Chapter 1 - Lost and Found:

Arthur woke up to strong hands rhythmically pushing his chest and a warm mouth covering his own. He wondered if he had died and gone to heaven. Of course that was when reality came rushing back to him. Everything felt stiff and sore, his head pounded and his lungs felt all wrong. Arthur groaned and opened his eyes. The mouth and the hands quickly retreated leaving the prince feeling bereft.

He saw crystal blue orbs and wondered again dazedly if he was dead. Then he registered the face the sapphire eyes were connected to.

It was a girl, younger than him. She was strange looking. Arthur had never seen someone with that kind of coloring. While all of the girls on his ship had tanned skin and sun bleached hair, this one had a snowy white complexion and shiny, inky curls. Arthur found it was, overall, very pleasing to look at. He liked that she was different, not at all like the cookie-cutter dolls back at home. Though she was one of the Terrestrials, there was something entirely otherworldly about the girl.

She settled her piercing gaze on Arthur. "Um. Who are you?"

He coughed violently. His throat felt like it got run through the ship's propellers and rolled around in sand.

"Oh!" The girl got up hastily. Arthur noticed more expanses of pale skin, sharp lines and an ethereal grace. She reminded him of a colt: slender, gangly, and a little bit unsure of herself. Her hair and her rough-spun dress were soaking wet. Arthur realized she must have jumped in to save him. "Don't talk, I'll bring you inside so you can have some water."

Arthur sat up and took in his surroundings. His pants were clinging to his body and so was what was left of his tattered shirt. He was sitting in wet sand and the waves lapped up at the shore not a foot away from where he had been lying. From what he could tell it was early morning and thankfully the sun hadn't come out yet. Its rays would be dangerous without the right protection. The prince speculatively studied the rugged verdant coastline and raging ocean. Arthur tried to remember what his geography tutor had told him; before he realized that was the teacher he had thrown a globe at and chased after with a walking stick. As a result he now had no idea where he was.

The strange girl smiled at him hesitantly. "I'm Merlin. What's your name?"

Arthur glared at her and gestured to his throat.

"Oh right. You don't have to tell me right now," she said generously. "I wonder where you came from. Were you in a shipwreck?"

He nodded. Some of his anguish must have shown on his face because Merlin said, "I'm sorry." She looked like she meant it. "I can ask around and see if they found anyone else."

Arthur gave her a grateful smile. He was able to see the beginnings of town over the scruffy sand dunes. By the time they waded through the waist-high uncut grass, he could see the span of several streets and faded houses. Everything was dull gray or whitewashed. The houses had clearly seen much wear over the years. And it was silent. Arthur could hear his clothing dripping and his bare feet slapping the pavement.

"Welcome to Ealdor. Or what used to be Northern Ireland. I live a few blocks over." She glanced back at him to make sure he was still following. "You don't look so good."

He scowled.

"I mean. Not that you're ugly or anything. But you know, you just tossed about in the waves all night. I bet you're a bit behind on your beauty sleep. And you could use a bath. Maybe some new clothes too. I bet Will could lend you some."

Arthur frowned at her.

"Oh Will? He's my best friend. After his da died, my mum took him in. More like a brother now, I guess. He's around your size. How old are you anyways?"

The prince held up one finger in his right hand and two in his left.

"Three? No, twelve! Oh good. Me too. Will's fifteen. He's going through that phase when he thinks he's way better than everyone else, you know?"

Arthur didn't know but he nodded along anyways. This was probably the longest conversation he'd ever had with someone, if you didn't count people lecturing him while he sat silently. Not that he was really actively participating. But it was nice, he found, having someone just talk at him about nothing of importance.

"You gave me a right scare earlier, you know that? I thought you were dead. My mother sent me out to catch some crabs, 'cause they're feeding this time of day, and she wanted some for dinner. So I was sitting on the dock when I saw you just bobbing around like a cork. I jumped right on in and fished you out. I'm glad you're not dead," she continued conversationally. "The last man we found last week was dead as a post. Happens a lot when you live this close to the sea." Merlin nodded sagely.

They stopped in front of a small house. It wasn't much. The light blue paint was peeling and you could see the darker rectangles where the shutters had been. A rusty weathervane creaked in the light sea breeze. Instead of grass, the lot in front was filled in with gravel, peppered with scrawny weeds.

The second story window banged open. A boy with messy brown hair and a ruddy face poked his head out the window. "Merls you back already? Did ya catch anything good…" He stopped. "Mum! Merlin's come back with a booooy."

