shutting the door behind him. Arthur couldn't shake the feeling that the kind words were to just get rid of him, but really why was he complaining? Arthur would gladly keep his distnace from his father and the malice he ruled with. It did comfort him to know that poor King Mor had his daughter with him now and that Uther wouldn't do anything further in her presence. 

Arthur turned away from the whole mess and began his journey up to Morgana's chambers. As he began to climb the stairs he caught a flash of red out of the corner of his eyes. 

'Merlin?' 

Silenced followed and for a moment Arthur thought he had been mistaken, then a familliar face popped around the wall of the entrance to the stairs. Arthur knew it, he would know him anywhere. 

'Arthur!' Merlin unpeeked his head and swung himself around to greet him. He was dressed in his usual bland work clothes with the exception of the red neckerchief that still always hung from him. On his shoulder was the battered old brown bag that Gaius carried around all of his 'instruments' as he called them. Today though, Arthur knew they just held medicines and herbs that Merlin dropped off around the castle and the town. He was lucky to see him on a delivery day, Merlin always complained about them to him and how he never gets a moment to sit down, even to eat. This concerned him until he amended that he did eat on these days just always scarcely because it would have to be on the go and he doesnt want to get a stitch. 

'Have you got somethig for Morgana in there?' Merlin immediatley shook his head and went to speak before Arthur stopped him. 

'Try again Merlin' The raven haired boy frowned before slowly nodding. 

'Good, I'm going up there too, you can join me.' Merlin broke out into a grin and hauled himself up the stairs after him. 'Careful Merls, don't want to break Gaius' remedies like last time.' 

Arthur ran further up the spiral stairs when Merlin stopped to yell at him. 

'That was your fault!' 

Arthur hung himself over the stairwell to tussle Merlins hair while his was out of reach. Merlin snatched his head back away from him and began climbing the stairs as fast as he could with a heavy bag on his shoulders. Arthur reached the top within seconds. 

'Oh do hurry up Mer-lin! I don't have all day.' 

Arthur ducked as something flew at his head. He turned around to investigate to find thatit was a shoe, Merlin had threw his shoe at him. 

'You know only having one shoe is going to make you ten times slower?'  The second shoe slapped him in the face. Arthur stepped back from the ledge to pick it up but kept his mouth shut this time. He didn't know what else Merlin had left to throw at him but he knew Merlin better than he knew anyone, he would find something. Besdies, watching Merlin climb stairs and shout at him was probably still going to be the best part of his day, as seeing him always was. 

Lanore followed after Arthur closely. Her father had told her that all she needed to do was find something, and if there was nothing to be found she would have to make something up. Her stomache was still in knots from seeing her father at that table and Uthers face when she told him she hadn't found anything yet. He was the example of everything her father was not, and that made her proud. They weren't playing Uthers games for their own gain, it was for their people. Camelot had stolen more and more of their land as the years wenton and claimed they were spoils of war. The worst part was Lanore knew the land was nothing to Uther, a spare few coins in his pocket, yet he was making them beg and work for it. He enjoyed it. 

Lanore was going to follow Arthur for another ten minutes and if she hadn't found anything worth given she was going to think of a lie. She would not see her father like that again and she would get this land for her people. 

Lanore stayed out of sight behind a large pillar as Arthur climbed the stairs, she couldn't climb them while he was becasuse he would surley notice her. A young man passed her which had her slamming herself into the wall as if it could swallow her up. She hadn't even thought about other people seeing her spying nevermind the prince. Lanore didn't have to worry for long because the prince suprisingly got her out of her own mess. 

'Merlin?'

His voice caused the serving boy to stop in his tracks and look back at the stairwell, he hesitated but pushed whatever he was thinking out of his head and peeked around the wall. 

'Arthur!'  Lanore heard the smile in Merlins voice and knew that she had found what she was looking for. Before, she was going to say something about the young woman he had stared after before they saw his father but conversing with a servant in such a personal nature had to mean something, and she was going to figure out what it was. 

