Hi everyone! I'm sooo sorry for the wait but the last bit of school was ca-razy. But good news is, is that I'm done! Like for good. No going back in September... I'm done...I don't think it has sunk in yet...
But enjoy the chapter, and thank you to everyone who left such nice reviews last chapter!
Oh, un-betaed currently but I shall post an edited version soon.
o}O{o
In the end, Gaius had not punished them. After receiving a long and half successful lecture, Mordred and Merlin were on their way to Arthur's chambers. Merlin was trying to hurry along, appearing like he had forgotten everything Gaius had said to them. Mordred remained subdued though, well aware of the foolishness of his actions. The physician had given the older boy the task of informing Arthur of his night time jaunt and thus making Arthur aware of the guards' lacking skills. As well as letting the prince have a chance to discipline his servant, Mordred knew. He could not help but be impressed by Gaius' cunning though. Both of them wanted Merlin to keep on talking but knew that a punishment would be the wrong way to go about it. So Gaius would let Arthur do it, knowing that Merlin would not be touched by the prince's disapproval.
"Merlin, wait up!" Mordred called as the boy turned a corner and out of his sight. Merlin's sigh was audible but he skulked back into view. Impatience was painted on his features, causing Mordred to smile at him. At least Merlin's faith in Mordred was still intact, and that's all that really mattered to the older boy. Still though, when they arrived at Arthur's chambers, Mordred felt a bit nervous, not looking forward to receiving yet another lecture. He made to knock but Merlin hurriedly opened the door and walked through it eager to see the prince. Mordred followed after rolling his eyes and found Merlin standing still in the chambers and pouting at Morris who was the only figure in the chambers. The older servant turned around from cleaning the table and regarded the boys in surprise.
"Oh, Mordred. I thought you were still sick," Morris exclaimed but looked pleased.
Mordred smiled at him. "I'm fine now. I heard you came to visit me."
Morris shrugged. "Yeah, you were sleeping though. I'm glad you're okay, Mordred."
The younger boy felt embarrassed at the admission. "Thank you," he said. Their attention was then drawn by Merlin who walked past Morris to search the chambers.
Just as Mordred was going to tell Merlin off for being rude, Morris laughed amusedly. "The prince isn't here, he's off sparring with Sir Leon."
Merlin turned back around and perked up, bounding back to Mordred. He stared expectantly up at him but faltered when the older boy seemed to be frowning at him. Merlin thought for a moment before remembering his manners. He turned to Morris and smiled shyly at him, receiving a greeting in return.
"Alright, thank you, Morris," Morded offered, disguising his disappointment. Morris grinned, obviously having not been aware that Merlin had started talking. The child happily swept out the door, dragging Mordred behind him. The servant reminded himself to be patient since Merlin seemed to be content.
"You can pay me back by coming back to your duties," Morris called after them.
"Convince Gaius!" Mordred answered just before the door shut. He then picked up his pace so Merlin would stop tugging his arm. They made their way in familiar silence until Mordred led the way down the staircase.
"Is Arthur outside?" Merlin asked him suddenly. He had his head down, carefully watching the steps as he descended slowly so he did not see Mordred beam at him. Those were the first words he had said since Mordred had woken up.
"Yes," Mordred answered cheerfully, "probably in the training fields."
"Cause he's playing with Leon?" Merlin wondered in a quiet voice.
Mordred laughed but did not correct the boy. "That's right. Did you bring Sir Arthur today?"
There was a toy sticking out of Merlin's pocket as he did not bring his cloak. Merlin smiled up at him and nodded, forcing Mordred to prevent him from falling down the stairs. Mordred laughed and warned, "Watch your step, Merlin."
Merlin nodded and forced his concentration to his feet. He followed Mordred into the hall and looked around for any people. Upon seeing that they were alone, Merlin picked up his pace to walk beside the older boy.
"Can Arthur play with me?" he questioned.
"You'll have to ask him," Mordred suggested and bit his lip when Merlin looked down. "Or I can ask him for you, Merlin. It doesn't matter."
Merlin nodded and reached for Mordred's hand. The older boy sent a reassuring smile to him which earned a smile in return. Soon they were outside and strolling toward the training fields where Arthur was sparring with Sir Leon. The two knights were attacking each other so furiously that Merlin stopped in his tracks. His features tightened with fear and he yanked on Mordred's cloak.
