Alaia Skyhawk: Here's a bit of fun to tide you all over until Saturday.
And for the record, no Liam isn't going to find out about Merlin's magic. It's more fun when he stays oblivious XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
~(-)~
Chapter 36: The Magician's Accomplice ~Part 1~
"Hurry up, Liam, or I'm going to leave you behind!"
The teasing call echoed down the passage, to the blond-haired servant who was fighting to regain his breath after running up the stairs after the speaker.
Panting above his armload of sheets, Liam stared at Merlin.
"Will you... just... slow down? It's not like... we're late... or anything."
Merlin grinned.
"Don't be such a spoilsport. I pulled strings so you could help me with Arthur while Sir Fernir is away, didn't I? If not for me you'd be serving 'you know who' for the next five days..."
At the reminder of the fate he'd been saved from, Liam shuddered. The clerk in charge of organising the disposal of the city's waste... that is the man in charge of keeping the castle and town's sewage from contaminating Camelot's water supply... stank almost as much as the topic of his duties.
He shuddered again, catching up to Merlin.
"I don't know which would be worse; serving Bruscar, or going out on extended patrol with Sir Fernir."
Merlin chuckled, the movement making the jug on the breakfast tray he carried rattle.
"Then aren't you glad I helped you avoid both? Cheer up, and stop being such a wet blanket."
They arrived at Arthur's chambers, Merlin balancing his tray with one hand and opening the door with the other, with an ease that made Liam a little envious. He always had to put the tray down or risk dropping it. The two of them entered, Arthur already up and about and blinking in surprise at seeing the both of them.
He frowned slightly.
"Did I miss something?"
Merlin just shrugged, taking the tray to the table while Liam went to sort the bed.
"You sent Sir Fernir out on extended patrol, remember? He left Liam behind, which meant he would have been stuck with Lord Bruscar for the rest of the week... So I may have used my influence as a trusted retainer to co-opt him to help me instead."
The prince folded his arms.
"Merlin..."
The warlock's expression said he clearly didn't see what the problem was.
"What? Have you ever met Lord Bruscar?"
"No, I've never had reason to and he almost never leaves his chambers. But I fail to see your point."
Merlin stared at him, the prince truly knew nothing about anything of a certain ranked 'importance' or down over... Princes didn't usually have to concern themselves with the disposal of sewage.
"To put it bluntly, he stinks... Literally! His usual assistant is ill right now, so Liam would have been loaned to him while Sir Fernir is away."
Arthur began to tap his fingers on his arm, his patience wearing a little thin.
"Merlin... If his usual servant can stand it, then I don't see why Liam couldn't have."
"Michael broke his nose four years ago..." Both of them glanced at Liam, who winced and continued tentatively. "He hasn't been able to smell anything since. Everyone among the serving staff knows that's why he was assigned to Lord Bruscar, because he's the only one who can't tell just how bad it is."
Arthur regarded him for a moment, before glancing between the two of them and letting out a sign of resignation.
"Fine... Liam can assist you for the rest of the week, Merlin. Just don't see it as an excuse to slack off."
Merlin grinned, as Arthur sat down to start eating his breakfast.
"Not at all, Sire."
The warlock glanced at Liam in victory, his grin saying he'd told the other servant that he could pull this off. Truth be told, Liam had been a bit sceptical, despite being one of the handful of people who knew he and Arthur were friends. It was then that Arthur saw the grin and barked out.
"If you've got time to smirk then you've got time to go do something useful. You can go walk my dogs and wash and groom them when you get back. And I want my dinner brought up here on time. I'll know if it's not, because I'll be in here all morning." He gestured in disgust to the pile of rolled up reports on his desk awaiting his attention. "The taxes from the outer villages will be arriving over the next few days, and I don't think I need tell you how much paperwork that leaves me to deal with. I don't have time to keep correcting you."
Merlin looked at Liam again, his eyebrows raised. He then sighed dramatically, before going to prepare Arthur's clothes for the day.
"As you wish, Sire. Do you want me to take the strongboxes to the treasury as usual? After you've confirmed their arrival, of course."