The pair mucked about on the stairs for another long few minutes, teasing and joking around with each other. Only when she heard their voices fade away did she follow after them again. By the time she reached the top of the stairase, Lanore only just saw a door swinging shut and more voices joining theirs. The lady Morgana's chambers, she knew from hearing them talk about it but she never thought they would walk in with such informality. the second the door was shut she ran over to catch it just before it closed by a crack. Lanore looked around before jamming her eye in so that she could see. 

Morgana and the young servant from before were in an embrace on the floor that this Merlin character was quick to join. Guinevere, she thought Arthur had called her wasn't as upset as they had last saw her but all remenants of it melted away when she saw the pair approach. Merlin sat on her other side and wrapped his spare arm around her, Morgana conversed with Merlin over her head before Guinevere burst out in laughter. Merlin looked up to see Arthur smiling at the scene but not quite joining it, within a heartbeat he pulled the prince down next to him and rested his head on his shoulder. 

All four of the lay intertwined on the floor in fits of laughter as Lanore slowly shut the door. This wasn't for her to see. She knew it now, what had changed in Arthur, he had found friendship. How could she tell Uther anything having just seen the heartwarming picture that she had? Lanore knew she couldn't. In that moment she knew Arthur was not like his father and that she would tell him nothing. Lanore would wait for the day that man throught those doors became king. The man with a servants head on his shoulder and a maids hand in his. He would save them. They would just have to wait for that day to come. 

Chapter Text

Merlin’s head hurt, so did his throat, in fact he wasn’t sure he could pinpoint a part of his body that didn’t ache. 
It was all Arthur’s fault really, he was the one who thought it was a good idea to drag him out of his bed in the middle of the night so they could disappear into the forest. He should have said no, but it was Arthur’s big birthday tomorrow and by the look on his face he wasn’t all that happy about it. Merlin couldn’t have told him to go home with that look on his face, it wouldn’t have been right. 

“Are you going to the feast?”

Merlins throat was scratchy but he still pushed out an answer. 

“Yeah, the whole bloody kingdom may as well be going.” 

Arthur laughed and turned on his side to face Merlin. They had started taking to lying flat on the grass whenever they met up, it was comfier and Arthur liked to tell Merlin all about the different stars. According to him, Ygraine spent hours naming every one of them when she was just a child. A distraction. When Arthur was old enough she let him name them too. 

“I’m terribly scared for what my father has planned. I expect you to faint or cause a ruckus if it’s something too embarrassing.” 

Merlin spent the next few moments thinking about worse case scenarios like being dressed up as a jester or being commanded to sing in front of everyone. The latter had to be worse, from painful experiences Merlin knew Arthur had the singing voice of a cat. He wasn’t sure what Arthur wanted him to do in that situation, magic him a new voice? Or God forbid sing in his place. 

“Absolutely not!” 

Arthur looked stricken. 

“Merlin you have to save me! Those are the rules!”

Merlin turned on his side too. 

“Oh says who!”

“Me! And I’m the prince so you have to do what I say.” His lips quirked upwards into a shit eating grin as he pushed up onto his hands and leaned over Merlin. 

Merlin made a swipe to try and knock the prince down but Arthur was too quick, avoiding his attempt easily. 

“Now now Merlin, is that anyway to treat your prince?” 

Arthur bent his elbows slightly and leaned in close to Merlin’s face. Arthur’s eyes tracked his messy hair, before dropping down to the curve of his nose and then to the eyes that stared right back up at him. His gaze settled on Merlin’s mouth as he whispers “Prat”. The words hang heavily in the quite night  but neither of them seems to notice. 

All Merlin could think about was just how much he is going to miss this. One day Arthur is going to grow tired of him, still kind enough to give him some money to live somewhere nice, but not by his side. So Merlin will go on, he might even settle down and get married, maybe he won’t. What he does know that he will spend the rest of forever thinking about the times the Prince of Camelot would look at him like he was the only thing in the world, and he would try to forget. 

“Where is that head of yours now Merlin?”

The words were so quiet he almost didn’t hear them. 

“It’s nowhere.” Arthur had been hovering over him for so long now that his silver chain had fallen out from under his shirt and dangled aimlessly in front of him. 

Arthur watched as he stared at it thinking Merlin wouldn’t notice, he did. 

“It’s not with me.” 

Merlin met his eyes again and curved his lips upward at the sight of worry on his prince’s face. 

