"Merlin!"

Merlin winced as he heard Arthur bellow his name from the prince's inner quarters. Yelling or shouting it angrily had been the only way Arthur said his name lately. "I'm coming!" He hollered back, trying to keep the annoyance from creeping into his voice as he gripped the load of laundry he was carrying and broke into a sprint towards Arthur's chambers.

Merlin more then anyone knew the amount of strain that the prince had been under the past two months. The king's health had not been improving and Arthur was constantly nagged during every counsel by his father's advisors to have himself declared king. And, Merlin thought as he struggled to push open the Prince's doors, he's still in shock over Morgana. He heaved a sigh, setting the basket of laundry down just inside the room. The whole kingdom is. Merlin would never openly admit how deeply the Lady Morgana's betrayal had wounded him personally. Even though he had known exactly what she was planning, her ruthlessness when she had unveiled her true nature had truly broken his heart.

"Merlin!" His friend's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yes, sire!" He panted, following the voice. He found the prince in the small armory that attached to his room, his face tinted pink with anger as he chucked a helmet at Merlin's head. Merlin ducked behind a suit of armor just in time and the helmet narrowly skimmed past his ear. Merlin lifted his head cautiously, knowing the next thing he said was going to sound stupid, but he said it anyways, "Something wrong?"

"You better believe something's wrong you imbecile!" Arthur exploded, grabbing a sword from the rack. "Just look at this sword!" He shoved the blade under Merlin's nose. "Blunt! Blunt as the edge of a spoon!" He tossed the sword on the table and turned angrily to Merlin. "Tell me, are you really that stupid or are you intentionally trying to get me killed?"

Merlin couldn't take it anymore. He had been willing to look the other way on several of Arthur's outburst, but the ridiculous accusation was above and over the limit in his books. "If I were trying to get you killed I'd have done so a much simpler way then by leaving your sword unsharpened until you meet up with a formidable enough foe!" He spouted back, picking up the sword and tossing it across the room.

"How dare you-!" Arthur began, the veins in his neck popping out.

"No, Arthur, how dare you!" Merlin interrupted, taking a step towards his friend. "Now I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, but you can't take it out this way."

"Just who are you to tell me how I am to take out my stress?"

Merlin sighed and softened his voice. "I'm your friend, Arthur. I've kept your back through every battle and I'm not about to turn against you now."

Arthur's glare softened as the shame rose in his eyes before he looked away. Knowing he had made his point, Merlin bent to pick up the discarded sword. "So what happened?" He asked, picking up a whetstone from beneath he rack and starting to sharpen it.

Arthur let out a breath. "I made Guinevere cry." he said, slumping his shoulders as he took a seat. "She's been telling me for some time now that I need a break from all the counsel meetings, says I'm too wound up with everything happening so fast."

"She's right."

"Shut up, Merlin." Merlin sighed and continued sharpening. "I know she's right." Arthur continued, rubbing a hand through his blonde hair. "But I can't just take a holiday. I'm regent now, I have responsibilities that I have to attend to, Lords and Barons that I need to meet with, not to mention the letters that I am required to write to all of our allied kings and the training of the knights."

"Why not let Leon take care of that." Merlin asked, cocking his head.

"Because, Merlin, Sir. Leon is practically rebuilding our border regime." Arthur answered in a bored voice as though the answer were obvious. In reality, Merlin had just recently been wondering why he hadn't seen the good-natured knight lately. "And with all the rotating, due to the amount of knights killed, I have no one as equipped, so I've got to do it myself."

Arthur rubbed his eyes, which Merlin suddenly realized were quite blood shot, and continued. "Anyways, Gwen started asking me if I was eating correctly and sleeping enough and I- well…" He trailed off, looking down at his feet in embarrassment before finally mumbling, "…lost my temper."

"What?" Merlin lifted his eyebrows. "In your alert, well grounded state of mind?"

Arthur threw Merlin an annoyed look, but answered only, "Yes, well I may be a bit tired, but I am no longer a boy and as the Prince Regent, I am required to think of my kingdom first."

"Ah." Merlin murmured, appearing to take great interest in the sword he was sharpening.

"I've been in battles and tournaments all my life," Arthur continued, "I know my limits."

"Yeah, sure you do." Merlin mumbled.

"I do." Arthur insisted.