Arthur's regard of the warlock was utterly flat.
"Of course I want you to, idiot. Do you think I'm going to have time to be carting boxes down there at all hours of the day? Why do it myself when I have you, it's not like you'll be able to open them."
It was just as well Merlin had his back to Arthur at that point, because he was fighting not to laugh. Behind him Arthur had actually hesitated after that line, obviously remembering the cell door back at the Castle of Fyrien. Still fighting not to laugh, Merlin laid out the necessary clothing as Liam finished up tidying the bed...and was still smirking when they left to go to the kennels.
~(-)~
The stick flew through the air, the drooling hunting dogs sprinting after it with jowls flapping. The two servants were well outside of the city, out among the surrounding fields. The day was damp, the ground wet, but at least with Merlin along the dogs hadn't dragged them out here.
The two dogs reached the stick, each grabbing one end of it and tussling over it a little as they brought it back to the warlock. Merlin then lifted it from their jaws as they willingly let him take the short branch, looking down at them as they stood there eagerly waiting for him to throw it again.
He chuckled.
"Hey, Liam, do you want to see something fun?"
Liam stared at him, a little confused.
"What?"
Merlin's chuckle grew louder.
"Let's just say that walking these two isn't the only thing I've done with them... Arthur doesn't know this, but well." He looked at the dogs. "Beg!" They sat back on their haunches, front paws held up. "Play dead!"
Liam's stare was now directed at the dogs, which rolled onto their backs with their paws in the air theatrically. He started to shake his head, not sure whether to be surprised or not. This was Merlin he was talking to.
"You taught Prince Arthur's hunting dogs to do tricks?"
Merlin nodded shamelessly.
"Yup, do you want me to show you a few more?"
"Sure."
Liam started to grin and chuckle as well; he really shouldn't have been surprised. Both of them just had to hope the prince never found out, as Liam soon learnt, that Merlin had also taught the dogs to dance on command. Little gestures using the stick, and a few murmured words, and the warlock had them trotting in circles, chasing their tails, and even hopping along on their back legs. They were the sorts of moves a jester would teach a small terrier to do as part of his performances, and for dogs the size the two hounds were the moves looked even more ludicrous.
After about ten minutes of this, Merlin got a wicked glint in his eye. He glanced at the oblivious Liam, before tapping one of the dogs with the stick and pointing to the blond.
"Give him a 'hug'."
The next thing Liam knew was seventy pounds of dog taking a leaping bound at his chest and knocking him flat. Immediately after impact he lay there on the sodden ground, pushing away the hound that was slobbering drool all over his face. When he finally managed to sit up, he glared at Merlin and grabbed a handful of mud, flinging it at the warlock's smirk.
Merlin remained still for a moment, before wiping at the dirt now around his eyes. He raised his eyebrows, before reaching down and grabbing a handful of mud for himself and taking aim.
~(-)~
It was two mud-splattered servants who arrived back at the castle, with two equally dirty dogs in tow. They got a number of disapproving stares as they headed for the kennels, but nothing could dampen the grins on their faces. The dogs were 'grinning' too, two drooling and tail wagging canines panting happily as the pair reached the kennels and got water to wash them with. The two young men used it to get the thick off themselves as well, although a trip to the men's bathing room near the laundry would still be in order, once they'd stopped by their respective rooms to get clean clothing to change into that is. Some how neither of them thought Arthur would be impressed if they came back looking like they'd gone rolling in a marsh.
They stopped by Liam's room first, what with his being closest to the kennels. When they stopped by Gaius' chambers to get clean clothes for Merlin, though, the physician took one look at them and shook his head in resignation.
"If you're going to the laundry after you clean up, don't forget to give Maria this week's payment for washing our things. It's there on the table." Merlin grabbed the copper coins from the indicated place on his way back out the room, Gaius calling after him. "And don't forget to pick up the things I took down there yesterday!"
