Here you go! The next part, just as I promised.
By the time three weeks had passed, Arthur hadn't decided if he was going to kill himself or kill Merlin.
The boy was by far the worst manservant he had ever had, and that was saying something. He was rude and imprudent. He didn't care that Arthur was the prince, he insulted and talked back to him just like he would anyone else. He somehow managed to mess up almost every chore Arthur assigned him. He hadn't even known how to correctly put armor on his master! Guinevere had to teach him.
He was a bumbling idiot at best. Arthur would be surprised if the fool even knew how to read. He was unbelievably clumsy, managing to fall at least three times a day. He was so clumsy in fact, that Arthur had a hard time believing it was all due to his lack of hearing.
The hearing was an issue, too. Not that Arthur passed any judgement, that was the one thing he didn't judge the other man for. The prince knew it wasn't his fault, but it was hard to be patient. He wasn't used to being ignored, even if Merlin wasn't usually doing so on purpose. It sometimes took twice as long to get an order across because Arthur would physically have to get up and get Merlin's attention in order to communicate with him. Not to even mention how jumpy he was. Any time someone tapped him on the back he would whirl around in panic, looking not a little like a startled stoat.
Merlin was also giving Arthur a bad reputation among some nobility. His utter lack of respect for status appalled many foreign royals and had them casting a bad eye towards the prince for not truly reprimanding him. What was he supposed to do? As much as it puzzled him, Arthur physically couldn't punish Merlin any more than a few hours in the stocks.
Arthur also suspected many of the other nobles had an issue with his manservant's hearing, or rather, lack thereof. That pissed him off more than it should have.
Yet, despite everything, Arthur felt drawn to Merlin. He found himself feeling more at ease when the raven was around, blabbering on about one thing or another, even if it could be quite irritating at times.
Arthur genuinely wondered if Merlin talked so much because he couldn't hear himself speak. If he heard how annoying his own voice was, Arthur was sure he would talk less.
Still, Arthur began to feel lonely whenever Merlin wasn't around. He hated the feeling. He was a prince; he didn't get lonely. He especially didn't feel lonely without blithering idiots like Merlin around. He knew he had a serious issue when he began to miss Merlin's sparkling eyes, his dorky neckerchief, his laugh that lit up an entire room.
He was currently trying to mull over the issue of said manservant when he came upon Morgana's chambers. The door was cracked open slightly and giggling filtered out into the corridor. He rolled his eyes. No doubt Guinevere and Morgana were gossiping about some new knight they had deemed "cute" or talking about some beautiful dress they had seen at the market.
"Merlin!" Guinevere's voice cried. It was very clear she was barely stifling laughter. Morgana wasn't even trying. Arthur could hear her practically howling.
Arthur's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was Merlin doing in Morgana's chambers with her and Guinevere?
More accurately, why was Arthur jealous that he hadn't been included in whatever it was?
Curiously, Arthur peered through the opening in the door, careful to stay out of sight. All three of them were sitting on Morgana's bed in a little circle. Uther would have Merlin killed if he knew he was spending time alone with his ward and her maidservant.
The thought of Merlin attempting anything on either lady didn't even cross Arthur's mind. He'd seen the boy cry over a bloody dead bird in the courtyard. He hardly thought Merlin capable of such a heinous crime. Plus, they all looked like they were having the best time of their lives.
A pang went through Arthur's heart.
"Show us again!" Morgana demanded excitedly.
Merlin made a fist with his right hand, his thumb sticking out the side. He then tucked his thumb back in and stuck his pinky up, bringing his fist up to rest against his forehead.
"Arthur," he said. Arthur panicked for a moment, thinking he'd been caught, but none of the occupants were even looking his direction. "Idiot."
Morgana collapsed back on her pillows as she laughed. Guinevere even lost it, following her mistress' lead in laughing. Merlin grinned like a fool. Arthur's heart fluttered against his ribcage even though he was pretty sure he had just been insulted.
"Ooh, what's my name sign, Merlin?" Guinevere asked. Merlin then proceeded to stick the pointer finger of his right hand out to the left and then touch his chin with the tips of his fingers, bending them twice away from his chin.
