Chapter 4
"Rise and shine!"
The sound of Merlin's annoyingly cheerful voice pulled Arthur out of his heavy slumber. His eyelids felt heavy as they lifted halfway up. Groaning, he turned over in his bed and was about to yell at his servant when a bright flash of sunshine smacked him in the face. Merlin had opened his blinds completely. Arthur blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted to the sight of Merlin standing there with his hands on his hips, as if waiting for him to get up.
"How on Earth are you this inhumanely irritating so early in the morning?" he grumbled, sitting up and shooting a glare in his direction.
"It's a gift," Merlin retorted and Arthur didn't have to look at his servant to know that he was grinning. It was a habitual game between the two, seeing who could get the rise out of each other before the day had even started. Yawning, Arthur rubbed his eyes until they were fully open.
"Come on sire, you have to get ready." Merlin started running around the room, looking for something for the prince to wear. Arthur wanted to yell at Merlin to get out so he could slump back into bed and sleep some more. Then again, if his servant weren't around, Arthur would barely be able to manage. Arthur got up and stretched, trying to remember what he had planned for the day.
"What exactly am I getting ready for?" he said as Merlin appeared, holding out his clothes for him. Before Arthur could reach for them, he pulled back. "I have to run you a bath first!" He sped off.
"Wha- Merlin!" Arthur yelled, stomping after them. "Why am I bathing? I'm just going to get dirty again."
Merlin was going to get water to fill Arthur's tub when he paused and looked up at him. "Are you forgetting what you're supposed to be doing today?"
Arthur looked at him confusedly. "I'll tell you what you're forgetting. My breakfast. Where is it?" Arthur looked around, feeling ready to tell his servant off once more when Merlin interrupted.
"You're riding with the Lady Aria this morning."
Arthur froze. He had almost forgotten- last night, the Riccis had come, they had a feast, he escorted the Lady Aria, and today he was to spend the morning with her. His stomach began doing flip-flops. When did he start getting so nervous? All he had to do was talk to her. Arthur's father was right. It was his chance to get to know Aria, see what kind of girl she was. According to Merlin, she was not an airhead. What did he know? It's not like he'd ever get to have an actual conversation with her. Arthur thought about this as Merlin prepared his bath. What kind of wife would Lady Aria be? Would she be the submissive, obedient type? The kind who always fought those who had authority? What did she expect out of him as a husband?
"All set. Heated and everything," Merlin cut into to Arthur's pondering. He blinked and set back into reality. He turned to look at his servant who was staring back expectantly. "Is there anything else I can do, sire?"
"Go tell the Lady Aria to meet me outside in the square. After that, go get our horses ready and whatever else we made need for the ride. And Merlin"- Arthur added- "Don't embarrass yourself again like last night."
Merlin rolled his eyes and tried to hide the deepening color of his cheeks. "Will do, your Royal Pratness," he muttered, walking away.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" Merlin left the room. Arthur smirked to himself as he bathed. "Thought so."
Clotpole, Merlin thought to himself, leaving the prince's room angrily It was one thing for Arthur to continually put him down but another thing to remind him of how he humiliated himself last night by dropping the stupid jug of water just as the Lady Aria passed by. Arthur knew it would upset him to bring it up, of course he would as often as possible to torture him.
Yes, maybe seeing Lady Aria last night caused him to drop the jug because she looked absolutely stunning last night. So what? He was sure Arthur had a few moments like that when he saw someone attractive pass by. But if Merlin thought about it, it was probably because the arrogant prince passed by a reflection of himself. And if Merlin dare tease Arthur about anything like that, he'd surely get into trouble. Unlike Arthur, he didn't have any amount of superiority over anyone.
Another thing Merlin had to be careful with; his magic. Aria had almost caught him yesterday in the library when he was fetching a book for Gaius. Surely she would tell Arthur of her suspicions dare he let his magic go astray. He had been keeping up the act as a lowly servant with nothing special about him and didn't want to give anything away, especially to the Lady herself. If anything, the House of Ricci was just as strongly opposed to sorcery as was Uther.
Just as Merlin was nearing the Lady Aria's chambers, his heart started beating a bit faster as he approached her door and knocked twice. A second later, the door opened a little bit. A mousy looking maid stared at him, holding a dress in her hand. "Yes?" she answered in a high voice.
"I have a message for the Lady Aria from Prince Arthur, telling her to meet him outside in the front for their morning ride together," Merlin rambled off. The maid unexpectedly squeaked in happiness. "I shall tell my lady straight away!" she whispered happily.
