Chapter 1: The seed of evil

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone." -Bill Cosby

Royalty, while they may pretend to be superior to mere "commoners", are just the same as anyone else. They dirty their clothes, scoff their boots, and cause general disarray where they go. The difference however, is that they don't worry about the ramifications of such things. That's what servants are for. In the case of Arthur Pendragon, that's what Merlin was for.

"Merlin, what in God's name have you done with my armour? I've searched all over for it. Did I not clearly instruct you to return it to the armoury when you had finished cleaning it?"

As per their usual daily routine, Arthur would fling general grievances in the direction of his manservant, Merlin, while the latter half listened, instead focusing on the other meaningless tasks he was sure Arthur would command him to perform. Like mucking the dreaded horse's stable.

At the thought, Merlin heaved a heavy sign and hung his head in resignation. 'Seriously,' he thought, 'is it even possible that a horse can make as much mess as they can? And don't they have anyone else to look after the stables? Isn't there a special job for that? Like, say, a stable hand?'

"Merlin! Are you even listening to me?" Returning his attention to Arthur, Merlin took notice of the look of general annoyance gracing the usually sully features of the prince.

"I…" he began, but was cut off by a quick cuff to the back of the head, courtesy of Arthur's sword hand.

"Quit your excuses," said Arthur, starting toward the door. "Just make sure I have it in my room by this afternoon. And while you're at it, go clean the stables. You really are useless, you know that Merlin?"

Before he could get a word in, Arthur had slammed the heavy door to his chambers, and began making his way down the hall towards the general direction of the castle entrance, his footsteps echoing in the stone halls. No doubt he was on his way to hit something with his sword. It usually served to relieve some anger. Some, but not all.

Rolling his eyes at the thought of his liege's childish behaviour, Merlin gathered up the goblet that had been thrown to the floor in Arthur's fit, and set about cleaning the chambers. While using magic would have accomplished the task infinitely faster, Merlin didn't dare to do so in the castle, where one could walk in and catch him at a moment's notice. He rather preferred his neck right where it was.

The first item on Merlin's mental checklist was to polish Arthur's mirror. Not one for vanity, Arthur preferred more practical objects, such as swords and mail, and only possessed the mirror in the first place because Morgana had given it to him as a birthday gift years earlier. His neglect of it was clear, as it accumulated dust from the lack of use it had at the hands of its owner.

Taking a cloth, he set about the task, whistling a cheery tune he heard the other day. As he did so, however, he felt a cold chill run down the length of his spine, returning his full attention to the mirror in question.

"Was that…" he began, taking a step back and examining the mirror for any sign of magical tampering, sinister or otherwise. "I must have just imagined it."

Before he could lift the cloth to the glass surface again, he heard a voice, no louder than a whisper resound in his head.

"Merlin…"

No stranger to such occurrences, Merlin racked his brain to think of who the voice might be coming from. He knew it could be neither that of the dragon, or the young druid boy. He concluded then that it must be that of some foreign sorcerer.

Taking in a cursory look of his surroundings, Merlin noted nothing peculiar that would normally raise his attention.

"Merlin…"

Turning his head, he saw with a withered hand, hidden partially by a thick blue cloak, being held up to his face before his world turned black.

A/N: Oo! Cliffhanger! Gotta love em. Good, bad? You tell me. OH! Before I forget, I did forget to add in that whole "This isn't mine, I own nothing, only wish I did," speech at the beginning of last chapter so... yeah. I own nothing. Don't sue. Anyway, please, read and review. Please. Pretty please. I'm begging here!