Chapter 3… Arthur

The next morning, Merlin woke up to the smell of fresh bread. The smell made him realize how hungry he was. He thought he should probably get used to the limitation of food as a servant. He quickly made his way down to Gaius' main chamber, and was greeted with the site of the old physician laying out breakfast and, Lancelot and Gwaine, eating at the table.

"Morning!" He greeted them.

"Morning Sire," they said together. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"You shouldn't call me Sire," he reminded them. "I'm just a normal peasant remember."

"So you don't want the bread I brought for you?" Gwaine piped up. "It is for the knights, and not 'normal peasants'." Merlin snatched the bread of the table and cradled it to his chest, before taking a bite.

"No, keep them coming," he said when he swallowed. "I mean I am a Prince and you guys should treat me that way since you know… In private that is" he took another bite of the bread, doing his best doe-eyed look. Gaius laughed at their antics. "Gaius, have you got any work for me this morning?"

"Work?" Lancelot asked.

"We are pretending that I'm here, to help Gaius, and work as his assistants." Merlin explained.

"There's not much to do…" Gaius said, not comfortable in making a Prince work.

"There is no validity to our excuse, if I don't actually work for you." Merlin reasoned.

"Well, I could do with a bit of help in delivering some of the medicine," Gaius relented.

"Good," Merlin got up from the table. "All I need is directions to where each medicine goes."

Two hours later, Found Merlin walking through the Castle, having just delivered the last medicine successfully, he hoped. Merlin made his way outside the Castle, thinking to look around for a bit. He was heading towards the gates of the citadel, the late morning sun, bright in the sky, not a single cloud to be seen. Merlin felt so cheerful, he had never felt like this before. Here he was, walking towards the gates to leave, and no one was stopping him.

He was halfway to the gate, when he heard a commotion. Feeling curious he changed his direction, and went to investigate. He came to a yard, which was clearly the training ground. There were a bunch of young men practicing, and who was clearly a leader to the group, a blonde handsome man, was throwing knives at a target… Which, a servant was carrying around.

Merlin marched over, feeling sorry for the servant, why didn't anyone interfere? If he saw his knights acting this way, he would have put a stop to it immediately. He walked over to tell them of, when the servant dropped the target and it rolled to words Merlin's feet.

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

Arthur Pendragon, was proud of who he was. He was proud of his abilities, his accomplishments, and his leadership of his knights. He had everything he could ever want, a loving mother, a proud father and an annoying sister. To top it all off, he was the Crown Prince of Camelot. His friends adored him and respected him; ladies fainted at the sight of him (figuratively of course, although some literally). Safe to say he was very pleased with himself and his life. Which is why he didn't appreciate it when some peasant questions his actions, and dares to tell him to stop!

"Hey! That's enough," the boy had said, with a lack of respect! "You've had your fun my friend." Arthur stared, who was this idiot?

"Do I know you?" He asked, curious.

"I'm Merlin," the boy introduced himself, holding out his hand. Did he expect Arthur to shake that?

"So I don't know you," Arthur said ignoring the hand. "Yet you called me friend?" The smile dropped from the idiot's mouth, and he dropped his hand.

"Yes," the boy said evenly. "My mistake."

"Yes," Arthur returned mockingly. "I think so."

"I could never have a friend who could be such an ass." The raven-haired boy said disrespectfully, before turning his back to Arthur and walking off. Arthur was so shocked and amused at this boy that he could do nothing, but laugh.

"Nor I one who could be so stupid," he said to the boy's back. "Tell me Merlin, can you walk on your knees?" He had the boy's attention immediately.

"No!"

"Would you like me to show you?" Arthur taunted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Arthur barked out a laugh in surprise. Who was this skinny kid to think he could say something like that?

"Why?" He asked, amused. "What are you going to do to me?" Arthur sniggered again at the outrage on the boy's face. He had a remarkable one Arthur had to admit. Pale skin, sharp cheekbones, huge ears and blue, blue eyes.

