Chapter 29

"Gaius, you look concerned," I observe as I happen to walk with him. His face is set deep with more lines than usual and that look in his eye I've come to see often when Merlin get's into mischief. "You don't know what's going on with Merlin do you?"

"I have an inkling," he admits. "There was a druid girl that a bounty hunter brought in yesterday for Uther, but she's escaped."

"And you think Merlin did it?"

"I fear so."

"You fear so?" I question. "I know that it's a risk but if she escaped then all is well right? Merlin wasn't caught."

"The bounty hunter saw two figures running away. He's inspecting everybody on the palace grounds and the lower town."

That would make sense, the food he stole and why he was in a rush. I hold my tongue though, not wanting to spill the secret to Gaius. It is Merlin's secret to tell if he wishes.

"I'm sure it will all be fine, Gaius. If Merlin can do one thing, it's sneak around," I offer in a light voice.

"Bounty hunters are dangerous, Elena. Don't get dragged into this is Merlin has anything to do with it. I want you, and preferably him to stay out of it.

"I promise."

Xx

"Have you heard about the druid girl," Morgana asks as Gwen cleans around her room. Morgana is standing in front of her mirror, admiring the dress I've been working on for her. It's a lovely green that compliments her skin beautifully, if I do say so myself. I tug on it, ensuring the fit is right.

"The one that escaped?" I ask.

"Yes. Uther said that the bounty hunter believes her to be cursed," Morgana informs.

"What type of curse?" Gwen wonders, a hint of concern slipping through. Morgana shrugs absent minded.

"He didn't say, only that the druid camp threw her out. But they are doing rounds, looking for the person that helped her."

Gaius didn't say anything about a curse. That makes me wonder if Merlin has any idea. MY mind runs through any curses I've come across in reading or past adventures, but they all relate to poisoning or being enchanted. It doesn't seem to fit the scenario. Druids are peaceful, and to throw out somebody, one of their own, must mean they feared for the safety of their own.

Now I fear for Merlin's.

On my way through the day I keep an eye out for Merlin but he must be busy with his chores or somewhere else as I don't see him at all. I do however, run into the bounty hunter who is being accompanied by three guards, inspecting everybody he runs into.

He had looked me up and down for a moment longer than I liked, eyeing me off suspiciously but eventually shook his head and I let out a huff of air as soon as they passed.

The night has come and by now I'm antsy to see Merlin and question him about what he's been up to. There's still no sign of him so I give up for the night, walking back to return to my chambers.

As I wander up from the lower part of the castle, I see Halig – the bounty hunter – and his guards dragging a familiar boy along the corridor. Merlin resists their tugs on his arms as they lead him down the corridor towards the cells.

"What on earth…" I murmur, dropping all thoughts of dinner. Before I can do anything, they've moved out of sight. Knowing my efforts against them as a serving girl is fruitless, I sprint up to the one person with authority I can talk to.

"Arthur!" I cry, barging into his chamber's unannounced.

"Elena!" he shrieks from his desk. "You can't just-"

"It's Merlin, Sire," I heave out. "That bounty hunter was dragging him to the cells."

"Halig was?"

I nod and Arthur is out of his chair before I can say anything else. He jogs out of his room and I struggle to keep up with him, tired from sprinting all the way up here. This is the second time I'm sweating like a pig for the two of them today.

Arthur enters the cells, and I cry out in relief as I slow to a walk. Merlin is on a chair, Halig's arm pulled back as though about to punch him.

"Halig! What do you think you're doing?" Arthur exclaims, making the man stop. I breath heavily, leaning against the cell door as Merlin watches on, as though waiting for the punch still to come.

"We caught the boy behaving suspiciously, Sire."

"Merlin?"

"He could be harbouring the girl, and he's gonna tell us where," the hunter growls. Merlin's face tells me everything. He definitely has that suspicious look about him, even more so when he's actually up to something.

Halig moves his arm back and Merlin prepares for the oncoming pain. I flinch, beginning to reach out but Arthur beats me to it, grasping the man's arm and pulls Merlin from the chair.

"Leave him alone. Merlin is my servant. He has my absolute trust. If you have a problem with him, you come to me. Do you understand?"

I watch Arthur in slight shock. I think this is the first time he's trusted Merlin completely without the boy having to beg to be believed.

Halig exhales slowly before bowing to Arthur is submission.

"Sire." He turns to Merlin, giving the warlock a look of warning. "Goodnight, Merlin. Don't forget you dinner."

"Thank you," Merlin replies.

Arthur and I glance to the floor where Halig gestured too, seeing three sausages and a drumstick. We look up to Merlin with questioning gazes. Merlin looks between the two of us, like a deer caught in headlights.

"Ah," is all he says.

"Are those my sausages?" Arthur questions.

"Mmm," he nods.

"You took them?"

"To keep you in shape," Merlin defends. Arthur glares at him before turning to look at me.

"He thinks I'm fat," he exclaims in disbelief to me. I shift my gaze between the two, not sure who to defend at this stage.

"I think he took them to eat himself, Sire," I come up with. "I mean, he looks a little underfed, doesn't he?"

It's Merlin's turn to look at me disbelief and Arthur's changes to a frown.

"Doesn't mean that I should have to suffer!" Arthur counters.

"It's hardly suffering,' Merlin mocks. "It's a trade. I get more food to stay healthy, you stay in shape."

"But I'm not fat!"