"It's alright, Merlin," Mordred quickly soothed. He went to stand in front of the boy to block the two men from view. "They're just having fun. They know what they're doing."
Merlin pouted his lips and peeked around the older boy but winced when he caught sight of Arthur. "But they're hurting each other," Merlin whispered.
"No they aren't," Mordred told him patiently. "Come on-"
He ended up turning around when the sound of uproarious laughing came from behind him. Arthur had his head thrown back and was clutching his middle while Leon lay on the ground, looking stunned from having fallen. When the long haired knight sat up, Arthur tried to offer him his hand but his laughter rendered him useless. Leon scowled embarrassedly at the prince but started to smile when Arthur became breathless. He said something the boys could not hear so Mordred moved them closer. "See, Merlin?" he said.
The young warlock seemed appeased but was still nervous about approaching them. Leon noticed them first since Arthur was still trying to control himself. "I apologize, Leon. I couldn't resist," he chuckled while Leon rose up.
He smirked good-naturedly. "That was well done, Sire. You are improving." Leon's azure eyes centered on Mordred and Merlin the same time Arthur realized their presence. The knight nodded in greeting which Mordred returned. Merlin chose to regard Leon suspiciously.
"Well, well, well," Arthur drawled, "look who decided to show up."
Mordred smiled since the prince had a grin on his face. "Good afternoon, Sire," he greeted.
"How are you feeling today, Mordred?" Sir Leon asked.
"I am well, m'lord," the boy replied, "thank you for asking."
Arthur looked him over while picking up his practice sword from the grass. "So did Gaius give you leave to come back to work?"
Mordred sighed, "Not yet, Sire." When he fell silent, Merlin prodded his arm. Mordred frowned at him which caused the two knights to exchange looks. Mordred glanced fleetingly at Leon before opening his mouth again. "He wanted me to inform you of… of a certain matter."
Arthur looked to Merlin who had a smile creeping on his lips. The child laughed at the expression on Mordred's face before Merlin pulled on his sleeve. After Mordred looked down sulkily, the prince looked at Leon and motioned him to leave. Leon blinked in slight surprise that Arthur was dismissing him for the sake of a servant but departed gracefully. After he was a good distance from them Merlin left Mordred and skipped to the prince. He leaned on Arthur's legs and the prince smiled down at him. "Hey there, Merlin."
Mordred studied the small boy and recognized that he was working himself up to talking, but since Arthur was focused on him, he did not notice.
Mordred waited for Merlin, causing Arthur to look where his servant was staring. The prince's blue eyes met Merlin's own and the child smiled. "Hi, Arthur," he said shyly.
Arthur blinked in rapid succession and he gaped at Merlin who offered a timid smile. But then Arthur laughed and knelt down, palming Merlin's head and still grinning. "You're talking!" he exclaimed brightly, making Merlin smile widely. "That's great, Merlin."
The child smiled happily and glanced back to Mordred who was walking closer, drawing the gaze of the still beaming prince. "So when did this happen?" Arthur demanded. "You haven't been holding back on me have you?" He nudged Merlin playfully, making the child laugh and shake his head.
"Just last night," Mordred revealed.
Arthur's smile became more relaxed. "I'm sorry I missed it. But I'm proud of you, Merlin. So are you a regular chatterbox now?"
The boy looked down shyly before laughing. "No-oo," he answered. As Arthur chuckled, Merlin reached for his toy. "Do you want to play with me?" Merlin asked Arthur and held out his toy.
Mordred noticed that the prince looked around before answering. "I'd love to, Merlin," Arthur smiled. But then he glanced at Mordred, remembering why he had sent Sir Leon off. "Oh yes, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Mordred made to reply but then bit his lip, looking up through his dark fringe at Arthur, not wanting to ruin the moment. "Just erm…"
Merlin grabbed onto Arthur's shirt in order to balance on his toes and whisper in Arthur's ear. "We were in the forest," he admitted for Mordred.
Arthur clearly thought that Merlin was trying to regain his attention. "Were you? This morning?"
It was Merlin's turn to hesitate but he shook his head and answered, though he spoke to Arthur's shoulder. "Last night. It was scary."
The older warlock watched the smile slowly leave Arthur's lips and the prince turn his gaze on Mordred. "The forest?" he repeated, "at night?"