"Isabel," the two heard Lady Aria call from inside the room. "Oh dear," Isabel said, "I have to go fetch something for my lady. Do you mind helping her before I come back?"
"I… uh…" Merlin wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Arthur might very well kill him if he found out he had stepped into the Lady Aria's room. "No, I… that's alright, I just came to leave a message and…"
"It'll only be for a few minutes! I'll be right back!" Without another word, Isabel shoved the dress into Merlin's hands and left quickly. Merlin stood there, lost and speechless, outside Aria's door. Damn it, he thought, what am I going to do now? He eyed the dress in his hand- a simple, sleeveless, crème colored gown that was loosened around the bodice. This was not a dress from Camelot. It had "Ricci" all over it.
"Isabel? Who is it?" Merlin shut his eyes and groaned. Exhaling sharply, he stepped into the Lady Aria's room, praying no one had seen him. They might get the wrong idea and he did NOT want that happening anytime soon.
Right as he walked in, Lady Aria spoke again. Her voice was coming from behind the screen. "Isabel, who was that?"
Merlin frantically looked around the room, mentally kicking himself for not having been more firm with Aria's servant. Had he been calm and delivered the message properly, he could have walked off and gone to help Arthur prepare for the morning ride. But no. Here he was, standing in the chambers of his master's future wife, holding a dress in his hand. I've battled evil witches, various monsters, saved Arthur's royal backside a hundred times, and have dealt with an angrier side to the Great Dragon. Yet for some reason, I have no idea what to do when in the same room with a female.
"I bet it was my father." Merlin jumped. Aria was still behind the screen, chatting as if Isabel was still in the room. "It was, wasn't it? You always get silent after you speak with him. Goodness, Isabel, don't be so nervous."
She has no reason to be. But I certainly do. What am I supposed to say to that? Oh God…
"What did he have to say this time? More pieces of advice to impress his Royal Highness? What dress to wear? What topics of conversations to bring up? Dare I tell the Prince Arthur about the books I've been reading?" Lady Aria let out a dry laugh. "Just be the clueless royal I'm sure he'd prefer me to be. Much easier to marry off, don't you think?"
Lady Aria finally stepped out from behind her screen and Merlin immediately froze up. She let out a small shriek and jumped back. "Oh! You're not Isabel!"
Merlin's face turned into the color of roses. "Oh… I'm not! No I'm not!" He held up his hands, with her dress still there.
Lady Aria looked at Merlin cautiously. "You… did you hear everything I said?"
"Ah… well, yes… I did…" Merlin stammered, starting to shift around in the spot he was standing.
"I'm… oh dear…" Lady Aria walked past him, covering her face. It took Merlin a moment to realize that she wasn't even dressed- she still had her nightgown on. Arthur wasn't the only one who was going to have his head. King Alec would too. Merlin turned around to see Aria pacing, looking like she had just been caught in the act of doing something scandalous.
"Are you alright, my lady?" he asked, walking towards her.
"I'm just… I'm so sorry you had to hear me say all that, Merlin," Aria rambled off, "I meant for Isabel to hear that. Please don't tell Prince Arthur I said those things, I don't find him a bad person at all"-
"Lady Aria, please," Merlin interrupted. She stopped speaking and looked up at him. It took a moment for Merlin to form the right words. Again, he found himself drawn to her eyes. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm just here to tell you to meet Prince Arthur outside where the horses will be."
"Oh… oh right, we're spending the morning together…" Aria looked down and blushed. "I apologize once more, I'm not very well dressed to greet any unexpected guests."
"Here," Merlin handed her the dress, not meeting her eyes. He felt sheepish too. "It's a nice dress."
"Thank you, Merlin!" Aria smiled brightly, walking back behind her screen. "I was hoping someone here would think so. I know our style is a bit different but honestly it's much more comfortable." Aria said this as she slipped off her nightgown and pulled the dress over her head. Merlin did his best not to look in the direction of the screen, unsure of what he would feel if dare he saw anything.
"Merlin, will you come here for a moment?"
Merlin froze again. "What for, my lady?"
"I need help with getting the buttons in the back. Could you do them for me?"
Merlin's face flushed an alarmingly red. He felt like he would be doing this quite often around the Lady Aria, turning colors all the time. The consequences of helping Aria with her dress seemed to haunt him as he slowly walked to her screen. Anyone could walk in the door and get the wrong idea. God forbid it be Aria's father or Uther or worse- Arthur. And yes, Arthur walking in would be worse than Alec or Uther. Arthur is infuriatingly right. I can't handle myself too well around women.
