Chapter 2

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Chapter 2 : Echos of the past

'Up you get, Merlin!'

Gaius's voice echoed in the warlock's room. The boy moaned and tried to hide his face under his blanket. Gaius came in, and he was decided to wake his ward – as he was on every single morning.

'Merlin, I know you are awake. You are going to be late agai-' Gaius faked a cough to hide the word he had been about to pronounce, but even sleepy Merlin's ears were sharp and he groaned in protest from under the blanket.

'Anyway, you really need to get up. I've cooked you your favorite breakfast, and I want you to have enough time to eat it.'

After a few minutes more of debating whether he really needed to get up or not – why he bothered getting up to be Arthur's servant was a mystery, really-, Merlin sleepily came down to have his breakfast. Gaius smirked.

'I think it is the first time you are awake so early. You have over half an hour to get prepared.'

Merlin unceremoniously collapsed on his chair.

'Thanks a lot, Gaius. Really nice of you to –yawn- wake me up this early every day. Anyway, I wanted to tell you something, so at least I've got some time.'

Gaius sat down in front of his ward.

'I have known you for years, and you are a father to me; and I don't know why I never told you this before.'

'Tell me what, my boy?'

Merlin shifted uneasily – he was always secretive, and what he was about to tell Gaius he had never told anyone, not even his mother.

'You see, Hunith isn't really my mother.'

Gaius raised his eyebrows, and gestured him to continue.

'I don't remember well, but I think she found me in the forest by a stream when I was around six. Maybe a little younger. I asked her once, and she told me she found me unconscious whilst looking for medicinal plants.'

Gaius nodded.

'I had a concussion which caused me to lose my memories. I never got them back, and after a month or two of waiting if I could recall anything, Hunith decided to call me Merlin. She had heard of a foreign Lost Prince that went by this name, and she considered me as her own little Prince.'

Gaius smiled.

'I know, Merlin. She told me.'

Merlin nodded - he had expected his guardian to know, anyway.

'Thing is, I keep having those weird dreams. I can't even remember when they started, but I get them every other night.'

Gaius's right eyebrow shot up, and Merlin understood his concern.

'No, they are not like Morgana's. It is totally different. They are dreams from my past, the one I can't remember. I see myself as a young child, around five. There are always a ten-year-old boy that has the same hair as me, and an older one with brown hair and eyes – and a ridiculous pompous stance. Arthur remembers me of him, strangely enough. I think those two boys were my brothers. But I don't even know their names. I-I can't hear them when they speak. And I don't know how we got separated, and what happened to them afterwards. I wish so much I knew more.'

Merlin looked down, fidgeting his spoon.


Gaius looked deep in thought while Merlin ate his breakfast. After a few minutes, the Court Physician looked about to tell Merlin something but Arthur burst in the room - he never had any sense of good timing, anyway.

'Merlin, you idiot! What are you still doing here?'

Merlin was dumb-struck. He woke earlier than usual and the Prince was angry? –he was never happy anyway, but that was really unfair.

'Well?'

Arthur looked furious.

'But…I am not late! I even woke up thirty minutes earlier to be on time. I haven't done anything wrong!'

'Merrrlin! I had a training session this morning one hour ealier than usual. You were supposed to wake me. Because of you, Gwen and I were woken up by Gwaine, and I swear, I don't want it to happen again. Ever. Now hurry up, I've got lots of chores for you.'

Obviously, it was Merlin's fault. Again. No one had told him about this modified planning.


The manservant sighed, stood up reluctantly, and walked towards the door, arms and legs dangling, head hanging down. Gaius tried to control his laughter at the sight of such a worn-looking Merlin, and Arthur patted his servant's arched back with a condescending look - before unceremoniously pushing him out of the room without bothering to bit back his laugh.


After a long – he meant it, really long – day of chores, including scrubbing the floor till you could see your reflection in it, mending half of the prat's shirts whilst chatting with Gwen about his rotten luck, polishing all the King's swords (really there's no need for so many swords! He can't use them all at once), mucking out the stables for the third time in two days, and so many other pointless chores he didn't even have enough strength to recall them all…Merlin greeted Arthur with faked obedience as the king came back from a banquet with his best knights.

'Good evening, my Lord. I hope you are not too tired by the trying day you spent, my Greatness. I wish you enjoyed sitting on your throne and eating with your knights, my King. I have accomplished…most of the chores I was assigned, my Excellence, and even a supplement. I added a new hole in all your leather belts, and I hope the slack will be sufficient, my Majesty. Do you wish me to do something else, my G -?'-Merlin ducked to avoid Arthur's goblet, and incredibly swiftly caught it (and, no, of course he did not slow time to impress the prat). He grinned.

Arthur was as red as Camelot's crest, and Gwen was half dead of laughter, leaning agaisnt the entrance door. Merlin tried to escape the King's fury, but he was caught.

'Merrrlin, you are not getting away like that. You still have to tidy up my clothes.'

'But I already did that.' Merlin used his best outraged whining voice and mimicked horror.

Arthur sighed, shaking his head with mock-sorrow. He went behind his changing screen and a red shirt jerked out of it, landing right on Merlin's head.

'There, you see. You forgot to sort out this shirt.'

Merlin scowled but put the shirt in the laundry.

'Is there anything else, prat?'

'Yes, MErrrlin. May I inform you that I am organizing the signature of the tri-kingdom peace treaty?'

'You may. Tell me, clotpole, what in the earth would be that incredibly interesting event?'

'It is a treaty that is renewed between Camelot and two other kingdoms each time there is a new king in either of the three kingdoms. As I am the new king in question' – Merlin smirked and whispered to Gwen 'That, I know. I still can't believe how much of a prat he is. It's even worse than before!' – 'I have to organise the event. And I am glad to inform you that, for once, you'll have to work, unlike now.'

'Prat'

'Idiot'

'Cabbage-head'

'Clotpole'

'Hey, that's my word.'

'I am the King, I have every right, Merrrl-'

Arthur stopped at hearing a loud thud by the door. Gwen was on the floor, holding her ribs and giggling madly - in a really unqueenly way. But, really, who acted proper in Camelot those days?

After a few minutes helping Gwen to breathe normally, Arthur ended his little speech.

'I am inviting the kingdom of Semloh and Essetir's king Moriarty.'


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Signing out,

Your favorite writer, lol :)

Airin9