The four knights got to Merlin's chambers in record time. Scaring Morgana, Gwen and Hunith out of their skins as the boys entered the chambers.
"Sorry we're late ladies we err..." Gwaine tried to come up with an excuse while the ladies laughed. Elyan put a hand on his shoulder.
"Arthur's been training us too hard; we were just taking a break from all the training." All the other knights nodded their approval. All of a sudden Lancelot felt a hand tap on his shoulder; he turned round and saw Arthur with a joking look on his face.
"Don't even think about dragging me into this." He yelled. Hunith and Morgana laughed to themselves while Gwen walked up to Elyan.
"Shame on you Elyan trying to lie your way out of this one." Elyan bowed his head in shame while the other knights laughed also.
"Aww Elyan getting told of by you little sister, I feel sorry for you mate." Gwaine cooed. Elyan smacked him on the head.
"You are an idiot Gwaine." He complained. While the two boys argued Percival laughed
"What is it you would like us to do ladies." He said bowing his head. The ladies couldn't stop giggling so Arthur pushed the knights forward.
"Well we've done the streamers, the cake, the decorations, the presents and oh a bunch of other things." He ticked off on his fingers. The knights gave him a lost look.
"So that leaves us to do... what exactly." Morgana came up behind them and tapped them on the shoulder. The knights turned round to see the ladies holding 4 mops and buckets in their hands. They all had their mouths wide open except Gwaine.
"Those mops really suit you ladies, don't you think boys." He quoted. The other knights stood back, Percival whispered to Arthur.
"He's still drunk isn't he?" he asked cautiously. Arthur nodded.
"Oh yes. And he's going to wish he did not just say that to the girls." Percival turned back to see the women (even Hunith) glaring daggers at Gwaine.
"Oh you think so Gwaine?" Hunith asked.
"Well we think you should try it." Gwen continued.
"In fact." Morgana whispered to the girls and they nodded, and within one swift movement, Gwaine (and part of Elyan) was covered in soapy water. He scowled under everyone's laughing gazes.
"Oh thanks." He then noted "I'll try and be sober for tonight." Lancelot gave Percival a look that said "yeah right" Gwaine looked at Hunith and then whispered to Elyan
"Who's she?" He asked. Elyan shrugged
"Must be one of Merlin's friends." He replied not completely sure. All of a sudden Arthur perked up
"So out of interest are we going to get all he knights to clean up or just Gwaine?" He asked already knowing the answer.
"All the knights." Gwaine answered meekly. They all laughed at him.
"JUST GWAINE!" Gwaine groaned and glared at all the occupants; he mock bowed for their entertainment.
"Gladly" he held out his hand for a mop; however he ended up with another three on the head. He growled. "I hate my life."
MERLIN – BIG BROTHER MERLIN – BIG BROTHER
About 2 hours later once Merlin's chambers were once again clean (and dry) all the occupants sat down for a rest.
"Well now all we've got to do now is wait for the birthday boy to come." Arthur said. Hunith stared at him.
"I don't think Merlin would appreciate "birthday boy" Arthur." She commented. Morgana nodded.
"He is 19 after all, not much of a boy," She said. Arthur shrugged
"Well your always complaining that we act like children." Morgana glared.
"Do you want another book thrown at you?" she threatened. Arthur quivered under her look.
"No ma'am." He said quietly
"Besides Merlin's fine, you're the real child." Arthur pouted again. Morgana held out her arm "I rest my case."
"When's Andrew bringing Merlin up Arthur, it shouldn't be long now?" Gwen asked. Arthur thought about it.
"He said about after sundown, but he'd send a guard up to warn us when he was bringing him." Gwen looked out the window and noticed it was nearly sundown.
"It's nearly sun down now Arthur, we'd best make sure everything's ready." She stood up and Arthur groaned.
"Can't we just get Gwaine to do it; he hasn't done a bad job of the cleaning." He indicated to the tidy room. Morgana smacked his head again.
"Ow can you stop that Morgana, it's starting to get irritating." He complained.
"Arthur in case you haven't noticed, I think Gwaine's a tad asleep we already made him clean up by himself, give him any more work and he won't be awake enough for the party." Arthur grumbled.