Merlin shook her head and stomped up the porch steps with Arthur following her apprehensively. The boy from upstairs clambered down to the landing, before giving up and sliding the rest of the way down the banister to meet them. A kindly looking woman wearing an apron appeared in the hallway that led to the rest of the house. From her motherly expression and resemblance to Merlin, Arthur knew this must be her mum.

"Merlin, dear, what's going on? Who's this? And why are you all wet?"

"Hold on, I'll explain in a minute." She led them all into the kitchen and poured Arthur some water. "Better?" After he'd gulped it all down.

Arthur nodded. "Thanks," he rasped.

She turned back to the other two. "I found him unconscious just off the west dock. So I went after him and pulled him in."

"Oh!" Merlin's mother looked concerned. "You poor dear. Sit down. Make yourself comfortable." She fussed with him, giving him a bowl of lumpy porridge and checking him over for injuries.

The boy, whom Arthur deduced was Merlin's 'brother' Will, was standing in the corner giving him an inscrutable look. Merlin must have noticed too, for she said, "Will, whatever it is, spit it out."

He contemplated his words for a second. "He's one of those good-for-nothing sea dogs innit?"

Arthur studied Will intently up close. He had the type of bone structure that Arthur was sure all the girls at home would be over the moon about. But at the moment his face was doing nothing but annoying the prince. A lot.

"It is an honor to be a Mariner," Arthur gritted out.

"Let me guess, that's what your rich daddy taught you to say."

Arthur grimaced. His father hadn't had the time to teach his son life lessons. It was Sir Leon who had told him that.

"Unnatural it is," Will was saying. "Livin' on the sea like that. A man's got to live with his feet on solid ground, thank you very much. Who are ya anyways?"

Arthur put on his most disdainful expression. "Prince Arthur Pendragon of the Kingdom of Camelot."

Will only snorted. "Right, and I'm King William of Ealdor, welcome to my humble abode," he deadpanned. "Come off it, mate. You're not fooling anyone."

"No really," Arthur insisted. "I'll show you. Do you have a silver piece?"

"As if. Now you want our money and our hospitality?"

Merlin's mother silenced him with a stern look. "Which we would offer regardless of who you are."

Will, sufficiently cowed by her rebuke, stopped talking.

Merlin silently reached into a jar sitting on the counter and handed Arthur the coin he asked for.

"Thank you Merlin."

Merlin's mother nudged Will. "See? This young man has good manners too."

Arthur feared Will's glare would burn holes in his head. He held up the silver piece Merlin had given him. "See look, that's my likeness on the coin."

Will sniffed haughtily. "Big deal, you have a face with a nose. That could be a picture of me for all we know. Nobody's ever seen heads or tails of this stinking prince. You're probably some noble's son." It was true though, the profile on the coin, in addition to being very small, was pretty ambiguous,

"Will." Merlin whined. She just wished they'd all get along.

"Merlin."

"Stop giving him a hard time. I believe him. Why would he be trying to pull one over on us? We're a bunch of Terrestrials living in the middle of nowhere. Why on Earth would he care what we think?"

Arthur wanted to tell her that she was wrong. He did care what they thought of him. Well maybe not Will. But Merlin and he mother, even though they'd only just met, made him desperately want to please them.

It was surprising over the following days as Arthur stayed at Merlin's house. He wouldn't admit this to anybody, but he really enjoyed being fussed over. Hunith, he learned Merlin's mother was called, never passed up an opportunity to push more food at him or worry over his health. She treated him like the rest of her children and didn't seem to care he was royalty. Coming from her, it was like a breath of fresh air. But coming from Will, it was just plain irritating. The boy just did not understand propriety and figured out every way to get on Arthur's nerves. He was constantly making snide remarks and insolent jokes about his father's wealth and rank. Arthur really, really wanted to shake him. But he refrained from doing so because it would make Hunith and Merlin upset.

Then there was Merlin. She always seemed a little reserved around him, but always earnest. Every morning, she'd make the long walk to the other side of town to inquire about his yacht and try to wire his father. Arthur really admired that about her. She was never fake. She was doing it for him, Arthur the boy, not the prince, with no motive other than kindness. Arthur only wished she'd relax around him. He'd seen her talking animatedly and joking with her mother and Will, but went silent when he was present. Especially when he talked about his life on the ship. She wasn't the chatty girl he'd met on the first day. Arthur privately wondered if something was troubling her.

