Gold
Chapter One
"Merlin," a woman's soft voice flowed through his mind. "Merlin".
Merlin woke up as the sun started to shine a brilliant orange-gold in the east casting morning rays through his window. He smiled, savouring the moment of rest that came with waking up before he had to.
He could hear Gauis in the next room already up and preparing breakfast so he flung back his covers and swung his legs out of bed, ready for the day ahead. He changed his nightshirt for his normal blue shirt and pulled his tatty brown jacket on as he opened his door, almost tripping down the steps while he pulled his red scarf out of the jacket pocket.
"Morning Gauis!" Merlin said cheerily, fixing his scarf around his neck and smiling at his mentor.
"Good morning Merlin!" Gauis smiled back at him, relishing the feeling of a glorious day combined with that of his ward having clearly slept well, which was all-too-often a rarity. "Breakfast is ready."
They sat down together to eat and it was over too quickly before Merlin had to get up to get the King's breakfast. Just before he walked out of the door though, Gauis called him back.
"Yes?" Merlin replied to his mentor's call.
"Once you're finished with Arthur today, I could do with some herbs collected for me." He rifled through his work table for a moment before he found the items he'd been looking for. He picked up a few little glass vials and peered at their labels through his magnifying glass. "Comfrey, deadnettle, hedge mustard, and... hops..." he tailed off as he pondered a couple of the other vials on his table. Then he shook his head minutely. "No, actually, forget the hops- I will make sure I get some from the farmers in the harvest. But if you could get those others for me please Merlin, I would appreciate it" he said, looking back up at the young man standing in the doorway.
Merlin smiled. "No problem," he said as he ducked out of the door.
He yawned his way down into the kitchens and found a tray and filled it with hot porridge oats, apples, bread, and a little cheese. Despite having just had his own breakfast, the smell of freshly baked bread made Merlin's mouth water. Hilda, the cook, caught him looking at the bread oven and she playfully cuffed him over the ear, smiling fondly at the young man.
"'Ere," she said, grabbing one of the smaller loaves and pushing it into his pocket while he carried the laden tray. "'Ave one yourself- you could do with some feedin' up,"
Merlin gave her his best smile, "thank you!" he said exuberantly.
Hilda gave him one last friendly look before she returned to her bread ovens to check that her legendary baked goods weren't overdone.
In the corridor, Merlin took the opportunity while no one was there to lay the tray down by a stone statue and eat the bread in his pocket while it was still warm. He rolled his eyes at the first bite in bliss. He loved it when Hilda wasn't too busy- she always thought that he was too skinny and would find a little something extra for him to eat.
It wasn't too long though before he was back upstairs from the kitchens, laden down with the hot goods and fruit for Arthur.
He balanced the tray on his arm and opened the door with his other hand.
The room was dark so he put the tray down on the table and pulled the privacy curtain between the bed and the rest of the room aside and then drew the curtains over the window apart letting the now-blazing sunshine into the room.
He turned to the bed and tried to stifle a laugh as he saw the famous King of all Camelot sleeping with his mouth wide open, drooling obliviously on his sheets. He ultimately failed to stifle that laugh though and the noise that came from him made Arthur stir and wake.
As soon as Arthur's eyes fluttered open he was assaulted with a far too happy voice ringing too close to him. "Morning Sire!"
"Merlin!" Arthur replied, almost cheerily. "Sleep well?"
Merlin was somewhat taken aback, smiling slightly in disbelief at the question.
"Well actually Sire-" he began.
"I wasn't expecting an answer Merlin," Arthur interrupted, raising an eyebrow at his manservant as he struggled to sit up.
Merlin huffed but was in too good a mood to let it affect him. "And did you sleep well?" he asked, trying to illicit some guilt in the King.
"Yes, although no thanks to your tidying- if I find a cleaning rag in my bed again, I might have to reinstate the stocks as a punishment for you."
Merlin stopped, trying to think of an excuse to defend himself with but he couldn't think of anything before Arthur spoke up again.
"Doesn't matter Merlin, so long as my breakfast is up to scratch."
Merlin was glad when Arthur finally let him go back to his duties as his breakfast clearly was up to par. He didn't feel up to having extra chores to do- he'd not slept amazingly well. He couldn't quite remember why, just had the ghost of a feeling that someone had called out to him... Not unlike how Kilgarrah used to do, Merlin realised. But then he dismissed it, though not without a slight uneasy feeling, like he'd forgotten something. The Great Dragon's calls in his mind had always been so clear and had woken him up on several occasions. What last night's dreams felt like were just that- dreams.
He shrugged his shoulders and left the castle to find the herbs that Gauis had mentioned he'd needed.
Sometime later in the day, Arthur stood in the throne room in full kingly regalia, his hand resting on the back of his throne and facing the room. Sir Leon was standing in front of him with a group of other knights, and the counsellors and court advisors were in the room as well. Sir Leon was giving a report.
"So what have the other kingdoms said about this?" Arthur asked him.
Leon looked straight as his King. "Sire, they have doubled the patrols around their borders, but they warn that the realm of Camelot is the direction in which they are travelling towards."
There was a low rumble of agreement from the other knights in the room. The advisors looked around at them and each other wondering what the King would say.
Arthur looked down with a small frown on his brow, clearly thinking deeply.
He looked up at his chief knight, face a little clearer. "We will do the same, Sir Leon. Step up the patrols on the borders, but keep it subtle- if there is no trouble, then we don't want to alarm the people." He looked around his throne room and addressed all of his knights. "Be on your guard," he told them. They all bowed towards their King and left the room. The counsellors left also, leaving the room empty and Arthur to his thoughts. He took the few steps to his throne and he sat in it heavily, slouching, his elbow leaning against the arm of the chair, and his head leaning on his fist. He only had his thoughts to himself for a minute though as the double doors opened and Gwen walked in in her favourite red gown and the smaller diadem crown of hers.
He looked up at her and smiled a tired-looking smile, his arm flopping down into his lap. Then he got up to meet her, holding his hands out towards her to take her hands in his, which she gave him willingly.
"What is the matter Arthur?" she asked him, a small crease of worry on her forehead and her eyes searching his.
He squeezed her hands and sighed. "Bandits, it seems. We have had word from more than one kingdom around Camelot telling us of a large number of thieves looting tombs." Gwen's face mirrored Arthur's in her disgust at that knowledge. "Apparently their thirst for riches is quite insatiable," he finished.
"What are you going to do?" Gwen asked him.
Arthur turned her towards the door, tucking her left arm through his and led her to the door for them both to leave. "For now, I've told them the step up the patrols and to keep an eye out. The people of Camelot are hard-working honest people, and even in death, no one deserves to have that happen to them." His mind wandered for a moment to both of his parents, both in their graves. "People deserve their rest once their day is done."
Gwen caught his mood and patted his arm while leading him to the bright and lovely day outside to walk through the castle outdoors and to lighten his thoughts.