Author's note: I was very surprised by the number of follows I received. 13 followers? And four reviews? I am so grateful that you guys took the time out to do that. I thank you all so much! This chapter is quite a bit longer than the last one, so I hope you enjoy!
Warnings: None...yet
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin and I never will. All OCs that I might mention belong to me and will not take focus of the story
Parings: MerlinxArthur, LancelotxGuinevere, WillxFreya, UtherxIgraine(past), BalinorxHunith(past)
Chapter Summary: As Merlin starts his first day as Arthur's new manservant, he makes new friends and also learns about a truth that was hidden from him by his own people
Chapter two: The First day
True to his word, Arthur came for him soon after Gaius had bandaged him up.
Merlin had been sitting there swinging his legs beneath the bench, staring intently at the ground. Only when he heard irritated taps coming from Arthur's feet did he look up, his stomach twisting with fear. Arthur stood a few feet away from him, arms crossed and looking at him with annoyance.
"When I enter a room, you're supposed to come serve me. Not keep me waiting."
Merlin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course, your highness."
Arthur's lips twisted into a smile. "Now that's better. Alright then, come along!" he led Merlin through the many halls, pointing out room after room, not even stopping to let Merlin absorb it all in. Passing by the Lady Morgana's chambers, he noticed Gwen give him a sympathetic smile and then shrugged her shoulders, eyes looking at Arthur. Though he did not know her very well yet, he was touched by the small gesture of kindness. Maybe all people in Camelot weren't so bad?
"Merlin, are you even listening to me? Merlin!"
He bumped into Arthur with an oomph sound, falling to the floor without much of an excuse for gracefulness. He wasn't expecting Arthur to be so solid, but he should have seen it coming. He winced, his shoulder hitting the floor. Arthur sighed, taking him by his good arm and hoisting him up. "Are you always this clumsy?" he grumbled, dragging him to wherever. "I hope not all druids are as graceless as you are."
The reminder of the druids made his heart twist with sorrow. He could see his mother, crying and holding onto Will as she took in the news of his kidnapping. How was she going to survive without him? Or even better, how was he going to survive without her? He fought back the tears that were now forming in his eyes, wiping them away quickly before the prince could see. This man would have no sympathy for him or for anyone else for that matter.
"Here we are," Arthur threw open the doors to his chambers, Merlin following shortly behind. "This is my room. At exactly seven, you will come here, serve me breakfast, put on my clothes, and help me do the tasks that I need done during the day. You will also be in charge of cleaning my room, doing my laundry, polishing my armor, help me train and train my knights."
"So, I basically have to be stuck with you all day?" he asked in disbelief.
Arthur simply ignored him. "At noon, you will serve me lunch and then continue on with the duties I have mentioned earlier. Dinner I sometimes have in here or with my father in the dining hall at six. At each, you will be expected to bring my food and serve wine. At nine, I retire to bed and then you can go do whatever. On certain days, I will allow you to have the day off. Do we have an understanding?"
Merlin glared at the floor, refusing to meet the prince's eyes. Arthur narrowed his eyes at him, stepping forward so that their faces were only inches apart. "I said, do we have an understanding, Merlin?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.
He finally nodded and Arthur smiled again, patting him on his non-injured shoulder. "Good lad. Now we begin training."
"For what?"
"For me."
As Arthur walked away, Merlin could only mutter under his breath. "Someone just kill me now," he sighed, slowly trudging after the prince.
"Ready?"
"Would it make any difference if I said no?"
"Not really."
Arthur swirled his sword for a few moments, allowing Merlin to adjust his helmet and take a fighting stance. Or something of that sort. He didn't really have an idea on who knights fought, but from watching them fight his people from time to time, he had learned that placing the shield and sword in front of you was a sort of defense. Or, so he thought.
Arthur came after him quickly, barely giving him enough time to reflect. The prince's sword banged against his shield, sending him a bit off balance. The prince thought, kept coming, swinging his sword and different directions until he brought the metal blade down on his head. "Ow!" Merlin groaned as the blade struck his head, a faint ringing sound clanging in his ears. "Can we stop now?"
"Don't be a girl's petticoat, Merlin!" Arthur growled, still swinging the sword in his hand ."I've got a tournament to win in a few days."
"Well beating your servant into a pulp isn't going to help you win."
Taking off his helmet, Merlin's eyes widened at the site at one of the knights, the dark haired one from before. Arthur nodded to the man, giving him a grin. "Lancelot!" he walked over to the knight, resting a hand on his shoulder. "What have you been up to?"
"Not much. Just helping the Lady Guine-, I mean, Gwen. I promised I would help her wash some of Lady Morgana's clothes."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Lancelot, am I hearing you correctly? Did you just agree to help Guinevere with Morgana's laundry?"
