Arthur and Ainsley had been in the guest chamber for forty-five minutes when Merlin caught up to them, Ainsley's luggage packed around him like a donkey. Neither one of them seemed to notice much when he entered into the room. Merlin dropped all of Ainsley's bags on the floor, suddenly succumbing to their weight. "At least I made it this far…"
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asked, staring at him incredulously.
"The…" Merlin tried to answer, but was out of breath. He gestured instead. "The bags, sire…" he panted.
"Well don't go using them as a giant haystack—they weren't meant to be jumping into."
Merlin was ready to bounce back with a comeback when Ainsley stepped in as mediator. "Come on, Arthur— it's pretty amazing he was able to get that all here in one trip." Merlin looked up at him questioningly. Was he standing up for a servant? THAT wasn't something he had seen every day. "Besides, I didn't see YOU carrying any of my luggage up…" Ainsley added in a jesting tone and smirk to Arthur.
"Oh, you'll never see that," Merlin said, looking up at Arthur with a smile.
"I guess you're right," replied Arthur. "It is pretty amazing that Merlin was able to carry all that upstairs, considering he was built like a girl."
"Well at least if I were a girl, you'd carry some luggage for me" Merlin shot back. Ainsley let out a chuckle as Merlin stood up, and Merlin found himself letting out a short laugh in return. For the first time, Merlin allowed himself to look at Ainsley more closely. Many of the nobles he met had an arrogant presence around them. They were stuck up. They looked at him as if he were inferior, if they even looked at him at all. Ainsley looked at him as if he were there. When he talked, he looked him in the eyes. There was a genuine kindness to this prince, and a pleasant disposition not unlike Arthur's. Plus, he thought Merlin was funny. Merlin hated to admit it to himself, but he decided Arthur was right—he liked Ainsley.
Arthur caught onto the moment of new friendship the two of them were forming and raised his eyebrows. He thought changing the subject would be the easiest route. "Did you see to all of Ainsley's knights?"
"Yeah. They're all put in the West Wing chambers, and the horses are all housed and fed."
Arthur looked at Merlin almost impressed. "You did that already?"
"Yeah…" Merlin shot back in defense. "I'm not as useless as you'd like for me to believe…" which was true, and partly not. Merlin always did whatever he was asked to do to the best of his ability, but he would never have been able to finish in under an hour if this time a fellow servant hadn't taken pity on him and volunteered to take in the horses.
"And you had help," Arthur said, as if reading his mind.
"Only… a little." There were times when Arthur could be so blind—especially when it came to Merlin—that he forgot how well Arthur actually knew him. "From Mathier."
Arthur looked at Merlin confused. "Who?"
Merlin, who had started to gather Ainsley's possessions again, stared back in disbelief. "Mathier."
"How am I supposed to know who that is?" he started to lecture.
"He works in the castle!" Merlin answered, emphasizing every word.
"Merlin, there are probably hundreds of people who work in this castle. You expect me to know each of their names? I can barely remember yours…"
"Oh yes, I'm just one of the lucky few to be graced with existence in your memory."
"Merlin…"
"You need to be more in touch with the people. Especially those who spend their days making yours easier."
Suddenly both of them at the same time remembered Ainsley was in the room and stopped, looking back at Ainsley awkwardly. The pair wasn't used to having such conversations in front of a noble guest, let alone an old friend of Arthur's.
It was Ainsley who broke the silence. "I guess I haven't offered to carry my own luggage either," he stated, and picked up some of the bags left behind. He let out a smile when he saw that neither Merlin nor Arthur had moved. "You two look like children who have just been caught doing something you weren't supposed to do..." Merlin smiled, thinking of how many times today he had thought of Ainsley and Arthur as acting like children. Ainsley added with a mischievous smile, "Don't worry, Arthur… I won't tell your father on you…"
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter," Arthur replied. The door opened revealing a knight.
"Prince Arthur, the King demands your presence immediately."
Arthur looked at Ainsley, and the excitement on his face fell slightly. "I'll be right there," he finally replied, and the knight left. "Duty calls," Arthur shrugged.
"I know what that's like," Ainsley replied in friendly support.
Arthur put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "You're the only one who would."
Merlin once again felt his own face fall, but he wasn't quite sure why. Was he jealous of Ainsley and Arthur? Probably. Or was he saddened because in reality, he DID know what it was like to have such a burden placed on your shoulders, and to be reminded of that burden constantly. He knew exactly how Arthur felt. Surely he of all people knew what it was like to be alone. But Merlin didn't have an Ainsley to share that with. Merlin had Arthur. And Arthur couldn't know.
"Merlin," Arthur commanded, once again bringing Merlin out of his thoughts. "Make sure Ainsley gets anything that he needs."
"Of course, Sire."
Arthur added, turning to Ainsley, "Merlin is at your disposal. Let him prove to you he's not worthless."
Merlin shot Arthur a sarcastic "thanks" look behind his back. He turned to Ainsley and was surprised to see him still cleaning up. "You don't have to do that, my lord," Merlin stated, attempting to take the luggage away from the visiting prince.