"Gwen," he said. "Sweet."
Great. So, Merlin's sign for him was basically calling him an idiot.
"Show me your alphabets," Merlin said. Both girls began to make signs with their hands.
That evil jealousy came back to Arthur full force, this time accompanied by anger. Merlin was teaching them his language and hadn't even bothered to offer it to Arthur, too. For some reason, the fact that Merlin was willing to teach the girls but not him hurt. He felt as if they were going to be having their own little conversations in Merlin's special language, and he wouldn't have a clue what they were saying. The prince didn't see the rest of their little lesson. He was too busy storming away, straight to Gaius' chambers.
0000
The physician was hunched over a mortar and pestle when Arthur entered the cluttered room. Despite the stuff, it was warm and cozy, and Arthur had always found the physician's chambers to be horribly inviting.
But not today. Today, Arthur was angry.
Gaius looked up in surprise as the door slammed open. "Sire? This is a surprise. If you're looking for Merlin, he isn't here."
"I know exactly where Merlin is," Arthur bit out. Gaius blinked at the prince's hostility.
"Well then, what can I do for you, my lord?"
"You can tell me exactly why Merlin is teaching Morgana and Guinevere to do his little signs."
Gaius let out a breath and turned back to crushing herbs in the mortar. "They approached him wanting to learn. They said they wanted to be able to speak with him more easily and comfortably. Merlin was more than happy to teach them. He loves teaching."
That just made Arthur angrier. "If he loves teaching so much, how come he hasn't taught me?"
Gaius sighed and turned back to the prince. "You never expressed any interest, sire. Merlin mentioned offering to teach you as well, but he didn't think you would have the time or the want to."
That hurt. "Of course, I would have wanted to! Giving him his chores isn't exactly easy when he has to be directly in front of you, staring only at your lips in order to understand you, Gaius."
"Ah, so that's what this is about."
Arthur huffed in annoyance. He didn't have the time or the patience for one of Gaius' life lessons, and it seemed like he was gearing up for one. "You clearly disapprove of something I said, Gaius. Out with it."
"I just should have realized you wanted to learn to make communicating duties easier. My mistake for not, sire."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Merlin wanted to teach you so maybe you would talk to him outside of giving chores. He feels that you don't talk to him more than you have to because it's too much work or it makes you look bad, talking to the deaf boy and all."
Arthur winced. If he was being totally honest, Gaius was right. As much as he enjoyed listening to Merlin babble, he didn't exactly do his part in contributing to conversations. Both reasons Merlin had theorized were semi correct, as guilty as they made Arthur for admitting them, but there was a third reason. One he wasn't about to admit, not even under threat of death.
"Merlin also mentioned you learning his language would be good for secret communication. During times when you could not speak, perhaps." Gaius eyes him carefully from beneath his curtain of white hair.
Arthur's mind drifted back a few days to the tournament in which Sir Valiant's shield had released enchanted snakes with the intent to kill him. He had only survived by sheer luck. Somehow, the snakes had escaped their magical prison without Valiant's consent, thus revealing themselves to everyone. Arthur managed to kill them thanks to a sword skillfully thrown by Morgana from the stands.
He saw Merlin on the sidelines, watching the matches alongside Gaius. The tournament had wrecked the poor boy. He had circles so dark around his eyes that one might mistake him for wearing a mask. All the strangers in the castle had him jumping at every turn, paranoid beyond belief. Arthur thought he was actually going to start crying when a group of six or seven visiting knights had approached the pair on the training field, all attempting to give the servant chores and talk to Arthur at the same time. Merlin's eyes had desperately flicked from face to face, but it was hard for even Arthur to follow the conversation, and he could fully hear. The boy shrank back behind Arthur and silently watched the exchange. Later, Arthur managed to relay all his chores to him, but they were running him absolutely ragged. And if Arthur had made sure it got around that Merlin was his manservant and no one else's, no one needed to worry about it.
Arthur's heart ached for him.
Just before the final round however, Arthur had seen Merlin gesturing to him. At the time, the prince had assumed he was merely telling him good luck or something of the fashion in his own way. But now, Arthur had a sneaking suspicion his manservant had been trying to relay more vital information.
