CHAPTER 2 : SHADOWING
Merlin returned to sitting next to the fire as the prince slept. The room was warm and the firelight comforting. He intended to stay awake but he was soon dozing and miles away. He was conscious of Gaius checking the prince again before settling back by the fire. The wind was still blowing outside and Merlin could imagine how cold the corridors would be when they finally made their way back to Gaius's chambers.
There was nothing romantic about making one's way through a castle in the winter. Many of the outer corridors were little more than porticos, roofed but with an open balustraded side, affording little protection from the wind and the rain.
The inner corridors were better but even so some were open ended and the wind could really whip up. Not everywhere in the castle was as warm as the floors which housed the royal chambers. If he had a manservant, he would have sent him down to Gaius's to light the fire and warm up their place, maybe even arrange for some porridge to be over the fire and some mulled cider. He smiled to himself as he knew that his mother would have suggested that would have been a nice gesture as he should run down ahead of Gaius and make sure that the place was warm.
He was happier before the fire in the prince's bedchamber. Finally, he heard a quiet knocking at the door and Gaius nodded for him to open it. It was the prince's manservant who told him quietly that due to the inclement weather there would be no training for knights or squires today. He also wanted to know if the prince would be having breakfast.
Merlin asked if the manservant had eaten yet and he said, "No!"
"Well, you go and grab something to eat yourself and then bring the prince's breakfast, it should be something light. By then Gaius will have decided what his recommendation for the prince is for the day."
Th manservant was impressed as the young man before him seemed very capable and pleasant to deal with.
Arthur stirred and came to before his breakfast arrived, Gaius insisted that he get out of bed as he wanted Arthur to be up and around as proof to the king that he was resilient and not easily put off by one training defeat.
Merlin was impressed with the amount of bruising which Arthur had suffered. There were many bruises, a couple quite vivid as well as scraped skin on his sides and a nasty bruise under his armpit. Merlin was shocked if this was what happened in a training session no wonder the injuries seen in real attacks were so horrendous.
Gaius said that he was pleased with what he saw but that there would be no exercising today as the muscles needed to be given a chance to heal. He did not mention to Arthur that he had heard that all training was cancelled because of the weather. He looked at the young man before him and wondered what part of a father's mind would enjoy humiliating and hurting his son to this extent. He also wanted to learn a little more about Sir Ronulf who had carried out the punishment with obvious pleasure.
He told Merlin to draw a bath for the prince as he felt that a good soak might be beneficial.
Merlin asked under his breath, "How do I draw a bath? Surely the menservants will carry in a bath and water to fill it."
Gaius smiled, "Welcome to the luxurious life of a member of royalty!" He took Merlin through a door into a small chamber equipped with not only a large wooden tub but also a collection of round boilers attached to numerous pipes. "Water comes in here, it fills the copper under which a fire has been lit and warms the water. When it is hot that tap releases it into the tub and Martin regulates the heat by added cold water from that tap over there."
Astonished, Merlin turned to Gaius and said with a grin, "Well, I never! Does the king also have one of these machines?"
"I believe he does!"
"Do they also have baths during the winter?" Gaius nodded and Merlin said, "That seems a lot of trouble for having a bath. At home we only had a bath in the spring and as kids when the weather was hot we used to swim in the river. We'd have frozen ourselves bathing in the winter even if we used a tub before the hearth."
"Well, living in Camelot is different and you will see that people bathe more often."
"And you?"
"When you reach my age, Merlin, it is quite luxurious to soak one's old bones and muscles in a tub of warm water. Even if it is only an old iron tub and I have to get the servants to haul it into my room for me. I can then manage to heat the water but sometimes one of the men gives me a hand as the deeper the water in the tub, the more water has to be carried in. Then…the whole thing needs to be emptied bucket by bucket and the tub carried away."
Merlin thought about it for a moment and said, "I think I'll stick with the lake and the river plan, as that does not entail carting water and emptying the tub."