Ainsley held up a hand to keep Merlin away. "Ainsley," he replied. "Please, not 'my lord'; not 'sire'—just Ainsley. Merlin, right?"
Merlin was pleasantly confused. "Yeah. But really, let me- I don't mind."
Ainsley shook his head in a friendly rejection. "Well I do."
Merlin couldn't help but smile. He liked this Ainsley more and more. "Well at least let me help," Merlin replied, almost sarcastically.
In the throne room, Arthur expected to see his father busy with preparations for the stay of Ainsley and his knights. He didn't expect a closed-door meeting, and he definitely didn't expect what he found behind those closed doors. A man dressed in a dark cloak, hunched over masking what Arthur speculated was his real age, standing in the shadows. A hood covered his face, and just from looking at him, Arthur could feel his blood pressure rising. "Is this feeling a warning…" Arthur asked himself. There was something about this man he didn't trust.
The council included the king who was sitting on his throne, Arthur's knights, a few noblemen, and Gaius—each staring at this shrouded figure, who, it seemed, refused to speak.
"If you mean us no harm," Arthur started, "show yourself."
"My lords, I wish you no misfortune," he answered in a raspy voice. Arthur couldn't tell if it was his real voice or an attempt at masking it. "But I take a great risk in coming here, and I wish my identity to remain a secret."
"You'll find no divulgers in this room," Arthur affirmed.
"I envy the confidence you have in your men, Prince Arthur," the stranger responded, "but with all due respect, the only sure way to keep a secret is to keep it a secret."
"And what is it you wish to say?" Uther asked. "Having undertaken such measures to seek the council's audience, I dread to think of the reason…"
Everyone was quiet, waiting for him to explain. Suddenly a new confidence seemed to seize the stranger.
"There lives in the eastern woods such a creature, Sire. Conjured by magic. Feasting upon the very souls of those who would harness the power to create it. The more powerful the soul, the more satisfying to the creature."
"And you know this how?" Arthur asked, still suspicious.
"I… was among them."
"You're a druid?" asked Uther warily.
"I assure you, I am not, my lord. But their paths and mine have crossed…" The stranger lifted his head just enough so he could determine the emotion of Uther. He knew it was a dangerous thing to come here the way he did—if he wanted to get out alive, he'd have to play his cards right. Uther showed no signs of easing up. "After the death of my mother, I was abandoned by my remaining relatives. Left in the woods with no other means of survival, I one day came across the Druids. They taught me skills that I would need to survive and make it on my own. Though I have never dwelt with them, there are many Druids who have known me since I was young who still trust me."
"So you would betray your friends?" Arthur asked, less and less impressed by the moment.
"I do this to protect my friends, Sire. There are many among them who harness the power of magic. This beast goes forth from village to village, attacking, absorbing the individual. Once the person is gone, it can claim their magic."
"Do we know anything of how it was made?" Uther asked.
"It is my understanding that it was forged by a priestess of the old religion, who hopes to instill terror upon the heart of all Camelot," the stranger answered.
"Once all the sorcerers are eliminated, there would be no one to stop her from becoming the most powerful magician of our time," Gaius pronounced. All eyes turned to him.
"Precisely," the stranger answered with a smirk.
"Then we must go and destroy it," Arthur stated.
Uther had a thought. "Not quite…"
"Father, a magic beast is let loose in our kingdom," Arthur stated, confused.
"Yes," Uther responded.
Arthur paused a moment, waiting for an explanation. There was none. "I'm not sure I understand…"
"You said it attacks people who possess magic?" Uther asked with a slight smile.
"Yes, my lord."
Uther leaned back in his throne as if he were relieved. "Then our prayers are answered."
"Father?" Arthur knew what his father was thinking, but he wasn't sure he agreed.
"No more will you be in danger, Arthur. No more will we lose our knights fighting this evil. If this beast can get to sorcerers so we don't have to; secure our resources…."
"My lord?" the stranger asked, not quite sure he understood what was going on as well.
Arthur stood still for a moment, slightly disappointed. He didn't approve of the use of magic any more than his father did, but the thought of a mystical creature lurking in the shadows, reaping havoc and seizing fear upon his own people didn't appeal to him either. "So, we do nothing?"
"I take it you disapprove," enounced Uther.
Arthur wasn't sure if this was one of those battles he should pick to fight. "What about all of the innocent villagers? The loyal townspeople. Surely we cannot leave them unprotected."
The entire audience seemed to hold their breath, their eyes moving from Arthur to the king. Was Camelot about to wage war upon magic, or leave its people defenseless?
Uther finally broke the silence. "Am I to understand…It only attacks those who would use magic?"
"From what I've seen, Sire, those with the power have been preyed upon."
Uther looked at his son. There was something in Arthur's eyes that said he was still unsure. Though he didn't voice it often, the king trusted his son more and more as Arthur's judgment had in the last few years begun to mature. It was almost as if Arthur had a sixth sense for this kind of thing. Perhaps he should listen, or make some sort of compromise. If he was wrong, at the very least, he could ease Arthur's mind.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to send a scout or two," Uther decreed, "so we know what we're dealing with."
