Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. BBC does.
This one is a bit different to my other stories - and yes, updates for those two will be coming in the next few days. This popped into my head and it hasn't left me alone since.
Slipping out of Gaius's chambers and down the stairs that led to the rooms he shared with the physician, Merlin's footsteps were nothing more than whispers through the night. He glanced down the hallway looking for guards out of nothing more than sheer habit. He knew the guard patrol timings after so long in the castle, knowing that he could avoid them easily.
Slipping into an alcove as the usual patrol passed, muttering a quick spell of redirection to ensure he went unnoticed as the men made their way round the castle, he waited for them to round the corner just a he did each and every time he snuck out of the castle in this way.
After sneaking out of the castle, it was easy enough for him to distract the guards at the main gate, something he'd done many times before, slipping past them to make his way through the lower town. Even though it hadn't been long since the Great Bell had tolled and he'd settled Arthur in for the night, the town was already deserted and he quickly ran through the town and the woods towards his destination.
He couldn't stop the slight grin that formed on his face as he looked up through the trees, seeing the full moon slowly climbing in the sky. He picked up his pace, knowing that he could make it to his destination in an hour at the most. Having done this journey once a month – duties permitting – since he'd arrived in Camelot, he knew exactly where he needed to put his feet on his journey. There had only been a couple of times where he hadn't been able to make it and the times he couldn't make this journey, he felt sadness and longing inside his chest. He knew that the times he didn't make it couldn't be helped but it didn't stop the feeling from swelling inside him.
He continued his confident walk through the forest, ignoring the numerous sounds of the woods around him as he knew that there wasn't anything out there that could threaten him. Even if he came across bandits out here, they wouldn't be too much of a disturbance for him. He hadn't come across anyone on any of his trips out here. He knew that there was going to be a chance that he could come across someone at some point but he wasn't going to worry about it too much. The woods were generally dark and dense enough so that he wouldn't be recognised even if he was discovered.
He grinned as he came to the lake, seeing the tell-tale bubbles of what dwelled beneath rising to the surface as he neared. He sat down on the edge of the lake, pulling off his shoes and socks before stripping down completely. He stepped into the lake, feeling the cool water rush over his feet and ankles, closing his eyes as he walked into the lake, muttering lowly as the water reached his waist.
"Álíese sé hagorún." His voice was low, feeling the tell-tale tingling and warmth filling him as he spoke. He could hear the whispers on the surface of the lake as those that dwelled there came to greet him, having expected him this night. "Áwréon sé sóþsegen gesceap."
He breathed a sigh as he felt the spell take effect on him, feeling the warmth run down his spine, settling at his waist before moving down. He felt himself relaxing as he felt his legs begin to pulse, fusing together becoming one large powerful tail, made of pure muscle and more powerful than any human could ever imagine. He immediately dived under the surface of the lake, welcomed by the other merfolk that dwelled in the Lake of Avalon.
They greeted him as they always did, fanning around him, grins and hugs from various mermaids that he knew were sweet on him. He felt the tails of the others brushing against his own, many sensations transferred by nothing more than a simple touch.
They all quickly congregated in a small alcove that had them hidden from view, allowing them to lounge in the water as they bathed in the pool of bright moonlight. It was the place they could come on the rare occasions that the Knights of Camelot would investigate the great expanse of water they called their home. From here, sitting in the right places, they could watch the Knights and know that they wouldn't be seen themselves. The alcove was only accessible by water and even though there was a small dock with a boat on the shoreline for those brave enough to travel to the island in the centre of the lake, none of the Knights had ever braved the treacherous waters. None of them wanted to risk being caught in the spell of the merpeople that dwelled beneath the surface. Not that they couldn't be pulled in by the songs sung by those very creatures.
For some reason, they thought they were safe on the shoreline.
Merlin knew that it wouldn't take much for Uther to attempt to attack the lake and he didn't want to risk the lives of his family. Even though he was still young, as Emrys, they took his word as law in the lake and he had made it clear that the Knights of Camelot were not to be touched when they came near the lake. If Uther heard that any of his Knights had been lost to the waters, he knew an attack would be imminent. Not something he wanted to risk. They had understood his reasoning and though many of them had grumbled about it, none had challenged him or disobeyed in the years he had been in Camelot.
Of course, the bandits that often stayed close by – too close, if they knew what was good for them – were fair game and the way Merlin saw it, the more they lured into the lake, the less the Camelot patrols had to worry about. Of course, Uther thought that the decrease in bandits was due to his Knights strength and constantly boasted of the superiority of his knights but Merlin often allowed himself a small smile, all the while knowing that they had nothing to do with it.
