SPRING HUNT


The plum trees in bloom were giving out a sweet fragrance and the stone slabs of the garden were covered with delicate pink and white petals. Comfortably seated atop a tree, Daegal was playing with his little wooden figures, while keeping an eye on Merlin who was reading on the terrace.

Somewhere in the house, Gwen was happily humming as she kneaded dough in a cloud of flour. Lancelot had gone on a run and Perceval was chopping wood in the sunny backyard.

Everything was peaceful and Arthur, when he stepped out of the secret tunnel, drew in a deep breath as if to fill his lungs with that quiet atmosphere, so different from the castle. Then he crossed the room and perched on the open window sill next to Merlin who raised his head and put down his book, smiling.

- "What can I do for you today, Your Highness?" asked the wizard.

- "Can't I just pay you a visit?" protested the prince.

A year ago, such a joke would have bitterly pinched Merlin's heart, but it was different now. The blond young man had taken into the habit of coming whenever his tasks gave him some free time. He always found a pretext for it, but it was quite obvious he just needed to confide in attentive ears: he was, after all, the youngest member of the Court and he had no one – other than Gwaine, whom he could not be too close to without raising suspicions in Uther Pendragon's eyes – with whom talk about the knights who had fallen in the Northern Mountains or of his dreams for Camelot.

Sometimes the prince came to see Perceval, to share with him memories of the campaigns they had done together with Emrys, more than thirteen years before. But most of the time, he would sit in the chair that was always waiting next to Merlin's bed, by the sunny window, and the other members of the household would smile and glanced fondly at them as they went on with their usual chores.

The two of them could talk for hours about anything. Arthur was tireless about the improvements that could be made to the army and Merlin easily got led into the subject, despite his protests of innocence: "Oh, I only know one or two things in this area." But they also spoke of foreign policy, management of the Kingdom's finances, conflicts between courtiers, magic abuses, texts of laws... arguing and counter-arguing when they did not share the same opinion, often agreeing at the end of the day.

Sometimes the prince brought ministers with him: Sir Geoffrey and other simple men, who had a real passion for their profession and who loved to compare with the brilliant mind of the wizard. Gaius put a stop to it when the discussions continued late into the night, but he did not stop the visits, seeing clearly the pleasure they gave to his patient.

Daegal, as far as he was concerned, cared very little about who came so long as he was allowed to stuff his face with desserts. He preferred, however, when Arthur's visits coincided with Gwaine's: while the adults were discussing uninteresting and complicated things, he could fight all he wanted with the General!

- "Today there's indeed something", the prince admitted after accepting the smoking cup of tea Merlin was handing him. "The King would like you to come with us on the Spring Hunt."

His preoccupied face turned to the wizard.

- "I know what my father has in mind. He will certainly raise you to the rank of Duke or Marquis, allowing you to meet the Queen. And after a few months..."

He hesitated, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence, disgusted by the speech his parents had given him the night before.

- "And after a few months, he will offer me the hand of his youngest daughter," concluded Merlin quietly. His blue gaze rested gently on the prince. "The King hopes to erase the scandal of the princess and, at my death that cannot happen too far in the future, knowing my poor health, to take control of the Alliance of the East River while finally having the opportunity to marry Lady Freyja to a person more worthy of her status..."

Arthur looked down, his forehead red with shame.

- "I'm sorry you're involved in these power games."

Merlin chuckled.

- "I came to Camelot especially to be involved in them, Your Highness," he replied. "I was the one who wanted to step into this mess, remember?"

The prince laughed too, but he still looked unsettled, fiddling with the tepid cup of tea.

Merlin watched him for a moment without saying anything, then he leaned his neck against the fur-covered back of his chair, crossed his hands over the book on the blanket that covered his long legs and heaved out an imperceptible sigh.

- "I do not intend to marry your sister, Your Highness," he said.

Arthur lifted his head. He seemed about to say something, but changed his mind. In his sapphire orbs, several feelings were fighting: he was ashamed to have for a moment thought that the wizard, suddenly showing greed, would jump on this opportunity – and in what would he have been wrong? It seemed quite obvious that Freyja loved Merlin, even if the prince could not bring himself to imagine his sister marrying another than Emrys. On the other hand, although the prince would never have expressed it in terms as cruel as his father, he felt the young woman deserved better than a weak and sickly husband... but hearing these words in Merlin's mouth sounded strangely like a knell.

