Chapter 1
Arthur POV
Hunting was an escape, it always had been. There was no room for the worries that constantly plagued a prince of Camelot, only pure concentration was required. Motioning to the knights they spanned out as they neared their prey.
'Thump,' Merlin had once again fallen over, the sound of his incompetence echoing throughout the silence of the forest. Miraculously the deer had not fled.
"Wait here Merlin you idiot," I whispered. Honestly at times I had no idea why I kept Merlin around. I reverted my attention back to the hunt and drew back my bow, ready to strike. Before I had even loosed the arrow the deer suddenly turned and ran away. This was strange, no sound had been made. It was if someone had silently warned the deer of its peril.
Muttering angrily I headed back towards the clearing where I had left Merlin. Hearing my approach Merlin shot up suddenly like a startled rabbit.
"What did you do now Merlin?" I asked. He pouted at me and acquired his usual angelic look. "Oh don't give me that look, your clearly guilty of something you idiot," I said in exasperation.
"I was just waiting here while you finished the hunt and caught this invisible deer you have with you now," Merlin replied smugly. Never before had I met a servant who was so oblivious when it came to the court hierarchy.
"Oh well it seems as though your earlier idiocy gave the deer the heads up," I said as I mentally compiled a chore list to set Merlin the moment we returned to Camelot. Merlin smiled cheerfully and was all but skipping as we wandered back through the forest. It really should be illegal for a person to be so constantly happy and coupled with his earlier look of guilt I was now doubly suspicious. Something was going on.
Merlin POV
I stood smiling while Arthur continued to pile chores onto my already busy afternoon schedule. Nothing could spoil my mood today. Having completed my duties in the stable I headed back to the castle to bribe some food off the kitchen staff.
Louise the head chef smiled as I entered the kitchen. "How went the hunt Merlin?" she asked me. I sighed dramatically before answering
"Oh you know, I'm much too hungry to discuss that right now Louise… maybe after some food?" I suggested.
"Oh you are a cheeky one," she said as she handed me a delicious looking hunk of bread and an apple.
"Well if you must know, the hunt was a bit of a failure and Arthur is in an awful mood so I would be sure to cook him his favourite tonight," I said with a wink as I left the kitchen and headed off to clean Arthur's armour.
"Gaius, I have some news," I sang out as I barged through the door.
"What have you done now Merlin?" He asked as he looked up from his reading.
"Why does everyone keep saying that today?" I complained. Gaius raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh, don't answer that I said quickly… but if your not interested in hearing who I saw today then I'll just go off and do my chores," I said smiling.
"Oh all right, go ahead and tell me,"
"You know, I think I will leave it as a surprise seeing as you're clearly not interested." I chuckled as I went off to magic up some clean armour.