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Chapter Eight
By the time the king left, Merlin was too tired and sleepy to scry Benarik's location which had been his original intention. Gaius had insisted that he eat something, then he had stumbled up the stairs to his little room. He soon fell into a sleep troubled by vivid jumbled images of trying desperately to save Gwaine's life, of vile, disgusting goblins, Eilidh and her orange cat, pulling a badly injured prince down an embankment, and a girl with auburn hair in strange clothing, rubies dangling from a chain around her neck.
The young man sat up gasping, looking wildly around the darkness, his raven hair damp with perspiration. Gwaine's all right, he told himself, trying to steady his breathing. Arthur is in his bed sleeping. He felt an intense feeling of homesickness wishing he could see his mother. After a few moments, his breathing became calmer and his heart rate returned to near normal. He lay back down, trying to think of pleasant things. He thought of the Pegasus, Ouranos, her coat scented like freshly fallen rain and wondered if the elves would let him see her again. After a while, he fell asleep again, this time his dreams gentler, less frenetic. He dreamed of Justin designing and painting the firebird on the coat of arms at Drachenfels, the soft-spoken artisan painting in beautiful, painstaking detail. He woke before dawn, knowing why Mariana had told him he needed Justin.
But first, a quick trip to the kitchens - there was something he needed to pick up.
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Early morning light flooded into Arthur's bedchamber as a servant opened his windows, an unusually quiet servant. The blonde blearily opened one eye. It was not Merlin. "Where is my -?" He hastily sat up and looked around the room. There was a cat drowsily warming itself in front of the fire. It was mostly black with white stockings and green-gold eyes. Although the prince would not have known it, the animal was one of the cats who hung around the kitchen door for the occasional hand-out.
"Why is there a cat in my chambers?" Arthur asked the servant.
"I don't know, Sire," the servant answered nervously, "It was here when I came."
"Tell the guards to step into my room," Arthur demanded. The cat chose that moment to rise to its haunches and stretch lazily, then in an unexpected display of kinetic energy, it raced to the bed and bounded effortlessly on top of it. It found a warm spot near the prince and settled in.
A few moments later, Derek and another man entered the room and approached his bed.
"How did this cat get into my chambers?" Arthur asked. The animal was actually purring.
"Your manservant brought it while you were sleeping," one guard replied.
"He said it was for your protection," Derek, the other guard, replied. It was a struggle to keep his expression neutral.
From what, Arthur wondered, rampaging mice? His eyes fell on the gemstones on his left wrist. It was then that Arthur began to wonder if he had been too indulgent, allowing Merlin to place amulets and protective stones on his person. Had the young man now progressed to protective animals?
"Derek, locate my manservant. Bring him here. Drag him, if necessary." The prince knew Derek would ignore the last part of his command. The man was indebted to the warlock for saving his life in the incident with the basilisk.
After the guards left, the prince got up and began dressing himself, deep in thought. He was having trouble remembering events of the previous evening. Whatever Gaius had given him had knocked him out. He didn't even remember falling asleep. He was starting to get a bad feeling and was not particularly surprised when the guards returned a half hour later saying that Merlin was not to be found. Arthur swore under his breath.
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Merlin located Justin easily enough. The quiet, reserved man was painting a rather ferocious-looking dragon on a castle wall in one of the rooms used for council meetings, a commission obtained for him by his father, a powerful noble and close friend to the king.
The dark-haired young man stood behind the artisan for a moment, watching him paint. "He looks like he could just fly right off there."
"No, Merlin!" Justin said, hastily. "Just no."
"I wasn't going to," Merlin said, soothingly. "Can you take a break - a rather lengthy one? I need your help." He explained what he needed.
"How much time do I have to do this?"
"You need to be finished by nightfall and out of there," the warlock replied.
"Not a lot of time then."
"No, but they don't have to be works of art, Justin. Just functional."
"I can do that," the gray-eyed man replied.
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"Did you ask Gaius where his ward was?" Arthur asked.
"No, Sire," Derek replied, "I'll do so immediately." The tall, broad-shouldered guard turned toward the door.
"Wait. Never mind," the blonde said hastily. "I'll ask him myself."
Derek held the door open for the prince just as two additional guards arrived at the entrance. This can't be good, Arthur thought. He was right.
Both guards nodded their heads at the royal. "The king sends greetings and requests your presence in his chambers for breakfast, Sire," one of them said, formally.
Arthur swore under his breath. "Tell my father I'll be there shortly."
There was an awkward little silence. "Well?" Arthur said, in an icy tone when no one moved. In a list of his ten most hated things, his will being thwarted occupied the top five spots.
One of the guards cleared his throat nervously. "The king has requested -" He cleared his throat again. "-ordered that we provide an escort for you." The prince's temper tantrums were legendary.
The blonde gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to win this one. Point to you, father. "All right." Derek was still standing beside him. The prince grabbed his arm in an iron grip. "Derek, assist me with my coat. My manservant appears to have overslept this morning."
"Certainly, Sire." The tall guard followed the prince back into his room. Arthur looked around the room seemingly at a loss.
"I'm not positive where Merlin keeps it."
Derek walked over to the wardrobe and selected one of the coats. He didn't bother asking if the prince liked it. The two men held a whispered conversation while the guard assisted him.
"Talk to Gaius first," Arthur said, hurriedly, "then check the stables. See what horses are missing. Talk to the stable hands. See if anyone saw Merlin leaving. Was he alone?"
The two newer guards at the door shifted restlessly. "Sire?"
"I'm nearly finished," Derek said over his shoulder, fussing with the front of the coat.
"Come to my father's chambers afterwards," the prince continued in a rushed undertone. "Make an excuse to speak with me privately."
"There you go, Your Highness," the guard said, loudly, brushing his hand over the shoulder and front of the coat. "You're all set."