"Yes, you heard correctly."
Merlin watched in concealed amusement as a faint pink blush appeared on Lancelot's cheeks. His amusement however, disappeared once he heard Arthur laugh. "You are even more of a girl's petticoat than Merlin. You're a knight! Why should you have to do laundry?"
Lancelot's expression darkened slightly but Arthur seemed oblivious to it. "Not all of us were born to a life of privilege, Arthur," he mumbled before stepping over to Merlin, giving him a kind smile. "You're holding the sword too tightly. If you loosen it up like this, then it will be easier to control its movements."
Lancelot's hands were firm and gentle against his as he loosened the tension in his knuckles. "Give it a try," the knight whispered, nudging Merlin forward. "No one expects you to be perfect."
Arthur swung his sword menacingly, his eyes holding a haughty look in them. Merlin gulped, trying to remember what Lancelot said to him. "Just keep calm," he said to himself, trying to calm his beating heart. "Arthur won't kill you; he just caught you. I doubt he's one to quickly destroy his things." The last bit was bitterly sarcastic, but he found that he didn't care.
Arthur swung at him, the impact of the blade against his knocking him to his feet. He flushed a furious red as Arthur laughed, wanting nothing more than to dissolve into the grass and hide. He winced again, his injured shoulder throbbing from the impact of the ground. He cautiously moved his shoulder, gasping out loud as he felt one of the stitches pull and snap loose.
Lancelot appeared to be the only one who noticed. Immediately, he knelt down to his side, looking at him in the eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone. "Do you want me to go get Gaius?"
"No!" he protested, trying to ignore the laughter of Arthur's voice. "I just want this training to be over with. I'm not cut out for sword fighting."
"I think we can both agree on that," Lancelot teased and to Merlin's surprise, he didn't feel offended by it. As Lancelot stood up, he reached out a hand and he took it, allowing the knight to help him up. Turning to a still laughing Arthur, he narrowed his eyes. "Do you mind if I take your servant with me to help with the laundry?"
Arthur waved his hand, wiping a tear from his face. "Go ahead," he breathed, trying to catch his breath. "I need to go back to training the knights anyway. I expect you at my quarters at six, Merlin."
With that, the prince turned away and marched over to where the younger knights were gathering. Merlin just scowled after him, one word forming on his lips. "Prat," he growled. "Stupid, arrogant prat!"
Lancelot just grinned, motioning for him to follow. "He's not so bad. He really is a good person," he apparently noticed the doubtful look on Merlin's face. "Really, he is. Maybe if you two had met on better circumstances you would see it."
"Or if I didn't have magic."
Lancelot nodded awkwardly. "Or if you didn't have magic."
The rest of the walk was in silence, the two of them not quite knowing what to say until they reached the washing quarters of the palace, Gwen waiting for them with three baskets of dresses. "Lancelot!" she called out, walking quickly towards the knight. Lancelot's calm face broke out into a grin. Taking Gwen's hand, he brought it to his lips gently.
"My lady," he replied, holding his hand in hers. "I have brought more help."
"Merlin!" Gwen smiled sweetly, though it soon faded as she studied him harder. "There is dirt all over your face. Arthur is over working you, is he?"
"It was just sword fighting," he replied, wiping off some of the dirt in his face. "Apparently I'm no good at it, according to Arthur anyway."
Gwen just shook her head, her lips pursed in disproval. "He really is an arrogant man," she grumbled, her tone less than pleasant. "One day someone is going to stand up to him and tell him that how he treats people is not acceptable."
"Maybe it will be you," Lancelot grinned, grabbing a dress and placing it in the bucket of washing water. "Though I'm not sure how well that will go over with him."
"Oh it won't be me, I assure you," Gwen replied, giving him a smile. "It will be Merlin."
Merlin stepped back, looking at the dark skinned girl in surprise. "Me?" he asked, wondering where on earth she got this idea from. "Why me?"
Gwen gave him an even look. "You two are bound together by ancient magic laws, or, something of that sort," she looked troubled while saying that, as if she didn't know exactly how to form it. "If anyone can tell him off, it would be you."
Merlin just snorted. "And that wouldn't go over very well either. He'd put me in the stocks," he shivered at the second thought that crossed his mind. "Or worse, he'd have me executed."
"Well, we wouldn't let that happen," Gwen placed a small hand on his arm. "Nor would the Lady Morgana or Gaius, for that matter."
Merlin had to smile at that. "I thought all people in Camelot were bad, after the way they treated my father and mother," he stared at the soap that was in his hands, washing the emerald green dress in his hands. "My people don't have a very high opinion of the rulers of Camelot."