Merlin pocketed the coins as he and Liam left the tower. The blond, since he lived in the castle, had 'laundry money' deducted from his pay along with all his other expenses to cover the cost of soap and the time spent by the maids to clean his things for him. Gaius, however, preferred to pay weekly and directly to Maria, the head of the maids who worked in the laundry... It guaranteed that the head of the castle staff wouldn't try to stint her, as the physician knew he had done in the past. This was just one of the many underlying minor scandals and disputes that could be found in the castle, things that were just a part of everyday life for anyone not of the nobility. There was always something going on somewhere.
It was also true that, for Merlin with Liam in tow, the temptation tease or do something silly was just too much. By the time they'd come out of the men's bathing room, the warlock had thrown a small bar of hard soap at Liam no less than five times... and Liam had eventually retaliated by winding up his ragged towel and cracking Merlin on the leg with it. It was roughhousing to an extent and type that the warlock could never get away with with Arthur, and after his initial timidness with Merlin had faded some weeks ago, Liam had been more than happy to join in instead even if it was almost always Merlin who started it.
They dropped their dirty clothing off at the laundry, Liam making sure the crude stitching of his name into the hem of his shirt and his breeches hadn't come loose. Merlin and Gaius got their things kept separate while washed and put in a separate basket after, which was what Merlin picked up once he'd paid Maria. Any other servant who brought their things here had to come back and pick them out of melee of washed things for themselves. Having your name stitched into your clothing somewhere made them easier to find, and made sure no one would try to walk off with them either.
Passing by Gaius' chambers again to drop off the basket, on the way back to Arthur's chambers they then stopped by a storeroom to get buckets and cloths... The floor in Arthur's chambers was due for a clean.
A trip to the cistern on the ground floor, and several flights of stairs later, the two of them arrived at the prince's rooms only to find that he wasn't in them anymore.
Merlin stared at the vacant desk.
"'Be in here all morning' huh?" He nudged Liam, starting to grin. "Since he isn't here... Race you to see who can get to the middle of the room first."
Liam started to grin back, reaching into his bucket of water for his cloth. While he might still be a bit timid with Arthur, and very timid with any other nobles... When it was just Merlin around he would give as good as he got.
"You're on."
~(-)~
When Arthur returned to his chambers he found a spotless and still slightly damp floor, and a blond-haired servant in the process of polishing the furniture. Liam glanced at him and nodded politely, while the prince returned to his desk with a sigh.
"Do yourself a favour, Liam, and never get involved in politics."
The servant turned to look at him, confused.
"Excuse me?"
Arthur shook his head as he sat down.
"Just some noble from a neighbouring kingdom... I had to get rid of him without insulting him, which is where I've been for the past two hours." He picked up and began sorting through the pile of reports that only seemed to have grown since this morning, and Liam cleared his throat nervously to get his attention. He frowned. "What?"
Liam looked away for a moment, steadying his nerves before looking Arthur in the face.
"Would you like me to sort them for you? Into general reports, and those for the incoming taxes?" He just couldn't keep eye contact, and averted his gaze again. "I uh... I used to work as a personal assistant, as well as a manservant, for Lord Hargren. Sir Tarven's father."
Arthur raised his eyebrows, before glancing at the pile of reports and then pointing to one of the chairs around the nearby table.
"Bring that over here and sit."
Liam did as he was told, placing the chair opposite Arthur, and reached tentatively for the pile. Then, as Arthur watched, he cautiously broke the seal on the first one, read the first two lines of the report, and set it down to Arthur's left.
"General report." He reached for the next one, repeating the process and reading only enough to know if the message related to taxes or not. He set the next one to Arthur's right. "Taxes."
The prince picked that one up, and nodded to Liam to indicate he keep going. It didn't take him long to separate the reports into two piles, and Arthur, who was still working his way through the 'taxes' pile, told the servant to sort the other pile into two more; 'Patrols' and 'other'. Liam did as he was bidden, getting up and returning to polishing the furniture as soon as he was done. It wasn't long after that that Merlin arrived with Arthur's dinner, and the prince got up from his desk with a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Liam, you've saved me some time at least. The two of you can go to the armoury and clean my gear. I need it for when I go visit the village of Kale tomorrow."