Merlin's hands shook as he did the buttons on the back of Aria's dress while she held her hair up. His fingertips brushed her bare back and he swallowed, trying to collect himself, hoping that she hadn't felt that.
"Are you alright, Merlin? You seem shaky," Aria said.
"I-I'm fine!" Merlin stuttered, his voice cracking slightly. "You're done, my lady."
Lady Aria turned around. "Thank goodness for you! I always have trouble with the buttons on the back, usually Isabel has to help me." She stepped out and inspected herself in the mirror. "I suppose it'll have to do, at least for today. Maybe I can dazzle Arthur with some nice things to talk about if my dress is displeasing."
Merlin knew it was a woman's tendency to always think that whatever she was wearing was simply decent, nothing more. But he would truly think that Arthur would be out of his mind if he didn't think the Lady Aria looked incredible right now, regardless of the dress being a glamorous piece of work or not.
"Well, I think you look lovely, Lady Aria," he said softly then shut his mouth. Was it really necessary of him to offer up his opinion as if she even cared what he had to say?
Aria turned to look at Merlin and he noticed a glimmer in her eye. "That's so kind of you to say, Merlin. I appreciate that very much."
"Of course," Merlin responded, smiling at her. "I should go now, get ready for the morning."
"Right. Tell Arthur I shall be ready soon."
"I will, Lady Aria." Merlin was about to leave but then he stopped and looked back at her before leaving. "And about what you said earlier… I won't tell Arthur. If anything, worse things have been said."
Aria was silent. When she spoke, there was a hint of gratitude in her voice. "Thank you, Merlin."
Merlin nodded once then left her chambers, walking down the hall quickly. Somehow, his heart just couldn't stop it's faster-than-normal beating.
A little while later, Aria met Arthur outside in the square, where their horses had been prepared. So far, the early day had been eventful- she blabbed away her thoughts while Merlin was in the room who just so happened to be rather close to Arthur. Thankfully, he said he wouldn't tell and Aria had a feeling Merlin was one to keep promises, even with someone he barely knew.
Arthur smiled at her as she came down the steps. "Good morning, Lady Aria," he greeted, holding out a hand to help her down the stairs. She took it and returned the greeting. "I see we won't be joining our fathers for breakfast this morning, then?"
"Not today. Today, it's just the two of us." Arthur helped her get up onto her horse and got up on his. Aria kind of liked how he said that. Just the two of us. It sounded nice to her.
They left the citadel shortly and made their way to the forest. It was a beautiful day, the sky clear of any clouds and the sun warm on their backs. The ride was quiet in the beginning. Aria took in the scenery as they passed by. She was slowly warming up to the idea of living in Camelot. Granted it would be lonely for a while without her father and Isabel, but Aria had learned by now how to adjust to these kinds of situations.
"Are you liking your stay in Camelot so far?" Arthur asked, starting a conversation.
Aria nodded. "I am. It's been wonderful. You and your father have been kind, Arthur."
"It is our pleasure," Arthur replied, waving it away like it was nothing. The awkward silence set in again but Aria broke it. "Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"Just a place nearby a lake that I know of," Arthur answered. Thankfully, they got to the spot quickly so they didn't have to worry about dealing with anymore awkwardness. Arthur got off his horse and helped Aria off hers. He then began setting up their breakfast near the lake. Aria smiled to herself. She felt touched that Arthur had set this us for them and set about to helping him.
"I really wish I brought Merlin with me," he grumbled, "But I didn't want him intruding in on us. He's a nosy one, listen to us all day if he could."
Aria chuckled then felt guilty. It felt wrong to be laughing at Merlin like that. Finally, everything was set and the two sat down near the lake on the spread. Aria had been feeling hungry earlier but sitting this close next to Arthur set her stomach in knots and she could barely keep her food down. This is your chance to know him for who he really is. You are going to be his wife soon. Take advantage of this.
She sat up. "So, tell me about yourself!"
Arthur put his plate down. "Well, what would you like to know?"
"Anything and everything, my lord! We haven't had the chance to get to know one another through this arrangement. No better time than now for that to happen."
Arthur chuckled. "You're right. Well, let's see… you know I am an only child. I've been trained to kill since birth. Or at least that's what I tell most people. It's what I told Merlin when he first came to Camelot."
Aria giggled. "How did he react to that?"
"Oh, if there's one thing about Merlin, he's a bit of a coward. Can't really stay up long enough in a fight." Arthur sat back. "But he has become a close friend of mine. I can't think of anyone else I can trust as much as I trust him."