"You have no idea!" Merlin said angrily.

Arthur snorted, glancing back at the other nobles, as if to say, "Are you seeing this?" They all sniggered with him. The blonde then opened his arms in a mocking invitation. "Come on…!" He taunted the kid. Next thing he knew, Merlin lunged in with a punch. The kid had good form, too good a form. Arthur had never seen this form on anyone who wasn't a knight. Only Arthur's fast reflexes, and the boy's anger, led Arthur to jump out of the way. But Merlin didn't deter when his punch missed, he bent his punched out arm and elbowed Arthur, who had moved to Merlin's right, knocking the wind out of him. Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm before he could do more damage, and twisted it behind his back. It was harder than it should have been. Clearly the boy had training; only Arthur's brute strength led him to do that.

"I could have your head for that!" He snarled in Merlin's ear.

"Who do you think you are?" Merlin snapped. "The King!"

"No," Arthur murmured smugly, realising the boy didn't know who he was. "I'm his son, Arthur." The look on Merlin's face was priceless. The Prince kicked him down on his knees, and then handed him over to some guards, who'd come over at the commotion. They dragged an angry Merlin to the dungeons, to await his sentence.

Merlin, a peasant boy with knight training, who seemed to have come from nowhere, intrigued Arthur. After the excitement of the morning, Arthur retired to his quarters, to look at some paperwork and decide on what to do with the prisoner in his dungeon. Not an hour had passed, when there was frantic knocking on his door.

"Enter." He said. The door opened and three people walked in. Arthur raised his eyebrows as Sir Lancelot, sir Gwaine and Gaius started speaking over each other, trying to get Arthur's attention. "One at a time, please!" He stopped them. "Gaius if you will…"

"Sire, I was hoping if you would consider…" Gaius began, and then stopped. Arthur stared; he'd never seen the old man act like this towards him, his father maybe, but not him. "Sire, may I enquire as to what you are planning to do with Merlin?" Arthur was taken aback; this was about that insolent boy?

"You all know him?" He asked the three.

"Yes sire," Lancelot answered. "He… He was a servant in our household, and grew up with us."

"So you taught him how to fight?" Arthur enquired, wanting answers to his questions.

"Fight?" Gwaine asked.

"He clearly knew how to fight like a knight," Arthur told them.

"Yes," Lancelot said, before Gwaine could say anything else. "Our father was fond of Merlin, and had him train with us, so he could look after himself." Arthur nodded.

"So what is he doing here, in Camelot?" He asked.

"He's here for me," Gaius answered him. "I met the boy when I was in Ealdor. He's here to help me and be my assistant."

"Well you need to keep an eye on him Gaius," the Prince said to the old physician. "He can't go around fighting with Princes. Even if he didn't know I was one, he still knew I was of nobility."

"Yes sire."

"Merlin's been spoiled by my father, sire," Lancelot explained to him. "He's just not used to acting on his station."

"All right," Arthur said suddenly. "I'll let him go for you guys, but next time he might not be so lucky."

"Thank you, sire," they said in unison.

"Don't thank me just yet," Arthur said with a grin. "He still needs punishment."

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

"Merlin!"

Merlin jumped from where he was lying down on the cold cell floor.

"Merlin!"

Damn! Merlin thought. He'd completely forgotten about Kilghrrah, the Dragon could easily find him.

"Merlin!"

"Okay, okay," Merlin grumble, "I'll meet you tonight in the forest." The pressure of the Dragon's thoughts left Merlin's mind, and he sighed. He couldn't believe that on his first day as a peasant, he'd been imprisoned; for fighting with a Prince no less! The irony wasn't lost on Merlin. He was just about to settle back down, when he heard his name again.

"Merlin!"

What now? Merlin thought, annoyed. But the sound was from outside his cell, and not his head. He looked up to see a guard unlocking his cell to let in Gaius.

"What were you thinking?" Gaius seethed. "The one thing we asked of you was to keep out of trouble! So what do you do? You pick a fight with Prince Arthur!"

