"Listening is the first step and the last step." Cantus Fraggle

.***.

It was Percy who stopped it.

It was strange that it was not Gwen, who so adored Merlin, who loved him for his candor and his innocence, for his loyalty to Arthur, for his wit and intelligence and kind heart. No, Gwen, was busy with Morgana, who was having headaches so often and with such force that she was either lying down in bed or heaving into a basin. Her mistress was getting thinner, smaller, and Gwen couldn't go chasing after Merlin and Arthur, trying to get them to make up again. This time they were on their own.

And Gaius was busy with the same problem, feverishly preparing every remedy for headaches he'd ever made or heard of, and if he noticed Merlin was moving slower than usual, noticed that he wasn't with Arthur all the live-long day, then he didn't say anything of it.

Arthur…well, Arthur was hurt, and licking his wounds and broken heart. He couldn't even see Merlin cross the courtyard without feeling physically ill.

So it was Percy, the young knight Arthur had nearly killed while training, who saved the day when he was patrolling the corridors one night. Well, technically, he was supposed to be patrolling the corridors and was instead sitting on the a windowsill, trying to read a book of poetry in the flickering light of his torch flame.

It was for a girl. Usually, when a man reads a book of poetry, a girl is behind it. Truth be told, Percy found himself mouthing the words to himself as his finger skimmed along the page to hold his spot. Not to sound them out, as he usually did with his meager education and few reading skills, but because the words on the page were so beautifully crafted he felt the need to hold them in his mouth and savor them.

The castle was still, and Percy liked this time of night. Three in the morning, when the night owls had gone to sleep and the early birds hadn't yet gotten up for their busy schedules. Percy found himself nodding off over the book, his hair falling in front of his face every time he did.

The castle was still, though, which is why Percy started when he heard the fierce whisper, the low moan of pain. He had the presence of mind not to jump to his feet – he was in full armor, and the sound would have alerted any intruder. No, he got up with agonizing slowness, one joint at a time, all the while listening to the muffled sounds in the corridor.

"I told you to come to my chambers!"

"Gaius needed me. The Lady Morgana is keeping him very busy -" There was an intake of breath at the end of this, as if the speaker had just been cuffed about the neck.

The next part was in such a menacing low whisper that Percy had to strain to hear it. "You remember how easily I said I could kill that old fool Gaius? And what of your precious prince? Little Arthur wouldn't be so becoming burning alive, would he?"

"Please…" The other person breathed, voice catching, and Percy moved the last three inches quickly. Fully erect, he grabbed his torch and started down the corridor, whistling as if there was no problem at all, as if he was on his usual patrols and hadn't just overheard a short conversation that had made his blood turn icy cold.

"Sir Matthias!" He said in mock surprise, eyes gliding over the servant Merlin before resting on his companion. In that instant, he noted that Merlin looked awful. His clothes were hanging askew, as if someone had tried to jerk them from his body, and there was a ring of bruises around his neck that almost certainly had come from a hand.

Of course he'd heard about Arthur and Merlin's falling out. They fought once a week, and he suspected that this tiff wouldn't last any longer than the others. The only problem with it was that he'd been in the pool with the servants, trying to predict when the two parties would stop beating around the bush and get together.

This scene here in the corridor, past the witching hour, past the time of the full moon, was making the small hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. And he didn't know why. Perhaps it was the naked terror he saw in Merlin's eyes. More likely it was the cold hatred he saw in Matthias's.

"No one's supposed to be wandering the corridors at night. It's dangerous, you see." He reached out an arm and, quick s a flash, pulled Merlin towards him. The servant had no more meat to him than a child… "I'll escort him to his chambers. We're already at yours, I see." He nodded at the door behind Matthias's head.

Never before had he had such a gaze directed at his own self – loathing, disgust, anger. But Matthias quickly smoothed it over to become the man he'd seen around Camelot this past week – a mild, intelligent childhood friend of the prince. "I was only out of my chambers because I heard him -" a finger point at Merlin, "stumbling around the corridors after hours. Perhaps the boy needs a reminder about the castle's curfew? Good night." This last was so abrupt that Percy actually winced as the door slammed.

He looked at Merlin, who had been staring up at him and looked away when Percy met his gaze. "Thank you," He murmured at the floor.

"Now look here." Percy said, whispering fiercely as they moved down the corridor. "I've heard the rumors. You two are not the first lovers I've caught after hours. Not even the first two men. But do you know what you're doing to the prince? Don't look at me like that!" Percy whispered savagely at the blank stare he received. "You know as well as anybody that he's been over the moon for you since you came to Camelot. Why are you taking up with his old mate?"

