Alaia Skyhawk: (Starts to giggle) I'll let this sub-ep speak for itself. Also, this one is dedicated to my friend Sparking Moon Phoenix, who requested the particular 'incident' which this one revolves around XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

~(-)~

Chapter 48: It's a Matter of Perception ~Part 1~

Blue eyes watched the physician move about the room, following his every step while the warlock they belonged to threw silent compliments, insults, jokes... Anything and everything he could think of, Merlin chattered out while trying beyond trying to get Gaius to hear the projected thoughts.

He paused for a moment in his efforts and sighed, frowning to himself as he tried to figure it out. There had to be a way for someone, without the ability to magically project and receive thoughts, to hear thoughts being projected at them by someone who did. There had to be, after all why should it be more difficult to send something as ephemeral as a thought when it was so easy for him to throw something as solid as a book in the same direction?

Gaius heard the sigh, turning to look over at his ward.

"I know what you're trying to do, Merlin, and you're wasting your time. The problem of speaking silently to a non-magician is one that many a sorcerer has attempted to solve to no avail."

Merlin stood up, starting to pace.

"I don't get it. When I think about it, it should be so simple, but no matter how hard I think anything at you, you can't hear me at all."

The physician started setting the table for breakfast, his ward walking over to help him.

"And that is because I do not possess the ability to do it for myself. Am I right in guessing you're trying to solve the problem, so you can give warnings to Arthur about things even while you two are in public?"

The warlock paused, still frowning.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yes, actually, it was." Gaius turned to get the porridge from the hearth. "I know you too well, Merlin... Which is why I'm going to tell you something."

Merlin sat, looking at Gaius curiously as he came back over with the pot.

"Tell me what?"

Gaius sat down, starting to share the small amount of cereal between them.

"Just use what every other sorcerer who tried to solve it ended up using. Learn the Speaking Spell and just throw your voice to Arthur instead of your thoughts... It's much easier."

Merlin stared at him.

"There's a spell to do that? Why didn't you tell me before now?"

"Because you never asked."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm asking now. Where can I learn it? Is it in my spellbook? Though I would have spotted by now I think, if it was."

Gaius shook his head.

"No, it's not in there, because I never learnt it during my actual studies. I heard about it from an acquaintance of mine, and he attempted to teach it to me. I'm afraid I never managed to get it right, but I remember the incantation easily enough. It's in two parts, a spoken part, and a thought part. The first is to form a connection with the one you wish to speak to, and the second is to trigger that connection just before saying what you want them to hear. When you've finished saying what you want to say to them, you just release the magic from the second part and it stops."

Merlin was now leaning on the table eagerly.

"So what is it? The incantation."

Gaius brought a hand to his chin, thinking for several seconds before speaking.

"'Labhair guth, teigh. Bean ta cluin, fear ta cluin, araon coisir an cluas sin ta togair'." Gaius lowered his hand, picking up his spoon. "That part you cast on the one you want to be able to hear you. The second part, which you think just before you speak, is 'Eist le me...' and then the name of the one you want to hear you. That's just in case you have more that one person you've cast it on. The only real downside to the spell is it's limited range and that you can only speak to one person at a time. That and you have to keep your voice down or you'll seem to be talking to yourself. It's a small inconvenience though."

Merlin grinned.

"Thanks, Gaius, you're the best." He pointed at the physician and spoke confidently. "Labhair guth, teigh. Bean ta cluin, fear ta cluin, araon coisir an cluas sin ta togair." His eyes glowed briefly, before he paused for a moment, thinking the second part hard, and then whispered. "Can you hear this?"

Gaius raised his eyebrows.

"If you mean can I hear it inside my ears then that would be a no... Casting the first part is the easy bit. Getting the second part to work is the hard part. There's nothing for it but to practice until you get it right. After that you should have no problems." He held up a finger. "But you're not using me for practice, not right now. I'm going to be busy this morning, so go practice with Arthur if he'll let you."

Merlin gave him a long look, finishing his breakfast before getting up to leave the room.

"See you at lunchtime then. Arthur isn't doing much today, so I'll have plenty of time to practice while he does his paperwork."

"Just don't annoy him too much, you know what he's like when he's trying to get work done."

Merlin left, heading to the kitchens in his usual morning routine, and then carrying the resulting tray of food up to Arthur's chambers. The prince was still in bed, and rather reluctant to get up, as evidenced by the pillow that was thrown in Merlin's direction.