A few days in to his stay, Arthur came back from helping the men of the village with the fishing to a tense house. Hunith had a clench in her jaw and a certain stiffness about her movements. Merlin wasn't speaking at all and even Will was subdued.

"I'm back! Hope you didn't miss me too much." His attempt at lightness fell flat. He could almost feel the animosity rolling off Will in waves.

He rinsed off his hands in the sink and went to help Merlin cut the vegetables. "Is something wrong?" Arthur asked in a low voice.

Merlin just looked at him for a long moment, wearing a measuring gaze. "I want to come with you."

"Pardon?"

She pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket. It was a telegraph from his father's assistant.

Stay there. Will come get you in 5 days. Wait at W Dock. End.

"I want to come with you," Merlin repeated. "When they pick you up."

Suddenly, Will's thinly veiled glares and Hunith's drawn expression made sense.

"You can't," Arthur said automatically.

Merlin's knuckles whitened around the handle of her knife. "Why not?" He could detect a slight waver in her voice.

"You belong here, Merlin. Your family needs you." Even to his own ears, the argument sounded weak.

"Why?" She asked sharply. "You think I'm selfish too?"

Arthur stayed silent. If he was honest, he was a bit nervous of the paring knife in Merlin's hands, which was savagely attacking the potatoes.

Merlin's voice lowered. "I'm tired of this town. There's nothing here for me, it's holding me back. I know there's something out there for me. Something bigger. I don't want to spend my whole life cleaning fish with the rest of the wives then dying on this stupid island. I don't belong here," she pleaded.

And some part of Arthur recognized that. Merlin's enthusiasm, her diligence, her determination were far beyond Ealdor. She was destined for something greater. Then Arthur thought of his own life, and of the people back home. They were vicious, greedy, and cruel. Maybe it was better to be caged up than trampled over. Merlin's naivety, her spirit wouldn't last a day on board The Dragon's Call.

"I think," Arthur said carefully, "it's better for you to stay here."

The knife clattered to the ground and Merlin's face showed hurt and betrayal.

"Merlin…let me explain."

Her fierce expression made Arthur take an involuntary step back. "I think you've said enough." She turned around and marched off.

Coming from anyone else, it might have been rude. But Arthur was too busy struggling with guilt to notice. Great now he'd upset Merlin. Should he go after her or give her space? Arthur wasn't very good at this. As Crown Prince, he was never wrong and he would never even think of demeaning himself to the level of consoling another.

But Merlin was different. Arthur wanted to deserve her compassion, to be a better person for her. And that was scary. It was something he'd never felt before for anyone, not even his father. With his father, Arthur wanted to be smarter, stronger, someone he'd be proud of. No one had ever made him strive to be nobler or more virtuous. And now, Arthur wanted nothing more than to redeem himself in Merlin's eyes.

That was why he mounted the steps apprehensively to face Merlin. Arthur knocked gently on the door frame, steeling himself mentally for a tongue lashing. There was no response. He'd didn't really want to just walk into Merlin's room for that felt like a gross overstep of privacy. Finally, after standing there and feeling increasingly stupid, Arthur ducked his head around the corner.

The room was a mess. Arthur knew Merlin didn't have many belongings, yet somehow she had managed to carpet the floor with them. But it was easy to see, at first glance, that there was no Merlin in the room.

He went back into the hallway, thoroughly confused. Arthur had definitely seen Merlin come up here. He knew she wasn't in Will's room, because he had locked the door before going out to chop firewood. And she wasn't in the bathroom or linen closet either. Hunith's room was downstairs so there was nowhere left to hide. Where had Merlin gone?

Then Arthur saw it. He'd ventured into Merlin's room to see if she was hiding under the bed. When he came out from under the cot, Arthur saw that the door to her closet had been carelessly left wide open. The prince noticed ruefully that Merlin owned only a few articles of rough-spun clothing while he owned hundreds of extravagant outfits that he'd only worn once. An inconspicuous ladder was leaning against the wall in her closet. Yet it was what was above the ladder that had caught his attention. It was a trapdoor.

So Arthur, being Arthur climbed up the rickety ladder and cautiously opened the trapdoor. When he poked his head into the room above, he was surprised to find Merlin sitting crossed legged, staring at him expectantly. Merlin really was an enigma; one moment she was angry and the next she was calm as hell just sitting there. But if dealing with Morgana had taught him anything, it was to just go with it.