Merlin looked down at his boots and Mordred took the chance to glance pointedly at the boy. Arthur surprised him by getting his point right away. "Hm. Why don't we go to my chambers? Mordred, carry this." He tossed the practice sword at the servant who failed to catch it.
The prince took Merlin's hand and led him off and the child gladly followed, not hearing the warning in Arthur's tone. He eyed Mordred as he passed though, curiosity and what could have been worry flashing in his eyes. Mordred was quick to hurry after them after collecting the blunt sword. Mordred kept quiet but Arthur was content to talk to Merlin whose replies were seldom but still a novelty. The prince led them on a route previously unknown to the boys, which prompted Mordred to ask Arthur about other short cuts. The blonde thought for a moment and enlightened his servant until they reached the floor of Arthur's chambers when Merlin interrupted.
"Can we go see Morgana and Gwen?" he asked the both of them.
"Morgana went for a ride, Merlin. She'll be back later though," Arthur replied, not minding that he was cut off.
Merlin perked up after sighing and looked at Arthur eagerly. "Can we go for a ride too?" He did not wait for the prince's answer before scurrying to Mordred. "Can we, Mordred?"
The guardian tilted his head at Arthur since it was his decision. "Perhaps tomorrow. Morgana can come with us as well," Arthur decided.
"Gwen too?" Merlin pressed.
"Well of course," the prince answered.
They turned the corner to enter the hall with Arthur's chambers and Mordred rushed past them to open the door for the prince. When they entered, Morris was gone but a pitcher of water and a tray of fruits were left on the table. Arthur went to pour himself some water and Merlin trailed after him to go to his seat. Mordred went to stand at the end of the table and watched Merlin as he eyed the fruits in front of him.
Arthur noticed and said what Mordred could not. "Go ahead and have one, Merlin," he said after draining a goblet of water. "Mordred, help me change."
The servant swallowed but followed Arthur to the dressing screen where Morris had hung a change of clothes for the prince. Mordred was quietly waiting for Arthur to question him which he did after inspecting Merlin pick out an apple.
"Let's hear it then," Arthur said as he took off his red shirt.
Mordred sighed and decided to cut right to the chase. "I… I needed to go for a walk," he told Arthur in a quiet undertone, "Merlin was scared that I was running away. It was my fault." Mordred sighed after straightening Arthur's collar and avoiding his eyes. "Gaius wanted you to know that if children can sneak past the guards' noses then he fears for the security of Camelot."
Arthur was not happy. "Sounds like him. Mordred, what possessed you to go wandering at night? You know the druids may still around," he hissed.
Mordred looked down and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose when the boy offered no other explanation. "This is the second time you've gone off on your own. If there is a third time, it's the stocks for you."
"It won't happen again, I promise."
Arthur nodded imperiously. "It had better not- your safety is my responsibility. I'm willing to be lenient, Mordred since you are still recovering. But not anymore, you are coming back to work tomorrow."
Mordred felt chastised but elated- and he had the sense to keep Arthur from seeing his smile. "Yes, Sire."
He looked up at Arthur's sigh. The prince went to retrieve his sword on the foot of his bed and wrapped the belt around his waist. "I'll be back later. It appears as though I must speak to the guards."
Mordred offered an apologetic smile while Merlin turned a concerned look on Arthur. The child stopped eating his apple and waited for Arthur to say something when he stopped beside his chair. Merlin looked at him and blinked when Arthur did not appear pleased. He lowered the half eaten apple and a worried crease formed on his forehead. Mordred moved forward, ready to defend the smaller boy. Merlin found his apple exceedingly interesting and began studying it while Arthur spoke. "I want you to promise me something, Merlin." The child looked up at this and nodded at once. "You won't ever wander alone at night again. If you need something and Mordred isn't there, get Gaius."
"I promise, Arthur," Merlin said quietly. The prince appeared momentarily surprised that Merlin spoke but smiled.
"And if Gaius isn't around, come to me. Understood?"
It was Mordred's turn to smile as he watched Merlin nod happily. "Good," Arthur said and ruffled Merlin's hair, messing it up and making it stand on end. "I'll play with you later, alright?"
"Okay," Merlin said with a smile.