"Course." Merlin shrugged. "And of course, if you were to, oh I dunno, keel over from exhaustion one day, you'd at least leave the kingdom in good hands."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin I rarely do anything anymore that requires physical strength, and I don't believe anyone's ever died over boring meetings."

"hmm…" Merlin hummed, looking over his work before replacing the sword on the rack.

"Oh for Pete's sake what is it?"

Merlin sighed. "Look, Arthur, right now, the way I see it is you've got this strange notion that you are invincible. But you're not, and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better for your people, because quite honestly, I don't think they could stand loosing another protector."

Arthur took a breath and leaned forward, bringing his fingertips together as he leaned on the table mulling over what Merlin had just said. "It's not that simple, Merlin." He finally said in a voice so weary it wrung Merlin's heart. "I cannot lock myself in my room for three days without being bothered by some pesky counselor, and I cannot leave the citadel with so much to do." He looked up. "This duty is mine."

Merlin glanced behind him, even though there was no possible way for anyone to overhear them, and leaned forward saying in a low voice, "No one has to know." Arthur frowned, but Merlin went on before he could speak. "Elyan and Lancelot could help you get out of the castle undetected and Gauis could come up with an illness you've fallen under. You'd only be gone a few days, three or four, just enough time so that you can begin thinking clearly again."

Arthur stared at Merlin as though he were out of his mind. Finally, after a long moment of silence he asked slowly, "Where would I go?"

Encouraged, Merlin shrugged, "I dunno, anywhere forest, abandoned house in the village." He grinned, "Maybe stay with Gwen for a few days."

"Merlin…" Arthur growled. He turned the thought over for a few more minutes before looking up with a smile and saying, "The forest! I haven't gone hunting in what seems like ages, and if I do end up being crowned king anytime soon, I very likely won't go on a proper hunt again."

"Hunting it is!" Merlin couldn't contain the smile that spread from one oversized ear to the next as he exclaimed, "Great! I'll pack our bags."

"You mean you'll pack my bags." Arthur corrected, halting Merlin in his step. Oh no he doesn't. Merlin stopped and turned around. "I'm coming with you." he said firmly. "You are, after all, the future king, the only son of your unstable father…you can't just waltz off into the forest you know, you need protection."

Arthur gave Merlin an amused look. "Well I wouldn't get that from you anyways if you were to come along."

"I don't believe this!" Merlin exclaimed smacking his forehead. "Just a minute ago you were going off about being responsible and now-"

"Don't worry, I'll take precautions." Arthur scratched his head as he mused out loud, "I can have Gawain sent out on a mission of some sorts and actually have him close to the area I'll be residing in. That way in case anything were to happen he'd be close at hand."

"So Gawain gets to go, and I don't?" Merlin couldn't help the tiny whine that had crept in there. Dragon take it! If he was honest with himself he would admit that he needed a holiday just as badly as Arthur did.

Arthur sighed. "If my personal servant went missing around the same time I disappeared with an illness suspicion would definitely be roused."

Darn it! Can't argue with that one. Merlin thought with annoyance but he answered, "I might have gotten it from you. We do spend a lot of time together after all."

Arthur smiled. "You worry to much, Merlin." he said, in his former cocky drawl, running his hand over the newly sharpened sword. Then in the time it took to blink, it was suddenly in his hands and pointed at Merlin's throat. "I've never been beaten before, remember?"

Merlin couldn't resist. "Mm-hmm…except by Morgause, who by the way, we don't know if she's really dead or not."

Arthur lowered the sword. "She's dead." He said matter-of-factly. "And she only beat me by using magic." Merlin bit his lip as Arthur went on. "I have defended this kingdom against every attack, I have crossed swords with the undead, I have captured dangerous sorcerers, I have even fought a dragon!-"

"Yes, but all those times you had me with you." Merlin cut in.

Arthur at that, but quickly answered with a firm, "No." and he turned his back, Arthur's signal that the conversation had ended. Merlin sighed and turned to leave muttering, "Well, I don't care what you say, I'm still coming…dollop head."

Two days later, Lancelot, Elyan, Percival, Gwen and Merlin stood Arthur's chambers as he gave his last orders. "Should anything occur out of the ordinary, no matter how menial, I want you to send Elyan to find me immediately."

"Arthur, relax." Elyan said, putting a hand on his King's shoulder. "We can take care of things for a few days. You don't have to worry about anything."