Arthur sat down right across from her. They just looked at each other in silence for a while. To Arthur it could have been anywhere between seconds to an hour. He idly noticed that Merlin's eyes were extremely bright. Especially when they reflected the flickering kerosene lamp. And that they were blue. Very, very blue. He could almost feel himself drowning in them. But it wasn't scary at all, in fact, it was comforting and almost familiar.

"I'm surprised it took you so long."

Arthur focused on her. He shrugged. "I didn't want to go into your room. I thought it'd be rude."

"Of course you did."

The prince decided not to read into that comment. He glanced around the room for the first time. It was some sort of attic-loft thing with sloped ceilings. All around, lining every wall, were books. There were big ones and small ones, leather bound and hard covers. Some were nothing more than stacks of parchment sewn together. Arthur could see fat, dusty tomes and slimmer, glossy chapter books. It was obvious which ones were her favorites, though. Those novels were dog-eared and the spines were cracked with use. Arthur wondered if Merlin had actually read all of these books for many of them looked pretty advanced.

Among the shelves was a strange assortment of items. Snippets of twine and scraps of cloth sat in a glass jar. Arthur assumed these were for bookmarks. The rest of the stuff was harder to explain away. Figurines of dragons guarded an ivory statue of a unicorn. A pair of brass scales perched on a ledge. There was even, what looked like an anchor trying its best to hide in the corner.

But for all the random objects and motley collection of books, the little library was neat. Unlike Merlin's room, the books, from what Arthur could tell, were by sorted by subject and alphabetized by author. Maps were rolled up and stuck in a claw-footed umbrella holder near the geography section. Arthur caught his eye on a ship in a bottle, which brought him back to why he was there.

"Merlin, about earlier…"

"Arthur, it's fine." Merlin looked resigned but no longer angry. "You don't know me and I don't know you. I had no right to get upset."

Arthur frowned. "How can you be so calm about this? If it were me, I'd be throwing things right now."

The corner of her mouth quirked. "So you throw tantrums often then? No, but you forget that I live with Will. I have a pretty high tolerance for stupidity."

"Oi! Are you calling me stupid?"

"Depends. Are you gonna have me arrested if I do?"

"I'm considering it."

Merlin grinned but went serious again. "I wanted to explain to you why I want to go. You don't have to change your mind, but I'd like it if you'd listen."

Arthur nodded. He was seriously reevaluating his opinion of Merlin now. She was levelheaded and mature, not to mention really smart, with the tact of multiple council members combined.

"About fourteen years ago, my mother met my father."

The prince didn't exactly understand what this had to do with their situation but knew it was impolite to interrupt.

"He was on the run and a mutual friend had directed him to our village. You see, he was what you would call a pirate. But he didn't start out that way. My father began as a merchant and then a privateer for your father. But then your father betrayed him and forced him to capture his own kin. My father escaped but the king had him named a traitor and put a bounty on his head. He had to turn to not-so-honorable methods to stay alive. But my mother let him in and hid him in this very room. I was about five years old when the royal guards showed up again and he had to leave. We were told by his first mate, several years later that he had perished in a shipwreck.

"That's why I want to go. Living at sea is in my blood, Arthur. I want that freedom, that adventure. But my mother is against it. She'll never let me go," Merlin finished sadly.

"She's worried about you," Arthur pointed out gently. "She doesn't want to lose you too."

"I know. But does that make it right to lock me away and clip my wings? I just think it's unfair for her to run my life. If I want to take the risk, I should be allowed to, since I am willing to accept the consequences."

Arthur didn't know how to respond to this.

"And I want to find out more about my father. Ever since I was a kid, I'd run out to every ship that stopped here for supplies to look for my father. I was so crushed when his first mate told us the news."

"I know how you feel. I'd do the same to learn about my mother." Arthur looked away when his eyes started prickling. He'd never revealed that fact to anyone. After seeing his father's stony features when he'd asked about his dead mother as a child, Arthur didn't bring her up anymore. But that hadn't gotten rid of the burning curiosity he felt inside. How could someone be the queen of the world, yet after her death, not a single person was willing to tell her son about her?

"Arthur," Merlin said softly. "I'll do everything I can to help you find out more about your mother, if you give me this chance." She took in the prince's vulnerable countenance. It was a state that he hadn't let anyone see him in since his father had lectured him on the weakness in emotions. His father. That's what it all came back to, wasn't it? His father had torn this family apart and left a young girl with only a mother. He probably wasn't even aware of the pain he'd put Merlin and Hunith through. And if he was, Uther most likely wouldn't care. After all, he had left his own son to grow up without any parental figures.

