Loyal servants

"So how does it feel?" Tristan came up to Merlin as he was standing at the parapet looking over Camelot.

"What do you mean?" Merlin wasn't sure what Tristan was talking about, as so much had transpired these past few days and weeks. In fact, Merlin wasn't sure if his head had stopped spinning long enough to for him to feel anything.

Tristan leaned on the stones looking at Merlin. Camelot was bathing in the afternoon sun and everything seemed tranquil - everything except Merlin. "How does it feel to be the King's Chamberlain?"

"If I knew what that really means I might know how I feel about it," Merlin shrugged. His promotion was actually the least confusing thing that had happened lately. "Except that it's a stupid title."

"Since George is the Great Chamberlain, you had to have a title at least equal to his," Tristan smiled.

"Great, wasn't that just what I wanted," Merlin scorned. "Why did I need any kind of title? Couldn't I just be his servant? Like always."

"No," Tristan got quite serious. "That was no longer an option. You have been his loyal servant for a very long time now. You have saved his life several times and come very close to losing your own life on the process. Everyone knows at least part of the story and for the King to let you go unrewarded would reflect badly on him – even if everyone knew that you don't want any rewards. You do really know all this, don't you?"

"Yes," Merlin sighed with resignation. "I just wish he could have come up with something less … Well something more 'me' and less stupid."

"There is nothing stupid about your title, really," Tristan told Merlin. "You are the head of the King's personal servants and you are also his private secretary who will see to it that he knows what he is supposed to do each day and has the necessary speeches and such ready. Not that different from what you have been doing except that you are no longer doing the actual physical labour."

"That may actually be the most stupid part of this all," Merlin muttered. "I used to muck his stables, clean his clothes, bring him food, polish his armour and numerous other things. Now I'm supposed to appoint a personal stable boy for him, and someone who will take care of his clothes and yet someone who will look after his armour and weapons, and one more to see to it that his baths are ready and his quarters are clean and tidy. I'm also supposed to find a secretary for myself so that I have someone who can write down his schedule and his speeches according to my instructions. This is silly! I need to find at least five people to basically replace me!"

"Shows how hard you worked," Tristan commiserated. "And how important you are to him."

"Or how important he thinks he is now that he is the King," Merlin griped. "I'm sure my next task will be to have his crown enlarged so that he can fit his head inside it."

Tristan laughed out loud. "Really Merlin, it isn't that bad. Look at it as an opportunity to make sure that you can be with him more and thus protect him better."

"There is that," Merlin acknowledged. "However, now that I am this stupid Chamberlain, I'm a lot more important person than a mere servant and it is much, much harder for me to go unnoticed."

"You don't need to be quite as invisible anymore," Tristan reminded Merlin. "Magic is now legal so if you get caught doing it, nothing bad will happen. And no matter how lucky you have been so far, it can't go on. People will find out about it sooner or later. Even our enemies. That will mean that we lose an element of surprise, but as I said, it is amazing that you have managed to hide it this long. We will just need to adjust."

"I think that adjustment will be easy compared to getting used to my promotion," Merlin grumbled. "What am I supposed to do? I don't hire servants! Where do I even start?"

"Well, you could ask George," Tristan suggested mildly.

"Could I?" Merlin sounded hopeful.

"The King's people need to work well with the rest of the servants so it would be perfectly appropriate for you to consult the Great Chamberlain and ask him for three or four candidates for each position." Tristan explained. "Then you just choose the ones that you believe suit Arthur best. You know, the ones who are least likely to try and lick his boots. And who will be loyal to him."

"The bootlickers I can easily weed out," Merlin mused. "But loyalty – I don't know how to test for that. Loyalty is something that comes about with time and only time will tell if it will come."

"Personal loyalty, yes," Tristan nodded. "But you can find the servants who are loyal to Camelot and the King – whoever the king may be."

"And how do I do that?" Merlin asked. "Yes, most who live and are born in Camelot are loyal to Camelot and most are loyal to Arthur because of what he has done so far. But loyalty is also easy to fake."

"But you have magic on your side," Tristan reminded Merlin. "I'm sure you can use that to find out if any of the candidates is a spy or a liability to the safety of the King in any other way."

"Wouldn't that reveal my magic?" Merlin wondered. "I know it will come out sooner or later, but I prefer later."

"Iseldir is still here, as is Trahaearn," Tristan shrugged. "You can ask them to be present for the interviews. I suspect that Trahaearn would be quite happy to help you. He may even know the necessary spell and perform it for you, if you don't want to risk it."