The worry lines Arthur was trying to hide earlier erased.
"But make no mistake of this, Arthur—your first priority is to entertain Ainsley and his men. Let the army handle this one. Lentina has been a powerful ally in the past, and a friend we cannot afford to lose. The ties you make with Alric's heir will secure Camelot's future."
With the new threat upon them, Arthur almost forgot he had a friend visiting, and although he definitely didn't see Ainsley as a way to secure Camelot's future, being ordered to spend time with him wasn't unappealing. "Yes, Sire."
"Bring down the scrolls with the maps of the woodland areas. Sir Leon will send scouts immediately."
"Yes, my lord," stated Arthur, then turned to the stranger to get a look at him one last time, but to his surprise, and the surprise of the entire court, the stranger had disappeared. Arthur looked around questioningly.
Merlin started collecting the rest of Ainsley's things. He didn't have much left to do. "If you have any embarrassing stories about Arthur, I wouldn't mind listening to them." Ainsley looked and silently laughed. Merlin continued, " You know—if you were wanting to tell someone and just waiting for the chance all of these years but couldn't find the right person…"
"Oh, I have stories, believe me. But most of them involve me, so I would be incriminating myself…"
"MERLIN," Arthur shouted, earning Merlin's attention. "My chambers are a mess. See if you can't find your way through them and tidy up a bit. We don't want our guests to think we hire just anybody around here…"
"You told me to look after Ainsley," Merlin reminded him. He had to admit, making a new friend was more appealing than cleaning Arthur's dirty socks.
"Don't worry— I'll take over. I think I'm much better company for him, anyway."
It was almost noon. Merlin was hours behind in his chores. Looking after Ainsley, 15 knights, and their horses was starting to take its toll. He was getting tired. "Okay, so I technically didn't have to take care of the horses…" he thought to himself, but even so, he had been running all morning without a chance to sit down. And now this…
Merlin looked around at Arthur's chambers. Dirty clothes and piles of things he didn't even recognize laid everywhere. How did Arthur even manage to make this mess? He hadn't even been in his room all day…
"Well, I guess there's no harm in trying…" Merlin thought. If he was ever going to get done with his chores, he was going to need his other set of skills. Arthur should be out doing whatever it was that he and Ainsley set out to do, and no one else ever entered into this room, except maybe Gwen, who was busy looking after Morgana.
Merlin looked around the room one more time. He really didn't have much of a choice. Usually he was good at doing things on his own, but magic had always been a part of him, and to not use it was like denying a part of himself. How many times did he have a chance to truly be alone in a room?
"Fýrhús sylfum áfeormian!" His eyes flashed gold. Suddenly Arthur's chambers were in chaos, cleaning itself and tiding up every corner. Merlin watched, his eyes dancing. Part of him never felt more like himself than when he used his magic. He might have to keep it secret, but that didn't mean he had to keep it in a box all the time.
Merlin, however, was so lost in his own excitement he didn't hear Arthur approaching.
"I just have to grab one thing for my father and we'll be back on schedule… Wait right here—I don't want you tripping over whatever's going on in there," he joked.
Just at that moment, Arthur broke through the door. "MERlin, I need you to…" His sentence trailed off as he beheld his now spotless room. Merlin felt the hair stand up on his back.
"How did you… that was impossibly fast."
Merlin froze, like a deer in headlights, desperate to find a way out. "What was?"
"This room—it was a mess."
"It was?"
"Yes!" Arthur answered, incredulously.
"I mean, it was. But… I cleaned it."
Arthur paused again, trying to understand. "I JUST left this room, not five minutes ago."
"5 minutes? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm SURE, Merlin! I sent you here from just half way down the hall- then I remembered I had forgotten something."
"No, that was 20 minutes ago." Merlin responded innocently.
"20 minutes? Are you mad? I was JUST here!" Arthur was getting worked up.
Merlin pretended to be perplexed, as if he were once again speaking to a child. "And yet, if that were true, how would I have been able to clean up all of this mess…"
Arthur shouted, exasperated. "Exactly! That's what I'm asking!"
Merlin's eyes narrowed in feigned concern. "Are you all right, Sire?"
Arthur looked at Merlin puzzled. Could it really have been 20 minutes since he had walked out of the room? It didn't feel like that long, but what other explanation could there have been? Still, Merlin was acting his normal suspicious self. If it HAD been 20 minutes, where did the other fifteen minutes go from Arthur's memory?
Merlin took advantage of his confusion. "You said you'd forgotten something?"
"Yes." Arthur kept staring at Merlin, unsure of what just happened. But then again, he had given up on trying to understand Merlin a long time ago. "It's a scroll—I'm supposed to deliver it to my father… are you CERTAIN it's been 20 minutes?"
Ainsley peeked around the corner and looked around the room, a little confused himself.
"Here." Merlin handed it to Arthur.
"Thanks." Arthur was still staring at Merlin, confused.
Merlin stared back at him. "…What?"
Arthur just shook his head. "Just don't TRY to understand it, Arthur. You know you get confused whenever you talk to Merlin," he said to himself. But then again, that's why he liked Merlin—things were never boring when he was around.