“It’s always with you Arthur.”

The whole moment had gotten a little bit too close to home, He was sometimes so shocked that Arthur new him so well. Probably better than he knew himself. 

Arthur looked like he wanted to say more but settled with flopping back down on the grass next to him. 

“You’re going to be twenty one tomorrow Arthur.” 

Even though Arthur was a year or two older than him, the fact made him feel old. It was lost on him how the golden boy who almost ran him through for stealing a candle was still by his side today. He would have if any way. 

Arthur met his sentence with an hun as he twiddled his chain between his fingers. 

“I’ll be twenty one and then that will be it for me.” 

Merlin rolled his eyes, “Oh come on it won’t be that bad!” 

“It’s just one more step closer to being king, and everything that follows that.” 

Merlin reached over and ran his hand through a stray lock of hair. A comfort, for both of them. 

“Have you ever thought of what it would be like if I wasn’t a prince? Do you know what I would do?” 

Merlin smiled, “No, but tell me anyways.” 

“I would buy a plot of land somewhere and I’d go live on it. You would come too obviously, who else is going to do all of the donkey work.” 

Merlin laughed loudly into the sky. 

“I knew there would be a catch.” 

Arthur grinned slyly.

”You know Merlin, I do wonder what I would be like if I didn’t meet you all those years ago. Probably a rule follower with a much quieter life.” 

Merlin snorted. Like hell. 

“More like a rowdy, entitled, pompous arsehole.” 

Arthur pointed at him sharply.

“Well, that too.” 

“I think that side of you still shines out sometimes, it’s not all totally lost.” 

Arthur wedged his elbow into Merlin’s side. 

“It definitely does not!”

Merlin cast him a look until Arthur grumbled something incoherent. 

They argued back and blue about this until sunrise when they could hardly get the words out anymore. It was one of those talks that seemed to last forever, you know the ones where you talk about anything and everything? If he thought about it, Merlin could probably say that pretty much most of his talks with Arthur were like this. Maybe it’s because there were never any rules between them, or maybe it was the freedom they felt with each other. Whatever it was, Merlin was happy to have it. 

As he watched Arthur track the rising sun in the sky, he thought of what else he could say. 

“Happy birthday…Captain.” 

Arthur didn’t take his eyes off of the sun. 

“Yes, I think so.” 

Many would think that the morning of your 21st birthday would be full of joy and festivities, Instead Arthur was facing a lack of sleep and a mission to avoid as many people as possible. 

It had been going pretty well to begin with, he has stayed holed up in his room and ate the beautiful breakfast that a servant had brought him about an hour ago in bed.

Then, someone had to ruin it all and knock on his door. 
He waited a few seconds in silence. Maybe they would leave if they thought he wasn’t there, why would a prince be in his bedroom on his 21st birthday?

The knocking got more impatient. He had to let them in didn’t he? 

“Oh come in for Gods sake.”

Arthur expected a knight coming on orders from his father, but instead it was Morgana who strutted into his chambers. 

“‘Gana?” 

She closed the door behind herself and made her way over to Arthur promptly. 

“You need to get out of bed.”

She stopped at the bottom of his bed and crossed her arms. 

“Oh I might have known. No, Hello Arthur? Happy birthday Arthur? How you feeling today Arthur? No! Just ‘Get out of bed.’”

Arthur didn’t see why he couldn’t just spend his morning how he wanted to! The feast wasn’t for hours and honestly he needed this time to mentally prepare for that. 

Seeing Arthur’s defiance, Morgana rounded his bed and tore the breakfast tray from his lap. 

“Oi! I was eating from that!”

She then grabbed a lock of his hair and pulled and pulled. It got to the point that if he wanted to keep his hair then he had to move towards her, and she was out of bed.

”Oh for fucks sake fine!” 

Arthur kicked his blanket off of him and pushed himself out of bed. He stumbled as his feet got caught on the corner of blanket and Arthur slammed into his bed post. 
Morgana rolled her eyes and headed back towards the door.

”Hurry up, we have a surprise for you.” 

A surprise? Arthur hated surprises? 

By the time he rolled off the bed and stalked out the door, Morgana was already halfway done the corridor. He ran a hand through his hair and wiped the sleep from his eyes as he followed after her. 