"I'm sure Trahaearn will be happy to help me, especially if he can freely comment during the interviews," Merlin smiled. "Having a druid present for the interview might be a good idea anyway, even if nobody is performing any magic; any servant of Arthur's needs to be comfortable with magic now. However, I'm not that comfortable about using magic to test the candidates. It sounds too much like tricking them, and not in any kind of good way."

"It is a question of the safety of the King and the realm," Tristan pointed out. "You don't need to make them spill every little detail of their lives or every petty act they have ever committed; you only need to make sure that you know when they are answering truthfully to your questions. Then you just ask what you need to know to decide who you can hire. You have good instincts about people even without magic - like you had with Lancelot and Gwaine and even me and Isolde.; but with magic you can be sure, as you really need to be, when it comes to people who have unlimited access to the King."

"When you put it that way it makes sense," Merlin admitted. "I'll talk about it with Iseldir and Trahaearn; they surely have opinions about the proper use of magic."

"Good," Tristan nodded. "And even if you decide not to use magic, you can rely on your instincts. You will make sure the person suits the king and George will make sure they know what they are supposed to be doing."

"I better go and talk to George then," Merlin sighed and straightened his back. "And to Iseldir and Trahaearn. This is going to be one very long day."

Tristan remained on the parapet watching Merlin walk back inside and then he just remained in place watching the hustle and bustle of Camelot. And that is where Isolde found him some ten minutes later.

"Did you talk with Merlin?" Isolde asked him leaning on his shoulder.

"Yes," Tristan took her hand and kissed it briefly before returning to his contemplation of the town. "He wasn't too happy with the promotion, but then we knew that. I managed to convince him that he can do it. But then, we knew that too. However, since he was looking a bit desperate I did suggest that George could help him."

"George does have sort of 'magic' of his own," Isolde laughed.

"Oh yes, I suggested that Merlin use magic as well," Tristan added. "He is going to talk with the druids about it."

"Good idea," Isolde praised her man.

"Thank you," Tristan said. "Now, where is your mother? With Gaius again?"

"Of course," Isolde smiled. "She is having the time of her life talking medicine with Gaius and helping him with his patients. … Well, she would be having the time of her life…"

"Yes," Tristan squeezed her hand. "But keeping busy and having you near must be a comfort."

"I don't know," Isolde sighed. "She doesn't seem to let anyone comfort her. She won't let anyone even see that she is mourning. Not even me. If I didn't know her so well and if I didn't know how much she and Father loved each other, I would think she wasn't even affected."

"But you do know her," Tristan assured her. "And I suspect that she does talk to Gaius. I'm sorry that you can't help her as much as you'd want to, but she has to do this her own way. Just being with you again does help her. Has she decided to stay in Camelot?"

"No," Isolde shook her head. "She actually talked about going back to Ireland in a week but fortunately Gwen managed to convince her to stay until the baby is born. Gwen said that she needs 'a mother' with her, especially one who is well versed in magic. Just in case."

"Good," Tristan nodded. "I'm sure Arthur is happy to have her here as well. Your mother is a good healer and we are lucky to have her here right now. I do understand that she will want to go back to your brother sooner or later, though. Perhaps we can visit once Arthur has secured Camelot properly."

"I would like that," Isolde stated. "I just wish we could visit your home, too."

"Maybe one day," Tristan shrugged. "It isn't important. My home is where ever you are. And Camelot has been good to us."

"It has. I'm glad we made our home here," Isolde agreed. "And I'm glad that you and my Mother decided to get along."

"Well, we are definitely getting there," Tristan accepted. "Still some way to go because she still hasn't quite forgiven me for putting you in all kinds of dangers, but we are getting there."

"You didn't put me in danger," Isolde huffed. "Your Uncle did. And then I followed you of my own free will."

"That you did," Tristan acknowledged. "And now you will follow me to the kitchens to get some lunch. Of your own free will."

"Silly," Isolde laughed at him. But did follow him – of her own free will.

Later that day Isolde met Merlin the Royal Chambers and learned that George had indeed been able to come up with 'a few suggestions' for suitable servants for the King. Merlin was going to see them the next day – after a meeting with Iseldir and Trahaearn. Trahaearn had happily agreed to be there for the interviews too but had refused to perform the magic. However he and Iseldir had helped Merlin to find the right spell for the occasion: something that helped Merlin to choose loyal servants for the King and still didn't violate the rights of the servants too much. Of course the mere idea that servants had any rights at all was a rather novel idea, but then Merlin was known for his novel ideas. Besides, the King had married a servant and had a servant for his best friend, so odds were that he, too, was of the mind that servants had rights. In fact, the way Camelot saw people as equally important for the realm was one of the reasons Isolde liked it here. And she told as much to Tristan as they walked towards their room that night.