"I'm not!" Merlin whispered back, then closed his mouth tight, staring straight ahead. Percy thought for a moment about reprimanding the servant for talking back to a knight of the realm, but he thought better of it. It was late (or early?) and they were both tired.

"And did I hear him threaten the prince?" Percy raged. Merlin cringed at his tone but didn't deny it. "I did! And it doesn't sound like the first threat he's made either. Why haven't you told anyone? Why haven't you brought him to Arthur's attention?"

Merlin said nothing, just gazed at the ground, and Percy knew that he needed to drive the point home. "You don't understand. You can't understand. But Arthur is Camelot's only hope. He's a far sight better than his father. He understands the needs of the common people. He likes his people, which is more than I can say for any king or future king alive today."

"I know that," Merlin muttered, "You think I don't know that? I know Arthur."

"Then don't take up with his friends." Percy said flatly, "even if he wasn't a prince and you his servant, it's not right to go with your best mate's old friends. Creates bad blood." They were rounding the corner to the servants quarters when Percy's foot caught on the flagstone. He wrenched it free, swearing under his breath. Merlin, moving quicker to keep up with the bigger man, wasn't so lucky. When he tripped he fell hard, and only years of being the clumsiest boy anyone had ever met saved him from waking the whole castle. He bit back his scream.

"You really are a mess." Percy rolled his eyes as he lifted Merlin up by his tunic. The tunic that rode up to reveal such a mess of bruises and welts that Percy let go and backed away as if he'd been burned.

"It's nothing." Merlin said too quickly, pulling back down his shirt and not meeting Percy's eyes. "Just an accident. It's nothing."

Percy almost retorted but thought better of it, shutting his mouth quick and breathing hard through his nose. Why, oh why did it always have to be him? He could have gone his whole life without falling into a situation like this one.

"We're at your quarters, Merlin." He muttered, using the servant's name as if they were friends. And why not? For what Percy had to do next, they might as well be friends. They might as well be the best of friends.

.***.

Percy was not a bad man. He was actually a very good man. He was in on the servant's pool because he was good friends with the servants. He loved letting children play with his sword (as long as it was dull). He skipped meals every week so he could give his food to some of the beggars he saw on the street.

But he did have a healthy fear of Arthur. The prince had nearly killed him during training the week before. He was the best jouster in the kingdom, the best swordsman in all the kingdoms. He was a force to be reckoned with.

So when he tried to talk to the heir apparent about Merlin, he tried to do it with the utmost care.

"Prince Arthur! May I have a word with you?"

"Hurry up, Percy, I'm late for dinner with my father and several visiting dignitaries." Percy ran to catch up with Arthur, who was pulling off his armor even as he raced through the castle.

"It's about the servant Merlin and your friend Matthias." He warned, and then wished he hadn't.

"I don't want to hear the rumors flying about those two. Merlin fell from my good graces when he took up with Matthias."

"But sire, I believe that Merlin is being…well, that he's being hurt by this relationship."

"Serves him right."

"You don't mean that, Arthur." Percy said, so exasperated that he addressed the prince by his first name only, earning him a raised eyebrow. "You must know that there is something about Sir Matthias that is…well, he's a little off."

"I will not hear my friend talked of in that manner." Arthur warned.

"You care for Merlin. Please, my lord, don't go through the show of not knowing what I am talking about. You were the one who was not discrete about your infatuation in the first place."

"You cannot speak to me like this, Percy!"

"I am trying to save a man's life!" Percy spat back, throwing a hand in front of Arthur, blocking him from his quarters. "You think I am exaggerating? Merlin will die if you let Matthias go on in this manner. He will die."

"Out of my way, Percy." Arthur said, his voice low and menacing enough to make Percy move, feeling slightly foolish as Arthur stared at him in a cool, aloof way. "Get out of my sight."

Percy left then, because he wanted to have his job in the morning. Because he knew that he'd already been too bold in his speech. Because he'd seen a glimmer in Arthur's eyes, something that told him that he wasn't being ignored, that Arthur would act on his advice before long.

.***.

yeah, we needed Percy back for one more chapter. he's not supposed to be a major character or anything. just an outsider who has a good head on his shoulders. anyway, he's a catalyst, and arthur should be taking up the cause sometime soon...at least, we think he will be. only time can tell.

you don't know how much your reviews have meant to us. really. they're what keeps us going on a hard story like this.