"And the king doesn't have a very high opinion of your people," Lancelot replied, not looking in Merlin's eyes. "Again, I don't mean offense by it; I'm just stating a fact."
Gwen just shook her head. "I believe the persecution is wrong, and I know the Lady Morgana believes it is wrong as well. She seems to have such an attachment to druids and other magic users," she paused, shaking her head again. "I don't know. All I believe is that if they're not bothering anyone, then they should be allowed to live in peace."
Lancelot nodded. "I agree," he glanced at Merlin. "I don't care about magic one way or another. As long as they're using it for good, then they are okay in my book."
Gwen turned to him, setting down one of the dresses she was holding. "So, do you have family, Merlin?" she asked, changing the subject. Her face fell soon afterwards after noticing the tense look on his face. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. How thoughtless of me."
Merlin just shrugged. "It's okay. I like you guys," he noticed Lancelot give a smile, the man not looking up from his washing. "I live in a small group of druids with my mother and friend Will."
"Is your mother a druid?" Lancelot asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"No," he responded. "Neither is Will. My father had magic though, but I never knew him. He disappeared a few months before I was born. We found Will when I was five, rummaging through our supplies. He was so thin and sickly that we just had to take him in. He's been living with my mother and I ever since. Basically, he's my adopted brother."
"You must miss them terribly," Gwen mused sympathetically. "But I do know that Morgana is right now trying to convince Uther to allow you to return to them. And believe me; she will fight to get what she wants."
Merlin laughed, not at all surprised. "So, what are your families like?" he asked.
The smile on Gwen's face fell, her eyes immediately dropping down to her wash. "My mother died when I was ten years old and my brother left shortly afterwards. He's four years older than I am, but we were very close up until she died. My father," she paused, sorrow filling her eyes. "My father was executed a month ago."
Merlin couldn't help his jaw from dropping. "I…I am so sorry," he blurted out, shame and embarrassment filling his heart. "I didn't mean to pry like that. I just thought since I shared a little about me that-"
"It's okay," Gwen cut off, the smile returning. "It's not like you knew; how could you? He was executed for helping someone with magic. But he didn't know that the man had magic and they were both caught. My father wasn't even given a fair trial. He was executed the next morning. Morgana and Arthur both tried to reason with him, but Uther's mind was made up. I'm sure you know how he is."
"Wait a minute. You said Arthur tried to reason with Uther," he shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe that."
"But it's true," Lancelot spoke up. "I was there. Both Arthur and Morgana both spoke up for Tom's defense and even though it was in vain, at least they both tried. Arthur's true colors really shone that day. That's why I said he was a good man, even if he can be an arrogant prat."
"Uther even threw Morgana in the dungeon that day," Gwen added. "She was so furious that she almost hit him and Uther threw her in the dungeon for it. If it hadn't been for Arthur, she would have been stuck in there for even longer."
Merlin just shook his head defiantly. "I just can't believe that he is a good man. Any man who would keep someone unwillingly in their possession is bad. I refuse to believe he is good."
Gwen merely shrugged. "Well, we won't force our beliefs on you. After what you've gone through, I can't blame you for thinking that way."
After she spoke, no one said anything for a long while.
As Merlin brought the food from the kitchen to Arthur's room, he found it a bit strange to see that there we two plates instead of one. At first, he assumed that Arthur was a greedy pig, but as he opened the door, he couldn't help the relieved and overjoyed smile that broke out onto his face.
"Morgana!" he cried out, setting both plates on the table. "I didn't expect for you to be here."
"That's Lady Morgana to you," Arthur scolded, glaring at him from the other side of the table. "You will show her the proper respect."
"Oh hush Arthur, he can call me Morgana if he wants to," Morgana snapped, quickly coming to Merlin's defense. "I like him, so he can call me whatever he wants."
"Whatever."
Merlin set both plates in front of them, stepping back with the wine pitcher in his hands. While the two royals ate, he couldn't help but notice how they acted around each other. They were like brother and sister, sending playful and menacing banter across the table that made him grin. In a way, it was like him and Will back home.
The painful ache in his heart rounded up again.
"Merlin? Merlin, are you even listening to me? Merlin!"
He snapped back to reality, almost wincing at the angry glare that was emitting from Arthur's face. The blonde leaned forward in his seat, fingers tapping with impatience in the armrests. "Are you done daydreaming like a stupid girl? 'Cause if you are, I would like some more wine."
"Yes, sire," he replied back, the wine pitcher feeling even heavier in his hands for some reason. In fact, his whole body began to feel even heavier. The world was beginning to spin around him, his stomach rolling.