"I think…I think Merlin tried to warn me about the snakes in Valiant's shield before the round began," Arthur said suddenly. He couldn't believe he had missed it!
Gaius sucked in his lips like he was trying not to laugh. "That is entirely plausible, sire. Servants do tend to see and hear, well in Merlin's case not hear, more than the rest of us in the castle. What exactly did he sign?"
Arthur wracked his brain trying to conjure the image of his manservant from the tournament. He hadn't been giving the raven his undivided attention at the time, too focused on the upcoming battle with Valiant.
"Um, something like this, I believe." He made a shaky fist with his right hand and waved his open left hand up and down in front of it. He then made two fists and opened them in a flourish like something was exploding. Finally, he bent his pointer and middle finger near his chin and moved them forward in a weaving motion.
Gaius actually chuckled. Arthur's ears burned, thinking the old man was laughing at his bad signs. "It's not funny! I couldn't be expected to remember the exact little motions he was making when he won't even bother to teach me!"
"My apologies. I wasn't laughing at you, my lord. I was simply laughing at Merlin's cleverness. He was trying to warn you about Valiant. Those are the literal signs for shield, magic, and snake."
Arthur mentally face-palmed. Even at the time, something had told him the desperate look on his manservant's face and the frantic signs weren't just him wishing his master good luck. But, because of Arthur's irritation with the other boy for making him nearly late trying to get his armor on, he had disregarded him. Arthur was beginning to believe he may be more of the idiot Merlin thought him to be than he had initially thought.
One thing was becoming increasingly clear. His pride was becoming an issue that he would later need to address. Not just for situations like the one that had transpired with the tournament, but also because he did genuinely feel bad about the way he had made Merlin feel over the last three weeks.
Not that he would ever tell the boy that. He'd never hear the end of it.
"Damn," Arthur grumbled, running a hand through his hair.
"You know, I could begin to teach you Merlin's language if you would like, your highness. I've written down many of them, and I could loan you my papers to study."
Arthur chewed his bottom lip. "Yes, yes, alright. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn some of it. For work purposes, of course."
Gaius smiled softly. "Oh, of course. Work purposes."
Arthur scowled. He didn't like what Gaius was insinuating one bit. It was too close to those thoughts Arthur had managed to lock away in the last few weeks.
Something Arthur had been meaning to ask the physician popped into his head. "Gaius, I've been meaning to ask, and it seemed insensitive to do so with Merlin. How did he become, well, deaf?"
The smile slipped away from Gaius' face. His eyes became sad. The hollows beneath his eyes became more noticeable, and it looked like he aged twenty years in a matter of second.
"That is a…dark story," he murmured. Arthur felt dread curl in his stomach as he quietly sat down on a bench. He had the feeling he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.
When Arthur didn't speak, Gaius sighed and continued. "First off, you must not let him know that you know, and I ask you not to tell him that I was the one who told you. He doesn't like people knowing the story, but I feel that it is important for you to hear."
Arthur nodded his understanding, the dread seeming to turn his tongue into a piece of lead too heavy to speak with. "Arthur," Gaius eyed him. Arthur shivered. Gaius hardly ever used his given name. "One thing you must understand is that not everywhere is like Camelot. Here, people tend to be more…lenient when it comes to certain things. But Merlin comes from a small farming village in Cenred's kingdom. There, they are very close knit. They're not nearly as accepting of someone like him."
"Someone like him," Arthur parroted. "Deaf, you mean?"
Gaius sighed, somehow looking even sadder. "Well, yes, but not really. I more meant someone of his status. You see, he and his mother were shunned by the people because of one mistake Hunith made when she was nothing more than a naïve girl."
Arthur's heart sank. He had an idea where this was going. "Merlin was born out of wedlock, wasn't he?"
Gaius nodded. "Yes. Please do not think any less of him, sire. I truly ask you. He's endured enough because of it growing up. And it's neither of their faults. Merlin doesn't even know his father. Hunith was only seventeen summers old when she found herself with Merlin. She's raised him all alone since, working from sunup to sundown in the fields, giving what little she had to her son. She loves him more than anything. And even though Merlin grew up with nothing, Hunith made up for it with her love."