Arthur loved his father and respected him, but right now, all he felt was an undeniable anger. For some inexplicable reason, he felt obligated to rectify his father's mistakes.

"Fine, Merlin. You've won me over." She cheered. "But wait. I have a few conditions." Merlin sobered up right away. "My world is a lot different from yours. If you can't take it for any reason, you have to tell me and I will send you back. Got it?"

Even though they were the same age, Arthur felt a strange sense of protectiveness towards Merlin that he couldn't explain. He knew better than anyone what the court did to innocent little souls like Merlin.

She nodded eagerly. "Anything else?"

"You get your mother's permission first."

The smile on her face faltered. Merlin swallowed. "Ookay. Got it. That's all?"

"Is that not enough? I can come up with a few more if you want…"

Merlin shoved at his shoulder. "Shut up."

"I have a question though. I get why Hunith doesn't want you to go, but why does Will resent me so much?"

This made her laugh. "Because he's jealous. And because his father hated nobles. And I guess he doesn't want me to leave either."

"If it's too hard on all of you…"

Merlin jumped up. "Don't you dare, Arthur Pendragon. Are you going back on your word?"

"Of course not! Knight's honor. My father has done your family a grievous wrong. It is my duty to…"

Merlin was already shaking her head. "No way, Arthur. If you're only doing this out of a sense of responsibility then I won't go. I don't need your pity. I don't want to be a burden you felt compelled to take on."

"But you won't be," Arthur insisted. "I like you. We're friends right? I can get you a job around the ship."

"Doing what?" Merlin asked dubiously.

"Doing…doing…" Arthur looked around at a loss. "Oh, I know! You can be my governess!"

She spluttered. "Your what?"

"My governess. You know, like a teacher."

"I know what it means, Arthur."

"Oh." He blushed a little.

"I mean, why would you want me to teach you? I don't know anything."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the extensive library around them. "So what's all this for, firewood? Come on Merlin, admit it, you're probably brilliant. And you'd be doing me a favor. I only have a week until my deadline."

"What deadline?"

"My father gave me a month to find a tutor and if I can't find one, he's foisting Aredian on me. And trust me, I'd rather you than him. At least you don't have a stick up your…"

"Arthur!"

"Right. Sorry. What I'm trying to say is, I really, really need you to do this for me. Please?"

Merlin sighed. "Whatever. But don't blame me if I suck. And this is only theoretical. My mum hasn't let me go yet."

That turned out to be their biggest obstacle. Hunith was firm in her decision. It was too dangerous so Merlin's couldn't go. Arthur didn't know what to do. On one hand, he didn't want to upset his gracious host, but on the other, he did need a tutor and hopefully a friend. Merlin was already making plans to sneak out, but Arthur wouldn't let her. They had to do this with Hunith's permission. He didn't want to be the cause of a family rift.

The day they were coming to get him dawned clear and cloudless. Arthur hoped this was a good sign. They hadn't made any headway with Hunith. Merlin had done everything, throwing fits, throwing plates, and even spontaneously bursting into tears. Nothing worked. Arthur knew Merlin had all her meager belongings packed along with her favorite books. All they had to do was make Hunith see sense.

Merlin, Arthur, Hunith, and Will waited at the western dock as the cruise liner sailed closer and closer. Arthur could now make out the dragon figurehead mounted on the bow as well as the gold painted scales. It stopped several hundred yards out and dropped its anchor. The bay here was too shallow for a gigantic ship like that. A rowboat was lowered with several men in livery. Arthur recognized the bearded faces of Sir Leon, Sir Bedivere, and Sir Hector.

Merlin was desperately making a last minute petition to her mother. "Please mum, I can swim. I'll be fine. Look at all the safety features on that thing. Arthur's lived on it for thirteen years and he'll tell you."

Hunith pursed her lips but said nothing.

Merlin tried a different tactic. "Mother if you don't let me go, I'm never talking to you ever again."

"Merlin," Will muttered. "Won't you give it a rest? Why do you want to leave us so bad?"

She turned to her brother. "It's not like that Will. It's my dream. It's all I've ever wanted."

The rowboat was drawing closer and Arthur was dreading the moment it docked. It was too late. All of Merlin's frantic pleading wasn't going to make Hunith budge.

He nodded at Will and let Hunith hug him. Then he turned to Merlin and hugged her too. "I'm coming back for you," he whispered fervently. "I won't forget."