"Hmmm, that's nice of you to say about him," Aria replied, leaning back against a pillow.
Arthur glanced at her. "But best we not tell him what I just said."
"Your secret is safe with me!" They both laughed then Arthur continued, "A lot of things have happened ever since Merlin came to Camelot. It's almost like trouble followed him on the way here. But in a way, I suppose I'm a bit grateful for it. It gave me chances to prove to my father that I would make a great king someday."
Aria let her eyes stay on Arthur the whole time he talked. "My father always tells me of what I must do when it is my time to take the throne." Arthur cast his eyes upon the lake, almost forgetting that he was talking to Aria. "I've watched him rule as I grew up, wanting to make him proud of him. As hard as he can be on me, I know why."
He turned his head to look at Aria whose eyes had not left him once. "Do you ever feel that way? That you must do whatever you can despite how much you disagree with what is expected of you to prove something to someone?"
Aria sighed. "I would be lying if I said I didn't. My father can be the same, except it's different. Ever since my mother went away, nothing's been the same. I know he means well when he says that I need to be the kind of woman a man would marry but- it's a lot of pressure on one person to do all this to please their father."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I know exactly what you mean. I can't even begin to tell you all the things I've had to do under my father's command that I disagreed with yet had to do anyway just to make him proud of me."
"How refreshing, someone that understands!" Aria let out another sigh. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if my mother were still here."
Arthur looked at her interestedly. "If you don't mind me asking, my lady, whatever happened to your mother?"
As hard as it was to tell the story, Aria knew she would have to at some point. Why not now?
"She… left my father and I with another man when I was young," she started, not meeting Arthur's eyes, instead, looking down at her hands. "She betrayed us. Said she hated the royal lifestyle, the way it all was, the 'system' we followed. And so she ran off with another man who lived in our kingdom. I have not heard from her since."
He must have noticed her quiet, solemn attitude and moved to comfort her. "I'm truly sorry to hear that, Lady Aria. If it is any consolation, I know what it's like to grow up without a mother."
"It's awful, isn't it?" she asked softly. She appreciated that Arthur was trying to make her feel better.
"Explains why our fathers are so tough on us," Arthur answered, "My father's changed ever since my mother died. I'm sure you know of our law banning all practices of magic in Camelot and anyone who is to break the rule will be punished by death."
Aria paused. Magic… meaning anything to do with the Old Religion. How could she have not known this rule already? And why in the world had her father not told her anything? She was carrying books on the Old Religion! Aria made a mental note to have Isabel hide those immediately.
"I know," she nodded quickly, as if not knowing this rule was a crime, "I can assure you that I will abide by this rule and not practice any of my magic." She cracked a joke. Arthur laughed than shot her a worried look. "You are joking, right?"
"Yes, my lord! Of course I am!" Note to self: don't make too many sarcastic jokes.
After a while, Arthur stood up and helped Aria up as well. "We should probably get back to Camelot before our fathers wonder what's taking so long." Aria agreed and they packed everything up, got on their horses, and followed the trail back to the citadel. After their time spent together, Aria didn't have any doubt that this marriage really was happening. She wanted to ask Arthur if this was as frightening to him as it was for her. But even if he were scared, he wouldn't tell her.
"You know, my lady," Arthur spoke up, interrupting her thoughts, "I have to be honest, I was a bit hesitant about this whole arrangement at first. But after this, I should say that I welcome the idea of you coming to stay in Camelot as the future queen… and of course, my wife."
Whatever little food Aria had eaten earlier seemed to pull a sudden change in direction from her stomach to back up. What was she expected to say in return? That she was all for it? That she had warmed up to the idea as well? Should she be honest? Tell him that she had never felt more scared than now? No, no that was a terrible idea. Aria knew why this had to be done. She wasn't about to let her father down.
Aria smiled at Arthur. "I love the idea myself, my lord."
"I am glad to hear it. Our fathers will be very happy to hear this, won't they?"
She nodded once and smiled one last time at him before looking up ahead. Pleasing their fathers… Arthur made a perfect point. At the end of the day, it didn't matter how they really felt. All that mattered was they made others happy and their fathers proud of them.
A/N: Hey, hey! So sorry for being gone these past three days, I was really busy and barely had anytime to update but I hope this new chapter makes up for my absence! I will say that while I was gone, I got a few ideas that might pull the story in a more serious, "darker" direction. If the rating changes, you'll know why but we'll see. I love reviews, they'll keep me writing, but I'm totally jussayin'. Thanks for reading and updates will come soon!
