Hey Everyone! This is what happens when my friends want me to tell them a story. They liked it so much, they suggested I post it, so why not? We'll see whether you guys enjoy it :p I'm not the BBC, so yes, I do not own Merlin.

Summary: Arthur is being forced to marry Lady Evelyn, and Uther decides to throw a Masquerade in celebration of the occasion. Yet Arthur decides to leave Camelot. What will Merlin do when he finds out the prince is gone? More importantly, what will Uther do? And what is Morgana scheming in all of this? There are no pairings yet, although there are some implied later on in the story. You guys will just have to keep tuning in to see who ends up with whom XD


Camelot was rejoicing, as the preparations for an upcoming celebration had begun. King Uther had issues a declaration. In it, he stated that his only son and heir to the throne, Prince Arthur of Camelot, had chosen a bride. It had been ages since they had a princess to adore, and although Lady Morgana filled the role temporarily, the people of Camelot awaited the day when they would once again have a Queen sit next to the throne of Camelot. More importantly, they looked forward to having another heir to the throne.

Uther had chosen Lady Evelyn as his bride. A nobleman's daughter, she was everything that was respectable in a lady: beautiful, smart, and kind.

To celebrate the occasion, Uther had decided to throw a masquerade ball for all the members of the court. It was to be a joyous occasion where the king would officially present the prince and future princess to Camelot.

However, Prince Arthur was not happy with the arrangement. Although the girl was nice, she was just that; a girl. Arthur hated to admit it, but at heart he was a romantic. This girl lacked the connection he needed in a bride.

Night had fallen over Camelot, and Arthur didn't know what to do. He paced around his room, thinking of ways to confront Uther and tell him the truth. Yet the fact was, the more he thought about it, the more he realized there was no way that the king would understand. Arthur realized that he had no choice. The next day was the day of the masquerade. He could not stand in front of the court and accept Uther's decision.

Arthur looked out of window and realized, he only had one choice. He had to leave Camelot. He left a note on his bed, and he snuck out to the stable. There, he took his most trusted steed and left.

No one saw him leave, except Lady Morgana. She had been watching silently in the night, as she caught sight of her brother and his horse racing out of the gates. She returned to her roomand smiled wickedly. If he broke his engagement, Uther would be most displeased. If Uther was displeased with Arthur, then the greater the chances that she would become Queen of Camelot.


Dawn came, and with that, Merlin as well. It was time to wake the prince, so he headed over to Arthur's room, as was the daily routine. He sometimes hated being a servant.

He knocked on Arthur's door. The prince needed to be up and help with the preparations. Today was no morning to sleep in. After a while though, no one answered, so Merlin just barged in.

"GOOD MORNING SLEEPYHEAD! WAKEY WAKEY!"

There was no one in the room. Merlin looked at the untouched bed, and saw a note. It was sealed, yet instead of having Uther's name on it, it had Merlin's. The servant opened the note. It read:

Merlin,

Sorry for this inconvenience. I have left Camelot. Do not mention my absence to my father. Just tell him I have left in search of a gift for Lady Evelyn, that will keep him satisfied.

Sincerely,

Arthur

Merlin crumpled up the note. "Stupid prat...ignoring that I may get in trouble...only thinking of himself..."

The door opened, making the servant jump. He turned around, and realized that Uther had decided to come in and check on the Prince himself.

"Where's Arthur?"

Merlin was suddenly afraid. He swallowed hard.

"Arthur…erm…He's gone sire."

"Gone where?"

Uther's gaze was stern. Merlin felt sick imagining all the ways Uther could punish him for what had occurred. Merlin feared for his life. If Uther realized that Arthur wouldn't come back-

"He went to find a gift."

"Find a gift?"

"Yes sire. Left early morn' to find a gift for Lady Evelyn."

"Did he say where to?"

Merlin gulped. Where the hell would he be gone that would take him all day, if not longer possibly? "Err…I think he said he might have gone out to the villages. He wanted to find something especial, hence why he left so early."

Uther looked too calm. As if he was secretly planning ways for Merlin to be tortured. He did not like that expression in the least bit. Uther's lips curled in excitement, making Merlin flinch.

"Wonderful news!" Uther said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. "This means that he has finally warmed up to Lady Evelyn! Let me know when he returns, understood?"

Merlin nodded, unable to speak, and Uther left the room. The moment the door closed, Merlin collapsed on the bed. He was safe…for now. He swore, Arthur was going to pay for all this trouble he was putting him though.


What will Merlin do? He only has a couple of hours to find Arthur before the masquerade, and if he doesn't, who knows what will happen to our favorite young warlock? And what is Morgana going to do? That little witch...

The reviews will determine when and if I update, so please, if you read it and are somewhat intrigued, drop me a word :D

~Pendragon Alchemist~