"I'm sorry," Merlin says sheepishly. "I didn't know he was the Prince."

"You knew he was of nobility!" The physician hissed, actually hissed! Merlin must have really worried him. "You are pretending to be a peasant, you can't interfere in what the nobility do!" Merlin dropped his head in shame. "You were lucky this time, we managed to pull some strings with Arthur."

"Thank you!" Merlin said gratefully. "I wouldn't forget this."

"Don't thank us just yet," the old man told him. "Apart from a lecture from your two friends, you have to pay a small price." At the look on Gaius' face, Merlin gulped.

"Uh oh!" Merlin's eyes rounded as the first rotten fruit, a tomato, was thrown at him. Following that, he was pelted by and assortment of rotten vegetation. When the people ran out of things to throw, Merlin got a break. The stocks were not the most comfortable place. Already he's back had begun to hurt, and the wooden restraints were rubbing his wrists raw. He shook his head trying to get some of the fruit of his head.

"Hello," he looked up, to see a beautiful young girl, with caramel skin and curly hair, standing next to him.

"Hello!" He said in response, smiling at her.

"I'm Guinevere," she introduced herself. "But most people call me Gwen. I'm sir Elyan's sister."

"Nice to meet you," Merlin tried, and failed, to extend his hand for her to shake. She smiled and shook his trapped hand anyway. "I'm Merlin, but most people call me idiot."

"Oh no," she said, "What you did was brave."

"You think so?"

"Everyone does," she said earnestly. "Arthur's a bully, and it was brave of you to stand up to him. I'm glad it ended when it did though, you weren't going to beat him."

"Oh I could beat him." Merlin informed her.

"You think?" She said, looking him up and down. "You don't really look it…"

"Thanks?" Merlin raised his eyebrows.

"No no no!" She amended. "I'm sure you are stronger than your look! It's just that Arthur's a rough, tough, save the world kind of man, and well…"

"What?" Merlin enquired.

"You don't really look like that…" Gwen said, Blandly. Merlin indicated for her to come closer. When she did, he whispered theatrically.

"I'm in disguise," she laughed out loud. "Err… Gwen?" She looked at him fondly. "You might want to get out of here, my fans have returned!" She giggled before grabbing her skirt and dashing off. When she left, Merlin was once again assaulted with smelly fruit.

Later when he was released from the stocks, he made his way back to the physician's quarters. He reflected on his first day as a peasant and groaned. What a day it had been! On his way, he bumped into Lancelot, who after dragging Merlin to his own quarters, tried to melt the secret Prince's brain with a lecture. But when he was done, he showed Merlin to a bath he'd had the servants set up. Merlin smiled at him gratefully and got in the bath, washing all the rotten way.

Later that evening, Merlin made his way to the Forest, taking Arrow with him. When he got to a clearing, he mentally called to Kilghrrah. He couldn't order the great Dragon like his father, as he wasn't a Dragon Lord yet. However his magic allowed him to communicate with the beast, especially when he was close by.

It wasn't too long before the great beast, dropped from the sky.

"Hello…" Merlin said awkwardly.

"Hello young warlock," Kilghrrah's voice boomed. "So you have finally met your destiny." Merlin's head snapped up to look at the Dragon. That was not what he had expected to hear, at all. Kilghrrah had been telling him all his life that he had a great destiny. A few years ago he had finally admitted to Merlin that that destiny was a person, who'll help him unite and build Albion.

"My destiny is here in Camelot?" Merlin demanded, though he didn't expect much of an answer from the riddle speaking Dragon.

"Prince Arthur, will help you on what you will achieve." The golden beast said.

"Arthur?" Merlin stared. "No! There has to be another Arthur, because this one's an idiot!" Kilghrrah laughed his booming laugh.

"Perhaps it's your destiny to change that," the old beast grinned his toothy smile. "You and Arthur are two sides of the same coin." With that the Dragon spread his wings, preparing to fly off. "Don't worry about your father, he only asked me to find you, not to tell him when I did." With that he flew off.