"I know. But in the case that-"

Lancelot spoke up, "In the case that something does happen we will send Elyan to find you with the speed of lightening, Sire."

Arthur smiled. "Thank you. All of you." His eyes scanned his friend's faces until they fell on Gwen. "Guinevere…" he said, his voice husky as he gazed at her lovingly. They had made up and Gwen smiled, blushing as he took her hands in his. With her brother as a knight, Gwen was now a lady of the court and no longer required to be a servant. She was given dresses and a room in the castle for herself, even the right to own a handmaiden, though she had yet to choose someone for the job. As she stood in the early sunlight that streamed in through Arthur's window, dressed in a rose pink gown with a white flower in her hair, she looked every bit a princess and Arthur's heart soared at the love he saw reflected in her eyes.

"I'll miss you." she said softly as he kissed the back of her hands. The knights and Merlin turned respectfully away to allow their King some privacy.

"Not as much as I'm going to miss you." Arthur said pulling her to him and kissing her on the lips. "You're the only reason I would stay here in this mad hole." he whispered in her ear.

Gwen smiled and pulled away so that she could look in his eyes as she said, "I'll be waiting when you return." Arthur smiled and kissed her again.

They waited until Lancelot and Elyan had made it to the Eastern wall where they were to distract the guards as Percival lowered Arthur from his window to the ground. Gawain had been sent out the night before and would be waiting in the Darkling Wood for Arthur. Once Arthur was outside of sight Percival turned to Merlin and asked, "Now you?" Merlin grinned and opened Arthur's chest where he had hidden his knapsack. "I'm glad you are going with him." Percival said with a smile.

"Thanks." Merlin said, grabbing the rope and swinging off the windowsill. "See you in a few days!"

He met up with Gawain on the outskirts of the Darkling Wood. "Merlin my friend!" Gawain called out as he saw Merlin come tripping up the road he tossed him an apple. "Took you long enough to get here! I thought you said at sunrise."

Merlin turned to look up at the sun. "It's still rising. Have you seen Arthur yet?"

Gawain nodded, "He headed in that direction not ten minutes ago. Seemed in high spirits if you ask me."

Merlin chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be all the more cheerful once he knows that we're following him."

Gawain laughed as he grabbed his own knapsack and hoisted it onto his back. "Let's go find the happy lout."

Arthur was in a great mood. Just being outside the confines of the castle walls again lifted his spirits. There were a few times he had the feeling that he was not alone in the wood, but he brushed the feeling off as being paranoid. He managed to catch a pheasant and two rabbits, but didn't stop to make camp until the sun was about to set. By the time he had gathered enough firewood, he was famished, and he still had not skinned the rabbits. As quickly as he could he set up the wood for a campfire and it was then that he realized he had forgotten the flint.

"Looking for something?" Arthur looked up to see Merlin and Gawain standing over him, cheesy smiles plastered on their faces and in Gawain's hand lay a flint.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed.

Merlin exchanged a look with Gawain. "I told you he'd be happy."

"What are you doing here?" Arthur's voice was stern.

"Entertainment of course!" Gawain answered with a flip of his hair as he took a seat. "We knew you'd be lonely with out us to keep you company."

Arthur stared at the pile of wood before him. "Didn't I explicitly say that I wished to be alone?"

"Oh don't worry." Merlin assured him as he took out his knife and picked up one of the rabbits. "No one else knows you're here." Gawain nodded his head in agreement and took back the flint, striking it to spark a fire. Truth be told, Arthur was glad to have his friends with him, and even a bit touched that they would care for him enough to disobey his direct orders and follow him.

"Care for an apple?" Gawain asked, tossing one to Arthur who barely caught it while Merlin smirked. Suddenly they heard something that made them all jump to their feet, swords unsheathed. Later Arthur would describe it as a scream, but to Merlin's ears it sounded like a wail. It was not very loud, but short and sharp, and like a dagger it ripped through the silence of night.

"What was that?" Merlin exclaimed, eyes straining to see anything in the darkness that surrounded them.

"Sh!" Arthur hushed, listening. Merlin swallowed, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart as he reached out with his magic, but he felt nothing.

"Panther." Gawain finally said and Arthur nodded, but neither sat down right away as they continued to scan the darkness. No other sounds emitted. Finally, the two relaxed and sat back down chuckling softly. Merlin crouched near the fire and took up the rabbit again, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone…or something out there in the darkness that needed their help.