Morgana stopped outside of her own chambers and waited impatiently for Arthur to catch up. He might have walked a tiny bit slower when he saw she was tapping her foot, but that’s no one else’s business. 

When he was in reach, she grabbed him and hauled him inside. 

“Alright, alright.” 

He ripped his arm from her grasp and surveyed his so called surprise. 

Guinevere sat under the window with a Meek smile on her face and a small box in hand. Morgana shut the door and ushered him to sit directly in the middle of the room. 

“Do I have to sit in the middle Gana’, this is so weird.” 

She clipped the back of his head with a wad of fabric before she stopped in her tracks. 

“Oh do tell me he’s just hiding in here somewhere.” 

Guinevere laughed and shook her head. Arthur did hope that whoever this was wasn’t his surprise. With his luck it would be someone dressed up as the king. 

“I told Gaius to make sure he was here on time, I’m going to kill him.” 

Gaius? It was far too early for Arthur to even comprehend what was going on. 

“Oh you can’t kill him Morgana, he’s unwell.” Guinevere pleaded with bubbles of laughter emitting from her chest. 

“Will someone please—“ Arthur was rudely interrupted by the noise coming from outside of Morgana’s chambers. 

“Ow! You bastard!”

Arthur sadly knew that voice anywhere. 

He got up from the floor and moved to open the door to see what in the hell was wrong with him now. 

Arthur opened the door and sighed. Merlin had somehow walked into the wall just before the door and poked himself in the eye. 

“Oh do get up you idiot.” 

He grasped his shoulders and revealed their perpetrator to the girls. 

“Merlin! Where have you been!” 

Arthur put Merlin down next to him in the middle, still rubbing his eye. 

“He’s been making friends with walls.” 

Arthur shut the door and made his way back over to the trio to find Merlin complaining about his illness. Again. 

“Mer-Lin! If I have to hear about your sickness again. I might just die.”

“Arthur!” The girls scolded in unison. 

“No! I’m not having it. Oh Arthur my head! Arthur my voice! Arthur my chest!”

Merlin burst out laughing and Guinevere’s worried look relaxed a touch. 

“It’s not my fault I’m sick, is it! You’re the one who always drags me out in the freezing cold!”

Arthur plonked himself down besides Merlin, but not without messing up his hair first. 

“Don’t care. You know, when I met his mother she told me that Merlin was such a baby when he was Ill and I did not believe her. Well all I’m going to say was I hadn’t seen him sick then, and I have now. Hunith was right.” 

Merlin shook his head in disbelief at the blasphemy as Arthur cackled. 

“I’m never letting you near my ma again.” 

Arthurs head snapped in Merlin’s direction. 

“I’m terribly sorry Merlin, you are not a baby when you’re Ill, in fact you reaction is perfectly normal.” 

Merlin held Arthur’s gaze for a second before conceding and allowing him Hunith privileges again. 

“Yes I thought you’d see my side of things.” 

Arthur pretended to ignore it. 

“You are lucky Merlin’s even here Arthur, if I was as unwell as him I would be tucked up in bed right now.” Guinevere stated, shifting the small box from hand to hand.

”Yes thanks for the reminder Gwen, Why aren’t I tucked up in bed right now?” 

Morgana’s eyes widened. 

“Oh yes! I’d almost forgotten. We’re here to give Arthur his gifts!”

Gifts? Arthur did love gifts! 
When he was younger Arthur loved everything anyone gave him equally, when asked why he would exclaim that someone had to think of him when buying the gift and that meant more to him than the world. When he got a bit older Arthur realised that most people didn’t give him a thought when getting him a gift. He didn’t like them so much after that. Still, his mother, Morgana and Merlin when he could always got him a real, personal gift and he loved them all. 

This was the first year Guinevere had ever gotten him something so he took the small box with care. 

“It’s only something little, I didn’t know what you would like.” 

He smiled brightly at her before opening it. Inside lay a comically tiny dagger that was about half the size of his hand. 

Arthur laughed out loud as he took it from the box. 

“I thought it could go on your keys.”

He looked closer, at the hilt of the sword there was a silver loop that would allow it to fit along side his other keys. 

