Thomas was a skilled warlock, he knew that much. Yet, here he was, scrubbing the floors of a mere no-magic like a servant.
I should be treated like royalty! He couldn't help but think. I'm more powerful than any of the other Druids… perhaps even father… and yet… as long as Arthur Pendragon sits on the throne, I will never get the due respect I deserve.
"Gaius-." Emrys barged into the room, looking down at a book in his hands. "I was wondering, have you-." Merlin trailed off as he realized Gaius's chambers were empty, except for the man's apprentice, who was kneeling on the floor with a bucket and a rag. "Ah." The wizard chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry. I thought you were-."
"Gaius?" Thomas took a wild guess, raising an eyebrow. Merlin snorted, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He set the book on the desk in front of him.
"Yes." The warlock said. "You see, I've been studying something I think will help Arthur… and I wanted to ask him about the spell."
"Help the king?" Thomas titled his head, the perfect picture of innocence. "With what?"
Merlin's smile faded, and he avoided the young man's eyes.
"Oh, just something that might make life a bit easier for him." He said briskly. Thomas bit back a growl.
I saved you, he thought. The least you could do would be to trust me.
Then again, Thomas was the last person Merlin should trust. He hated Camelot, Arthur, Uther, Emrys… everything that the kingdom he now resided in represented.
The horn, the teenager thought. I need Morgana… She'll help me.
"Oh." Thomas went back to scrubbing.
"You're a skilled fighter." Merlin commented. "What you did for me with those men-."
"I don't like people who think they're better than us- than people because of how they were born." Thomas said bluntly. "Don't think anything of it. I would have done the same for anyone."
Honestly, Thomas still didn't know how to feel about what he had done for Merlin… he'd just heard the taunting aimed at his kind and he'd been overcome by fury… he'd forgotten that he was saving a man who had betrayed his kin.
"Arthur mentioned you'd make a good knight." Merlin told him.
"Ha!" Thomas's lip curled in a bitter smile. "I'd rather die."
"I thought you might have some opposition to it." Merlin ran a finger along the desk. "Why is that?"
"My mother was killed by knights." Thomas admitted, seeing no harm in being truthful about that. "They thought she'd broken the law." She hadn't broken any law Thomas could see though… she'd simply dared to be born different. He could still remember them accusing her… tying her to a tree and setting it ablaze... the teenager could still hear the screams…
"Oh…" Merlin gave him a long look. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah… well…" Thomas looked up, struck by an idea. "It would be great to see her again."
Merlin looked uncomfortable.
"I…imagine it would." He said.
"You know I got to reading a while ago," Thomas grinned. "And I came across something interesting… the Horn of Cathbhadh."
Merlin's eyes widened, filling with panic.
"Did you?" He said, his voice strained.
"Yes." Thomas held his smile. "Have you heard of it?"
"No." Merlin said sharply. The warlock stood up, gathering up his book. "I…I have to go."
Thomas narrowed his eyes as Merlin practically sprinted from the room.
He knows too, he thought. Gaius, Merlin… they know where it is. I only have to get one to tell me.
Arthur sat at the table, taking a sip from his goblet of wine. Merlin was sitting to one side of him, and Callum to the other. Both were oddly quiet.
"How was training?" Arthur asked the kid, setting down his cup. Callum looked sideways at him. The boy had eyes like a puppy who had been beaten too many times, and expected nothing less than a rod.
"It was… fine, sir." He murmured, turning back to picking at his food.
My father would never have allowed such insolence, Arthur couldn't help but think, watching the boy sulk over something. He would have scolded me for it…
"Don't slouch." Arthur asserted. Callum immediately sat up straight.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean to."
Arthur felt empathy strike his heart like a bolt of lightning. This boy wasn't him. He'd grown up with nothing but hate and distaste directed toward him. Arthur had felt like a disappointment to his father at times… but he had had people around who loved him, like Morgana and Gaius… he had never felt truly unwanted as a child. This boy had never felt wanted.
"Merlin." Arthur waved a hand at his friend. "Leave us."
Merlin looked up from his food, raising an eyebrow.
"But-." He protested.
"Merlin, out!" Arthur snapped, exasperated. With a glare, Merlin picked up his plate and left the dining hall. Callum's eyes widened as he was left alone with the king.
"I'm sorry-." He started
"What did I tell you about that?" Arthur warned.
"Oh…I… did I do something wrong?" Callum whimpered. Arthur sighed, pushing his chair away from the table and standing up. He walked over to one side of the room, resting his hand against a wall.
"Come here." He ordered. Callum, clearly thinking he was about to be punished, stood up and slunk over to Arthur.
"Give me your hand." Arthur ordered, holding out his own commandingly. Callum, his eyes screwing up anticipation, held out a shaking hand. Arthur took it in his own. Callum's hands were so small… so pale against his own. Gently, Arthur placed the boy's hand against the wall.
"Push." He told the child. "Push the wall as hard as you can."
It was amazing, the boy didn't question the odd order, instead doing as he was told. He gritted his teeth and pushed the wall with all his might. Of course, it didn't move.
"It doesn't move, right?" Arthur said, hoping what he was doing might help.
"No, sire."
"You know why?"
"Um…cause it's a wall…"
"No." Arthur rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Because it's solid. It's built to withstand and last. That's the way you have to be. If you want to be a good knight, you cannot let your wall be pushed back. The first step to being a strong warrior, a strong man, is confidence. Once you have a confidence that no amount of pushing can waver, once you've built your strong foundation… then you can start on the fancier stuff. Building a house starts at the core, never forget that. You must learn to trust yourself, and if you do that, you'll find others will come to trust you as well."