Gaius smiled, "We'll continue this conversation after you have experienced your first hot bath. Now, get the fire lit under the copper and when the water is hot, Martin will get him ready to have a bath."
Giggling, Merlin said, "Can't he bathe himself? I would feel distinctly uncomfortable having someone wash me."
"From the time he was little he has had servants, he probably never thinks about it, as that is what servants are for. They look after their masters and in return have a good bed, good food, a wage and the added honour of being a royal manservant."
"Some honour, I'd be so embarrassed, that I'd have to do it with my eyes closed but on second thought, no, I just wouldn't do it. I could never be a royal manservant if that was part and parcel of the job."
He looked up at Gaius from where he was laying the fire wood and grinned. "I'm serious, Gaius, that's one job I would never take on."
"Yet, you help meal clean up bodies of injured soldiers."
"That's different, they are unable to do it themselves and unless we did it, they would not heal. There's a big difference! All right, the fire is ready to be lit."
"Feel the copper, is it cold or warm to the touch?"
"It is warmish but not hot."
"Good, that means that Martin had the fires going overnight. Start the fire now and it will take less time to heat the water." Merlin stood up to leave and Gaius put a hand on his arm. "Merlin, I have an important job for you to do today. I want you to stay near the prince. I intend to tell him, to exercise gently in the castle corridors. I have a feeling that his father will send word that he wants him to join him for lunch so I want you to be there."
"I won't know what to do during a royal lunch, Gaius!"
"It's easy, choose a wall close to the main door and stand against it during the meal. If the room is emptied by the king, just stand outside in the hallway and when Arthur comes out, tag along behind him wherever he goes."
"Even to the latrines?"
"Now you're being silly, take your cue from whichever servants are around. I will tell Arthur I am leaving you as my assistant. If he needs to return to his chamber you will do the same and stand in the antechamber in case your help is requested. If you are invited into the bedchamber stand against the wall inside the door until you are told what is expected of you.
"If you notice that Arthur is in obvious pain, I will leave some medicine for him but he has a habit of scoffing the whole lot so make sure he only takes one dose at a time."
The two of them walked back into the bedchamber and Merlin was sarcastic as he quietly said to Gaius, "Sounds as if today might be extremely challenging…"
"Don't get yourself into trouble, that's all!" Gaius said as he made his way across the room to where the prince was standing at the window watching the rain as Martin was setting the table.
-0-0-
Gaius walked over to him and said, "Arthur, you must be hungry, as you haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. You should try to eat something as I want you to do some light walking exercise today. Just wander around the interior areas of the castle. I don't want you sitting in your room as I want those muscles working so they don't seize up and cause you more pain later on. Choose one of the knights to accompany you. I have patients to see so I will leave Merlin here with you and he can follow along wherever you go."
Gaius accompanied that last statement with a smile in Merlin's directions which was returned with a scowl.
"I don't need babysitters Gaius. I know my way around the castle, have done since I was seven and I don't need an inexperienced nursemaid trailing after me!"
Gaius felt Merlin bristle beside him and he reached around and put his hand on his arm. "No one said anything about a nursemaid. I just want someone to make sure that you don't overdo it!"
Arthur without glancing in Merlin's direction said, "…and you think he would be able to convince me to change my mind?"
"He might be able to appeal to your common sense and dissuade you from doing something hair-brained which you might later regret. We are now going to get something to eat and Merlin will be back here by the time you have had a hot bath."
Merlin breathed a sigh of relief hearing that he would not be involved in any bathing routine especially with someone whom if he had been in the bath at that moment, he might have quite happily held under water. Once they were in the corridor, he said, "Gaius, what is it that makes him so negative? I've only just met him and have never done or said anything to him to merit that."
"You've seen him when he was weak and dependant on people and he finds that hard. The statement that weakness is contrary to leadership has been drilled into his head since he was a youngster. His father is always quoting that glory is the result of strength. According to his teachings, people look up to and follow the strong and decisive while they scorn the weak."