"Arthur!" he heard Morgana snap. "Must you be so rude to your servants? You are no better than Uther!"
"Don't compare me to my father, Morgana!"
"I will compare you however I want! You are acting like a cruel pig!"
"A pig? Is that the best you could come up with?"
He set the wine pitcher down, taking in a deep breath of air. The pain in his shoulder throbbed even harder and the spinning was becoming even worse.
"Merlin?" he heard Morgana ask, her tone now concerned. "Merlin, what's wrong? You look pale."
He felt her appear at his side, pressing a hand to steady him. Immediately, she pulled his brown cloth jacket off, taking in a sharp intake of air. "My god, Arthur, he's bleeding!"
"What?" Arthur asked, now at his side. "Where?"
"His shoulder. I think he pulled a stich, no, he's pulled three stitches!"
He could see Arthur run a hand through his hair, the prince not looking so good himself. "It must have happened during training…I completely forgot about his injury."
If looks could kill, Arthur would have been dead on the spot. "You are a careless idiot, Arthur Pendragon!" she shouted, wrapping an arm around Merlin. "You hurt him without thought or care. What king are you going to be like if you completely disregard your servants like this?"
"I…"
"Exactly. Now, make yourself useful and help me take him to Gaius!" she looked him in the eyes. "Don't worry Merlin; I'll make sure you're alright. I won't let you die on me!"
"Merlin….."
Merlin twitched, eyes fluttering at the noise that filled his mind as he slept. "Merlin…..wake up…..find me, Merlin…."
"Who are you?" he asked back. "How do you know my name?"
"Find me, Merlin…."
"Merlin?"
Merlin shot up from his bed, looking at Gaius with wide dark blue eyes. Without warning, he felt his eyes flash gold, telepathically moving a heavy book from the shelf and smacking it into Gaius. The old man yelped, catching the book with both hands and stumbling back. "Merlin, it's just me!" the old man yelled. "Calm down!"
"Gaius?" he asked, his heart beat calming. "What…what happened?"
"You pulled out three of your stitches, thus opening up your wound. You've lost some blood, so I suggest taking it easy for the next few days. If it wasn't for the Lady Morgana, it would have been much more serious," Gaius sat down on the bed next to him, looking into his eyes sternly. "You have to be careful with your magic. Even though you are bound to Arthur, magic is still banned."
"I didn't mean to!" he shot back. "It just…happened."
Gaius nodded. "I thought that might be the case," he stood up, completely ignoring the confused look he got from Merlin. "I have something I want to give you."
"What?"
Gaius took a key from his robes, opening a small black trunk and opening a small brown bound book. He placed it in Merlin's lap, giving a faint smile. "This is a book of spells," he held up a hand, interrupting Merlin. "Like you, I am bound to someone in the court. I have recently found my old spell book and although I no longer use my magic, I know what it is like to be separated from it. That's why I want you to practice it in secret."
Merlin took the book, studying it carefully. "But…why?"
"Because I know who you are. The druids call you Emrys, do they not?"
He flinched at the mention of the title. "Yes," he admitted with defeat. "But they never have explained to me why. I thought that it was just a name they handed down to certain people."
Gaius shook his head, giving him a look that reminded him of pity. "No," Gaius said in an ominous tone. "Emrys is the title of the one who is destined to bring magic back to Camelot, one destined to be a great sorcerer. There is no one else with that title but you and you alone."
Merlin shook his head. "That can't be right! I only know a few things about magic, like healing and stuff. I can't be some great and powerful sorcerer."
Gaius simply frowned. "I am telling you the truth, Merlin. You were destined to be caught by Arthur."
"What?"
"As Emrys, it is your destiny to one day bring magic back to Camelot under Arthur's rule. It is your destiny to protect and serve Arthur to the best of your abilities to make sure that magic comes back to Camelot. Your destiny, and Arthur's destiny, are entwined."
"No," Merlin's face paled, feeling sickened by all this new information. "This can't be true! You're lying!"
"Merlin-"
"NO!" he shouted, jumping off his bed and towards the door. "I won't take this anymore! I won't serve that arrogant prat! If anything, I want to go home to my mother and friends!"
"Merlin!" Gaius protested. "If you try to leave, Arthur will catch you! That's how a binding works."
Merlin paused by the doorway, giving Gaius a frosty look. "Then Arthur will just have to try to catch me."
Before Gaius could even stop him, he was out the door and past the walls of Camelot, never feeling freer in his entire life.
Dunh, dunh, dunh! Will Merlin escape from Arthur? Or will Arthur catch him? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. I'm not quite sure if that would be Gwen's reaction to magic, but I see her as the live and let live kind of person. She is nice like that, isn't she? Well, read and review guys!