“I love it! Did you make it yourself?”

Gwen’s face flushed slightly as she nodded. 

“Yes, in the forge. I’m glad you like it Arthur.” 

Merlin leaned over his shoulder to have a look, so Arthur offered him it to hold when Morgana produced her present to him. 

He unraveled the red bow that had been wrapped around the box eagerly, Merlin took this from him too. He had always loved soft fabrics. 

Arthur took off the lid and saw a fine comb staring up at him. Merlin let out a mad laugh when he saw the contents. 

“I thought, what better gift to get my dear Arthur than a hair comb!”

Arthur reached for it and twirled it in his hands. It was actually quite a nice hair comb, better than the one he was using now at least. 

“Thank you ‘Gana, it’s lovely.” 

Morgana hummed and reached over to grasp his hair. 

“Best get to using it then.” 

Merlin shook beside him with almost sob like laughter. It was his fault that his hair was always a mess and he was enjoying it. Most of the time, Merlin managed to catch him just before he went into an important meeting and screw up his few minutes of hard work. No wonder the whole palace probably thought his hair was a mess. It was. 

Morgana’s and Guinevere’s eyes slid to Merlin as the raven haired boy finally stopped laughing. 

“Oh it’s my turn!”

Arthur had never seen the boy get up so quickly. He was having a rather nice time for being dramatically Ill. 

Merlin ran and threw himself over Morgana’s bed. Arthur watched in horror as he landed on the other side and popped right back up with something in his hands. 

He spun dramatically to reveal one of the best things Arthur has ever seen. 

In his hand was a hat. A beautifully ridiculous hat. It was also the hat that nine year old Merlin had made fun of when Arthur was forced to wear it when a neighbouring king came to visit. He had been pulled into their entertainment that was more like a circus. They paraded him around in this stupid hat and Merlin loved every second of it. That day has been banned from existence by Arthur, until now. 

Arthur stared at it in amazement. 

“Where in the seven hells did you find that!”

Merlin shrugged and flipped it in the air.

“I made it. From the memory of the best day of my life.” 

The girls stared on in confusion. 

“And your gift Arthur is that for one night, and one night only. I am going to wear the hat.” 

“You aren’t!” 

Arthur didn’t think his smile could get any bigger, oh he could not wait for this. He might ask someone to create an oil painting or an articulate glass window, anything to help him capture the sight in time. To save it. 

“I am, it is your birthday after all.” 

He came back over to join them and put the hat where it really belonged, on Arthur’s head. It was a great big thing with feathers and gaudy colours, it was so blurred in his memory now but yes, this was the hat. They were so young then, they described that hat to each other for hours that night. Just to remember the essence of it, the feeling of embarrassment and joy mixing together to create something new. He couldn’t wait to try and capture it again. 

“Here” Merlin spoke just to him. “I wrote you something too. Read it later yeah?”

He nodded, not really thinking as Merlin slipped something into his pocket. 

Merlin didn’t write to him often, In fact it was a pretty rare occurrence. The only other time something like this happened was when he left a note about four years ago in Arthur’s chambers to tell him that he wouldn’t be meeting him that night as Gaius was unwell. That was it. Arthur was very curious to say the least, but he would respect Merlin’s wishes and read it later. 

“Thank you all for my gifts, I love them.” 

Guinevere blew him a kiss as Morgana tried to tackle him to the floor and put that stupid comb to use. Then Merlin got involved and took advantage of having a partner in crime. After wiggling his way out of their grips for a few minutes, Arthur was finally pinned to the floor after Guinevere finally agreed to help out. In the end, Merlin had his knees on either side of Arthur’s torso as he straddled his hips and put all of his weight on Arthur’s arms. Gwen held his legs in place and Morgana kept his head up with one hand and brushed with the other. 
Merlin grinned down at him like a fool as he had his hair fixed up. When Morgana was done poking at him, Merlin told her to wait and he quickly released his weight off of Arthur for just a second to make a grab for what looked like that stupid hat. Arthur took his chance and bucked his hips but Merlin was too fast and threw the hat at Morgana just in time. 

He felt the material being forced onto his head and his body being forced upwards. At that point there was nothing he could do. 