He eyed Arthur warily, as the prince ate his breakfast in silence and then trudged unenthusiastically to the dressing screen. The pile of paperwork on his desk by the window was evidence as to the reason why... Uther was once again piling extra work on Arthur in the aim of preparing him for the workload of being a king one day. The prince wasn't too impressed with the lesson, even if he understood and accepted the reasons for it. It was around about the moment that Arthur finished dressing and walked to the desk that Merlin decided that perhaps he'd better pick a different person to practice with.

He took a cup of water over to Arthur, setting it down on the desk well away from any of the piles of paper.

"I know you're going to be busy this morning, so I was wondering..."

Arthur looked at him, a small knowing roll of the eyes heralding his question.

"What do you want?"

Merlin tucked his hands behind his back, lowering his voice to a quiet murmur.

"There's a new spell I'm working on, and I'd like to practice it."

The prince raised his eyebrows.

"Will it be useful? Or are you just trying to slack off?"

Merlin sighed at Arthur's lack of faith.

"Very useful... That's why I want to go work on it. It's not a tricky spell, but it takes practice to make it work."

Arthur set his hands down on the table.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? As your prince I'm ordering you to go practice it. Make sure you show me it as soon as you think it's ready and don't forget to bring my dinner up on time."

Merlin grinned, jauntily tilting his head.

"Yes, Sire, it will be my pleasure."

He turned and left, idly walking through the halls after returning the now depleted tray and breakfast things to the kitchen. He was looking for someone suitable to use as practice, and might have picked Gwen, but if he followed her around while she worked he'd end up bumping into Morgana almost certainly. Instead he parked himself near the kitchens and mused to himself, inspiration striking the moment he saw one particular familiar face.

Liam was heading for the kitchens with a tray of empty plates, obviously on his way back from giving Sir Fernir his breakfast. The other servant smiled as him as he passed, although he couldn't wave since his hands were occupied.

"Hi, Merlin. Have the morning off?"

Merlin shrugged.

"Something like that. I think I'll probably end up helping Gaius this morning."

Liam's smile became a grin.

"Have fun then, unless he sends you out to pick prickly plants."

"Ha ha ha." Merlin grinned back. "You have fun too... slaving for Fernir all day." With that last teasing taunt, Merlin turned and walked away, waiting until Liam had his back turned before checking the coast was clear and pointing at his retreating back and whispering "Labhair guth, teigh. Bean ta cluin, fear ta cluin, araon coisir an cluas sin ta togair."

He then ducked into a nearby alcove and waited for his victim to come back out of the kitchens, tailing him as he proceeded about his morning chores. This would be an interesting way to slack off, if nothing else.

~(-)~

The blond-haired man let out a resigned sigh, trailing towards Sir Fernir's chambers with a pile of sheets in hand. If there was one thing about the life of a servant, it was that it could be terribly tedious doing the same general set of chores day in day out. Shaking his head at the monotony, he went to turn the next corner in the passage but paused when as he did so he saw something from the corner of his eye.

The passage back the way he'd come was empty, and Liam shrugged and set off again. Back down the passage Merlin came out from behind the previous corner, quietly hurrying to catch up to the other servant and peering around the next corner and watching which way he went next. Liam of course was oblivious, not even twitching when the warlock tried to send a very quiet whisper to his ears.

Merlin frowned a little at another failure, muttering irritated under his breath, the spell still maintained. He'd been trying for over an hour.

"Damn it..."

Liam stopped down the hallway, causing Merlin to duck into cover again while he frowned a little. There was no one else in the passage, so again he shrugged.

"Just my imagination."

Merlin was staring at him when he set off again, a feeling of excitement rising. Liam had heard him! Not clearly, obviously, but enough that he'd thought someone was there. Suppressing the wicked chuckles that wanted to escape his throat, Merlin continued following him, pausing at the next junction and grinning.

"Li... am..." Again Liam stopped, turning suddenly to look for the source of the voice. "Li... am..."

"Who's there?"

He was looking around nervously, unable to place where the whisper came from since it had happened right in his ears. It didn't have a direction.

Merlin couldn't resist, as immature as this was it was just too tempting.

"A spirit from the netherworld... Freeeee meeee, free me from my suffering..."

Liam went as white as the sheets he carried, almost dropping them as he took off like a shot down the passageway whimpering in terror. Merlin watched him go, waiting until he was well out of sight before collapsing against the wall red in the face from laughter. All right, so that had been mean, but it proved he was starting to get the hang of this.