Leaving him to his food, the two of them turned and left... Merlin cheekily nudging Liam in the ribs on the way out.
"You get to do the chainmail, since you lost the race."
~(-)~
Liam blew a stray strand of hair out of his face, as he sat with a barrel of sand braced between his legs and scrubbed the chainmail he held in it. Opposite him sat Merlin, who was cheerfully buffing sections of metal plate using a cloth, while the blond was up to his elbows in grit. He had to admit though, fair was fair, and Merlin had beaten him to the middle of Arthur's floor. He still had to wonder where he'd learnt to clean so well at such speed, Merlin had his half finished before he'd been more than two thirds done.
He sighed and kept scrubbing, eventually lifting out a spotless and shiny piece of mail and setting it aside.
"You know, you've never told me where you're from, Merlin."
The other man paused in his buffing, looking a little startled.
"You mean you don't know? I would have thought with all the castle gossip that you'd know by now." Liam shook his head, and Merlin sighed. "I'm from Ealdor, just outside of Camelot's borders. Typical farming village; tiny, boring, you get the idea."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"Is that why you came to Camelot, then? Because it was boring?"
Merlin snorted.
"No, my mother packed me off and sent me to her friend, Gaius. I was driving her to her wit's end, and she knew he'd be able to put me into line."
It was Liam's turn to snort, although his was in amusement.
"Into line?"
Merlin threw his cloth at him, Liam grinning as he caught it before it could hit him in the face.
"So where are you from, Mr know it all. Come on, out with it."
Liam threw the cloth back, still grinning.
"I'm from Ulwin, the town that belongs to the estate of Sir Tarven. His father, Lord Hargren, took me in and raised me. I was his servant until he died, and after that I served Sir Tarven until he recommended me to Uther and I was given a job here."
"He palmed you off, did he?"
At Merlin's knowing look, Liam hunched down a little in annoyance and nodded.
"I thought he was sincere at first, but when I thought about it more it became obvious to me he just wanted rid of me. He always did see me as an embarrassment."
"Embarrassment?"
At Merlin's query, Liam shook his head.
"It's nothing really, he's had a grudge against me since he was twelve. I think it irritated him that his father went to so much effort in raising and educating an orphan he just decided to pluck off the streets."
Merlin shook his head at the peculiarity of nobles.
"Sounds like Lord Hargren had his head on straight, and Sir Tarven has his head stuck too far up his ass."
Liam burst out laughing.
"Don't they all? Well, not Arthur or Lord Hargren, but most of them do." He glanced towards the door furtively, making sure no one might overhear before leaning towards Merlin and whispering. "By the way, did you hear the rumour about Lord Jadren?"
Merlin blinked.
"Huh?"
Liam glanced at the door again.
"The Lord in charge of organising and recording what's in the Treasury. Word has it that he's been threatening the clerks to keep them quiet about him siphoning gold into his own pockets."
Merlin regarded Liam speculatively, as the import of the words sunk in.
"Is he now... Well, I'm going to have to look into this." He started to grin. "And you're going to help me."
Liam stared.
"Wait... What?"
Merlin said nothing else, just smiling to himself and resuming polishing Arthur's armour. Liam, after watching him for several seconds, shrugged... Thinking that Merlin must just have been joking.
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Alaia Skyhawk: He's not joking, Liam! Run for it while you still can! Hehe, as you might guess, Liam and Merlin are firm friends now (since a fair bit of time has now passed since 'Sick Leave') Liam still acts nervous around and with nobles, but with Merlin and his teasing he's now teasing and joking back. I think it's cute that Merlin has a friend he can truly lark around with, since Arthur will never loosen up quite that far because he's a prince.
Also, here's a random note about the name I gave the dude in charge of making sure sewage doesn't contaminate Camelot's water... His name, Bruscar, is the Irish-Gaelic word meaning "litter/rubbish/junk/garbage" ...hehehehehehe, I'm mean XD