For Athur new days were full of plotting and making plans. He loved Morgana like a sister and as for Merlin, he came to love him as a friend. He never wanted Morgana to be heartbroken and what's worse, for Merlin to be beheaded. After few days spending on sending Merlin away for literally every job he could think of, only so his manservant wouldn't be able to find any time to meet wiht Morgana, who were anxiously trying to find some alone time with Merlin, Arthur was able to think of ingenius in it's simplicity plan. All he needed to do was to find a girl for Merlin, and some suitor for Morgana.
"So, " asked him Gwen, while laying his dishes on the table in his chambers "that is the only plan you came up after one week of thinking?" she chuckled, smiling at him.
"Then, Gwen, do you have a better idea?" asked Arthur, sitting to his dinner, being a little disappointed after all the work he went through to came up with his plan.
"Athur, isn't what they have similar to what we share?" she glanced at with, with anticipation, standing next to him, ready to serve.
"My father would cut his head."
"Oh" their eyes shared a glance for a quick moment. "That is actually a very good argument," she sighed, looking around his room full of weapons and coats of arms hanging on the walls. Most of them were having pictured gold dragons over red shields, being the coats of Pendragon's name. She smiled sadly, thinking about them. She loved the young crown prince, fully knowing they could never be together. Even now, when she knew he loved her back, she couldn't do anything more then serve him to be in his presence and he could do no more, then to pick her as the one to serve him. She could understand his dilemma. He never wanted this to happen. He wanted to say openly, that he loved her before his court, but when last time they were found out, Uther wanted to banish her. Only thanks to great luck they were able to conceal their feelings. One of the wizards claimed, that he put a spell over them, making them fall in love with eachother. Fortunately, that was enough for the king to believe, that everything that have happened was due to some stranger magic, not to their own feelings. But after they were trying to be more considerate over their own behaviour. They never met outside the castle. Arthur made sure that Gwen was the one to serve him, whenever she was free from her own duties. Gwen made sure she had as little duties besides serving Morgana as possible, so she would be avaible to Arthur whenever he could require her services. Their life wasn't easy one and Arthur was often infuriated, that she would the one carrying heavy logs to his chambers and lifting fire, while he was sitting in his comfortable chair, enjoying the fire and a cup of wine. But still, they were happy about what they were sharing. Their intimacy was a different one, full of secret glances, half-smiles, a little touch when they could afford it, half-baked conversations. Very quickly they developed their own body language, a system of signs only known to them. Their conversations were also full of codes and secret meanings. They could talk about almost anything in bored voices and no one would be smarter that in reality they had full of emotions, stormy conversation. He glanced at her with his big, blue eyes and she knew, that he just asked about her opinion. She breathed, before answering.
"Arthur, i don't think stopping Morgana would have any effect. Even now, she" Gwen paused, rolling her dark bronze, deep eyes, "she think what to do, she is stressing over the whole situation too much. And a suitor or not, she wouldn't like it if we would try to force her hand. Your father or not, she is madly in love with Merlin. She stopped eating together with you and Uther, whenever Merlin is near you, because she don't want him to see her eating. She says," dark skinned girl hesitated, "that she feels too nervous to eat while he is standing just watching her. Servant or not, Morgana is in love and trying to convince her otherwise is fool's errand." She stopped, looking at Arthur, who was watching her with needy eyes. She smiled at him, and he relaxed in his seat, slowly inhaling warm air. His eyes moved stopping at hers. They were staying like that for a moment, not moving, before both of them stopped and she chuckled.
"Yes, i was thinking about it. Arthur, there is one way."
He glanced at her, asking with his look what she had in mind.
She nodded a little in his direction and rolled her eyes from him to herself.
"No!" said Arthur, giving her a terrified look.
"They could be like us."
"Morgana is like a sister to me," explained Arthur, "she is not... with Merlin. Secret glances and languages, i won't risk him being someone in the likes of my brother, oh no!"
She glanced at him reproachfully.
"No, Gwen. No." Arthur made terrified face.
"Arthur, Merlin is not..."
"No, Gwen, he is just a simple, not the brightest pea in the pod, my personal manservant. I can't..."
"Let your sister marry your best friend?" Smiled cheekly Gwen, looking at him mischievously.
"No", he cleared his throat, and said while focusing his eyes on his plate "just a simple servant marry someone who is a kings ward."
"I knew it, you're jealous!" Gwen chirped happily, smiling with sparkling eyes.
"No, Gwen", Arthur rolled his eyes "he is just simple servant, who don't have any noteworthy qualities and whose only life's achievement will be to keep his position as my servant... why are you looking at me like that?"