“Awww he looks so cute, don’t you think Merlin?” Morgana cooed, the trio staring at him like he was a puppy. 

“Yes, indeed he does. Very handsome.” 

Arthur had always liked the way Merlin said handsome, it was the same with a few other words like King, bath and mirror. There was this sort of twang on the hard letters. It was his mother who taught him how to speak back in Ealdor, and he knew from when he was there that they did the same thing. The accent only ever came out when he was tired, drunk or when he said a few words. He remembered asking Merlin about it when they were maybe 12 and he had no idea what Arthur was talking about. It was probably his favourite thing about Merlin. 

They released Arthur from his captive hold and finally let him leave to go and get ready for the feast. He gave the hat back to Merlin who had patients to see and headed back to his own chambers with his other gifts in tow. 

It wasn’t until he had clinked his mini sword onto his keys and placed the comb on his desk that he remembered Merlin’s letter. Did this count as later? Later probably just meant when they weren’t all together, he thought. Arthur reached into his pocket and settled himself at his desk. 

The piece of paper was folded into an envelope which had a scrawled Arthur written on it. He stared at it for a moment before deciding to cut his losses and open the bloody thing. 

To My Dearest Captain,

I thought about what I wanted to get you for weeks, no scratch that, months. I didn’t want to get you something boring or impersonal because that’s never been quite our style. I say ‘our style’ like we actually have one, but maybe we do Arthur. Maybe our style is genuine, or maybe our style is joy. Those are the words that follow after your ridiculously long name in my mind. Genuine Joy. 

You know Arthur, my mother writes me letters plenty, and they’re addressed to me but honestly they should have your name written on the front. You are the person who she has the most questions about, not me. I’m not quite sure why I’m sharing this but here’s an extract from one of the first letters she ever sent me after our visit. 

‘Oh and I do love your Arthur Merlin, you are more yourself around him than you are even with me and I think the Gods everyday that you have someone to be like that with.’

I didn’t think it was true back then, but now I see it.

Now, here’s the truth. You are the only person who I ever want to do anything with. I think if I could bring you along with me all day, I wouldn’t ever mind getting out of bed in the morning. One of the only things that does keep me going is the promise of seeing you that night, or even if we don’t have plans, just getting a glimpse of you training or talking with Morgana is my highlight. 

I don’t want to bore you with sappy words but, In my chest I know that when I’m with you everything’s going to be alright. It sounds stupid but my mind has me convinced that if you are by my side, nothing can go wrong. Now I know we’ve both seen that fail, but things have always turned out better for us in the end. 

A part of me can’t believe that we’re still as close, my biggest fear growing up was that I was going to wake up one day and you were going to leave me. I couldn’t comprehend living without the golden boy with a smile like the sun. It wasn’t in my plan. It still isn’t in my plan. 

Arthur, prat, who am I kidding? If you’d have me I’d stay by your side for as long as I live. I’ve never cared what I was or what I was doing, If you were there with me. 

Arthur, You are my best friend, and I hate to say it but I could not bare to lose you. Not when you have so much ahead of you, and I don’t really have anything at all. I keep thinking about what you said to me last night, about how you would turn twenty one and then that would be it for you. It won’t Arthur, you know that right? You have you, and me. That’s all Camelot needs. I know you doubt your abilities but I have never believed in anything more, and my mother praised the Gods day and night. You can do it Arthur. I see it in you when you laugh out loud at my jokes, when you help Guinevere carry her washing up the stairs and when you take care of Morgana. You might be a shabby no good prat of a prince, but you are my King. Never forget that. 

I think I should probably leave you alone now, I don’t want to waste too much of your time, you do keep telling me it’s precious after all.

I’ll always steal candles if you promise to always catch me. 

— Your deputy 

Arthur stared at the paper in utter shock. His eyes had stared blurring around halfway though but he hadn’t stopped, he kept going. How lucky was he to have someone who cared for him so much. Arthur thought he might just be the luckiest man alive.  
How was he supposed to carry on like he hadn’t just read the single handily most wonderful thing ever? He knew Merlin loved to write but he had never been on the other end of it. In fact it was a pretty covert interest of his that he didn’t really share with anyone, and now this!

Oh he could never tell Merlin he cried at his desk over this.