"If or when he becomes king, he's going to have to decide that for himself…but do I still have to spend the day with him?" Merlin said as they reached Gaius's chamber.
To their surprise it was warm and there was a fire burning in the hearth. On the table there was freshly baked bread and some cheese and on the side of the hearth there was a pot of porridge and some stewed fruit. Gaius took the note and smiled. It was from Humphrey, 'One good turn deserves another!' he had written.
They were both hungry and enjoyed the meal. Gaius then settled to check his day's visits and Merlin cleared off the table and changed into a clean top and kerchief for his day of shadowing a disgruntled prince. Maybe the knight he had chosen to accompany them would at least be pleasant.
Gaius handed him two vials of obnoxious looking olive green muddy liquid. He'd need his wits about him to get the prince to take the doses when there were prescribed. "See that he only take one dose at a time." Gaius had reminded him.
"Why? What might happen is he takes the whole vial? Will it make him more amenable and better behaved?"
Gaius smiled and said, "Nothing like that it would probably make him quite sleepy and you would find yourself watching over a sleeping patient."
Merlin decided that was not going to happen as at least wandering the castle was preferable to sitting by the fire playing nursemaid.
"Enjoy yourself, Merlin! "Gaius called after him as he left. He laughed as Merlin flipped him the bird. Gaius smiled to himself, 'Aristophanes, 423BC Greece!'
He had omitted telling Merlin that Humphrey had also mentioned in his note that the king wanted to see Arthur mid-afternoon. He'd be interested hearing Merlin's view on how that went off.
-0-0-
Arthur when he saw Merlin told him that he didn't need a nursemaid. Merlin quickly replied that he was not there for Arthur's sake but for any fool whom he might decide to attack just because he felt like it. That made Arthur smile and he said, "I promise to make your time worthwhile…"
"First, I would like you to take a dose of this medication which Gaius concocted for you. It is to alleviate any discomfort you have in moving."
"Don't need it!" Arthur executing a poorly timed twirl which had him bumping into the bed and sitting down rather abruptly. "Ouch!" he said. Merlin glanced at Martin but neither of them laughed.
Merlin ignored the theatrics and said patiently, "This is to alleviate any discomfort you have in moving…or will experience if you are over zealous in your exercise. Gaius will be furious to find out later that you were in pain and I still had a full vial of the medication."
Arthur suitable subdued accepted the single dosage vial and swilled it down. Martin offered him a little water to speed its descent. "That tastes, bloody awful! Where in heaven's name does Gaius find these herbs?"
"From the byways and ditches around the castle."
"That I can believe, after all they were probably tromped on by peasants and pissed on by horses!" Arthur said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"That is a possibility; however I assure you they are beneficial, even efficacious when taken according to Gaius's directions."
Arthur looked in shock, Merlin was no slouch with the spoken word and he said, "I'll give you efficacious, Merlin, the next time I'm in need of a training partner."
Merlin felt sufficiently comfortable to bow from the waist and say with a smile, "Bring it on, your highness!" He heard Arthur laugh but didn't look at him but could out of the corner of his eye see the manservant grinning.
"Does Gaius have you thoroughly wash them at least?
"Wash what?"
"The herbs!"
"Oh no, he seems to think that they are better directly as they are picked. We might take off any dead flies and the like but using water he feels would minimise their effectiveness."
Martin looked shocked, he knew what people did in ditches. Did Gaius really use unwashed greenery? Wait till he told his mother who swore by Gaius's potions.
But Arthur was harder to convince. "You, Merlin, are an excellent liar but you can't fool me. I bet Gaius has you thoroughly wash them in lye and hot water to make sure they are clean before pulping them into a juice."
Merlin had visions of Arthur refusing to take anything again from Gaius but he knew that the leaves were only rinsed and well shaken, any foreign bits and pieces usually floated and could be picked out before the liquid was used. Gaius also used fine muslin to sieve out the indistinguishable lumps.