The next day was reaching noon already before Isolde saw Merlin again. She almost didn't recognise him. True, the ears were unmistakable but Gwen finally got him to wear his King's Chamberlain uniform and he looked quite distinguished in his red coat. The uniform was similar to the one George wore, but - for reasons only few knew yet – Merlin's coat had a crest with three dragons on it. Isolde was one of the few who knew why, but she was sure those who didn't know, would assume that it was just to mark him as the King's Chamberlain and not the Great Chamberlain. If anyone, other than George of course, even remembered these new titles. For most George was the one who told the servants what to do and Merlin was the one who told the King what to do. Plus Merlin was the one who somehow managed to look dishevelled even when he was wearing a brand new, spotlessly clean and ironed uniform.

"Did George deliver?" Isolde asked Merlin – she decided not to mention his new clothes as she was sure the knights would rib him mercilessly about them without any help from her. "Were you able to decide who will serve the King?"

"Yes, he delivered," Merlin smiled. "As did Trahaearn. Not that he needed to do anything. It was pretty clear from the moment they each walked in how they felt about druids. And magic too, I suppose. But those who feared or mistrusted magic I sent back immediately."

"Why did George sent them to you at all?" Isolde wondered. "He knows that the King is bringing magic back and will have active magic users around even after the Druids leave."

"It's not that easy to see who hates magic now that it is legal again," Merlin shrugged. "George did ask, of course he did, and he didn't sent in anyone who actually hates magic. But simple mistrust or fear is easier to hide. It wasn't until they came unexpectedly face to face with Trahaearn that they showed their feelings. But those who passed that test were good people and I think I made right choices. I'm introducing them to the King in an hour."

"Any bootlickers?" Isolde asked with a smile. "I know you were worried about those."

"Yes I was," Merlin acknowledged. "Arthur needs people he can trust and you can never really trust a bootlicker. Their first worry is themselves. Sure, the man I chose as his personal servant doesn't speak much, in fact he is very taciturn, but then, I will still be around to talk his ears off as will Gwaine so I think he will like some silence. And Cian will tell you what he thinks if you ask him and he believes you really want his answer. Also, he seems to have a quiet sense of humour, and that is always a good thing. Makes life easier when you can see the ridiculous."

"So you got the King a personal servant – this Cian – and a chambermaid to clean his rooms and bring him his bath water?" Isolde tried to remember. "A seamstress or a tailor, a weapons master… Was that all?"

"All!" Merlin nearly laughed out loud. "Yes, that was all except for a scribe for me, but I decided to ask Iseldir if he can send me someone from his people. I'm sure there is a young boy or a girl who would be better off in Camelot for the winter and who knows how to read and write. That's all I really need. At least for now."

"But you appointed someone to all other positions?" Isolde wanted to know.

"Except for the stable boy, yes, I did," Merlin confirmed. "Farrin will be in charge of Arthur weapons and armour. He has actually been working for the Master of Weapons for Camelot for a long time and has been passed over for promotions because his family had several members put to death during the purge. The records may be sealed, but people do remember things. He is good at what he does, loyal to Camelot and happy to see Arthur welcome magic again. Actually, I suspect he has someone in his family who has magic, but I didn't ask. Anyway, he knows weapons and armour. I don't expect him to have any long conversations with Arthur about anything else, so a good, honest man who knows what he is doing is what Arthur needs with his Weapons Master. Farrin is also friends with his now former chief, so they will work well together without rivalry; they both know exactly where they stand with each other."

"That is always good," Isolde agreed. "I expect Arthur will make sure that he won't favour one over the other just because the King's Master of Weapons is part of his personal entourage; after all, the Master of Weapons for Camelot has overall responsibility of the Armoury."

"If he doesn't Gwen will remind him," Merlin said. "Anyway, Arthur's tailor and chambermaid are good, honest people too; he won't notice them much and they will serve him quietly and respectfully. George did recommend stable boys as well, but they didn't seem quite right; a little too in awe at the idea of serving the King."

"Sounds like you really did find good people to serve Arthur," Isolde stated. "But I am a little surprised. Somehow I thought that you might hire people guaranteed to annoy him. Even make him regret your promotion."

"I admit that thought did occur to me," Merlin admitted. "But it didn't last long. Arthur is the king, and that is difficult enough even with all the help he can get. I wanted to find people who will truly help him, not make his life any more difficult than it already is. I have to admit that I really don't understand Morgana; I wouldn't have Arthur's crown for all he riches in the world."