Arthur's heart ached. He himself had never known his mother, and for that he couldn't help but be a tad bit jealous of Merlin. While the raven had never known his father, he had at least grown under a mother's care and loving touch, something Arthur could never claim to have done. He then reprimanded himself; Merlin and his mother had been shunned by their own village and lived with almost nothing. He didn't have much to complain about.
"If I-" Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat. "If I may ask, what does this have to do with Merlin becoming deaf?"
Something dark shadowed the physician's face, making him look ancient. "It has everything to do with it. One day when Merlin was seven, he was playing outside their home, right next to the water well. He was too absorbed in what he was doing to notice some of the older boys from the village come up behind him. Their parents had all told them to stay away from Hunith and Merlin. They were all told awful things about Hunith's virtue. The children were told not to play with Merlin or even speak to him. Well, some of the boys took things too far. Rumors started going around that Merlin was some sort of monster. They snuck up behind Merlin and pinned him over the well to scare him, but he was squirming so much, he slipped from their grips and fell."
Arthur blanched. He had not expected to learn such horrifying information about his manservant when he had burst into the physician's chambers in a fit of anger. The fact that anyone could be so cruel to a child, because no matter what Merlin was, he had been just that, a bloody child, was appalling. Just imagining a seven-year-old Merlin, all blue eyes shining with mischief and ears he hadn't quite grown into, getting so hatefully assaulted like that for something that was out of his control made Arthur want to both hug his manservant, and hunt down every one of those boys.
Since when did he care so much about the idiot? And now he wanted to hug him?!
"When Merlin didn't come home that night, Hunith began to frantically search for him. Even after she had asked everyone in the village if they had seen her child and had been met with nothing more than glares and muted shrugs, she still searched. No one was about to help the "slut" look for the "village bastard". Hunith had nearly worked herself to hysterics. They didn't find Merlin until the next morning when one of their neighbors went to get water. By that time, he had been unconscious the entire night. He had hit his head on the way down and was bleeding profusely. By some miracle, his shirt had gotten caught on a stone, keeping him above the water. If not, Merlin would have been dead long before they ever found him."
Arthur listened with sadness heavy in his heart. He had no idea his bumbling, idiotic manservant had suffered so much. It made him feel even more guilty for all his shitty behavior. How Merlin had managed to remain the cheerful, happy-about-everything boy he was after all he had been through was beyond Arthur. The prince certainly wouldn't have been able to.
"Hunith couldn't wake him, and of course, a village that small had no physician. No one was going to risk riding to another village just for the sake of some bastard. Thankfully, there was one family that hadn't shunned them and was willing to watch over Merlin and lend Hunith their horse to ride to Camelot. She managed to ride to me in half the time it would have usually taken, and we got back just in time. Merlin was on the brink of death when I arrived. He had lost a lot of blood and was hypothermic. I took one look at him and knew it was hopeless. Merlin was on his deathbed. The only thing that could save him was…magic," Gaius looked at Arthur carefully. The blonde didn't even blink twice at the taboo word. Sorcery wasn't as strictly punished in Essetir as it was in Camelot. Besides, he wasn't about to get torn up about an event that had happened over a decade ago, especially when it had occurred solely to save a little boy's life.
Arthur waved him off, wanting to finish this awful story so he could go wallow in his chambers. "I managed to get him to the point where he wasn't about to die with a single touch. However, when he finally awoke, we discovered that the head trauma had affected his hearing. Something inside had been injured beyond repair when he hit his head, rendering him permanently deaf. There was nothing I could do."
Arthur swallowed hard, an odd burning sensation making itself known behind his eyes. What was that about?
Abruptly, Arthur stood. The room suddenly felt too cramped, too warm. He didn't like any of the emotions he was feeling, and he certainly didn't want Gaius to see them. He needed to get out, he needed to get back to his chambers where he could be alone.
He all but ran to the door, halfway out when Gaius called after him.
"Sire! Remember what I said. I would prefer if Merlin didn't know I told you."
Arthur barely heard him from the other side of the closed door.
There you go! Next chapter should be out soon!