He smiled at Arthur and said, "Of course, I was fooling, everything is just as it should be." He laughed to himself as Gaius often said that a man must eat a peck of dirt before he died and he didn't intend to deprive anyone of that luxury.
"I knew it," Arthur said with a satisfied nod of his head, "you can't fool me that easily, you know."
-0-0-
The knight who was to accompany Arthur turned out to be Sir Romney of Montfieth, a pleasant chap whom Merlin guessed to be in his mid twenties. He met them in the prince's chamber and told Arthur that he was at his disposal as requested by Gaius to accompany him on light exercise within the castle. Arthur obviously knew him and didn't give him a hassle about what they were going to do.
It was still windy outside and Merlin was pleased that they were going to stay on the main floor of the castle. Arthur told him that it would help him learn the plan of the castle which according to him was easy as even the young pages managed to figure it out when delivering messages to various chambers.
"You know they always go in pairs as there is safety in numbers but really if they get lost then the guards would be looking for two of them instead of one. I was once told that there are at least three missing pages wandering around the castle who haven't been seen in years. Anyway they all look alike to me so I wouldn't know whether or not I had ever seen one of the missing ones."
Merlin had visions of himself being lost in the maze of stairwells and corridors. Arthur not satisfied continued, "It is said that a certain times of the year, at Christmas for example, they can be heard tapping on chamber doors asking to be allowed in to join the festivities."
Sir Romney caught Merlin's eye and shook his head and Merlin smiled back. Not wanting to let Arthur get away with it, he said seriously, "Funny that you should have mentioned that as last night as Gaius and I sat before your fire, I was sure that there was someone behind the tapestry beside your bed, as I could hear plaintiff cries of 'Please find me!' Have you ever heard it?"
Arthur looked annoyed and said, "You know it isn't done to tease the crown prince."
Merlin looked him straight in the eye and said, "Who? Don't think I know him, do I?"
Sir Romney thought that trouble was going to erupt as Arthur didn't like being the brunt of a joke so he moved over to be able to step in in case Arthur should decide to take a swing at Merlin but he was surprised to see the prince's face soften as he began to laugh.
Romney decided then and there that maybe this young assistant of Gaius's, was a boy of hidden talents as Arthur rarely took to anyone so quickly.
They continued their walk and Arthur was having no trouble, his legs were sore but everything seemed to be in working order. They reached a corridor which ended in a solar. Merlin was mesmerised as one whole wall was windows and the fury of the storm was visible.
Arthur shivered and Merlin commented that maybe he should have worn something a little heavier. Romney removed his cloak and offered it to the prince who shook his head and said that he couldn't wear the red cloak of a knight as he was only a squire a senior one at that but still only permitted to wear a brown cloak.
Merlin offered to return to the chamber and get the brown cloak but Arthur laughed and said he wasn't that cold and that Merlin would get completely lost and then they'd have to send out a search party…"and if you were never found you could join the lost pages."
"…and haunt the castle and visit your chamber begging to be found." Merlin added with a faltering voice, " Arturus, obsecro venite ad me invenient!"
"Exite, ego somnun!" Arthur responded almost immediately. They grinned at each other and Romney made a mental note to congratulate Brother Alphonsus Arthur's Latin tutor.
"You understood what I said?" Merlin asked.
"Well, it was rather basic wasn't it?"
"How come you know Latin?"
"Because I have a Latin tutor as letters of intent and rules and regulations are written in Latin so that other nations can also understand what we are proposing. Do you know what coles means? Merlin blushed and nodded as Arthur continued, "Why do you know Latin?"
"Because, most of the plants' proper names are in Latin like the common daisy is called a primula and the willow tree is a salicis arbore. Gaius uses the Latin names the whole time when he makes up potions, wild mint is silvestre mentastrum."
Their conversation was interrupted when they realised that a squire was coming along the corridor towards them. He bowed at Arthur then handed Sir Romney a message.