With that, the prince left them alone in the chambers. Merlin smiled at Mordred and went back to his apple. The servant looked around for something to do but found that Morris had already taken care of everything. So he went to sit down beside Merlin and looked sideways at the bowl of fruit. After a moment of consideration, he grabbed a vine of grapes, knowing he shouldn't but doing it anyway. If Arthur asked about it later, Mordred knew that he could always blame Merlin since Arthur would not get angry at the boy anyway. He smiled and counted himself lucky, popping a grape into mouth.
"That went better than I thought," he told Merlin with a small smirk.
Merlin grinned but did not bother speaking. Mordred did not worry about it though, figuring that Merlin was making good enough progress already. Mordred grew bored with waiting for Merlin to finish his apple so he rose out of his chair and backed up. Merlin watched him interestedly as he started practicing his footwork.
"Did you want to try too, Merlin?" Mordred asked him as he sidestepped across the room.
Merlin shook his head and took out his toy. He set it on the table and then resumed eating his apple while Mordred carried on as he was. The child eventually finished and looked around at Mordred who was going through more steps and pretending he had a sword in his hand. Content that the older boy was not paying attention, he used magic to make his toy stand up. Merlin smiled widely as he made Sir Arthur bob around the table. He made the toy ride an invisible dragon, not letting it soar any higher than a few feet above the table so he would not alert Mordred. When he grew bored he grabbed the toy and stared at it in thought, his small fingers running over the wood grain of the toy's head.
"Mordred?" he asked quietly without looking up.
Though the older boy was concentrated on his footwork, he heard Merlin's voice and immediately strode over. Merlin had a frown on his face and did not look at Mordred right away.
"What is it, Merlin?" Mordred asked and reclaimed his seat.
Merlin eventually made eye contact and wondered in almost a whisper, "Can we tell Arthur?"
He did not say what but Mordred's face became blank with understanding. "No. We can't. He's the last person who can know about our magic."
"But why?" Merlin pled.
"You know why, Merlin," Mordred sighed.
Merlin shook his head. "Arthur's good!" he protested, raising his voice for the first time in anger.
Mordred was quick to placate him, putting his hands on Merlin's shoulders and hoping to prevent any outbursts. The bowl of fruit cracked though before Mordred could speak. "I know that. But the king is not."
Merlin pouted. "Arthur's dad? He's scary."
Mordred nodded. "If he found out, he'd kill us, Merlin."
The five year old knew it was true but it was still terrifying. Especially coming from Mordred. But the guardian needed to make Merlin understand.
"But Arthur wouldn't tell," Merlin whined. His eyes were shimmering wetly.
"We don't know that. We've only known him for a few weeks," Mordred went on calmly despite a burst of fear pooling in his stomach. "Prince Arthur thinks that magic is bad and he loves his father, Merlin." He was the recipient of a frown but luckily Merlin went quiet. "Would you ever want to choose between me and Arthur?" Merlin shook his head, not liking where the conversation had gone. "If Arthur found out, he'd have to choose between us- magic, and his father. He'd choose the king, Merlin."
The young boy shook his head wildly. "No, he-"
"Merlin," Mordred said sharply, his light eyes gleaming. Merlin looked down and Mordred gazed despondently at the wooden knight in the child's hands. "We can't trust him. Not yet."
o}O{o
The hour was late and Merlin should have been sleeping. The night was cloudy and the moon hidden away so Merlin had conjured a small globe of light to hover beneath the ceiling to combat the shadows. He lay on his side, facing away from Mordred with a troubled frown on his childish features. Ever since the afternoon when Mordred reminded him that he could not trust Arthur, it was all he could think about. Merlin sighed softly, his breath barely affecting the sleepy silence of nighttime. His eyes were heavy but he didn't want to sleep. The child sat up and looked at Mordred, finding him peacefully asleep. His mouth was open and a tiny snore would occasionally flutter out.
A tingle at the base of his head and a resonance building in his ears had Merlin look into the darkness of their room curiously. "Merlin," a familiar voice rang out.
Merlin smiled and proceeded to climb out of bed. He watched Mordred as he put on his boots, careful to be quiet, knowing the older boy as a light sleeper. "Merlin," Kilgharrah called again after Merlin had finally succeeded in pulling on his boots. He had to lean on the other bed where Mordred had laid out Arthur's polished armour but he managed without alerting the older boy.
Merlin hesitated once he inched down the small staircase out of their room. He had promised Arthur that he wouldn't wander alone at night. Merlin bit his lip when the dragon called him again. But he wasn't going outside after all so Merlin proceeded cautiously, and unintentionally lit his way with another orb of light. Gaius carried on snoring and did not stir when Merlin walked by him.