"You weren't raised next to the power a King can have," Isolde pointed out. "You do have power, but because you needed to keep it a secret you never saw how it can affect other people's behaviour towards you. It can be a heady feeling. It can corrupt and often does. Your Mother was very wise to raise you the way she did."

"I know," Merlin nodded. "Or rather, I can imagine, since I can't know what I would be like had I been raised any other way. But I know my Mother is wise. And she didn't have it easy having to raise me alone."

"Having to keep you safe and hide your magic can't have made it any easier either," Isolde pondered. "Wait a minute!" Suddenly she remembered something. "I think I know someone you might want to hire as the stable boy!"

"Really?" Merlin asked. "Someone with magic?"

"Not that I know of," Isolde shook her head. "No, it wasn't the magic part that made me think of him. He is being raised by his mother and nobody knows who his father is. She insists that he didn't just dump her and will come back if he can, but I don't know if she is just naïve or optimistic or if he really did leave her for a reason."

"Like maybe he had magic and couldn't stay in Camelot?" Merlin speculated.

"Something like that," Isolde confirmed. "There has been no sign that I know of that the boy has any magic and he is twelve by now. But then, you hid for years right under Uther's nose, so who knows. Anyway, he has been working in the livery stable in the town to help his mother – and getting into trouble for being mouthy. Not too much trouble though, because he is absolutely a natural with horses."

"Now that sounds about right for someone who could keep the King amused – and on his toes a bit too," Merlin smiled. "Take me to him."

"Not right now I won't," Isolde smiled. "We both have work to do as does he. This evening, when he is back with his mother, I will take you to him and you can talk."

"I suppose you are right," Merlin sighed. "Come and get me when you're ready. I suppose you want Tristan with you as well?"

"If he wants to come," Isolde smiled. "I'll see you near supper time then."

Later that night Tristan, Isolde and Merlin walked through the town to a very small home in the poorer part of the town. The poor in Camelot did have it better than most poor in other parts of the country, but life still wasn't easy for them. That was why Isolde had a basket of goods from the palace kitchen with her. She was the one who knocked on the door of the house they were visiting and Tristan and Merlin stood back while she did the talking. Though Arthur had managed to make Camelot a fairly safe place since driving out Morgana's men, nobody wanted to open their doors to men they didn't know after dark. It was much better to be safe than sorry.

Once Isolde had reassured Niamh – the boy's mother – that she was bringing friends with her, they all went inside, Isolde first then Merlin and Tristan last. They all heard a gasp as Tristan walked in and that made them look past Niamh to her son – a boy of twelve or so with a bruise on his cheek – press against a wall trying to look even smaller than he was. He didn't succeed in making himself invisible. Tristan didn't know why he had elicited this reaction in the boy, as he wasn't wearing armour and a cloak but his civilian clothes but it was possible that any man was a possible threat to a boy and his mother, so he stopped right where he was, just inside the door, spread his hands to show he wasn't holding any weapons.

"I'm just following these two to make sure they are safe," Tristan explained quickly – a statement that would normally earn him a glare from Isolde as it implied that she couldn't ensure her own safety, but this time her focus was on the boy and his mother, so no glares came Tristan's way. "Isolde and Merlin are the ones who have business here."

"Fionann, I'm sure they are not here to take you to the King," Niamh told her son reassuringly. "The man was just angry and tried to appear more important than he really is."

"Someone hit him and told him that he would get the King to punish him more?" Merlin was outraged.

"You can tell him," Niamh encouraged her son. "Isolde would never bring anyone but friends here."

"Besides, you promised to tell me, if you get in trouble again," Isolde reminded Fionann. "And you can't very well tell me without having him hear it too."

"It was nothing," Fionann tried to dismiss what had happened. "I mean, I didn't pay any mind to his words until that knight walked in."

"That knight, as you call him, is Tristan," Isolde told the boy. "And he is my husband, so I bring him with me to a lot of places."

"Oh," Fionann paused for a thought. "That's good. I think."

"But what about the bruise," Merlin insisted.

"I got in an argument with one of the Castle grooms again," Fionann shrugged like it was a regular thing – as indeed it was. "I didn't like the way he was treating the horse he had brought to be shod with the town farrier, and I told him so. He slapped my face and when that didn't shut me up he said that he would get me in trouble with the knights. I didn't really believe him, you know, but I've seen sir Tristan with the King and for a moment there I was afraid."

"No need to be afraid of me," Tristan stated. "It will be a very strange day indeed when a disgruntled groom can get me to harm a child. Even if the child is almost a man." Tristan added the amending words to 'child' as it looked like the boy was about to take an exception to being labelled a kid.