"Wait!" Merlin called after him, yet he knew it was useless.

He thought about Arthur, and snorted. No way, were he and that ass 'two sides of the same coin!'

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

The next morning, Arthur was visiting the lower town, his ever-faithful friends behind him. He had wanted to go alone, but he didn't say no when the noble sons had tagged along. He checked on all the businesses, making sure nothing was amiss, as was his Royall duty.

By midday, they were heading back to the citadel, when he saw the kid from yesterday. Merlin hadn't noticed Arthur and was walking around checking out the stalls. He walked past Arthur, not seeing him at all. That bugged Arthur; everyone noticed Arthur!

"How's your knee-walking coming along, Merlin?"He called after the boy. Merlin paused, shoulders tensing, before he clearly decided to ignore Arthur and walk away. The blonde Prince seethed. How dare he? "Oh don't walk away!" Arthur mocked. Merlin paused, but didn't turn around.

"From you?" He called over his shoulder.

"Finally," Arthur said sarcastically, "I thought you were deaf as well as dumb."

"I knew you were an ass," Merlin turned around, "I just didn't realise you were a royal one." Arthur snorted, did this kid never learn? The noble sons laughed with Arthur, always ready to suck up to him. Arthur looked back at them. "Ooh, what are you going to do?" Merlin mocked. "Get daddy's men to protect you?" Arthur gapped at him.

"I can take you apart with one blow!" He exclaimed.

"I can take you apart with less than that!" Merlin retorted back.

Arthur chuckled, extending his arms in invitation. Merlin took off his jacket in response. Arthur guffawed, and threw a mace at Merlin, before grabbing one himself. Twirling the weapon above his head, he said to Merlin, "I'm warning you, I've been trained to kill since birth."

"And how long have you been training to be a prat?" Merlin asked cheekily.

"You can't talk to me like that!" Arthur told him.

"Sorry," Merlin said, bending down in a mocking bow. He looked up through his dark lashes. "How long have you been training to be a prat, my lord?" He made the title sound like a foul insult. Arthur look back again to his laughing friends, before he swung at Merlin suddenly.

What ensued was one epic battle through the market. Every time Arthur swung at Merlin, the boy was somewhere else. The kid was fast Arthur would give him that. It also didn't help, that Arthur's mace kept getting stuck everywhere. When he looked however, Merlin seemed to have lost his mace, yet he was laughing. Arthur trapped the boy in a storage store, demanding, "Do you give up?" Merlin walked backwards away from Arthur. However all of a sudden, something caught Arthur's foot, and he fell in an uncharacteristic display of clumsiness.

Merlin wasted no time, grabbing Arthur's mace and twirling it in his face. Arthur crawled backwards with Merlin stalking him.

"Do you give up?" Merlin demanded.

"To you?" Arthur cried. But something seemed to have caught Merlin's attention in the crowd. Arthur used his distraction to his own advantage, grabbing a nearby broom, and hitting Merlin behind the knees. The boy went down gracelessly, and Arthur tapped him on the head. He then swept the floor in Merlin's face. Some of the guards had come over, and they pulled Merlin up, before preparing to drag him away.

"Wait," Arthur told them. He knew if Merlin hadn't been distracted, then he might not have won. "Let him go." Arthur looked Merlin in the eye, grabbing onto his shoulder, "there is something about you Merlin," he said curiously. "I cant quite put my finger on it."

Merlin looked away from him, he didn't seem grateful to Arthur for letting him go. Arthur followed Merlin's gaze and chuckled, seeing Gaius. No doubt the kid preferred the cells to the physician's lectures.

End of chapter!

Here is a longer chapter for you all, to thank all the lovely comments, and all the subscriptions!

After reading through what I wrote, I realised that Arthur had a lot of questions in his mind… He is clueless, isn't he?

Please read and review, your comments are greatly appreciated!