"See, it's working," he says before running off out of the cells.

I debate whether or not to follow him, but he's gone before I can even make the decision.

"I should put him in the stocks," Arthur groans into the air but then pauses in thought. "Do you think he's being underfed. He is scrawny but I always thought that's just the way he was built."

I run my mind again, struggling to come up with a lie for an explanation. I'm not as good as Merlin at this. Although, he is rather pathetic himself but seems to get away with it.

"If I may suggest it, I think he feels the need to be more muscular," I say eventually. "He has to help you train and he works all day. It's tiring work."

"Huh," he huffs, glancing at my body. "You're getting enough food, aren't you? We don't underfeed people, do we?"

"I'm fine. The portions are plentiful, but Merlin does work a lot harder than the rest of the servants. He is working for the Prince."

"Good," he states. "Do you know where he went? I need him to feed my dogs."

I shake my head, bringing myself out of thought which was directed at where in Camelot Merlin could be running off too during the night.

"No idea, Sire. But I can do that if you want," I offer.

"No, it's Merlin's job," he counters.

"Honestly, I want to. I love dogs," I exclaim, and it is completely honest. I would've offered even if Merlin was here.

"Alright," he agrees.

He instructs me on how to feed them and make sure they are tied up for the night then retires to his chambers for the night, leaving me to do as he says. I saunter through the castle towards the dog kennel where the royal hounds are kept for the most part. I've passed it a few times, a couple of caged kennels and an area for them to roam free when their not being used.

They are hunting dogs, medium sized hounds but I couldn't tell you their breed. I've never been good at identifying things.

I lay down their bowls, the hungry animals rummaging through their food before it even hits the floor. I wait by them, waiting for them to finish and as they flop around, now full I walk forward and kneel by their kennels. Though they have free roam of the area, they are chained to the wall by long chains, keeping them close to their homes.

As I sit, they ponder over to me, sniffing all around my body, my sent unfamiliar to them. I spend some time just petting them, watching them play-fight with each other but for the most part they are well behaved and sit close by, falling asleep.

Now full of all the puppy love, I leave them to sleep for the night and wander back around the out wall of the castle to go back to my own chambers for the night.

As I reach the Square, I hear a growling behind me. My head whips around, looking for the source but there are only shadows, moving with the flicker of the torch's flames. It's silent in the Square, not even a hush of a wind or patter of a late worker's shoes on the stone. I can't even hear my own breath as I hold it steady and soft.

I can feel something watching me in the distance, but not so far away that I shouldn't be able to see it. A slight and sudden movement on a rooftop catches my eye and I watch the spot intently as my heart begins to beat faster. I can almost see something. An odd shape against the dark sky.

"Elena?"

I scream, my hands flying to my mouth and both my feet leave the ground at one point. My head whips around, seeing Castor standing there with a concerned look upon his face.

"Are you alright?"

I nod, looking back to the spot on the rooftop but the mysterious figure is now gone. Was I hallucinating; from the tale of the cursed druid girl or was that actually real?

"I'm fine," I declare, pushing it all aside. Castor eyes me again but doesn't say anything more on it.

"What are you doing out late?"

"Just feeding Arthur's dogs," I answer. "Come on, let's go back inside." I grab his arm, leaning against him to comfort myself, honestly quite terrified still about what was out there.

"Isn't that Merlin's job?" he questions incredulously.

"Yes, but Merlin is…off doing something," I trail off.

"Ah, one of his little adventures again?" Castor's voice changes to one of content, less curious. But I shake my head with a frown.

"Actually, I'm not sure what he's doing but I'm keeping Arthur from putting him back in the stocks. He stole the Prince's breakfast this morning, he nearly had an aneurysm." Castor snorts at my description.

"Well, I'm glad that you're taking up a little extra work," he states.

"Are you calling me slack?" I gasp.

"No!" he laughs. "I just mean that it's going to keep you distracted."

"Distracted?"

"Yes, from…things," his voice dwindles into a cringe and I exhale deeply at his insinuation.

"I'm fine, truly. It hurts but I have other things to focus on. Like Merlin's job," I joke. "I think I'm ok because I know he still loves me. I'm devastated, trust me, but I have a feeling things will work out for us. Whether that means we get back together or not I don't know but I don't think this whole ignoring each other is going to last.

"And I will talk to him again, one day. I was furious at first but if we swapped positions, I don't think I would have reacted any differently than he has."

Castor takes in my words and we reach our shared corridor, coming to a stop outside his door.

"He knows you took it," he says.

I frown, not understanding his words at all. I rewind my memory trying to think about what topic in our previous conversation he could be referring to, but I come up blank.

"The necklace," he adds, seeing my face, his head nodding towards the other knight's door. My shoulders drop, a sinking guilt flooding my stomach as though a child caught in a lie. "He's not mad."

"He's not?"

"No. I think he was thinking of finding a way to give it back to you, but he wasn't sure how mad you were. At first, he thought someone had stolen it but after he told me I knew it was you."

I still feel guilty at being caught. Now he knows I have snooped around his room.

"Oh," I mutter. "It's in my room but I suppose I can wear it now that he knows."

"I think that would make him feel better," Castor agrees softly. "He hates what's happened but to be honest…I do understand where he's coming from." His words are hesitant, as though he's afraid I'm going to yell at him for taking Leon's side, so I shake my head with a half-smile.

"No, I do too. I don't blame him in the slightest."