As the alcove filled with the merfolk that lived in the lake, each settling into the various grooves and onto rocks around him, Merlin never felt more at peace than when he was here but he knew that with his duties in Camelot and his destiny and obligations to Arthur, he couldn't stay, no matter how much he wanted to.
"We do miss you, Merlin," he turned to see a young mermaid, Karina, smiling at him as she lounged on a rock nearby. "We do wish you would come back." With her fiery red hair and tail to match, Karina was incredibly beautiful and strong willed. Merlin knew that she liked him and had done for a long time but he had also made it clear that he wasn't interested in her that way.
Didn't stop her from flirting with him more often than not.
Merlin sighed, settling himself on his stomach on a rock, the golden scales of his own tail shimmering in the moonlight. He crossed his arms in front of him, resting his chin on his arms as others settled around him. "I want to stay," he admitted, looking at her and the others, "but I can't. I have too many responsibilities in Camelot and until I know that I can trust anyone other than Gaius with who I really am, I can't risk anyone else finding out."
"We understand, Merlin," he looked down in front of him to see that his mother had emerged from the water and was smiling up at him. She pulled herself up, wrapping her arms around him and he revelled in her touch, his tail twitching slightly as he hugged her back. "We just wish that you didn't have to spend so long away, is all."
"I wish I didn't either but at the moment, it can't be avoided." He sighed, settling back down as his mother rested her back against the rock he was currently laying on, using a protruding rock as a makeshift seat. He brushed his tail against her and she wrapped an arm around it, gently running her fingers across his fins, the movement soothing, reminding him of how she used to soothe him as a child.
He allowed himself to relax, listening to the stories the others were telling. None of them were as exciting as the life he led in Camelot but he tended not to share those, using his time at the lake to get away from the hectic life he led there. There was nothing as relaxing than being here, surrounded by his family, listening to them gossiping and swapping their stories.
He wished that he was able to come back during the day. In the summer, there was nothing more beautiful than the lake. The sun glistening off of the surface, creating beautiful colours, shimmering as the breeze caused gentle waves to appear. Most of the time, they would lounge in the sun on a rock, soaking up and revelling in the heat. On hot days, it wasn't uncommon to find the lake empty as all the merfolk could be found on the shorelines, sunning themselves. Unfortunately his duties in Camelot and to Arthur hadn't allowed him to do that for a long time.
All too soon, the sun began to rise and he knew that he had to be making his way back to Camelot. He slipped off the rock, leaving the others where they were. He knew that they didn't want him to go as much as he didn't want to leave but there wasn't anything else he could do. His mother accompanied him to the lake's edge as she always did, wrapping her arms around him before he moved towards the shore, muttering the spell that turned him human, feeling his tail splitting as he always did, his feet hitting the bottom of the lake as he walked out.
It didn't take him long to dress, quickly making his way back to Camelot, sneaking back into the castle before the others had even begun to stir. He quickly ran back to Gaius's chambers as the old man was waking, giving Merlin a sleepy smile as he walked back up to his rooms to change. Not being able to dry off properly, his clothes were slightly damp as he travelled back to Camelot. He changed quickly before heading down to the kitchens to grab Arthur's breakfast.
Despite not having slept the night before, the trip to the lake always made him feel more rejuvenated than even if he had had the best night's sleep. There was an ancient magic at the lake, one that Merlin's own magic tapped into without conscious thought from him himself. Before coming to Camelot, not having left the lake before, he hadn't noticed it was there. The connection to the lake that seemed to revitalise him whenever he went back.
Walking down to the kitchens, he managed to cut ahead of the other servants that were gathering breakfasts for their masters. Being the servant of the Crown Prince, the only ones that went ahead of him were the personal servants of the King. He loaded the tray with Arthur's breakfast, accepting the sweet bun that the cook gave him.
Moving around the kitchens was one of the only times he really showed the grace he held as he lifted the tray, manoeuvring around the others coming in the other direction. Slipping past the other servants, he placed the sweet bun on the tray, knowing that Arthur would enjoy it. It wasn't something that Merlin would eat himself and he didn't want it to go to waster. He quickly took one of the less used servant's routes that took him around the main passages, directly to the passage in the noble's wing that led to Arthur's chambers.
He balanced the tray on one arm, quietly opening Arthur's door, closing it behind him and quickly making his way across the room, placing the tray on the table before walking over to the curtains, yanking them open with force.
"Up you get!" He yelled, causing Arthur to moan and roll over, grabbing a goblet from his bedside table, hauling it at Merlin, who caught it with practised ease, placing it on the table as Arthur scowled at him. "Come on!"