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing." He eventually got everyone up, including arousing Gwaine from his drunken slumber. Just in time for the guard to come in saying he saw Merlin and Andrew heading toward the corridor. That was there cue. Gwen blew out some candles just so it was dim enough for them to hide in. And everyone hid in respectable hiding spots. Arthur had to hide with Gwaine to stop him from giving away their positions with his hiccups. Eventually the door opened and Andrew stepped in pulling Merlin's arm.
"I had a really great day Andrew, but I still don't get what you had to say to Arthur to get him to give me the day off." Arthur smirked from his hiding place. All he had to say was that Merlin will do more work tomorrow. He waited for the cue from Andrew.
"Seriously Merlin it wasn't hard, Arthur, Morgana and Gwen had some work to do together so I figured me and you could have a party together." He emphasised the word "Party" leaving Merlin confused for the few moments until all his friends, included his mother (non-birth) and brother. Merlin jumped at the shock. Andrew ran a hand over his eyes.
"I think you may of scared him." He commented, Arthur walked over to him.
"Well so much for the surprise." He hit Merlin on the back snapping him out of his shocked face. "Merlin, you alive in their." He asked. Merlin felt like he wanted to cry.
"I...I did...didn't realise I...I had so many friends." He stuttered. Arthur put an arm round his shoulder for comfort.
"Hey, it's alright." He soothed. "You know everyone right, everyone in this room is going to make this memorable as it can be. Right?" They all nodded. Gwen stepped forward
"We all pitched in to get you something too, even sopping beauty of there." She said indicating to Gwaine, Merlin laughed at Gwaine's nickname, he quickly scrubbed his eyes over. Arthur gave him a quick hug as Merlin tried to hold back his quickly falling tears. Gwen and Morgana walked over to and joined in the hug. Hunith stayed back with the knights and Andrew, deciding she would hug him later. Gwen quickly reached over to the table to hand Merlin the little gift.
"It's not much, but we hope you like it." She said handing him the box. Merlin opened it and gasped. Inside was a brand new jacket with his name stitched on the front.
"I ...I love it." He said so quietly only the people close to him heard it. Gwen beamed giving thumbs up to the people behind her, who in return smiled at her.
"There's something else in there." Morgana said. Merlin looked in and indeed there was. An envelope with his name on the front. He carefully opened the envelope and revealed a small card. The card had a picture of Camelot on the front; he gathered it was from Ben's card shop down in the lower town. But it was inside what made him smile the card read
To Merlin
Happy 19th Birthday
From
Big Brother and friends.
And all around the inside of the card were the signatures of all his friends. Arthurs in big bold letters. Gwen and Morgana's in neat righting, which he guessed had used the same quill. Andrew had rather messy writing; Merlin knew that Andrew wasn't a very good writer. All the knights. ; Which Merlin noted had all called themselves "your friendly neighbourhood spider-knights". And Hunith, his mother. He looked at her and smiled, he always thought she wouldn't want to see him after he found out the truth about his birth. She smiled back which made him glow inside, and not because of his magic. Because he had great friends he had Arthur and Morgana; and technically Gwen, as his family and he had one of the best mother's in the world bringing him up. It didn't matter that he was scared of the king anymore. Because he knew he had friends to protect him.
MERLIN – BIG BROTHER MERLIN – BIG BROTHER.
Elsewhere in a deep cave, a woman sat looking into a boiling pot of water. The water showed Merlin and his friends having fun at the party, she spoke some magic words and the picture changed. She saw Uther Pendragon and herself as a younger woman together. She sighed as she let a tear roll down her cheek. As much as she refused to admit it, she missed Uther's friendship. And the thing she missed most was...her son. She wanted nothing more than to go to find him now but she has been forced to spend over 19 years in this vile cave, watching as her people perished. All because of another.
"Merlin!" she snarled. She hated the boy with a passion she watched powerless as he defeated one after another of her people in the name of Arthur and Uther. What made it worse was that they were his people too. She wouldn't have been surprised if her son had been killed by Uther's tyranny or Merlin's loyalty. As if poisoning Gaius wasn't enough to stop them both. She would have to find something else. Yes, one day she would achieve her revenge.