Summary: At the end of a normal day, when returning from a hunt, Merlin and Arthur rescue a girl from being attacked in the woods. As her story unfolds, strange abilities, forbidden love, unlikely friendships, and new enemies, make normal days scarce in Camelot.
Pairing: Mainly, Merlin/Arthur. Anyone else? Not sure yet.
UPDATE ON 11/16/2009 - And to the one who told me to 'label my slash' it clearly says merlin/arthur. Sorry you're too stupid to know that's two boys.
Rating: I'm thinking no smut in this one (sorry!), but M just to be safe.
Author's Note: Well, it had been awhile, FanFiction, hasn't it? Too long. But as summer left the building, so did all of my spare time. :/
BUT FEAR NOT! I still love you. :) And while I planned to have this started over a month and a half ago, it is here, and it is of monstrous size on my computer (Plus only halfway done!). One chapter a week minimum, is my promise to you.
Merlin stumbled into Arthur's room, holding the tray with his breakfast on it in one hand, and still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the other. Sitting it neatly on the table, he then went to draw back the curtains and let the morning light into the dark room. "Good morning, Arthur," he said in his most chipper and boisterous voice, knowing full well Arthur would still feel ill from all the wine he'd had the night before.
Just as expected Arthur rolled over with a groan to bury his face in the pillows. "Do go away, Merlin," was his muffled reply.
Hearing the prince say his name, the servant was now fully awake and ready to argue with the royal prat, with a smile in perfect place on his face. "Sorry, no can do. You have early morning training with the knights, then lunch with the king and Morgana, and then the hunt in the woods you were going on and on about last night," Merlin counted the list off on his fingers.
Raising his hungover face again to glare, he tried to recollect the past nights events. "I did not go on and on about it, Merlin." The servant merely rolled his eyes, before turning his back on the royal to serve him his breakfast. While Arthur may not admit it, he did nothing but brag endlessly when he was drunk.
After being fed, cleaned and dressed Arthur made his way down to the training field. Staying behind to exchange the sheets and clean up the dishes from breakfast, Merlin's mind drifted blank, thinking of nothing much that seemed important when there was a knock on the door and a small envelope slipped under it. However strange it may be, Merlin knew not to meddle in Arthur's business; unless it was to save his royal arse from getting killed, of course.
With a small sigh Merlin crossed the room, picked up the envelope and sat it on the table where the prince would be sure to see it when he returned. With the tray of dirty dishes, and remains of uneaten food, the servant then made his way towards the kitchen.
After eating his own breakfast, fetching water for Gaius, and stopping by the Lady Morgana's room to assist her and Gwen, it was time for Merlin to make his way to the training grounds. A distance from the practice area, Merlin could hear the clash of swords and cries of anger coming from the duels being practiced by the knights of Camelot. When he did reach the field, he easily spotted Arthur, going around the different pairs of men fighting, critiquing and in some places even complimenting on technique.
As soon as Merlin was spotted though, he dismissed the men for the day and the servant and prince silently made their way back up to Arthur's bed chambers. "Are you up for the hunt you had planned, sire?"
"Yes, Merlin. A few of the other knights will meet us at the gates after lunch."
"Not up to the hunt alone, then?" Merlin teased, knowing that Arthur could full well hunt on his own, and bring back more than he probably would with 10 men noisily making their way through the trees and uneven pathway.
"Very funny. No, I just thought that perhaps some time spent together would bring the knights closer. They will fight for their lives and the lives of the people they love together and that means they need to be familiar with one another. Many lives may depend on their ability to take care of each other."
"Well said," Merlin agreed, surprised that Arthur would speak so seriously instead of frankly insulting him as usual. Maybe he isn't doomed to be an incessant prat for the rest of his life, Merlin thought to himself.
- | -
After Arthur was dressed in clothing more compliant for a hunt and Merlin was carrying enough to resemble a pack mule, the two made their way into the woods with a few other knights that Merlin recognized from the training field. Nearly two hours later with enough to feed the whole royal court dinner, the group started to make there way back towards the castle.
The others, carrying what had been killed on the hunt, took the first horses ahead, while the prince and Merlin walked back through the woods to their own horses. Merlin let out a yawn, exhausted from the day. Arthur both looked and felt tired but he stifled his yawn, determined to keep up his invincible appearance. "Tired, Merlin? I know it must be exhausting working so hard to be useless," Arthur said, wearing a joking smirk on his face.
"Yes, well, some of us must try and do work you know? Not all of us can be princely prats able to sit on their arse all day."
Arthur's retort was cut off by a high pitch scream echoing off the trees around them. Dropping everything, and unsheathing his sword, the prince sprinted towards the direction the struggle was coming from with Merlin not far behind him.
Before he even reached the small clearing, Merlin could feel the magic crackling through the air. It was powerful. Reaching within him, he pulled his magic to the surface, watching Arthur dive towards the man about to incinerate a girl with blue flames flying from his fingers. Extinguishing the man's magic, Merlin made his way toward the girl who lay bleeding on the ground. With the man unarmed it wasn't long before Arthur handed him death with his sword and came to stand next to Merlin and the young lady in tears.
She looked about Morgana's age and equal in beauty. The dress she wore was torn all around her legs which had a few freshly bleeding cuts as well. Her feet were bare. As she wiped her tear stained face with dirt covered hands. Large gashes were bleeding on her back and she was visibly paling.
"You're going to be okay," Merlin told her.
The girl just let out a short dry laugh, before her face fell. "He never wanted a daughter," she whispered. And then she was unconscious.
"We're not far from the horses," Arthur said reaching out to the girl, "I'll carry her there. We need to get her to Gaius." Merlin nodded, walking hurriedly beside Arthur.
As the forest got darker with the sun disappearing for the evening and the shadows seemed to creep around them, Merlin could only think of what the young girl had said, and how when she woke up, the world she lived in, would not have her father in it. The most bothersome fact, however, was that Merlin did not know if she would be saddened with grief or joyful that whatever kind of man he had been was gone.
Feed the muse, write a review!
:)