- "The princess is a flower blossomed on the battlefield. She can only be happy with a man able to fight alongside her, to lead troops with the same courage as her - someone who can protect her but also understand her ardent heart."

Merlin's pale face turned to the prince. He smiled sadly.

- "I cannot be that man," he said. "I hope Your Highness understands and will help me watch over the princess when the time comes for her to see that."

Arthur nodded, unable to shake off a shudder. The wizard's words had never sounded so sincere. His love for Freyja was almost palpable – much deeper than one might have suspected. But why then did it seem that there was a dreadful under meaning in his words?

Gaius came out under the porch behind them and cleared his throat sternly. Merlin rolled his eyes and the prince, his tension suddenly gone, could not help but grin.

- "It's time to take your medicine."

- "I know, I know", sighed the wizard and he obediently drank to the last drop the potion that seemed excruciatingly bitter. "Here, satisfied?"

- "Humph! I will be satisfied when you rest for real!" the doctor grunted, arching his eyebrow.

- "You should try relaxing some time," Merlin said innocently. "Being always upset is very bad for your health, so I'm told."

Arthur could not repress a giggle of laughter and he stifled it hurriedly in his sleeve, turning his back to the old man who glared at them both, then went back inside, grumbling something inaudible that they suspected was not politically correct.

- "I don't know what I did to him, really..." Merlin said. "His potions are more and more disgusting."

- "I believe the mere fact you're ill offends the good doctor," said the prince maliciously.

He then resumed a serious face, looked worriedly at the wizard.

- "I know you don't really have a choice, but coming with us for the Spring Hunt, will it not be too tiring for you?" he asked. "There are several days of travel and then we will be housed in tents. The weather is better, but the nights are still very cold and you are not fully recovered after... after your ordeal this winter."

After the prison. After the awful words in the secret tunnel.

Merlin smiled, visibly touched by this solicitude.

- "Rest assured, Your Highness. I am much better and Lancelot and Gwen will certainly pack enough furs and blankets to allow a small army to bivouac during a blizzard."

- "Oh," said Arthur, thinking suddenly of something. "Daegal will be able to come since he's your bodyguard – His Majesty is quite curious about him – but I don't think anyone else will be allowed to come with you."

Merlin wanted to interrupt, but the prince was on a roll.

- "As far as food is concerned, of course, the King's cuisine is always made up of the freshest ingredients and we can easily ask them to prepare less rich and more suitable dishes for your health. I won't bring servants with me, but I can detach one or two officers to take care of you. For the rest…"

He grimaced, lowering his voice, glancing furtively into the house.

- "The Court has excellent doctors, I hope Gaius won't take umbrage..."

Merlin smiles again.

- "Everything will be fine, Your Highness," he said kindly. "I am a simple man and I don't need much."

Yes, everything would be fine.

He had not foreseen this invitation in his plans, but he could see the benefits that could derived from it and, even if there had been a choice, no one could have prevented him from coming to the Spring Hunt: it would be the perfect opportunity to mingle with the Court when it was the most relaxed, to meet the Queen... the perfect time to look for who, among these people who were so closed to the King, had written the letter which had sent to their death Prince Leon, the Earl of Ealdor and seventy thousand men loyal to their country.


oOoOoOo


The trumpets sounded long after the imposing procession had set off, leaving behind the high walls of the capital. The soldiers' footsteps were puffing the dust of the road in rhythm, the banners were floating in the wind, the wheels of the wagons were rattling, the dresses and the colored shawls of the servant girls gave the impression that a bed of flowers was moving in a long ribbon. The horses of the officers, caparisoned in gold and leather, were prancing happily, their bells tinkling with the copper fringes of the parasols. You could hear calls, laughter, from time to time the sharp cry of a hawk.

The trip lasted four days to the verdant valley at the foot of Mount Tintagel, where the Spring Hunt took place each year.