He opened the main door but looked back before leaving, starting to get scared but was spurred onward by Kilgharrah once again. Outside, the corridors were lit by torches but shadows still loomed in the corners and at the end of his vision. Merlin bravely carried on, eager to see the dragon again. Darkness made the castle look different but Merlin did not need to rely on a sense of direction because he followed a subconscious tug leading to Kilgharrah. It did not occur to Merlin to think of the guards, only monsters made from shadows as he walked, but to his luck neither bothered him. The end of his journey came when he slowly descended the staircase to the lowest level of the castle, making sure both feet were on a step before proceeding to the one below.
Merlin sat down against the railing, peering at the guard standing at the entrance to the stairs leading underground and to the caves. Unlike many occasions before now, this guard was alert even if he appeared to be bored out of his mind. Merlin's dark eyebrows stitched together and before he thought of an answer, Kilgharrah spoke to him.
"Swefe nu," the dragon said and Merlin was confused before he realized it was a spell.
So he licked his lips and smiled, knowing that this was the first spell he would speak. "Swefe nu," he whispered and concentrated on the guard. A victorious giggle escaped him when the guard immediately dozed off and started to snore loudly. Merlin was quick to scurry past him and down the stairs, this time making a bird made of amber light to guide him.
A grin was still on his face when he ran into the cave and met Kilgharrah. The dragon was perched languidly on his rock, his golden eyes shining in the gloom. Merlin waved his small hand and made plumes of fire bloom in the darkness, chasing away the shadows.
"Hello, young warlock," the dragon greeted, his voice echoing deep into the cavern.
"Hello," Merlin said, opting not to try and say Kilgharrah's name since words still seemed strange, though a nice strange. And Kilgharrah seemed like a hard word to pronounce.
The dragon chuckled, the scratchy toll warming his throat. "I am glad that you have found your voice, child." Merlin smiled and nodded in agreement. "But you seem troubled."
Merlin's face fell and he looked down – the crystals in the brown rock highlighted by Merlin's sources of light. He spoke to his feet at first, his voice quiet as a sigh. "Mordred says I can't trust Arthur."
"He is right, young warlock," Kilgharrah stated and earned a distressed look from the boy. "Arthur is not ready to know of your magic, no matter how much he cares for you."
Merlin looked deeply upset and had tears brimming in his cobalt eyes. Kilgharrah took pity on the child. "But, Merlin, you can trust him with anything else. You two share a bond that will become unbreakable, and one day he will know of your magic."
"When?" Merlin asked.
Kilgharrah blew a long sigh from his nose and thin streams of smoke blew out. "It may take years, young one. The hate for magic was instilled deep within him."
"Years?" Merlin gasped and began to cry, "but that's forever! I don't want Arthur to hate me!"
"Merlin," Kilgharrah said sharply, startling the boy. "A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole."
The child sniffed and rubbed his eye. "What?"
"Arthur cannot hate you, young warlock. You merely need to be patient. One day you will be free but until then, guard your secret. Tell no one," Kilgharrah bid.
Merlin nodded dejectedly and gave a long sigh. He looked up and stood staring at the dragon for a long while. Kilgharrah was patient until Merlin's blinks became heavier. "Is there something else you wish to ask me, young warlock?"
The child nodded slowly, setting himself to asking a question he had been wondering for a while now. "Why can't you fly away?"
It was not what the dragon was expecting and he drew his scaled head back in surprise. He followed Merlin's gaze to the chains binding him to the rock below. "I am not able," he answered, anger and sorrow colouring his tone, "these chains are too powerful."
"Could I break them?" Merlin wondered and took a step forward to get a better look.
"No, young warlock," Kilgharrah sighed, "you have not the power. Perhaps one day."
Merlin frowned. "I'm sorry."
"Do not be, Merlin. Now, it is time for you to go to sleep."
Merlin nodded and casted a last dejected look at the dragon before leaving. Kilgharrah's golden eyes stared at the spot Merlin had left long after the warlock departed.
o}O{o
I'm not sure, but that might have been a bit of foreshadowing right there ;) Hopefully you guys enjoyed, and don't worry there won't be such a long wait for the next one. Summer vacation begins! And now I have to find a job in my field :s
Please remember to review!