Arthur liked to think that he wasn't as clueless as his useless manservant pretended. For he noticed that said manservant no longer went to the physician's quarters. He now went to the other side of town, past the main courtyard. Arthur decided to ask Merlin about this, so when Merlin brought him lunch. "Merlin?"
"Yes sire?"
"Are you still living with Gaius? You don't go there at the end of the day anymore."
Merlin looked slightly amused. "No. I have my own house. It's a little rickety but the land lord is practically giving it out for free. I still spend most of my time with Gaius though."
Arthur couldn't fathom anything that would be important enough for Merlin to move out, so he decided that he would follow him and see for himself. "Have the day off."
Merlin spluttered. "Sire?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "You heard me. Finish in here and have the day off. I'll have an actually competent servant do your job since you never do it properly anyway."
Merlin huffed and walked out when he was finished, but he was grinning from ear to ear. Arthur threw on a cloak and rushed out after him, pausing only to tell a guard to send for a servant to clean his rooms. He stealthily followed his strange servant.
Merlin first went outside the gates, and picked a bunch of flowers, and then stuck them in his belt so his hands would be free. Odd. Merlin then went to the lower town and stopped at many of the stalls buying and trading and haggling with greedy merchants. Arthur did his best to blend in with the crowd and not have Merlin notice him. Merlin stopped at a dress shop and picked up an order he had obviously made. The owner, an aging kind old woman, passed him a parcel and smiled at him as he walked away like he was carrying a bag of gold. Then he stopped at the butchers and paid the man his entire bad of coins, which didn't amount to much. Arthur stared. Was that all his manservant got as pay? Surely not. Merlin took the two wrapped meats the butcher handed him. Arthur noted that one was smaller than the other. Merlin went back towards the castle and gave Gaius the smaller one, who thanked him and told him that he didn't have to and that he shouldn't have and so forth. Merlin just hugged him and went on his way to what Arthur figured was home. He had a mischievous glint in his eye as he neared a two story house, if you could even call it that. It was more a pile of wood, with a small attic held together with spit and prayers, and magic though je didnt know this yet. It had one small window in the front near the door, one on the other side, a staircase leading to the 'attic' and a very tiny kitchen. What made Merlin leave Gaius for this, Arthur had no idea. He crouched by the window, being careful not to be seen, as Merlin entered holding the parcels behind his back.
A small, petite, pretty girl came from the kitchen. "Merlin?" She walked towards him. "What are you doing here? I thought..."
"He gave me the day off Freya! Just out of the blue! So, I went and decided, I'd use my weeks savings to have a special day today. Now, pick a hand."
"Merlin, just," She protested, looking like she might laugh at his silly expression.
"Pick a hand, or I'll pick for you." He teased, giving her a wink.
She blushed and pointed to his right hand. He whisked forth the parcel of meat and she gasped. "Merlin! How did you! You must have spent all your savings just for this!"
"I did. This" He said bringing the other one out "is a gift." He bowed and held it forward. "For my fair lady." He said, putting both the parcel of meat and the flowers on the table.
Freya smiled a bit and said "Merlin I told you I'm not a.."
She was cut short as he kissed her and wrapped an arm around her waist, effectively cutting off her protests. "It doesn't matter whether you are a peasant girl, a lady or a princess. You are my wife and I'll call you one because you are to me."
'Smooth' Arthur thought.
She blushed but looked so happy to be there with him. She accepted the gift and opened it inside was a red dress. It was relatively simple and plain with only a small amount of beading on it and with a necklace made with bits of shell. Freya was awed by it as Merlin came and wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her head and rubbed her back.
"When I first met you, you were wearing a red dress. Granted it was mostly rags barely held together, but despite it, you were beautiful all the same. When the seamstress offered this, I asked for red. She went above and beyond, but now you really will look like the princess you are."
'Really smooth' he was very impressed by his bumbling manservant, who never showed this talents around him.
She kissed him this time and they stayed that way for a bit, with their foreheads touching and just holding each other.
Merlin sighed and looked at the parcel of meat. "Well better start dinner. I'm just sad that I couldn't get anything else. What with the pithy pay I get from arthur."
Freya slapped him on the chest lightly. "That 'pithy pay' is what keeps food on the table. But I'll soon be able to help with that." He raised and eye brow at that. "The seamstress has offered me a job as assistant."
Merlin laughed. "That would help wouldn't it."
As they set about this, Arthur slipped away. He promised himself that he would give his selfless servant a raise. And if an anonymous giver helped them live, well, it wouldn't be traced back to him. It would look like he cared. Which he did.