The warlock turned, going in the opposite direction to where Liam had fled. Just to make it up to his friend, he was going to deliver a little much-deserved payback to two certain stablehands. Merlin chuckled in anticipation, he hated bullies, and this was a way to get back at them without getting Liam hassled by them again. He was a retainer now, and the two of them had been more than aggravated at Liam's sudden rise in social ranking among the staff. They'd continued to harass him, even if only verbally now, and Merlin wasn't going to let that go.

~(-)~

It was a still grinning warlock who returned to Gaius' chambers a short while later, his face now composed after almost killing himself with laughter after what he'd just done. Gaius would not approve of using sorcery for such a thing, and so Merlin wasn't going to tell him... He could always tell Arthur though; it just might cheer the grouch up.

Merlin entered the physician's chambers, smiling at him cheerfully from the doorway before speaking directly into his ears.

"Hello from over here."

Gaius flinched, staring at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"I should have known that wouldn't take you long to learn... although I do hope you were careful while practicing it."

Merlin shrugged.

"I used Liam... and stopped as soon as I was sure he was hearing my whispering. He thinks he was hearing a ghost."

"Merlin..."

The warlock sighed.

"Ok, so I scared him a little for fun, but at least I know I can do it now."

Gaius eyed him, offering him the sandwich he'd prepared for him.

"Does Arthur know you've spent the morning on this?"

"He ordered me to go practice after I asked and then told him it was for a really useful spell. He just wants me to make sure I show him it once it's ready." Merlin grinned. "Which it is."

The physician looked at him warningly.

"Just don't play around with it. It word starts spreading through the castle, telling of ghostly whispers, I will know who to go looking for."

Merlin winced, accepting the sandwich.

"Don't worry, I won't. The novelty would wear off quickly anyway. I just can't wait to see Arthur's face when I tell him what I can do for him now."

"Then why don't you go tell him?"

The warlock looked at his mentor, swallowing his mouthful and nodding.

"I think I will, it's almost time for his dinner anyway. I'll tell you how it goes when I get back."

He left the room, still munching on his slab of bread and cheese. It was reduced to crumbs on his shirt by the time he reached the kitchen, and the crumbs were long since brushed off by the time he reached the prince's chambers. When he entered, he did so with such a bright smile that he didn't even need to tell the deskbound prince that the practice had been a success.

He rose to his feet, moving to the table for his meal while Merlin got the silent book off the mantelpiece.

As soon as it was face down on the table between them, he spoke around a mouthful of chicken.

"Well, what's this spell then? You're far too smug right now for you not to have anything to show me."

Merlin, looking rather pleased with himself, nodded.

"I do... It's called the Speaking Spell. Once I've cast the first part on you, after that all I have to do if I want to throw the sound of my voice into your ears is think the second part of it before I whisper to you."

Arthur froze mid-mouthful, swallowing it as he stared at his servant.

"You mean you'll be able to speak to me, and warn me about things even when we're both in public?"

Merlin nodded.

"Yup, although I'll have to make sure no one sees or hears me apparently muttering to myself. You won't have to worry though, since only you will hear me at your end of the spell."

They regarded each other for several seconds across the table, Arthur breaking the silence with an exasperated outburst.

"Well what are you waiting for? Cast it and show me!"

Merlin obliged, clearing his throat theatrically before pointing at the prince.

"Labhair guth, teigh. Bean ta cluin..." There was a sudden knock on the door, Merlin choking off the end of the spell as his eyes glowed for a moment. He got up while Arthur closed the silence book, going to the door and opening it a little. "What is it?"

It was a guard, who nodded politely to the trusted retainer.

"The king wishes for his son to attend a meeting in the council chambers in one hour."

Merlin nodded.

"He's eating his dinner right now. I'll let him know." The guard left, Merlin closing the door in relief. "It was just a guard saying your father wants you at a meeting in the council chambers in an hour. Nothing big."

He came back over to the table, Arthur sighing before picking up another piece of chicken.

"Well that's not so ba..."

He stopped in utter shock, his mouth open as he noticed a definite difference in his voice and glared at Merlin.

The warlock began to murmur in equal surprise and with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Oh... dear...

"You... You sound like..."

Arthur rose to his feet, quietly screaming in a female voice.

"You've made me sound like a GIRL!"

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: 'Speak voice, go. Woman is heard, man is heard, both reach the ear that is chosen.' ...lol, no prizes for guessing where in that incantation Merlin cut it off (Goes off to sit in a corner and die laughing) XD