A Quick Note: Since I live in America, where Merlin hasn't aired yet, I have only been able to see the first seven episodes online, the last one being "The Gates of Avalon" So anything that happens beyond then I have no idea and so this story is most likely AU for that reason. Still, ENJOY!
The Way to Peace and Glory.
Sometimes Merlin forgot just how big a place the castle of Camelot actually was, it happened mostly whenever he received an urgent summons by Prince Arthur, as he had this morning. He checked all the places Arthur usually frequented; his bedchambers, the Great Hall, and the till yard. Merlin even went so far as to travel all the way to the kitchens, thinking the King-to-Be might be sweet talking one of the maids into giving him an extra helping of whatever sweet she was preparing for dinner. But the prince wasn't there and Merlin was running out of places to search. Up and down stairs, around and through corridors, he was going mad trying to find his charge.
"When I find him I swear…" He murmured angrily to himself as he passed his fellow servant and friend, Gwen.
"Merlin?" She asked in her sweet voice. "Are you all right?"
"No," he answered, distractedly. He paused and smiled at her in apology for his rudeness. "I mean yes, Gwen. I'm all right. Well, I will be, once I find Arthur."
"You might want to check the library," said a voice from behind him. Merlin turned around and saw the King's ward, Morgana, walking towards them. "I remember him mentioning it earlier when we broke our fast this morning."
"The library, there's a library?" Merlin asked, incredulously. "Where can I find it?"
Morgana smiled widely at Merlin's comment. "Yes, there is a library. Just go down this hall and up the stairs to the third floor, it's on the sixth door on the right. There's a large landscape above the entrance, and two suits of old Roman armor stand guard between it."
"Thanks Morgana, you're a life saver." Merlin patted Morgana on her fore arm before dashing off. "See you later Gwen."
Merlin followed Morgana's directions and soon found himself in front of the library. He stepped in and sure enough there sat the future King of England surrounded by towers of books and stacks of parchment.
Arthur was in mid conversation with a courtier that Merlin had seen in the Great Hall a few days ago when the man first arrived at Camelot. He had strolled into the Hall with what Merlin thought was an arrogant cadence; he even kept his body erect when presented to the King. Uther didn't seem to mind the stranger's rudeness. Gaius had leaned over and whispered to Merlin that he would be wise to never get on the bad side of that man. When Merlin asked why, Gaius's brows came together, as they did when he was been extra serious, and said vaguely that there was something about the stranger that rubbed him the wrong way.
Now, Merlin watched the newcomer converse in low tones with Arthur. Even though he was leaning over the desk, as though he thought being here was a waste of his time. Merlin saw many daggers strapped to the man's belt when he gestured to Arthur that Merlin had arrived.
"Where have you been?" Arthur demanded, looking up from his papers.
"Looking for you," Merlin said, coming looking around the room. He saw Arthur frowning at him from his chair and knew he made a mistake. Thinking quickly he inclined his body forward into a bow and said in an official and stoic tone, "I apologize for my tardiness, sire. What is it that you require of me?"
A hint of a smile crossed Arthur's at Merlin's antics. Merlin straightened up and waited for Arthur to respond. After a few moments Arthur stood up and pounded his fist on the table. "Well, that's more like it," he agreed a bit arrogantly, "all docile and obedient, like a proper servant should behave."
Merlin bowed his head and tried not to smile too widely. Let Arthur think he was a docile and obedient servant if it got him out of a punishment for being late.
"Can you read Merlin?" Arthur asked, sitting back down in the great chair.
"Of course I can read you great big oaf. After all I am not a spoiled prince who spends all day bashing swords against shields." Was what sprung to Merlin's head, but what came out was a more polite, "Yes, I can read."
"And how's your handwriting…I mean your penmanship? Is it clear? Can you spell?"
"Well enough." Merlin said stiffly, after a moment he added, "Sire," and bowed again for affect.
"Excellent," The prince clasped his gloved hands together. "I have the perfect assignment for you, Merlin. I want you to note all the meetings that my father wants me to attend at the summit next week."
"Okay," Merlin nodded and put his hands on his waist. When Arthur raised an eyebrow, Merlin placed his arms behind his back and cleared his throat. "I mean, yes, Your Highness."
Merlin looked at the man standing next to Arthur. "Lichen, you remember my servant, Merlin?" The Prince asked not waiting for a response. "Merlin, this is Alec Lichen, he's going to help my father and I start our campaigns against the Saxons in the coming spring."
Lichen was barbarian of a man, grand and wide, with hard piercing eyes and a constant frown on his face. He was not some one Merlin though he would find in a library; he looked at though he'd be more at home on a battlefield bashing people's skulls in with a studded mace.
Arthur gestured to the chair across from him. Merlin thought he was telling him to sit, but when he walked over and looked down on the chair he saw that there was a large red leather bound book sitting there. Arthur made an impatient movement with his hand and Merlin picked up the book with both hands and held it out to Arthur. Lichen took it from Merlin's hand and presented it to Arthur. Merlin frowned but remained silent as Arthur nodded and the book was given back to Merlin. "This is for you; it's to help you keep record of the meetings." Arthur explained as Merlin opened the leather bound book. There were blank pages inside, apart from two lines written in neat, clear handwriting;
Property of Merlin, esquire and loyal subject of His Majesty, King Uther Pendragon and His Royal Highness Arthur Pendragon.
"Thank you, sir."
"Well just don't mess up."
"I won't, sir."