Morgan, who was clearly in disfavor, had not been allowed to come and Morgause, who had a slight cold, did not come either. The royal family consisted solely of Uther Pendragon, Queen Ygraine, Arthur and the fourth prince, Mordred, who had been pulled out of his books for once.

Gwaine, of course, was part of the excursion, with about three hundred of his best knights.

The weather was magnificent. There was not a single cloud and the sky was very big, very blue, above the meadows. The road followed a river that was singing, flowing lazily to the south, throwing short silver bursts into the sun. At night, the bright stars were raining over the camp and Daegal never tired of admiring them.

On the third day, Arthur managed to escape his princely duties for a short while and he went down the long line to bring his horse to Merlin's wagon.

The wizard did not seem too tired, despite the jarring of the wheels and the lack of comfort of the previous two nights, and they chatted amicably while the little bodyguard disappeared somewhere in the procession – probably to play with the youngest soldiers or to tease the huge lion-like hunting dogs who were trotting by their masters, imperturbable.

- "I wanted to ask you for a long time... what's with Daegal exactly? Was he born like so? Was it a blow to the head from which he never recovered?" asked the prince, absently stroking the neck of his horse who was snorting, annoyed by flies.

The wizard smiled sadly.

- "Oh, Daegal was not born like that. And if you consider the speed at which he's learning, he was probably a very smart little boy... but his misfortune was that he was kidnapped at a very young age by a guild of assassins, who trained him in combat and made him take all kinds of drugs, until he was no more than a weapon."

- "Did you save him from these evil people?"

- "No, I found him after they gave him up. My people conducted the investigation: the group had been dissolved and the trained children were killed. Daegal probably did not know any secrets, that's why they did not deigned to put an end to his poor existence and left him to die on his own!"

Merlin's blue eyes flashed with a harshness that struck Arthur: this man, always so much in control of himself, so peaceful, seemed absolutely beside himself at the mere mention of this memory. This made the prince realize that it was probably better to be in the good graces of the wizard rather than his enemy...

- "It's been seven years now. At the time, even though I was starting to recover, I was still very weak... a profound hatred was devouring me... if I had not found Daegal, if I had not had to fight to keep this little spark of innocence and life in him, maybe I would not have..."

Merlin flinched, as if he had suddenly remembered who he was talking to. He paused, smoothed a crease on his coat that did not need to be, then looked up and smiled at the prince who was watching him curiously.

- "Daegal is like a younger brother to me," he said. "Even if he can never get over the damage caused by the mistreatments inflicted on him in the past, as much as possible I want to give him back his lost childhood."

Arthur was too polite to insist, so he changed the subject, chatted a few more moments, then returned to the front of the procession when Daegal came back with a tuft of wildflowers mingled with tawny hair and tall grass, knotted with a piece of frayed ribbon, that he proudly offered to Merlin before taking back the reins.

The next day, they reached the foot of Mount Tintagel. Insects were buzzing in the grass wrinkled by a pleasant breeze, and the beautiful white tents that had been erected to accommodate the Court turned out to be vast and comfortable.

When everyone was settled, changed, rested, the bugles sounded, gathering riders and ladies who wished to join the opening of the hunt.

Uther Pendragon, in excellent spirits, fired the first red arrow, then galloped off, challenging his sons to find before him the white deer that would bring good luck to the kingdom during this new year. In a thunder of hooves and cheers, the Spring Hunt began then.

Daegal, eyes bright and begging, turned to Merlin, who nodded with a smile. The young guard jumped onto the saddle of his dappled gray pony and flung himself in pursuit of the group that was disappearing into the dazzling sun.

- "Beautiful, isn't it?" said a musical voice behind the wizard.

He immediately bowed very low.

- "Your Majesty."

The Queen hid a small smile behind her fan. Her long, deep blue-green gown, strewn with precious stones and embroidery, was sparkling like the plumage of a peacock, dragging in the grass with a silky rustle. Her heavy tiara was adorned with pearls and gold, her hair fashioned in a complex way, her face powdered gently, her eyes underlined with black, her lips painted in ruddy ink. None of these artifices could hide the fact that she was no longer young, but it could not be denied that she was still very beautiful.

- "Sir Merlin. I believe tea has been served. Would you mind sitting with me for a little while?"


TBC


Next chapter coming up: QUEEN