Merlin smiled; it looked like Fionann had very little fear in him regardless of his – apparently – constant war with some of the lesser grooms from the castle. (Merlin knew that it was the task of the grooms who hadn't been entrusted with specific horses to take horses the castle farrier didn't have time to shoe to the town farrier – who was situated next to the livery stables where Fionann, according to Isolde, was working.) Merlin also suspected that the grooms weren't the only ones Fionann managed to anger from time to time with his opinions of how horses ought to be treated. He looked around the little house – more like a shed, actually, but it was liveable and kept the winds and other elements at bay. It looked familiar; not a peasants little cottage in the country like his home had been, but he recognised the signs of poverty and the anxiety on Niamh's face; it wasn't just worry about making ends meet, it was also a worry about what would happen to her son if she was no longer there for him. Isolde had given the basket she had been carrying to Niamh and it was apparent that the contents were more than welcome.

"So you work in the livery stable," Tristan asked the boy as Merlin seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "Is it a regular job?"

"No," Fionann replied. "Mother insists that I go to school as well and Rhys only comes to get me when he has more horses than usual or a difficult horse that nobody else can handle."

"You are good with horses then?" Merlin got back into the conversation.

"I'm the best," Fionann stated. The boy stated this very matter-of-factly. There was no arrogance or false pride in his voice. "I understand them and they like me."

"That is interesting," Merlin smiled. "You see, Isolde brought me here because I am looking for someone who is good with horses. I have some very special horses that need someone to look after them."

"Really!" Fionann was very interested. "There isn't a horse I can't handle."

"They are not difficult horses as such," Merlin told him. "They are just important."

"All horses are important," Fionann retorted fiercely. "And none of them are really difficult unless people have been mean to them. And that isn't the horse's fault."

"Now there I agree with the ... With Fionann," Tristan inserted. "Usually you can tell what a man is like when you see his horse."

"I certainly can," Fionann agreed.

"Interesting," Merlin got a gleam in his eye that made Isolde a little worried, but she still decided to stay with Niamh and leave the men to their talk. But she was keeping her ears open. Merlin turned to properly face Fionann and asked: "Have you seen any of the King's personal horses?"

"Yes, I have," Fionann nodded frowning a little. The question puzzled him and it also made him cautious. It was never very smart to talk about the people in power, especially with people who were close to them as Tristan definitely was and this Merlin might be. Both of them did seem harmless though and Isolde was a good friend to his mother and would never try to trap either of them. Still, Fionann wasn't going to elaborate without being asked.

"What do you think his horses tell you about the King?" was Merlin's next question.

"His horse had dropped a shoe just outside Camelot," Fionann narrated. "He walked with it to the farrier, which I think was good of him because it was a hot day and I know some knights who don't care; they ride their horses no matter what. He could have taken his horse all the way to the castle to be shod there, but he stopped at the town farrier because it was closer. He stayed with the horse all the time talking to him and making sure it was comfortable though the man working on its hooves was a stranger. He treated his horse well and I think that shows that he is a good man."

"That he is," Merlin smiled. "Would you like to work for him?"

"For the king!" Niamh beat her son to it.

"Yes, for the King," Merlin nodded. "I'm looking for someone to take care of the King's horses. Of course, he would work under the Master of the Horses and he would need to live in the Castle – possibly with his mother – and he would take orders from me, as well. Would that interest you, Fionann?"

"The King's horses!" Fionann was in awe.

"Do I take that as a yes?" Merlin nearly laughed.

"I think you better," Tristan smiled.

"Oh yes, yes," Fionann nodded vigorously. "Absolutely!"

"Good, that is settled then," Merlin said and shook Fionann's hand. "I will send someone tomorrow to help you move to the castle. Niamh, I believe Isolde said that you work in the Tavern as a cook. Do you want to keep that job or shall I see if the Castle kitchen has something for you?"

"I'd prefer to stay close to my boy, so if there is a job, any job, for me in the kitchens, I'd be happy to accept," Niamh stuttered nearly unable to believe her luck.

"See you both tomorrow then," Merlin nodded goodbye and he and Tristan and Isolde got ready to go back to the castle.

"Merlin," Niamh stopped him for a second. "I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand who you are. I am grateful that you hired us to work in the castle, but I hear the hierarchy among the servants…"

She didn't need to explain further; Merlin grinned: "So sorry I forgot to explain myself. I'm the King's Chamberlain and I can hire anyone I want."

"Sir!" Niamh was speechless. The memory her wide eyes and flabbergasted expression kept Tristan chuckling all the way to the Castle.