Arthur groaned again, sitting up as his arms flopped in front of him, glaring at Merlin. "I should have you thrown into the stocks." He grumbled and Merlin chuckled.
"For waking you up?" Merlin questioned, raising an eyebrow at Arthur. "I think your father would do worse if I didn't."
"Probably." Arthur climbed out of bed, ambling over to the table to start on his breakfast as Merlin made his way over to the prince's wardrobe, pulling out various items of clothing for the prince to wear, placing them on the dressing screen before walking over to the bed and pulling off the sheets from the night before. He threw them into the basket he would take down to the laundry, bringing a new set up when he returned to tidy Arthur's chambers.
After finishing his breakfast, Arthur made his way behind the dressing screen pulling on the clothes that Merlin had pulled out for him. There was a knock on the door and Arthur called for them to enter as he pulled on his jacket, Merlin grabbing his sleep clothes and adding them to the basket to take to the laundry.
"Sire," it was Leon who gave Arthur a nod of respect as he entered the room, "your father has called a meeting."
"Did he say why?" Arthur asked and Sir Leon shook his head. Arthur nodded, dismissing the knight and gesturing for Merlin to follow him as he left the room. Merlin left the laundry basket where it was in Arthur's rooms, knowing that he would be back up for it later.
It didn't take them long to reach the council chambers where his father was pacing behind his chair, several knights and the council members present. Arthur walked towards his father while Merlin walked over to where Gaius was standing, looking slightly concerned.
"Any idea what's going on?" He asked, glancing at Gaius who shook his head.
"No," Gaius sounded concerned, watching Uther carefully. "A guard told me that Uther had summoned me here. Didn't say why. Was Arthur told anything?"
"Same thing," Merlin whispered and Gaius nodded, "Leon came to Arthur's chambers and said that Uther had sent for him."
"Father," Arthur called as he approached the King.
"Arthur," Uther appeared to be relieved at the sight of his son, walking over to him as Arthur approached. "We have a serious problem."
"What is it, father?" Merlin glanced at Gaius who still looked confused.
"You've heard the stories from the Lake of Avalon?" Arthur nodded and Merlin glanced at Gaius, extremely nervous at Uther's words. "We've had reports that people, villagers have been going missing around the lake recently."
"You believe that the . . . creatures . . . in the lake are attacking the villagers around the lake?" Merlin bristled at the word 'creatures'. He could feel Gaius's eyes on him and he gave the smallest shake of the head he could muster without anyone noticing.
"That is what I fear." He muttered, glancing around the room. "I want you to investigate, find out what is going on at the lake. If these creatures are responsible for the disappearances that are happening, we need to figure out a way to get rid of them."
"Of course, Father," Arthur nodded, turning to the knights and calling up volunteers to ride out as Uther dismissed the others that had gathered in the council chambers. Merlin followed Gaius out, knowing that he would be expected to ride out with Arthur.
"Merlin?" Gaius raised an eyebrow at him as they walked through the castle, Merlin not saying anything until they reached Gaius's chambers. "Merlin, is there any truth to what the king fears?" Gaius asked as he closed the door behind him.
Merlin stopped, turning, shaking his head. "Not a chance." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The villagers around the lake know not to go near it so they stay well away. It's only travellers that don't know the lake they've come across is the Lake of Avalon." He shrugged, giving Gaius a wry smile. "And bandits that don't put any stock into the stories they hear or are feeling brave enough to try and take on the merfolk at the lake. Or stupid enough."
"Merlin," Gaius stepped up to him, a worried look on his face, "I need not warn you that you need to be extra careful with this."
"I know," Merlin sighed, making his way to his room, grabbing what he would need. "I need to make sure they stay out of sight of the Knights. If Arthur doesn't find anything then he's most likely to back off."
"Arthur might be," Gaius advised, standing in the doorway, watching Merlin pack his bag as he had done many times before. "But Uther would not be so easily discouraged."
"I don't know what more I can do, Gaius," Merlin turned to face him, looking confused and worried. The physician could see that he was wrestling within himself. He knew that he had to be there to protect Arthur but in this he would have to find a way to protect his family at the lake as well. "I'm just going to have to make sure I can warn them."
"Good luck," Gaius gave him a quick hug as Merlin exited the chambers and made his way down to Arthur's chambers, grabbing what he knew the prince would need and making his way towards the stables where the stable-hands had his and Arthur's horse ready to go. He loaded his horse with what he would need, turning as Arthur walked towards the horses.
Merlin didn't say anything as he watched the knights Arthur had recruited for the mission, climbing onto his own mount, letting out a breath as they started out.
He had no idea what he was going to do.