/\
Merlin looked behind him at the tall, muscular Jiu-a standing to his left at his back. As always he bowed his head for a moment and mumbled "my lord", before taking his place near his back, guarding him from whatever the future holds. He tried to change their behaviour, but he quickly learned that Jiu-a have their own rituals and no power on earth and beyond would make them not abide their rules. Even now the Jiu-a was simply standing near him and something was telling Merlin that he was fiding fulfilment in this simple action, just by being close to his master, guarding him. Merlin still wasn't able to fully grasp it, but there was something about allowing them to be so close to him, to guard his life. From what he was able to found out, only the most capable Jiu-a was allowed to be close to their darklord and to for a darklord to pour his magic into Jiu-a by his own volition wasn't often. If Jiu-a wasn't strong enough, then most of the darklords was allowing them just to die, rendering them as useless. The only exception was when the darklord picked his champion. Only few chosen Jiu-a was able to have the honor of becoming the darklord's champion. And usually one for every few hundreds would achieve that. Being a darklord champion was special. Darklords champion would become invincible in fight with the almost unlimited access to his master's magic. And it seemed, Merlin got himself four Jiu-a champions. So whenever he was going on a trip, one of them was almost instantly at his side, showing with his presence that no insult to his master would have gone unpunished.
Merlin smiled, seeing as one of the druid's leaders, Ruadan, the lord of the fortress of Izmir, tall, thick, middle-aged, a little bald man in black lordish robes and long sword near his left thigh appeared in his own main hall, with five of his similar looking liegemen and his daughter, who could be maybe two years younger the Merlin himself. She looked at him with her emerald eyes full of dreamy admiration. She was quite tall, and a little skinny, but there was something about her that was catching the eye. She smiled to Merlin, anxiously correcting her chestnut hairs.
Merlin gulped, knowing that this is going to be a hard task. Ruadan was a hard man, who was keen on seeing the downfall of Pendragons and a Camelot. He wanted no hand in whatever Merlin would propose and even the name of Emrys wasn't going to make an impression on him. He stopped before Merlin, and nodded to him.
"Emrys", his head bowed a little, before he straigtened up, looking Merlin's straight to the eyes. Jiu-a made a slow gesture, like he was boring and was just correcting the way his sword was hanging near his left thigh. If Ruadan noticed, he didn't show it. He was still staring at Merlin's eyes, who was staring in his.
"My lord, i..." started Merlin, but Ruadan stopped him.
"I would be the one who should be saying my lord, Emrys", said Ruadan with cold, monotone voice, "Uther will pay for what he did. One day or another. And i will aid anyone, who", he paused when the Jiu-a, who was so nonchalantly playing with the hilt of his sword was standing now to his right with his sword unsheathed, simply, nonchalantly holding it before one of his own liegemen. Ruadan's daughter gasped, shrieking. Ruadan's men grabbed their swords, but he stopped them, lifting his hand.
"What is the meaning of this, Emrys?" his eyes glowed with anger.
"Maybe i should be the one asking this, lord Ruadan?" Merlin looked in his eyes. One of the problems with te Jiu-a was that they didn't take lightly any threat to their masters well-being. They were quick to showing off their skills, antimidating others. But sometimes it was a good thing. Whenever the person Merlin was up against someone who was hard to talk to, they were the reason for his adversary to stop and listen.
"I am a guest in your castle. Also, it is very important that i will keep my identity as a secret. Yet you are here with six other people", Merlin made a half-cirle with his lifted hand, "and the first thing i can hear are threats against the kingdom i swore to protect and against my destiny, you should have knowledge of." He lifted his hand, giving his Jiu-a a sign to sheathe his sword. "And now my lord, i would like to speak with you in private", Merlin looked into his angry eyes.
Ruadan was not moving for a moment, standing still, before his head bowed.
"As you wish, Emrys", he said with cold, politely voice, while he showed with his hand a way to his chambers.
/\
Morgana was anxious. She received many letters from Morgause and was plotting the downfall of her own kingdom. Now, when it was possible that she was the daughter of Uther, she was thinking more in a way of overthrowing Uther, then to making the Camelot fall. But still, she was loving Merlin and Merlin would always stand by Arthur's side, no matter what would have happened. So she needed a plan. And she needed to make Merlin picked her over Arthur. She knew Merlin's loyalties wouldn't be easily swayed, but... she was a georgous woman. Intelligent, with magic and power. She smiled to herself, trying new dresses. She needed to look astounding for Merlin. She wanted to look astounding for Merlin, she realized. He was helping her whenever he could. With her magic, with druids, he was always there, somewhere in the background. Problem would be with Morgause. She wasn't the most understanding person when it came to love. So for now, Morgana was about to play very dangerous game. Plotting overthrowing Uther on one hand, while sabotaging the same exact plans in a way Morgause won't get a wind of her actions. At least till Merlin will be ready to choose her over Arthur. Also there were problems in the neighbouring countries and problems with magic users, who started creating factions and alliances, often clashing with each other. Even Morgause was almost assasinated, and now was in the middle of stroking some new alliances. And Morgana was kidnapped. She was close to losing her life and if not for Merlin and unreal luck, she wouldn't survive her encounter with the strange warlock who attacked her. Before she thought that all who had magic were against Uther and would aid her. Now, she knew she was wrong. There were factions, that didn't care about Uther. Playing against each other they've seen Uther as nothing more then obstacle or some third rate player. And now she was playing the game knowing almost nothing of rules and other players. She was trying to struck some alliances of her own, but being so close to Uther was effectively undermining all her hard work. She couldn't go out and meet with people. Also, not many people besides Merlin, Morgause and few druids knew she had magic, and she felt she would be better off with not spreading this information. She sighed, looking behind the window at the forests laying before the Camelot. She wanted to see Merlin, who were sent by Gaius for some errand and was skipping town for a few days.