Then, without looking back, Arthur greeted the knights and was rowed back to The Dragon's Call. He was silent as the pulleys jerkily lifted the little boat up to the deck. Arthur allowed himself one last look at Merlin's dejected form and instantly wished he hadn't. He felt horrible, thinking of all the ways he could have fought harder for her.

Arthur was so preoccupied that he ran right into Gaius.

"My apologies, sire." He looked at the prince closely. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes. Hunith fixed me up."

Gaius stared at him, astonished. "Hunith? Hunith Emrys?"

"Um." Arthur was just realizing he had no idea what Merlin's last name was.

The physician squinted at the shore. "That could be her! I'd forgotten she lived in Ealdor. And that must be young Merlin. I haven't seen her since she was just a child."

"Hold on. You know Merlin?"

"Know her? Her mother is my niece."

Gaius gave him a concerned look when his eyes lit up. "That's brilliant, Gaius! You must come back to shore with me to thank them in person."

Somehow Gaius found himself in a wobbly rowboat heading back to Ealdor. The prince was bouncing with excitement next to him.

"Are you sure you're quite all right, my lord?"

Arthur gave him a maniac grin. "Never better, Gaius." He abruptly changed the subject. "What do you think is the chance of drowning on the Dragon?"

Gaius blinked, taken aback. "Slim to none, I'd say."

If possible, Arthur's beam grew brighter. "Just as I thought, thank you."

Merlin was sitting on the dock watching them with a perplexed expression. "Arthur? Did you forget something?"

That alarming smile stretched even wider. "Just you."

She laughed out loud, jumped up and went to fetch her mother. By the time Hunith came back, Arthur was helping Gaius out of the boat.

"Gaius?"

"Hunith, my dear. It is good to see you." He embraced his niece. "And this must be Merlin. My, have you grown since I last saw you. You were always such a pretty child."

Merlin gave her great-uncle a distracted smile and returned her gaze to Arthur. He reassured her with a look. Everything was going to work out because this time, he had a game plan.

"Gaius, how long have you lived on The Dragon's Call?" Arthur inquired.

The elderly physician regarded him suspiciously. "Nearly twenty-five years, sire."

"And how many accidents have there been?"

"I don't understand, sire."

"Leaks, crashes, storm damages, shipwrecks?"

"None, sire."

"I know what you're trying to do, Arthur." Hunith cut in. "My answer is still no."

"But Hunith, technology has changed since you lost Merlin's father. The Dragon is perfectly safe," Arthur persisted.

"Arthur, please don't bring Balinor into this."

Gaius looked between them. "What is this about?"

"Uncle Gaius," Merlin piped up. "I want to live on the Dragon with you."

"I don't see why not. As long as Arthur doesn't have a problem."

The prince shook his head.

Gaius looked pleased. "It's perfect. I was looking for an assistant actually…"

Hunith glared at her uncle. "Gaius, you know how I feel about those boats."

"Hunith, times have changed. I regret the loss of Balinor too, but I promise you, there is nothing to worry about. Would Uther really put his own son and heir on a ship that wasn't a hundred percent safe? I will take full responsibility for Merlin and she can always come back and visit."

Arthur could see her rock hard defense was cracking. "I have a job lined up for Merlin as my tutor. She'll be part of my household and she will be paid generously. Gaius and I will look out for her. If anything goes wrong, she can take one of my yachts back here."

"Oh, please mum, please, can I?" Merlin was making honest to god puppy eyes and Arthur was wondering how Hunith wasn't melting yet. Then again, she was probably immune to it by now.

She finally caved. "All right Merlin, you may go. You're bags are all packed already aren't they?"

Merlin grinned sheepishly. "Thank you mum! Thank you, thank you, you're the best mum ever!" She ran all the way back to her house with a ridiculous smile plastered on her face.

Together, with the help of Will and Arthur, Merlin managed to get all of her bags loaded in the rowboat. She flung her arms around Will's neck and hugged him tightly before moving on to cling to her mother.

Arthur shook hands with Will gruffly. "Take care of her," he said not meeting Arthur's eyes.

The prince nodded. "I will," he promised.

Merlin's mother, after saying a tearful goodbye to her daughter, hugged Arthur for the second time that day. "Merlin's a good girl, just needs some more sense in her sometimes. You two be careful, okay? Watch out for each other."

"Of course Hunith. You take care. We'll see you soon," Arthur promised.

The three of them clambered into the rowboat and untied the tether. Merlin faced shore the whole time, waving to her family. She was smiling even as tears streaked down her cheeks.