The clink of metal across metal made Merlin jump as Lichen stood to his full height. "If you'll pardon me your Highness," he said in a rough voice. "But I have something urgent to attend to."
"Of course," Arthur nodded his head. "I'll see you in the Great Hall tonight."
"Yes, your Highness."
"Where do you think he's off to?" Merlin asked, once they were alone.
"I don't know. He probably left to trim his beard." Arthur said, returning to his reading.
Merlin chuckled and looked around the room at all the books and tomes and scrolls that filled the shelves of the library. "Are there any books about magic?" he asked nonchalantly. He picked up a book at random so he wouldn't see Arthur's grim expression at the question.
"In this library? Gods, I hope not, if there are they ought to be taken out into the courtyard and burn like the rest of the evil books."
"Sir, do you really think magic is evil?"
The prince placed his ink pen back into its holder and looked at his servant. "Honestly Merlin, I have been close to death four times in the last month and in each of those close calls magic has been at the heart of it. And as I clearly like living, I take threats against my life seriously, therefore yes, I believe magic is evil and should be eradicated from the world, along with anyone who practices it."
Merlin bit his lip as he took in Arthur's answer. He wanted so badly to tell Arthur how magic, his magic, had saved him. So that the prince could have see that magic wasn't all bad, true it had been used against him before, but magic had also been used to save him, in one form or another.
"Don't you agree Merlin?"
"What?" Merlin replied, coming out of his thoughts.
"I said, 'don't you agree?' All those books ought to be destroyed. It would keep the knowledge out of evil hands and eradiate magic from the world."
"Well surely there are good people who practice magic; use it for good to help others."
"Oh really? Name one. Go on, I dare you."
"I don't know." Merlin lied and slammed the book close.
"Right, because there are none, Merlin."
Merlin ran a hand though his hair as an odd sound came from his throat. He slumped into the empty chair next to Arthur and looked around the room again before resting on Arthur, who was watching his servant carefully. "I know that you have a hard time understanding that, you like to see the good in everyone, but you'll learn not everyone is as good you think they are."
Merlin folded his arms across his chest and stared at nothing in particular. He could hear what he believed to be the prince snickering next to him and choose to ignore him.
"Merlin hand me that bunch of papers over there, and be careful, they're very old." Arthur instructed.
"Yes, sir," Merlin stood up and went over to the shelf to get the papers he wanted. Heeding Arthur's words, Merlin carefully pulled the papers from their place in the pile and headed back to the table. Curious, Merlin looked at the top of the parchment and read the title of the great tome out loud as he placed it on the table in front of Arthur. The prince started and looked up at his servant in great surprise.
"What?" Merlin asked, straightening at the Prince's gaze.
"You know how to read Latin?"
"Yes," Merlin answered, grinning widely. "I told you I could read."
"Yes, but Latin? That's not a language that servants use in their daily lives."
"Well, my mother taught me." Merlin shrugged and continued to flip though the books pages.
"Taught by a woman?" Arthur asked incredulously.
"Yes," Merlin replied in an uncommonly cold tone. "Mothers do have an annoying habit of being women."
Arthur's inquisitive look fell at the challenge in Merlin's tone. "Peace Merlin," the Prince held a hand up in an apologetic gesture. "I meant no offense to your mother's memory."
Merlin, still feeling a bit upset at Arthur's comment, chose to remain silent, but nodded to acknowledge Arthur's apology. "She still lives." He said eventually.
"I am sorry?" Arthur said distractedly.
"My mother, she's not dead, she still lives."
"Oh," Arthur said, looking up from his reading. "Tell me about her."
"Not much to tell really." Merlin started, but the look that Arthur gave him made him stop. Arthur was staring at him with the most peculiar expression on his face.
"None sense, go on," Arthur's tone reflected a sort of excitement and wonder that Merlin couldn't quite place. This wasn't an order from a master to a servant, but a request from a friend.
"She's a hard old bird," he began, a smile forming automatically on his lips as an image of her came into his mind. He closed his eyes and the image grew clearer. "She was the youngest of four, but all her siblings died after a nasty plague went though our village. But that was before I was born,' Merlin explained. "For as long as I can remember, it's always been just the two of us, my mum and me, and we've always managed.
"She would read me stories every night to help me fall asleep. Sometimes she'd just make them up, off the top of her head. Anyway, she taught me how to write and read English, Latin and some Greek. I suppose she did it to keep me indoors and out of trouble, though trouble has as always had a way of finding me." Merlin finished, opening his eyes again. There was a still silence as the king to be soaked in the young magician's story.
Unable to stand the quiet Merlin said the first thing that entered his mind. "And what about your mother, the Lady Igraine, what was she like?" he asked. "I heard that she was a great beauty. I think I passed her portrait on the way up here."
Arthur's face grew as still as stone as Merlin spoke. "I don't know, perhaps she was," The prince said, irritation slowly creeping into his deep voice. "She died when I was very young."
"Oh, I am sorry," Merlin said, realizing his mistake too late. Arthur dismissed Merlin's concern with an anger wave of his and, as if his words were a fly buzzing too close to his ear. They remained sitting as an uncomfortable silence lasted for a long time. It was when they heard the sound of a church bell ringing in the distance that the silence was broken.
"You'd better tidy up, it's almost time for the midday meal," Arthur said stiffly getting up from his chair. He stretched and without another look at Merlin, Arthur strolled out of the library.
"Oh yes, right," Merlin said to no one, already gathering books and stacks of parchment in his arms as the two friends became master and servant once more.
Reviews welcomed.