"Words Not Spoken" (Rose)

As the breath of the last note leaves my lips, I choke on my own tears. I feel Merlin's warm, strong hand brush my own and linger. At first, I am partially stunned. My chest feels constricted, but I don't pull away. I rather, lean in, and hold him close, crying into his jacket. He gives my arm a squeeze.

I take deep breaths, trying to regain control. I want to tell him that I'm sorry for breaking down, for wetting his coat, for making him uncomfortable (as I am sure it is safe to assume that I have done so by invading his personal space), for everything.

It's like he knows what I am thinking and feeling, he consciously brushes this thumb over my loosely clamped hands. I am thrilled that, even if he is my only friend other than Gaius, who is more like a father to me, I have a friend like him. I do not deserve such kindness bestowed upon me.

Thinking on this matter, makes me feel worse, resulting in more tears. 'Why can't I stop?' my mind begins to plea in desperation for emotional and mental stability.

'You are human, too, don't forget,' Merlin's voice reminds.

'My parents were both so strong... If I cannot be strong, then they are truly gone. If I am nothing like them, they have died in body and spirit. There is nothing left of them.'

'I disagree with that,' he softly retorts. 'You are who they were, whether you want to be or not. You are their child- their flesh and their blood. Just the things you have told me of them, and what I have seen of you, I would say you were a splendid combination of the two. They live on in your heart always, even if you weren't like them at all. You keep them alive by thinking of them, by loving them, by doing the right thing as they taught you to do, by being yourself, for that is who they raised. You keep them alive by living yourself.'

'Merlin,' I calm, 'Do you always have to be so uplifting and accurate?'

He laughs aloud. 'What?' I question.

'That's just such a switch from constantly being called stupid,' he says with an undertone of hurt, but more appreciation than anything.

'You are many things, Merlin,' I concentrate my feelings into my message, 'But stupid is not one of them. No other person I have ever known could cheer me up in any way, especially through words not spoken.'

"An Awkward Homecoming" (Merlin)

Our conversation, if you can call it that, has made me feel a million times better. I beamed when she told me that I wasn't stupid. It's not every day I find someone who doesn't think me a fool. It is a nice, refreshing, and welcome change.

All too soon, we are back in Camelot. We ride the way to the stable, hopping off my horse there. As I remove his tack and give him a brush, I am incredibly distracted- not in the bad way. I catch my eyes drifting every half a minute over to Rose. She is affectionately stroking the horse's nose and speaking to him in a way so smooth, it is enchanting. I would know.

The game changer is when I find her looking over at me. Of course, each time this happens I, as imperturbably as I can, direct my attention towards the brush in my hand. Even still, I feel my cheeks turning color, red, or maybe green, because every time our eyes meet I get this weird, so-excited-you're-sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I finish grooming the animal and say so, "So, um, we can... go now." Why must I always make this awkward?

I walk her back to our chambers inside the palace. I open the door, and speaking of awkward, "Merlin!" a voice I really hadn't expected nor wanted to hear calls me out.

"Arthur!" I gurgle as he grabs me and shoves me up against the wall, his hand on my throat.

"Tell me, Merlin," he narrows his eyes at me, "What needed doing that was so important that you neglected your duties for an entire day, leaving Gaius to do your dirty work?! Do you have any i-"

"Arthur ..." a much more pleasing voice stops him mid-yell, I look over his shoulder to see Rose slowly approaching, "As in Prince Arthur?"

"Y-yes," he stammers, eyes widening, "Who might you be, my lady?"

"Oh, please, Your Highness," she curtseys, "Call me Rose."

"That's a beautiful name," he releases his grip on me and turns to her, "and fitting for such a beautiful woman." He takes her hand and kisses it.

She curtseys once more, "Thank you, Sire," she blushes a little, and a small jealous heat flares up in me. I bring my hand to my now sore neck and rub it lightly. This grabs Rose's attention and she immediately turns on the charm, "Please, pardon Merlin, Your Majesty. He was just being a gracious host and showing me around your wonderful kingdom."

Arthur relaxes a good deal and that arrogant smirk crosses his face displaying his pride. "Ah, yes, well, I can't see the harm in letting one unrequested," he glares at me, then turns back to her, "day off slide by, just this once- seeing how you are a guest in Camelot ... Tell me, how long do you plan on staying here in our great city?"

She looks down, a hint of sadness flashes in her countenance for a brief second, "I do not know, my lord."

"When is it that your family is expecting you back?" he questions further.

"They aren't," she lifts her eyes to his, and then slowly brings their gaze back to the floor, "They're dead, Sire."

"I am so sorry to hear that," he says truthfully, yet awkwardly. "If you have no other place to be, then we would be delighted to have you stay here in the castle as an honored guest of Camelot. At least, you would be a guest until you decided otherwise ... whether that means you would go or, perhaps, find it in your heart to stay and make our home yours as well."

"I should like that very much, Prince Arthur," she bows her head slightly in reverence.

He steps up to her, and lifts her chin, "You may call me Arthur. To you, I am not just a prince, I am your friend."

"Thank you, Arthur," she smiles, "That means a great deal to me. I am privileged to have made your acquaintance." She seems to admire him to such a degree that it's driving me a little mad. She has not a clue what he puts me through on the daily basis. He is a self-centered, puffed up pr-, "Merlin," Rose's voice breaks through the barrier of my raging mind.

"Hm?"

"Arthur was just asking if you would be so kind as to bring me along with you to work tomorrow so I may see more of the palace," she eyes me with a strange look, knowing that something was buzzing around in this foolish head of mine.

"Oh, yes, of course I can," I nod, smiling, "But that may preoccupy me, and I have jobs to do ..."

"Just do what you can, Merlin. Our guest comes first," he pats my shoulder and I give him a funny look like he is a foreign being of some undiscovered species. He heads for the door and says a fond farewell, "I'll see you both in the morning!" he gives a wave of his hand looking over his shoulder, and my instantaneous reaction is to move a pile of nearby books into his path, causing him to trip. He almost falls right into the wall. He regains his composure, turning back only before exiting with a suave smile. Oh, the things that I would do to him if he wasn't the prince ...